What Is Manufacturing? Why Does the Definition Matter?

"Numerous provisions in federal law are intended to support manufacturing in the United States. Almost without exception, these provisions define manufacturing as the process of physically transforming goods. Physical transformation involves what might be thought of as traditional manufacturing activities such as molding, cutting, and assembly. These laws establish a variety of potential benefits, preferences, or penalties based on the country in which physical transformation occurs.

 By and large, federal supports targeted specifically at manufacturing rest on two implicit premises that have been rendered questionable as a result of developments in the private sector.

• Each manufactured product is assumed to have a single country of origin. The determination of whether a product is American-made is binary; either it was made in the United States or it is an import. This assumption fits uneasily with the global value chains now widely used by manufacturers to combine raw materials, components, services, and intellectual property from multiple countries into a single, finished manufactured good.

• Physical transformation is assumed to be the means by which manufacturing creates economic benefits. Under a variety of statutes, the fact that other activities related to making a product are conducted in the United States is not relevant to the determination of whether the product is made in the United States. This is generally the case even if those activities account for a large proportion of the value of the finished good or of the employment related to the good’s production. Conversely, a good may be treated as U.S.-made if significant parts are of U.S. origin and if the good was transformed in the United States, even if all research, design, software development, and other nonphysical activities related to its production occurred in other countries...."

Manufacturing

President Donald J. Trump Announces His Cabinet

"President Donald J. Trump today formally announced the 24 people who will be serving with him on his Cabinet..". 
President Trump's cabinet

Social Security: The Lump-Sum Death Benefit

"When a worker who is insured by Social Security and living with a spouse dies, the spouse is entitled to a lump-sum death benefit of $255. If there is no such spouse, the payment can be made to a surviving child who is receiving or is eligible to receive benefits based on the deceased person’s work. In the majority of deaths, however, no payment is made.

The death benefit was once a more important part of Social Security, in terms of percentage of total benefits paid and size of the benefit compared with monthly survivor benefits: the only benefits paid out between 1937 and 1939 were lump-sum benefits to survivors of workers who died before turning 65 years old, and until 1950, the lump-sum death payment was the only benefits some survivors of deceased workers could receive. However, because the payment has been fixed at $255 for the past four decades, inflation has eroded its value. At the same time, the real value of other Social Security benefits has increased. Total federal spending on lump-sum death benefits is now about $209 million,  less than 0.03% of the total Social Security (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) benefits..."
Social security

Teen Dating Violence

"February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

Dating violence can happen to any teen in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship, anytime, anywhere. But it doesn't have to happen at all. Learn how to prevent teen dating violence and to promote healthy relationships with CDC's online resources.

Background

Did you know that in a recent national survey, 1 in 10 teens reported being hit or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend at least once in the 12 months before the survey? Additionally, during the 12 months before the survey, 1 in 10 teens reported they had been kissed, touched, or physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to at least once by someone they were dating..."
Teen dataing

Help Protect Babies from Whooping Cough

"Whooping cough is a serious disease that can cause babies to stop breathing. You can help protect babies from whooping cough by getting your vaccine and making sure your baby gets vaccinated.

Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a very contagious disease that is most serious for babies. People with whooping cough usually spread the disease by coughing or sneezing while in close contact with others. Parents, older siblings, or other caregivers can give whooping cough to babies without even knowing they have the disease.

When babies catch whooping cough, they can get very sick. Young babies can get pneumonia (lung infection) and many have trouble breathing. About half of babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough end up in the hospital and a few even die from the disease..."
Whooping cough

Improving Memory in Adults with Epilepsy

"Learn how adults with epilepsy can improve memory problems and overall health.

At some point, almost everyone has forgotten where they parked the car or placed the car keys. For people with epilepsy (also known as seizure disorder), memory lapses are more common. At least one-half of people with epilepsy have memory loss that affects their health. For instance, seizures or other health problems can lead to forgetting to take medicines as directed.

While memory loss is a challenge for many people with epilepsy, it is not always a major concern for health care providers. For those with epilepsy, treatment options for memory loss are limited..".
Epilepsy

Federal Trade Commission, Class Action Settlements Require Volkswagen to Repair or Buy Back 3.0 Liter TDI Diesel Vehicles

"The Federal Trade Commission announced a settlement today that requires Volkswagen Group of America to fully compensate consumers who purchased 3.0-liter TDI diesel vehicles through a combination of repairs, additional monetary compensation, and buybacks for certain models.  

Under the federal court order, owners of older vehicles (model years 2009-2012; see fact sheet) will be able to sell their car back to Volkswagen at favorable prices and obtain full compensation for their losses. Consumers are eligible to receive approximately $26,000 to $58,000 for a buyback, depending on the model, mileage, and trim of the car. These owners can also opt to keep their cars and receive an emissions modification that would improve their vehicle’s emissions, if a modification is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. Consumers receiving an emissions modification will also receive monetary compensation...."
 FTC's Volkswagen settlement

Put the Freeze on CO Poisoning this Winter

" Old man winter is gripping much of the nation and that means many consumers are turning up the heat in their homes. Some are using drastic measures to stay warm, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning—an invisible, odorless, colorless killer. Did you know that winter is peak season for CO deaths in the United States? The deadly gas kills more than 400 people every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...."
Carbon Monoxide poisoning

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..."
U.S. Supreme Court

Trump Administration Changes to the National Security Council: Frequently Asked Questions

"On January 28, 2017, the Trump Administration issued National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) 2: Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. The memorandum details how the executive branch intends to manage and coordinate national and homeland security issues among relevant departments and agencies. In keeping with the practices of prior administrations, the White House issued the memorandum early in its tenure. Since the memorandum was signed, some media reports have incorrectly characterized the manner in which the Trump administration appears to be organizing itself to manage national security matters. These FAQs are intended to clarify the terms and structures associated with the National Security Council (NSC)..."
National Security Council

Refugee Law and Policy In Selected Countries

"This report describes the law and policy on refugees and other asylum seekers in twenty-two geographically dispersed countries and, at the supranational level, in the European Union (EU). The individual surveys cover such topics as participation in relevant international conventions; laws and regulations governing the admission of refugees and handling refugee claims; processes for handling refugees arriving at the border; procedures for evaluating whether an applicant is entitled to refugee status; the accommodations and assistance provided to refugees in the jurisdiction; requirements for naturalization; and whether asylum policy has been affected by international emergencies, such as the current refugee crisis in Europe..."
Refugee law

Barriers Along the U.S. Borders: Key Authorities and Requirements

"Federal law authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to construct barriers along the U.S. borders to deter illegal crossings. DHS is also required to construct reinforced fencing along at least 700 miles of the land border with Mexico (a border that stretches 1,933 miles). Congress has not provided a deadline for DHS to meet this 700-mile requirement, and as of the date of this report, fencing would need to be deployed along nearly 50 additional miles to satisfy the 700-mile requirement. Nor has Congress provided guidelines regarding the specific characteristics of fencing or other physical barriers (e.g., their height or material composition) deployed along the border, beyond specifying that required fencing must be reinforced...."
U.S. Border Barriers

15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Voting Rights

"Passed by Congress February 26, 1869, and ratified February 3, 1870, the 15th amendment granted African American men the right to vote...."
15th Amendment

6 Reasons to Talk to Your Family About Heart Disease

"Heart disease, the leading killer of Americans, doesn't just suddenly happen. It takes decades to develop, and your risk increases as you age.

It turns out young adults (a.k.a. those born in the millennial era, from 1982 to 2002) have a unique opportunity to help parents and other family members improve their heart health and prevent heart disease.

A record number of young adults are likely to live with their parents instead of alone, with roommates, or with a friend.¹ Young adults are also more likely than past generations to respect their elders and report having fewer fights with their parents.² All this adds up to a golden opportunity to have a heart-to-heart with mom and dad about their health. Even if you don't live at home, you can talk to your parents and other relatives to get them thinking about ways to protect their hearts for the long haul..."

Heart Disease

Revisions to Public Inspection File Requirements – Broadcaster Correspondence File and Cable Principal Headend Location

"REPORT AND ORDER.  Adopted: January 31, 2017.  Released: January 31, 2017 By the Commission: Chairman Pai and Commissioners Clyburn and O’Rielly issuing separate statements.

 I. INTRODUCTION 1. In this Report and Order, we eliminate two public inspection file requirements: (i) the requirement that commercial broadcast stations retain in their public inspection file copies of letters and emails from the public;1 and (ii) the requirement that cable operators maintain for public inspection the designation and location of the cable system’s principal headend.2 Because of potential privacy concerns associated with putting the correspondence file online and because many cable operators prefer not to post online the location of their principal headend for security reasons, removing these requirements will enable commercial broadcasters and cable operators to make their entire public inspection file available online without these privacy and security concerns and eliminate the need to maintain a local public file..".
FCC Public inspection files