2010 Modified Race Summary File

Find modified 2010 race data for the United States.

Crash death rates in 50 largest US metropolitan areas

"The motor vehicle crash death rates in the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are lower than the national average, according to a CDC study comparing the two. An MSA is a densely populated area and the communities that surround it. The rate for all ages in the 50 MSAs was 8.2 deaths per 100,000 residents, lower than the national rate of 11.1 deaths per 100,000 residents.."

Estimates for the Insurance Coverage Provisions of the Affordable Care Act Updated for the Recent Supreme Court Decision

"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) have updated their estimates of the budgetary effects of the health insurance coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to take into account the Supreme Court decision issued on June 28, 2012.1 This report describes those new estimates, how they were derived, and how they differ from the previous ones..."

CIA.gov Launches Mobile Site

"In response to the growing use of mobile devices, the Central Intelligence Agency has launched a new mobile site (https://www.CIA.gov/mobile).
Readers can now access mobile-friendly versions of CIA.gov materials on their small screens:

• About CIA: Quick facts about our leadership, mission, and history.
• CIA Museum: Artifacts and stories from the CIA Museum, whose brick-and-mortar location is closed to the public.
• Press Releases and Statements: Browse back to 2010.
• Careers: Find out why CIA is an employer of choice.
• Offices of CIA: Overviews of our organization and what we do.
• Contact CIA.."

Census.gov Transformation

Explore new features at the Census.gov web site.

Americans with Disabilities(Research)

Research the history of the Americans with Disabilities Act  from a new site at the National Archives and Records Administration.

Americans with Disabilities Act

"Report Released to Coincide with 22nd Anniversary of the ADA

About 56.7 million people — 19 percent of the population — had a disability in 2010, according to a broad definition of disability, with more than half of them reporting the disability was severe, according to a comprehensive report on this population released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report, Americans with Disabilities: 2010, presents estimates of disability status and type and is the first such report with analysis since the Census Bureau published statistics in a similar report about the 2005 population of people with disabilities. According to the report, the total number of people with a disability increased by 2.2 million over the period, but the percentage remained statistically unchanged. Both the number and percentage with a severe disability rose, however. Likewise, the number and percentage needing assistance also both increased.

“This week, we observe the 22nd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, a milestone law that guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities,” said Census Bureau demographer Matthew Brault. “On this important anniversary, this report presents a barometer of the well-being of this population in areas such as employment, income and poverty status.”.."

Individual Mandate and Related Information Requirements under ACA

"This report describes the individual mandate under Section 1501 and Section 10106 of the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148), as amended by Section 1002 of the
Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-152). Hereinafter, ““ACA”” will
refer to ACA as amended by the reconciliation act and other laws. In addition, ACA includes
several reporting requirements designed, in part, to assist individuals in providing evidence of
having met the mandate, as well as other related information about their health insurance. These
requirements are also described in this report..."

Climate Change and Existing Law: A Survey of Legal Issues Past, Present, and Future

"This report surveys existing law for legal issues that have arisen, or may arise in the future, on
account of climate change and government responses thereto.

At the threshold of many climate-change-related lawsuits are two barriers—whether the plaintiff
has standing to sue and whether the claim being made presents a political question. Both barriers
have forced courts to apply amorphous standards in a new and complex context..."

Measuring Broadband America - July 2012 Consumer wireline broadband performance in the U.S.

"This July 2012 Measuring Broadband America Report contains the most recent results from the Federal Communication Commission’s Measuring Broadband America program, an ongoing, rigorous, nationwide performance study of residential broadband performance in the United States. The study involves actual performance tests for thousands of subscribers of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) serving well over 80 percent of the residential market. Our initial Measuring Broadband America Report, released in August 2011, presented the first broad-scale study of actual home broadband performance throughout the United States..."

Gaining and Losing Shares Population Distribution by Region, 1790 to 2010

"The Northeast and South each held about half of the U.S. population in 1790. As the Midwest opened to settlement, it gained an increasingly large share of the population due to migration from the Northeast and South, as well as international migration. By 1890, the Midwest held its largest share of the population. The 20th century saw continued declines in the shares of the population living in the Northeast and Midwest alongside gains in the South and West.'

Increasing Urbanization Population Distribution by City Size, 1790 to 1890

"The number and size of cities increased dramatically between 1790 and 1890 as the country's population grew and became increasingly urban. By 1890, people living in cities of 100,000 or more made up a larger proportion of all urban dwellers. This reflected a shift from a rural, agrarian society to one focused on industrial production, especially in the Northeast and around the Great Lakes."

Top 20 Cities Highest Ranking Cities, 1790 to 2010

"This wordmap includes the names of cities that have ever been listed as one of the 20 most populous cities in the country, since 1790. The size of each city name reflects the number of times that place has been ranked in the top 20. Click on a city to see its rank in the top 20 from 1790 to 2010."

Foodborne Outbreak Online Database

"Welcome to the Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD) tool. The FOOD tool is a web-based platform for searching CDC's Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System database. FOOD provides access to national information and is intended to be used for limited descriptive summaries of outbreak data. Please see the FOOD FAQ and CDC's Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance web site for more information."

Private Student Loans

"American consumers owe more than $150 billion in outstanding private student loan
debt. While this amount is significantly less than the amount outstanding on student
loans guaranteed by the federal government, the private student loan (“PSL”) product
is an important component of higher education finance and does not appear to be well
understood by the public.

In this Report, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the US Department of
Education seek to highlight key attributes of the private student loan marketplace, as
well as consumer protection issues which policymakers may wish to address..."

Long-Term Implications of the 2013 Future Years Defense Program

"In most years, the Department of Defense (DoD) provides a five-year plan, called the Future Years Defense
Program (FYDP), associated with the budget that it submits to the Congress. Because decisions made in the near term can have consequences for the defense budget well beyond that period, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) regularly examines DoD’s FYDP and projects its budgetary impact over several decades. For this analysis, CBO used the FYDP provided to the Congress in March 2012, which covers fiscal years 2013 to 2017; CBO’s projections span the years 2013 to 2030..."

An Analysis of the Distribution of Wealth Across Households, 1989-2010

"The distribution of wealth (net worth) across households has been an underlying consideration in
congressional deliberations on various issues, including taxation and social welfare. This report
analyzes the change over time in the concentration of net worth (assets minus liabilities) to help
inform those policy deliberations.

According to data from the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), mean
household net worth was $498,800 and median household net worth was $77,300 in 2010.The
median is the value at which one-half of wealth-owners have lower values and one-half have
higher values of wealth. It is a better indication of the wealth of the “typical” household than is
the mean which, because of the way in which it is calculated, is greatly affected by the small
number of households with high values of wealth. A mean over six times a median suggests
substantial concentration of wealth among households at the upper end of the wealth distribution..."

HIV/AIDS Surveillance

'The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base is a compilation of information from widely scattered small-scale surveys on the AIDS pandemic and HIV seroprevalence (infection) in population groups in developing countries. The Data Base hosts information from medical and scientific literature, presentations at international conferences, and the press. Through the Data Base interface, available information for population groups in a selected country can be easily retrieved and displayed on the computer screen, and printed or saved to a .pdf or .csv file...

"Where's the Baby?. Look Before You Lock"

Tips on preventing heatstroke when leaving babies in locked vehicles.

Policy Options for the Social Security Disability Insurance Program

"The Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) program pays cash benefits to nonelderly adults (those younger than age 66) who are judged to be unable to perform “substantial” work because of a disability but who have worked in the past; the program also pays benefits to some of those adults’ dependents. In 2011, the DI program provided benefits to 8.3 million disabled workers, nearly sixfold the 1.4 million disabled workers who received benefits in 1970. Including the dependent  spouses and children of those workers further increases the number of people receiving support in 2011 to 10.3 million. The growth in the program can be attributed to changes in multiple factors, including demographics, the labor force, federal policy, opportunities for work, and compensation (earnings and benefits) during employment..."

Decoding State-County Census Tracts versus Tribal Census Tracts

"The U.S. Census Bureau offers thousands of statistics at hundreds of geographic levels.   Census Bureau geographies help us organize all of this information.  One of the most popular levels of geography used in statistical analysis is the census tract, which is used in community planning, grant writing, real estate, research and much more.

Census tracts are subdivisions of counties, with approximately 4,000 people per tract. They are relatively stable over time, allowing for comparisons of data over time.  The Census Bureau offers two types of census tracts:  the standard state-county census tracts and tribal census tracts. You may even live in an area covered by both types of census tracts if you live on a federally-recognized American Indian reservation or off-reservation trust land.

State-county census tracts  are small statistical subdivisions of a county or county equivalent.  They cover the entire U.S. and provide a stable set of geographic units for presenting statistical data.  Because they are defined by population—ideally about 4,000 people—they can vary greatly in land area. A standard census tract must be entirely within one county and cannot cross into another county. Census tracts do not have to follow other boundaries, such as places or county subdivisions.

Tribal census tracts are small statistical subdivisions of a reservation and off-reservation trust land. Their primary purpose is the same as census tracts: the presentation of statistical data.  However, rather than nesting within a county, tribal census tracts nest within a single federally recognized American Indian area, providing coverage across all federally recognized American Indian reservations and off-reservation trust lands.  Tribal census tracts have population criteria identical to county-based census tracts..."

Healthy Swimming/Recreational Water

Find safety tips on swimming and recreational water activities from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Consumer Compliants Database

"This contains data from the consumer credit card complaints received by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We do not verify the accuracy of these complaints, but we do take steps to confirm a commercial relationship between the consumer and the identified company..."

Year-to-date Temperature Anomalies

"The first six months of 2012 were the warmest on record for the contiguous United States as a whole, and for many locations across the United States. The following table shows, for about 150 long-term stations, how Jan-Jun 2012 stacks up against normal, and where it ranks among that station's history. The unusualness score is based upon the number of standard deviations difference between the 2012 value and the station's average, based on the station's history..."

Computer and Internet Use at Home: 2010

Find the latest survey from the Census Bureau on computer and internet use in the United States.

StopFraud.gov

Find tips to help your protect yourself from financial fraud.

Science of the Summer Olympics: Engineering in Sports

"The Olympians from Team USA heading to London in July represent not only an American commitment to athletic achievement, but also the pervasive impact of innovation.

From the devices that protect the athletes, to the mechanisms that track their races, to the systems that help them train, technologies created and guided by engineers are critical components of the Olympic experience..."

Monthly Budget Review, Fiscal Year 2012

"CBO estimates that the Treasury Department will report a deficit of $905 billion for the first nine months of fiscal year 2012, $66 billion less than the $971 billion deficit incurred through June 2011. Outlays are about 1 percent higher and revenues are about 5 percent higher than they were at the same point last year. Those results include adjustments to the estimated cost of the Troubled Asset Relief Program that increased outlays in 2012 by $21 billion and decreased outlays in 2011 by $42 billion. Without those adjustments, the deficit for the first nine months of fiscal year 2012 would have been around $130 billion less than the deficit incurred during the same period in fiscal year 2011..."

The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2008 and 2009

"The recent recession has had a substantial impact on income, the amount of taxes owed, and average tax rates.
In this report, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) extends its estimates of the distribution of household
income and federal taxes through 2008 and 2009, the latest year for which comprehensive data are available, and compares those estimates with estimates for 2007 and for the 1979–2009 period..."

Health Care: Constitutional Rights and Legislative Powers

"The health care reform debate raises many complex issues including those of coverage,
accessibility, cost, accountability, and quality of health care. Underlying these policy
considerations are issues regarding the status of health care as a constitutional or legal right. This
report analyzes constitutional and legal issues pertaining to a right to health care, as well as the
power of Congress to enact and fund health care programs. The United States Supreme Court’s
decision in NFIB v. Sebelius, which upheld most of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act (Affordable Care Act/ACA), is also discussed..."

FTC Offers Consumers Tips on How to Respond to Unwanted Robocalls

"Illegal pre-recorded "robocalls" are a growing annoyance for millions of American consumers and the target of an enforcement crackdown by the Federal Trade Commission. What should you do when you get one of these calls? Today, the FTC issued tips for consumers, as well as two new consumer education videos explaining robocalls and describing what consumers should do when they receive one. The agency also is hosting a robocall summit later this year to develop new strategies to stop illegal robocalls..."

Methadone linked to 30 percent of prescription painkiller overdose deaths

"The prescription drug methadone accounted for 2 percent of painkiller prescriptions in the United States in 2009, but was involved in more than 30 percent of prescription painkiller overdose deaths, according to a CDC Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers analyzed national data from 1999-2010, and 2009 data from 13 states (those covered by a surveillance system for drug-related deaths, the Drug Abuse Warning Network of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

Methadone carries more risks than other painkillers because it tends to build up in the body and can disrupt a person’s breathing or heart rhythm. According to the report, 4 of every 10 overdose deaths from a single prescription painkiller involved methadone, twice as many as any other prescription painkiller..."

EPA Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements Maintain Focus on Largest Emitters

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will not revise greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting thresholds under the Clean Air Act. Today’s final rule is part of EPA’s common-sense, phased-in approach to GHG permitting under the Clean Air Act, announced in 2010 and recently upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The final rule maintains a focus on the nation’s largest emitters that account for nearly 70 percent of the total GHG pollution from stationary sources, while shielding smaller emitters from permitting requirements. EPA is also finalizing a provision that allows companies to set plant-wide emissions limits for GHGs, streamlining the permitting process, increasing flexibilities and reducing permitting burdens on state and local authorities and large industrial emitters..."

Federal Laws Relating to Cybersecurity: Discussion of Proposed Revisions

"The complex federal role in cybersecurity involves both securing federal systems and assisting in
protecting nonfederal systems. Under current law, all federal agencies have cybersecurity
responsibilities relating to their own systems, and many have sector-specific responsibilities for
critical infrastructure.

More than 50 statutes address various aspects of cybersecurity either directly or indirectly, but
there is no overarching framework legislation in place. While revisions to most of those laws
have been proposed over the past few years, no major cybersecurity legislation has been enacted
since 2002..."

The Development of High Speed Rail in the United States: Issues and Recent Events

"Estimates of the cost of constructing HSR vary according to train speed, the topography of the
corridor, the cost of right-of-way, and other factors. Few if any HSR lines anywhere in the world
have earned enough revenue to cover both their construction and operating costs, even where
population density is far greater than anywhere in the United States. Typically, governments have
paid the construction costs, and in many cases have subsidized the operating costs as well. These
subsidies are often justified by the social benefits ascribed to HSR in relieving congestion,
reducing pollution, increasing energy efficiency, and contributing to employment and economic
development. It is unclear whether these potential social benefits are commensurate with the
likely costs of constructing and operating HSR..."

Foreign Holdings of Federal Debt

"This report presents current data on estimated ownership of U.S. Treasury securities and major
holders of federal debt by country. Federal debt represents the accumulated balance of borrowing
by the federal government. To finance federal borrowing, U.S. Treasury securities are sold to
investors. Treasury securities may be purchased directly from the Treasury or on the secondary
market by individual private investors, financial institutions in the United States or overseas, and
foreign, state, or local governments. Foreign investment in federal debt has grown in recent years,
prompting questions on the location of the foreign holders and how much debt they hold..."

FTC Reminds Job Seekers: Get Your Free Credit Report Before You Apply for a Job

"Before you apply for a job, you should know what's in your credit report, because employers may look at your credit history if they're considering hiring you. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, reminds job seekers that they can get a free copy of their credit report at annualcreditreport.com or 1-877-322-8228, so that they can fix any mistakes they find, or explain information that might not look good to an employer.

To learn more your rights as a job applicant, read the FTC's What to Know When You Look for a Job..."

Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions

"The Federal Reserve (Fed) defines monetary policy as the actions it undertakes to influence the
availability and cost of money and credit. Since the expectations of market participants play an
important role in determining prices and growth, monetary policy can also be defined to include
the directives, policies, statements, and actions of the Fed that influence how the future is
perceived. In addition, the Fed acts as a “lender of last resort” to the nation’s financial system,
meaning that it ensures continued smooth functioning of financial intermediation by providing
financial markets with adequate liquidity. This role has become of great importance following the
onset of the recent financial crisis..."

Dynamics of Economic Well-Being: Participation in Government Programs, 2004 to 2007 and 2009 Who Gets Assistance?

"In 2009, almost 45 million people, or 18.6 percent of the U.S. population, participated in major means tested assistance programs in each month, on average.

Individuals were more likely to participate in Medicaid than any of the other programs examined in this report, in 2009. Almost 14 percent of individuals participated in Medicaid in an average
month in 2009..."

The Health Care Law & You

"The Affordable Care Act puts in place strong consumer protections, provides new coverage options and gives you the tools you need to make informed choices about your health. In this section, learn about how the law affects you..."

FTC Offers Video Game Primer to Help Parents

"If your kids play video games, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, wants you to know there are resources to help you learn about the games and put limits on what your kids can access.

For example, depending upon whether kids play on a game console or a phone or tablet, parental controls can help you decide what games they can play, restrict them from inappropriate online chat, and prevent them from making online purchases. You also can read detailed descriptions of game content, and, for online-enabled games, you can learn about games that could expose players to chat that is not part of the game's rating..."

Federal Government Not Offering "Free" Money to Pay Your Bills

"The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, wants you to know that swindlers are enticing people with this sales pitch: There is currently money available NOW right here in your area, to help pay your bills. The pitch comes via ads, websites, phone calls, text messages, and visits from salespeople. The scammers charge a fee and ask for your credit card number or other personal information, and instruct you on how to use bank account and routing numbers to pay your bills online, or print checks to pay in person or by mail. But it's a fraud..."

Taking Charge:What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen

Find information on step to take if your identity is stolen.

Annual Energy Outlook: 2012

"The Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (AEO2012), prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), presents long-term projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2035, based on results from EIA’s National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). EIA published an “early release” version of the AEO2012 Reference case in January 2012..."

Extreme Heat: a Prevention Guide..

Tips from the  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on dealing with extreme heat
See also: tips from the U.S. EPA

Don't Let the Heat Beat You

Tips for the Madison/Dane County Health Department:

"Every year at this time there are numerous news stories about the heat, offering solid advice on what to do when the weather gets very hot and humid. We hear these stories so often that many of us stop paying attention. But during the next week there will be five or six days when the temperature will be over 90 degrees so there are a few very important basics beyond the usual advice about staying cool and hydrated.

Here are three simple points to keep in mind.

1. Check in on elderly and disabled neighbors. Extreme heat can be very dangerous for them, and some might be shy or unable to ask for help. So please risk being a nosy neighbor. It will make this situation a lot less risky for them.

2. Don't push yourself or your kids too far with outdoor physical activities. Heatstroke can sneak up on you quickly, and it often requires a trip to the emergency room.

3. Do not leave your kids or your pets in a car, even with the motor and air conditioner running. A stalled engine will produce dangerously high temperatures very quickly, putting a child or pet at risk for brain damage and death. On hot or warm days, it's best to leave your pet at home, and to always take your child with you - no matter how short you think your errand will be..."