Protection of Trade Secrets: Overview of Current Law and Legislation

"A trade secret is confidential, commercially valuable information that provides a company with a competitive advantage, such as customer lists, methods of production, marketing strategies, pricing information, and chemical formulae. (Well-known examples of trade secrets include the formula for Coca-Cola, the recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the algorithm used by Google’s search engine.) To succeed in the global marketplace, U.S. firms depend upon their trade secrets, which increasingly are becoming their most valuable intangible assets.

However, U.S. companies annually suffer billions of dollars in losses due to the theft of their trade secrets by employees, corporate competitors, and even foreign governments. Stealing trade secrets has increasingly involved the use of cyberspace, advanced computer technologies, and mobile communication devices, thus making the theft relatively anonymous and difficult to detect. The Chinese and Russian governments have been particularly active and persistent perpetrators of economic espionage with respect to U.S. trade secrets and proprietary information..."
Trade secrets

Health Care for Veterans: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

"The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), operates the nation’s largest integrated health care delivery system, provides care to approximately 6.7 million unique veteran patients, and employs more than 311,000 full-time equivalent employees..."
Veteran's health

Changes in Life Expectancy by Race and Hispanic Origin in the United States, 2013–2014

"Between 2013 and 2014, life expectancy at birth for the total U.S. population (78.8 years), males (76.4), or females (81.2) did not change.

• Life expectancy at birth increased by 0.4 years for non-Hispanic black males and by 0.1 years for Hispanic males. It remained unchanged for non-Hispanic white males.
• Life expectancy at birth increased by 0.2 years for Hispanic females, remained unchanged for non-Hispanic black females, and declined by 0.1 years for non-Hispanic white females.
• Hispanic males experienced the greatest increase in life expectancy at age 65 (0.3 years), followed by Hispanic females (0.2), and all other groups experienced a 0.1 year increase in life expectancy at age 65.

This report presents changes in life expectancy by race, Hispanic origin, and sex in the United States between 2013 and 2014. Life expectancy was estimated using complete period life tables that are based on death rates adjusted for race and Hispanic origin misclassification on death certificates (1). Life expectancy represents the average number of years that a hypothetical group of infants would live at each attained age if the group was subject, throughout its lifetime, to the age-specific death rates prevailing for the actual population in a given year..."
Hispanics life expectancy

What’s on Television? The Intersection of Communications and Copyright Policies

"In the 1940s and 1950s, watching television meant tuning into one of a few broadcast television stations, with the help of an antenna, to watch a program at a prescheduled time. Over subsequent decades, cable and satellite operators emerged to enable households unable to receive over-the-air signals to watch the retransmitted signals of broadcast television stations. More recently, some viewers have taken to watching TV programming on their computers, tablets, mobile phones, and other Internet-connected devices at times of their own choosing, dispensing with television stations and cable and satellite operators altogether.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Congress, and the courts have overseen this evolution by applying a combination of communications and copyright laws to regulate the distribution of television programming. These laws are intended to achieve three policy goals:
1. protecting the property rights of content owners to encourage the production of television programs;
 2. promoting competition among distributors of video programming; and 3. enabling broadcast television stations to serve the local communities to which they are licensed by the FCC..."
Television

The U.S. Intelligence Community: Selected Cross-Cutting Issues

"This report focuses on cross-cutting management issues that affect the Intelligence Community’s (IC’s) ability to counter “pervasive and emerging threats” to the United States and balance resources both appropriately and wisely. As the IC’s senior manager, these issues ultimately fall within the Director of National Intelligence’s (DNI’s) area of responsibility. The DNI is charged with integrating the community of intelligence agencies so that they operate effectively as one team.

There are no easy solutions to the challenges examined in this report. The IC’s efforts to demonstrate progress are hampered by difficulties such as the IC’s diffuse structure—a confederation of separately managed component parts; the unique demands of operating in secret; the interrelationships between many issues; and diminishing resources..."
Intelligence community

Changes in Life Expectancy by Race and Hispanic Origin in the United States, 2013–2014

"Key findings

Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality

• Between 2013 and 2014, life expectancy at birth for the total U.S. population (78.8 years), males (76.4), or females (81.2) did not change.
• Life expectancy at birth increased by 0.4 years for non-Hispanic black males and by 0.1 years for Hispanic males. It remained unchanged for non-Hispanic white males.
• Life expectancy at birth increased by 0.2 years for Hispanic females, remained unchanged for non-Hispanic black females, and declined by 0.1 years for non-Hispanic white females.
• Hispanic males experienced the greatest increase in life expectancy at age 65 (0.3 years), followed by Hispanic females (0.2), and all other groups experienced a 0.1 year increase in life expectancy at age 65.

This report presents changes in life expectancy by race, Hispanic origin, and sex in the United States between 2013 and 2014. Life expectancy was estimated using complete period life tables that are based on death rates adjusted for race and Hispanic origin misclassification on death certificates (1). Life expectancy represents the average number of years that a hypothetical group of infants would live at each attained age if the group was subject, throughout its lifetime, to the age-specific death rates prevailing for the actual population in a given year (1)..."
Life Expectancy

dwellr

"City or country? Bike or drive to work? Beach or mountains? Download the U.S. Census Bureau’s dwellr app today to discover the top 25 U.S. cities and towns that best fit your lifestyle. Whether you prefer the bright lights of the big city or wide open spaces, dwellr powers your phone with neighborhood-level statistics on topics such as home values, education, and how people get to work so that you can explore where you want to dwell. Once you’ve found your dream neighborhood, take dwellr with you wherever you go..."

dwellr.

EPA Publishes 21st Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 21^st annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), today, which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. The inventory shows a nine percent drop in emissions since 2005, and a one percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2014 from 2013 levels.

Total U.S. greenhouse emissions were 6,108 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2014. By sector, power plants were the largest source of emissions, accounting for 30 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas pollution. The transportation sector was the second largest source, at 26 percent. Industry and manufacturing was the third largest source, at 21 percent. As noted in the draft inventory released in February 2016, a one percent increase in total national greenhouse gas emissions between 2013 and 2014 was driven by increased fuel use –in the residential and commercial sectors, largely due to increased demand for heat that winter, and in the transportation sector..." 
Greenhouse Gas

Want people to take prediabetes seriously? Make them laugh.

"In January 2016, the first-ever national campaign to raise awareness about prediabetes launched on TV, radio, print, and digital media. A lot of people thought it was funny. But that was a good thing.

The problem is clear: 86 million US adults have prediabetes, and 90% of them don’t know they have it. With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as diabetes. Prediabetes comes with long-term risks to health, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, but there usually aren’t any noticeable symptoms..."
Prediabetes

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emission Trends and the Role of the Clean Power Plan

"Recent international negotiations and domestic policy developments have generated interest in current and projected U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels. GHG emissions are generated throughout the United States from millions of discrete sources. Of the GHG source categories, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion account for the largest percentage (76%) of total U.S. GHG emissions. The electric power sector contributes the largest percentage (39%) of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion.

In the context of international climate change negotiations, President Obama announced, on separate occasions, U.S. GHG emission reduction goals for both 2020 and 2025: 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. In 2014, U.S. GHG levels were 7.5% below 2005 levels. Whether the United States achieves its goals would likely depend, to some degree, on CO2 emissions from power plants..."
carbon dioxide emissions

Counting Casualties in Syria and Iraq: Process and Challenges

"Casualty estimates for the conflicts in Iraq and Syria are inconsistent and unreliable because of a range of methodological challenges in conducting and reporting counts. Estimates of the number of people who have died during Syria's civil conflict since March 2011 range from 250,000 to 470,000. In Iraq, the estimated range is between 19,000 and 41,650 deaths since January 2014. This product discusses the difficulties of collecting war-related casualty data in both countries and provides an overview of some of the current estimated figures available through selected organizations. CRS is unable to independently track casualties in Syria and Iraq, and cannot verify the data presented..."
Syria & Iraq casualties

Surveillance of Foreigners Outside the United States Under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

"After the attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush authorized the National Security Agency to conduct a Terrorist Surveillance Program (TSP) to “intercept international communications into and out of the United States” by “persons linked to al Qaeda or related terrorist organizations.” After the TSP activities were concluded in 2007, Congress enacted the Protect America Act (PAA, P.L. 110-55), which established a mechanism for the acquisition, via a joint certification by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Attorney General (AG), but without an individualized court order, of foreign intelligence information concerning a person reasonably believed to be outside the United States. This temporary authority ultimately expired after approximately six months, on February 16, 2008. Several months later, Congress enacted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Amendments Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-261), which created separate procedures for targeting non-U.S. persons and U.S. persons reasonably believed to be outside the United States under a new Title VII of FISA. Title VII of FISA was reauthorized in late 2012 (P.L. 112-238); this authority now sunsets on December 31, 2017..."
Foreigner Surveillance

On Equal Pay Day, President Obama to Designate National Monument Honoring Women’s Equality

"Tomorrow, on Equal Pay Day, President Obama will designate a new national monument at a historic location in Washington, D.C., to honor the movement for women’s equality. The new Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument will protect the iconic house that has served as the headquarters for the National Woman’s Party since 1929. From this house, known in recent years as the Sewall-Belmont House, members of the Party led the movement for women’s equality, authoring more than 600 pieces of federal, state and local legislation in support of equal rights.

Tomorrow’s designation will permanently protect one of the oldest standing houses near the U.S. Capitol and help preserve an extensive archival collection that documents the history, strategies, tactics and accomplishments of the movement to secure women’s suffrage and equal rights in the United States and across the globe.."
National Women's Equality Monument

United States Supreme Court: Criminal Law Cases in the October 2015 Term

"The white collar crimes on the Supreme Court’s 2015 docket consist of three Hobbs Act cases, one on insider trading (Salman v. United States), and the final on computer fraud (Musacchio v. United States). The Hobbs Act outlaws robbery and extortion when committed in a manner which “in any way or degree” obstructs interstate commerce. One of the Hobbs Act cases before the Court (Taylor v. United States) involves the robbery of suspected drug dealers. The second (Ocasio v. United States) consists of a kickback conspiracy between traffic cops and body shop owners. The third (McDonnell v. United States) involves a local drug manufacturer who showered a state governor and his wife with gifts in an apparent attempt to use the governor’s office as a bully pulpit for one of his products..."
Supreme Court

New Data on 637 Detention Facilities Used by ICE in FY 2015

"The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention system depends on hundreds of jails, prisons, and other facilities largely owned as well as run by others — some by local government agencies and others by private, for-profit companies. Using beds in these facilities that are widely scattered across the country, ICE manages a large complex system with daily flows of individuals both into as well as out of ICE custody. In addition, an even larger number of individuals already in ICE custody are continually being transferred among these facilities.

A total of 325,209 individuals left ICE custody last year, while 39,082 were still detained at the end of FY 2015[1]. The reasons for which individuals were released from ICE custody varied markedly by detention facility. Nationally, the most common reason for leaving ICE custody was because a detainee was being deported; this reason was listed in 55 percent of recorded departures last year. The next largest group were detainees released on bond or on their personal recognizance while their cases were pending. Others were released because their cases had concluded and they had been found to have a lawful right to remain in the country.."

ICE Detention data

The U.S. Finally Has a National Monument That Honors Women’s History

"Want to visit a national monument to women’s history? Just yesterday, that wasn’t an option—though the National Park system has three congressionally chosen parks that highlight women, the President has never designated a monument in celebration of women. That changed, though, when U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced today that President Obama has designated the former headquarters of the National Woman’s Party as a monument.

Now formally called the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument, the site is one of Washington, D.C.’s oldest residences. During the 20th century, it became home to the National Woman’s Party, a group of women who fought tirelessly for universal suffrage despite taunts, threats and repeated imprisonment for their actions..."
Women's History Monument

The 1873 Colfax Massacre Crippled the Reconstruction Era

"The Reconstruction period that followed America's Civil War was one of the worst, most violent eras in American history. During that time, thousands of African-Americans were killed by domestic terrorists like the Ku Klux Klan who tried to reinforce antebellum policies of white supremacy. For many historians, one of the worst examples of this violence occurred 143 years ago today: the Colfax Massacre of 1873.

Immediately after the end of the Civil War, different factions began fighting over power. Bitter over the Confederacy’s loss, many white Southern Democrats tried their best to continue disenfranchising and restricting the rights of former slaves. At the same time, insurgent, white supremacist groups terrorized African-Americans throughout the South. In Louisiana, the fight over the postwar government was particularly bloody, as PBS’ American Experience series explores.."

Colfax Massacre

Articles of Agreement Relating to the Surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia

"On April 9, 1865, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met in the parlor of a house in Appomattox Court House, VA, to discuss this surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, which would end the Civil War. According to the terms, the men of Lee's army could return home in safety if they pledged to end the fighting and deliver their arms to the Union Army..."
Robert Lee's Surrender(Civil War)

Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents

"Cybersecurity vulnerabilities challenge governments, businesses, and individuals worldwide. Attacks have been initiated against individuals, corporations, and countries. Targets have included government networks, companies, and political organizations, depending upon whether the attacker was seeking military intelligence, conducting diplomatic or industrial espionage, engaging in cybercrime, or intimidating political activists. In addition, national borders mean little or nothing to cyberattackers, and attributing an attack to a specific location can be difficult, which may make responding problematic.

Despite many recommendations made over the past decade, most major legislative provisions relating to cybersecurity had been enacted prior to 2002. However, on December 18, 2014, in the last days of the 113th Congress, five cybersecurity bills were signed by the President. These bills change federal cybersecurity programs in a number of ways:

codifying the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in developing a “voluntary, industry-led set of standards” to reduce cyber risk;

codifying the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center as a hub for interactions with the private sector;

updating the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) by requiring the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to “eliminate ... inefficient and wasteful reports”;

and  requiring DHS to develop a “comprehensive workforce strategy” within a year and giving DHS new authorities for cybersecurity hiring..."
Cybersecurity

Supreme Court Appointment Process: President’s Selection of a Nominee

"The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises as the highest appellate court in the federal judiciary. Appointments are usually infrequent, as a vacancy on the nine-member Court may occur only once or twice, or never at all, during a particular President’s years in office. Under the Constitution, Justices on the Supreme Court receive what can amount to lifetime appointments which, by constitutional design, helps ensure the Court’s independence from the President and Congress.

The procedure for appointing a Justice is provided for by the Constitution in only a few words. The “Appointments Clause” (Article II, Section 2, clause 2) states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the supreme Court.” The process of appointing Justices has undergone changes over two centuries, but its most basic feature—the sharing of power between the President and Senate—has remained unchanged: To receive appointment to the Court, a candidate must first be nominated by the President and then confirmed by the Senate..."
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Vacancies: Frequently Asked Questions

"The unexpected death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on February 13, 2016—in the middle of the Supreme Court’s October 2015 term—has prompted questions about the process for filling the vacancy and how the Court will proceed in hearing cases and issuing opinions. These questions pertain to the constitutional role of the President and Senate in filling Supreme Court vacancies, whether and when the President and the Senate must act, and how the Supreme Court may proceed in hearing cases and issuing opinions with a vacant seat. This report provides answers to frequently asked legal questions about filling Supreme Court vacancies..."
Supreme Court

High Frequency Trading: Overview of Recent Developments

"High-frequency trading (HFT) generally refers to trading in financial instruments, such as securities and derivatives, transacted through supercomputers executing trades within microseconds or milliseconds (or, in the technical jargon, with extremely low latency). There is no universal or legal definition of HFT, however. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which oversees securities markets, nor the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates most derivatives trading, have specifically defined the term. By most accounts, high frequency trading has grown substantially over the past 10 years: estimates hold that it accounts for roughly 55% of trading volume in U.S. equity markets and about 40% in European equity markets. Likewise, HFT has grown in futures markets—to roughly 80% of foreign exchange futures volume and two-thirds of both interest rate futures and Treasury 10-year futures volumes..."
Stock markets

Survey of Market Absorption of New Multifamily Units:2015

"This report presents data on how soon privately financed, nonsubsidized, unfurnished units in buildings with five or more units were rented (absorbed) after completion in 2014. 1 It is based on information collected in the Survey of Market Absorption of Multifamily Units (SOMA), which has been measuring market absorption for over forty years. Also included in this annual report are supplemental tables issued once every five years. Additional reports produced during the year include the Annual Characteristics report and four quarterly absorption reports..."
Housing

The $30,000 Sword George Custer Used in Battle

"General George Custer was a U.S. cavalry officer best known for leading troops into the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where he met his fate. Here's how one of his rare swords found itself in the hands of a lucky collector. (1:38)..."


George Custer's sword

Undiagnosed Hypertension

"Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Millions of people with hypertension are seen by providers each year, but many remain undiagnosed—essentially “hiding in plain sight” within clinical settings.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions of Americans, and some have hypertension that is undiagnosed and untreated—they are "hiding in plain sight." Because hypertension rarely has symptoms, it's not often a topic patients discuss with their health care providers. Even while following best practices and providing the highest level of care, providers can have patients who are at risk for hypertension or who remain undiagnosed..."
Hypertension

FDA proposes limit for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to reduce inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal, a leading source of arsenic exposure in infants. Relative to body weight, rice intake for infants, primarily through infant rice cereal, is about three times greater than for adults.  Moreover, national intake data show that people consume the most rice (relative to their weight) at approximately 8 months of age.

Through a draft guidance to industry, the FDA is proposing a limit or “action level” of 100 parts per billion (ppb) for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. This is parallel to the level set by the European Commission (EC) for rice intended for the production of food for infants and young children. (The EC standard concerns the rice itself; the FDA’s proposed guidance sets a draft level for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal.) FDA testing found that the majority of infant rice cereal currently on the market either meets, or is close to, the proposed action level..."
Inorganic arsenic & rice cereal

FCC Unveils Consumer Broadband Labels to Provide Greater Transparency to Consumers

"The Federal Communications Commission today announced new broadband labels to provide consumers of mobile and fixed broadband Internet service with easy-to-understand information about price and performance. These labels should help consumers make informed decisions about the purchase of broadband service.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, joined by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, unveiled the new broadband labels today at an event attended by members of the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee. This committee, composed of consumer group and industry representatives, made a unanimous recommendation of the labels’ framework.

“These labels provide consumers clarity about the broadband service they are purchasing, not only helping them to make more informed choices but also preventing surprises when the first bill arrives,” said Chairman Wheeler. “Customers deserve to know the price they will actually pay for a service and to be fully aware of other components such as data limits and performance factors before they sign up for service.”..."
Broadband labels

Get the Facts: How Climate Change Can Affect Your Health

"This week, the Obama Administration released a new report on the impacts of climate change on our health. It's called "The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment," and  it was developed over three years by approximately one hundred experts in climate-change science on public health. The report significantly advances what we know about climate change's impact on public health – not just in the future, but right now. 

In reading it, one fact is clear: Every person is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change. We’ll see worsening allergy and asthma conditions, an increase in the number of premature deaths caused by extreme heat, an increase in water-related illnesses, and more.

While the President’s Clean Power Plan takes strides to address these challenges, there are also a number of steps you can take – for both yourself and your family – in order to be prepared. Here is a summary of some key risks from the reports findings, as well as some helpful resources to help you stay both informed and healthy..."
Climate change

Inside America’s Auschwitz

"At first glance, the “Wall of Honor” at Louisiana’s Whitney Plantation slavery museum — a series of granite stones engraved with the names of hundreds of slaves who lived, worked and died there — evokes any number of Holocaust memorials. But as the future mayor of New Orleans noted at the museum’s 2008 opening, this site is different; this is America’s Auschwitz.  

“Go on in,” Mitch Landrieu told the crowd, according to the New York Times. “You have to go inside. When you walk in that space, you can’t deny what happened to these people. You can feel it, touch it, smell it.”

The former indigo, sugar and cotton operation, which finally opened to the public after years of careful restoration in December 2014 as the country’s first slave museum, is a modern avatar of injustice. Nestled off the historic River Road that runs alongside the slow, lazy crook of the Mississippi, the estate was built in the late 1700s by entrepreneur Jean Jacques Haydel upon land purchased by his German-immigrant father, Ambroise. It was the younger Haydel who expanded the estate and established the plantation as a key player in Louisiana’s sugar trade, transitioning the main crop away from the less-profitable indigo markets. A couple of years after the Civil War, a Northerner by the name of Bradish Johnson bought the property and named it after his grandson Harry Whitney..."
Whitney Plantation

The Deepening Story of How Climate Change Threatens Human Health

"Climate change poses risks to human health through many pathways, some more obvious than others. Rising greenhouse-gas concentrations, driven by human activities, result in increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, increases in the frequency and intensity of some extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. These climate-change impacts endanger our health by affecting our food and water sources, the air we breathe, the weather we experience, and our interactions with the built and natural environments. As the climate continues to change, the climate-related risks to human health will continue to grow.

Today, building on the Third National Climate Assessment issued in May 2014, the Administration released a new report summarizing the growing understanding of how climate change is directly and indirectly affecting human health.  The report, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, finds that “every American is vulnerable to the health impacts associated with climate change.” Drawing from decades of advances in the science of climate change and its influences on ecosystems and human society, the report strengthens our understanding of the significant threat that climate change poses to the health of all Americans and highlights factors that make some individuals and communities particularly vulnerable..."
Climate change

US Labor Department isuues final rule extending religious liberty protection to participants in federally funded job training, social service programs

"The U.S. Department of Labor and eight other federal agencies today published a final rule that will provide new religious liberty protections for beneficiaries of federally funded social service programs, while also adding new protections for the ability of religious providers to compete for government funds on the same basis as any other private organization.

The final rule provides that a beneficiary who participates in a domestic job training or other social service program offered by a faith-based organization funded by direct federal financial assistance must be notified in writing that they cannot be discriminated against based on religion. They also cannot be required to attend or participate in any privately funded religious activities offered separate from this federally funded program and may request an alternative provider, if the beneficiary objects to the religious character of the organization.

The final rule also requires that all decisions about federal financial assistance be based solely on merit, without regard to an organization’s religious affiliation or lack of affiliation. The regulations, published after public notice and comment, formally implement Executive Order 13559..."
Religions liberty protection

Sexual violence

"Sexual violence is a very serious public health problem that affects millions of women and men.

In the United States, 1 in 5 women have experienced completed or attempted rape, and about 1 in 15 men have been made to penetrate someone in their lifetime. Most victims first experienced sexual violence before age 25.

Statistics underestimate the problem because many victims do not tell the police, family, or friends about the violence.

Our ultimate goal is to call attention to and stop sexual violence before it begins..."
Sexual violence

New Data on Autism: Five Important Facts to Know

"Many children are living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and they need services and support, now and as they grow into adolescence and adulthood. More can be done to ensure that children with ASD are evaluated as soon as possible after developmental concerns are recognized. Read on to learn more about CDC’s new data on ASD.

Findings from CDC's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network help us understand more about the number of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the characteristics of those children, and the age at which these children are first evaluated and diagnosed. These findings are critical for

• Promoting early identification of children with ASD;
• Planning for services for children and families affected by ASD, and trainings for the professionals who provide those services;
• Guiding future ASD research; and
• Informing policies that promote improved outcomes in health care and education for individuals with ASD...."
  Autism

Ensuring Safe Dental Care

"CDC has created new tools and resources to help dental staff better follow infection prevention recommendations in the dental setting.

While rare, transmission of infection continues to occur in the dental setting. When an infection occurs in the dental setting, investigators often find that proper infection prevention practices were not used. In December 2003, CDC published Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings - 2003, a comprehensive and evidence-based resource for infection prevention recommendations in the dental office, developed to protect both dental staff and patients..."
Dental care

Shift Toward Greater Educational Attainment for Women Began 20 Years Ago

"Statistics from the American Community Survey show women now lead men in college completion (see Women Now at the Head of the Class, Lead Men in College Attainment). Colleges have been graduating more women than men for more than 20 years, but what is new is that the advantage is no longer limited to new graduates and young women. Counting the entire population 25 and older, even women and men who are retired, women are ahead of men in college graduation. That is to say, the average adult woman in the U.S. is more likely to be a college graduate than the average adult man.

In order to better understand this change, the report “Educational Attainment in the United States: 2015” assembles statistics on historical trends in men’s and women’s college graduation. The Current Population Survey has collected data on Americans’ educational attainment since 1967 and provides an unparalleled data set for looking at the education level of the population over a broad period of time..."
Educational attainment

An Analysis of the President’s 2017 Budget

"This report by the Congressional Budget Office presents an analysis of the President’s budget request for fiscal year 2017.1 The analysis is based on CBO’s economic projections and estimating models, rather than on the Administration’s, and the estimates of the effects of the President’s tax proposals were prepared by the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT).2 The economic projections used in this analysis largely reflect CBO’s assessment of the effects of fiscal policies under current law. Later this year, in a separate report, CBO will analyze the full economic effects of the President’s proposals and their implications for the federal budget..."
2017 Federal Budget

Consumers and Mobile Financial Services, 2016

"Mobile phones have increasingly become tools that consumers use for banking, payments, budgeting, and shopping. Given the rapid pace of change in the area of mobile finance, the Federal Reserve Board began conducting annual surveys of consumers’ use of mobile financial services in 2011. The series examines trends in the adoption and use of mobile banking, payments, and shopping behavior and how the evolution of mobile financial services affects consumers’ interaction with financial institutions.

This report presents findings from the latest survey, fielded in November 2015, which focused on consumers’ use of mobile technology to access financial services and make financial decisions..."
Mobile financial services

Nigeria’s Boko Haram: Frequently Asked Questions

"Boko Haram, a violent Nigerian Islamist movement, has grown increasingly active and deadly in its attacks against state and civilian targets in recent years, drawing on a narrative of victimization and vengeance for state abuses to elicit recruits and sympathizers. The group’s April 2014 abduction of almost 300 schoolgirls drew particular international attention, including from the Obama Administration and Members of Congress. Its high death toll and its pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL or ISIS) in March 2015 have further raised the concern of U.S. policy makers. The group has sought to rebrand itself as the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), though it remains more popularly known by its original nickname. The State Department has named several individuals linked to Boko Haram, including its leader, Abubakar Shekau, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists, and the group was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the State Department in November 2013..."
Boko Haram