Farm Household Economics and Well-Being:Farm Household Income
"This chapter presents the latest U.S. farm household income estimates and a revised forecast for 2010. The 2009 estimates are based on the latest 2009 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) data. This chapter includes information on the composition of income, comparisons of income for farm households relative to U.S. households, and variations in farm household income by farm size and specialization.

Income estimates for farm operator households presented in this briefing room differ from other farm income estimates of the farm sector or of farm businesses. In particular, principal farm operator households receive income from a variety of sources other than their farm businesses, such as wages and salaries from off-farm jobs, other businesses, dividends and interest, and other public and private sources that are included here but not in the farm sector accounts..."

Hate Crime Statistics 2009
Final report on Hate Crime Statistics,2009 originally released in November 2010.

Immigration Policy in the Untied states -An Update
"This document updates the Congressional Budget Office's February 2006 paper Immigration Policy in the United States. It presents data through 2009 on permanent and temporary admissions of foreign nationals to the United States, the number and types of visas issued, the naturalization of residents, and enforcement of immigration laws—and makes comparisons with 2004, which was the most recent year for which most data were reported in the earlier paper."
View complete report.

11 Million More Adults Tested for HIV for the First Time in 2006-2009
"The number of adults tested for HIV reached a record high in 2009, according to an analysis of national survey data released today in a CDC Vital Signs report. Last year 82.9 million adults between 18 and 64 reported having been tested for HIV. This number represents an increase of 11.4 million people since 2006, when CDC recommended that HIV testing become a routine part of medical care for adults and adolescents, and that people at high risk of infection be tested at least once a year. Despite this progress, 55 percent of adults—and 28.3 percent of adults with a risk factor for HIV—have not been tested.

"Today's news shows that we have had progress increasing testing, and that more progress is both necessary and possible," said Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., CDC director. "With most adults and with nearly a third of high-risk people having never been tested for HIV, we need to do more to ensure that all Americans have access to voluntary, routine and early HIV testing in order to save lives and reduce the spread of this terrible disease."

The December Vital Signs report indicates that the percentage of adults who had been tested at least once in their lives increased to 45 percent in 2009, after holding steady at approximately 40 percent from 2001 to 2006..."

FTC Offers Businesses Tips for Securing Data on Digital Copiers
"The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, has tips for businesses on how to safeguard sensitive data stored on the hard drives of digital copiers. Here are the highlights of the FTC’s new publication, Copier Data Security: A Guide for Businesses:

* Before acquiring a copier, plan to have the information technology staff manage and maintain it just as they would a computer or a server.

* When buying or leasing a copier, evaluate your options for securing the data on its hard drive – including the encryption or overwriting features that will be used. Encryption scrambles the data on the hard drive so it can only be read by particular software. This ensures that even if the hard drive is removed from the machine, the data cannot be retrieved. Overwriting – also known as file wiping or shredding – replaces the existing data with random characters, so that the file cannot be easily reconstructed.

* Take advantage of all of the copier’s security features. Securely overwrite the entire hard drive at least once a month.

* When returning or disposing of a copier, find out whether it is possible to have the hard drive removed and destroyed, or to overwrite the data on the hard drive. Generally, it is advisable for a skilled technician to remove the hard drive to avoid the risk of rendering the machine inoperable..."

Drugged, Drunk, and Distracted Drivers Put Us All at Risk
"In the past few decades, Americans have come to realize the dangers associated with driving under the influence of alcohol. Thanks to increased awareness and the efforts of concerned groups and
individuals to draw attention to the problem, there has been a decline in the number of people injured or killed as a result of drunk driving. Traffic fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes decreased nearly 10 percent from 2007 to 2008, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Alcohol use, however, is only one dangerous behind-the-wheel behavior. Increased attention is now being focused on other types of dangerous driving behavior, such as text messaging, talking on a cell phone, and drugged driving. More than ever, it is time we recognize the dangers of drugged driving and take steps to reduce this threat to our Nation’s health and safety.


Use of any drug that acts on the brain can impair motor skills, reaction time, judgment, and other faculties required for safe driving. Drugged driving is a public health concern because it not only puts the driver at risk; it also endangers the lives of passengers and others sharing
the road..."

Water Infrastructure Projects Designated in EPA Appropriations: Trends and Policy Implication
"
Congressional action to designate funds within appropriations legislation for specified projects or
locations has been increasing in recent years as a way to help communities meet needs to build
and upgrade water infrastructure systems, whose estimated future funding needs exceed $630
billion. Such legislative action has often been popularly referred to as earmarking. This report
discusses appropriations for water infrastructure programs of the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), focusing on such designations in the account that funds these programs.
Information on the programmatic history of EPA involvement in assisting wastewater treatment
and drinking water projects is provided in two appendixes.

Congressional appropriators began the practice of supplementing appropriations for the primary
Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) assistance programs with grants
for individually designated projects in FY1989. These designated project grants are often referred
to as earmarks or as STAG grants. Since 1989, of the $56.8 billion appropriated to EPA for water
infrastructure assistance, more than 13% ($7.4 billion) has gone to designated project grants.
Notably since FY2000, appropriators have awarded such grants to a larger total number of
projects, resulting in more communities receiving such assistance, but at the same time receiving
smaller amounts of funds, on average..."

Visa Wavier Program
"Since the events of September 11, 2001, concerns have been raised about the ability of terrorists
to enter the United States under the visa waiver program (VWP), because the VWP bypasses the
first step by which foreign visitors are screened for admissibility to enter the United States.
Nonetheless, the inclusion of countries in the VWP may help foster positive relations between the
United States and those countries, promote tourism and commerce, facilitate information sharing,
and ease consular office workloads abroad. The VWP allows nationals from certain countries to
enter the United States as temporary visitors (nonimmigrants) for business or pleasure without
first obtaining a visa from a U.S. consulate abroad. Temporary visitors for business or pleasure
from non-VWP countries must obtain a visa from Department of State (DOS) officers at a
consular post abroad before coming to the United States. As of October 2010, 36 countries
participate in the VWP..."

U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Proved Reserves, 2009
"The 2009 U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Proved Reserves Summary is available in pdf format. A web-formatted version that provides enhanced navigation to the tables in both html and pdf formats will be posted here in the near future.

Press release "Shale Gas Development Drives U.S. Natural Gas Proved Reserves to Highest Level Since 1971" (November 30, 2010) at: http://www.eia.gov/neic/press/press349.html>>>"

Consumer-Driven Health Care: What Is It, and What Does It Mean for Employees and Employers?
"Some employers are considering the switch to consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) in order to reduce the cost of providing health insurance benefits to their employees. Because CDHPs generally have lower premiums, they might be a popular choice for some employees. Employers and employees will need to carefully weigh the costs and benefits of CDHPs compared with more traditional health insurance plans before deciding which type of plan to use.

The cost to employers of providing health insurance to their employees has been rising for decades.1 Estimates from the National Compensation Survey (NCS) indicate that the average cost for the private employer to provide health care insurance has risen from $1.03 per hour worked in March 1999 to $2.00 per hour worked in March 2009, a change from 5.4 percent to 7.3 percent of total compensation.2 Chart 1 displays the rising cost for the private employers.

Interestingly, the costs to employees have increased as well. NCS estimates indicate that the average medical plan monthly flat-rate premium paid by private industry workers in single and family coverage has increased from $67.57 (single) and $264.59 (family) in 2004 to $92.43 (single) and $349.36 (family) in 2009.3 Even though the cost for both employer and employee has increased, the proportion of cost for the employer and employee has remained similar. In 2003, private employers’ share of the premium for single coverage reflected 82 percent of the total premium, whereas the employees were responsible for the remaining 18 percent. In 2009, the employer’s share for single coverage was 80 percent compared with 20 percent for the employee’s share. The share for family coverage was at 70 percent for the employer and 30 percent for the employee in 2003 and in 2009..."

Suicides in National Parks --- United States, 2003--2009
"In 2007, the year for which the most recent national data on fatalities are available, 34,598 suicides occurred in the United States (rate: 11.3 per 100,000 population); 79% were among males (1). In 2009, an estimated 374,486 visits to hospital emergency departments occurred for self-inflicted injury, of which approximately 262,000 (70%) could be attributed to suicidal behavior (1,2). The majority (58%) were among females. Most suicides (77%) occur in the home (3), but many occur in public places, including national parks. In addition to the loss of life, suicides consume park resources and staff time and can traumatize witnesses. To describe the characteristics of and trends in suicides in national parks, CDC and the National Park Service (NPS) analyzed reports of suicide events (suicides and attempted suicides) occurring in the parks during 2003--2009. During this 7-year span, 84 national parks reported 286 suicide events, an average of 41 events per year. Of the 286 events, 68% were fatal. The two most commonly used methods were firearms and falls. Consistent with national patterns, 83% of suicides were among males. A comprehensive, multicomponent approach is recommended to prevent suicide events, including enhanced training for park employees, site-specific barriers, and collaboration with communities..."

Report of the Comprehensive Review of the Issues Associated with a Repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
"On March 2, 2010, the Secretary of Defense appointed the two of us to co-chair a
working group to undertake a comprehensive review of the impacts of repeal, should it
occur, of Section 654 of Title 10 of the United States Code, commonly known as the “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” law. In this effort, we were aided by a highly dedicated team of 49 military
and 19 civilian personnel from across the Department of Defense and the Military Services.
Our assignment from the Secretary was two-fold: 1) assess the impact of repeal of Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell on military readiness, military effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting, retention,
and family readiness; and 2) recommend appropriate changes, if necessary, to existing
regulations, policies, and guidance in the event of repeal. The Secretary directed us to
deliver our assessment and recommendations to him by December 1, 2010.

This document constitutes our report of that assessment and our recommendations. The Secretary also directed us to develop a plan of action to support implementation of a repeal of Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell. That plan accompanies this report..."

Reversals in the patterns of women’s labor supply in the United States, 1977–2009
"Most analyses of women’s labor force participation in the past 15 years or so have focused on married women. The labor force participation rate of this group increased dramatically in the 1970s and 1980s, as reported by Marisa DiNatale and Stephanie Boraas, and Chinhui Juhn and Simon Potter, among many others. But the labor force participation of married women—especially those with
children—increased only marginally in the 1990s, and began to decline toward the end of that decade. For married women with children, for example, the rate increased from 39.7 percent in 1970 to 66.3 percent in 1990, but then to only 70.6 percent in 2000; the rate was 69.3 percent in 2007. For married mothers with infants, the rate peaked in 1997, at 59.2 percent, and declined to 53.5
percent by 2005..."

FTC Staff Issues Privacy Report Offers Framework for Consumers, Businesses, and Policymakers
"Endorses “Do Not Track” to Facilitate Consumer Choice About Online Tracking
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s chief privacy policy and enforcement agency for 40 years, issued a preliminary staff report today that proposes a framework to balance the privacy interests of consumers with innovation that relies on consumer information to develop beneficial new products and services. The proposed report also suggests implementation of a “Do Not Track” mechanism – likely a persistent setting on consumers’ browsers – so consumers can choose whether to allow the collection of data regarding their online searching and browsing activities.

“Technological and business ingenuity have spawned a whole new online culture and vocabulary – email, IMs, apps and blogs – that consumers have come to expect and enjoy. The FTC wants to help ensure that the growing, changing, thriving information marketplace is built on a framework that promotes privacy, transparency, business innovation and consumer choice. We believe that’s what most Americans want as well,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz.

The report states that industry efforts to address privacy through self-regulation “have been too slow, and up to now have failed to provide adequate and meaningful protection.” The framework outlined in the report is designed to reduce the burdens on consumers and businesses..."

Why the Library of Congress Is Blocking Wikileaks
"The news media are reporting today, accurately, that the Library of Congress is blocking access to the Wikileaks site across its computer systems, including those for use by patrons in the reading rooms.

I wanted to provide here the same statement we’ve been giving to reporters and patrons who are asking about it:

“The Library decided to block Wikileaks because applicable law obligates federal agencies to protect classified information. Unauthorized disclosures of classified documents do not alter the documents’ classified status or automatically result in declassification of the documents.”

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget today provided the guidance that “[f]ederal agencies collectively, and each federal employee and contractor individually, are obligated to protect classified information pursuant to all applicable laws, as well as to protect the integrity of government information technology systems.”..."