U.S. Census Bureau Announces 2010 Census Population Counts -- Apportionment Counts Delivered to President
"The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that the 2010 Census showed the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2010, was 308,745,538.

The resident population represented an increase of 9.7 percent over the 2000 U.S. resident population of 281,421,906. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Acting Commerce Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Census Bureau Director Robert Groves unveiled the official counts at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

"A big thanks to the American public for its overwhelming response to the 2010 Census," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said. "The result was a successful count that came in on time and well under budget, with a final 2010 Census savings of $1.87 billion."

Rebecca Blank, now Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce who has overseen the 2010 Census as Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, echoed Locke. "The 2010 Census was a massive undertaking, and in reporting these first results, we renew our commitment to our great American democracy peacefully, fairly and openly for the 23rd time in our nation's history."

The U.S. resident population represents the total number of people in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The most populous state was California (37,253,956); the least populous, Wyoming (563,626). The state that gained the most numerically since the 2000 Census was Texas (up 4,293,741 to 25,145,561) and the state that gained the most as a percentage of its 2000 Census count was Nevada (up 35.1% to 2,700,551).

Regionally, the South and the West picked up the bulk of the population increase, 14,318,924 and 8,747,621, respectively. But the Northeast and the Midwest also grew: 1,722,862 and 2,534,225.

Additionally, Puerto Rico's resident population was 3,725,789, a 2.2 percent decrease over the number counted a decade earlier..."

Adverse Childhood Experiences Reported by Adults --- Five States, 2009
"Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include verbal, physical, or sexual abuse, as well as family dysfunction (e.g., an incarcerated, mentally ill, or substance-abusing family member; domestic violence; or absence of a parent because of divorce or separation). ACEs have been linked to a range of adverse health outcomes in adulthood, including substance abuse, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature mortality (1--3). Furthermore, data collected from a large sample of health maintenance organization members indicated that a history of ACEs is common among adults and ACEs are themselves interrelated (4). To examine whether a history of ACEs was common in a randomly selected population, CDC analyzed information from 26,229 adults in five states using the 2009 ACE module of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that, overall, 59.4% of respondents reported having at least one ACE, and 8.7% reported five or more ACEs. The high prevalence of ACEs underscores the need for 1) additional efforts at the state and local level to reduce and prevent child maltreatment and associated family dysfunction and 2) further development and dissemination of trauma-focused services to treat stress-related health outcomes associated with ACEs..."

What Is the Price of College? Total, Net, and Out-of-Pocket Prices in 2007–08
"This Statistics in Brief describes the annual price of education among undergraduates enrolled in U.S. postsecondary institutions in 2007–08. The most recent administration of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) supplied the data..."
View full report in pdf format.

Country Analysis Briefs: Azerbaijan
"While Azerbaijan’s importance as a supplier of natural gas and oil likely will increase in the future, the continued disputes with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, as well as issues with Azerbaijan’s access to the Nakhchivan exclave continue to provide some political risk in the country. Furthermore, the conflicting claims over the maritime and seabed boundaries of the Caspian Sea between Azerbaijan and Iran also provide continued uncertainty, with Iran insisting on an even one-fifth allocation and challenging Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters. Bilateral talks continue with Turkmenistan on dividing the seabed and contested oilfields in the middle of the Caspian, while discussions with Georgia continue on the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas."

Crime Against People With Disabilities, 2008
"Presents findings about nonfatal violent and property crime experienced in 2008 by persons with disabilities, based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report presents estimates of nonfatal violent victimization (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault) and property crime (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and theft) against persons with disabilities in 2008. It compares the victimization experience of persons with and without disabilities, using population estimates based on the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). Data are presented on victim and crime characteristics of persons with and without disabilities, including age, race and gender distribution; offender weapon use; victim injuries; and reporting to the police.

Highlights include the following:

• Adjusting for the varied age distributions of persons with and without disabilities, the violent crime rate against persons with disabilities was 40 violent crimes per 1,000 persons age 12 or older, which was double the violent crime rate for persons without disabilities (20 per 1,000).
• Among the types of disabilities measured in 2008, persons with cognitive disabilities had the highest risk of violent victimization.
• Household burglary made up a higher percentage of all property crime against households with persons with a disability (25%) than against households without persons with disabilities (19%)..."

HHS issues new strategic framework on multiple chronic conditions
"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today issued its new Strategic Framework on Multiple Chronic Conditions ― an innovative private-public sector collaboration to coordinate responses to a growing challenge.

More than a quarter of all Americans ― and two out of three older Americans ― have multiple chronic conditions, and treatment for these individuals accounts for 66 percent of the country’s health care budget. These numbers are expected to rise as the number of older Americans increases.

The health care system is largely designed to treat one disease or condition at a time, but many Americans have more than one ― and often several ― chronic conditions. For example, just 9.3 percent of adults with diabetes have only diabetes, according to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). And as the number of chronic conditions one has increases, so, too, do the risks of complications, including adverse drug events, unnecessary hospitalizations and confusion caused by conflicting medical advice.

The new strategic framework ― coordinated by HHS and involving input from agencies within the department and multiple private sector stakeholders ― expects to reduce the risks of complications and improve the overall health status of individuals with multiple chronic conditions by fostering change within the system; providing more information and better tools to help health professionals ― as well as patients ― learn how to better coordinate and manage care; and by facilitating research to improve oversight and care..."

for more information see: Multiple Chronic Initiative

Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Children and Adolescents: United States, 2005–2008

"In 2007–2008 almost 17% of children and adolescents aged 2–19 years were obese (1). Childhood obesity often tracks to adulthood (2) and, in the short run, childhood obesity can lead to psychosocial problems and cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes (3). Studies have suggested that obesity is greater in the low income population than in higher income individuals (4). This data brief presents the most recent national data on childhood obesity and its association with poverty income ratio (PIR) and education of household head. Results are presented by sex and race and ethnicity.."

Annual Survey of Manufactuers, 2009
"The Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) provides sample estimates of statistics for all manufacturing establishments with one or more paid employee.

• Conducted annually, except for years ending in 2 and 7, at which time ASM statistics are included in the manufacturing sector of the Economic Census.
• The economic census manufacturing sector is the universe from which the ASM sample frame is selected and provides more detailed statistics.
• Provides statistics on employment, payroll, supplemental labor costs, cost of materials consumed, operating expenses, value of shipments, value added by manufacturing, detailed capital expenditures, fuels and electric energy used, and inventories..."

The Wisconsin Division of Energy Services provides services to Wisconsin qualified residential households with energy assistance and weatherization needs. For more information call 1- 866-HEATWIS (432-8947).

The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) administers the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Public Benefits Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP and its related services help approximately 225,000 Wisconsin households annually. In addition to regular heating and electric assistance, specialized services include: Emergency fuel assistance, Counseling for energy conservation and energy budgets, Pro-active co payment plans, Targeted outreach services, Emergency furnace repair and replacement. Services are provided locally through: County social services offices, Tribal governments, Private non-profit or other government agencies. For more information on WHEAP, call 1-866-HEATWIS (432-8947). To login in to the WHEAP System click here

Strength in Numbers: Your Guide to Census 2010 Redistricting Data from the U.S. Census Bureau
"Once every 10 years, Americans stand up to be counted. Downtown and out-of-town, in the mountains and on the farms, we speak up and let our governments know that we intend to be represented in the

decisions that they make.

The census gives us an opportunity to be part of the democratic process. Census numbers ensure that our representative districts—for the U.S. Congress and for state legislatures, and in our city and town governments—reflect our numbers, north or south, east or west.

This brochure explains where census numbers come from and the role those numbers have in the way states and localities redraw the boundaries of their legislative districts. The information here looks in particular at the maps and numbers that state governments and others get from the Census Bureau and use in redistricting. .."

EPA Removes Saccharin from Hazardous Substances Listing
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has removed saccharin, a common artificial sweetener, and its salts from the agency’s list of hazardous substances. Saccharin is no longer considered a potential hazard to human health.

Saccharin is a white crystalline powder that is found in diet soft drinks, chewing gum and juice. Saccharin was labeled a potentially cancer-causing substance in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the available scientific information on saccharin and its salts and concluded that it is not a potential human carcinogen. Because the scientific basis for remaining on EPA’s lists no longer applies, the agency has removed saccharin and its salts from its lists.

EPA proposed the removal of saccharin and its salts from the lists on April 22, 2010 and did not receive any comments opposing the proposal. .."

U.S. Census Bureau Releases First Set of 5-Year American Community Survey Estimates
"The U.S. Census Bureau today released 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates for the first time, making available social, economic, housing and demographic statistics for every community in the nation.

Up until now, small geographic areas had to rely on outdated 2000 Census figures for detailed information about the characteristics of their communities. Consisting of about 11.1 billion individual estimates and covering more than 670,000 distinct geographies, the 5-year ACS estimates give even the smallest communities more timely information on topics ranging from commute times to languages spoken at home to housing values.

"The ACS represents the first time such a massive compilation of data estimates for small geographic areas is available," said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. "These estimates deliver on our commitment to Congress to provide timely statistics on our communities and our economy, allowing for a more efficient government."

The data released today are based on a rolling annual sample survey mailed to about 3 million addresses between Jan. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2009. By pooling several years of survey responses, the ACS can generate detailed statistical portraits of smaller geographies. The Census Bureau will release a new set of 5-year estimates every year, giving these communities a powerful tool to track local trends over time.

Public officials, including mayors and governors, and private organizations such as chambers of commerce, rely on ACS estimates on education, housing, jobs, veteran status and commuting patterns to help them make informed decisions that will affect their community, such as where to build new schools, hospitals and emergency services...

The new 2005-2009 ACS estimates are not related to the 2010 Census population counts that will be released Dec. 21. The ACS complements the decennial count and provides estimates of population characteristics that are far more detailed than the basic demographic information that will be released from the 2010 Census, which will be available starting in February..."

See also detail data tables.

Victims of Identity Theft, 2008
"Presents findings from the 2008 Identity Theft Supplement (ITS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS/ITS used interviews from a nationally representative sample of about 56,500 U.S. household residents to collect the first BJS data on individual victims of identity theft. Identity theft is defined as the unauthorized use or attempted use of existing accounts, the unauthorized use or attempted use of personal information to open a new account, and the misuse or attempted use of personal information for a fraudulent purpose. The report details the number and percentage of persons who reported at least one incident of identity theft over the past two years, the amount of direct and indirect financial loss due to identity theft, victim reporting to credit bureaus and law enforcement agencies, and the impact of identity theft on victims'lives.

Highlights include the following:

• An estimated 11.7 million persons, representing 5% of all persons age 16 or older in the United States, experienced at least one type of identity theft in a 2-year period.
• Although the total financial cost of identity theft was nearly $17.3 billion over a 2-year period, less than a quarter (23%) of identity theft victims suffered an out-of-pocket financial loss from the victimization.
• About 42% of victims spent 1 day or less working to resolve the financial and credit problems associated with the identity theft; however, 3% continued to experience problems related to the theft more than 6 months after discovering it."

The Amazing Apportionment Machine

"Apportionment is the process of dividing the seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on the population figures collected during the decennial census. But how does it actually work? Through animation, the US Census Bureau helps explain how the apportionment formula is used to ensure equal representation for all, just like the Founding Fathers planned."

The U.S. Produce Industry and Labor: Facing the Future in a Global Economy
"Fruit and vegetable production is a labor-intensive process, and over half of the hired workers employed by growers are believed to be unauthorized immigrants. Reforms to immigration laws, if they reduce the labor supply, may increase the cost of farm labor. The authors of this report assess how particular fruit and vegetable commodities might adjust if labor rates increased. Analysis of case studies suggests a range of possible adjustment scenarios, including increased mechanization for some crops, reduced U.S. output for a few crops, and increased use of labor aids to improve labor productivity for others."

U.S. Census Bureau to Release First 2010 Census Counts
"What: Fulfilling its constitutional mandate, the U.S. Census Bureau will
release the first set of 2010 Census data at a news conference
Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. EST at the National Press Club in
Washington, D.C. The 2010 Census data to be released include the
resident population for the nation and the states as well as the
congressional apportionment totals for each state. The law
requires the Census Bureau to report these results to the
President by Dec. 31.

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010

Time: 11 a.m. EST

Place: National Press Club
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, D.C."

U.S. Census Bureau Releases 2009 Income and Poverty Estimates for All Counties and School Districts
"Between 2007 and 2009, the poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 in families rose in 295 counties and declined in 19 counties, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today showing income and poverty in 2009 for every school district and county in the nation. However, in the majority of counties across the United States, the poverty rate for children ages 5 to 17 in families showed no statistically significant change between these years. By comparing the 2009 estimates released today with those from 2007, variations can be seen from data collected prior to the recession.

The 2009 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) are available for roughly 3,140 counties and nearly 14,000 Title I-eligible school districts. The 2009 estimates also show that 1,084 counties had child poverty rates (ages 5 to 17 in families) significantly above and 866 significantly below the national poverty rate of 18.2 percent..."

North Korea’s 2009 Nuclear Test: Containment, Monitoring, Implication
"On May 25, 2009, North Korea announced that it had conducted its second underground nuclear
test. Unlike its first test, in 2006, there is no public record that the second one released radioactive materials indicative of a nuclear explosion. How could North Korea have contained these
materials from the May 2009 event and what are the implications?

As background, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) would ban all nuclear
explosions. It was opened for signature in 1996. Entry into force requires ratification by 44 states
specified in the treaty, including the United States and North Korea. As of November 2010, 153
states, including 35 of the 44, had ratified. North Korea has not signed the CTBT. President
Clinton signed it in 1996; in 1999, the Senate voted not to consent to its ratification. In 2009,
President Obama pledged to press for its ratification..."

Afghanistan: U.S. Rule of Law and Justice Sector Assistance
"Developing effective Afghan justice sector institutions is considered by many observers to be
essential in winning the support of the Afghan population, improving the Afghan government’s
credibility and legitimacy, and reducing support for insurgent factions. Such sentiments are
reinforced in the face of growing awareness of the pervasiveness of Afghan corruption. To this
end, establishing the rule of law (ROL) in Afghanistan has become a priority in U.S. strategy for
Afghanistan and an issue of interest to Congress. Numerous U.S. programs to promote ROL are
in various stages of implementation and receive ongoing funding and oversight from Congress.
Major programs include the following:

• State Department’s Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP) and Corrections
System Support Program (CSSP);

• U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) formal and informal
ROL stabilization programs (RLS);

• Justice Department’s (DOJ’s) Senior Federal Prosecutors Program, which, with
State Department funds, provides legal mentoring and training; and

• Defense Department’s (DOD’s) operational support through Combined Joint
Task Force 101 (CJTF-101), as well as through Combined Joint Interagency Task
Force 435 (CJIATF-435)..."

Latin America: Terrorism Issues
"
Since the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, U.S. attention to
terrorism in Latin America has intensified, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation.
In its 2009 Country Reports on Terrorism (issued in August 2010), the State Department
maintained that terrorism in the region was primarily perpetrated by terrorist organizations in
Colombia and by the remnants of radical leftist Andean groups. Overall, however, the report
maintained that the threat of a transnational terrorist attack remained low for most countries in the hemisphere. Cuba has remained on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1982 pursuant to Section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act, which triggers a number of
economic sanctions. Both Cuba and Venezuela are on the State Department’s annual list of
countries determined to be not cooperating fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts pursuant to
Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act. U.S. officials have expressed concerns over the past
several years about Venezuela’s lack of cooperation on antiterrorism efforts, its relations with
Iran, and President Hugo Chávez’s sympathetic statements for Colombian terrorist groups..."

Census Bureau Reports Women-Owned Firms Numbered 7.8 Million in 2007, Generated Receipts of $1.2 Trillion
"In 2007, women owned 7.8 million businesses and accounted for 28.7 percent of all businesses nationwide, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Business Owners. These firms generated $1.2 trillion in receipts, about 3.9 percent of all business receipts nationwide. (See Table 1 [Excel].)

Businesses owned equally by men and women numbered 4.6 million firms (17.0 percent of all businesses) and generated $1.3 trillion in receipts (4.2 percent of all receipts).

“As business owners, women in 2007 had a major impact on the nation's economy, employing more than 7.6 million workers,” said Census Bureau Deputy Director Thomas Mesenbourg. “In addition, the businesses they owned equally with men added another 8.1 million workers. Furthermore, businesses where women were owners or half-owners numbered 12.4 million firms, representing 45.7 percent of all firms.”

The percentage of women-owned businesses was fairly constant from state to state. In every state, women owned at least a fifth of the businesses and the percentage exceeded 30 percent in several states. (See map 1 [PDF].)

In some industries, women controlled a significant share of the businesses. For example, women-owned businesses accounted for 52.0 percent of all businesses operating in the health care and social assistance sector.

Nearly half of all women-owned businesses (45.9 percent) operated in repair and maintenance; personal and laundry services; health care and social assistance; and professional, scientific and technical services..."
View summary report.

EPA Launches Website to Increase Transparency of Regulatory Activity
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new website called Reg Stat that will enhance public understanding of its regulatory process and the number, type, and range of regulatory documents developed each year by the agency. This new resource is part of the EPA’s continuing efforts to enhance the accessibility and transparency of its regulatory activities.

Reg Stat provides information on EPA documents published in the Federal Register between 2005 and 2009. It also provides in-depth information on rulemakings likely to be of most interest to stakeholders -- those rules signed by the EPA administrator that substantively amend the Code of Federal Regulations. Users will be able to determine the number of rules signed by the administrator, how long it took to develop each rule, whether a rule underwent Executive Order 12866 regulatory review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and the length of OMB review. Both summary graphics and searchable data tables are available..."

Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool
"The Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool is a new tool designed to help you determine who is discharging, what pollutants they are discharging and how much, and where they are discharging. The tool calculates pollutant loadings from permit and DMR data from EPA’s Permit Compliance System (PCS) and Integrated Compliance Information System for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES). Pollutant loadings are presented as pounds per year and as toxic-weighted pounds per year to account for variations in toxicity among pollutants. The tool ranks dischargers, industries, and watersheds based on pollutant mass and toxicity, and presents “top ten” lists to help you determine which discharges are important, which facilities and industries are producing these discharges, and which watersheds are impacted..."

Annual Electric Energy Report, 2009
"This is an electric utility data file that includes such information as peak load, generation, electric purchases, sales, revenues, customer counts and demand-side management programs, green pricing and net metering programs, and distributed generation capacity. The data source is the survey Form EIA-861, "Annual Electric Power Industry Report." Data for all years are final.

The file F861yr09.exe is a file of data collected on the Form EIA-861, Annual Electric Power Industry Report, for the reporting period, calendar year 2009. The zipped .exe file contains 11 .xls files and one Word file, and a .pdf of the Form EIA-861. The data file structure detailed here also applies to data files for prior years..."

Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force
"
The increased presence of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs and in
the scientific workforce has been and continues to be of concern to some in the scientific
community. Enrollment of U.S. citizens in graduate science and engineering programs has not
kept pace with that of foreign students in those programs. In addition to the number of foreign
students in graduate science and engineering programs, a significant number of university faculty
in the scientific disciplines are foreign, and foreign doctorates are employed in large numbers by
industry.

Few will dispute that U.S. universities and industry have chosen foreign talent to fill many
positions. Foreign scientists and engineers serve the needs of industry at the doctorate level and
also have been found to serve in major roles at the masters level. However, there are charges that
U.S. workers are adversely affected by the entry of foreign scientists and engineers, who
reportedly accept lower wages than U.S. citizens would accept in order to enter or remain in the
United States..."

Changes in Airport Passenger Screening Technologies and Procedures: Frequently Asked Questions
A series of faq are presents on airport passenger screening technologies and procedures.

FTC's 2010 Report Concludes U.S. Ethanol Market Still Unconcentrated
"The market for ethanol fuel in the United States is still unconcentrated, with 160 firms nationwide either producing ethanol or likely to be in production within the next 18 months, according to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2010 report on the state of U.S. ethanol production.

The FTC report is the agency’s sixth annual report on ethanol market concentration. In the report, staff calculated market concentration for the ethanol production industry using different measures. It concluded that as of September 2010, there were the same number of ethanol producers in the United States as were listed in the FTC’s 2009 report. The largest ethanol producer’s share of capacity increased slightly to 12 percent of domestic ethanol production capacity – above the 11 percent share in 2008 and 2009, but still below the largest producer’s capacity share, between 2000 and 2007, which ranged from 16 percent in 2007 to 41 percent in 2000..."

Criminal Prohibitions on the Publication of Classified Defense Information
"The recent online publication of classified defense documents and diplomatic cables by the
organization WikiLeaks and subsequent reporting by the New York Times and other news media
have focused attention on whether such publication violates U.S. criminal law. The Attorney
General has reportedly stated that the Justice Department and Department of Defense are
investigating the circumstances to determine whether any prosecutions will be undertaken in
connection with the disclosure.

This report identifies some criminal statutes that may apply, but notes that these have been used
almost exclusively to prosecute individuals with access to classified information (and a
corresponding obligation to protect it) who make it available to foreign agents, or to foreign
agents who obtain classified information unlawfully while present in the United States. Leaks of
classified information to the press have only rarely been punished as crimes, and we are aware of
no case in which a publisher of information obtained through unauthorized disclosure by a
government employee has been prosecuted for publishing it. There may be First Amendment
implications that would make such a prosecution difficult, not to mention political ramifications
based on concerns about government censorship. To the extent that the investigation implicates
any foreign nationals whose conduct occurred entirely overseas, any resulting prosecution may
carry foreign policy implications related to the exercise of extraterritorial jurisdiction and whether suspected persons may be extradited to the United States under applicable treaty provisions..."

Fiscal Stress Faced by Local Governments
"Local governments—including counties, cities, towns, school districts, and special districts—play a significant role in people’s lives and in the nation’s economy. In 2009, the expenditures of local governments equaled 8.7 percent of gross domestic product, and those governments employed just over 9 percent of the labor force. That year, local governments as a group cut their spending in real (inflation-adjusted) terms. This year and in upcoming years, they expect to constrain spending and services—primarily because of reductions in state aid and falling revenues. In particular, revenues from property taxes are poised to decline to reflect lower property values. To the extent that local governments address budget gaps by reducing spending or raising taxes, such changes will partially counteract the federal government’s fiscal support for the economy.

In light of those developments, this Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issue brief describes the economic conditions and budgeting practices that can lead to significant budgetary challenges—often termed fiscal stress—at the local level..."

Farm Household Economics and Well-Being:Farm Household Income
"This chapter presents the latest U.S. farm household income estimates and a revised forecast for 2010. The 2009 estimates are based on the latest 2009 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) data. This chapter includes information on the composition of income, comparisons of income for farm households relative to U.S. households, and variations in farm household income by farm size and specialization.

Income estimates for farm operator households presented in this briefing room differ from other farm income estimates of the farm sector or of farm businesses. In particular, principal farm operator households receive income from a variety of sources other than their farm businesses, such as wages and salaries from off-farm jobs, other businesses, dividends and interest, and other public and private sources that are included here but not in the farm sector accounts..."

Hate Crime Statistics 2009
Final report on Hate Crime Statistics,2009 originally released in November 2010.

Immigration Policy in the Untied states -An Update
"This document updates the Congressional Budget Office's February 2006 paper Immigration Policy in the United States. It presents data through 2009 on permanent and temporary admissions of foreign nationals to the United States, the number and types of visas issued, the naturalization of residents, and enforcement of immigration laws—and makes comparisons with 2004, which was the most recent year for which most data were reported in the earlier paper."
View complete report.

11 Million More Adults Tested for HIV for the First Time in 2006-2009
"The number of adults tested for HIV reached a record high in 2009, according to an analysis of national survey data released today in a CDC Vital Signs report. Last year 82.9 million adults between 18 and 64 reported having been tested for HIV. This number represents an increase of 11.4 million people since 2006, when CDC recommended that HIV testing become a routine part of medical care for adults and adolescents, and that people at high risk of infection be tested at least once a year. Despite this progress, 55 percent of adults—and 28.3 percent of adults with a risk factor for HIV—have not been tested.

"Today's news shows that we have had progress increasing testing, and that more progress is both necessary and possible," said Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., CDC director. "With most adults and with nearly a third of high-risk people having never been tested for HIV, we need to do more to ensure that all Americans have access to voluntary, routine and early HIV testing in order to save lives and reduce the spread of this terrible disease."

The December Vital Signs report indicates that the percentage of adults who had been tested at least once in their lives increased to 45 percent in 2009, after holding steady at approximately 40 percent from 2001 to 2006..."

FTC Offers Businesses Tips for Securing Data on Digital Copiers
"The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has tips for businesses on how to safeguard sensitive data stored on the hard drives of digital copiers. Here are the highlights of the FTC’s new publication, Copier Data Security: A Guide for Businesses:

* Before acquiring a copier, plan to have the information technology staff manage and maintain it just as they would a computer or a server.

* When buying or leasing a copier, evaluate your options for securing the data on its hard drive – including the encryption or overwriting features that will be used. Encryption scrambles the data on the hard drive so it can only be read by particular software. This ensures that even if the hard drive is removed from the machine, the data cannot be retrieved. Overwriting – also known as file wiping or shredding – replaces the existing data with random characters, so that the file cannot be easily reconstructed.

* Take advantage of all of the copier’s security features. Securely overwrite the entire hard drive at least once a month.

* When returning or disposing of a copier, find out whether it is possible to have the hard drive removed and destroyed, or to overwrite the data on the hard drive. Generally, it is advisable for a skilled technician to remove the hard drive to avoid the risk of rendering the machine inoperable..."

Drugged, Drunk, and Distracted Drivers Put Us All at Risk
"In the past few decades, Americans have come to realize the dangers associated with driving under the influence of alcohol. Thanks to increased awareness and the efforts of concerned groups and
individuals to draw attention to the problem, there has been a decline in the number of people injured or killed as a result of drunk driving. Traffic fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes decreased nearly 10 percent from 2007 to 2008, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Alcohol use, however, is only one dangerous behind-the-wheel behavior. Increased attention is now being focused on other types of dangerous driving behavior, such as text messaging, talking on a cell phone, and drugged driving. More than ever, it is time we recognize the dangers of drugged driving and take steps to reduce this threat to our Nation’s health and safety.


Use of any drug that acts on the brain can impair motor skills, reaction time, judgment, and other faculties required for safe driving. Drugged driving is a public health concern because it not only puts the driver at risk; it also endangers the lives of passengers and others sharing
the road..."

Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implication
"
Congressional action to designate funds within appropriations legislation for specified projects or
locations has been increasing in recent years as a way to help communities meet needs to build
and upgrade water infrastructure systems, whose estimated future funding needs exceed $630
billion. Such legislative action has often been popularly referred to as earmarking. This report
discusses appropriations for water infrastructure programs of the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), focusing on such designations in the account that funds these programs.
Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment
and drinking water projects is provided in two appendixes.

Congressional appropriators began the practice of supplementing appropriations for the primary
Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) assistance programs with grants
for individually designated projects in FY1989. These designated project grants are often referred
to as earmarks or as STAG grants. Since 1989, of the $56.8 billion appropriated to EPA for water
infrastructure assistance, more than 13% ($7.4 billion) has gone to designated project grants.
Notably since FY2000, appropriators have awarded such grants to a larger total number of
projects, resulting in more communities receiving such assistance, but at the same time receiving
smaller amounts of funds, on average..."

Visa Wavier Program
"Since the events of September 11, 2001, concerns have been raised about the ability of terrorists
to enter the United States under the visa waiver program (VWP), because the VWP bypasses the
first step by which foreign visitors are screened for admissibility to enter the United States.
Nonetheless, the inclusion of countries in the VWP may help foster positive relations between the
United States and those countries, promote tourism and commerce, facilitate information sharing,
and ease consular office workloads abroad. The VWP allows nationals from certain countries to
enter the United States as temporary visitors (nonimmigrants) for business or pleasure without
first obtaining a visa from a U.S. consulate abroad. Temporary visitors for business or pleasure
from non-VWP countries must obtain a visa from Department of State (DOS) officers at a
consular post abroad before coming to the United States. As of October 2010, 36 countries
participate in the VWP..."

U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Proved Reserves, 2009
"The 2009 U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Proved Reserves Summary is available in pdf format. A web-formatted version that provides enhanced navigation to the tables in both html and pdf formats will be posted here in the near future.

Press release "Shale Gas Development Drives U.S. Natural Gas Proved Reserves to Highest Level Since 1971" (November 30, 2010) at: http://www.eia.gov/neic/press/press349.html>>>"

Consumer-Driven Health Care: What Is It, and What Does It Mean for Employees and Employers?
"Some employers are considering the switch to consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) in order to reduce the cost of providing health insurance benefits to their employees. Because CDHPs generally have lower premiums, they might be a popular choice for some employees. Employers and employees will need to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of CDHPs compared with more traditional health insurance plans before deciding which type of plan to use.

The cost to employers of providing health insurance to their employees has been rising for decades.1 Estimates from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) indicate that the average cost for the private employer to provide health care insurance has risen from $1.03 per hour worked in March 1999 to $2.00 per hour worked in March 2009, a change from 5.4 percent to 7.3 percent of total compensation.2 Chart 1 displays the rising cost for the private employers.

Interestingly, the costs to employees have increased as well. NCS estimates indicate that the average medical plan monthly flat-rate premium paid by private industry workers in single and family coverage has increased from $67.57 (single) and $264.59 (family) in 2004 to $92.43 (single) and $349.36 (family) in 2009.3 Even though the cost for both employer and employee has increased, the proportion of cost for the employer and employee has remained similar. In 2003, private employers’ share of the premium for single coverage reflected 82 percent of the total premium, whereas the employees were responsible for the remaining 18 percent. In 2009, the employer’s share for single coverage was 80 percent compared with 20 percent for the employee’s share. The share for family coverage was at 70 percent for the employer and 30 percent for the employee in 2003 and in 2009..."

Suicides in National Parks --- United States, 2003--2009
"In 2007, the year for which the most recent national data on fatalities are available, 34,598 suicides occurred in the United States (rate: 11.3 per 100,000 population); 79% were among males (1). In 2009, an estimated 374,486 visits to hospital emergency departments occurred for self-inflicted injury, of which approximately 262,000 (70%) could be attributed to suicidal behavior (1,2). The majority (58%) were among females. Most suicides (77%) occur in the home (3), but many occur in public places, including national parks. In addition to the loss of life, suicides consume park resources and staff time and can traumatize witnesses. To describe the characteristics of and trends in suicides in national parks, CDC and the National Park Service (NPS) analyzed reports of suicide events (suicides and attempted suicides) occurring in the parks during 2003--2009. During this 7-year span, 84 national parks reported 286 suicide events, an average of 41 events per year. Of the 286 events, 68% were fatal. The two most commonly used methods were firearms and falls. Consistent with national patterns, 83% of suicides were among males. A comprehensive, multicomponent approach is recommended to prevent suicide events, including enhanced training for park employees, site-specific barriers, and collaboration with communities..."

Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
"On March 2, 2010, the Secretary of Defense appointed the two of us to co-chair a
working group to undertake a comprehensive review of the impacts of repeal, should it
occur, of Section 654 of Title 10 of the United States Code, commonly known as the “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” law. In this effort, we were aided by a highly dedicated team of 49 military
and 19 civilian personnel from across the Department of Defense and the Military Services.
Our assignment from the Secretary was two-fold: 1) assess the impact of repeal of Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell on military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting, retention,
and family readiness; and 2) recommend appropriate changes, if necessary, to existing
regulations, policies, and guidance in the event of repeal. The Secretary directed us to
deliver our assessment and recommendations to him by December 1, 2010.

This document constitutes our report of that assessment and our recommendations. The Secretary also directed us to develop a plan of action to support implementation of a repeal of Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell. That plan accompanies this report..."

Reversals in the patterns of women’s labor supply in the United States, 1977–2009
"Most analyses of women’s labor force participation in the past 15 years or so have focused on married women. The labor force participation rate of this group increased dramatically in the 1970s and 1980s, as reported by Marisa DiNatale and Stephanie Boraas, and Chinhui Juhn and Simon Potter, among many others. But the labor force participation of married women—especially those with
children—increased only marginally in the 1990s, and began to decline toward the end of that decade. For married women with children, for example, the rate increased from 39.7 percent in 1970 to 66.3 percent in 1990, but then to only 70.6 percent in 2000; the rate was 69.3 percent in 2007. For married mothers with infants, the rate peaked in 1997, at 59.2 percent, and declined to 53.5
percent by 2005..."

FTC Staff Issues Privacy Report Offers Framework for Consumers, Businesses, and Policymakers
"Endorses “Do Not Track” to Facilitate Consumer Choice About Online Tracking
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s chief privacy policy and enforcement agency for 40 years, issued a preliminary staff report today that proposes a framework to balance the privacy interests of consumers with innovation that relies on consumer information to develop beneficial new products and services. The proposed report also suggests implementation of a “Do Not Track” mechanism – likely a persistent setting on consumers’ browsers – so consumers can choose whether to allow the collection of data regarding their online searching and browsing activities.

“Technological and business ingenuity have spawned a whole new online culture and vocabulary – email, IMs, apps and blogs – that consumers have come to expect and enjoy. The FTC wants to help ensure that the growing, changing, thriving information marketplace is built on a framework that promotes privacy, transparency, business innovation and consumer choice. We believe that’s what most Americans want as well,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

The report states that industry efforts to address privacy through self-regulation “have been too slow, and up to now have failed to provide adequate and meaningful protection.” The framework outlined in the report is designed to reduce the burdens on consumers and businesses..."

Why the Library of Congress Is Blocking Wikileaks
"The news media are reporting today, accurately, that the Library of Congress is blocking access to the Wikileaks site across its computer systems, including those for use by patrons in the reading rooms.

I wanted to provide here the same statement we’ve been giving to reporters and patrons who are asking about it:

“The Library decided to block Wikileaks because applicable law obligates federal agencies to protect classified information. Unauthorized disclosures of classified documents do not alter the documents’ classified status or automatically result in declassification of the documents.”

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget today provided the guidance that “[f]ederal agencies collectively, and each federal employee and contractor individually, are obligated to protect classified information pursuant to all applicable laws, as well as to protect the integrity of government information technology systems.”..."