National Cybersecurity Strategy

"Digital technologies today touch nearly every aspect of American life. The openness and connection enabled by a access to the internet are game-changes for communities everywhere, as we have all experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. That's why, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, my administration is investing $65 billion to make sure every American has access to reliable, high-speed Internet. And when we pick up our smart p;hones to keep in touch with loved ones, log on to social media to share our ides with one another, or connect to the internet to do business or take care of any of our basic needs, we need to be able to trust that the underlying digital ecosystem  is safe, reliable, and secure. This National Cybersecurity Strategy details the comprehensive approach my Administration is taking to better secure cyberspace and ensure the United States is in the strongest possible position to realize all the benefits  and potential of our digital future..."
cybersecurity 

Generative Artificial Intelligence and Copyright Law

"Recent innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) are raising new questions about how copyright law principles such as authorship, infringement, and fair use will apply to content created or used by AI. Socalled “generative AI” computer programs—such as Open AI’s DALL-E 2 and ChatGPT programs, Stability AI’s Stable Diffusion program, and Midjourney’s sself-titled program—are able to generate new images, texts, and other content (or “outputs”) in response to a user’s textual prompts (or “inputs”). These generative AI programs are “trained” to generate such works partly by exposing them to large quantities of existing works such as writings, photos, paintings, and other artworks. This Legal Sidebar explores questions that courts and the U.S. Copyright Office have begun to confront regarding whether the outputs of generative AI programs are entitled to copyright protection as well as how training and using these programs might infringe copyrights in other works.

Copyright in Works Created with Generative AI

The widespread use of generative AI programs raises the question of who, if anyone, may hold the copyright to works created using these programs, given that the AI’s user, the AI’s programmer, and the AI program itself all play a role in the creation of these works.

Do AI Outputs Enjoy Copyright Protection?

The question of whether or not copyright protection may be afforded to AI outputs—such as images created by DALL-E or texts created by ChatGPT—is likely to hinge partly on the concept of “authorship.” The Copyright Act generally affords copyright protection to “original works of authorship.” Although the Copyright Act does not define who (or what) may be an “author,” the U.S. Copyright Office recognizes copyright only in works “created by a human being.” Courts have likewise rrefused to afford copyright protection to non-human authors—for example, a monkey who took a series of photos. A recent lawsuit has challenged the human-authorship requirement in the context of works purportedly “authored” by AI. In June 2022, Stephen Thaler sued the Copyright Office for denying an application to register a visual artwork that he claims was authored by an AI program called the Creativity Machine. Dr. Thaler asserts the picture was created “autonomously by machine,” and he argues that human authorship is not required by the Copyright Act. The lawsuit is pending..."
Artificial Intelligence and Copyright Law 

Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021

"The Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011–2021 provides the most recent surveillance data, as well as 10-year trends, on health behaviors and experiences among high school students in the United States (U.S.) related to adolescent health and well-being. These include sexual behaviors, substance use, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, experiences such as violence and poor mental health, social determinants of health such as unstable housing, and protective factors such as school connectedness and parental monitoring. We also highlight disparities in these important outcomes by sex, race and ethnicity, sexual identity, and sex of sexual contacts.

This report is developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) to highlight the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data collected every two years among a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students. DASH’s vision is one where young people in the U.S. have the knowledge, skills, and resources for healthy adolescence and adulthood.
Youth Risk Behavior 

Protecting Workers and Safeguarding Religious Freedom

"Today, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) acted to protect workers from discrimination and safeguard principles of religious freedom by rescinding the rule, “Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption.” Published in December 2020 at the end of the Trump administration and effective Jan. 8, 2021, the rule adopted new standards for applying the religious exemption in Executive Order 11246 that were at odds with the weight of legal authority. The 2020 rule also weakened nondiscrimination protections for employees of federal contractors, objectives of Executive Order 11246 to ensure economy and efficiency in federal contracting and to promote equal employment opportunity. With the rescission of the rule, we are returning to a longstanding policy in place for more than 17 years, under the administrations of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama, to determine the applicability of the religious exemption by applying established case law and principles to the facts and circumstances of particular cases.

What is the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption?

Since 2002, Executive Order 11246 has contained a religious exemption, based on the religious exemption in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which permits federal contractors that are qualifying religious organizations to hire individuals of a particular religion. Under Title VII, courts have overwhelmingly held, consistent with the view of the Department of Justice, that those employers are not permitted to make employment decisions that amount to discrimination based on other protected characteristics, such as race or sex.

What was the 2020 rule and why is OFCCP rescinding it?

The 2020 rule purported to clarify the scope and application of the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption. On balance, however, it increased confusion and uncertainty about the religious exemption because it diverged from the approach to the Title VII religious exemption taken by courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Department of Justice, as well as from OFCCP’s past practice.

In November 2021, OFCCP proposed rescinding the rule. We received 761 unique comments and 4,464 form letter comments. We carefully considered the comments and decided to finalize the rescission.

What does the rescission mean?

OFCCP is rescinding the entire rule to return to the agency’s prior approach of aligning the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption with Title VII case law as applied to the facts and circumstances of each case. The rescission preserves the Executive Order 11246 religious exemption and does not change religious entities’ ability to pursue federal contracts.

We remain committed to protecting workers from discrimination and safeguarding religious freedom in accordance with applicable legal authority. We will continue to provide any needed compliance assistance on the religious exemption, including issuing frequently asked questions and responding to stakeholders’ questions. For more information, visit dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/religious-exemption..."
Workers and Religious Freedom 

HPV Infection

"HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a common virus that can cause cancers later in life. You can protect your child from these cancers with HPV vaccine at age 11–12 years.

HPV infections are common

HPV infections are very common. Nearly everyone will get HPV at some point in their lives.

• More than 42 million Americans are infected with types of HPV that cause disease.
• About 13 million Americans, including teens, become infected each year.

HPV is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact. You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has the virus, even if they don’t have signs or symptoms.

Some HPV infections can lead to cancer

Most HPV infections (9 out of 10) go away by themselves within 2 years. But sometimes, HPV infections will last longer and can cause some cancers. HPV infections can cause cancers of the:

• Cervix, vagina, and vulva
• Penis
• Anus
• Back of the throat (called oropharyngeal cancer), including the base of the tongue and tonsils

Every year in the United States, HPV causes about 36,000 cases of cancer in both men and women.

Prevent cancer with HPV vaccine

CDC recommends two doses of HPV vaccine at ages 11–12 years. HPV vaccination can be started at age 9 years.

Children who get the first dose before their 15^th birthday only need two doses. People who get the first dose on or after their 15^th birthday need three doses.

The HPV vaccine series is most effective when given before a person is exposed to the virus..."
HPV 

Statins and Diabetes: What You Should Know

"Lifestyle changes such as eating healthy and being active are an important part of managing diabetes. But your doctor may also prescribe a combination of medicines to help you manage your diabetes and reduce the risk of complications. Because heart disease is one of the most common complications of diabetes, taking statins to lower your cholesterol levels can be key to preventing heart disease and stroke.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people in the United States, especially among White, Black, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander people. While heart disease and stroke can affect anyone, people with certain health conditions, like diabetes, are at higher risk. People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke compared to people without diabetes. And the longer you have diabetes, the more likely you are to have heart disease. This is because over time, high blood sugar can damage the blood vessels and nerves that control your heart.

A common cause of heart disease for people with diabetes is plaque (cholesterol deposits) that builds up in the arteries. When plaque continues to build, your arteries narrow, making it harder for blood to flow to your heart. This can cause heart muscles to weaken, which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. For this reason, your doctor may prescribe a statin (blood cholesterol-lowering medicine) to reduce your risk of heart disease.

About half of people who are taking medicine to manage their high blood cholesterol are using a statin. While statin use is highly recommended to lower the risk of heart disease, research shows that younger adults, women, and people without insurance are less likely to receive a statin prescription. Compared with non-Hispanic White people, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic people have lower rates of cholesterol management. Further, women and Black adults are less likely to use statins. It’s important to know your risk for heart disease and stroke and to talk to your health care professional about all possible treatment plans.

What Are Statins?

Statins are a type of cholesterol-lowering medicine that reduces the amount of cholesterol made in the liver. Statins also help remove LDL (“bad”) cholesterol that’s already in the blood and raise your HDL (“good”) cholesterol. They can also:

• Reduce the buildup of plaque on the walls of your arteries.
• Stabilize plaque so that it doesn’t break off and block blood flow to the heart or brain.
• Decrease swelling in the walls of your arteries.
• Decrease the chance of blood clots forming.

There are several types of statins, each with different dosage levels and intensity (strength). A statin prescription will be based on your individual factors. These include your blood cholesterol levels, your risk for heart disease, and your tolerance of a specific statin. Your health care team will work with you to determine the best type and dosage to reduce your risk of heart disease and manage your diabetes..."
Statins and Diabetes 

Family Caregivers: Information on the Family and Medical Leave Act

"When you need to take time off from work to care for a family member, the Family and Medical Leave Act is here to help. 

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees are entitled to unpaid, job-protected leave to provide care for a family member, including:

• Twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition or for any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or
• Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

This webpage provides resources to help family caregivers understand and exercise their rights to job-protected leave under the FMLA.

 

Guides for Employees

• How To Talk to Your Employer About Taking Time Off For Family And Medical Reasons. This guide provides information on how to talk to your employer about taking job-protected leave for family or medical reasons under the FMLA.
• The Employee’s Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act (PDF). This plain language booklet answers common FMLA questions and clarifies who can take FMLA leave and what protections the FMLA provides.
• The Employee’s Guide to Military Family Leave (PDF) Guía de Cumplimiento bajo la FMLA (PDF).."
  Family and Medical Leave Act 

Tally of Electoral Votes for the 1800 Presidential Election

"Because the Constitution did not distinguish between President and Vice-President in the votes cast by the Electoral College, both Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr received 73 votes in the election of 1800. The House of Representatives cast thirty-five ballots over five days to break the tie and finally, on February 17, 1801, on the thirty-sixth ballot, the House elected Thomas Jefferson to be President.."
Electoral votes in 1800 

Foreign Legal Gazettes in the Law Library of Congress

"The Law Library of Congress has been collecting foreign official gazettes since the mid-nineteenth century and maintains one of the largest collections of these sources in the world. Official gazettes are primary sources of law published by national governments to disseminate new legislation, regulations, and decisions of governmental bodies. These publications may also contain other information including the text of international agreements, court decisions, official announcements, and government notices. For countries with civil law systems, the official gazette often serves as the sole source of the authoritative texts of laws until updated codes are published. In most countries, a law enters into force on the date of publication in the official gazette.

The Law Library’s gazette collection includes current, historical, and subnational jurisdictions. The two dashboards (desktop External and mobile External) represent an interactive, geographic index of the gazette collection owned by the Law Library of Congress. Users can explore the collection via an interactive map, or use the dropdown menus to search and filter results. Each row represents a different record in the catalog and users can see specific holdings information by clicking on the Library Catalog link for that record. The collection represented in the dashboard is content owned by the Law Library of Congress meaning the “digital” filter in the search will yield only content that has been digitized by the Library and not gazettes in commercial databases or free online collections. Please refer to the Law Library's Guide to Law Online for gazettes that are freely available online. The dashboards are updated regularly to edit records and add additional jurisdictions.

For Law Library of Congress legal gazette holdings, please refer to the Foreign Legal Gazette Guide External, and for legal gazettes that are freely available online, please refer to the Law Library's Guide to Law Online. If you have questions about the collection, or need research assistance, please Ask a Librarian..."
Foreign Legal Gazettes 

Federal Debt and the Statutory Limit, February 2023

"The debt limit—commonly called the debt ceiling—is the maximum amount of debt that the Department of the Treasury can issue to the public or to other federal agencies. The amount is set by law and has been increased or suspended over the years to allow for the additional borrowing needed to finance the government’s operations. On December 16, 2021, lawmakers raised the debt limit by $2.5 trillion to a total of $31.4 trillion.1 On January 19, 2023, that limit was reached, and the Treasury announced a “debt issuance suspension period” during which, under current law, it can take well-established “extraordinary measures” to borrow additional funds without breaching the debt ceiling.

The Congressional Budget Office projects that, if the debt limit remains unchanged, the government’s ability to borrow using extraordinary measures will be exhausted between July and September 2023—that is, in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal year. The projected exhaustion date is uncertain because the timing and amount of revenue collections and outlays over the intervening months could differ from CBO’s projections. In particular, income tax receipts in April could be more or less than CBO estimates. If those receipts fell short of estimated amounts—for example, if capital gains realizations in 2022 were smaller or if U.S. income growth slowed by more in early calendar year 2023 than CBO projected—the extraordinary measures could be exhausted sooner, and the Treasury could run out of funds before July.

If the debt limit is not raised or suspended before the extraordinary measures are exhausted, the government would be unable to pay its obligations fully.2 As a result, the government would have to delay making payments for some activities, default on its debt obligations, or both.."
Federal debt 

National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA): Crime Guns - Volume Two

"The National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA) is a comprehensive examination of commerce in firearms in the United States and the diversion of firearms to illegal markets. Produced by a team comprised of ATF subject-matter experts, academics from a variety of disciplines specializing in research relating to firearms, and other law enforcement professionals, the NFCTA is designed to provide the public, researchers, and policymakers with analysis of data lawfully collected by ATF as part of its regulatory and law enforcement missions to inform the dialogue on firearm law and policy. To ensure comprehensive analysis, the NFCTA is being produced in several volumes. In May 2022, ATF published Volume I, Firearms in Commerce. Volume I presents data, information, and analysis specific to the manufacture, import, export, and sale of firearms by the regulated firearms industry in the United States. This second volume of the NFCTA, Crime Gun Intelligence and Analysis, focuses on data, information, and analysis relating to crime guns recovered by law enforcement during domestic and international investigations. Importantly, ATF accesses this data and information pursuant to specific statutory authorities and within the restrictions set by Congress to protect the privacy of lawful firearms owners.

The information that ATF relies upon to execute its law enforcement mission of protecting the public from firearm-related violence is derived from several sources. Collectively known as “Crime Gun Intelligence” (“CGI”) these sources include crime gun trace results derived from records that federal law requires federal firearms licensees (FFLs) to maintain about firearms they manufacture and distribute; ballistics data and analysis generated by ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN); and investigative information developed by ATF agents, other federal law enforcement agencies (LEAs), and local, state, territorial, tribal, and international law enforcement partners. Using these information sources, ATF routinely generates bulletins for law enforcement and industry, and issues public safety advisories for all citizens. This Volume of the NFCTA, however, represents the first comprehensive report incorporating crime gun information from the full range of sources used by ATF in more than twenty years. Advancements in ballistic analytical technology and information processing during this period have enhanced ATF’s capacity to support law enforcement efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who use firearms to commit violent offenses and the traffickers who illegally divert those crime guns to criminals. Volume II describes in detail the sources of information that constitute CGI, and how CGI is leveraged to promote effective investigation of firearm-related violence.."
Firearms assessment 

EPA Announces New Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFAS Chemicals, $1 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Strengthen Health Protections

"Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released four drinking water health advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the latest action under President Biden’s action plan to deliver clean water and Administrator Regan’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap. EPA also announced that it is inviting states and territories to apply for $1 billion – the first of $5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funding – to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water, specifically in small or disadvantaged communities. These actions build on EPA’s progress to safeguard communities from PFAS pollution and scientifically inform upcoming efforts, including EPA’s forthcoming proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFOA and PFOS, which EPA will release in the fall of 2022.

“People on the front-lines of PFAS contamination have suffered for far too long. That’s why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and to help protect concerned families from this pervasive challenge,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are also investing $1 billion to reduce PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water.”

“Today’s actions highlight EPA’s commitment to use the best available science to tackle PFAS pollution, protect public health, and provide critical information quickly and transparently,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “EPA is also demonstrating its commitment to harmonize policies that strengthen public health protections with infrastructure funding to help communities—especially disadvantaged communities—deliver safe water.”.."
PFaS in Drinking Water 

Dental Sealants Can Improve Students’ Oral Health

"Learn how a school dental sealant program can help your students keep a healthy smile.

Cavities (tooth decay) are the most common chronic diseases of childhood in the United States. Untreated cavities can cause pain and infections that lead to problems eating, speaking, playing, and learning. These problems can affect a child’s quality of life, performance at school, and success later in life.

The good news is cavities are preventable and schools can help. Dental sealants protect the chewing surfaces of the back teeth by covering them with a protective shield that can prevent cavities for many years. School sealant programs are an effective way to reach millions of children with this intervention, helping them stay healthy and ready to learn..."
Dental programs in schools 

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 - 2025

"We are pleased to present the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. This edition marks the first time the Guidelines provide recommendations by life stage, from birth through older adulthood.

Each stage of life is distinct and has unique needs that affect health and disease risk. Early food preferences influence food and beverage choices later. And the science has evolved to focus on the importance of a healthy dietary pattern over time. The science also shows it’s never too late to start and maintain a healthy dietary pattern, which can yield health benefits in the short term and cumulatively over years. This new edition of the Dietary Guidelines includes specific recommendations for all life stages, now including infants and toddlers, and pregnant and lactating women. We are excited this is the first edition to provide guidance for every life stage.

This edition of the Dietary Guidelines is grounded in robust scientific reviews of the current body of evidence on key nutrition and health topics for each life stage. We thank the 20 distinguished scientists on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee for their expertise and dedication in conducting an independent scientific review that was characterized by more transparency and public participation throughout the process than ever before. The Committee’s work culminated in a comprehensive scientific report on the current state of nutrition science and provided advice to the Departments for our development of this 9th edition of the Dietary Guidelines. The Committee also included important considerations for future research, such as a need to reconsider the Dietary Reference Intakes. The U.S. and Canadian Dietary Reference Intake Steering Committees are currently developing plans to re-examine energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate–the timeline for these macronutrient reviews has not been established. USDA and HHS are looking forward to jointly funding the work to help guide our Departments’ research agendas in the coming years..."
Dietary Guidelines 2020-2025 

Food Irradiation

"Food irradiation is a food safety process that uses radiation to kill germs that can cause food poisoning (foodborne illness). Food irradiation is safe, and its safety and efficacy have been endorsed by various federal agencies and intergovernmental organizations. It does not change the texture or appearance of food and does not make food radioactive.

Food irradiation is also used to extend the shelf life of foods and control for insects. This page contains questions and answers you may have about food irradiation for food safety.

How does food irradiation work?

Food irradiation works by exposing food products to ionizing radiation. Food irradiation is considered a “cold” method, meaning it does not use heat to kill germs. Other food safety processes that you may be more familiar with, like pasteurization and canning, use heat.

The irradiation process happens after a food is produced and packaged. Food enters a chamber where it is exposed to a specific amount of radiation. The radiation penetrates the food and kills germs or prevents them from multiplying, and it does not linger in the food. Irradiation is one more protective step, but it does not replace other food safety measures.."
Food Irradiation