Be Ready for Radiation Emergencies

"Protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets during a radiation emergency by getting inside, staying inside, and staying tuned.

It’s Saturday night and you’re at home with your family watching TV. A news alert announces a radiation emergency in your city. It could be an overturned truck hauling radioactive material, a nuclear power plant accident, or a “dirty bomb,” but reports are that large amounts of radiation have been released. What should you do?

Radiation can affect the body in a number of ways, and the adverse health effects of exposure may not be apparent for many years. These can range from mild effects, such as skin reddening, to serious effects such as cancer and death. This depends on the amount of radiation absorbed by the body (the dose), the type of radiation, and for how long the person was exposed. In large doses, radiation can cause acute illness or skin burns, or jeopardize a developing fetus..."
Radiation emergencies

Prostate Cancer Awareness

"The prostate is a walnut-sized organ located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men. It produces fluid that makes up a part of semen. The prostate gland surrounds the urethra (the tube that carries urine and semen through the penis and out of the body).

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer among American men. Prostate cancers usually grow slowly. Most men with prostate cancer are older than 65 years and do not die from the disease. Finding and treating prostate cancer before symptoms occur may not improve your health or help you live longer. Learn more and talk to your doctor before you decide to get screened or treated for prostate cancer..."
Prostate cancer

Pregnant? Get Tdap in Your Third Trimester

"Only you can give your baby protection against whooping cough before your little one is even born. Talk to your doctor or midwife about getting the whooping cough vaccine (called Tdap) during your third trimester.

Whooping cough is a serious disease that can be deadly for babies. Unfortunately, babies can’t get vaccinated and start building protection against whooping cough until they are two months old. Avoid this gap in protection by getting the whooping cough vaccine during the third trimester of your pregnancy. By doing so, you pass antibodies to your baby before birth. These antibodies help protect your baby in the first few months of life..."
Pregnancy & Whooping cough

September is National Childhood Obesity Month

"About 1 in 6 (17%) children in the United States has obesity. Certain groups of children are more affected than others. National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month provides a chance for all of us to learn more about this serious health condition. While there is no simple solution, there are many ways communities can support children with their journey to good health.

Childhood Obesity Is a Major Public Health Problem

• Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health conditions and diseases, such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, and type 2 diabetes. They also have more risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure and high cholesterol than their normal weight peers.
• Children with obesity can be bullied and teased more than their normal weight peers. They are also more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression, and lower self-esteem.
• Children with obesity are more likely to have obesity as adults. This can lead to lifelong physical and mental health problems. Adult obesity is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many types of cancers..."
  Childhood obesity

Rescission Of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

" Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiated the orderly wind down of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

“This Administration’s decision to terminate DACA was not taken lightly. The Department of Justice has carefully evaluated the program’s Constitutionality and determined it conflicts with our existing immigration laws,” said Acting Secretary Elaine Duke. “As a result of recent litigation, we were faced with two options: wind the program down in an orderly fashion that protects beneficiaries in the near-term while working with Congress to pass legislation; or allow the judiciary to potentially shut the program down completely and immediately. We chose the least disruptive option.”

On June 29, the attorneys general of Texas and several other states sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions asserting that the DACA program is unlawful for the same reasons stated in the Fifth Circuit and district court opinions regarding an expansion of the DACA program and the now-rescinded program known as Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA). The letter noted that if DHS did not rescind the June 2012 DACA memo by September 5, 2017, the states would seek to amend the DAPA lawsuit to include a challenge to DACA...."

DACA rescission

Prevent Food Poisoning

"Anybody can get food poisoning, but some people are more likely to get seriously ill.

Every year, an estimated 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. However, certain groups of people are more likely to get a foodborne illness (also called food poisoning) or get seriously ill. Learn why certain groups have a higher chance for food poisoning and what steps they can take to protect themselves.

People more likely to get a foodborne illness are:

• Children younger than 5 years of age
• Adults aged 65 and older
• People with weakened immune systems from medical conditions or their treatment, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, or diabetes
• Pregnant women..."
  Food poisoning

Animals in Schools and Daycare Settings

"Animals can be entertaining and educational. However, people, especially children, can get sick from contact with animals. The good news: You can help prevent illnesses from animals.

Children can learn a lot from animals, and it’s important to make sure they stay safe and healthy while they’re learning. People can get sick when they forget to wash their hands[698 KB] right after touching an animal or its habitat. Young children are more likely to get sick because their immune systems are still developing. They also are more likely to put their fingers or other items into their mouths, which can cause them to become infected.

What types of diseases can animals spread?

Animals may carry germs like Salmonella and E. coli O157 on their bodies and in their droppings, even when they appear clean and healthy. The germs can spread to cages, bedding, and wherever animals roam. Disease outbreaks also have resulted from hatching eggs and chicks in the classroom, and from contaminated animal products used for hands-on learning, such as owl pellets for dissection..."
Animals in schools

Mumps

"Mumps vaccine is the best way to protect your child against mumps, a contagious disease that can cause serious complications. Talk to your healthcare professional or check your child’s immunization records to ensure mumps vaccine is up to date.

Mumps is a contagious disease caused by a virus. Anyone who has not had mumps or been vaccinated can get the disease. There is no treatment for mumps, and it can cause long-term health problems. Before there was a vaccine, mumps was the leading cause for viral encephalitis (infection of the brain) and sudden deafness in the U.S. You can protect yourself and your family against mumps with vaccination.

Protect Your Child with Mumps Vaccine

Mumps vaccine is the best way to protect your child against mumps. It is usually given as part of a combination vaccine that protects against three diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). The MMR vaccine is safe and effective. Most children don’t have any side effects from the vaccine. The side effects that do occur are usually very mild, such as a fever or rash..."

Mumps

Hurricane Harvey and Army Corps: Background for Flood Response and Recovery

"Hurricane Harvey produced high winds, storm surge, and heavy precipitation. Congressional responses to the storm's flooding may consider both coastal protection and the improvement of water management and drainage in inland areas. This Insight summarizes Hurricane Harvey-related flood-management activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE, or Corps).

Responsibilities for flood-risk-reduction infrastructure are shared. Local and state entities are responsible for preparing for and managing precipitation that falls onto their developed areas (e.g., drainage within neighborhoods and city streets). At Congress's direction, USACE plans, builds, and operates numerous riverine and coastal flood-control projects, including levees and dams. USACE has three primary flood-related roles relevant to Hurricane Harvey: operation of flood-risk-reduction infrastructure, assistance with certain nonfederal-operated flood-control infrastructure, and emergency response..."
Hurricane Harvey

Presidential Pardons: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

"Article I, § 2 of the United States Constitution provides the President the authority “to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.” While the text makes it clear that the pardon power is limited to federal offenses (“offenses against the United States”) and cannot be used to avoid impeachment, the terse, one-sentence provision offers little other guidance on the scope of the President’s pardon authority. The Supreme Court has stated that the President’s pardon power is near plenary, but the exercise of this authority may occasionally prompt questions regarding the power’s compatibility with notions of fairness and the rule of law. Recently, some Members of Congress (see, e.g., here) and legal observers have raised or opined upon various, oftentimes difficult, legal questions pertaining to the pardon power, including whether the President can issue “prospective” pardons; whether the President can pardon himself; and the extent to which Congress can regulate or respond to the exercise of the President’s pardon authority. This Sidebar provides a general overview of the pardon power and briefly addresses a few frequently asked legal questions concerning its scope and application..."
Presidential pardons

China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States

"Prior to the initiation of economic reforms and trade liberalization 36 years ago, China maintained policies that kept the economy very poor, stagnant, centrally-controlled, vastly inefficient, and relatively isolated from the global economy. Since opening up to foreign trade and investment and implementing free market reforms in 1979, China has been among the world’s fastest-growing economies, with real annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth averaging nearly 10% through 2016. In recent years, China has emerged as a major global economic power. It is now the world’s largest economy (on a purchasing power parity basis), manufacturer, merchandise trader, and holder of foreign exchange reserves.

The global economic crisis that began in 2008 greatly affected China’s economy. China’s exports, imports, and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows declined, GDP growth slowed, and millions of Chinese workers reportedly lost their jobs. The Chinese government responded by implementing a $586 billion economic stimulus package and loosening monetary policies to increase bank lending. Such policies enabled China to effectively weather the effects of the sharp global fall in demand for Chinese products, but may have contributed to overcapacity in several industries and increased debt by Chinese firms and local government. China’s economy has slowed in recent years. Real GDP growth has slowed in each of the past six years, dropping from 10.6% in 2010 to 6.7% in 2016, and is projected to slow to 5.7% by 2022..."
China's economic rise

Arrest Data Analysis Tool

"This dynamic data analysis tool allows you to generate tables and figures of arrest data from 1980 onward. You can view national arrest estimates, customized either by age and sex or by age group and race, for many offenses. This tool also enables you to view data on local arrests.

Select National Estimates or Agency-Level Counts from the menu above. Use the Annual Tables to view tables of arrest data broken down by sex, race, age, or juvenile and adult age groups. Select Trend Tables by Sex or Trend Tables by Race to create customized tables of long-term trends. In National Estimates, you can also view figures of long-term trends by sex or by race and age-arrest curves for many offenses.

The underlying data are from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. BJS has expanded on the FBI's estimates to provide national arrest estimates detailed by offense, sex, age, and race. The Methodology tab describes estimation procedures and the limitations of the arrest data. The Terms & Definitions tab explains the meaning or use of terms, including the FBI's offense definitions. You can download output to Excel format.

This User's Guide provides everything you need to get started..."

Arrest Analysis tool

Tips on Avoiding Fraudulent Charitable Contribution Schemes

"The National Center for Disaster Fraud reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Unfortunately, criminals can exploit disasters, such as Hurricane Harvey, for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating phony websites designed to solicit contributions.

Tips should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud at (866) 720-5721. The line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, e-mails can be sent to disaster@leo.gov(link sends e-mail), and information can be faxed to (225) 334-4707.

The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud to investigate, prosecute, and deter fraud in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. Its mission has expanded to include suspected fraud from any natural or manmade disaster. More than 30 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the National Center for Disaster Fraud, which allows the center to act as a centralized clearinghouse of information related to disaster relief fraud..."
Fraudulent charitable contributions

FTC Warns Hurricane Victims About Flood Insurance Robocall Scam

"The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about a flood insurance scam targeting those that have been affected by Hurricane Harvey. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), homeowners and renters are getting fraudulent robocalls telling them their flood premiums are past due.

Don’t respond to these robocalls.

If you have flood insurance and you’re not sure what to do, read this FTC blog post: Hurricane Harvey scams: Callers lie about flood insurance.

If you suspect fraud, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at 1-866-720-5721. Also report it to the FTC. Your reports help the FTC and other law enforcement agencies bring scam artists to justice and put an end to unfair and misleading business practices.

For information about how to help victims, and for dealing with and recovering from the storm, read FTC Advice for Helping Hurricane Harvey Victims..."
Flood insurance scams

Alexander Hamilton Papers Online

"The Library of Congress has put the papers of Alexander Hamilton online for the first time in their original format.

The Library holds the world’s largest collection of Hamilton papers—approximately 12,000 items concentrated from 1777 until Hamilton’s death in 1804, including letters, legal papers and drafts of speeches and writings, among other items. Now, for the first time, these original documents—many in Hamilton’s own hand—will be available for researchers, students or the generally curious anywhere in the world to explore, zoom in and read at loc.gov/collections/alexander-hamilton-papers/.

“The Library of Congress is home to millions of one-of-a-kind manuscripts that reveal America’s history directly from the minds of the individuals who helped shape it,” said Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress. “Alexander Hamilton is certainly having his moment and I am so thrilled that people can learn more about him—actually read his descriptions of Revolutionary War battles, read letters to his wife, see the cross-outs in his draft of George Washington’s farewell address and so many other things. Sharing this history is what the Library is all about.”"
Alexander Hamilton