Prisoners in 2016

"Presents final counts of prisoners under the jurisdiction of state and federal correctional authorities at year-end 2016, including admissions, releases, noncitizen inmates, and inmates age 17 or younger. The report describes prisoner populations by jurisdiction, most serious offense, and demographic characteristics. Selected findings on prison capacity and prisoners held in private prisons, local jails, the U.S. military, and U.S. territories are also included. Findings are based on data from BJS's National Prisoner Statistics program, which collects data from state departments of correction and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Highlights:

• The number of prisoners under state and federal jurisdiction at year-end 2016 (1,505,400) decreased by 21,200 (down more than 1%) from year-end 2015.
• The federal prison population decreased by 7,300 prisoners from 2015 to 2016 (down almost 4%), accounting for 34% of the total change in the U.S. prison population.
• State and federal prisons had jurisdiction over 1,458,200 persons sentenced to more than 1 year at year-end 2016.
• The number of females sentenced to more than 1 year in state or federal prison increased by 500 from 2015 to 2016.
• The imprisonment rate in the United States decreased 2%, from 459 prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents of all ages in 2015 to 450 per 100,000 in 2016..."
  Prisoner statistics

Jail Inmates In 2016

"Presents data on inmates confined in local jails between 2000 and 2016, including population counts and incarceration rates, inmate demographic characteristics and conviction status, average daily population, rated capacity of local jails and percent of capacity occupied, and turnover rates by jurisdiction size. Findings are based on data from BJS's Annual Survey of Jails. Unlike prisons, jails are locally administered correctional facilities that typically house inmates with a sentence of 1 year or less; inmates pending arraignment; and individuals awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing.

Highlights:

• County and city jails held 740,700 inmates at midyear 2016, down from a peak of 785,500 inmates at midyear 2008.
• In 2016, jails reported 10.6 million admissions, continuing a general decline since 2008.
• The jail incarceration rate declined from a peak of 259 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents at midyear 2007 to 229 per 100,000 at midyear 2016.
• At year-end 2016, non-Hispanic blacks (599 per 100,000 black residents) were incarcerated in jail at a rate 3.5 times that of non-Hispanic whites (171 per 100,000 white residents).
• The total rated capacity of county and city jails reached 915,400 beds at year-end 2016..."

Jail inmates

2016 Digest of Education Statistics

"The 52nd in a series of publications initiated in 1962, the Digest's purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The Digest contains data on a variety of topics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, and federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons..."
Education Statistics

Cigarette Smoking During Pregnancy: United States, 2016

"Key Findings:

• In 2016, 7.2% of women who gave birth smoked cigarettes during pregnancy.
• Prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was highest for women aged 20–24 (10.7%), followed by women aged 15–19 (8.5%) and 25–29 (8.2%).
• Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native women had the highest prevalence of smoking during pregnancy (16.7%); non-Hispanic Asian women had the lowest (0.6%).
• The prevalence of smoking during pregnancy was highest among women with a completed high school education (12.2%), and second-highest among women with less than a high school education (11.7%).

Maternal tobacco use during pregnancy has been linked to a host of negative infant and child outcomes, including low birthweight, preterm birth, and various birth defects (1–5). The 2003 revision of the U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth included new and modified items on maternal cigarette smoking before and during pregnancy. The 2016 natality data file is the first for which this information is available for all states and the District of Columbia (D.C.). This report presents the prevalence of cigarette smoking at any time during pregnancy among women who gave birth in 2016 in the United States by state of residence as well as maternal race and Hispanic origin, age, and educational attainment.."
Cigarette smoking and pregnancy

CDC releases report to Congress detailing the impact of traumatic brain injury on children, families

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a Report to Congress on The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Children, detailing the impact a TBI can have on children and their families.

The report identifies gaps in care, outlines opportunities for action to reduce the gaps, and highlights policy strategies to address the short and long-term consequences of a TBI. The report also highlights:

• TBI management as children transition into adulthood;
• challenges in accessing pediatric specialists to ensure best care;
• research to support management and outcomes; and
• the importance of long-term monitoring of children to better understand adult outcomes and how TBIs at specific developmental periods affect post-TBI outcomes.

Congress directed CDC to compile the Report to Congress (RTC) to review the burden of TBI in children, identify gaps in systems of care, and present recommendations for improving outcomes in this vulnerable population..."
Traumatic Brain Injury

Fruit and Vegetable Safety

"Eating a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables provides important health benefits, but it’s important that you select and prepare them safely.

Fruits and vegetables add nutrients to your diet that help protect you from heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. In addition, choosing vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other produce over high-calorie foods can help you manage your weight.

But sometimes raw fruits and vegetables contain harmful germs, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, that can make you and your family sick. In the United States, nearly half of foodborne illnesses are caused by germs on fresh produce.

The safest produce is cooked; the next safest is washed. Enjoy uncooked fruits and vegetables while taking steps to avoid foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning..."

Fruits and vegetables

World Hearing Day: March 3 – Prevent Hearing Loss

"Repeated exposure to loud noise over the years can cause hearing loss. There is no cure for hearing loss! Protect your hearing by avoiding loud noise such as concerts and sporting events. Use earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones to protect your ears. If you already have hearing loss, take steps to keep it from getting worse.

CDC supports the World Health Organization’s World Hearing Day, an annual event held on March 3rd each year to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world. World Hearing Day was designated at the First International Conference on Prevention and Rehabilitation of Hearing Impairment in Beijing, China in 2007.

The theme for the World Hearing Day 2018 is “Hear the future … and prepare for it.” With the theme “Hear the future”, World Hearing Day 2018 will draw attention to the anticipated increase in the number of people with hearing loss around the world in the coming decades. It will focus on preventive strategies to stem the rise and outline steps to ensure access to the necessary rehabilitation services and communication tools and products for people with hearing loss..."

Hearing loss

World Birth Defects Day

"Every year, about 3-6% of infants worldwide are born with a serious birth defect. This represents millions of babies and families with life-altering conditions like spina bifida and congenital heart defects. The goals for World Birth Defects Day are to raise awareness about birth defects and increase opportunities for prevention. Participate in World Birth Defects Day by sharing stories and information about birth defects using the hashtag #WorldBDDay.

How Do Birth Defects Affect Babies Worldwide?

Birth defects are common, costly, and critical. Most of us have been touched by someone living with a birth defect—a family member, friend, or neighbor.

In recent years, birth defects have received increased attention as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and researchers worldwide worked toward clarifying the relationship between Zika virus disease and birth defects from Zika virus infection (congenital Zika syndrome). The Zika virus disease outbreak and its impact on birth defects have emphasized the need for and benefits of international collaboration and communication about birth defects prevention.^.."Birth defects

Virtual Healthy School

"The Virtual Healthy School is an interactive learning tool from CDC Healthy Schools. Explore the classrooms and other areas to to learn how to create healthier schools!

Students spend about 8 hours a day in school, making the school setting an ideal place to teach and model healthy behaviors. CDC’s Virtual Healthy School provides examples of what a healthy school looks like and how to implement the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model to create a healthier school.

The Virtual Health School is an online, interactive tool that provides innovative learning experiences to help make schools healthier. While the Virtual Healthy School’s major themes are nutrition, physical education and physical activity, and caring for students with chronic health conditions, like asthma and diabetes—the tool includes examples of the 10 components of the WSCC model incorporated into the entire school.."
Virtual health

Adults Need Vaccines, Too

"Your need for immunization doesn’t end when you become an adult. Get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious diseases.

Regardless of age, we all need immunizations to protect against serious, and sometimes deadly, diseases. Protection from vaccines you received as a child can wear off over time, and more vaccines are now available.

Find Out Which Vaccines You Need

The specific vaccines you need as an adult are determined by your age, job, lifestyle, health conditions, travel destinations, and which vaccines you’ve had in the past. Throughout your adult life, vaccines are recommended for protection against:

• Seasonal influenza (flu) (for all adults)
• Pertussis (whooping cough) (for all adults who have not previously received the Tdap vaccine and for women during each pregnancy)
• Tetanus and diphtheria (every 10 years following Tdap vaccine)
• Shingles (for adults 50 years and older)
• Pneumococcal disease (for adults 65 years and older and adults younger than 65 who have specific health conditions or who smoke cigarettes).."

Adult vaccines

2018 Economic Report of teh President

"The Economic Report of the President is an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.

It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. The Economic Report of the President is transmitted to Congress no later than ten days after the submission of the Budget of the United States Government. Supplementary reports can be issued to the Congress which contain additional and/or revised recommendations. Documents are available in ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with many of the tables also available for separate viewing and downloading as spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel (XLS)..."
Economic Report of President

Correcting the Record: the Russia Investigation

Read the U.S. House of Representative's Permament Select Committee on Intelligence minority report on the Russia Investigation.
Russian Investigation

Nutrition Labeling of Restaurant Menu and Vending Machine Items

"High rates of obesity and chronic diseases have prompted various federal, state, and local nutrition labeling initiatives. The 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (P.L. 101-535) required nutrition labeling of most foods and dietary supplements, but it did not require labeling of food sold in restaurants. However, consumption data indicate that Americans consume more than one-third of their calories outside the home, and frequent eating out is associated with increased caloric intake.

In 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111- 148) into law, with Section 4205 mandating nutrition labeling in certain restaurants and similar retail food establishments (SRFEs). This provision also required calorie labeling of certain vending machine items. In 2011, as required by the ACA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published two proposed rules establishing calorie labeling requirements for food items sold in certain restaurants and vending machines; both rules were finalized and published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2014. The labeling rules were to take effect one year later (December 1, 2015) for restaurants and two years later (December 1, 2016) for vending machines. The compliance date was extended following language included in the FY2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 114-113), which prohibited the use of any funds for implementation, administration, or enforcement of the menu labeling requirements until the later of December 1, 2016, or until one year from the date that the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues Level 1 guidance on compliance with specified requirements for menu labeling contained in the final menu labeling rule. FDA issued such final guidance on May 5, 2016, and stated that the agency would not begin enforcing the final rule until May 5, 2017. In response to continuing concerns from certain sectors of the affected industry and some Members of Congress, on May 1, 2017, FDA announced that it was extending the compliance date to May 7, 2018. FDA has also extended the compliance date for calorie labeling of certain food products sold in vending machines to July 26, 2018..."
Nutrition labeling

Raw (Unpasteurized) Milk

"If you’re thinking about drinking raw milk because you believe it has health benefits, consider other options. Raw milk can contain harmful germs, such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can make you very sick, or even kill you or a loved one.

Developing a healthy lifestyle involves making many decisions about what you eat and drink. Raw milk is milk from any animal that has not been pasteurized (heated to a specific temperature for a set amount of time) to kill harmful germs that may be in it. Because these germs usually don’t change the look, taste, or smell of milk, pasteurization is the best way to make sure your milk is safe.

Questions and Answers about Raw Milk

Can raw milk hurt me or my family?

Yes. Raw milk can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick or even kill you. These germs include Brucella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.

Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Less commonly, it can lead to severe or even life-threatening illness, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure, stroke, and even death.

Who has a greater chance of getting sick from drinking raw milk or eating products made from raw milk, such as cheese, ice cream, and yogurt?

The chance of getting sick from drinking raw milk is greater for infants and young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as people with cancer, an organ transplant, or HIV), than for healthy adults. However, healthy people of any age can get very sick or even die if they drink raw milk contaminated with harmful germs..".
Raw milk

Spring Break Travel

"Wherever your travels take you this spring break, stay healthy and safe with these tips from CDC Travelers’ Health.

As March approaches, many spring breakers will be looking forward to sunny destinations and a long week of relaxation. Some may travel to tropical hot spots, like Cancun or islands in the Caribbean, while others may opt for bustling cities, like Amsterdam or Bangkok. Not all spring break destinations are created equal: Some have specific health risks that you should be aware of.

Before you go

• Find out about vaccines needed and any other health concerns at your destination.
• Visit a travel medicine specialist or your healthcare provider at least 1 month before you leave the United States.
• Pack smart and prepare a travel health kit with the items you may need on your trip, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, insect repellent, sunscreen, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and condoms.
• Find out if your health insurance covers medical care abroad—many plans don’t! Consider additional insurance that covers health care and emergency evacuation, especially if you will be traveling to remote areas.
• Check the US Department of State website for information on security risks. Register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so the US embassy or consulate can contact you in an emergency..."

Spring Break

Epilepsy: Improving Quality of Life

"Learn how a program developed by Dartmouth College’s Prevention Research Center improves quality of life and attention span for people with epilepsy.

Up to 50% of people with epilepsy have memory problems that affect their health, productivity, and quality of life. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes people to have recurrent seizures. It is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system and affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds.

Researchers from Dartmouth College’s Prevention Research Center (PRC) developed an effective program known as HOBSCOTCH to improve lives of people with epilepsy. Participants in HOBSCOTCH showed improved quality of life and attention. HOBSCOTCH stands for Home-Based Self-Management and Cognitive Training Changes Lives. Dartmouth is part of the CDC PRC Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) network, a network of CDC-funded university PRCs..."

Epilepsy managment

Grand Jury Indicts Thirteen Russian Individuals and Three Russian Companies for Scheme to Interfere in the United States Political System

"The Department of Justice announced that a grand jury in the District of Columbia today returned an indictment presented by the Special Counsel’s Office. The indictment charges thirteen Russian nationals and three Russian companies for committing federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States political system, including the 2016 Presidential election. The defendants allegedly conducted what they called “information warfare against the United States,” with the stated goal of “spread[ing] distrust towards the candidates and the political system in general.”  

“This indictment serves as a reminder that people are not always who they appear to be on the Internet,” said Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. “The indictment alleges that the Russian conspirators want to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed. The Department of Justice will continue to work cooperatively with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and with the Congress, to defend our nation against similar current and future schemes. I want to thank the federal agents and prosecutors working on this case for their exceptional service. And we received exceptional cooperation from private sector companies like Facebook, Oath, PayPal, and Twitter.”

According to the allegations in the indictment, twelve of the individual defendants worked at various times for Internet Research Agency LLC, a Russian company based in St. Petersburg, Russia. The other individual defendant, Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, funded the conspiracy through companies known as Concord Management and Consulting LLC, Concord Catering, and many subsidiaries and affiliates. The conspiracy was part of a larger operation called “Project Lakhta.” Project Lakhta included multiple components, some involving domestic audiences within the Russian Federation and others targeting foreign audiences in multiple countries..."  
Federal Grand Jury Indictment of Russians

Characteristics of Same-Sex Couple Households: 2005 to Present

Use this resource to find data on same-sex and opposite-sex households for the period 2005-2016.
Same-Sex households

GPO Issues Digital Release of Federal Register for the 1960s

"he U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR) digitally release historic issues of the Federal Register from 1960-1969. The complete collection of issues of the Federal Register from 1960 to the present is now available digitally on GPO’sgovinfo. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/FR.

This project is digitizing a total of 14,587 individual issues, dating back to the first Federal Register in 1936. Nearly two million pages are being digitized. The 1960s era of the Federal Register covers the Administrations of Presidents John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon, and includes such highlights as:

• The first executive order of the Kennedy administration expanded food aid to needy families: January 24, 1961
• Proclamation by President Johnson of a national day of mourning for President Kennedy: November 27, 1963
• Notice of an establishment of a quarantine period for extraterrestrial exposure for the astronauts on the Apollo 11 space mission: July 25, 1969..."
  Federal Register for 1960s

Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC): Structure and Activities

"The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and its Office of Financial Research (OFR) were established by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111- 203) to address several potential sources of systemic risk. Some observers argue that communication and coordination of financial regulators was insufficient to prevent the financial crisis of 2008. To foster coordination and communication, the FSOC assembles the heads of federal financial regulators, representatives from state regulatory bodies, and an independent insurance expert in a single venue. The OFR supports the FSOC with data collection, research, and analysis.

The FSOC does not generally have direct regulatory authority; its role is to make policy recommendations to member agencies where authority already exists or to Congress where additional authority is needed. However, it is responsible for monitoring financial stability and designating nonbank financial companies and financial market utilities as systemic, which subjects those entities to heightened prudential regulation and the direct regulatory authority of other agencies. The FSOC considers a company to pose a threat to financial stability if a company’s financial distress or activities could be transmitted to other firms or markets, causing broader disruptions to financial intermediation or other financial market functions. Three of the many relevant factors used for designation include leverage, interconnectedness with other systemically important nonbank financial institutions (SIFIs), and whether a primary prudential regulator already has responsibility for the SIFI and the activity..."
Financial Stability Oversight

Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons

"Recent debates about U.S. nuclear weapons have questioned what role weapons with shorter ranges and lower yields can play in addressing emerging threats in Europe and Asia. These weapons, often referred to as nonstrategic nuclear weapons, have not been limited by past U.S.- Russian arms control agreements, although some analysts argue such limits would be of value, particularly in addressing Russia’s greater numbers of these types of weapons. Others have argued that the United States should expand its deployments of these weapons, in both Europe and Asia, to address new risks of war conducted under a nuclear shadow. The Trump Administration addressed these questions in the Nuclear Posture Review released in February 2018, and determined that the United States should acquire two new types of nonstrategic nuclear weapons: a new low-yield warhead for submarine-launched ballistic missiles and a new sealaunched cruise missile.

During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union both deployed nonstrategic nuclear weapons for use in the field during a conflict. While there are several ways to distinguish between strategic and nonstrategic nuclear weapons, most analysts consider nonstrategic weapons to be shorter-range delivery systems with lower-yield warheads that might be used to attack troops or facilities on the battlefield. They have included nuclear mines; artillery; short-, medium-, and long-range ballistic missiles; cruise missiles; and gravity bombs. In contrast with the longer-range “strategic” nuclear weapons, these weapons had a lower profile in policy debates and arms control negotiations, possibly because they did not pose a direct threat to the continental United States. At the end of the 1980s, each nation still had thousands of these weapons deployed with their troops in the field, aboard naval vessels, and on aircraft..."
Nonstrategic nuclear weapons

D.C. Circuit Upholds as Constitutional the Structure of the CFPB – Part I

"The entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) issued a potentially important decision on January 31, upholding the structural design of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The en banc court held by a vote of 7-3 that the agency’s various statutory elements of independence, including a provision that limited the President’s authority to remove the CFPB Director, do not infringe upon the President’s powers under Article II of the Constitution. The decision, PHH Corp. v. CFPB, comes after a previous (but since vacated) three-judge panel decision held that providing removal protections to the sole director of the CFPB violated the Constitution. Although the en banc court rejected the earlier panel’s constitutional reasoning, the D.C. Circuit nonetheless reinstated the previous decision’s statutory holding, which had invalidated the CFPB’s interpretation of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 (RESPA). The D.C. Circuit’s latest decision therefore effectively rejected the CFPB enforcement action that gave rise to the case, but reaffirmed, and may expand, what is likely Congress’s chief tool for ensuring agency independence: the use of “for-cause” removal protections. This two-part Sidebar series begins with a brief summary of the Supreme Court’s views of the President’s removal power before addressing the PHH litigation and the en banc majority opinion. Part II of this series will address some of the separate opinions issued in the case and then highlight certain implications for Congress..."
CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Burea)

Diversity Immigrants’ Regions and Countries of Origin: Fact Sheet

"Ongoing congressional deliberations over whether to maintain, alter, or eliminate the diversity immigrant visa program1 (also known as the “lottery” or DV program) include an interest in the geographical origins of immigrants who have been admitted through this program. This fact sheet provides data on the regional and national origins of diversity immigrants (DV immigrants) and how they have shifted over time.
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program

The purpose of the DV program is to provide an avenue for immigration from countries other than the major sending countries2 of current immigrants to the United States. It was added to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by the Immigration Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-649) to stimulate “new seed” immigration (i.e., to foster new, more varied migration from other parts of the world). DV immigrants account for about 5% of all immigrants admitted to the United States annually. The program went into full effect in 1995.

The DV program makes 50,000 visas available annually to natives of countries from which immigrant admissions were lower than a total of 50,000 over the preceding five years.3 The formula for allocating visas is based on statutory specifications; visas are divided among six global geographic regions according to the relative populations of the regions, with their allocation weighted in favor of countries in regions that were under-represented among immigrant admissions to the United States during the past five years. The INA limits each country to 7% of the total..."
Immigrant's origins

New Federal Standard to Improve Safety of Infant Slings Takes Effect

"If you, or anyone you know, uses an infant sling carrier, a new federal standard aimed at making sling carriers safer is now in effect. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved the standard to prevent deaths and injuries to young children.  The new standard applies to any infant sling carrier manufactured or imported after January 30^th 2018.

What are the new rules?

Among other things, all infant slings must have permanently attached warning labels and come with instructions, like illustrated diagrams, to show the proper position of a child in the sling. Warning labels must include statements about:

• The suffocation hazards posed by slings and prevention measures,
• The hazards of children falling out of slings, and
• A reminder for caregivers to check the buckles, snaps, rings and other hardware to make sure no parts are broken

The mandatory standard also requires sling carriers to:

• Be able to carry up to three times the manufacturer’s maximum recommended weight,
• Be more durable to avoid seam separations, fabric tears, breakage, etc., and
• Be able to keep the child being carried from falling out of the sling during normal use...".

Infant slings

National ALS Biorepository

"Learn how ALS researchers from around the world can access and use ALS Biorepository samples as a valuable resource in their fight to identify the causes of ALS.

The National ALS Biorepository is a component of the National ALS Registry that will increase the number of biological samples from persons with ALS available for research.  These samples, along with the extensive epidemiologic data collected by the National ALS Registry, are a valuable resource in the fight to identify the causes of ALS.

The National ALS Biorepository collects, processes, stores, and distributes a variety of biological specimens such as blood, urine, and tissue from a sample of persons with ALS enrolled in the National ALS Registry who agree to take part in the Biorepository.

The National ALS Biorepository is different from other biorepositories because it collects specimens from a geographically representative sample of people with ALS that is not tied to a specific clinic or location..."
ALS Biorepository

Lower Your Risk for the Number 1 Killer of Women

"Learn about heart disease and women and what you can do to keep a healthy heart.

Get Informed: Facts on Women and Heart Disease

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States.
• Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a “man’s disease,” around the same number of women and men die each year of heart disease in the United States.
• Some conditions and lifestyle choices increase a person’s chance for heart disease, including diabetes, overweight and obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol use.
• High blood pressure, high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. LDL is considered the “bad” cholesterol because having high levels can lead to buildup in your arteries and result in heart disease and stroke. Controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking, and regular physical activity will reduce your chances for heart disease..."

Women and Heart Disease

Heart Disease: It Can Happen at Any Age

"Heart disease doesn’t happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead to heart disease are happening at younger ages. February is Heart Month, the perfect time to learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart.

Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35-64) are putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life. Half of all Americans have at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking).

You Could Be at Risk

Many of the conditions and behaviors that put people at risk for heart disease are appearing at younger ages:

• High blood pressure. Millions of Americans of all ages have high blood pressure, including millions of people in their 40s and 50s. About half of people with high blood pressure don’t have it under control. Having uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the biggest risks for heart disease and other harmful conditions, such as stroke.
• High blood cholesterol. High cholesterol can increase the risk for heart disease. Having diabetes and obesity, smoking, eating unhealthy foods, and not getting enough physical activity can all contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.
• Smoking. More than 37 million U.S. adults are current smokers, and thousands of young people start smoking each day. Smoking damages the blood vessels and can cause heart disease..."
  Heart disease

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Care Considerations

"Learn about the latest in clinical care considerations for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

If my son with Duchenne has to go the emergency room, will the doctor know how to treat him?

Is my son getting all the regular medical tests he needs?

How will my son learn to manage his own care and be independent when he’s older?

Families who care for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)face questions like these every day. DMD is a form of muscular dystrophy, a rare genetic (inherited) disease with muscle weakness that gets worse over time and ultimately affects the heart and lungs. Living with DMD provides challenges for families and caregivers:

• Activities of daily living (for example, getting dressed or eating on your own) can be challenging.
• Care for a person with DMD involves different kinds of doctors, which makes coordinating care difficult.
• The quality and type of care that patients with DMD receive may vary from one treatment facility to another..."
  Muscular Dystrophy

Common Colds: Protect Yourself and Others

"Sore throat and runny nose are usually the first signs of a cold, followed by coughing and sneezing. Most people recover in about 7-10 days. You can help reduce your risk of getting a cold: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with sick people, and don’t touch your face with unwashed hands.

Common colds are the main reason that children miss school and adults miss work. Each year in the United States, there are millions of cases of the common cold. Adults have an average of 2-3 colds per year, and children have even more.

Most people get colds in the winter and spring, but it is possible to get a cold any time of the year. Symptoms usually include:

• sore throat
• runny nose
• coughing
• sneezing
• headaches
• body aches

Most people recover within about 7-10 days. However, people with weakened immune systems, asthma, or respiratory conditions may develop serious illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia..."

Common Cold

An American Budget: Fiscal Year 2019

"Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2019 contains the Budget Message of the President, information on the President’s priorities, and summary tables..."
2019 Federal Budget

Women in Congress, 1917-2018: Service Dates and Committee Assignments by Member, and Lists by State and Congress

"In total, 327 women have been elected or appointed to Congress, 212 Democrats and 115 Republicans. These figures include six non-voting Delegates, one each from Guam, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa, and two from the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as one Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. Of these 327 women there have been:
  276 (178 Democrats, 98 Republicans) women elected only to the House of Representatives;
 39 (25 Democrats, 14 Republicans) women elected or appointed only to the Senate;
 12 (9 Democrats, 3 Republicans) women who have served in both houses;

A record 111 women currently serve in the 115th Congress. Of the 111 women there are:
 22 in the Senate (17 Democrats and 5 Republicans);
 89 in the House (65 Democrats and 24 Republicans);
 5 women in the House (3 Democrats and 2 Republicans) who serve as Delegates or Resident Commissioner, representing the District of Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico...."
Women in Congress

Statutory Interpretation: General Principles and Recent Trends

"The exercise of the judicial power of the United States often requires that courts construe statutes to apply them in particular cases and controversies. Judicial interpretation of the meaning of a statute is authoritative in the matter before the court. Beyond this, the methodologies and approaches taken by the courts in discerning meaning can help guide legislative drafters, legislators, implementing agencies, and private parties.

The Supreme Court has expressed an interest “that Congress be able to legislate against a background of clear interpretive rules, so that it may know the effect of the language it adopts.” Though the feed-back loop of interpretive practices coming from the courts may not always speak well to actual congressional practice and desires, the judiciary has developed its own set of interpretive tools and methodologies, keeping in mind that there is no unified, systematic approach for unlocking meaning in all cases.

Though schools of statutory interpretation vary on what factors should be considered, all approaches start (if not necessarily end) with the language and structure of the statute itself. In this pursuit, the Court follows the principle that a statute be read as a harmonious whole whenever reasonable, with separate parts being interpreted within their broader statutory context..."
Statutory Interpertations