October is National Protect Your Hearing Month!

"There is no cure for hearing loss! The good news? You can prevent noise-induced hearing loss by protecting your hearing. Avoid loud noise whenever possible and turn down the volume on personal listening devices. If you can’t avoid loud noise, use earplugs or noise-cancelling earmuffs to protect your ears.

If you suspect you may already have hearing loss, take steps to keep it from getting worse. Get your hearing checked.

CDC supports National Protect Your Hearing Month (#NPYHM). It is an annual event each October to provide an opportunity to raise awareness about hearing and speech problems, encouraging people to think about their own hearing, and to get their hearing checked if they think there might be a problem.

Early identification and intervention for hearing loss is important. Many people live with unidentified hearing loss, often failing to realize that they are missing certain sounds and words. Checking one’s hearing would be the first step towards addressing the issue...
Hearing 

Diabetes and Nerve Damage

"High blood sugar can lead to nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy. You can prevent it or slow its progress by keeping your blood sugar as close to your target range as possible and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Managing your blood sugar is an essential part of your diabetes care plan. Not only does it help you with day-to-day wellness, it can help prevent serious health problems down the road.

Nerve damage is one possible complication from having high blood sugar levels for a long time. High blood sugar damages your nerves, and these nerves may stop sending messages to different parts of your body. Nerve damage can cause health problems ranging from mild numbness to pain that makes it hard to do normal activities.

Half of all people with diabetes have nerve damage. The good news is that you can help prevent or delay it by keeping your blood sugar as close to your target levels as possible. When you do this, you’ll also have more energy, and you’ll feel better!

Symptoms of nerve damage usually develop slowly, so it’s important to notice your symptoms early so you can take action to prevent it from getting more serious...
Diabetes and nerve damage 

The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline

"Introduction
 During the course of a presidential election year, the election process for the President and Vice President goes forward within a familiar timeline of events. At the same time these events are taking place, a related series of procedures that governs the actions of the electoral college progresses on a parallel track. This report focuses on the electoral college timeline for the 2020 presidential election. For additional information on the electoral college in today’s presidential election process, see CRS Report RL32611, The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections, by Thomas H. Neale. 

Presidential Elections: The Nomination and Election Campaign Timeline

In a presidential election year, campaigns for the nation’s highest offices include a number of sequential processes and events that take place over a period that may begin years before election day. Broadly defined, these include the informal campaign of candidate declarations, fundraising, organizing, and intraparty debates (various start times through February of the election year); the formal nomination campaign, in which candidates contest nominating caucuses and primaries (February-July); the national party conventions, where the presidential and vice presidential candidates are nominated (July-August); the general election campaign (August-November), including presidential and vice presidential debates (SeptemberOctober); and general election day, November 3, 2020.

The Electoral College Timeline: May 2020-January 6, 2021

During the election campaign, a series of events related to the electoral college’s operations proceeds on a parallel timeline, which overlaps both the nomination and general election timelines. It includes nomination of candidates for the office of elector; choice of the electors by the voters on general election day; ascertainment of the results in the states; meetings and votes by electors in their respective states; and reporting the results as directed by law. It culminates with the joint session of Congress at which the electoral votes are counted and the President and Vice President are declared to be elected. The electoral college timeline is governed by the U.S. Code at 3 U.S.C. §§1-18, the Twelfth and Twentieth Amendments to the Constitution, and state laws and political party rules..."
Electoral College 

Keep on Your Feet—Preventing Older Adult Falls

"Falls are common and costly, especially among Americans age 65 and older. But falls are preventable and do not have to be an inevitable part of aging.

Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) suffers a fall in the U.S.—making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in this age group. One out of four older adults will fall each year in the United States, making falls a public health concern, particularly among the aging population.

Facts About Older Adult Falls

• About 36 million older adults fall each year—resulting in more than 32,000 deaths.
• Each year, about 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for a fall injury.
• One out of every five falls causes an injury, such as broken bones or a head injury.
• Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
• More than 95% of hip fracturesexternal icon are caused by falling—usually by falling sideways.
• Women fall more often than men and account for three-quarters of all hip fractures.

What You Can Do

Falls are not a normal part of aging. You can keep on your feet and avoid the risk of a fall. Take steps to stay safe and independent longer. Learn what you can do to reduce your chances of falling pdf icon[PDF – 2,367 KB].

A great first step is reading CDC’s Stay Independent brochure pdf icon[PDF – 1,769 KB]. Complete the questionnaire, if you score four or more points, you may be at higher risk for falling.
Older adult falls 

COVID-19 Liability: Tort, Workplace Safety, and Securities Law

" Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still unfolding, a number of plaintiffs have already filed lawsuits seeking compensation for COVID-19-related injuries. Some stakeholders have expressed concern that the risk of COVID-19-related lawsuits threatens a range of businesses and other entities with substantial financial losses. Those stakeholders claim that this risk may discourage these entities from reopening and adversely affect the economy as the nation attempts to emerge from the pandemic. Some observers are therefore urging Congress to pass legislation insulating businesses, schools, and other organizations from COVID-19-related liability. Others, however, claim that the risk of potential liability arising from COVID-19 is actually minimal, and that enacting a COVID-19 liability shield would remove entities’ legal incentives to take steps to prevent the spread of the disease.

Some of the COVID-19-related lawsuits that plaintiffs have filed so far allege that the defendant caused the plaintiff to contract COVID-19 by failing to take reasonable steps to prevent the spread of the disease, such as requiring employees and customers to wear personal protective equipment and enforcing social distancing. These lawsuits generally raise state law tort causes of action, such as negligence or medical malpractice. While several federal and state laws and legal doctrines may limit some entities’ exposure to COVID-19-related tort liability, some stakeholders maintain that existing legal provisions do not adequately protect defendants. Several Members of the 116th Congress have therefore introduced bills proposing to insulate defendants from COVID-19-related tort liability under specified conditions. These bills raise an array of legal and practical questions that Congress may want to consider..
COVID-19 liability 

Take a Bite Out of Rabies!

"September 28 is World Rabies Day. Established in 2007, it aims to raise awareness about rabies and help the world come together to fight this dreadful, neglected disease. The theme for 2020 is ‘End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate,’ focusing on:

• Elimination of rabies spread by dogs to reach zero human deaths by 2030.
• Collaboration at all levels to eliminate rabies globally, because it knows no borders.
• Vaccination as a cornerstone of rabies prevention and control efforts.

In the United States, rabies deaths are very rare thanks to successful animal control and vaccination programs. But around the world, rabies kills more than 59,000 people every year. The most affected countries are in Africa and Asia, and almost half of the victims are children under the age of 15.

The good news is that rabies can be prevented through vaccination of both animals and people. On World Rabies Day, we can renew our commitment to eliminate human rabies deaths. This year’s theme is “End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate.” You can help by keeping pets up to date on their rabies vaccination, and  collaborating with doctors, veterinarians, educators, community workers, policy makers, and others in your community to raise awareness around rabies prevention and control..."
Rabies 

Farm Safety and Health

"America’s hardworking farmers provide food security for our citizens. Many of our meals, clothes and medicines are made with homegrown products. Agriculture employs millions of Americans, and that work involves some unique challenges. The storage silos, heavy equipment and chemicals that are necessary for agricultural work can be dangerous, which is why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages all agricultural workers to be aware of potential hazards and how to avoid them.

Farm Safety and Health Week, observed every year during the third week of September, provides an opportunity to reflect on practices to keep agricultural workers safe and healthy all year round.

OSHA has guidance on avoiding hazards related to agricultural operations, including grain bins and silos, hazardous equipment, extreme heat, and pesticides. This year the agency also released tips on reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19, including:

• Staying 6 feet or more away from other people, if possible.
• Wearing a cloth face covering and gloves.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water, or using hand sanitizer.
• Avoiding sharing tools, if possible.
• Disinfecting tools before and after using them.

Public service announcements are available in English and Spanish to raise awareness about farmworker safety..."
Farm safety and health 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: An Overview

"The Civil Rights Act of 1964, comprised of eleven titles and numerous sections, has been called the “most comprehensive undertaking” to prevent and address discrimination in a wide range of contexts. 

From discriminatory voter registration practices to racial segregation in business establishments and public schools, the Civil Rights Act of 1964enacted new prohibitions and protections targeting discriminatory conduct in different forms and diverse contexts. The act not only created new statutory rights, but also designed distinct methods of enforcing these rights, and established federal entities responsible for the enforcement or facilitation of these protections as well. “In our time,” the Supreme Court has stated, “few pieces of federal legislation rank in significance.”

Although the titles address discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was principally a legislative response to ongoing and pervasive conditions of racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. Such conditions included the enforced exclusion of black citizens from a host of services and establishments affecting much of daily life: public libraries, public parks and recreation systems, public schools and colleges, restaurants, hotels, businesses, performance halls, hospitals and medical facilities, and any other setting designated as “white-only.” Legislative history reflects that Titles II, III, IV, and VI, for example, were enacted to address these forms of race-based segregation and discrimination.

Though its titles share a thematic focus on discrimination, the 1964 Act—from a legal perspective—is perhaps best understood as a series of unique and distinct statutes.The titles vary in terms of the actions and practices they prohibit, whether and how an individual may seek relief for the violation of a title’s requirements, and available remedies for particular violations. Relatedly, where provisions of a title are enforced in federal courts, they have given rise to distinct lines of case law, questions of interpretation, and application. Federal courts have also interpreted the titles as having been enacted on different constitutional bases—the Commerce Clause, the Spending Clause, and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments..."
Civil Rights Act 1964 

Cybercrime and the Law: Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the 116th Congress

"The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), 18 U.S.C. § 1030, is a civil and criminal cybercrime law prohibiting a variety of computer-related conduct. Although sometimes described as an anti-hacking law, the CFAA is much broaderin scope. Indeed, it prohibits seven categories of conduct including, with certain exceptions and conditions:

1. Obtaining national security information through unauthorized computer access and sharing or retaining it; 2. Obtaining certain types of information through unauthorized computer access;
3. Trespassing in a government computer;
4. Engaging in computer-based frauds through unauthorized computer access;
5. Knowingly causing damage to certain computers by transmission of a program, information, code, or command;
6. Trafficking in passwords or other means of unauthorized access to a computer; 7. Making extortionate threats to harm a computer or based on information obtained through unauthorized access to a computer..."
Cybercrime and the law 

Supreme Court Appointment Process: President’s Selection of a Nominee

"The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises as the highest appellate court in the federal judiciary. Appointments are usually infrequent, as a vacancy on the nine-member Court may occur only once or twice, or never at all, during a particular President’s years in office. Under the Constitution, Justices on the Supreme Court receive what can amount to lifetime appointments which, by constitutional design, helps ensure the Court’s independence from the President and Congress.

The procedure for appointing a Justice is provided for by the Constitution in only a few words. The “Appointments Clause” (Article II, Section 2, clause 2) states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint ... Judges of the supreme Court.” The process of appointing Justices has undergone changes over two centuries, but its most basic feature—the sharing of power between the President and Senate—has remained unchanged: To receive appointment to the Court, a candidate must first be nominated by the President and then confirmed by the Senate.

Political considerations typically play an important role in Supreme Court appointments. It is often assumed, for example, that Presidents will be inclined to select a nominee whose political or ideological views appear compatible with their own. The political nature of the appointment process becomes especially apparent when a President submits a nominee with controversial views, there are sharp partisan or ideological differences between the President and the Senate, or the outcome of important constitutional issues before the Court is seen to be at stake..."
Supreme Court appointment process: President's selection 

Supreme Court Appointment Process: Consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee

"The appointment of a Supreme Court Justice is an event of major significance in American politics. Each appointment is of consequence because of the enormous judicial power the Supreme Court exercises as the highest appellate court in the federal judiciary. To receive appointment to the Court, a candidate must first be nominated by the President and then confirmed by the Senate. Although not mentioned in the Constitution, an important role is played midway in the process (after the President selects, but before the Senate considers) by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Specifically, the Judiciary Committee, rather than the Senate as a whole, assumes the principal responsibility for investigating the background and qualifications of each Supreme Court nominee, and typically the committee conducts a close, intensive investigation of each nominee.

Since the late 1960s, the Judiciary Committee’s consideration of a Supreme Court nominee almost always has consisted of three distinct stages—(1) a pre-hearing investigative stage, followed by (2) public hearings, and concluding with (3) a committee decision on what recommendation to make to the full Senate.

During the pre-hearing investigative stage, the nominee responds to a detailed Judiciary Committee questionnaire, providing biographical, professional, and financial disclosure information to the committee. In addition to the committee’s own investigation of the nominee, the FBI also investigates the nominee and provides the committee with confidential reports related to its investigation. During this time, the American Bar Association also evaluates the professional qualifications of the nominee, rating the nominee as “well qualified,” “qualified,” or “not qualified.” Additionally, prior to hearings starting, the nominee pays courtesy calls on individual Senators in their offices, typically including some Senators who do not serve on the Judiciary Committee.

Once the Judiciary Committee completes its investigation of the nominee, he or she testifies in hearings before the committee. On average, for Supreme Court nominees who have received hearings from 1975 to the present, the nominee’s first hearing occurred 43 days after his or her nomination was formally submitted to the Senate by the President.
Supreme Court appointment 

Chickenpox

"Two doses of the chickenpox shot are recommended for children by doctors as the best way to protect against chickenpox (varicella).

When should my child get the chickenpox shot?

One dose at each of the following ages:

12 - 15 months

4 - 6 years

Why should my child get the chickenpox shot?

• Protects your child from chickenpox (varicella), a potentially serious and even deadly disease.
• Keeps your child from missing up to one week of school or childcare (and keeps you from missing work to care for your sick child).

check circle solid icon

The chickenpox shot is safe.

The chickenpox shot is very safe, and it is effective at protecting against chickenpox. Vaccines, like a medicine, can have side effects. These are usually mild and go away on their own.

What are the side effects?

Most children don’t have any side effects from the shot. The side effects that do occur are usually mild, and may include:

• Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
• Fever
• Mild rash
• Temporary pain and stiffness in the joints.."
  Chickenpox 

Explore the Science Behind the Magic of Fall Colors

"With a pandemic raging around the world, drastically altering so many lives, it’s hard to believe that any good can come from such chaos. But during chaotic times it’s important to look at and even study nature.
 
Fall is here and we can learn from what nature is teaching us--from the turning of the leaves to the burst of fall wildflowers to the golden glow of autumn grasses--nature finds a way to rebound and endure. You can’t keep it down.

Since learning, working, and living at home has become the reality for millions of Americans in the age of COVID-19, why not use this opportunity to learn about the innerworkings of fall and how it may differ in many parts of the county?
 
With learning at home in mind, the USDA Forest Service has themed this year’s fall colors campaign: Seeing Fall Colors Starts at Home.

In fact, our Fall Colors 2020 webpage has so many fun and colorful ways to learn about why leaves turn to the many hues of red, yellow and orange that you’ll want to share it with the whole family, and hopefully, all your friends!.."
Fall colors 

COVID-19: Financial Relief and Assistance Resources for Renters

"This Insight highlights resources from selected federal agencies and other organizations that may aid renters at risk of eviction due to circumstances related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. These resources provide information on COVID-19 related renter protections and resources at federal, state, and local levels.

 Renter Protections at the Federal Level

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act; P.L. 116-136) provided a temporary moratorium on eviction filings for nonpayment of rent against renters residing in federally assisted properties or properties with federally backed mortgages. This moratorium went into effect upon enactment of the CARES Act on March 27, 2020, and lasted for 120 days (through July 24, 2020). Landlords were required to provide at least 30 days’ notice before renters had to vacate the property (not before August 23, 2020). Additionally, the CARES Act contained mortgage relief provisions for properties with federally backed mortgages, including the availability of mortgage forbearance. Property owners with federally backed multifamily mortgages that receive forbearance are required to abide by certain protections for renters for the duration of the forbearance. Multifamily mortgages are mortgages on properties with five or more housing units.

 For an analysis of CARES Act protections for tenants, see CRS Insight IN11320, CARES Act Eviction Moratorium.

 For an analysis of CARES Act mortgage provisions, see CRS Insight IN11334, Mortgage Provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.."
COVID-19 and financial assistance 

Police Reform and the 116th Congress: Selected Legal Issues

"Nationwide protests during the spring and summer of 2020 related to police use of force have prompted calls for increased congressional regulation of federal, state, and local law enforcement.There are an array of legal issues related to federal regulation of law enforcement, including the scope of Congress’s constitutional authority to legislate on law enforcement reform, current federalregulation of law enforcement, and various questions raised by reform proposals introduced in the 116th Congress.

 Congress has extensive power to regulate federal law enforcement. However, federalism principles embodied in the Constitution place limits on Congress’s power to regulate state and local police—an issue that the Constitution generally entrusts to the states.Congress, however, possesses some authority to regulate state and local law enforcement.Two primary tools Congress may use to act in this area are statutes designed to enforce the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment and legislation requiring states to take specified action in exchange for federal funds disbursed under the Spending Clause.

Legislating within the scope of its enumerated powers, Congress has enacted multiple statutes that regulate federal, state, and local law enforcement. Key existing legal authorities related to federal regulation of law enforcement include Department of Justice (DOJ) civil enforcement against patterns and practices of unconstitutional policing, laws imposing civil and criminal liability for officer misconduct, and grant conditions designed to spur state and local compliance with federal policies. Federal courts have supplemented these statutory authorities with certain judicially created doctrines defining the contours of liability for police misconduct..."
Police reform 

Patent Law: A Handbook for Congress

"A patent gives its owner the exclusive right to make, use, import, sell, or offer for sale the invention covered by the patent. The patent system has long been viewed as important to encouraging American innovation by providing an incentive for inventors to create. Without a patent system, the reasoning goes, there would be little incentive for invention because anyone could freely copy the inventor’s innovation.

Congressional action in recent years has underscored the importance of the patent system, including a major revision to the patent laws in 2011 in the form of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act. Congress has also demonstrated an interest in patents and pharmaceutical pricing; the types of inventions that may be patented (also referred to as “patentable subject matter”); and the potential impact of patents on a vaccine for COVID-19.

As patent law continues to be an area of congressional interest, this report provides background and descriptions of several key patent law doctrines. The report first describes the various parts of a patent, including the specification (which describes the invention) and the claims (which set out the legal boundaries of the patent owner’s exclusive rights). Next, the report provides detail on the basic doctrines governing patentability, enforcement, and patent validity.

For patentability, the report details the various requirements that must be met before a patent is allowed to issue. These requirements include the following:

  Patentable Subject Matter. The claimed invention must be directed to one of the statutorily defined categories of patent-eligible subject matter.

 Definiteness. The patent claims defining the invention’s legal boundaries must be sufficiently clear.
 Written Description. The specification must adequately describe the invention.

 Enablement. The specification must enable a person in the field of the relevant technology to make and use the invention.

 Novelty. The invention cannot be the same as something known in the “prior art” (i.e., public knowledge in the field of relevant technology at the time of invention).

 Nonobviousness. The invention cannot be an obvious extension of the prior art..."
Patent law 

Three Food Safety Tips to Add to Your Healthy Eating Routine

"September is National Food Safety Education Month, and Nutrition.gov is excited to share our updated Food Safety page to help you celebrate! Now, you can find information on current and trending topics like food delivery services and emergency food storage to continue enjoying safe, nutritious food.

How are you protecting yourself and your loved ones from food poisoning? Make food safety a part of your nutrition routine with these three tips:

1. Choose the right transport method. Use Nutrition.gov’s Food Safety On the Go page to keep food at the proper temperature and avoid cross contamination when you are on the road or away from home. If you are interested in having someone else bring meals or groceries to your home, select a delivery service that follows food safety guidelines.
2. Store food safely. Keep food fresh longer and prevent foodborne germs from growing by following guidelines for storing food in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Our Safe Food Storagepage provides information on how long foods stay fresh, along with convenient resources like the USDA FoodKeeper App.
3. Prepare food properly. Clean surfaces and hands before and while preparing food to avoid cross contamination and cook food to the right temperature to kill any harmful germs. Learn about cooking temperatures and food handling on our Safe Food Preparation page..."
   Food safety tips
   

A majority of young adults in the U.S. live with their parents for the first time since the Great Depression

[Pew Research Center]
"The coronavirus outbreak has pushed millions of Americans, especially young adults, to move in with family members. The share of 18- to 29-year-olds living with their parents has become a majority since U.S. coronavirus cases began spreading early this year, surpassing the previous peak during the Great Depression era.

In July, 52% of young adults resided with one or both of their parents, up from 47% in February, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of monthly Census Bureau data. The number living with parents grew to 26.6 million, an increase of 2.6 million from February. The number and share of young adults living with their parents grew across the board for all major racial and ethnic groups, men and women, and metropolitan and rural residents, as well as in all four main census regions. Growth was sharpest for the youngest adults (ages 18 to 24) and for White young adults..."
Young adults living arrangement

Tracking Federal Awards: USAspending.gov and Other Data Sources

"USAspending.gov, available at http://www.USAspending.gov, is a government source for data on federal awards by state, congressional district (CD), county, city, and zip code. The awards data in USAspending.gov are provided by federal agencies and represent contracts, grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance. USAspending.gov also provides tools for examining the broader picture of federal spending obligations within the categories of budget function, agency, and object class. 

Using USAspending.gov to locate and compile accurate data on federal awards can be challenging due, in part, to continuing data quality issues that have been identified by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Users of USAspending.gov need to be aware that while search results may be useful for informing consideration of certain questions, these results may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. 

USAspending.gov was created under P.L. 109-282, the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), and is being enhanced under requirements in P.L. 113-101, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act). Other federal awards data sources reviewed in this report include the following:

 Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS);
 Census Federal Audit Clearinghouse;
 U.S. Budget: Aid to State and Local Governments;
 Census Federal Aid to States (FAS) and Consolidated Federal Funds Report (CFFR); and
 Additional federal grant awards databases, including sources tracking medical, scientific, and technical research.
Federal Awards 

Library of Congress Launches New Tool to Search Historical Newspaper Images

"The public can now explore more than 1.5 million historical newspaper images online and free of charge. The latest machine learning experience from LC Labs, Newspaper Navigator allows users to search visual content in American newspapers dating from 1789-1963.

The user begins by entering a keyword that returns a selection of photos. Then the user can choose photos to search against, allowing the discovery of related images that were previously undetectable by search engines.

For decades, partners across the United States have collaborated to digitize newspapers through the Library’s Chronicling America website, a database of historical U.S. newspapers. The text of the newspapers is made searchable by character recognition technology, but users looking for specific images were required to page through the individual issues. Through the creative ingenuity of Innovator in Residence Benjamin Lee and advances in machine learning, Newspaper Navigator now makes images in the newspapers searchable by enabling users to search by visual similarity..."
Newspaper Navigator 

Nurse wearing a mask as protection against influenza. September 13, 1918."

"

• 
  
• Printable PDF version
• 
  
• Hi-Resolution Download
• 
  
• Larger Version
• 
  

"Nurse wearing a mask as protection against influenza. September 13, 1918.", NWDNS-165-WW-269B-5; Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs, 1860 - 1952 ; Record Group 165; National Archives.

The influenza epidemic of 1918 first emerged without warning in late spring of 1918, and was known as the "three-day fever." Few deaths were reported and victims recovered after a few days. When the disease surfaced again that fall, it was far more severe. One fifth of the world's population was attacked by this deadly virus. Within months, it had killed more people than any other illness in recorded history..."
Influenza September 1918 

Did You Know Sickle Cell Has Many Faces?

"Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder that causes “sickle” shaped red blood cells that can stick together, blocking blood flow and oxygen from reaching all parts of the body. People with SCD can experience pain, anemia, infection, and other serious health problems (also known as complications) that may require care by a healthcare provider. When health problems, such as serious pain (also known as pain crises), cannot be managed at home or a visit to a healthcare provider is not possible, children and adults with SCD often require care in hospital emergency departments (ED) or clinics for treatment. In fact, the Sickle Cell Data Collection (SCDC) program (CDC’s current SCD monitoring project) found that, in California, people with SCD seek care in the ED an average of three times a year from their late teens to their late 50s.."
Sickle cell disease 

Get the Whooping Cough Vaccine During Each Pregnancy

"Only you can give your baby protection against whooping cough (pertussis) before your little one is even born. Talk to your doctor or midwife about getting the whooping cough vaccine (called Tdap) during your third trimester.

Whooping cough is a serious disease that can be deadly for babies. Unfortunately, babies do not start building their own protection against whooping cough until they get vaccinated at two months old. This leaves babies unprotected in the first months of life when they are at highest risk of getting very sick if they get whooping cough.

Protect your baby before she is able to get vaccinated by getting a Tdap vaccine during the third trimester of your pregnancy. By doing so, you pass high levels of antibodies to your baby before birth. These antibodies help protect your baby against whooping cough in those first months of life.

CDC recommends all women receive a Tdap vaccine during the 27th through 36th week of each pregnancy, preferably during the earlier part of this time period. The following medical associations dedicated to the health of pregnant women or children support this recommendation:

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologistsexternal icon
• American College of Nurse-Midwivespdf iconexternal icon
• American Academy of Pediatricspdf iconexternal icon
• American Academy of Family Physicians,,"external icon
  Whooping cough and pregnancy 

Mumps Vaccination

"Protect Your Child with Mumps Vaccine

Mumps vaccine is the best way to decrease your risk of getting mumps. It is usually given as part of a combination vaccine that protects against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). This vaccine is only licensed for use in children who are 12 months through 12 years of age. Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine:

• the first dose at 12 through 15 months of age, and
• the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age.

The MMR vaccine is safe and effective. Most children don’t have any side effects from the vaccine. The side effects that do occur are usually very mild, such as a fever or rash.

Your child’s doctor may also offer the MMRV vaccine, a combination vaccine that protects against four diseases: measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). Talk to your child’s healthcare professional for help deciding which vaccine to use.."
Mumps 

7 Stats About Working Women to Celebrate the Women’s Bureau Centennial

"

On June 5, 1920, the Women’s Bureau was established in the U.S. Department of Labor with the duty to “formulate standards and policies which shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment.”

Today, the Women’s Bureau honors its centennial. For 100 years, the Women’s Bureau has been championing working women and the issues they care about most.

As we look ahead, it is important to highlight the accomplishments women have made in the workforce over the last 100 years. Using data from the Census and the American Community Survey, the Women’s Bureau published an interactive visualization to display how the landscape for working women has changed over time. The interactive features data on the top 10 occupations employing the largest number of women, the number of women in the workforce, and the share of women employed in the top 10 occupations for each decade from 1920 to 2018. View the interactive on the Women’s Bureau’s interactive visualization on women in the labor force since 1920..."

Working women