Monday, April 30, 2018

Do you think about air quality?

"Today’s the day to start thinking about air quality.
What can you do? Pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is a tool that tells you when high levels of air pollution are predicted and tells you how air pollution affects your health. Finding the AQI is easy. It’s on the Web, on many local TV weather forecasts, or you can sign up for free e-mail tools and apps. AQI is easy to use. If the AQI predicts a “Code Orange” (unhealthy for sensitive groups) day don’t cancel your plans—use the AQI to help you plan a better time or place for them.
The AQI tells you about five major air pollutants in the U.S. that are regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency, including ozone and particle pollution. Ozone and particle pollution may harm the health of hundreds of thousands of Americans each year..."
Air quailty

New Data on Autism: Five 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 features 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 services for children and families living with 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.
The highlights below come from the most recent ADDM Network report, and they are based on information collected from the health and special education (if available) records of 8-year-old children who lived in communities in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin during 2014..."
Autism

How to control your asthma

"Using what you know about managing your asthma can give you control over this chronic disease. When you control your asthma, you will breathe easier, be as active as you would like, sleep well, stay out of the hospital, and be free from coughing and wheezing.To learn more about how you can control your asthma, visit CDC’s asthma site.
Asthma is one of the most common lifelong chronic diseases. One in 13 Americans (more than 24 million) lives with asthma, a disease affecting the lungs and causing repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing.
Although asthma cannot be cured, you can control your asthma successfully to reduce and to prevent asthma attacks, also called episodes. Successful asthma management includes knowing the warning signs of an attack, avoiding things that may trigger an attack, and following the advice of your healthcare provider..."
Asthma

Report on RuSsian Active Measures

Read the final report of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence  Report on Russia Active Measures, issued March 22, 2018.
House Select Commitee on Intelligence Russia Report

Thursday, April 26, 2018

Living With COPD

"Fighting for each breath is only part of the struggle for those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Learn how people’s lives are affected by COPD and what can be done to manage it.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, makes breathing hard for the 16 million Americans who have been diagnosed with COPD. Millions more have COPD but have not been diagnosed and are not being treated. Some symptoms of COPD are frequent coughing or wheezing, excess phlegm or sputum, and shortness of breath. Adults with COPD are more likely to be unable to work and have trouble with daily activities.1 These problems are even worse for those who smoke and who aren’t physically active.1 If you have COPD, there are things you can do to make life easier..."
COPD

Stop Spread of Unusual Antibiotic Resistance

"CDC empowers states to combat the growing threat of antibiotic resistance—when germs develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. Identifying unusual resistance and taking early and aggressive action can keep germs from spreading.
Antibiotic resistance (AR) is harder to control once it spreads and becomes common. A recent CDC report highlighted the importance of containing the spread of “unusual” AR and includes data from CDC’s AR Lab Network, a new resource that can help identify these threats rapidly.
Antibiotic-resistant germs can spread like wildfire. Each year in the U.S., at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die. You likely know someone who has had a tough-to-treat infection..."
Antibiotic resistance

New Ads From Former Smokers

"Let stories from former smokers encourage you or someone you love to quit.
Each year in the United States, more people die from smoking than from murder, AIDS, suicide, drugs, car crashes, and alcohol—combined. Tobacco-related death and disease still affect too many loved ones and friends. If you smoke cigarettes or know someone who does, now is a great time to quit. Quitting can be hard, and people quit smoking for many different reasons. Some smokers have reported that they need to see and hear what it would be like to live with the health consequences of smoking in order to become motivated to quit.
Now in its seventh year, CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers® campaign continues to bring compelling messages designed to inspire smokers to quit. These messages highlight the faces and lives of real people who have been harmed by cigarette smoking. This April, watch for new TV ads that call attention to cancer and other diseases experienced by former smokers..."
Smokers and ads

Protect Your Baby with Immunization

"Immunization is one of the best ways parents can protect their infants from 14 serious childhood diseases before age 2. Vaccinate your child according to the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for safe, proven disease protection.
Diseases that vaccine prevent can be very serious—even deadly—especially for infants and young children. Vaccines reduce your child’s risk of infection by working with their body’s natural defenses to help them safely develop immunity to disease. Immunizations have helped improve the health of children in the United States. Most parents today have never seen first-hand the devastating consequences that vaccine-preventable diseases have on a family or community. Although most of these diseases are not common in the United States, they still exist around the world, so it is important to protect your child with vaccines..."
Babies and immunization

Salmonella and Eggs

"ALERT: Salmonella Outbreak Linked to shell eggs
CDC, FDA, and several states are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to Rose Acre Farms shell eggs. Don’t eat, serve, or sell the recalled shell eggs, which were sold under many brand names. Throw them out or return them. Wash and sanitize refrigerator drawers and shelves that held recalled eggs. Learn more about the outbreak and read our advice to consumers.
Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious and economical foods. But you must take special care when handling and preparing fresh eggs and egg products to avoid foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning.
The inside of eggs that appear normal can contain a germ called Salmonellathat can make you sick, especially if you eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. Eggs are safe when you cook and handle them properly..."
Salmonella and Eggs

Fewer HPV Infections Mean Healthier Communities of Color

"Human papillomavirus (or HPV) can cause several types of cancer, and some communities of color have higher rates of these cancers. HPV vaccine can protect against cancers caused by HPV infection, protecting communities of color from these often devastating cancers.

About HPV

HPV is a very common and widespread virus. Nearly everyone will be infected in their lifetime. In most cases, HPV infections go away on their own and do not cause any health problems. But when HPV infections do not go away, they can cause cancer.
HPV can cause cervical cancer, as well as some cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and anus. HPV can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils (oropharynx) in men and women. Cancer can take years, even decades, to develop after a person gets an HPV infection. While doctors routinely screen for cervical cancer, there are no recommended screening tests for other HPV cancers. These cancers may not be found until they cause health problems. To learn more about HPV and the types of cancers it causes, visit the Link Between HPV and Cancer.
Don’t miss an opportunity to protect your child from cancer. HPV vaccine is recommended for all girls and boys at ages 11-12 to protect against infections that can lead to cancer..."
HPV

Supply Chain Vulnerabilities from China in U.S. Federal Information and Communications Technology

"The U.S. government needs a national strategy for supply chain risk management (SCRM) of commercial supply chain vulnerabilities in U.S. federal information and communications technology (ICT), including procurement linked to the People’s Republic of China (China or PRC). This strategy must include supporting policies so that U.S. security posture is forward-leaning, rather than reactive and based on responding to vulnerabilities, breaches, and other incidents after they have already damaged U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, or the privacy of U.S. citizens.

This study uses a comprehensive definition of “U.S. government ICT supply chains” that includes (1) primary suppliers, (2) tiers of suppliers that support prime suppliers by providing products and services, and (3) any entities linked to those tiered suppliers through commercial, financial, or other relevant relationships. U.S. federal government ICT supply chains are multi-tiered, webbed relationships rather than singular or linear ones. The supply chain threat to U.S. national security stems from products produced, manufactured, or assembled by entities that are owned, directed, or subsidized by national governments or entities known to pose a potential supply chain or intelligence threat to the United States, including China. These products could be modified to (1) perform below expectations or fail, (2) facilitate state or corporate espionage, or (3) otherwise compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of a federal information technology system.."
Supply chain venerabilities

Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community: Selected Definitions in Brief

"While not defined by statute, DOD doctrine describes clandestine activities as “operations sponsored or conducted by governmental departments in such a way as to assure secrecy or concealment” that may include relatively passive intelligence collection information gathering operations. Unlike covert action, clandestine activities do not require a presidential finding but may require notification of Congress. This definition differentiates clandestine from covert, using clandestine to signify the tactical concealment of the activity. By comparison, covert operations are “planned and executed as to conceal the identity of or permit plausible denial by the sponsor.”

Since the 1970s, Congress has established and continued to refine oversight procedures in reaction to instances where it had not been given prior notice of intelligence activities— particularly covert action—that had significant bearing on United States national security. Congress, for example, had no foreknowledge of the CIA’s orchestration of the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran’s only democratically elected government, or of the U-2 surveillance flights over the Soviet Union that ended with the Soviet shoot-down of Francis Gary Powers in 1960. Eventually, media disclosures of the CIA’s domestic surveillance of the anti-Vietnam War movement and awareness of the agency’s covert war in Laos resulted in Congress taking action. In 1974, Congress began its investigation into the scope of past intelligence community activities that provided the basis for statutory provisions for intelligence oversight going forward..."
Covert action and intellgence community

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Regulatory Reform 10 Years After the Financial Crisis: Systemic Risk Regulation of Non-Bank Financial Institutions

"When large, interconnected financial institutions become distressed, policymakers have historically faced a choice between (1) a taxpayer-funded bailout, and (2) the destabilization of the financial system—a dilemma that commentators have labeled the “too-big-to-fail” (TBTF) problem. The 2007-2009 financial crisis highlighted the significance of the TBTF problem. During the crisis, a number of large financial institutions experienced severe distress, and the federal government committed hundreds of billions of dollars in an effort to rescue the financial system. According to some commentators, the crisis underscored the inadequacy of existing prudential regulation of large financial institutions, and of the bankruptcy system for resolving the failure of such institutions.

In response to the crisis, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) in 2010. Titles I and II of Dodd-Frank are specifically directed at minimizing the systemic risk created by TBTF financial institutions. In order to minimize the risks that large financial institutions will fail, Title I of Dodd-Frank establishes an enhanced prudential regulatory regime for certain large bank holding companies and non-bank financial companies. In order to “resolve” (i.e., reorganize or liquidate) systemically important financial institutions, Title II establishes a new resolution regime available for such institutions outside of the Bankruptcy Code.."
Regulotory reform

Monday, April 16, 2018

Data, Social Media, and Users: Can We All Get Along?

"In March 2018, media reported that voter-profiling company Cambridge Analytica had exceeded Facebook's data use policies by collecting data on millions of Facebook users. Cambridge Analytica did this by working with a researcher to gain access to the data, so the company itself was not the entity seeking access to the information. This allowed Cambridge Analytica to "scrape" or download data from users who had granted access to their profiles, as well as those users' Facebook friends (whose profiles the first user had access to, but for which the friends did not authorize access).

At this time, it is publicly unknown what data were accessed. Facebook hired a digitalforensics firm to audit the event. Based on media reporting and old Facebook applications, user profile data such as interests, relationships, photos, "likes," and political affiliation may have been accessible, but not all data held by Facebook appear to have been accessed by an outside party. Additionally, as initial access to a user's profile was granted via an app, other information about the user, such as other apps installed on the device and Internet Protocol addresses, may have been accessed. With this information, Cambridge Analytica built profiles of potential voters to test messaging and target advertisements. In addition to ads on Facebook, search engine optimization may have been used to drive users toward ads and other web content (i.e., blogs) outside Facebook..."
Data and social media

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Get Seizure Smart!

"About 1 out of 10 people may have a seizure in his or her lifetime.1,2 That means seizures are common, and one day you might need to help someone during or after a seizure. Would you know what to do?

First Aid for any Type of Seizure

There are many types of seizures. Most seizures last for a few minutes. Here are general steps to help someone who is having any type seizure:
  • Stay with the person until the seizure ends and the person is fully awake. After it ends, help the person sit in a safe place. Once they are alert and able to communicate, tell them what happened in very plain terms.
  • Comfort the person and speak calmly.
  • Keep yourself and other people calm.
  • Check to see if the person is wearing a medical bracelet or other emergency information.
  • Offer to call a taxi, friend, or relative to make sure the person gets home safely..."
    Seizures

Sexual Harassment and Title VII: Selected Legal Issues

"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) generally prohibits discrimination in the workplace, but does not contain an express prohibition against harassment. The Supreme Court, however, has interpreted the statute to prohibit certain forms of harassment, including sexual harassment. Since first recognizing the viability of a Title VII harassment claim in a unanimous 1986 decision, the Court has also established legal standards for determining when offensive conduct amounts to a Title VII violation and when employers may be held liable for such actionable harassment, and created an affirmative defense available to employers under certain circumstances.

Given this judicially created paradigm for analyzing sexual harassment under Title VII, this report examines key Supreme Court precedent addressing Title VII sexual harassment claims, the statutory interpretation and rationales reflected in these decisions, and examples of lower federal court decisions applying this precedent. The report also discusses various types of harassment recognized by the Supreme Court—such as “hostile work environment,” quid pro quo, constructive discharge, and same-sex harassment—and explores tensions, disagreements, or apparent inconsistencies among federal courts when analyzing these claims.."
Sexual harassment

Statutory Interpretation: Theories, Tools, and Trends

"In the tripartite structure of the U.S. federal government, it is the job of courts to say what the law is, as Chief Justice John Marshall announced in 1803. When courts render decisions on the meaning of statutes, the prevailing view is that a judge’s task is not to make the law, but rather to interpret the law made by Congress. The two main theories of statutory interpretation— purposivism and textualism—disagree about how judges can best adhere to this ideal of legislative supremacy. The problem is especially acute in instances where it is unlikely that Congress anticipated and legislated for the specific circumstances being disputed before the court. While purposivists argue that courts should prioritize interpretations that advance the statute’s purpose, textualists maintain that a judge’s focus should be confined primarily to the statute’s text.

Regardless of their interpretive theory, judges use many of the same tools to gather evidence of statutory meaning. First, judges often begin by looking to the ordinary meaning of the statutory text. Second, courts interpret specific provisions by looking to the broader statutory context. Third, judges may turn to the canons of construction, which are presumptions about how courts ordinarily read statutes. Fourth, courts may look to the legislative history of a provision. Finally, a judge might consider how a statute has been—or will be—implemented. Although both purposivists and textualists may use any of these tools, a judge’s theory of statutory interpretation may influence the order in which these tools are applied and how much weight is given to each tool..."
Statutory interpretation

Monday, April 9, 2018

Sexual Violence Prevention

"April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Sexual violence is a serious public health problem that affects millions of women and men. In the United States, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual violence involving physical contact at some point in their lives. Statistics underestimate the problem because many victims do not tell the police, family, or friends about the violence.
CDC’s goal is to stop sexual violence before it begins.

Understanding Sexual Violence

Sexual violence is any sexual activity where consent is not freely given. This includes completed or attempted sex acts that are against the victim’s will or involve a victim who is unable to consent through use of force or alcohol/drug facilitation.

Other forms of sexual violence are:
  • Non-physically pressured unwanted sex
  • Unwanted sexual contact (intentional sexual touching), or
  • Non-contact, unwanted sexual experiences (such as verbal sexual harassment)..."
    Sexual violence

Child Abuse Prevention

"April is National Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month.
Children and families thrive when they have access to safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. Policies and programs that are supportive of children and families can prevent child abuse and neglect and other early adversity. CDC works to better understand the problem of child abuse and neglect and to prevent it before it begins.

Facts about Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse and neglect are significant public health problems in the United States.
  • In 2016, more than 1,750 children died in the United States from abuse and neglect.
  • According to child protective service agencies, about 676,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2016, although this number likely underestimates the true occurrence.
  • One in 4 children have experienced abuse or neglect at some point in their lives and 1 in 7 experienced abuse or neglect in the past year.
  • The total lifetime cost associated with just 1 year of confirmed cases of child abuse or neglect is $124 billion.
Exposure to child abuse and neglect and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) cause toxic stress that can disrupt early brain development and harm the nervous and immune systems. Exposure to childhood adversity can increase a person’s risk for future violence, unhealthy behaviors, poor health and wellness, and limit life opportunities. This impact can be long-lasting and may continue across future generations..."
Child abuse

Preventing Dog Bites

"Dog bites can cause pain and injury, but they can also spread germs that cause infection. Nearly 1 in 5 people bitten by a dog requires medical attention. Any dog can bite – know how to enjoy dogs without getting bitten.
Dogs can be our closest companions – in the United States, over 36% of households own at least one dog. Dogs have been proven to decrease stress, increase our exercise levels, and are playmates for children. But sometimes man’s best friend will bite. In addition to causing pain, injury, or nerve damage, dog bites can become infected, putting the bite victim at risk for illness or in rare cases death.
Although the idea of being bitten by a dog is scary, it doesn’t mean you need to avoid dogs completely. If you work or live around dogs, be aware of the risks and learn how to enjoy being around dogs without getting bitten..."
Dog bites

The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2018 to 2028

"In CBO’s baseline projections, which incorporate the assumption that current laws governing taxes and spending generally remain unchanged, the federal budget deficit grows substantially over the next few years. Later on, between 2023 and 2028, it stabilizes in relation to the size of the economy, though at a high level by historical standards.
As a result, federal debt is projected to be on a steadily rising trajectory throughout the coming decade. Debt held by the public, which has doubled in the past 10 years as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), approaches 100 percent of GDP by 2028 in CBO’s projections. That amount is far greater than the debt in any year since just after World War II. Moreover, if lawmakers changed current law to maintain certain current policies—preventing a significant increase in individual income taxes in 2026 and drops in funding for defense and nondefense discretionary programs in 2020, for example—the result would be even larger increases in debt..."

Federal budget

House Committee Markups: Manual of Procedures and Procedural Strategies

"A principal responsibility of House committees is to conduct markups—to select legislation to consider, to debate it and vote on amendments to it (to mark up), and to report recommendations on passage to the House. This manual examines procedures and strategy related to committee markups and provides sample procedural scripts.

A committee faces many decisions when it considers a policy matter in a markup. It must select what legislation to mark up; decide whether to mark up in committee only or in both subcommittee and committee; consider the effect of referral on the markup; choose how to report to the House; and take into account congressional and Administration sentiments. With policy and political considerations in mind, the committee plans its procedural strategy.

The first element of a markup strategy is selection of a markup vehicle. A committee might mark up a measure as introduced, a version of the measure previously marked up in subcommittee, a draft prepared before, after, or without subcommittee markup, or an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Procedural and political consequences attach to each markup vehicle. Two parts of the manual deal with this element: Procedural Strategy and the Choice of a Markup Vehicle, and Beginning a Markup..."
House Procedures manual

Saturday, April 7, 2018

"San Francisco, California. The family unit in kept intact in various phases of evacuation of persons of Japanese ancestry".

 
"This photo of Japanese-American evacuees was taken by Dorothea Lange on April 6, 1942. The caption reads "A view at Wartime Civil Control Administration station, 2020 Van Ness Avenue, on April 6, 1942, when first group of 664 was evacuated from San Francisco." Under the authority of Executive Order 9066, issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942, approximately 110,000 Japanese-Americans were interned in 10 relocation centers for the duration of World War II. Professional photographers, including Dorothea Lange, were commissioned by the WRA to document the daily life and treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.."
Japanese relocation in World War 2

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Trends in Public Transportation Ridership: Implications for Federal Policy

"Despite significant investments in public transportation at the federal, state, and local levels, transit ridership has fallen in many of the top 50 transit markets. If strong gains in the New York area are excluded, ridership nationally declined by 7% over the past decade. This report examines the implications for federal transit policy of the current weakness and possible future changes in transit ridership.

Although there has been a lot of research into the factors that explain transit ridership, there seems to be no comprehensive explanation for the recent decline. One complication is that national trends in public transportation ridership are not necessarily reflected at the local level; thus, different areas may have different reasons for growth or decline. But at the national level, the two factors that most affect public transportation ridership are competitive factors and the supply of transit service. Several competitive factors, notably the drop in the price of gasoline over the past few years and the growing popularity of bikeshare and ridesourcing services, appear to have adversely affected transit ridership. The amount of transit service supplied has generally grown over time, but average fares have risen faster than inflation, possibly deterring riders..."
Public transit ridership

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2017

"A joint effort by the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in schools and colleges. This report presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population from an array of sources—the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the School Survey on Crime and Safety, the Schools and Staffing Survey, EDFacts, and the Campus Safety and Security Survey. The report covers topics such as victimization, bullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, the presence of security staff at school, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, student perceptions of personal safety at school, and criminal incidents at postsecondary institutions...."

School crime

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: deadly, but preventable

"Do you know about Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), the most deadly tickborne disease in the world?
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is a serious, sometimes deadly, bacterial disease spread through the bite of an infected tick.
  • Tickborne spotted fevers, including RMSF, may cause more than 3,000 cases per year in the continental United States.
  • More than 60% of reported RMSF cases occur in five states (North Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri).
  • While the majority of RMSF cases occur during summer months, ticks can still bite you during the spring, fall, or even year-round in warmer climates.

Signs and Symptoms

Early signs of RMSF are often non-specific with symptoms such as fever and headache. RMSF can progress to a serious and life-threatening illness in days. Early signs and symptoms may include:

Measles: Make Sure Your Child is Fully Immunized

"Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can be serious for young children. Protect your child by making sure he or she is up to date on vaccinations, including before traveling abroad.
Measles is a very contagious disease caused by a virus. Measles starts with a fever. Soon after, it causes a cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Then a rash of tiny, red spots breaks out. It starts at the head and spreads to the rest of the body. Measles can be serious for young children. It can lead to pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and death. Measles spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people around him or her will also become infected if they are not protected..."
Measles

April is STD Awareness Month

"Take Control of Your Sexual Health
There’s no avoiding the statistics: the number of reported sexually transmitted disease (STD) cases are at an all-time high, and if you are sexually active, you are at risk of infection.
So what can you do? Arm yourself with the facts about STDs and talk with your healthcare provider—that’s always an important place to start.
When it comes to protecting your sexual health, the best offense is a good defense. A relationship between patient and healthcare provider emphasizing teamwork and communication is key: when the relationship works better, sexual health works better..."

STD

Need yellow fever vaccine? Plan ahead.

"Planning a trip to South America or Africa? Find out if yellow fever vaccine is needed at your destination and plan ahead to get it. Only a limited number of clinics in the United States have the vaccine. Yellow fever vaccine is the best protection against yellow fever disease, which can be fatal.
Yellow fever virus is found in tropical and subtropical areas in South America and Africa. Currently, there is a large, ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in Brazil, including areas close to popular destinations, like the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. A number of unvaccinated international travelers have gotten yellow fever, and several have died (none were from the United States).."
Yellow fever

Wash Your Hands

"Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself, your family, and others from getting sick.
Washing your hands with soap and water is simple and easy. More importantly, it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

When should you wash your hands?

You can help yourself and others stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when germs are likely to get on your hands and can easily spread to you or others:
Washing hands
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Hand sanitizer
If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating food
  • Before and after caring for someone who is sick
  • Before and after treating a cut or wound
  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
  • After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
  • After touching garbage.."

Hand washing

EEOC Releases Fiscal Year 2017 Enforcement And Litigation Data

"The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced that 84,254 workplace discrimination charges were filed with the federal agency nationwide during fiscal year (FY) 2017, and secured $398 million for victims in the private sector and state and local government workplaces through voluntary resolutions and litigation. The comprehensive enforcement and litigation statistics for FY 2017, which ended Sept. 30, 2017, are posted on the agency's website.

The EEOC resolved 99,109 charges in FY 2017 and reduced the charge workload by 16.2 percent to 61,621, the lowest level of inventory in 10 years. The agency achieved this by deploying new strategies to more efficiently prioritize charges with merit, more quickly resolve investigations, and improve the agency's digital systems. The agency handled over 540,000 calls to its toll-free number and more than 155,000 inquiries in field offices, reflecting the significant public demand for the EEOC's services..."
EEOC enforcement data

Susan B. Anthony Papers at Library of Congress

"The papers of reformer and suffragist Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) span the period 1846-1934 with the bulk of the material dating from 1846 to 1906. The collection, consisting of approximately 500 items (6,265 images) on seven recently digitized microfilm reels, includes correspondence, diaries, a daybook, scrapbooks, speeches, and miscellaneous items. Donated by her niece, Lucy E. Anthony, the papers relate to Susan B. Anthony's interests in abolition and women's education, her campaign for women's property rights and suffrage in New York, and her work with the National Woman Suffrage Association, the organization she and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded in 1869 when the suffrage movement split into two rival camps at odds about whether to press for a federal women's suffrage amendment or to seek state-by-state enfranchisement. With the possible exception of her close collaborator Stanton, no woman is more associated with the campaign for women's voting rights than Anthony, whose name became so synonymous with suffrage that the federal amendment, which formally became the Nineteenth Amendment, was called for many years by its supporters as simply the Anthony Amendment.
A volume of correspondence, 1846-1905, consists primarily of Anthony's letters to Rachel Foster Avery concerning the details of Anthony's extensive lecture circuit, her finances, the activities of the National Woman Suffrage Association, and her work on the multivolume History of Woman Suffrage which she coedited with Stanton and others. The file also includes several letters from Anthony to the Reverend Anna Howard Shaw and letters from Wendell Phillips. Although most letters concern suffrage, a few deal with personal and family matters..."
Susan B. Anthony