Friday, January 31, 2014

CBO’s Analysis of Health Care Policy

Presentation of Douglas W. Emendorf, Director of the Congressional Budget Office, to the Healthcare Leadership Council, January 29, 2014.
Health care policy

Overview of the Federal tax Sysem

"The major sources of federal tax revenue are individual income taxes, Social Security and other
payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, excise taxes, and estate and gift taxes. This report describes
the federal tax structure, provides some statistics on the tax system as a whole, and presents
analysis of selected tax concepts..."
Federal Tax System

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Statement by Attorney General Eric Holder Regarding the Case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

"Attorney General Eric Holder today released the following statement regarding the case of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev:

“After consideration of the relevant facts, the applicable regulations and the submissions made by the defendant’s counsel, I have determined that the United States will seek the death penalty in this matter. The nature of the conduct at issue and the resultant harm compel this decision.”.."
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Servicemembers, you have new mortgage protections in 2014

"It’s no secret that the housing crisis in recent years was particularly hard on military families. Servicemembers and their spouses at installations around the country, and even abroad, cited problems with mortgages as some of their most serious financial challenges. But now, the CFPB has written new mortgage rules that can help..."
Servicemember and Mortgages

Identity Theft: Trends and Issues

"In the current fiscal environment, policymakers are increasingly concerned with securing the
economic health of the United States—including combating those crimes that threaten to undermine the nation’s financial stability. Identity theft is one such crime. In 2012, about 12.6 million Americans were reportedly victims of identity fraud, and the average identity fraud victim
incurred a mean of $365 in costs as a result of the fraud.."Identity theft

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Propane help for Wisconsin resident

"After meeting today[1/27/14] with representatives from the propane industry and state government officials, Governor Scott Walker instructed the Department of Administration’s Division of Energy Services to release an additional $7 million in energy assistance benefits, for a total of $8.5 million in additional funds, to help support low-income Wisconsin residents who use propane to heat their homes.   The Governor also directed the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority to move forward with a combined $8 million in loan guarantee programs to help ensure propane dealers are able to obtain propane on the wholesale market and deliver it to consumers..."
Propane shortage

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work

"Antibiotics cure bacterial infections, not viral infections such as:
  • Colds or flu;
  • Most coughs and bronchitis;
  • Sore throats not caused by strep; or
  • Runny noses..."
Antibiotics

A Citizen's Guide to Radon

"Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.
You can't see radon. And you can't smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home.
Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high..."

Radon

You Asked, We’re Answering Your Fuel Cell Questions

find answers to your questions about clean energy technology.

Fuel cells

Thursday, January 23, 2014

The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014

Find the latest Surgeon General's  Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking. 
Surgeon General's Report on Smoking

Your New Year Quit Smoking Plan

"If your New Year's resolution is to quit smoking, you're in good company. It's a popular goal and many, many people succeed. There are more former smokers in the United States—nearly 50 million—than current smokers. Planning ahead can help make your healthy resolution a reality. Two good resources to help you quit are www.smokefree.govExternal Web Site Icon and 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), where you can get free advice and support..."
Smoking Cessation

Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards

"If  your credit, ATM, or debit card is lost or stolen, federal law limits your liability for unauthorized charges. Your protection against unauthorized charges depends on the type of card — and when you report the loss..."
Lost/stolen credit cards

Population and Housing Unit Estimates:2013

Find 2013 population and housing estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Population and Housing Estimates

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Get Transcript (IRS)

"Get a record of your past tax returns, also referred to as transcripts. IRS transcripts are often used to validate income and tax filing status for mortgage applications, student and small business loan applications, and during tax preparation.
You can download and print your transcript immediately, or request the transcript be mailed to your address on record..."
Get-Transcript

Friday, January 17, 2014

Measuring Alternative Educational Credentials: 2012

"The strong relationship between education and personal achievement is a basic tenet of our society, as well as an often-examined topic of social science research.  Much of this research relies on traditional measures of educational attainment based on academic degrees, including high school diplomas, associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and advanced degrees. However, in recent years, attention has been called to the variety of educational credentials other than academic degrees that have labor market value. Policy makers and researchers have begun to consider the role of these “alternative educational credentials” in job placement, earnings, and career advancement..."
Educational credentials

Oil and Chemical Spills: Federal Emergency Response Framework

"Thousands of oil and chemical spills of varying size and magnitude occur in the United States
each year. A recent spill of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol into the Elk River in early January
2014 in and near Charleston, WV, illustrates the potential magnitude of such incidents that can
have broad impacts on local populations. When a spill occurs, state and local officials located in
proximity to the incident generally are the first responders and may elevate an incident for federal
attention if greater resources are desired. In the case of the 4-methylcyclohexane methanol spill in
West Virginia, President Obama issued a federal emergency declaration on January 10, 2014, to
provide alternative water supplies to affected individuals. The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) also is supporting state efforts to respond to the spill..."
Oil and Chemicla spills

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings

"In 2012, an estimated 43.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States had any mental illness (AMI) in the past year. This represents 18.6 percent of all adults in this country. The percentage of adults with AMI in 2012 was similar to the estimate in 2011, but it was higher than the 2008 estimate (17.7 percent)..."
Survey on Drug Use: mental health findings

Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2012

Here find the latest statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on sexually transmitted diseases. 
Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Monday, January 13, 2014

Friday, January 10, 2014

Resolve to Prevent or Delay Type 2 Diabetes

"Prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by learning your risk factors, eating right, becoming more physically active, losing a modest amount of weight, and managing stress. You can make a healthy change today..."
Prevent diabetes

CDC Health Disparities & Inequalities Report

"The CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report - United States, 2013, published in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), is the second consolidated assessment that highlights health disparities and inequalities across a wide range of diseases, behavioral risk factors, environmental exposures, social determinants, and health-care access by sex, race and ethnicity, income, education, disability status and other social characteristics..."
health disparities report

Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve: Current Policy and Conditions

"The Federal Reserve (the Fed) defines monetary policy as its actions to influence the availability and cost of money and credit. Because the expectations of market participants play an important role in determining prices and economic growth, monetary policy can also be defined to include the directives, policies, statements, and actions of the Fed that influence future perceptions..."
monetary policy and Federal Reserve

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Women in the United States Congress: Historical Overview, Tables, and Discussion

"A record 102 women currently serve in the 113th Congress: 82 in the House (63 Democrats and 19 Republicans) and 20 in the Senate (16 Democrats and 4 Republicans). One hundred one women were initially sworn in to the 113thCongress—1 female Republican House Member has since resigned, and 2 Democratic House Members have been elected. This is higher than the previousrecord number of 95 women who were initially elected to the 111th
Congress..."
Women in the U.S. Congress

Nanotechnology: A Policy Primer

"Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology—commonly referred to collectively as nanotechnology—is believed by many to offer extraordinary economic and societal benefits. Congress has demonstrated continuing support for nanotechnology and has directed its attention primarily to three topics that may affect the realization of this hoped for potential: federal research and development (R&D) in nanotechnology; U.S. competitiveness; and environmental,
health, and safety (EHS) concerns.."Nanotechnology

Deaths: Leading Causes for 2010


Find the most recent data on the 10 leading causes of death in the united states.
Death- leading causes

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

"Two years after the 2011 U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, sectarian divisions and the Sunni-led
uprising in neighboring Syria have fueled a revival of radical Islamist Sunni Muslim insurgent
groups that are attempting to undermine Iraq’s stability..."Iraq:politics, governance and human rights

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Projected Costs of U.S. Nuclear Forces, 2014 to 2023

"As directed by the Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public
Law 112-239), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the costs over the next 10 years of the
Administration’s plans for operating, maintaining, and modernizing nuclear weapons and the military systems
capable of delivering those weapons..." Cost of nuclear forces

National Incident -Base Reporting System:2012

"Created to improve the quantity and quality of crime data collected by law enforcement, the FBI UCR Program’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) captures more detailed information for each single crime occurrence than the traditional Summary Reporting System (SRS).  When used to its full potential at the agency level, the NIBRS identifies with precision when and where crime takes place, what form it takes, and the characteristics of its victims and perpetrators. .."
National Incident-Base Reporting

Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer

"The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, covering the period 1975–2010, showed death rates for lung cancer, which accounts for more than one in four cancer deaths, dropping at a faster pace than in previous years. The recent larger drop in lung cancer deaths is likely the result of decreased cigarette smoking prevalence over many years, and is now being reflected in mortality trends.."
 State of Cancer

Digest of Education Statistics: 2012

Find the most recent education statistics in the Digest of Education Statistics:2012, published December 2013. 
Digest of Education Statistics

U.S. Direct Investment Abroad: Trends and Current Issues

"The United States is the largest investor abroad and the largest recipient of direct investment in
the world. For some Americans, the national gains attributed to investing overseas are offset by
such perceived losses as displaced U.S. workers and lower wages. Some observers believe U.S.
firms invest abroad to avoid U.S. labor unions or high U.S. wages, however, 74% of the
accumulated U.S. foreign direct investment is concentrated in high income developed countries,
who are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)..."
Direct investment abroad

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. Two key questions of interest to Congress are: (1) Is the United States
vulnerable to supply disruptions of REEs? (2) Are these elements essential to U.S. national
security and economic well-being?.."
Rare Earth elements

Poverty: the History of a Measure

Trace the history of poverty from President Johnson's War of Poverty message in 1964 to the present.
Poverty - historical measure

National Health Expenditure Accounts

"The National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) are the official estimates of total health care spending in the United States. Dating back to 1960, the NHEA measures annual U.S. expenditures for health care goods and services, public health activities, government administration, the net cost of health insurance, and investment related to health care. The data are presented by type of service, by source of funding, and by type of sponsor..."
National Health Expenditures

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Population and Housing Estimates:2013

Find the latest 2013 estimates of population and housing units from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Population and Housing: 2013