Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program

"On September 30, 2014, EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program released its fourth year of emissions data, including information from facilities in 41 source categories. See what GHGRP data shows about U.S. GHG emissions..."
Greenhouse gases

National Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15, 2014 - October 15, 2014.
Hispanic heritage

Digest of EEO Law

"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the latest edition of its federal sector Digest of Equal Employment Opportunity Law, which is available online at http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/digest/xxv-2.cfm.
This quarterly publication, prepared by the EEOC's Office of Federal Operations (OFO), features a wide variety of recent Commission decisions and federal court cases of interest. Additionally, it contains a special article entitled, Failure to State a Claim: An Overview of the Law & Three Areas of Concern..."

EEO Law

Breast and Ovarian Cancer

"If you have close relatives with breast and/or ovarian cancer, you may be at higher risk for developing these diseases. Learn whether your family health history puts you at higher risk and whether you might benefit from cancer genetic counseling and testing.
Each year, over 200,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 20,000 are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. About 3% of breast cancers (about 6,000 women per year) and 10% of ovarian cancers (about 2,000 women per year) result from inherited mutations (changes) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are passed on in families. Knowing your family health history can help you find out if you could be at higher risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer. If so, you can take steps to help lower your risk..."

Breast and Ovarian cancer

Risk for Viral Hepatitis

"Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver and is usually caused by a virus. In the United States, the most common types are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. Millions of Americans are living with viral hepatitis but most do not know they are infected. People can live with chronic, or lifelong, hepatitis for decades without having symptoms.
Since chronic hepatitis often does not cause any symptoms, testing is crucial. CDC developed an online Hepatitis Risk Assessment to help determine if you should be vaccinated and/or tested for viral hepatitis. By answering a few questions in a 5 minute assessment, you can receive personalized viral hepatitis testing and vaccination recommendations to discuss with your doctor..."
Hepatitis assessment

Updated reverse mortgage guide: Two things you should know

"More and more homeowners are considering tapping their home equity as they approach retirement age. Getting a reverse mortgage is one way that some older homeowners can do that. Reverse mortgages are a special type of home equity loan sold to homeowners aged 62 years and older, which are repaid when the borrowers sell the home, move out, or die. It’s a complicated type of loan that works best for homeowners who carefully consider all of their options..."
Reverse mortgages

The Effect of Firm Bankruptcy on Retiree Benefits, with Applications to the Automotive and Coal Industries

"Benefits for retired employees are of particular interest to policy makers because of the growing

number of retirees and forecasts indicating that some future retirees may not have the necessary financial resources to maintain their standards of living. Part of this congressional concern is what happens when bankrupt employers are unable to provide promised pension and health benefits to their retired employees.."

Bankrupcty and retiree benefits

Systemically Important or “Too Big to Fail” Financial Institutions

"Although “too big to fail” (TBTF) has been a perennial policy issue, it was highlighted by the

near-collapse of several large financial firms in 2008. Financial firms are said to be TBTF when policy makers judge that their failure would cause unacceptable disruptions to the overall financial system, and they can be TBTF because of their size or interconnectedness. In addition to fairness issues, economic theory suggests that expectations that a firm will not be allowed to fail create moral hazard if the creditors and counterparties of a TBTF firm believe that the government will protect them from losses, they have less incentive to monitor the firm’s riskiness because they are shielded from the negative consequences of those risks.."

To big to fail

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

 "September 27, 2014. 10AM to 2PM
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications..."
Locate a site near you.
Prescription drug returns

EPA Proposes Standards to Reduce Mercury Discharges from Dental Offices

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed standards under the Clean Water Act to help cut discharges of dental amalgam to the environment. Amalgam is a mixture of mercury and other metals that dentists use to fill cavities. Mercury is discharged when dentists remove old fillings or remove excess amalgam when placing a new filling.

Studies show about half the mercury that enters Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) comes from dental offices. Mercury from amalgam can then make its way into the environment in a number of ways, including through discharge to water bodies. Contact with some microorganisms can help create methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury that builds up in fish, shellfish and fish-eating animals. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of human exposure to methylmercury..."

Mercuty discharges from dental offices

How much do you consume

"Explaining how much someone spends on residential and transportation energy is straightforward; you see it every month in your bills. But understanding how much you use is a more complicated concept.

For instance, if I told you that you used 149 million British Thermal Units (Btu) of energy last year on transportation, you would probably be left scratching your head. Just how much energy is in a Btu? How does that compare to more meaningful measures?

But what if I told you that your personal energy consumption needs would require the equivalent of 15,000 pounds of coal to be burned every year? I bet you could picture it a bit better.

We’ve selected a few measures that we think make more sense than “Btu” -- and that we hope will help you understand how much energy you consume. We define total per capita consumption as someone’s combined transportation and residential energy consumption. Learn more about the methodology for that calculation here..."

Energy consumption

School Enrollment: 2013

Find the latest data on school enrollment by age, sex,  age, race, Hispanic Origin, foreign Born, and foreign-born Parentage.
School Enrollment

History of the Electric Car

"Not an invention of modern times, the electric car has a long and storied history. Travel back in time as we explore the history of the electric car..." 
Electric car

A New Solar Energy Job-Training Pilot Program for Veterans

"The solar industry has long taken a leading role in hiring veterans, employing more service members than any other sector in the U.S.  Building on this tradition, the SunShot Initiative’s Solar Instructor Training Network -- which aims to train 50,000 new solar installers in total by 2020, some of who will be veterans -- is partnering with up to three military bases to create a veterans solar job training pilot project this fall..."
Solar Energy and Veterans

Newborn Screening is Important for Your Baby

"The nursery is decorated, the car seat is ready, and you can't wait to bring your new baby home. But before your newborn comes home, he or she will need some important screening done at the hospital. This screening is called newborn screening and includes a blood test, hearing screening, and, in many hospitals, screening for critical congenital heart defects. Newborn screening is important because even if your baby looks healthy, some medical conditions can't be seen just by looking. If your baby was not born in a hospital or was not screened before leaving the hospital, take him or her to the doctor's office or hospital to be screened as soon as possible..."
Newborn screening

Adults: Protect Yourself with Pneumococcal Vaccines

"Each year in the United States, pneumococcal disease kills thousands of adults, including 18,000 adults 65 years or older.  Thousands more end up in the hospital because of pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease can cause severe infections of the lungs (pneumonia), bloodstream (bacteremia), and lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis). The best way to prevent pneumococcal disease is by getting vaccinated.
There are two vaccines that can prevent pneumococcal disease:

• PCV13 (pneumococcal conjugate vaccine)
• PPSV23 (pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine) 
• Adult pneumococcal vaccines

Child Passenger Safety

"In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children. In 2012, more than 1,100 children ages 14 years and younger died in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 176,000 were injured. But parents and caregivers can make a lifesaving difference.
Whenever you're on the road, make sure your child passengers are buckled in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts. The safest place for children of any age to ride is properly buckled in the back seat..."
Child seats

Report to the President on Combating Antibiotic Resistance

"This report offers practical recommendations to the Federal government for strengthening the

Nation’s ability to combat the rise in antibiotic ‐resistant bacteria. PCAST finds

that without rapid and coordinated action, the Nation risks losing the tremendous

public health progress made over the last century from the discovery and development of antibiotic drugs, thereby threatening patient care, economic growth, public health, agriculture, economic security, and national security.."

Antibiotic_resistance

CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Social Security Reform: Legal Analysis of Social Security Benefit Entitlement Issues

"Calculations indicating that the Social Security program will not be financially sustainable in the

long run under the present statutory scheme have fueled the current debate regarding Social Security reform. This report addresses selected legal issues that may be raised regarding entitlement to Social Security benefits as Congress considers possible changes to the Social Security program in view of projected long-range shortfalls in the Social Security Trust Funds..."

Social Security

Employee Benefits in the United States: 2014

"Employer-provided medical care was available to 86 percent of full-time private industry workers in the United States in March 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. By contrast, only 23 percent of part-time workers had medical care benefits available. Access, or availability, also varied by establishment size: 57 percent for workers in small establishments (those with fewer than 100 employees), compared with 84 percent in medium and large establishments (those with 100 employees or more)..."
Employee Benefits

CDC data show declines in 5 major diabetes-related complications among U.S. adults

"A new CDC study shows that rates of five major diabetes-related complications have declined substantially in the last 20 years among U.S. adults with diabetes. The study, Changes in Diabetes Related Complications in the United States, 1990 -2010, published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, used data from the National Health Interview Survey, National Hospital Discharge Survey, U.S. Renal Data System, and National Vital Statistics System.  The study found that rates of lower limb amputation, end stage kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and deaths due to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) declined between 1990 and 2010..."
Diabetes

Domestic violence(U.S. Justice Dept)

"We define domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner.  Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone..."
Domestic-violence

U.S. Government Printing Office publicattions accessible via Digital Public Library of America

Find more than 148,00 federal government publications from the U.S. Government Printing Office accessible via the  Digital Public  Library of America
GPO and Digital Public Library

City of Madison's Voter ID Information

Find information on Voter ID  requirements from the Madison City Clerk's Office.  
Voter ID Requirements

Voter Photo ID Required for Voting in November

Find current information on the voter id requirement from the Wisconsin Accountability Board.
WisconsinVoter ID

Child Poverty Down – Income of Families with Children Up

"Today the Census Bureau released the 2013 annual Income and Poverty in the United States report. Poverty among children under age 18 fell from 21.8 percent in 2012 to 19.9 percent in 2013. This is the first statistically significant year-to-year decline in child poverty since 2000. For the second year in a row, there was an increase in the median income of families with children..."
Child poverty

Defense Surplus Equipment Disposal: Background Information

"The Department of Defense (DOD) through a Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) component

called DLA Disposition Services [formerly the Defense Utilization and Marketing Service (DRMS)] has a policy for disposing of government equipment and supplies considered surplus or deemed unnecessary, or excess to the agency’s

currently designated mission. DLA Disposition Services is responsible for property reuse (including resale), precious metal recovery, recycling, hazardous property disposal, and the demilitarization of military equipment. The effort to dispose of surplus military equipment dates back to the end of World War II when the federal government sought to reduce a massive inventory of surplus military equipment by making such equipment available to civilians..."

Defense surplus disposal

5 Things You Need to Know About Women and the Economy

"Today’s employment report underscores the fact that the economy is continuing to recover, and employment is continuing to increase. Women have shared in these gains, with female employment increasing by 4.1 million jobs in the last 54 months, and the fraction of discouraged workers and workers experiencing long-term unemployment continues to fall. Across industries, women’s employment gains look relatively similar to previous periods of strong employment growth. To further support the economy, and to ensure the workplace works for the 21st century economy, the President is encouraging Congress to act and using his own executive action to support policies that support a fair workplace for all workers -- including women..."
Women and the economy

Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Victimization — National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011

"This report examines sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization using data from 2011. The report describes the overall prevalence of sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence victimization; racial/ethnic variation in prevalence; how types of perpetrators vary by violence type; and the age at which victimization typically begins. For intimate partner violence, the report also examines a range of negative impacts experienced as a result of victimization, including the need for services..."
Rape and Sexual violence

Training Veterans for Careers in Clean Energy

"Building on the University of Maryland’s Designing a Sustainable World course -- a class based on the Energy Department’s Energy 101 framework to provide undergraduates with an introduction to the fundamentals of energy -- the university teamed up with the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense’s Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative to create a similar course for veterans and transitioning service members. Maryland’s new online course, Designing Quantitative Solutions for Energy, pairs video lessons with virtual laboratories. The course encourages students to think critically and address complex energy challenges using core mathematical concepts -- including logarithms, derivatives and integrals -- used in the engineering fields. Students also receive mentorship opportunities to help them through both project work and energy career planning..."
Veterans careers in energy

Gynecologic Cancer Awareness

"Gynecologic cancers are cancers that start in a woman’s reproductive organs. The five main types are cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar cancer.
Every year, more than 80,000 women in the United States are told they have a gynecologic cancer, and more than 25,000 women die from a gynecologic cancer. All women are at risk for gynecologic cancers, and risk increases with age. There is no way to know which women will get a gynecologic cancer. That’s why it is important to pay attention to your body and know what’s normal for you, so you can recognize the warning signs. If you notice any unexplained signs or symptoms that last for two weeks or longer, talk to your doctor..."

Gynecologic Cancers

Sickle Cell Disease

"CDC has created a new booklet for teachers of students with sickle cell disease (SCD), Tips for Supporting Students with Sickle Cell Disease[969 KB].
This booklet:

• describes SCD and identifies roles for teachers, other school staff and parents/caregivers to support students living with SCD
• identifies ways SCD may impact a student's daily life and describe how school staff can make accommodations (i.e., adjustments to the classroom setting or instruction) to meet the needs of children who may experience health problems associated with SCD during the school day
• provides information on ways SCD might impact education outcomes and information about pain, stroke, and symptoms associated with SCD that school personnel should know.." 
• Sickle cell students

America's Young Adults: Special Issue, 2014

"The well-being of young adults in the United States today remains an area of key interest to the public and policy-makers alike. This age group faces the well-known challenges of achieving financial and social independence while forming their own households at a time of greater economic uncertainty than in the past. Better understanding of the achievements and needs of these young adults will inform approaches to best support this exciting and challenging transition to adulthood..."
America's Young Adults

Worker Displacement: 2011 - 2013

"From January 2011 through December 2013, 4.3 million workers were displaced from jobs they had

held for at least 3 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was down from 6.1 million workers for the prior survey period covering January 2009 to December 2011. In January 2014, 61 percent of workers displaced from 2011 to 2013 were reemployed, up by 5 percentage points from the prior survey in January 2012..."

Worker displacement

Financial Wellness at Work

" In this report, we specifically describe financial wellness efforts at five companies: Nebraska Furniture Mart, health care provider QLI, Staples, Goodwill of Central Texas, and Pacific Research. Each of these companies is innovating in financial wellness efforts and finding value in reducing and addressing the negative effects of financial stress on employees. They all took the time to share with us their best practices, and we appreciate their input and believe other employers could adapt and learn from their ongoing initiative.."
Financial Wellness

FBI Files CJIS Digitizes Millions of Files in Modernization Push

"The era of sliding drawers full of aging FBI files is drawing to a close. Millions of fingerprint cards, criminal history folders, and civil identity files that once filled rows upon rows of cabinets—and expansive warehouses—have been methodically converted into ones and zeroes.

The digital conversion of more than 30 million records—and as many as 83 million fingerprint cards—comes as the FBI fully activates its Next Generation Identification (NGI) system, a state-of-the-art digital platform of biometric and other types of identity information. The system, which is incrementally replacing the Bureau’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or IAFIS, will better serve our most prolific customers—law enforcement agencies checking criminal histories and fingerprints, veterans, government employees, and the FBI’s own Laboratory.."
FBI files

2013 Characteristics of New Housing

Find the latest figures of new housing construction.
Housing Characteristics