Blockchain in Finance: Legislative and Regulatory Actions Are Needed to Ensure Comprehensive Oversight of Crypto Assets

"What GAO Found

Blockchain allows users to conduct and record tamper-resistant transactions that multiple parties make without a central authority, such as a bank, when used for financial transactions. Because of these characteristics, blockchain-related products and services have the potential to produce cost savings, faster transactions, and other benefits over their traditional counterparts. However, these benefits have not been fully realized. Furthermore, the significant risks these products pose have been realized and negatively affected consumers and investors. For example, crypto assets have experienced price volatility. Also, the bankruptcy of FTX Trading Ltd., a prominent crypto asset trading platform, led to the discovery that a substantial portion of the platform's assets might be missing or stolen, according to bankruptcy-related documents.."
Blockchain 

Pet Food Safety

 

"We all want our dogs and cats to have the best and healthiest food. However, just like our food, pet food and treats can sometimes be contaminated with germs. These germs can make pets and people sick.

The good news is that you can take steps to keep your pets and family healthy.

Safe food for dogs and cats

There are many safe food options for your dog or cat.

Safe pet foods rarely cause food poisoning in pets. These foods have been cooked or heated to a high enough temperature to kill germs.

Choose pet foods that provide the right amount of nutrients your pet needs. When buying food for your dog’s or cat’s main diet, look for the words “complete and balanced” on the product label.

Main types of safe pet food

• Kibbles are cooked and shaped before being dried. They are then coated with flavors. (Note that some kibbles are coated or mixed with raw pet food – these products would be considered raw pet food and would likely have the word “raw” on the packaging.)
• Canned pet foods are sealed before being sterilized (heated to a high temperature).
• Fresh pet foods are cooked food with fewer or no preservatives. These products are often delivered to your home as part of online pet food subscription services. They may also be available at pet stores and grocery stores. Because fewer or no preservatives are used, fresh pet foods need to be refrigerated, and they do not keep as long as kibbles or canned pet foods.

Some people make food for their pets using ingredients from the grocery store. If homemade pet foods are your pet’s main diet, talk to your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to make sure you are providing a complete and balanced diet for your pet.

Follow pet food safety steps

Keep your pets safe

• Stay up to date on food recalls and outbreaks. Don’t feed your pet any recalled or contaminated food.
  • Pet food recalls: FDA animal product recall website or AVMA Recall Watch Twitter account.
  • Other food recalls and outbreaks: CDC foodborne outbreak website.
  • If your pet got sick after eating a specific pet food, report a complaint to FDA.
• Clean pet food and water bowls, food scoops, treat toys, feeding mats, and placemats frequently.
• Follow storage instructions on pet food labels..."
  Pet Food
  

Critical Materials Assessment

"For more than a decade, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has funded basic and applied research and development (R&D) related to critical materials to address the scientific and technological (S&T) challenges that underpin supply chain vulnerabilities. These investments were made possible through the first DOE Critical Materials Strategy in 2010. This included the first DOE Critical Materials Assessment – identifying which materials were critical for clean energy technologies. It also defined the pillars that form the foundation of the DOE research strategy that guided these investments.

The Energy Act of 2020 expanded DOE authorities to address critical materials challenges through a Critical Materials Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercialization Application (RDD&CA) Program. The Critical Materials RDD&CA Program allows DOE to invest across the entire research continuum and supply chain. Through the Critical Materials RDD&CA Program, DOE implements the DOE Vision and Strategy for Critical Minerals and Materials (CMM):

Vision:

• Develop reliable, resilient, affordable, diverse, sustainable, and secure domestic critical mineral and materials supply chains,
• support the clean energy transition and decarbonization of the energy, manufacturing, and transportation economies, and
• promote safe, sustainable, economic, and environmentally just solutions to meet current and future needs.

Strategy:

• Diversify & Expand Supply: Diversify and expand critical mineral and material supply from varying sources while minimizing waste and increasing techno-economic coproduction of materials – to ensure material availability;
• Develop Alternatives: Innovate alternative materials and/or manufacturing components – reduce demand and partially offset the need for virgin materials;
• Materials and Manufacturing Efficiency: Use and process materials efficiently across the entire supply chain and life cycle – to reduce waste;
• Circular Economy: Remanufacture, refurbish, repair, reuse, recycle, and repurpose – to extend the lifetime of materials and partially offset the need for virgin materials;
• Enabling Activities: Cross-cutting functions, such as criticality assessments, stockpiling, international engagement, market development, and advanced theoretical, computational, and experimental tools – to accelerate progress.

The 2023 Critical Materials Assessment will enable DOE to set priorities for investments through the Critical Materials RDD&CA, continuing advancements in S&T innovation in combination with expanded focus on derisking and deploying commercialization technologies to build and transform domestic supply chains..."
Critical Materials 

IRS Launches Paperless Processing Initiative

"Taxpayers will have the option to go paperless for IRS correspondence by 2024 Filing Season, IRS to achieve paperless processing for all tax returns by Filing Season 2025.

IRS Paperless Processing Initiative will eliminate up to 200 million pieces of paper annually, cut processing times in half, and expedite refunds by several weeks.

Paper-based processes have long hampered the IRS and frustrated taxpayers. The challenges created by paper are two-fold: Taxpayers are unable to digitally submit many forms and correspondence beyond their annual 1040 tax return, and the IRS is unable to digitally process paper tax returns it receives. For decades, taxpayers had to respond to notices for things like document verification through the mail, and IRS employees had to manually enter numbers from paper returns into computers one digit at a time, creating significant delays for taxpayers and challenges for IRS staff.

The IRS receives about 76 million paper tax returns and forms, and 125 million pieces of correspondence, notice responses, and non-tax forms each year, and its limited capability to accept these forms digitally or digitize paper it receives has prevented the IRS from delivering the world-class service taxpayers deserve. The IRS also has more than 1 billion historical documents, which costs $40 million per year to store.

Thanks to Inflation Reduction Act resources, taxpayers are now able to respond to more notices online, and the IRS has made significant progress adopting new technology that automates the scanning of millions of paper returns. As the next phase of its modernization, the IRS is accelerating paperless processing efforts. Using IRA resources, the IRS is launching an ambitious plan to ensure that by Filing Season 2024, taxpayers will be able to go paperless if they choose to do so, and by Filing Season 2025, the IRS will achieve paperless processing digitizing all paper-filed returns when received. In effect, this means all paper will be converted into digital form as soon as it arrives at the IRS.."
IRS Paperless Initiative 

EPA Posts Pesticide Incident Data Publicl

" Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a major step to increase transparency by posting 10 years of pesticide incident data on its website. Sharing this information advances EPA’s commitment to environmental justice and aligns with EPA’s Equity Action Plan by expanding the availability of data and capacity so the public and community organizations can better understand pesticide exposures, including exposures to vulnerable populations.

This action also advances the President’s transparency goal of ensuring that the public, including members of communities with environmental justice concerns, has adequate access to information on federal activities related to human health or the environment, as charged in Executive Order 14096, Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All.

The data sets, which pull information from EPA’s Incident Data System (IDS), allow users to access raw data on pesticide exposure incidents such as the incident date, the reason for the report (e.g., adverse effect, product defect), and the severity of the incident. It may also provide information on the location of the incident, the pesticide product, and a description of the incident(s). EPA has not verified the raw data for accuracy or completeness, so users should be aware of this limitation before drawing any conclusions from the data..."
Pesticide Incident Data 

Constitution Annotated: A Research Guide

"Constitution Annotated: A Research Guide.

A research guide on the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation ("Constitution Annotated") and related constitutional law resources.

Consistent with the mission of the Library of Congress’s Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation; ("Constitution Annotated") provides authoritative, objective, and non-partisan legal analysis of Supreme Court case law and, where relevant, historical practices that have defined the text and interpretation of the Constitution. In publication for over 100 years, the Constitution Annotated provides essential information to Congress and the public at large about the Constitution's history, meaning, and interpretation.

This research guide is dedicated to helping the general reader navigate and understand the Constitution Annotated, whether they are seasoned attorneys, university students writing a term paper, or anyone interested in the Constitution and how it relates to current issues...:
Constitution Annotated 

21st Century Trafficking: Emerging Hotspots for Forced Labor

"According to the International Labor Organization, 28 million people around the world are trapped in forced labor. Some are compelled to work in dangerous conditions. Many are isolated, held in debt bondage, threatened, or have their passports and documents confiscated, making it nearly impossible to seek help or flee. Many become victims of trafficking because they are in desperate need of economic opportunities or trying to escape difficult life circumstances.

Where is this happening?

In nearly every country and in the supply chains of products and services you encounter daily. Here are three places where you should know that trafficking is occurring.

Palm oil plantations

If you have shopped at a grocery store, chances are you have bought something containing palm oil. Palm oil is an ingredient in countless products we use daily, from makeup and shampoo to baked goods and cooking oils. Palm oil comes from the fruit of the oil palm tree, 85% of which is harvested in Malaysia and Indonesia. Workers on palm plantations, many of whom are migrant workers lured by the false promises of good jobs, are often vulnerable to child labor and forced labor. Children and adults are subjected to dangerous working conditions, sexual violence and excessive work hours to meet steep work quotas. Palm oil from this part of the world – along with the myriad of products made with palm oil – is shipped globally to destinations including China, India and the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Labor is raising awareness about the risk of child labor and forced labor in the supply chains of products containing palm oil. Our latest List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor warns of multiple palm oil products that contain ingredients tainted by labor exploitation, and we’ve made recommendations to both governments and the private sector on how to address these abuses.

Southeast Asia scam call centers

Nearly everyone with a cell phone has received a scam call or text. A friendly voice on the line asks you about your day and begins to pitch you a false investing opportunity, a bogus extended car warranty or a fake trial of a new computer virus protection service. You might not know that these calls and texts are increasingly coming from people in forced labor in Southeast Asia.

There are growing reports of workers from Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia, among others, who are promised good jobs by unscrupulous recruiters, only to find themselves trapped in forced labor in makeshift call centers that are heavily guarded. Their passports are confiscated, and they are forced to work long hours and meet daily targets for successful scams. There are even reports of workers being moved or traded among other illegal call centers in the region.

The U.S. Department of Labor is continuing to monitor these situations in order to more effectively engage with the governments of countries in which such fraud is escalating.."
Trafficking 

BEACON 2.0 - Beach Advisory and Closing On-line Notification

"Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000, EPA provides annual grants to coastal and Great Lakes states, territories, and eligible tribes to help local authorities monitor their coastal and Great Lakes beaches and notify the public of water quality conditions that may be unsafe for swimming. To learn more about the Beach Program, please visit the Beach Program Home Page.

Overview of BEACON 2.0

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the BEach Advisory and Closing Online Notification (BEACON) system to meet the Agency's requirement to provide to the public a database of pollution occurrences for coastal recreation waters. EPA's response to this requirement, BEACON, contains state-reported beach monitoring and notification data and is available online. The “States” (including Tribes and Territories) are not required to submit their beach season data to EPA until the beginning of the following calendar year and then we work with them to verify that the data is presented accurately on EPA's BEACON website. For links to state webpages, please see: https://www.epa.gov/beaches/state-and-local-beach-programs. The BEACON 2.0 User's Guide describes how to use the online BEACON 2.0 system to obtain state-reported beach monitoring and notification data..."
Beach Conditions

Federal Reserve announces that its new system for instant payments, the FedNow® Service, is now live

"The Federal Reserve on Thursday announced that its new system for instant payments, the FedNow^® Service, is now live. Banks and credit unions of all sizes can sign up and use this tool to instantly transfer money for their customers, any time of the day, on any day of the year.

"The Federal Reserve built the FedNow Service to help make everyday payments over the coming years faster and more convenient," said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell. "Over time, as more banks choose to use this new tool, the benefits to individuals and businesses will include enabling a person to immediately receive a paycheck, or a company to instantly access funds when an invoice is paid."

To start, 35 early-adopting banks and credit unions, as well as the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service, are ready with instant payments capabilities via the FedNow Service. In addition, 16 service providers are ready to support payment processing for banks and credit unions.

When fully available, instant payments will provide substantial benefits for consumers and businesses, such as when rapid access to funds is useful, or when just-in-time payments help manage cash flows in bank accounts. For example, individuals can instantly receive their paychecks and use them the same day, and small businesses can more efficiently manage cash flows without processing delays. Over the coming years, customers of banks and credit unions that sign up for the service should be able to use their financial institution's mobile app, website, and other interfaces to send instant payments quickly and securely..."
FedNow Service 

DPLA introduces The Banned Book Club

[Digital Library of America]

DPLA introduces The Banned Book Club

DPLA has launched The Banned Book Club to ensure that all readers have access to the books they want to read. The Banned Book Club makes e-book versions of banned books available to readers in locations across the United States where titles have been banned via the free Palace e-reader app.
Access banned books now

Banned Books 

Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation(Surgeon General's)

"When I first took office as Surgeon General in 2014, I didn’t view loneliness as a public health concern. But that was before I embarked on a cross-country listening tour, where I heard stories from my fellow Americans that surprised me.

People began to tell me they felt isolated, invisible, and insignificant. Even when they couldn’t put their finger on the word “lonely,” time and time again, people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, from every corner of the country, would tell me, “I have to shoulder all of life’s burdens by myself,” or “if I disappear tomorrow, no one will even notice.”

It was a lightbulb moment for me: social disconnection was far more common than I had realized.

In the scientific literature, I found confirmation of what I was hearing. In recent years, about one-in-two adults in America reported experiencing loneliness.1-3 And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic cut off so many of us from friends, loved ones, and support systems, exacerbating loneliness and isolation.

Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day,4 and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished..."
Loneliness 

TikTok: Technology Overview and Issues

"TikTok is a globally popular video-sharing smartphone application (app) owned by ByteDance Ltd., a privately held company headquartered in Beijing, China. It is under increasing scrutiny by the U.S. government as a potential privacy and security risk to U.S. citizens. This is because ByteDance, as with all technology companies doing business in China, is subject to Chinese laws that require companies operating in the country to turn over user data when asked by the Chinese government. Researchers differ over how TikTok data collection compares with other social media apps and whether TikTok poses a threat to the privacy and security of its U.S. users.

TikTok launched in the United States in August 2018. The app is available in about 150 countries in 75 languages and has approximately 1 billion monthly active users. In the United States, the app has approximately 150 million monthly active users. TikTok’s appeal lies heavily in what has been called its “addictive” video feed, called the “For You” feed. The app builds this feed through a “recommendation engine” that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and data mining practices. According to the company, the recommendation engine relies on a complex set of weighted factors to recommend content, including hashtags and videos watched previously, as well as the kind of user device. TikTok critics cite problems with how much data TikTok collects from and about its users and with how that data is stored—and could be shared. Some critics have also raised concerns about how TikTok promotes certain content to users and the potential to spread misinformation or propaganda.

On August 6, 2020, then-President Trump signed an executive order aimed at stopping TikTok from doing business in the United States. If the order had gone into effect on September 27, 2020, as scheduled, it would have prohibited any U.S. company or person from “transacting” with ByteDance. On August 14, 2020, President Trump issued a second executive order stating that ByteDance must divest from all assets that support TikTok’s U.S. operations and destroy all previously collected U.S. user data. Divestiture may be accomplished by finding a U.S. buyer for TikTok. The requirements were designed to limit the Chinese government’s access to current and future data from U.S. TikTok users. ByteDance did not want to divest from TikTok and sued the Trump Administration. In 2021, President Biden rescinded both executive orders, but his Administration is still considering options to curtail TikTok’s ability to operate in the United States.

On September 14, 2020, Oracle announced that it had reached an agreement with ByteDance to “serve as [the company’s] trusted technology provider” in the United States. It is unclear whether this deal would have satisfied the conditions in President Trump’s now-rescinded executive orders. Then-Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) would review the proposal and present President Trump with its opinion. Negotiations between TikTok and CFIUS remain ongoing.

During the 118th Congress, some Members have introduced various bills that would affect TikTok’s ability to continue operating in the United States. For example, Representative Michael McCaul introduced the Deterring America’s Technological Adversaries (DATA) Act (H.R. 1153) on February 24, 2023, which was reported favorably by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on May 16, 2023 (H.Rept. 118-63); Representative Kat Cammack introduced the Chinese-owned Applications Using the Information of Our Nation (CAUTION) Act of 2023 (H.R. 750) on February 2, 2023; Representative Ken Buck introduce the No TikTok on United States Devices Act (H.R. 503) on January 25, 2023; Senator Josh Hawley introduced the No TikTok on United States Devices Act (S. 85) on January 25, 2023; Representative Brian Babin introduced the Terminate TikTok on Campus Act of 2023 (H.R. 231) on January 10, 2023; and Representative Jack Bergman introduced the Protecting Personal Data from Foreign Adversaries Act (H.R. 57) on January 9, 2023. Additionally, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on TikTok on March 23, 2023, titled “TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms.”.."
TikTok 

Four Ways to Cool Down Heat Illness

"July is Extreme Heat Awareness Month. One of the biggest hazards at this time of year is overheating. Outdoor and indoor heat exposure may cause heat-related illnesses and can lead to preventable fatalities. This means that mine workers, from heavy equipment operators to blasting experts, working on surface mines or underground mines, are all at risk of heat-related illnesses.

High air temperatures, humidity and low wind combined with the heat produced from machinery will make it harder to cool down. Any heat stress illness or injury must be reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to meet 30 CFR Part 50.20 requirements. In 2022, 37 incidents of heat-related illness were reported to MSHA. In many of these situations, miners were dehydrated and felt dizzy and nauseous before receiving medical treatment at a hospital.

Heat illnesses or injuries happen when the body is not able to cool itself. While the body normally cools itself by sweating, during extreme heat, sweating may not be enough. When your body temperature rises to a point where it can’t cool down, it can lead to heat stroke, which is a life-threatening condition that needs immediate medical attention to prevent damage to your brain and vital organs.  

A miner may first feel symptoms like thirst and a heat rash. If your mind is focused on working, you may not be aware of your health condition until you are dizzy and then collapse. 

Heat-related injuries and fatalities are preventable. Here are four ways to keep cool when you are working in a hot environment:

• Hydrate. Drink before you feel thirsty. Being hydrated when you start work makes it easier to stay hydrated through the day.
• Rest. Take enough time to give your body time to cool.
• Find shade. Take breaks in a shady or cool area.
• Wear personal protective gear. Clothing should be loose fitting and “wick” wetness away from your body. Ice vests, cooling neck wraps, and wetted clothing are effective at lowering your body temperature when they can safely be worn while working.."
  Cool Down Heat Illness 

FTC Issues Warning To Consumers About Scammers Impersonating FTC Staff

"The Federal Trade Commission has issued a new blog post warning consumers about scammers who are impersonating FTC staff members.

The post highlights a number of key lies that scammers tell when they’re pretending to work for the FTC, including that consumers have won a contest and must pay to collect their prize or owe money to the agency. The post also notes that scammers have used the names of real FTC employees when they reach out to consumers.

The post includes three key facts about communication from the FTC: The FTC will never call you to demand money; the FTC will never threaten you with arrest; and the FTC will never promise you a prize.

Consumers who receive calls from scammers pretending to work for the FTC should report them immediately to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov, or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.

FTC staff Impersonators 

Gun Homicides

[USA Facts]
"In 2020, the national homicide rate increased by 30%. That is the largest single-year increase in over a century.

However, not all types of homicide grew at the same rate. Between 2019 and 2021, firearm homicide rates increased 44%, from 4.6 victims per 100,000 people in 2019 to 6.7 victims per 100,000 people in 2021. Alternatively, homicides committed by cutting or stabbing injuries or suffocation – the next most common methods of killing – decreased 17% and 33%, respectively.

While the firearm homicide rate had been slowly decreasing from a peak of 6.8 victims per 100,000 people in the early 1990s, rates have since returned to those levels..."
Firearms and Homicides