Kansas-Nebraska Act

"Officially titled "An Act to Organize the Territories of Nebraska and Kansas," this act repealed the Missouri Compromise, which had outlawed slavery above the 36° 30’ latitude in the Louisiana territories and reopened the national struggle over slavery in the western territories..."
Kansas Nebraska Act

Ways to Improve Arthritis Symptoms

"Fnd out how a home-based physical activity program for people with arthritis improved people’s symptoms.

Arthritis is a leading cause of work disability among US adults.¹ It is important to have safe, effective arthritis physical activity programs that can reach many people at low costs. A study conducted by the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center shows that adults with arthritis improved their level of fitness in a home-based physical activity program. The study found improvements in lower body strength and flexibility, pain, fatigue, and stiffness.

What Was the Research Question?

The researchers evaluated the program to learn: Does a 12-week, home-based exercise program for adults with arthritis increase physical activity and improve arthritis symptoms, and is the program safe.."
Arthritis symptoms

Preventing Violence Against Children and Young People

"Discover how CDC is protecting the futures of children all around the world with the Violence Against Children Surveys.

The Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) are nationally representative household surveys of children and young adults ages 13 to 24 years.

The surveys are designed to measure the prevalence (number and percentage) and circumstances surrounding emotional, physical, and sexual violence against males and females in childhood (before age 18) and young adulthood. The surveys also identify risk and protective factors and consequences of violence.

CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention works to prevent violence and the negative effects it has on people’s health and well-being. Findings from VACS provide reliable evidence to allow countries to make better decisions about allocating limited resources to develop, launch, and evaluate violence prevention programs and child protection systems. As part of the VACS process, CDC with Together for Girls partners, applied VACS findings to create the INSPIRE technical package.."
Violence against children

Disability and Health Data at Your Fingertips

"There are important health differences between people with and without disabilities. Do you know what they are in your state? Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) can help you find out.

Disability doesn’t have to equal poor health. However, adults with disabilities are more likely to be obese,¹ smoke,² have high blood pressure³and be physically inactive.⁴ These are all preventable factors that can increase the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some cancers,^4-6 which are also more common among adults with disabilities.⁷

CDC created Disability and Health Data System (DHDS) to provide the vital information needed to better understand the health needs of adults with disabilities at the state and national levels. Equipped with these data, state epidemiologists, researchers, policy makers, public health professionals and everyone interested in the health of adults with disabilities can plan for inclusive communities that offer the programs and services needed to improve the health of this population.."
Disability and health data

Can your baby hear you say “I love you?”

"The best way to find out if your baby may be deaf or hard of hearing is by a hearing screening. Early diagnosis and intervention will help them reach their full potential.

Thousands of babies are born deaf or hard of hearing each year in the United States. Babies diagnosed early with hearing loss and begin intervention early are more likely to reach their full potential. The best way to find out if your baby may be deaf or hard of hearing is by a simple hearing test, also called a hearing screening.

Why is a hearing screening important for my baby?

Starting from day 1, babies begin to learn language skills by listening to and interacting with those around them. If babies miss these opportunities, their language development can be delayed. Many times, children’s hearing loss is not obvious and can go unnoticed for months or even years.

Hearing screening at birth can determine if your baby may have a hearing loss and if more tests are needed. An early diagnosis is essential to help babies who are deaf or hard of hearing reach their full potential, and allows families to make decisions about the intervention services that are best for their baby’s needs. Early diagnosis of hearing loss and beginning intervention helps to keep children’s development on track and improve their future language and social development.."
Baby hearing

Could It Be Lupus?

"Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect people of all ages. The signs and symptoms can be different for different people. Learn about this disease and its signs and symptoms.

Lupus Awareness

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body. Its symptoms can show up in many different ways, which sometimes makes it hard to diagnose. Lupus symptoms can range from mild to life threatening, which is why early diagnosis and treatment by a rheumatologist are so important.

Are You at Risk for Lupus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, is the most common and serious type of lupus and can affect people of all ages, including children. However, women of childbearing age—15 to 44 years—have the highest risk. SLE affects women far more than men (estimates range from 4 to 12 women for every 1 man).

African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indians/Alaska Natives have higher rates of SLE than whites. African American women have the highest rate, according to recent studies supported by CDC..."
Lupus

Census Bureau Reveals Fastest-Growing Large Cities

"Eight of the 15 cities or towns with the largest population gains were located in the South in 2017, with three of the top five in Texas, according to new population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

“San Antonio, Texas, tops the list with the largest population gain with an increase of over 24,200 people – an average of 66 people per day between 2016 and 2017,” said Amel Toukabri, a demographer in the Population Division of the Census Bureau. “That’s a growth rate of 1.6 percent. This growth was enough to push San Antonio's population above the 1.5 million mark.”

Some of the other cities with the largest population gains were Phoenix, Ariz. (24,000); Dallas, Texas (18,900); Fort Worth, Texas (18,700); Los Angeles, Calif. (18,600); Seattle, Washington (17,500); and Charlotte, N.C. (15,600).

Regarding percentage change in population, 10 of the 15 fastest-growing large cities were located in the South, with seven in Texas. Between 2016 and 2017, Frisco, Texas (near Dallas), was the fastest-growing large city (population of 50,000 or more) at 8.2 percent, making its growth rate more than 11 times faster than the nation’s growth rate of 0.7 percent. See below for some of the other fastest-growing large cities..."
Fastest growing cities

2018 Update On Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-Up Period (2005-2014)

"Examines the recidivism patterns of former prisoners during a 9-year follow-up period. The report provides data on the number and types of crimes prisoners commit after release, by offender characteristics, commitment offense, whether the arrest was within or outside the state of release, and whether released prisoners had no subsequent arrests during the follow-up period. It also shows how recidivism and desistance patterns change when using longer or shorter follow-up periods, including cumulative and annual arrest percentages, year of first arrest following release from prison, and the total number of arrests of released prisoners. Findings are based on data from BJS's Recidivism Study of State Prisoners Released in 2005 data collection, which tracked a sample of former prisoners from 30 states for 9 years following release in 2005. Source data are from prisoner records reported by state departments of corrections to BJS's National Corrections Reporting Program and national criminal history records from the FBI's Interstate Identification Index and state criminal history repositories via the International Justice and Public Safety Network.

Highlights:

• The 401,288 state prisoners released in 2005 had 1,994,000 arrests during the 9-year period, an average of 5 arrests per released prisoner. Sixty percent of these arrests occurred during years 4 through 9.
• An estimated 68% of released prisoners were arrested within 3 years, 79% within 6 years, and 83% within 9 years.
• Eighty-two percent of prisoners arrested during the 9-year period were arrested within the first 3 years.
• Almost half (47%) of prisoners who did not have an arrest within 3 years of release were arrested during years 4 through 9.
• Forty-four percent of released prisoners were arrested during the first year following release, while 24% were arrested during year-9..."
  Prisoner recidivism

Probation And Parole In The United States, 2016

"Presents national data on adult offenders under community supervision on probation or parole in 2016, including trends in the overall community supervision population and annual changes in probation and parole populations. Appendix tables include jurisdiction-level data on population counts; types of entries to and exits from probation and parole; and offenders by sex, race, Hispanic origin, most serious offense type, and status of supervision. Findings are based on data from BJS's 2016 Annual Probation Survey and Annual Parole Survey.

Highlights:

• At year-end 2016, an estimated 4,537,100 adults were under community supervision (probation or parole), down 49,800 offenders (down 1.1%) from January 1, 2016.
• Approximately 1 in 55 adults in the United States were under community supervision at year-end 2016.
• The adult probation population declined by 1.4% from January 1, 2016, to December 1, 2016, falling by 52,500 (to 3,673,100).
• Probation exits increased from 2,043,200 in 2015 to 2,071,400 in 2016.
• Exits from parole decreased from an estimated 463,700 in 2015 to 456,000 in 2016.."
• Probation and parole

Indicators Of School Crime And Safety: 2017

"This annual report, produced jointly by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics, presents data on school crime and safety from the perspectives of students, teachers, and principals. It contains 23 indicators of school crime and safety, including violent deaths; nonfatal student and teacher victimization; school environment; fights, weapons, and illegal substances; fear and avoidance; discipline, safety, and security measures; and campus safety and security. Data sources include the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the NCVS, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS), and the School and Staffing Survey (SASS).

Highlights:

• In 2016, students ages 12-18 experienced 749,400 victimizations (theft and nonfatal violent victimization) at school and 601,300 victimizations away from school. The total victimization rates were 29 victimizations per 1,000 students at school and 24 per 1,000 students away from school.
• In 2016, the rate of total victimization at school was higher for males (38 victimizations per 1,000 male students) than for females (20 per 1,000 female students).
• During the 2015-16 school year, the percentage of public schools that reported student bullying occurred at least once a week was higher for middle schools (22%) than for high schools (15%), combined schools (11%), and primary schools (8%).
• The percentage of public schools that had a plan in place for procedures to be performed in the event of a shooting increased over time, from 79% in 2003-04 to 92% in 2015-16..."
  School crime

Correctional Populations in the United States: 2016

"Presents statistics on persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems at year-end 2016, including persons supervised in the community on probation or parole and those incarcerated in state or federal prison or local jail. The report describes the size and change in the total correctional population during 2016. Appendix tables provide statistics on other correctional populations and jurisdiction-level estimates of the total correctional population by correctional status for selected years.

Highlights:

• In 2016, the number of persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems dropped for the ninth consecutive year. 
• From 2007 to 2016, the portion of the adult population under supervision of U.S. correctional systems decreased by 18%, from 3,210 to 2,640 per 100,000 adult residents. 
• The percentage of adults supervised by the U.S. correctional system was lower in 2016 than at any time since 1993. 
• The incarceration rate has declined since 2009 and is currently at its lowest rate since 1996. 
• On December 31, 2016, an estimated 6,613,500 persons were supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems, about 62,700 fewer persons than on January 1, 2016..."
  Corrections statistics

Capital Punishment, 2016 - Statistical Brief

"Presents statistics on persons under sentence of death at year-end 2016, including summary trends in the population, admissions to and releases from death row, the number of persons executed, and an advance count of executions in 2017. Data are from BJS's National Prisoner Statistics (NPS-8) series.

Highlights:

• At year-end 2016, a total of 32 states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) held 2,814 prisoners under sentence of death, which was 58 (2%) fewer than at year-end 2015.
• California (26%), Florida (14%), and Texas (9%) held nearly half (49%) of the nation's prisoners under sentence of death at year-end 2016; in 2016, Texas executed seven prisoners, Florida executed one, and California did not execute any prisoners.
• In 2016, the number of prisoners under sentence of death decreased for the sixteenth consecutive year.
• Twelve states received a total of 32 prisoners under sentence of death in 2016.
• Five states executed a total of 20 prisoners in 2016, with Georgia (9) and Texas (7) accounting for 80% of executions..."
  Capital punishment

Salmonella and Food

"You may know that Salmonella can contaminate poultry and eggs, but it also sneaks its way into many other foods. Learn what you can do to make your food safer to eat.

Salmonella is a bacteria that commonly causes foodborne illness, sometimes called “food poisoning.” CDC estimates Salmonella causes 1 million foodborne illnesses every year in the United States. During the past few years, outbreaks of Salmonella illness have been linked to contaminated cucumbers, chicken, eggs, pistachios, raw tuna, sprouts, and many other foods..."

Salmonella

Condition of Education: 2018

"This website contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. The indicators summarize important developments and trends using the latest statistics, which are updated throughout the year as new data become available. In addition, this website has Spotlight indicators that provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics.

The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated report that is provided to Congress each year.Download the 2018 Report ;View Videos on YouTube.."
Education statistics

Epilepsy and Seizures in Older Adults

"Did you know that epilepsy is more likely to develop in older adults? Seizures can be easy to miss. Learn how to recognize the signs and how you can help.

Epilepsy is brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. About 3 million US adults aged 18 years or older have active epilepsy.¹  Nearly 1 million of those adults are aged 55 or older.¹ As our population ages, there will be even more older people with epilepsy in the coming years.

Epilepsy is more likely to develop in older adults because risk factors for epilepsy are more common as people age:

• Strokes.
• Head injuries.
• Neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease).
• Alcoholism and other substance abuse.
• Brain tumors..".

Eiplepsy and older adults

Vaccinate Your Preteen This Summer

"Because most preteens get their shots in the month of August before school begins, it can be difficult to get in to see your child’s doctor or nurse. Make an appointment to get your child vaccinated earlier this summer and beat the back-to-school rush!

Vaccines help protect your preteen, as well as their friends and family members, from serious illness.

What vaccines does CDC recommend for my preteen?

Boys and girls should get the following vaccines at age 11 or 12 years:

• HPV VaccineHuman papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine helps protect against HPV infections that cause cancer. All boys and girls should get two doses of HPV vaccine before they turn 13 years old. Children who start the vaccine series on or after their 15th birthday need three doses to get complete protection.
• Meningococcal conjugate vaccineMeningococcal conjugate vaccine protects against four types (serogroups A, C, W, and Y) of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. These bacteria can cause infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (septicemia). Teens should get a booster dose of this vaccine at 16 years old.
• Tdap vaccineTdap vaccine provides a booster to continue protection from childhood against three serious diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (also called whooping cough)..."
  Preteen vaccination

Travel Smart: Get Vaccinated

"Make sure you are up to date on all recommended vaccinations before traveling abroad.

International travel can be a fun and enriching experience, but it can also pose health risks. The type of risks you might face during travel depend on a number of things including:

• Where you are traveling.
• Your activities while traveling.
• The state of your health.
• Your vaccination history.

Many vaccine-preventable diseases that have become rare in the United States, such as measles and pertussis, are still common in other parts of the world. Certain activities, such as attending crowded events, can increase the spread of infectious disease. No matter where you plan to go, you should get recommended vaccines to lower your chances for getting and spreading disease..."
Travel and vaccines

Skin Cancer Awareness

"I’m a fair-skinned redhead. I spent summers as a lifeguard and vacations at the beach, and I never wore sunscreen. As an adult, my vacations centered around sunbathing,” says Sharon McKenna.

“My battle with melanoma began in 2002. To date, I’ve undergone 28 biopsies and had three melanomas surgically removed. I’ve been melanoma-free since 2003, but have had other non-melanoma skin cancers removed since then.

“I learned that knowledge is power. Skin cancer is the most preventable of all cancers. Vacations now center around better things,” Sharon says.

“Since my diagnosis, when my now-teenage son was 5 years old, I’ve kept a colorful basket of sunscreens on the kitchen counter. Sunscreen is a must at our house.

“I learned the hard way: a tan is not a sign of health. Keep your skin the color it came in!”

Sun Safety Tips

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays causes most cases of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. To lower your skin cancer risk, protect your skin from the sun and avoid indoor tanning.

Plan your sun protection using these tips—

• Seek shade, especially during late morning through mid-afternoon.
• Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
• Wear a hat with a wide brim that shades your face, head, ears, and neck.
• Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB (broad spectrum) protection.
• Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling of.."f.
  Skin cancer

Fungal Infections - Protect Your Health

"Have you wondered about your chances of getting a fungal infection? Here are 10 questions you can use to understand fungal infections, learn how you can get sick, and know what you need to do to stay healthy.

Fungi are everywhere. There are millions of different species of fungi on Earth, but only about 300 of those are known to make people sick. Fungal infections are often caused by microscopic fungi that are common in the environment. Fungi live outdoors in soil and on plants and trees as well as on many indoor surfaces and on human skin.

Mild fungal skin infections can look like a rash and are very common. For example, ringworm is a skin infection that’s caused by a fungus, not a worm! Fungal infections in the lungs can be more serious and often cause symptoms that are similar to other illnesses, such as the flu or tuberculosis. Fungal meningitis and bloodstream infections are less common than skin and lung infections but can be life-threatening. Because the symptoms of fungal infections can be similar to other illnesses, proper diagnosis and treatment are often delayed. The more you know about fungal infections and your chances of getting one, the better prepared you can be to protect your health..."
Fungals

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): What Is It?

"The number of US adults who have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased greatly since 1999—from 2 million to 3 million. However, these estimates do not include people younger than 18 who may also have the disease. May 19 is World IBD Day. Learn about IBD.

What is IBD?

IBD which is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract¹ includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The GI tract extends from the mouth to the anus and includes the organs that digest food, absorb nutrients, and process wastes. Long-term inflammation results in damage to the GI tract.

What are the symptoms of IBD?

Some common symptoms are:

• Persistent diarrhea.
• Abdominal pain.
• Rectal bleeding or bloody stools.
• Weight loss.
• Fatigue..."
  Inflammatory bowels

Healthy and Safe Swimming

"Pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds are great places to have fun, be active, or just relax. Learn how to stay healthy and safe when in the water this summer! 

Swimming is one of the most popular sports activities in the United States. Just 2.5 hours of physical activity per week, including water-based activity, has health benefits, no matter our age. As with any form of physical activity, we maximize the health benefits of swimming when we each do our part to minimize the chance of illness and injury.

Swim Healthy, Stay Healthy!

Swimming is a fun and a great way to stay healthy and spend time with family and friends. However, it’s important not to swim or let your kids swim if they have diarrhea. Just one diarrheal incident in the water can release millions of diarrhea-causing germs like Crypto (short for Cryptosporidium), Giardia, Shigella, norovirus, and E. coli O157:H7. This can make other swimmers sick if they swallow a mouthful of contaminated water.

Most germs are killed within minutes by common pool disinfectants like chlorine or bromine, but Crypto is a germ that can survive in properly chlorinated water for more than 7 days. This is why Crypto is the leading cause of outbreaks  linked to swimming in the United States..."
Swimming

Three Steps to Stroke Recovery

"Stroke can be devastating, but it is also treatable—and often preventable. Recovering from a stroke can involve making big changes to your lifestyle, but your health care team will work to help you become as healthy and independent as possible. Learn what to expect if you are recovering from stroke and how to prevent another stroke from happening.

Stroke happens when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. When stroke happens, brain cells start to die within minutes because they can’t get oxygen. This can cause death or disability.That is why doctors say “time lost is brain lost” when it comes to stroke. The faster you can get treatment, the less brain damage you may have. Each year, nearly 800,000 Americans have a stroke. Yet many people who could benefit from emergency stroke treatment—a special clot-busting drug—don’t get it because they don’t arrive at the hospital in time..."
Strokes

Compelling Presidential Compliance with a Judicial Subpoena

"Special Counsel Robert Mueller reportedly warned President Trump’s lawyers in a March meeting that if the President declined to participate in a voluntary interview, Mueller could issue a subpoena compelling the President’s testimony before a grand jury. The alleged exchange raises the question of whether a sitting President, consistent with the separation of powers and Article II of the Constitution, may be required to comply with a subpoena for his testimony as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Before addressing this question, it is necessary to define the type of subpoena that may be envisioned by the Special Counsel. Special Counsel Mueller, who has been vested with the powers and duties of “any United States Attorney,” has not been provided independent and unilateral authority to issue generalized subpoenas for testimony. Instead, any subpoena to the President would likely be issued by a grand jury— at the request of the Special Counsel—but under the authority of the judiciary. The subpoena would therefore accurately be framed as an attempt by the judicial branch to compel testimony from the President, giving rise to possible concerns under the separation of powers.

The Supreme Court has not directly confronted the question of compelled presidential testimony; however, the question is not a novel one. It is, in fact, a question that has been the subject of some debate throughout American history and any evaluation of the President’s obligations should be undertaken within that historical context..".
Judicial Subpoena

From Slip Law to United States Code: A Guide to Federal Statutes for Congressional Staff

"This report provides an overview of federal statutes in their various forms, as well as basic guidance for congressional staff interested in researching statutes. When a bill becomes a law, the newly enacted statute may amend or repeal earlier statutes or it may create a new or “freestanding” law. Either way, these new statutes are first printed individually as “slip laws” and numbered by order of passage as either public laws, or less frequently, private laws. Slip laws are later aggregated and published chronologically in volumes known as the United States Statutes at Large (Statutes at Large). Statutes of a general and permanent nature are then incorporated into the United States Code (U.S. Code), which arranges the statutes by subject matter into 54 titles and five appendices.

Statutes may be updated and published as amended public laws. As the statutes that underlie the U.S. Code are revised, superseded, or repealed, the provisions of the U.S. Code are also updated to reflect these changes. In these instances, the authoritative language remains the enacting statute, or the “base law.” However, some titles of the U.S. Code have been passed into “positive law,” meaning the law exists as it does in the U.S. Code and the title itself is the authoritative language. In these instances, it is the U.S. Code sections that are revised, superseded, or repealed, as the underlying statutes have all been revoked..."

Federal statutes

U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations During President Trump’s First Year in Office: Comparative Analysis with Recent Presidents

"This report, in light of continued Senate interest in the judicial confirmation process during a President’s first year in office, provides statistics related to the nomination and confirmation of U.S. circuit and district court nominees during the first year of the Trump presidency (as well as during the first year of each of his three immediate predecessors—Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton).

Some of the report’s findings regarding circuit court nominations include the following:

 The number of U.S. circuit court vacancies decreased by 1, from 17 to 16, during the first year of the Trump presidency. The percentage of circuit court judgeships that were vacant decreased from 9.5% to 8.9%.

 During his first year in office, President Trump nominated 19 individuals to U.S. circuit court judgeships, of whom 12 (or 63%) were also confirmed during the first year of his presidency.

 Of individuals nominated to circuit court judgeships during President Trump’s first year in office, 15 (79%) were men and 4 (21%) were women.

 Of individuals nominated to circuit court judgeships during President Trump’s first year in office, 17 (89%) were white and 2 (11%) were Asian American. 

 The average age of President Trump’s first-year circuit court nominees was 49.

 Of individuals nominated to circuit court judgeships during President Trump’s first year in office, 16 (84%) received a rating of well qualified from the American Bar Association, 2 (11%) received a rating of qualified, and 1 (5%) received a rating of not qualified.

 The average length of time from nomination to confirmation for President Trump’s first-year circuit and district court nominees (combined) was 115 days, or approximately 3.8 months.

 Each of the circuit court nominees confirmed during President Trump’s first year in office was confirmed by roll call vote (and none by unanimous consent or voice vote).

 Of the 12 circuit court nominees confirmed during President Trump’s first year in office, 11 received more than 20 nay votes at the time of confirmation (and of the 11, 9 received more than 40 nay votes)..."

President Trump's court nominations

Financial Regulation: The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155)

"The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) was passed by the Senate on March 14, 2018. The bill generally aims to provide regulatory relief to banks, relax mortgage lending rules, relax capital formation regulations, and provide additional consumer protections related to credit reporting and other areas. This Insight briefly highlights major policy proposals. For a more detailed examination, see CRS Report R45073, Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155) and Selected Policy Issues, coordinated by [author name scrubbed].

Some observers assert the financial crisis of 2007-2009 revealed excessive risk had built up in the financial system, and that weaknesses in regulation contributed to that buildup and the resultant instability. In response, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (P.L. 111-203; Dodd-Frank). In addition, regulators strengthened rules under existing authorities, such as by implementing regulations adhering to the Basel III Accords—the international agreement setting standards for bank regulation. Following this broad overhaul of financial regulation, some observers argue the changes are an overcorrection and certain regulations are unduly burdensome. In general, S. 2155aims to address these concerns by providing regulatory relief to segments of the financial system..."Financial Regulations

Vital Signs: Trends in Reported Vectorborne Disease Cases — United States and Territories, 2004–2016

"Introduction: Vectorborne diseases are major causes of death and illness worldwide. In the United States, the most common vectorborne pathogens are transmitted by ticks or mosquitoes, including those causing Lyme disease; Rocky Mountain spotted fever; and West Nile, dengue, and Zika virus diseases. This report examines trends in occurrence of nationally reportable vectorborne diseases during 2004–2016.

Methods: Data reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System for 16 notifiable vectorborne diseases during 2004–2016 were analyzed; findings were tabulated by disease, vector type, location, and year.

Results: A total 642,602 cases were reported. The number of annual reports of tickborne bacterial and protozoan diseases more than doubled during this period, from >22,000 in 2004 to >48,000 in 2016. Lyme disease accounted for 82% of all tickborne disease reports during 2004–2016. The occurrence of mosquitoborne diseases was marked by virus epidemics. Transmission in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa accounted for most reports of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus diseases; West Nile virus was endemic, and periodically epidemic, in the continental United States..."
Vectorborne Diseases

African American Members of the United States Congress: 1870-2018

"In total, 153 African Americans have served in Congress. This total includes
  143 African Americans (137 Representatives and 6 Delegates) elected only to the House of Representatives;
 9 African Americans elected or appointed only to the Senate; and
 1 African American who has served in both chambers.

The first African American Members, Senator Hiram Revels of Mississippi and Representative Joseph Rainey of South Carolina, both took the oath of office in 1870. These first two Members were among the 22 African American Members (2 in the Senate, 20 in the House) that began their service in the period of time after the Civil War but prior to the start of the 20th Century. After these first 22, the presence of African Americans in the Membership of Congress was not continuous and there were subsequent periods in both chambers with no African American Members..."
African Americans in Congress

Artificial Intelligence and National Security

"Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a rapidly growing field of technological development with potentially significant implications for national security. As such, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is developing AI applications for a range of military functions. AI research is underway in the fields of intelligence collection and analysis, logistics, cyberspace operations, command and control, and a variety of military autonomous vehicles. AI applications are already playing a role in operations in Iraq and Syria, with algorithms designed to speed up the target identification process. Congressional action has the potential to shape the technology’s trajectory, with fiscal and regulatory decisions potentially influencing growth of national security applications and the standing of military AI development versus international competitors.."
Artificial intelligence and defense