Holiday Online Shopping Safety from CISA

"The holidays are a prime time for hackers, scammers, and online thieves looking to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers. Before starting your online shopping this holiday season, follow these simple steps to stay safe online.

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Holiday Online Shopping Tip – Check Your Devices

Before you begin your holiday shopping, make sure the device you're using is up-to-date.  Get your devices ready with these tips..."
Holiday shopping safety

Healthier Holidays in 1 – 2 – 3!

"Few Americans get enough physical activity, and many don’t eat a healthful diet. The winter holidays can be a great time to think about your goals for the year ahead. Follow these tips to jump start your resolutions, and be your healthiest self this holiday season.

1. Stay active.

Being active is your secret weapon this holiday season. It can help make up for eating more than usual and has many other health benefits.

Walking is a great way to be active. Try these tips to incorporate more walking into your activities:

• Skip the search for a close-up parking spot. Park farther away and walk to your destination.
• Make a few extra laps around the mall. Walk the length of the mall before going into any stores. The mall is also a good place to walk to avoid bad weather.
• Start your work day by taking the stairs. Remember to stretch your legs and take short physical activity breaks throughout the day.

2. Eat healthy.

Healthy eating is all about balance. You can enjoy your favorite foods even if they are high in calories, saturated fat, or added sugars. The key is eating them only once in a while or in small portions and balancing them out with healthier foods.

• If you are traveling this season, take healthy snacks along, like fruit and low-fat protein. That way, you can avoid the temptation of convenience foods high in fat, sugar, and salt.
• If your favorite home recipes call for fried fish or chicken with breading, try healthier baked or grilled variations. Maybe try a recipe that uses dried beans in place of higher-fat meats..."
  Healthy holidays

Artists and Other Cultural Workers A Statistical Portrait

"This omnibus report, Artists and Other Cultural Workers: A Statistical Portrait, extends the range of statistics that the National Endowment for the Arts historically has tracked as part of its decades-long research function. Although the agency periodically reports facts and figures about 11 distinct artist occupations (based on U.S. Census data), this report brings in other job characteristics, other data sources, and even other kinds of cultural workers.

Among key findings are:

1. Regardless of occupation, over 5 million workers are employed in arts and cultural industries. They are all wage-and-salary workers.
  • There are nearly 2.5 million artists in the U.S. labor force (either self-employed or wage-and-salary workers).
 • Approximately 333,000 (self-employed or wage-and-salary) workers hold secondary jobs as artists.
 • Another 1.2 million (self-employed or wage-and-salary) workers hold a primary job in a cultural occupation other than artist.

 2. Artists are 3.6 times as likely as other workers to be self-employed.
  • In 2012-2016, roughly 34 percent of all artists were self-employed. This compares with 9 percent of all workers.
 • Most self-employed artists seem to like their work arrangement: 79 percent say they would not prefer to work for someone else, while 58 percent cite flexible schedules and independence as the main reasons they are self-employed.

3. Artists are becoming a larger share of the U.S. labor force.
  • In 2006, artists composed 1.42 percent of the labor force; by 2017, they were 1.55 percent, representing a 6.1 percent increase.
 • In 2017, the artist unemployment rate hit an 11-year low.
 • As a group, artists currently experience unemployment rates similar to those of all U.S. workers.

4. Faster-than-average growth in employment is projected for set and exhibit designers, actors, producers and directors, and film and video editors.
  • Between 2016 and 2026, annual job openings will have averaged 7,400 for actors and 14,100 for producers and directors. Employment growth in these occupations stems from strong demand for new movies and television shows.
  • Employment of film/video editors is projected to grow at a 17 percent clip. A contributing factor is the number of shows increasingly produced by Internet-only sources and streaming services..."
Artist statistics

Conditon of Education: 2019

"The Condition of Education is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics. The report 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, the report’s Spotlight indicators provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics.

Use this site to browse the report’s indicators or download the full report using the link below.

Download the 2019 Report.."
Education Statistics

Health United: 2018

"Health, United States
Health, United States is an annual report on trends in health statistics.

Health, United States, 2018

Health, United States, 2018 pdf icon[PDF – 10 MB]

• At-a-Glance Table
• Highlightspdf icon
• Chartbookpdf icon
• Trend Tables
• Appendixes

Spotlight Infographic

Spotlight on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Heart Disease (Posted 4/23/19)

• Heart disease deaths
• Heart disease prevalence
• Heat disease risk factors

Click for more infographics

"
Health statistics

Immigration, Citizenship, and the Federal Justice System, 1998-2018

"This report highlights trends in federal arrests and prosecutions by the country of citizenship of persons processed through the federal criminal justice system. It shows changes from 1998 through 2018. The report provides statistics on law enforcement and prosecutions along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as in non-border areas. It shows the number of suspects arrested and prosecuted for both immigration and non-immigration offenses, including by their citizenship status. It details activities for all 94 federal judicial districts, while also separately detailing activities for the 5 districts along the U.S.-Mexico border. (See map on page 6.)

The statistical findings in this report are based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP). The FJSP receives administrative data from six federal justice agencies: the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, U.S. Sentencing Commission, and Federal Bureau of Prisons. BJS links and standardizes this information to maximize comparability and to facilitate analysis across and within agencies over time."
Imigration and citizenship

Burden of TB in the United States

"Too many people in the United States still suffer from TB disease. New 2018 TB surveillance data can help track progress toward elimination, and inform TB prevention and control activities.

Despite being preventable and curable, tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious disease killer. TB affects millions around the world and here in the United States; in every state; in rural areas and cities; in schools, workplaces, homes; and in many other places where people are in close contact.

Ending TB will require a dual approach of maintaining and strengthening current TB control priorities while increasing efforts to identify and treat latent TB infection in high-risk populations. The United States continues to have one of the lowest TB case rates in the world, and the 2018 case count represents the lowest number of TB cases on record.  Still, too many people suffer from TB disease. Many TB survivors like Laura, Tenzin, and Kristi have shared their TB stories to help bring increased awareness to TB disease.

CDC works with state and local partners to achieve the goal of TB elimination in the United States.  One key activity is collecting TB surveillance data to track national progress toward elimination and to inform TB prevention and control activities.  The 2018 edition of Reported Tuberculosis in the United States marks a milestone as the first one to be published exclusively online, to help our audiences discover, view, and share content more easily..."
Tuberculosis

Smokefree Through Generations

"The men and women who are part of CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers^® (Tips) campaign often say they wish they had never started smoking. One of the ads features a woman named Terrie, who tells viewers how much she regrets picking up that first cigarette.

The ad was filmed only three days before Terrie died in 2013. At that time, her daughter Dana was still struggling to quit smoking for good.

“Mom always told me: ‘never stop trying to quit,’” Dana said. She took that advice to heart. After her mother’s death, Dana finally quit for good, using medicines shown to help people quit smoking.

No matter your age, quitting smoking benefits your health. Nearly 7 out of 10 American adults who smoke want to quit, and so many Americans have quit over the years that there are now more people who used to smoke than people who still smoke.^.."
Smokefree

Same-Sex Coupls survey

"This year for the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau’s America’s Families and Living Arrangements table package includes estimates of same-sex couples.

The new tables show there are 543,000 same-sex married households and 469,000 same-sex unmarried partner or cohabiting households. That’s a small number compared to the 61.4 million opposite-sex married and eight million opposite-sex unmarried partner households.

In addition, there are 191,000 children living with two same-sex parents.

The annual release of the table package, which comes from the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement, details the most recent characteristics of families, households and the living arrangements of adults and children in the United States..."
Same-Sex couples

Gettysburg Address

"Perhaps the most famous battle of the Civil War took place at Gettysburg, PA, July 1 to July 3, 1863. At the end of the battle, the Union�s Army of the Potomac had successfully repelled the second invasion of the North by the Confederacy�s Army of Northern Virginia. Several months later, on November 19, 1863, President Lincoln went to Gettysburg to speak at the dedication of the cemetery for the Union war dead. Speaking of a "new birth of freedom," he delivered one of the most memorable speeches in U.S. history..."
Gettysburg Address

Norovirus

"You can help protect yourself and others from norovirus by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water and following other simple prevention tips.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent norovirus; although, this is an area of active research.

Practice proper hand hygiene

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water

• especially after using the toilet or changing diapers
• always before eating, preparing, or handling food, and
• before giving yourself or someone else medicine.

Norovirus can be found in your vomit or poop even before you start feeling sick. The virus can stay in your poop for 2 weeks or more after you feel better. It is important to continue washing your hands often during this time.

You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers in addition to hand washing. But, you should not use hand sanitizer as a substitute for washing your hands with soap and water. Hand sanitizers aren’t as effective as washing hands with soap and water at removing norovirus particles. See “Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives.”.."
Norovirus

Congressional Participation in Litigation: Article III and Legislative Standing

"Houses, committees, and Members of Congress periodically seek to initiate or participate in litigation for various purposes, such as advancing their legislative objectives, challenging alleged transgressions of their legislative prerogatives, or defending core institutional interests. However, the constitutionally based doctrine of “standing” may prevent legislators from pursuing litigation in federal court. The standing doctrine requires a litigant seeking federal judicial relief to demonstrate (1) a concrete and particularized and actual or imminent injury-in-fact (2) that is traceable to the allegedly unlawful actions of the opposing party and (3) that is redressable by a favorable judicial decision. The U.S. Supreme Court and the lower federal courts have issued several important opinions analyzing whether—and under what circumstances—a legislative entity has standing to seek judicial relief.

Although legislative standing jurisprudence defies easy characterization, it is possible to distill several principles from existing precedent. For example, whereas courts commonly allow individual legislators to assert injuries to their own personal interests, following the Supreme Court’s seminal opinion in Raines v. Byrd, lower courts have generally (though not universally) been less willing to permit individual legislators to seek redress for injuries to a house of Congress as a whole, at least in the absence of explicit authorization to do so from the legislative body itself. The Supreme Court’s case Coleman v. Miller is generally understood as setting forth the lone exception, allowing legislators to sue when their vote has been “nullified” by some claimed illegal action. In addition, a congressional plaintiff generally cannot predicate a federal lawsuit solely on a complaint that the executive branch is misapplying or misinterpreting a statute. Legislative plaintiffs, like all litigants, must demonstrate concrete and particularized injury to themselves, as the Supreme Court explained in its recent decision in Virginia House of Delegates v. Bethune-Hill..."
Congressional litigation

Women in Congress, 1917-2019: Service Dates and Committee Assignments by Member, and Lists by State and Congress

"In total 365 women have been elected or appointed to Congress, 247 Democrats and 118 Republicans. These figures include six nonvoting Delegates, one each from Guam, Hawaii, the District of Columbia, and American Samoa, and two from the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as one Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico. Of these 365 women, there have been

 309 (211 Democrats, 98 Republicans) women elected only to the House of Representatives;
 40 (25 Democrats, 15 Republicans) women elected or appointed only to the Senate; and  16 (11 Democrats, 5 Republicans) women who have served in both houses.

A record 131 women were initially sworn in for the 116th Congress. One has since resigned. Of 130 women currently in Congress, there are

 25 in the Senate (17 Democrats and 8 Republicans);
 101 Representatives in the House (88 Democrats and 13 Republicans); and
 4 women in the House (2 Democrats and 2 Republicans) who serve as Delegates or Resident Commissioner, representing the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

This report includes brief biographical information, committee assignments, dates of service, district information, and listings by Congress and state, and (for Representatives) congressional districts of the 365 women who have been elected or appointed to Congress. It will be updated when there are relevant changes in the makeup of Congress.."
Women in Congress

The Impeachment Process in the House of Representatives

"Under the U.S. Constitution, the House of Representatives has the power to formally charge a federal officer with wrongdoing, a process known as impeachment. The House impeaches an individual when a majority agrees to a House resolution containing explanations of the charges. The explanations in the resolution are referred to as “articles of impeachment.” After the House agrees to impeach an officer, the role of the Senate is to conduct a trial to determine whether the charged individual should be removed from office. Removal requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

The House impeachment process generally proceeds in three phases: (1) initiation of the impeachment process; (2) Judiciary Committee investigation, hearings, and markup of articles of impeachment; and (3) full House consideration of the articles of impeachment..."
Impeachment

COPD: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

"Are you often short of breath when doing things such as running errands or climbing stairs? Learn if you are at risk for having COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, makes breathing difficult for the 16 million Americans who have been diagnosed with COPD. Millions more suffer from COPD, but have not been diagnosed and are not being treated. COPD can limit your ability to work or even perform simple daily tasks.

Could you have COPD?

The main cause of COPD is tobacco smoke, so if you smoke or used to smoke, you are at a higher risk of having COPD. Exposure to air pollution in the home or at work, family history, and respiratory infections like pneumonia also increase your risk.

Symptoms of COPD include:

• Frequent coughing or wheezing
• Excess phlegm or sputum
• Shortness of breath
• Trouble taking a deep breath.."
  COPD

Knowing is Not Enough—Act on Your Family Health History

"Has your mother or sister had breast cancer? Does your mother, father, sister, or brother have diabetes? Did your mother, father, brother, or sister have colorectal (colon) cancer before age 50? If you answered “yes,” you are more likely to get the same disease as your parent or sibling and should consider earlier screening. Talk to your doctor about when to start screening and what other steps to take to prevent the disease or find it early. Finding disease early can often mean better health in the long run.

Did you know that Thanksgiving is also National Family History Day? Even if you don’t have a parent or sibling with cancer or diabetes, you might be more likely to get a disease if other people in your family have or had the disease. However, having a family health history of a disease doesn’t mean that you will definitely get it. Knowing your family health history risk can help you—if you act on it. Collecting your family health history is an important first step. Whether you know a lot about your family health history or only a little, take time to talk to your family about their health histories at family gatherings this holiday season. It might not be easy. Your family members might not be used to talking about their diseases or might not want to talk. But starting the conversation is important. Remember, you’re asking not just for your own health, but for the health of everyone in your family.

How to Collect Your Family Health History

• Talk to your family. Write down the names of your close relatives from both sides of the family: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Talk to these family members about what conditions they have or had, and at what age the conditions were first diagnosed. You might think you know about all of the conditions in your parents or siblings, but you might find out more information if you ask.
• Ask questions. To find out about your risk for chronic diseases, ask your relatives about which of these diseases they have had and when they were diagnosed. Questions can include:
  • Do you have any chronic diseases, such as heart disease or diabetes, or health conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol?
  • Have you had any other serious diseases, such as cancer or stroke? What type of cancer?
  • How old were you when each of these diseases or health conditions was diagnosed? (If your relative doesn’t remember the exact age, knowing the approximate age is still useful.)
  • What is your family’s ancestry? From what countries or regions did your ancestors come to the United States?
  • What were the causes and ages of death for relatives who have died?
• Record the information and update it whenever you learn new family health history information. My Family Health Portrait, a free web-based tool, is helpful in organizing the information in your family health history. My Family Health Portrait allows you to share this information easily with your doctor and other family members.
• Share family health history information with your doctor and other family members. If you are concerned about diseases that are common in your family, talk with your doctor at your next visit. Even if you don’t know all of your family health history information, share what you do know. Family health history information, even if incomplete, can help your doctor decide which screening tests you need and when those tests should start..."
  Family health

Prevent Domestic Violence in Your Community

"Intimate partner violence is a serious public health problem that affects millions of Americans.

Intimate partner violence, also known as domestic violence, is abuse or aggression that occurs in a close relationship.

• • An Intimate partner can be a current or former spouse or a dating partner.
  • This type of violence can occur among heterosexual or same-sex couples and does not require sexual intimacy.
  • Intimate partner violence might happen one time or happen many times over a period of years.

Intimate Partner Violence Is Common

• About 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime and reported at least one impact of the violence (like being concerned for their safety).
• Over 43 million women and about 38 million men experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime
• See more data from CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS)..."
  Domestic violence

Influenza Prevention: Information for Travelers

"The risk for exposure to influenza during travel depends somewhat on the time of year and destination.

• In the Northern Hemisphere, the flu season can begin as early as October and can last as late as April or May.
• In the temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere, influenza activity typically occurs during April – September.
• In the tropics, influenza activity occurs throughout the year.
• Travelers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres can be exposed to influenza during months that fall outside of those listed above, especially when traveling as part of large tourist groups (e.g., on cruise ships) that include people from areas of the world where influenza viruses are circulating.

CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine yearly.

• Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine yearly, preferably in the fall before the U.S. flu season begins..."
  Influenza

2018 Hate Crime Statistics

"The number of hate crime incidents reported to the FBI decreased slightly from 2017 to 2018, according to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s annual Hate Crime Statistics report, released today.

Law enforcement reported 7,120 hate crimes to the FBI’s UCR Program last year, down slightly from the 7,175 incidents reported the previous year.

There were 7,036 single-bias hate crimes reported to UCR in 2018. From those incidents, there were 8,646 victims.

The majority of the reported hate crimes were motivated by race, ethnicity, or ancestry bias (59.6 percent). Additional biases included religion (18.7 percent), sexual orientation (16.7 percent), gender identity (2.2 percent), disability (2.1 percent), and gender (0.7 percent).

The report, Hate Crime Statistics, 2018, includes hate crime information for last year. The data is broken down by location, offenders, bias types, and victims.

More than 16,000 law enforcement agencies reported their hate crime statistics to the FBI last year. The FBI has been working with law enforcement across the country to encourage reporting of hate crime statistics. Reporting hate crime data to the UCR Program helps the public and researchers gain a more accurate picture of hate crimes. It also allows law enforcement to develop data-focused approaches to combating hate crimes.

Hate crimes are the highest investigative priority of the FBI’s civil rights program.

Full report: Hate Crime Statistics, 2018.."
Hate crime

Drowsy Driving: Asleep at the Wheel

"The Drowsy Driving Problem

Drowsy driving is a major problem in the United States. The risk, danger, and often tragic results of drowsy driving are alarming. Drowsy driving is the dangerous combination of driving and sleepiness or fatigue. This usually happens when a driver has not slept enough, but it can also happen because of untreated sleep disorders, medications, drinking alcohol, or shift work.

No one knows the exact moment when sleep comes over their body. Falling asleep at the wheel is clearly dangerous, but being sleepy affects your ability to drive safely even if you don’t fall asleep. Drowsiness—

• Makes you less able to pay attention to the road.
• Slows reaction time if you have to brake or steer suddenly.
• Affects your ability to make good decisions.

Did You Know?

• An estimated 1 in 25 adult drivers (aged 18 or older) report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days.^1,2
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving was responsible for 72,000 crashes, 44,000 injuries, and 800 deaths in 2013.³ However, these numbers are underestimated, and up to 6,000 fatal crashes each year may be caused by drowsy drivers.^.."
  Drowsy driving

Protect Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus

"RSV usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms, but it can lead to serious illness, especially for infants and older adults. Wash your hands often to help protect yourself and others from RSV.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, can cause severe lung infections, including bronchiolitis (infection of small airways in the lungs) and pneumonia (an infection of the lungs). Each year in the United States, more than 57,000 children younger than 5 years old are hospitalized due to RSV infection. Additionally, about 177,000 older adults are hospitalized annually with an RSV infection, and about 14,000 of them die from it.

Those who have a higher risk for severe illness caused by RSV include:

• Young infants (<6 age="" li="" months="" of="">
• Premature babies
• Older adults, especially those 65 years and older
• People with chronic lung disease or certain heart problems
• People with weakened immune systems, such as from HIV infection, organ transplants, or specific medical treatments like chemotherapy.."
  Respiratory syncytial virus