Educating Teenagers About Sex in the United States
"Key findings
Data from the National Survey of Family Growth

Most teenagers received formal sex education before they were 18 (96% of female and 97% of male teenagers).

Female teenagers were more likely than male teenagers to report first receiving instruction on birth control methods in high school (47% compared with 38%).

Younger female teenagers were more likely than younger male teenagers to have talked to their parents about sex and birth control.

Nearly two out of three female teenagers talked to their parents about “how to say no to sex” compared with about two out of five male teenagers..."
View full report, National Survey of Family Growth

U.S. Natural Gas Imports & Exports: 2009
"In 2009, net U.S. imports of natural gas were the lowest since 1994, representing just 12 percent of total consumption. The primary underlying cause for the lower level of net imports was continued strong levels of natural gas production in the lower 48 States. Dry natural gas production increased 3.3 percent compared with 2008 and was nearly 9 percent higher than in 2007. With these recent gains in domestic production, the United States is now the largest producer of natural gas in the world. U.S. domestic consumption decreased in 2009, which in turn contributed to a reduced demand for imports. Although liquefied natural gas (LNG) gross imports increased almost 30 percent (from a 5-year low established in 2008), LNG remains a very small source of supplies for the United States, accounting for less than 2 percent of consumption..."

Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption
"Although no one building type dominates the commercial buildings sector, office buildings are the most common and account for more than 800,000 buildings or 17 percent of total commercial buildings. Offices comprised more than 12 billion square feet of floorspace, 17 percent of total commercial floorspace, the most of any building type.

Types of Office Buildings

The 2003 CBECS Detailed Tables present data for office buildings along with other principal building activities (see Detailed Tables B13 and B14, for example). Since office buildings comprise a wide range of office-related activities, survey respondents were presented with a follow-up list of specific office types to choose from. Although we have not presented the office sub-category information in the detailed tables we make information about the sub-categories available in the 2003 Public Use Micro-Data files. Several of the sub-category choices presented to respondents were reported too few times to produce statistically reliable estimates and were aggregated with the “other type of office” category..."

Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January-March 2010
"From January through March 2010, 46.7 million persons of all ages (15.4%) were uninsured at the time of interview, 59.1 million (19.5%) had been uninsured for at least part of the year prior to interview, and 33.9 million (11.2%) had been uninsured for more than a year at the time of interview.

From January through March 2010, the percentage of children under age 18 years who were uninsured at the time of interview was 7.4%.

Private coverage decreased among near poor adults aged 18-64 years, from 52.6% in 1997 to 34.8% in the first 3 months of 2010, so that the uninsured rate (43.7%) is now higher than the private coverage rate (34.8%) for this population.

From January through March 2010, 59.9% of unemployed adults aged 18-64 years and 22.6% of employed adults in this age group had been uninsured for at least part of the past year. Also, 35.4% of unemployed adults aged 18-64 and 13.8% of employed adults in this age group had been uninsured for more than a year.

During the first 3 months of 2010, 26.6% of persons under age 65 years with private health insurance at the time of interview were enrolled in a high deductible health plan (HDHP), including 7.8% who were enrolled in a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP). More than 50% of persons with a private plan obtained by means other than through employment were enrolled in a HDHP. An estimated 21.7% of persons with a private plan were in a family with a flexible spending account (FSA) for medical expenses..."

The Freedom of Information Act and Nondisclosure Provisions in Other Federal Laws
"Congress continues to consider how to balance the federal government’s growing need for
sensitive or confidential business information, the public’s right of access to information about
government activities, and the private sector’s interest in keeping its sensitive or proprietary
information protected from public disclosure. In enacting the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, Congress sought to balance the right of the public to know and the need
of the government to protect certain information. FOIA’s broad provisions favoring disclosure,
coupled with the specific exemptions, represent the balance Congress achieved. The federal FOIA
is an information access statute enacted in 1966 that applies to agency records of the executive
branch of the federal government. FOIA requires that certain types of records be published in the
Federal Register, that certain types of records be made available for public inspection and
copying, and that all other records be subject to request in writing. All records not available via
publication or inspection, not exempt from disclosure, or excluded from coverage are subject to
disclosure. Disputes over access to requested records may be reviewed in federal court where the
burden is on the agency to sustain its action..."

American Jihadist Terrorism: Combating a Complex Threat
"Between May 2009 and August 2010, arrests were made for 19 “homegrown,” jihadist-inspired
terrorist plots by American citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States. Two of
these resulted in attacks—U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan’s alleged assault at Fort Hood in Texas
and Abdulhakim Muhammed’s shooting at the U.S. Army-Navy Career Center in Little Rock,
Arkansas—and produced 14 deaths. By comparison, in more than seven years from the
September 11, 2001, terrorist strikes (9/11) through May 2009, there were 21 such plots. Two
resulted in attacks, and no more than six plots occurred in a single year (2006). The apparent
spike in such activity after May 2009 suggests that at least some Americans—even if a tiny
minority—continue to be susceptible to ideologies supporting a violent form of jihad.

This report describes homegrown violent jihadists and the plots and attacks that have occurred
since 9/11. “Homegrown” and “domestic” are terms that describe terrorist activity or plots
perpetrated within the United States or abroad by American citizens, legal permanent residents, or
visitors radicalized largely within the United States. The term “jihadist” describes radicalized
individuals using Islam as an ideological and/or religious justification for their belief in the
establishment of a global caliphate, or jurisdiction governed by a Muslim civil and religious
leader known as a caliph. The term “violent jihadist” characterizes jihadists who have made the
jump to illegally supporting, plotting, or directly engaging in violent terrorist activity..."

Employee tenure, January 2010
"In January 2010, the median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer was 4.4..."

Bank Crime Statistics, 2nd Quarter 2010
"During the second quarter of 2010, there were 1,146 reported violations of the Federal Bank Robbery and Incidental Crimes Statute, a decrease from the 1,304 reported violations in the same quarter of 2009.1 According to statistics released today by the FBI, there were 1,135 robberies, 11 burglaries, zero larcenies, and one extortion of financial institutions2 reported between April 1, 2010 and June 31, 2010.

Highlights of the report include:

Loot was taken in 91 percent of the incidents, totaling more than $8.4 million.
Of the loot taken, 21 percent of it was recovered. More than $1.3 million was recovered and returned to financial institutions.
Bank crimes most frequently occurred on Friday. Regardless of the day, the time frame when bank crimes occurred most frequently was between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Acts of violence were committed in 5 percent of the incidents, resulting in 23 injuries, five deaths, and nine persons being taken hostage.3
Oral demands and demand notes 4 were the most common modus operandi used.
Most violations occurred in the Western region of the U.S., with 403 reported incidents..."

FCC FREES UP VACANT TV AIRWAVES FOR “SUPER WI-FI” TECHNOLOGIES
"The Federal Communications Commission today took steps to free up vacant airwaves between TV channels -- called “white spaces” -- to unleash a host of new technologies, such as “super Wi-Fi,” and myriad other diverse applications. This is the first significant block of spectrum made
available for unlicensed use in more than 20 years.

TV white space spectrum is considered prime real estate because its signals travel well, making
it ideally suited for mobile wireless devices. Unlocking this valuable spectrum will open the doors for new industries to arise, create American jobs, and fuel new investment and innovation. The National Broadband Plan noted the importance of unlicensed spectrum in creating opportunities for new technologies to blossom and recommended that the Commission complete the TV white spaces
proceeding as expeditiously as possible.

The Second Memorandum Opinion and Order (Second MO&O) adopted today resolves numerous legal
and technical issues. Notably, the Order eliminates the requirement that TV bands devices that
incorporate geo-location and database access must also include sensing technology to detect the signals of TV stations and low-power auxiliary service stations (wireless microphones). It also requires wireless microphone users who seek to register in the TV bands databases to certify that they will use all available channels from 7 through 51 prior to requesting registration. Requests to register in the database will be public, thus allowing interested parties to weigh in on any given request..."

2010 National Book Festival

"The 10th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 3rd and 7th streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are honorary chairs for the event. The festival, a celebration of the joy of reading for all ages, is free and open to the public."

Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain
"The concentration of production of rare earth elements (REEs) outside the United States raises the important issue of supply vulnerability. REEs are used for new energy technologies and national security applications. Is the United States vulnerable to supply disruptions of REEs? Are these elements essential to U.S. national security and economic well-being?

There are 17 rare earth elements (REEs), 15 within the chemical group called lanthanides, plus yttrium and scandium. The lanthanides consist of the following: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. Rare earths are moderately abundant in the earth’s crust, some even more abundant than copper, lead, gold, and platinum. While more abundant than many other minerals, REE are not concentrated enough to make them easily exploitable economically. The United States was once self-reliant in domestically produced REEs, but over the past 15 years has become 100% reliant on imports, primarily from China, because of lower-cost operations..."

The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer
"Numerous federal, state, and local agencies share responsibilities for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply, which many experts say is among the safest in the world. Nevertheless, critics view this system as lacking the organization, regulatory tools, and resources to adequately combat foodborne illness—as evidenced by a series of widely publicized food safety problems, including concerns about adulterated food and food ingredient imports, and illnesses linked to various types
of fresh produce, to peanut products, and to some meat and poultry products.

A number of comprehensive food safety proposals aimed at addressing perceived shortcomings in the U.S. food safety system were introduced but not enacted by the 110th Congress. These included measures to reform the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) oversight of food and other imports, to create a new independent food safety agency, and to impose a variety of new requirements on food manufacturers, handlers, and producers (including farms), such as mandated risk-based safety plans, recordkeeping for product tracing purposes, more rigorous registration requirements, and performance standards. The adequacy of inspection resources also has been at issue, and appropriators have been ramping up funding for the major agencies,
particularly FDA..."

Federal Financial Institution Regulators Announce Availability of 2009 Data on Mortgage Lending
"The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) today announced the availability of data on mortgage lending transactions at 8,124 U.S. financial institutions covered by the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). Covered institutions include banks, savings associations, credit unions, and mortgage companies. The HMDA data made available today cover 2009 lending activity--applications, originations, purchases of loans, denials, and other actions such as incomplete or withdrawn applications.

The data include nearly 15 million applications (of which nearly 9 million resulted in loan originations) and 4.3 million loan purchases, for a total of 19.3 million actions. The data also include information on 210,000 requests for preapprovals that did not result in a loan.

The data include disclosure statements for each financial institution, aggregate data for each metropolitan statistical area (MSA), nationwide summary statistics regarding lending patterns, and Loan/Application Registers (LARs) for each financial institution (LARs modified for borrower privacy). The FFIEC prepares and distributes this information on behalf of its member agencies (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Office of Thrift Supervision) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development..."

Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening the Nation’s Emergency Response State by State
"Public Health Preparedness: Strengthening the Nation’s Emergency Response State
by State presents data on preparedness activities taking place at state and local health departments in 50 states, 4 localities (Chicago, the District of Columbia, Los Angeles County, and New York City), and 8 U.S. insular areas located in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.1 All are funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative
agreement.

Reports on public health preparedness are an important part of CDC’s overall focus
on demonstrating results, driving program improvements, and increasing accountability
for the nation’s investment in public health preparedness. CDC has now released
three preparedness reports; this is CDC’s second report with state-by-state data on
preparedness activities. It includes updates (when available) to data presented in CDC’s first state preparedness report, Public Health Preparedness: Mobilizing State by State (2008),2 as well as new data on state and local preparedness activities. In 2009, Congress expressed its desire for CDC to continue to report state-by-state data..."

Timeline: Nationwide Outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) Infections Associated with Shell Eggs, United States, 2010
Trace the outbreak of the Salmonella Enteritidis Infection associated with shell eggs.

State Nuclear Profiles, 2010 Edition
"Capacity and generation of electricity from nuclear sources in the United States:

There are 104 nuclear reactors operating at 65 plants around the nation.
Nuclear capacity (100 GW) is 10 percent of the total U.S. generating capacity.
In comparison, nuclear generation (806 TWh) is almost 20 percent of the total U.S. generation.
The reason: nuclear units operate more often and at higher levels than plants using other energy sources.
The capacity factor for nuclear--over 91 percent--is the highest of any energy source. The energy source with the second highest capacity factor is coal which is 74 percent.
Nuclear capacity tends to increase slightly each year, about 0.2% to 0.4%, despite the fact that no new units have been commissioned in over a decade. These increases are due to uprates of the existing plants..."

Anniversary Marks Creation of U.S. Federal Court System
"September 24 marks the anniversary of a groundbreaking American invention – a federal court system separate from the individual state courts.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 was one of the first pieces of legislation enacted by the newly formed U.S. Congress. The law created a dual court system – federal and state – that existed in no other country at the time. More than 220 years later, the system remains a vibrant protector of the rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution’s Article III was ratified in 1787, creating a Federal Judiciary that would feature the U.S. Supreme Court at its pinnacle. Left to Congress, however, was the job of fleshing out what the Constitution created.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 established a three-tiered federal court system – the Supreme Court, three appellate courts, and 13 district courts. The Act also provided the courts and the justice system with needed staff..."

Safe Disposal of Unused Medication
"On September 25, 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, will coordinate a collaborative effort with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation’s medicine cabinets. Collection activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at sites established throughout the country. To find out more, visit the Take Back page.

Disposal by Flushing of Certain Unused Medicines: What You Should Know
Medicines Recommended for Disposal by Flushing
How to Dispose of Unused Medicines
Medication Disposal: Questions and Answers
Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs (ONDCP) [PDF - 117KB]"

Census Bureau Reports Hispanic-Owned Businesses Increase at More Than Double the National Rate
"The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States increased by 43.7 percent to 2.3 million, more than twice the national rate of 18.0 percent between 2002 and 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. About 45.8 percent of all Hispanic-owned businesses were owned by people of Mexican origin.

Hispanic-owned businesses generated $345.2 billion in sales in 2007, up 55.5 percent compared with 2002. The number of Hispanic-owned businesses with receipts of $1 million or more increased 51.6 percent — from 29,168 to 44,206 businesses between 2002 and 2007.

These new data come from the Survey of Business Owners: Hispanic-Owned Businesses: 2007, which provides detailed information every five years for Hispanic-owned businesses, such as the number of firms, sales and receipts, number of paid employees and annual payroll..."

Fiscal Policy Choices in Uncertain Times
Congressional Budget Office Director's Blog, Sept. 19, 2010.
"I’m speaking this afternoon to the Washington Policy Seminar sponsored by the Macroeconomic Advisers forecasting firm. My presentation draws on several reports that CBO has released over the course of this year and emphasizes these points:

CBO and most private forecasters expect that the economic recovery will proceed at a modest pace during the next few years. For example, in the forecast that we completed in early July, the unemployment rate remains above 8 percent until 2012. In addition, the economic data released since we finished that forecast have been weaker than we had expected, so if we were to construct a new forecast today, we would project slightly slower growth in the near term.
Weak economic growth has serious social consequences. About 9½ percent of the labor force is officially unemployed, but many other people are underemployed or have left the labor force. The increase in unemployment is not uniform across demographic groups or regions, with larger run-ups for less-educated workers, men, and people living in certain states. The incidence of unemployment lasting longer than 26 weeks has been the highest by far in the past 60 years. As discussed in our April issue brief, the short-term and long-term impact on people of losing a job during a recession can be very significant..."

National, State, and Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Children Aged 19--35 Months --- United States, 2009
"Since 1994, the National Immunization Survey (NIS) has been collecting data to monitor childhood immunization coverage. This report describes the 2009 NIS coverage estimates for children born during January 2006--July 2008 and focuses on the more recently recommended vaccines (i.e., hepatitis B [HepB] vaccine birth dose, hepatitis A vaccine [HepA], pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV], and rotavirus vaccine) for children aged 19--35 months. The most recent NIS data indicate that vaccination coverage increased in 2009 compared with 2008 for HepB birth dose (from 55.3% to 60.8%) and HepA (from 40.4% to 46.6%), but coverage for PCV (≥4 doses) remained stable (80.4%). Full coverage for rotavirus vaccine was 43.9% among children born within 2 years of licensure (1). Coverage for poliovirus (92.8%), measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) (90.0%), hepatitis B (HepB) (92.4%), and varicella (VAR) (89.6%) vaccines continued to be at or near the national health objective of 90%, although coverage for MMR and HepB vaccines decreased slightly in 2009. The percentage of children who have not received any vaccines remained low (<1%). Parents and primary-care providers continued to ensure that children were vaccinated, in spite of interim recommendations to suspend the booster dose of Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib) because of a national shortage, and heightened public awareness of controversies in vaccine safety..."

CDC Grand Rounds: Radiological and Nuclear Preparedness
"Radiological and nuclear disasters are infrequent, but when they occur, they result in large and demonstrable health burdens. Several scenarios can result in the public's exposure to radiation. For example, radiation sources used in health care or other industries can be lost or misused. Incidents in the nuclear power industry, such as those at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, require significant public health response. In addition, radiological terrorism can involve the use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or an improvised nuclear device (IND). State and local health agencies are expected to perform essential public health functions in response to any of these emergencies..."

Census Bureau's Question and Answer Series:
Does the U.S. Census Bureau produce population data for other countries and the world?
"The International Data Base (IDB) provides country rankings and other world population information sources. Using Data Access from the IDB allows you to create demographic indicators, tables, pyramids, and data source information by Country, Region, and Age Groups for years 1950 to 2050. For assistance using the IDB, you can contact the Demographic Call Center at 301-763-2422 or toll-free at 1-866-758-1060."

Census Bureau's First Release of Comprehensive Franchise Data Shows Franchises Make Up More Than 10 Percent of Employer Businesses
"The U.S. Census Bureau reports franchise businesses accounted for 10.5 percent of businesses with paid employees in the 295 industries for which franchising data were collected in 2007. Of the 4.3 million total establishments surveyed, 453,326 were either franchisee or franchisor-owned businesses.

Additionally, franchise businesses accounted for nearly $1.3 trillion of the $7.7 trillion in total sales for these industries, $153.7 billion out of the $1.6 trillion in total payroll, and 7.9 million workers out of a total workforce of 59.0 million.

The 2007 Economic Census Franchise Report is the first comprehensive and detailed report by the Census Bureau on this segment of the U.S. economy. The concept of collecting these data was the result of a partnership between the Census Bureau and the International Franchise Association that focused on better measuring the role of franchising in the economy. Previous economic censuses included a question on franchising for only two industries, limited-service and full-service restaurants.."

Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors, 2010
"Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These benefits are legislated in Title 38 of the United States Code. This booklet contains a summary of these benefits effective Jan. 1, 2010. For additional information, visit the VA Web page."

Country Analysis Briefs- United Kingdom, 2010
"The United Kingdom (UK) is the largest producer of oil and second-largest producer of natural gas in the European Union (EU). After years of being a net exporter of both fuels, the UK became a net importer of natural gas and crude oil in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Production from UK oil and natural gas fields peaked in the late 1990s and has declined steadily over the past several years, as the discovery of new reserves has not kept pace with the maturation of existing fields. In response, the government has begun a three-pronged approach to address the predicted domestic shortfalls: 1) increasing domestic production; 2) establishing necessary import infrastructure, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminals and transnational pipelines; and 3) investing in energy conservation and renewables."

Telecommunications Industry Review, 2008
"This report provides an overview of U.S. telecommunications industry revenues and
contributions to the universal service support mechanisms over the past decade. The last report was released September 3, 2009.

Most of the data for 2008 are taken from April 1, 2009 filings of annual Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets (FCC Form 499-A). Revenue data collected on these worksheets are utilized in the Commission’s administration of the universal
service fund (USF), Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS), North American Numbering Plan (NANP) and local number portability (LNP) programs. FCC Form 499-A data also are used to calculate common carrier regulatory fees. Preliminary 2009 totals presented in Table 1, and 2009 and 2010 shares of universal service contributions by principal type of contributor presented in Table 12, are based on filings of quarterly Telecommunications Reporting Worksheets (FCC Form 499-Q)..."

Crime in the United States, 2009
"According to the figures released today by the FBI, the estimated number of violent crimes in the nation declined in 2009 for the third consecutive year. Property crimes also declined in 2009, marking the seventh straight year that the collective estimates for these offenses dropped below the previous year’s total.

The 2009 statistics show that the estimated volumes of violent and property crimes declined 5.3 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively, when compared with the 2008 estimates. The violent crime rate for the year was 429.4 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants (a 6.1 percent decrease from the 2008 rate), and the property crime rate was 3,036.1 per 100,000 persons (a 5.5 percent decrease from the 2008 figure).

These and additional data are presented in the 2009 edition of the FBI’s annual report Crime in the United States. This publication is a statistical compilation of offense and arrest data reported by law enforcement agencies voluntarily participating in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program..."

What You Need to Know about New Rules for Gift Cards
"New Federal Reserve rules provide important protections when you purchase or use gift cards. Here are some key changes that apply to gift cards sold on or after August 22, 2010:

Covered by the new rules

Store gift cards, which can be used only at a particular store or group of stores, such as a book store or clothing retailer.
Gift cards with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover brand logo. These cards generally can be used wherever the brand is accepted. (Not all cards with a brand logo are covered; see "Other prepaid cards" below for exceptions.)

New protections

Limits on expiration dates:
The money on your gift card will be good for at least five years from the date the card is purchased. Any money that might be added to the card at a later date must also be good for at least five years.

Replacement cards:
If your gift card has an expiration date you still may be able to use unspent money that is left on the card after the card expires. For example, the card may expire in five years but the money may not expire for seven. If your card expires and there is unspent money, you can request a replacement card at no charge. Check your card to see if expiration dates apply.

Fees disclosed:
All fees must be clearly disclosed on the gift card or its packaging.
Limits on fees. Gift card fees typically are subtracted from the money on the card. Under the new rules, many gift card fees are limited. Generally, fees can be charged if you haven't used your card for at least one year, and you are only charged one fee per month.

These restrictions apply to fees such as:

dormancy or inactivity fees for not using your card,
fees for using your card (sometimes called usage fees),
fees for adding money to your card, and
maintenance fees..."

EMPLOYEE TENURE IN 2010
"he median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their
current employer was 4.4 in January 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported today. This measure, referred to as employee tenure, was 4.1 years
in January 2008. The increase in tenure among those at work reflects, in part,
relatively large job losses among less-senior workers in the most recent
recession.

Information on employee tenure has been obtained from supplemental questions
to the Current Population Survey (CPS) every 2 years since 1996. These data are
collected as part of the Displaced Worker Supplement, which is sponsored by the
Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The CPS
is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that provides information on the
labor force status of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over.
The questions about employee tenure measure how long workers had been with their
current employer at the time of the survey. A number of factors can affect the
median tenure of workers, including changes in the age profile among workers, as
well as changes in the number of hires and separations..."

Back to College
"Whether you're a bright-eyed freshman, an experienced upper-classman, a faithful alumnus, an educated professor, a capable administrator, or even a college-sports enthusiast, you are probably familiar with some of the numerous public and private colleges and universities spread across the United States. The establishment and growth of these institutions, and their contributions to the Nation, have long been one of the most notable aspects of U.S. history.

The first institutions of higher learning in colonial North America were founded to supply the demand for clergy and school teachers. In recent decades, colleges and universities have trained the workers that put men on the moon and created the Internet age.

In 2009, there were over 10,000 establishments (places of employment, whether campuses, offices, research facilities, or other locations) operated by colleges and universities in the United States. (Source: QCEW) This Spotlight presents BLS data related to college and university students and graduates, as well as colleges and universities as an industry and place of employment..."

Consumer Price Index -August 2010
"The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent in August on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (Before seasonal adjustment, the all items index increased 0.1 percent for the month.) Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 1.1 percent before seasonal adjustment.

The energy index rose in August and, as in July, was the primary factor in the seasonally adjusted all items increase. All major energy components posted increases, with the gasoline index being the main factor. The food index, which declined in July, rose in August. The food at home index was unchanged while the index for food away from home increased..."

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009
" The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that real median household income in the United States in 2009 was $49,777, not statistically different from the 2008 median.

The nation's official poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent, up from 13.2 percent in 2008 — the second statistically significant annual increase in the poverty rate since 2004. There were 43.6 million people in poverty in 2009, up from 39.8 million in 2008 — the third consecutive annual increase.

Meanwhile, the number of people without health insurance coverage rose from 46.3 million in 2008 to 50.7 million in 2009, while the percentage increased from 15.4 percent to 16.7 percent over the same period.

These findings are contained in the report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009..."

State-Specific Trends in Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults --- United States, 2000--2009
"A diet high in fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk for many leading causes of death (1--3) and can play an important role in weight management (4). Healthy People 2010 objectives for fruits and vegetables include targets of increasing to 75% the proportion of persons aged ≥2 years who consume two or more servings of fruit daily and to 50% those who consume three or more servings of vegetables daily.* To assess states' progress over the past decade in meeting these targets among adults and to provide an update of the 2005 subgroup estimates (5), CDC analyzed data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, in 2009, an estimated 32.5% of adults consumed fruit two or more times per day and 26.3% consumed vegetables three or more times per day, far short of the national targets. Overall, the proportion of adults who met the fruit target declined slightly, but significantly, from 34.4% in 2000 to 32.5% in 2009; no significant change was observed in meeting the vegetable target. No state met either target, and substantial variability occurred among states. Only one state had statistically significant increases in the percentages of adults meeting each target. These findings underscore the need for interventions at national, state, and community levels, across multiple settings (e.g., worksites, community venues, and restaurants) to improve fruit and vegetable access, availability, and affordability, as a means of increasing individual consumption..."

FDA acts against 5 electronic cigarette distributors
"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued warning letters to five electronic cigarette distributors for various violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) including unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing practices.

Also today, in a letter to the Electronic Cigarette Association, FDA said the agency intends to regulate electronic cigarette and related products in a manner consistent with its mission of protecting the public health. The letter outlines the regulatory pathway for marketing drug products in compliance with the FDCA.

For a drug product to gain FDA approval, a company must demonstrate to the agency that the product is safe and effective for its intended use. The company must also demonstrate that manufacturing methods are adequate to preserve the strength, quality and purity of the product.

“FDA invites electronic cigarette firms to work in cooperation with the agency toward the goal of assuring that electronic cigarettes sold in the United States are lawfully marketed,” the letter to the association read.

FDA has determined that the electronic cigarette products addressed in the warning letters to the distributors, and similar products, are subject to FDA regulation as drugs. Under the FDCA, a company cannot claim that its drug can treat or mitigate a disease, such as nicotine addiction, unless the drug’s safety and effectiveness have been proven. Yet all five companies claim without FDA review of relevant evidence that the products help users quit smoking cigarettes.

The companies receiving warning letters today are: E-CigaretteDirect LLC, Ruyan America Inc., Gamucci America (Smokey Bayou Inc.), E-Cig Technology Inc. and Johnson’s Creek Enterprises LLC..."

Challenge.gov
"Introduction to Challenge.gov

Challenge.gov is an online challenge platform administered by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) in partnership with ChallengePost that empowers the U.S. Government and the public to bring the best ideas and top talent to bear on our nation’s most pressing challenges. This platform is the latest milestone in the Administration’s committment to use prizes and challenges to promote innovation.

What is a Challenge?

A challenge is exactly what the name suggests: it is a challenge by one party (a “seeker”) to a third party or parties (a “solver”) to identify a solution to a particular problem or reward contestants for accomplishing a particular goal. Prizes (monetary or non–monetary) often accompany challenges and contests.

Challenges can range from fairly simple (idea suggestions, creation of logos, videos, digital games and mobile applications) to proofs of concept, designs, or finished products that solve the grand challenges of the 21st century.

How does Challenge.gov work?

On Challenge.gov, the government and the public work together to find solutions. Government agencies posts challenges on this site and the public can post solutions to these challenges.

Once a challenge is created, other people can join the challenge to propose a solution, discuss the challenge, and show support. Incentives, which are payable only if a challenge is solved, encourage others to solve a problem and earn their rewards.."

2010 Census: When will data be available
"Question

Census Bureau's Question & Answer Series. When will data from the 2010 census be available?

Answer

The apportionment counts will be delivered to the President within nine months of Census Day (on or before December 31, 2010), as required by law. This report will show the apportionment population counts, by state, and the number of seats in the US House of Representatives apportioned to each state.

Public Law (P.L.) 94-171 requires the Census Bureau to provide only counts of the total population for a variety of geographic areas to be used for the redistricting process. In addition, other data items such as race, ethnicity, voting age and housing unit tallies are included in this data set. P.L. 94-171 also requires that these data be delivered to each state no later than April 1, 2011.

Other 100-percent data products such as demographic profiles, summary files of aggregated data, and reports will be released on a flow basis from April 2011 through September 2013. Please see the link below for a more detailed schedule of products and release dates.

2010 Census Data Products"

HOW DOES OBESITY IN ADULTS AFFECT SPENDING ON HEALTH CARE?HOW DOES OBESITY IN ADULTS AFFECT SPENDING ON HEALTH CARE?
"Over the past two decades, the adult population in the United States has, on average, become much heavier. From 1987 to 2007, the fraction of adults who were overweight or obese increased from 44 percent to 63 percent; almost two-thirds of the adult population now falls into one of those categories. The share of obese adults rose particularly rapidly, more than doubling from 13 percent to 28 percent. That sharp increase in the fraction of adults who are overweight or obese poses an important public health challenge. Those adults are more likely to develop serious illnesses, including coronary heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. As a result, that trend also affects spending on health care.

This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issue brief examines changes over time in the distribution of adults among four categories of body weight: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. Those categories are defined in federal guidelines using a measure known as the body-mass index—a measure that standardizes weight for height. CBO analyzes how past changes in the weight distribution have affected health care spending per adult and projects how future changes might affect spending going forward. (In this issue brief, “health care spending” refers to spending by public and private insurers and out-of-pocket spending by individuals.).."

Decline in US Adult Smoking Rate Stalled
"Despite the known dangers of tobacco use, 1 in 5 American adults continues to smoke cigarettes, and 4 in 10 nonsmokers were exposed to cigarette smoke during 2007-2008, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old, 54 percent were exposed to secondhand smoke. Nearly all (98 percent) children who live with a smoker are exposed and have measureable levels of toxic chemicals from cigarette smoke.

According to the report, the number of adult smokers dropped between 2000 and 2005, but smoking has remained at about 20-21 percent since 2005. In 2009, more men (nearly 24 percent) than women (about 18 percent) smoked and about 31 percent of those living below poverty level smoked. Less than 6 percent of adults with a graduate degree smoke compared to more than 25 percent of adults with no high school diploma. Further, nearly 90 million non-smoking Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke and have measurable levels of toxic chemicals from cigarette smoke. Black non-smokers are one-third more likely than white smokers, and twice as likely as Mexican-American smokers, to have measurable exposure to tobacco.

"Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in this country," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "But progress is possible. Strong state laws that protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke, higher cigarette prices, aggressive ad campaigns that show the human impact of smoking and well-funded tobacco control programs decrease the number of adult smokers and save lives.".."

DHS Needs to Improve the Security Posture of Its Cybersecurity Program Systems
"The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General was established by
the Homeland Security Act of2002 (Public Law 107-296) by amendment to the Inspector
General Act of1978. This is one of a series of audit, inspection, and special reports
prepared as part ofour oversight responsibilities to promote economy, efficiency, and
effectiveness within the department.

This report addresses whether physical and logical access controls are in place to secure
the cybersecurity program systems utilized by the National Cyber Security Division and
to ensure the integrity and reliability ofthe information it disseminates to the public and
private sectors. It is based on interviews with key management officials, as well as
system and contractor personnel, physical security evaluations, system security
vulnerability assessments, and reviews of applicable documentation.

The recommendations herein have been developed to the best knowledge available to our
office, and have been discussed in draft with those responsible for implementation. We
trust this report will result in more effective, efficient, and economical operations. We
express our appreciation to all of those who contributed to the preparation of this report. "

The Role of Agriculture in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
"Agriculture could play a prominent role in U.S. efforts to address climate change if farms and ranches undertake activities that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or take greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. These activities may include shifting to conservation tillage, reducing the amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied to crops, changing livestock and manure management practices, and planting trees or grass. The Federal Government is considering offering carbon offsets and incentive payments to encourage rural landowners to pursue these climate-friendly activities as part of a broader effort to combat climate change. The extent to which farmers adopt such activities would depend on their costs, potential revenues, and other economic incentives created by climate policy. Existing Federal conservation programs provide preliminary estimates of the costs of agricultural carbon sequestration..."

Vital Signs: Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years --- United States, 2009
"Background: Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, causing approximately 443,000 premature deaths annually.

Methods: The 2009 National Health Interview Survey and the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to estimate national and state adult smoking prevalence, respectively. Cigarette smokers were defined as adults aged ≥18 years who reported having smoked ≥100 cigarettes in their lifetime and now smoke every day or some days.

Results: In 2009, 20.6% of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years were current cigarette smokers. Men (23.5%) were more likely than women (17.9%) to be current smokers. The prevalence of smoking was 31.1% among persons below the federal poverty level. For adults aged ≥25 years, the prevalence of smoking was 28.5% among persons with less than a high school diploma, compared with 5.6% among those with a graduate degree. Regional differences were observed, with the West having the lowest prevalence (16.4%) and higher prevalences being observed in the South (21.8%) and Midwest (23.1%). From 2005 to 2009, the proportion of U.S. adults who were current cigarette smokers did not change (20.9% in 2005 and 20.6% in 2009).

Conclusions: Previous declines in smoking prevalence in the United States have stalled during the past 5 years; the burden of cigarette smoking continues to be high, especially in persons living below the federal poverty level and with low educational attainment. Sustained, adequately funded, comprehensive tobacco control programs could reduce adult smoking..."

USDA Publishes Organic Program Handbook
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture today published the first edition of a program handbook designed for those who own, manage, or certify organic operations. Prepared by the National Organic Program (NOP), the handbook provides guidance about the national organic standards and instructions that outline best program practices. It is intended to serve as a resource for the organic industry that will help participants comply with federal regulations.


“The handbook will provide guidance to the organic agricultural community to enable them to carry out production and handling processes in a consistent manner,” said Miles McEvoy, NOP deputy administrator. “It will also reduce the burden on industry participants as they work to comply or verify compliance with the NOP regulations.”...

The handbook is accessible at Program Handbook. Printed copies can be made available upon request to Standards Division, National Organic Program, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 2646-S, Ag Stop 0268, Washington, D.C. 20250-0268; telephone: (202) 720-3252; fax: (202) 205-7808. Copies can also be downloaded from the Internet..."

Peak Underground Working Natural Gas Storage Capacity
"The demonstrated peak working gas capacity for U.S. underground working natural gas storage for the lower 48 states as of April 2010 is estimated to be 4,049 billion cubic feet (Bcf), a 4.1 percent increase over last year's estimate. This estimate is based on demonstrated noncoincident peak working gas storage volumes for individual active gas storage facilities reported to EIA over a 60-month period ending in April 2010. Working gas design capacity, a less conservative indicator of natural gas storage capacity, also rose over the past year, increasing 51 Bcf, or 1.2 percent..."

Gulf of Mexico Fact Sheet
"The Gulf of Mexico area, both onshore and offshore, is one of the most important regions for energy resources and infrastructure. Gulf of Mexico offshore oil production accounts for 30 percent of total U.S. crude oil production and offshore natural gas production in the Gulf accounts for 13 percent of total U.S. production. Over 40 percent of total U.S. petroleum refining capacity is located along the Gulf coast, as well as almost 30 percent of total U.S. natural gas processing plant capacity..."

Federal Justice Statistics, 2007 - Statistical Tables
"Describes criminal case processing in the federal justice system, including arrest and booking through sentencing and corrections. These statistical tables present the number of suspects arrested and booked by the U.S. Marshals Service, suspects in matters investigated and prosecuted by U.S. attorneys, defendants adjudicated and sentenced in U.S. district court, and characteristics of federal prisoners and offenders under federal supervision.

Data are from the Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP), which collects comprehensive information describing suspects and defendants processed in the federal criminal justice system, and annual data on workload, activities, and outcomes associated with federal criminal cases. The data presented in these tables were collected from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AOUSC), U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)..."

Alcohol And Crime: Data From 2002 To 2008
"This webpage includes analyses from four data sources: the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SISFCF), and the Survey of Inmates in Local Jails (SILJ). Each data source examines the involvement of alcohol and violent crime from different perspectives and different sets of criminal behaviors. In NIBRS law enforcement officers are asked to record whether alcohol use by victims, offenders, or both was involved in the incident. In NCVS victims are asked to report whether they believe the offenders had consumed alcohol prior to or during the crime. Finally, in the inmate surveys prison and jail inmates are asked if they were using alcohol at the time of the crime for which they were incarcerated.

The NCVS captures the broadest range of crime and includes nonfatal crime reported and not reported to law enforcement. Because the NCVS measures the number of victimizations, it does not restrict identifying an incident as alcohol-involved based on the quantity of alcohol consumed by the offender or the degree of impairment resulting from the alcohol consumption. NIBRS captures fatal and nonfatal crimes reported to law enforcement, which are likely more serious than those captured by NCVS. Victimizations captured by NCVS and offenses known to police reflected in NIBRS may underestimate domestic violence; however, it is not clear which data source provides better information on the characteristics of these crimes..."

Historical Census Data Sources
From the Census Bureau's Question and Answer Center come the question-"
Where can I find historical census data on the population?"
And the answer is:
"In addition to our Selected Historical Decennial Census Population and Housing Counts, 1790 to 1990, for all geographic areas in the United States, there are three major sources of historical decennial census data:

Historical Census Reports - Contains scanned copies of all decennial census printed reports from 1790 to 2000 in PDF or ZIP format. Any data missing from these files may be requested by contacting the Main Census Bureau Library on 301-763-2511.

Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 2000 - This report includes the census questionnaire and instructions for each census and individual census histories are also provided.

Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970 - This section provides data from the Statistical Abstracts from 1900 to 2010, the Bicentennial Edition, Part 1 and Part 2 , and Historical Statistics for the U.S.from 1789 to 1945.

In addition to the above, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) (http://www.fdlp.gov/) provides local access for census data users. Libraries designated as FDLPs maintain census publications and products as part of their existing collection and are responsible for assuring that the public has free access to these materials. Each Congressional District has at least one FDLP. Libraries identified as Regional Depository Libraries (one per state) have extensive collections of census publications and electronic products. Other FDLPs often have a more limited selection."

PRODUCTIVITY AND COSTS BY INDUSTRY: WHOLESALE TRADE, RETAIL TRADE, AND FOOD SERVICES AND DRINKING PLACES INDUSTRIES, 2009
"Labor productivity - defined as output per hour - fell in wholesale trade, but rose in retail trade and in food services and drinking places, in 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Productivity changes were as follows:

-3.3 percent in wholesale trade,
1.5 percent in retail trade, and
1.0 percent in food services and drinking places.

In comparison, labor productivity fell in each of the three sectors overall in 2008. However, both output and hours declined more rapidly in each of the sectors in 2009 than they did in 2008.

Unit labor costs, which reflect the total labor costs required to produce a unit of output, declined in retail trade but rose in wholesale trade and food services and drinking places. By comparison, unit labor costs increased in each of the sectors in 2008..."

Folklife Sourcebook
"The Folklife Sourcebook is a searchable database of ethnographic resources related to folklife, anthropology, ethnomusicology, and the humanities. It lists museums, archives, public programs, and other organizations, as well as internet-based resources, providing their contact information and links to their web pages. Serial publications and directories produced by these organizations, as well as brief introductory information about their programs and services, is also included when available..."

Girls & Science Education: How to Engage Girls in Science
"[Library of Congress]This guide gathers select print and electronic resources for educators, parents, researchers, and young women on how to get girls (particularly middle and high school aged) interested in science and scientific careers."

Latinos in Math & Science: Resources for kids, young adults and teachers
"[Library of Congress] This guide includes a selection of resources for children K-12 on Latinos in science, mathematics, engineering, medicine, and related fields. It also includes resources for teachers on multicultural science education and science for English Language Learners (ELLs). All sources have been published within the last 20 years. Most of the sources are in English, with selected children's books and websites in Spanish."

Biographies of Women Scientists: For Girls and Young Women
"[Library of Congress] This guide provides a list of selected books for girls and young women about famous and contemporary female scientists. It is limited to books written in English within the past 20 years."

Call the Copyright Office Toll Free -1-877-476-0778
"When you call the U.S. Copyright Office on its toll-free line, you will be given three choices. To request publications or get recorded information about copyright, press 1. To obtain technical support for online registration, press 2. To speak to an information specialist about copyright or registration requirements, press 0."

GOVERNMENTAL RESCUES OF “TOO-BIG-TO-FAIL” FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
"This preliminary staff report is submitted to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC)
and the public for information, review, and comment. Comments can be submitted through
the FCIC’s website, www.fcic.gov.

This document has not been approved by the Commission.

The report provides background factual information to the Commission on subject matters
that are the focus of the FCIC’s public hearing on September 1, 2010. In particular, this
report provides information on governmental rescues of “Too-Big-to-Fail” financial institutions. Staff will provide investigative findings as well as additional information on these subject matters to the Commission over the course of the FCIC’s tenure.

Deadline for Comment: September 30, 2010"

Progress in Implementing New Security Measures Along the Southwest Border
" U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced today that Predator Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flights will begin out of Corpus Christi, Texas, beginning on Wednesday, Sept.1. With the deployment of an UAS in Texas, DHS unmanned aerial capabilities will now cover the Southwest Border—from the El Centro Sector in California all the way to the Gulf of Mexico in Texas—providing critical aerial surveillance assistance to personnel on the ground.

The new, border-wide use of the Predator aircraft, comes on the heels of the recently passed Southwest border security supplemental legislation, which will provide two additional UASs that will bolster these newly expanded operations..."

VA Publishes Final Regulation to Aid Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange
"eterans exposed to herbicides while serving in Vietnam and other areas will have an easier path to access quality health care and qualify for disability compensation under a final regulation that will be published on August 31, 2010 in the Federal Register by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The new rule expands the list of health problems VA will presume to be related to Agent Orange and other herbicide exposures to add two new conditions and expand one existing category of conditions.

“Last October, based on the requirements of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 and the Institute of Medicine’s 2008 Update on Agent Orange, I determined that the evidence provided was sufficient to award presumptions of service connection for these three additional diseases,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “It was the right decision, and the President and I are proud to finally provide this group of Veterans the care and benefits they have long deserved.”

The final regulation follows Shinseki’s determination to expand the list of conditions for which service connection for Vietnam Veterans is presumed. VA is adding Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease and expanding chronic lymphocytic leukemia to include all chronic B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia.

In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have a “presumed” illness don’t have to prove an association between their medical problems and their military service. By helping Veterans overcome evidentiary requirements that might otherwise present significant challenges, this “presumption” simplifies and speeds up the application process and ensure that Veterans receive the benefits they deserve...

Individuals can go to a website at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/AO/claimherbicide.htm to get an understanding of how to file a claim for presumptive conditions related to herbicide exposure, as well as what evidence is needed by VA to make a decision about disability compensation or survivors benefits.

Additional information about Agent Orange and VA’s services for Veterans exposed to the chemical is available at Agent Organge"

2009 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
"Statistical data on immigration have been published annually by the U.S. government since the 1890s. Over the years, the federal agencies responsible for reporting on immigration have changed, as have the content, format, and title of the annual publication. Currently, immigration data are published in the Yearbook of
Immigration Statistics by the Office of Immigration Statistics in the Policy Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.

The 2009 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics consists of a compendium of tables organized by subject
matter, including:

Legal Permanent Residents (Tables 1 to 12)
Legal permanent residents (LPRs) are persons who have been granted lawful permanent residence in the United States. They are also known as “green card” recipients.

Refugees and Asylees (Tables 13 to 19)
Refugees and asylees are persons who sought residence in the United States in order to avoid persecution in their country of origin. Persons granted refugee status applied for admission while outside the United States. Persons granted asylum applied either at a port of entry or at some point after their entry into the United States.

Naturalizations (Tables 20 to 24)
Naturalizations refer to persons aged 18 and over who become citizens of the United States. Most legal permanent residents are eligible to apply for naturalization within five years after obtaining LPR status.

Nonimmigrant Admissions (Tables 25 to 32)
Nonimmigrant admissions refer to arrivals of persons who are authorized to stay in the United States for a limited period of time. Most nonimmigrants enter the United States as tourists or business travelers, but some come to work, study, or engage in cultural exchange programs.

Enforcement Actions (Tables 33 to 38)
Enforcement actions include the apprehension, removal and return of foreign nationals who are in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. These actions occur at the borders of the United States, in the interior of the country, and at designated sites outside the United States."

Ending the War in Iraq (President Obama)
"Earlier today, President Obama sent a message to the White House email list about ending our combat mission and drawing down the number of troops in Iraq. Check out the email below. You can sign up to receive periodic updates from the President and other senior administration officials here..."

SEC Issues Report Cautioning Credit Rating Agencies
"The Securities and Exchange Commission today issued a report cautioning credit rating agencies about deceptive ratings conduct and the importance of sufficient internal controls over the policies, procedures, and methodologies the firms use to determine credit ratings.

The SEC's Report of Investigation stems from an Enforcement Division inquiry into whether Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (MIS) — the credit rating business segment of Moody's Corporation — violated the registration provisions or the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws..."