Lupus Awareness

"Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in different parts of the body. An autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks itself. 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, so early diagnosis and treatment by a rheumatologist are important. A rheumatologist is a doctor who has additional training and experience in the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis, lupus, and other diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones.

Lupus Health Disparities

Systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, is a type of lupus that can affect multiple organs. SLE occurs more in women and minorities, especially blacks, and symptoms can range from mild to life threatening. In a study examining death rates among people with lupus, blacks had higher rates of death than whites, and had significantly higher rates of death from the time of diagnosis. Among those with SLE, blacks were significantly younger when they died than whites (average age of 52 vs. 64 years). Early diagnosis of SLE and proper treatment are critical to preventing long-term consequences of the disease.

Signs and Symptoms of Lupus

People with SLE can have many different symptoms, including:

• Fatigue or extreme exhaustion no matter how much they sleep.
• Joint pain or swelling.
• Skin rashes (in particular a butterfly-shaped face rash across the cheeks and nose).
• Hair loss.
• Recurring mouth sores..."
  Lupus

Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III Makes Statement on Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

"Two years ago, the Acting Attorney General asked me to serve as Special Counsel, and he created the Special Counsel’s Office.

The appointment order directed the office to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.  This included investigating any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign.

I have not spoken publicly during our investigation.  I am speaking today because our investigation is complete. The Attorney General has made the report on our investigation largely public.  And we are formally closing the Special Counsel’s Office.  As well, I am resigning from the Department of Justice and returning to private life.

I’ll make a few remarks about the results of our work.  But beyond these few remarks, it is important that the office’s written work speak for itself..."
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller

Vision Health for Millennials

"Although eye problems can feel like a long way off, take simple steps today to protect your vision for the future. 

Vision problems develop most often in older people, so if you’re a millennial aged 25 to 35, eye trouble can seem like a long way off. But it may be closer than you think. In 2015, more than 12 million Americans over 40 had vision and eye problems, a number projected to double by 2050. Many millennials will find themselves included in that statistic. ¹ 

Whether you’re looking forward to the view from the corner office or setting your sights on the Eiffel Tower, take simple steps now to protect your vision for the future.

• Give your eyes a rest. Phones, television, computers – screens are all around us, all day long. Practice the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet in front of you.
• Protect your eyes – at work and at play. Wear protective eyewear that blocks 99-100% of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation when playing sports or doing activities outside such as yard work. Also protect your eyes from injury when doing work around the home, such as home repairs. To make sure you have the right kind of protective eyewear and you’re using it correctly, talk with your eye doctor.
• Eat right to protect your sight. Eat plenty of dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens and fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, albacore tuna, trout, and halibut.
• Quit smoking or never start.
• Use contact lenses safely. Wash your hands before handling your contacts and keep them clean to avoid infection.
• Get plenty of physical activity to boost your mood, reduce stress, and help you stay at a healthy weight. This can prevent the development of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, which can lead to diabetic eye diseases and vision loss.
• Know your family’s eye health history. It’s important to know if your parents, grandparents, or others in your family have been diagnosed with an eye disease or condition, since some are hereditary.
• Get eye exams as recommended by your eye doctor..."
  Millennials and vision

CDC’s Tracking Network in Action: Extreme Heat

"CDC’s Tracking Network in Action: Extreme Heat

Español (Spanish)

Extremely hot weather can make you sick. Stay cool and hydrated to protect yourself. The Tracking Network provides data and tools that you can use to see how extreme heat may affect your health.

CDC’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network) is a dynamic surveillance system that provides information and data about environmental hazards and the health problems that may be related to them. It presents what we know about where environmental hazards exist, where exposures happen, and how targeted action can protect health, reduce illness, and save lives. The Tracking Network is a unique resource that brings together environmental and health information that cannot be found, or is hard to find, anywhere else.

Extreme Heat and Your Health

Extreme heat events, or heat waves, are one of the leading causes of weather-related deaths in the United States. When temperatures rise in the summer, extremely hot weather can cause sickness or even death. Heat stress is heat-related illness caused by your body’s inability to cool down properly. The body normally cools itself by sweating. But under some conditions, sweating just isn’t enough. In such cases, a person’s body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures may damage the brain or other vital organs..."
Extreme heat

Legislative Purpose and Adviser Immunity in Congressional Investigations

"The Trump Administration has recently questioned the legal validity of numerous investigative demands made by House committees. These objections have been based on various grounds, but two specific arguments will be addressed in this Sidebar. First, the President and other Administration officials have contended that certain committee demands lack a valid “legislative purpose” and therefore do not fall within Congress’s investigative authority. This objection has been made not only in response to investigations seeking information relating to the President’s personal finances, including his financialrecords and federal tax returns, but also to challenge a subpoena issued by the House Judiciary Committee for the complete version of Special Counsel Mueller’s report along with underlying evidence and materials. Second, the President has made a more generalized claim that his advisers cannot be made to testify before Congress, even in the face of a committee subpoena. This position, based upon the executive branch’s longstanding conception of immunity for presidential advisers from compelled congressional testimony regarding their official duties, was recently put into effect by the White House in a letter announcing that the President directed former White House counsel Don McGahn not to appear at a scheduled House Judiciary Committee hearing. The letter asserted that Mr. McGahn, now a private citizen, “is absolutely immune from compelled congressional testimony with respect to matters occurring during his service as a senior adviser to the President.”.."
Congressional investigations

Mueller Report

Via Digital Public Library of America
"Mueller Report

The Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election, or the Mueller Report, is now freely available in ebook format to read on your phone or tablet by downloading below or using the Open Bookshelf collection in the SimplyE App (iOS or Android)

Download the Mueller Report EbookDPLA’s Ebook work and the production of the Mueller Report ebook has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. SimplyE was developed by The New York Public Library. To learn more about Open Bookshelf and other DPLA ebooks offerings, visit ebooks.dp.la.."
Mueller Report

Foreign Intelligence Law Collection

Via Georgetown University Law Center, Foreign Intelligence Law Collection
"Professor Laura K. Donohue, the Agnes N. Williams Research Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, in collaboration with the Georgetown University Edward Bennett Williams Law Library, has developed a collection of the most important primary and secondary resources pertaining to U.S. foreign intelligence law and national security.

The collection includes foreign intelligence-related statutory and regulatory instruments; the legislative histories for statutory changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA); publicly available and declassified opinions and orders issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review (FISCR); FISA-related cases in non-specialized Article III courts; statutorily-required reports on the operation of FISA and formal correspondence between FISC and Congress; FISC/FISCR Rules of Procedure; and an annotated bibliography of secondary sources related to FISA, FISC/FISCR, and foreign intelligence law.

This website is meant as a resource for the judiciary, clerks, members of Congress and their staff, lawyers, scholars, journalists, students, companies, members of the public, and anyone with an interest in or need to understand the legal framework for U.S. foreign intelligence collection..."
Foreign Intelligence

Condition of Education: 2019

"The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated annual report summarizing important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The 2019 Condition of Education report presents 48 indicators on topics ranging from prekindergarten through postsecondary education, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. Also included in the report are 2 Spotlight indicators that provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics.

Online Availability: Browse this document. Download, view and print the report as a pdf file.  (13.9MB)..."Condition of Education

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 pressure³ and 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.

DHDS is

• Interactive – An online, easy-to-use data tool that provides state and national level data on approximately 30 health topics for adults with disabilities.
• Customizable – You can explore data by indicator (e.g., health topic) or by location, then customize maps, charts, and tables, making it easy to view information for your state..."
  Disability and health

National Missing Children’s Day 2019

"When a 13-year-old North Carolina girl went missing last fall, the FBI and state and local partners worked quickly to locate her—more than 900 miles from home in Oklahoma. The man who lured the girl away was arrested and is facing state charges. The girl was returned to her family.

Sadly, though, not every missing child is found. Many of the children on the FBI’s Kidnappings & Missing Persons webpage have been missing for months or years. In recognition of National Missing Children’s Day—held every year on May 25—take a look at the faces of the missing children seen here and contact law enforcement if you have any information that might bring them home to their families.

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children Program works with federal, state, local, tribal, and international partners to help identify and locate child victims. The FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Teams provide support to law enforcement in the critical hours immediately after a child is abducted, especially by a non-family member. The FBI also works with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Childrenand contributes to international task forces that investigate crimes against children..."
Missing children

Jail Inmates in 2017

"Presents data on inmates confined in local jails from 2005 to 2017, including population counts and incarceration rates, inmate demographic characteristics and conviction status, admissions, jail capacity, and inmate turnover rates. Findings are based on data from BJS's Annual Survey of Jails and Census of Jail Inmates. Unlike prisons, jails are locally administered correctional facilities that typically house inmates with a sentence of one year or less, inmates pending arraignment, and individuals awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing.

Highlights:

• County and city jails held 745,200 inmates at midyear 2017, down from 780,200 at midyear 2007.
• The jail incarceration rate declined from 259 inmates per 100,000 U.S. residents at midyear 2007 to 229 per 100,000 at midyear 2017, a 12% decrease.
• In 2017, males were incarcerated in jail at a rate (394 per 100,000 male U.S. residents) 5.7 times that of females (69 per 100,000 female U.S. residents).
• In 2017, jails reported 10.6 million admissions, a 19% decline from 2007.
• The estimated average time in jail in 2017 was 26 days..."
  Jail inmates

Prisoners in 2017

"Presents final counts of prisoners under the jurisdiction of state and federal correctional authorities at year-end 2017 and includes findings on admissions, releases, and imprisonment rates. Selected findings on prisoner demographic and offense characteristics, non-U.S. citizen inmates, prisoners age 17 or younger, 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 corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Highlights:

• The imprisonment rate for sentenced prisoners under state or federal jurisdiction decreased 2.1% from 2016 to 2017 (from 450 to 440 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents) and 13% from 2007 to 2017 (from 506 to 440 per 100,000).
• The number of prisoners under state or federal jurisdiction decreased by 18,700 (down 1.2%), from 1,508,100 at year-end 2016 to 1,489,400 at year-end 2017.
• The federal prison population decreased by 6,100 prisoners from year-end 2016 to year-end 2017 (down 3%), accounting for one-third of the overall change in the U.S. prison population.
• More than half (55%) of state prisoners were serving sentences for violent offenses at year-end 2016, the most recent year for which data are available..."
  Prisoners

Source And Use Of Firearms Involved In Crimes: Survey Of Prison Inmates, 2016

"Presents statistics that describe firearm possession of state and federal prisoners who were serving a sentence in 2016. The report describes firearm possession during the crime for which prisoners were serving time and by type of offense; how the firearm was used during the crime; type of firearm possessed; and methods, sources, and processes of obtaining the firearm. Findings are based on BJS's 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates (SPI), formerly known as the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities. The SPI self-report data were collected through face-to-face interviews with a national sample of state and federal prisoners.

Highlights:

• About 21% of state and 20% of federal prisoners said they possessed a gun during their offense, while 79% of state and 80% of federal prisoners did not.
• About 29% of state and 36% of federal prisoners serving time for a violent offense possessed a gun during the offense.
• About 1.3% of prisoners obtained a gun from a retail source and used it during their offense.
• Handguns were the most common type of firearm possessed by state and federal prisoners (18% each); 11% of all prisoners used a handgun.
• Among prisoners who possessed a gun during their offense, 90% did not obtain it from a retail source..."
  Firearms use

Physical Activity for People with Disabilities

"Everybody needs physical activity for good health. Most adults with disabilities are able to participate in physical activity, yet nearly half of them do not get any aerobic physical activity.¹ Learn how people with disabilities can find their own path to physical activity.

Physical activity plays an important role in maintaining health, well-being, and quality of life. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition pdf icon[1.9 MB]external icon, physical activity can help control weight, improve mental health, and lower the risk for early death, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. For people with disabilities, physical activity also can help support daily living activities and independence. All adults, with and without disabilities, need at least 2.5 hours per week of aerobic physical activity, at a moderate-intensity level, to gain many of these benefits.

People with Disabilities

One in four U.S. adults is living with a disability,² including

• Serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs
• Deafness or serious difficulty hearing
• Blindness or serious difficulty seeing
• Serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
• Difficulty doing errands alone
• Difficulty dressing or bathing

Adults with disabilities are more likely to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer than adults without disabilities.³Physical activity can help reduce the impact of these chronic diseases. Disability does not have to equal poor health. Most adults with disabilities are able to participate in regular physical activity; however, nearly half of all adults with disabilities do not get any aerobic physical activity..."
Disability and exercise

E. coli and Food Safety

"ALERT: CDC, USDA-FSIS, and several states are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O103 infections from ground beef. Handle ground beef safely and cook it thoroughly to prevent illness. If you have symptoms of E. coli (severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting), talk to your healthcare provider.

Although most kinds of E. coli are harmless, some can make you sick. Learn about the kinds of E. coli that cause diarrhea, and what you can do to help lower your chances of infection.

What are Escherichia coli?

Escherichia coli (abbreviated E. coli) are bacteria found in the intestines of people and animals and in the environment; they can also be found in foods.

Most E. coli are harmless and are part of a healthy intestinal tract. However, some cause diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illness, bloodstream infections, and other illnesses. The types of E. coli that can cause illness are spread through contaminated food or water and through contact with animals or people..."
E. coli

Healthy and Safe Swimming

"Pools, hot tubs/spas, 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 increase the health benefits when we each do our part to decrease the risks of illness and injury.

Share the Fun, Not the Germs!

Swimming is a fun way to be 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. This can make other swimmers sick if they swallow a mouthful of contaminated water..."
Healthy swimming

Hepatitis A Outbreaks: What You Should Know

"Widespread outbreaks of hepatitis A are occurring across the United States. Vaccinating people at risk can stop the spread. For Hepatitis Awareness Month, learn more about hepatitis A and the current outbreaks.

When hearing about hepatitis A, many people think of contaminated food or water. That is one way the virus can spread and a common way international travelers get infected. However, most people don’t know that in the United States, hepatitis A is more commonly spread from person to person, which is how people are getting infected in the current outbreaks. While hepatitis A can affect anyone, certain groups are at greater risk of being infected in these outbreaks. To help stop the outbreaks, CDC recommends the hepatitis A vaccine for people who use drugs (including drugs that are not injected), people experiencing homelessness, men who have sex with men, people with liver disease, and people who are or were recently in jail or prison..."

Hepatitis A

UV Radiation

"Taking steps to protect yourself from the sun is a year-round responsibility. Protect yourself and others from the sun with shade, a shirt, or sunblock (SPF 15+) all year long.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation that is emitted by the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds. While it has some benefits for people, including the creation of Vitamin D, it also can cause health risks.

• Our natural source of UV radiation:
  • The sun
• Some artificial sources of UV radiation include:
  • Tanning beds
  • Mercury vapor lighting (often found in stadiums and school gyms)
  • Some halogen, fluorescent, and incandescent lights
  • Some types of lasers

What are the different types of UV radiation rays?

UV radiation is classified into three primary types: ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC). These groups are based on the measure of their wavelength, which is measured in nanometers (nm= 0.000000001 meters or 1×10-9 meters).

Wave Type	UVA	UVB	UVC
Wavelength	315- 399 nm	280-314 nm	100-279 nm
Absorption Level	Not absorbed by the ozone layer	Mostly absorbed by the ozone layer, but some does reach the Earth’s surface..."	Completely absorbed by the ozone layer and atmosphere

Radiation

Entity List

"Supplement No. 4 to Part 744 of the Export Administration Regulations  This document is formatted and provided by BIS as a convenience to the public. However, it does not constitute the official version of the Entity List and may not include recent changes and amendments. To ensure that you are relying on the official version of the Regulations, please visit the Code of Federal Regulations.

General Description

The Export Administration Regulations (EAR) contain a list of names of certain foreign persons – including businesses, research institutions, government and private organizations, individuals, and other types of legal persons – that are subject to specific license requirements for the export, reexport and/or transfer (in-country) of specified items. These persons comprise the Entity List, which is found in Supplement No. 4 to Part 744 of the EAR. On an individual basis, the persons on the Entity List are subject to licensing requirements and policies supplemental to those found elsewhere in the EAR.

License Requirements Imposed by the Entity List

The Entity List specifies the license requirements that it imposes on each listed person. Those license requirements are independent of, and in addition to, license requirements imposed elsewhere in the EAR. For example, if you want to export, reexport or transfer (in-country) an EAR99 item to a listed entity and the license requirements for that person as specified in the “License Requirement” column of the Entity List state “all items subject to the EAR,” you would have to obtain a license before exporting, reexporting or transferring (in-country) the item, even if the EAR99 item could otherwise be sent to the country of destination without a license provided the proposed end-use does not trigger another license requirement under Part 744 of the EAR.

Note also that provisions of the EAR other than the Commerce Control List (Supplement No. 1 to Part 774 of the EAR) (CCL) and the Entity List impose license requirements on exports, reexports and transfers (in-country) of items subject to the EAR. See, for example, the end-use requirements in Part 744 or the embargo and special destination requirements in Part 746, and note that if any of these parts impose a license requirement, you would have to obtain a license prior to the export, reexport or transfer (in-country) of the item..."

Entity list

Homestead Act

"Passed on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act accelerated the settlement of the western territory by granting adult heads of families 160 acres of surveyed public land for a minimal filing fee and 5 years of continuous residence on that land.."
Homestead

A Nation of Hypertension Control Champions

"A Nation of Hypertension Control Champions

Since 2012, the Million Hearts^® Hypertension Control Champions have shared valuable lessons for clinicians, practices, and health systems that want to improve blood pressure control among their patients. Read on to learn how the Champions achieved their remarkable success in hypertension control. Find strategies that can work in your practice to prevent and manage hypertension and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Who Are the Hypertension Control Champions?

The Million Hearts^® Hypertension Control Challenge recognizes practices, clinicians, and health systems that have used creative strategies and evidence-based practices to achieve hypertension control rates of at least 80% for their patient populations. Since 2012, Million Hearts^® has recognized 101 Hypertension Control Champions across the nation for their excellence in meeting—and often exceeding—high benchmarks in blood pressure control.

From 2012-2017 Million Hearts^® recognized clinicians who had achieved hypertension control rates in their patient populations of at least 70%. Given the incredible successes in reaching this goal the benchmark was increased to an 80% control rate in 2018.

Hypertension Control Champions represent the breadth of the health care field, from small, independent, or rural practices to large urban health systems and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Champions use innovations in health information technology, patient communication, team-based care, and other strategies to reduce the risk of heart attack, heart disease, stroke, and other dangerous conditions for millions of people in the United States..."
Hypertension

Physical Activity Helps Arthritis Pain

"Learn how physical activity can ease arthritis pain over time.

For many adults with arthritis, severe joint pain reduces their quality of life and limits what activities they do. Physical activity programs can help reduce arthritis pain.

Physical Activity Programs to Reduce Arthritis Pain

About 15 million US adults with arthritis report having severe joint pain. That is pain at a seven or higher on a scale of zero (no pain) to ten (as bad as it can be). Joint pain can interfere with daily activities such as:

• Carrying groceries
• Holding a cup
• Walking to the car

Physical activity can be a good way to manage and reduce arthritis pain. CDC promotes several evidence-based physical activity programsthat can help reduce arthritis pain. These programs use low-impact, arthritis-appropriate exercises and include activities such as:

• Walking
• Biking
• Swimming

These programs can help adults with arthritis of all fitness levels engage in physical activity. For adults with arthritis and severe joint pain, providers can recommend a staged approach to gradually increase physical activity.

Self-management education workshops such as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) can also help adults with arthritis learn strategies to manage pain in daily life.

For a full list and descriptions of recommended and promising physical activity and self-management education workshops, visit the CDC Arthritis Program’s Lifestyle Management Programs page.."
Arthritis and pain

Congress’s Contempt Power and the Enforcement of Congressional Subpoenas: Law, History, Practice, and Procedure

"Congress’s contempt power is the means by which Congress responds to certain acts that in its view obstruct the legislative process. Contempt may be used either to coerce compliance, to punish the contemnor, and/or to remove the obstruction. Although arguably any action that directly obstructs the effort of Congress to exercise its constitutional powers may constitute a contempt, in recent times the contempt power has most often been employed in response to noncompliance with a duly issued congressional subpoena—whether in the form of a refusal to appear before a committee for purposes of providing testimony, or a refusal to produce requested documents.

Congress has three formal methods by which it can combat non-compliance with a duly issued subpoena. Each of these methods invokes the authority of a separate branch of government. First, the long dormant inherent contempt power permits Congress to rely on its own constitutional authority to detain and imprison a contemnor until the individual complies with congressional demands. Second, the criminal contempt statute permits Congress to certify a contempt citation to the executive branch for the criminal prosecution of the contemnor. Finally, Congress may rely on the judicial branch to enforce a congressional subpoena. Under this procedure, Congress may seek a civil judgment from a federal court declaring that the individual in question is legally obligated to comply with the congressional subpoena..."
Congress's Contempt Power