Social Security Administration Digitizes or Removes Signature Requirements for Many Forms

"Today, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced progress this year to reduce customer burden by transitioning wet (physical) signature requirements to digital signatures for over 30 forms as well as removing the signature requirements altogether for 13 forms. These actions simplify application processes for people, including removing a potential reason for claims to be sent back or denied.

“Across forms that Americans use most often, we’re eliminating as many pain points as possible, from helping people sign at the click of a button to reducing the need to drive or mail something in whenever possible,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. “This means faster and more error-free processing and better service for our customers, who deserve a government that meets their needs efficiently and effectively.”

As a result of this work, SSA will now allow an electronic signature rather than a wet signature for more than 30 forms, which make up 90% of the most commonly used forms by SSA customers in local field offices. Collectively, these forms represent about 14 million signed forms submitted annually.."
Social Security Signature 

8 things to know about OSHA’s proposed heat rule

"Heat is a leading cause of death among all weather-related phenomena in the United States. And it’s a serious occupational hazard for many workers, both indoors and out. That’s why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new standard that would protect approximately 36 million workers from heat hazards.

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about the proposed rule. Here are answers to some of those FAQs – but remember, this is a proposed rule and it is subject to change based on input from the public:

1. What workers would be covered?

Anyone working outdoors or indoors in general industry, construction, maritime and agricultural sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction. That includes many occupations where we know workers are at high risk of heat hazards, such as farmworkers, restaurant workers, construction workers, delivery drivers and many more. In states with their own State Plans, OSHA monitors those plans – and they must be at least as effective in protecting workers and in preventing work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.

2. Who isn’t covered?

People who telework; those who perform work with no reasonable expectation of exposure to a heat index at or above 80°F (indoors or outdoors); those whose work is performed in indoor work areas or vehicles where air conditioning consistently keeps the temperature below 80 °F; people doing emergency response work; those doing indoor sedentary activities, such as sitting at a desk; and workers who may be exposed to a heat index at or above 80°F for a short time (15 minutes or less in any 60-minute period)..."
OSHA's proposed heat rule 

Street Level Surveillance

[Electronic Frontier Foundation]

"Welcome to the Field Guide to Police Surveillance.

EFF’s Street-Level Surveillance project shines a light on the surveillance technologies that law enforcement agencies routinely deploy in our communities. These resources are designed for advocacy organizations, journalists, defense attorneys, policymakers, and members of the public who often are not getting the straight story from police representatives or the vendors marketing this equipment.

Whether it’s phone-based location tracking, ubiquitous video recording, biometric data collection, or police access to people’s smart devices, law enforcement agencies follow closely behind their counterparts in the military and intelligence services in acquiring privacy-invasive technologies and getting access to consumer data. Just as analog surveillance historically has been used as a tool for oppression, we must understand the threat posed by emerging technologies to successfully defend civil liberties and civil rights in the digital age.

The threats to privacy of these surveillance technologies are enormous, as law enforcement agencies at all levels of government use surveillance technologies to compile vast databases filled with our personal information or gain access to devices that can lay bare the intricacies of our daily lives. Use of these surveillance technologies can infringe on our constitutional rights, including to speak and associate freely under the First Amendment or be free from unlawful search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Law enforcement also tends to deploy surveillance technologies disproportionately against marginalized communities. These technologies are prone to abuse by rogue officers, and can be subject to error or vulnerability, causing damaging repercussions for those who interact with the criminal justice system.

The resources contained in this hub bring together years of research, litigation, and advocacy by EFF staff and our allies, and will continue to grow as we obtain more information.."
Street Level Surveillance 

COVID-19 Testing

"Coming soon! Order your free COVID-19 Tests at the end of September.

U.S. households will be eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. The COVID-19 Tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year.

COVID-19 testing can help you know if you have COVID-19 so you can decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading the virus to others.

Ordering free COVID tests via this website has currently closed. The COVIDtests.gov program distributed over 900 million tests directly to American households. The U.S. government continues to make COVID-19 tests available to uninsured individuals and underserved communities through existing outreach programs. Please contact a HRSA-funded health center or ICATT location near you to learn how to access low- or nocost COVID-19 tests provided by the federal government.

CDC recommends everyone ages 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine to protect against the potentially serious outcomes of COVID-19 this fall and winter whether or not they have ever previously been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine. Data continue to show the importance of vaccination to protect against severe outcomes of COVID-19 and flu, including hospitalization and death. To learn more about the current vaccines, visit the CDC's COVID-19 webpage..."
COVID-19 Testing 

The Federal Budget: an Overview

"The federal budget is a measure of how much the federal government spends and how much revenue it takes in. Typically, annual budgetary data is broken up into fiscal years, which run from October 1 to September 30..^[1]

In fiscal year 2023, the US spent $6.16 trillion on public programs and generated $4.47 trillion in revenue.

What is the federal deficit?

The federal government runs a deficit when it spends more than it takes in as revenue. In 2023, the annual federal deficit was $1.69 trillion. To fund deficits, the government borrows money by selling assets, and this borrowing creates debt..

When the government takes in more than it spends, this is a budget surplus. This last happened in 2001. There’s been a deficit in each fiscal year since.

What is federal debt?

The national debt is the total amount that the federal government owes to investors who it has borrowed from. Effectively, it is a summation of all the federal deficits and surpluses over the country’s history, plus the interest accumulated on that debt over time.
 
As of June 14, 2024, the national debt totaled $34.7 trillion

As a percentage of gross domestic product, the national debt has been historically high in recent years. In 2020, that ratio reached its highest point since 1946.

What does the US government spend money on?

The largest spending categories in the $6.16 trillion federal budget in 2023 were Social Security at 22% of the budget ($1.35 trillion), national defense and veteran support at 18% ($1.13 trillion), transfers to states at 18% ($1.09 trillion), and Medicare at 14% ($848 billion)...
Federal Budget 

Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative

"In June 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and to shed light on the traumas of the past.

The announcement directed the Department, under the leadership of Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, to prepare an investigative report, the first volume of which was released in May 2022, detailing available historical records relating to federal Indian boarding schools and to develop the first official list of sites.

The Department released the second and final volume of the investigative report, in July 2024. The second volume builds on the initial volume to significantly expand on the number and details of institutions to include student deaths, the number of burial sites, participation of religious institutions and organizations, and federal dollars spent to operate these locations. It also included policy recommendations for consideration by Congress and the Executive Branch to continue to chart a path to healing and redress for Indigenous communities and the nation. 

For more information regarding the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, go to the Department’s priority page..."
Federal Indian Boarding School 

Census Bureau Releases 2020 Census Household Data for Detailed Race and Ethnicity Groups, Tribes and Villages

"AUGUST 1, 2024 — The U.S. Census Bureau today released 2020 Census counts of households, along with information on household type and tenure (whether the home is owned or rented) for 300 detailed race and ethnicity groups and 1,187 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages. The 2020 Census Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File B (Detailed DHC-B) provides household information based on the race or ethnicity of the householder (the first adult in a household for whom census responses were provided). 

The Detailed DHC-B data are available for the nation, states, counties, places, census tracts and American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian (AIANNH) areas.

Today’s data product is the companion product to the Detailed DHC-A, which provided total population and the number of males and females by age for the same detailed groups. The Detailed DHC-A was released in September 2023.

The Detailed DHC-B includes data for the household population only. Group quarters (such as college dormitories, prisons or military barracks) are excluded from this data product.

For more information about what the Detailed DHC-B includes, visit the blog “Understanding the Detailed Demographic and Housing Characteristics File B.”.."
2020 Census Household Data 

Wyden Investigation Reveals New Details About Automakers’ Sharing of Driver Information with Data Brokers

"Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and hold responsible automakers and their data broker partners, for disclosing data on millions of Americans, without consent in a letter today. An investigation by Wyden revealed new facts regarding automakers’ disclosure of driving data, such as sudden braking and acceleration, to data brokers for subsequent resale to insurance companies. General Motors (GM) also confirmed to Wyden’s office that it shared customers’ location data with two other companies, which GM refused to identify.

The senators’ letter to the FTC included new details about GM, Honda, and Hyundai’s sharing of drivers’ data with data brokers, including details about the payments the data broker Verisk made to automakers. Based on information Wyden obtained from automakers, the senators revealed: 

• Hyundai shared data from 1.7 million cars with Verisk, which paid Hyundai $1,043,315.69, or 61 cents per car;

• Honda shared data from 97,000 cars with the data broker Verisk, which paid Honda $25,920, or 26 cents per car;

• Automakers used deceptive design tactics, known as “dark patterns,” to manipulate consumers into signing up for programs in which driver data was shared with data brokers, for subsequent resale to insurance companies.."
  AutoMakers Sharing Data 

Online Health and Safety for Children and Youth: Best Practices for Families and Guidance for Industry

"The Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force (KOHS) report provides recommendations and best practices for safer social media and online platform use for youth. The recommendations underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis.

Report on Safer Social Media and Online Platform Use for Youth

The report provides a summary of the risks and benefits of social media on the health, safety, and privacy of young people; best practices for parents and caregivers; recommended practices for industry; a research agenda; and suggested future work, including for the federal government..."
Online health and safety for children 

2024 Presidential Nominating Process: Frequently Asked Questions

"The presidential nominating process is one of the most complex aspects of American politics. This report provides brief answers to selected frequently asked questions about that process in 2024. In some cases, the topics addressed herein are developing rapidly and are subject to change..

Both major parties select their presidential and vice-presidential nominees every four years through an extended process that can involve caucuses, conventions, primary elections, or a combination thereof. Each party establishes its own rules about how nominees are selected and how state parties may participate in that process, culminating in the quadrennial national nominating conventions. These meetings are important occasions in the nation’s political life and traditionally mark the end of the nomination phase of the presidential campaign season for their respective parties. For 2024, the Democratic Convention is scheduled for August 19-22 in Chicago, IL. The Republican Convention is scheduled for July 15-18 in Milwaukee, WI.

Democrats and Republicans use different methods to select their delegates within states and to allocate their votes at the national conventions. These include a combination of delegates who are pledged to particular candidates and selected at state nominating events, as well as those who are automatic delegates by virtue of their party positions. Both parties may penalize states that do not adhere to party rules surrounding delegate selection and allocation.

Both major parties award delegates based at least partially on a state’s previous support for the party’s presidential nominees. For 2024, Democrats expected to allocate a total of 4,521 delegates, and Republicans expected to allocate a total of 2,429 delegates.

The presidential nominating process is a political one, not a governmental one. Political parties are private entities and are generally free to set their own rules for how they select presidential and vice-presidential nominees. Federal or state election laws set some boundaries, particularly those guaranteeing fundamental voting-rights protections (e.g., through the Voting Rights Act). Federal campaign finance law also regulates all aspects of fundraising and spending affecting presidential campaigns, including during the nomination phase.

Congress does not have formal institutional roles in the presidential nominating process, which is governed by political parties. Congress typically does not legislate on the nomination process itself. Individual Members of Congress can and often do choose to be actively involved, in their unofficial capacities, in presidential campaigns and to attend presidential nominating conventions as delegates. Policy matters related to the nominating process could arise as part of the House and Senate’s elections oversight or appropriations duties, such as through providing funding for convention security or considering of federal election legislation.

This report provides general policy information about the nomination process. It does not provide detailed discussion of party rules, which the parties alone interpret and enforce. Members of Congress or staff members who are participating in the nominating process or serving as convention delegates often consult with their state or national party committees regarding their individual roles and responsibilities, and interpretation of party rules..."
Presidential Nominating Process 

Older and wiser, but not richer: The gender pay gap for older workers

"

Older women are losing out

President Biden recently identified older workers as the “Backbone of the Nation.”
While that may be the case, older women workers – who comprise 47% of the labor force ages 55 and older – are plagued by a gender wage gap that is even larger than the one their younger counterparts experience.

Among workers ages 50 or older, women working full-time and year-round are paid about 75 cents for each dollar their male counterparts make. 

In 2022, the most recent year for which data are available, women 50-59 working full-time, year-round were paid about $56,000 annually – $18,300 less than their male counterparts. Women 60-69 were paid about $18,800 less than men in their 60s and women 70 or older were paid about $16,000 less than men in their 70s. To put this in perspective, among people ages 20-29, women were paid a median of $39,200 and men a median of $42,100 – an annual difference of about $3,000.

These annual wage losses add up. Estimates suggest that over the course of their careers, women lose an average of nearly $400,000relative to white non-Hispanic men due to gender and racial wage gaps. Hispanic and Native American and Pacific Islander women make $1 million less than white non-Hispanic men, while Black women make nearly $900,000 less. These earnings deficits mean less purchasing power for women and their families and less financial security for older women (65+), 11.2% of whom live in poverty. In addition, lower wages can impact Social Security benefits and other sources of retirement income such as IRAs and 401(k)s.

Research from the Women’s Bureau and the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 70% of the gender pay gap remains unexplained after adjusting for gender differences in education, occupation, industry, work experience, hours worked and other worker characteristics. This remaining unexplained wage gap is due to a combination of unobservable worker characteristics and discrimination.

Solutions

Salary history bans are one solution that can help alleviate pay disparities. The federal government now bans the use of non-federal salary history to determine wages for federal employees, and the Biden-Harris Administration has proposed a similar rule for federal contractors.

Given the outsized role that occupational segregation plays in the gender wage gap, programs that provide pathways for women into high-paying nontraditional occupations, such as the Women’s Bureau’s Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) grant program, can help reduce pay disparities and increase economic security.

Furthermore, eliminating discrimination is key to closing gender wage gaps. The federal government is playing a role: Since Fiscal Year 2022, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice have collectively recovered over $20 million in monetary relief for women who have experienced pay discrimination in the workplace.
Older Workers and Gender Pay 

Childcare Costs, Reduced Work, and Financial Strain: New Estimates for Low-Income Families

"According to new survey data from the Federal Reserve’s 2023 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (“SHED”), low-income families are more likely to reduce work to care for young children while high income families are more likely to pay for care.^[i] These differing decisions have financial consequences, as families who reduce work are less well off financially than those who are not reducing work. Although families who pay for care are better off overall, child care costs are still a notable expense. On average, families who pay for care pay about half as much for that care as for housing each month. This analysis suggests how government and private sector support for child care might vary by income

Families handle care responsibilities differently across income levels

As shown in Figure 1, families at different income levels make different decisions about how to care for their children. Households with young children and that make less than $75,000 per year are more likely to provide care themselves, with about 35 percent of these households reducing work to care for children. As income rises, the share of households using paid child care rises – from 17 percent for those making less than $24,000 to 41 percent for those making more than $150,000. The highest earners are unlikely to reduce work to care for children, without only about 14 percent of households doing so.."
Childcare Costs 

Cars & Consumer Data: On Unlawful Collection & Use

"Some say the car a person drives can say a lot about them. As cars get “connected,” this turns out to be truer than many people might have realized. While connectivity can let drivers do things like play their favorite internet radio stations or unlock their car with an app, connected cars can also collect a lot of data about people. This data could be sensitive—such as biometric information or location—and its collection, use, and disclosure can threaten consumers’ privacy and financial welfare.

Connected cars have been on the FTC’s radar for years. The FTC highlighted concerns related to connected cars as part of an “Internet of Things” workshop held in 2013, followed by a 2015 report. In 2018, the FTC hosted a connected cars workshop highlighting issues ranging from unexpected secondary uses of data to security risks. The agency has also published guidance to consumers reminding them to wipe the data on their cars before selling them—much as anyone would when trying to resell a computer or smart phone.

Over the years, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the vast amount of data that could be collected from cars, such as biometric, telematic, geolocation, video, and other personal information. News reports have also suggested that data from connected cars could be used to stalk people or affect their insurance rates. Many have noted that when any company collects a large amount of sensitive data, it can pose national security issues if that data is shared with foreign actors.."
Cars and Consumer Data 

Heat Risk Check

"Home

Hot days can affect anyone. If you are pregnant, are a child or teen with asthma, or have a heart condition or other chronic health conditions, heat can make your health worse.

Enter your zip code below to get the HeatRisk for this week and actions you can take to keep you and your family safe.

Get Your Local HeatRisk

"

Heat Risk 

Legal Definitions: A Research Guide for Congressional Staff

"This report is designed to introduce congressional staff to examples of legal and nonlegal sources, including statutes, legislation, and dictionaries, for researching legal definitions. It includes governmental sources, such as the United States Code (U.S. Code), the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), and congressional legislation. Proprietary information sources are also included..."
Legal Definitions 

2024 Kids Count Data Book

"This year’s publication continues to present national and state data across four domains — economic well-being, education, health and family and community — and ranks states in overall child well-being. The report includes pre-pandemic figures as well as more recent statistics, and shares the latest information of its kind available.

THE CURRENT STATE OF CHILD CARE IN THE UNITED STATES

America's child care system is broken. Safe, reliable child care has largely been inaccessible and unaffordable for too many Americans. Disparities between who can and can't afford child care reflect long-standing structural inequities in the United States. Shift workers, single parents, student parents and families of color are particularly affected by the failings of the child care system. Children are deprived of nurturing care, and caregivers are prevented from earning money to meet basic needs.

The child care system's inadequacies hinder family economic mobility and perpetuate generational wealth gaps. Affordability impacts accessibility, and the cost of child care has tripled since the publication of the first KIDS COUNT Data Book in 1990. The inability to access care can force caregivers to have to leave work early, be late for work or miss days entirely. Even more troubling: Almost a quarter of parents report being fired because of difficulties accessing child care. It's a cycle: Child care is inaccessible, the parent loses their job, which makes affording child care to secure a new job even more difficult.."
Kids Count Data 

Wisconsin 2022 Census of Agriculture Highlights

"When people think about Wisconsin agriculture, they immediately think of Wisconsin as a leader in dairy farms and cheese production. As of December 31, 2022, Wisconsin had 6,216 dairy farms, and in 2022 Wisconsin produced just over 5.2 billion pounds of cheese.

But results from the 2022 Census of Agriculture show that Wisconsin agriculture offers much more than dairy products and leads the country in several diverse categories.

According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Wisconsin is #1 in the following categories:

• ginseng acres
• beet acres for vegetable processing
• Chinese pea acres
• cranberry acres
• snap bean acres
• corn for silage acres
• milk goats
• mink

In addition, with just over 234,000 acres harvested for vegetables, Wisconsin leads its surrounding neighboring states in vegetable acres harvested.

Here’s a little more about Wisconsin ag: the state has 58,521 farms, 13.7 million acres of land in farms, and about 105,920 producers. In 2022, Wisconsin farms produced $16.7 billion of agricultural products and ranked 10^th among states for value of products produced. Just over 26% of Wisconsin producers in 2022 were new and beginning farmers.

Thank you, Wisconsin producers, for responding to the 2022 Census of Agriculture! Wisconsin ranked second in response rate to the ever important, once-every-five-year ag census.

Visit the Wisconsin state and county agriculture profiles for more 2022 Census of Agriculture data..."
2022 Wisconsin Census of Agriculture 

Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022

"View or download the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990–2022 (published April 2024) report, developed by the U.S. Government to meet annual commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and also the Paris Agreement.

Read or download the entire Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022 (PDF, 15.0 MB) or individual report chapters posted below. All data tables in the report will be available in CSV format soon.

Recommended citation: EPA (2024). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 430R-24004. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks-1990-2022.

You may need a PDF reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA’s About PDF page to learn more."
Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

Fentanyl Facts

"Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.¹

There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illegally made fentanyl. Both are considered synthetic opioids. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced-stage cancer.

However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illegally made fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous.

Illegally made fentanyl

Illegally made fentanyl (IMF) is available on the drug market in different forms, including liquid and powder¹.

Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs. It is commonly mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into pills that are made to resemble other prescription opioids. Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl.

In its liquid form, IMF can be found in nasal sprays, eye drops, and dropped onto paper or small candies.

Fentanyl and Overdose

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths.¹ Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.²

Drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl, and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it. It is nearly impossible to tell if drugs have been laced with fentanyl unless you test your drugs with fentanyl test strips.

Test strips are inexpensive and typically give results within 5 minutes, which can be the difference between life or death. Even if the test is negative, take caution as test strips might not detect more potent fentanyl-like drugs, like carfentanil.^"."
Fentanyl