The Essential Principles of Climate Literacy

"Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science presents information that is deemed important for individuals and communities to know and understand about Earth’s climate, impacts of climate change, and approaches to adaptation or mitigation.  Principles in the guide can serve as discussion starters or launching points for scientific inquiry. The guide aims to promote greater climate science literacy by providing this educational framework of principles and concepts. The guide can also serve educators who teach climate science as a way to meet content standards in their science curricula.

Teaching Climate

Climate science and energy are complex topics, with rapidly developing science and technology and the potential for controversy. How can educators effectively bring these important subjects into their classrooms? There are many ways to approach climate and energy depending on the grade level, course topics and instructional method. Yet no matter the pedagogic setting, using a literacy-based approach can provide a sound foundation to build learners' understanding of these topics.   The Teaching Climate section will support the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Implementation through an integrated Earth system science approach in K-12 education.  

The following set of climate literacy principles provides a framework for teaching the science behind these issues. Each summary links to a more detailed discussion of what makes the topic important, why it can be challenging to teach, and suggestions for grade-level specific teaching strategies and links to relevant teaching materials..."
Climate Literacy 

DHS Releases New Resources to Combat Human Trafficking on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

"Today, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released new resources aimed at combatting human trafficking and supporting victims.  The new resources include the first-ever Continued Presence Resource Guide to assist federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies in supporting victims of human trafficking and advancing trafficking investigations and prosecutions.  DHS is also releasing a fact sheet for the business community detailing criminal authorities used for prosecuting forced labor and related offenses in China.  The fact sheet appeals to victims and witnesses of forced labor and other human rights abuses to contact DHS.

“The Department of Homeland Security is leading the fight against the horrific practices of sex trafficking and forced labor,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.  “As part of the Department’s victim-centered approach, we are committed to providing victims of these crimes, including noncitizen victims, support and necessary services and to seeking justice on their behalf.  Components, offices, and experts across the Department are part of this critical mission.  With the release of these new resources, we aim to support and inform law enforcement and businesses across the country, and to protect and assist victims of trafficking.”
 

Continued Presence is a temporary immigration designation provided by law enforcement to noncitizens who may be victims of human trafficking or may be witnesses in investigations, or have filed federal civil actions against their traffickers.  Continued Presence is granted in two-year increments and is renewable.  Recipients are also eligible for certain federal benefits and services.  Continued Presence helps to alleviate victims’ fears about removal, provides victims economic security, and improves victims’ ability to seek justice against their traffickers.  Learn more about the Continued Presence Resource Guide..."
Human Trafficking 

Social Security Act Amendments

"This act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 30, 1965. The signing took place at the Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO, with former President Truman present in order to recognize his early effort to establish a national health insurance program. The act established Medicare, a health insurance program for the elderly, and Medicaid, a health insurance program for the poor..."
Medicare

International Child Labor & Forced Labor Reports

"LAB publishes three reports on international child labor and forced labor that serve as valuable resources for research, advocacy, government action and corporate responsibility. These reports are The Department of Labor's Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor; the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor; and the List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor. Each of these reports has a distinct mandate, focus and set of implications, but taken collectively, they document the current situation of child labor, forced labor and forced child labor around the world..."
Forced labor reports 

National Security Memorandum on Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems

"Protection of our Nation’s critical infrastructure is a responsibility of the government at the Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial levels and of the owners and operators of that infrastructure.  The cybersecurity threats posed to the systems that control and operate the critical infrastructure on which we all depend are among the most significant and growing issues confronting our Nation.  The degradation, destruction, or malfunction of systems that control this infrastructure could cause significant harm to the national and economic security of the United States.

Section 1.  Policy.  It is the policy of my Administration to safeguard the critical infrastructure of the Nation, with a particular focus on the cybersecurity and resilience of systems supporting National Critical Functions, defined as the functions of Government and the private sector so vital to the United States that their disruption, corruption, or dysfunction would have a debilitating effect on national security, economic security, public health or safety, or any combination thereof. 

Sec. 2.  Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative.  Accordingly, I have established an Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative (Initiative), a voluntary, collaborative effort between the Federal Government and the critical infrastructure community to significantly improve the cybersecurity of these critical systems.  The primary objective of this Initiative is to defend the United States’ critical infrastructure by encouraging and facilitating deployment of technologies and systems that provide threat visibility, indications, detection, and warnings, and that facilitate response capabilities for cybersecurity in essential control system and operational technology networks.  The goal of the Initiative is to greatly expand deployment of these technologies across priority critical infrastructure..."
Cybersecurity and infrastructure 

Speaking Up for Workers on National Whistleblower Appreciation Day

"Last summer, two truck drivers employed by an Oklahoma City roofing company shared a serious safety concern with their manager: They reported that the tires on the company truck they were driving were damaged, and that they were concerned not only about their own safety, but also the safety of others on the road. Until the issue was addressed, they weren't comfortable driving the vehicle. The employer’s response? Firing both drivers. 

The whistleblower division of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated and found that the employer violated the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, one of more than 20 whistleblower statutes we enforce. We ordered the company to reinstate both drivers, and to pay them more than $23,000 in back wages and $70,000 in punitive damages. The company is also required to train managers and employees on workers’ rights under the STAA to help prevent any future illegal retaliation against employees. 

Under federal law, workers have the right to raise concerns if they believe their rights are being violated in the workplace.  

Similarly, the statute enforced by the department’s Mine Safety and Health Administration provides strong protections for miners. Under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, miners have the right to report hazardous conditions and can refuse to work in unsafe conditions. Miners may not be fired, demoted, harassed, intimidated, transferred, refused employment, discriminated against or suffer any loss of wages for exercising their rights under the Mine Act. These are critical protections that allow miners to actively participate in the safety of their workplace, and MSHA takes enforcement of hazard and discrimination complaints seriously. 

And similar rights apply to pay concerns, too – If employers don’t pay workers all the wages they’ve earned, they can speak up without fear of retaliation. The department’s Wage and Hour Division enforces laws on the federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping and child labor requirements, as well as laws about working conditions and payment for agricultural and migrant workers. The division protects workers subject to wage garnishment, too. Any worker protected by any of the laws that the division enforces is protected by their anti-retaliation provisions. View our online resources to determine whether a particular law applies. We enforce the law regardless of a worker’s immigration status, and can communicate with workers in more than 200 languages..."
Whistleblower 

COVID-19 Reported Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity by Facility

"The following dataset provides facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday). These are derived from reports with facility-level granularity across two main sources: (1) HHS TeleTracking, and (2) reporting provided directly to HHS Protect by state/territorial health departments on behalf of their healthcare facilities.

The hospital population includes all hospitals registered with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as of June 1, 2020. It includes non-CMS hospitals that have reported since July 15, 2020. It does not include psychiatric, rehabilitation, Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, Defense Health Agency (DHA) facilities, and religious non-medical facilities.

For a given entry, the term “collection_week” signifies the start of the period that is aggregated. For example, a “collection_week” of 2020-11-20 means the average/sum/coverage of the elements captured from that given facility starting and including Friday, November 20, 2020, and ending and including reports for Thursday, November 26, 2020..."
Patient and hospital capacity 

Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People

"Summary of Recent Changes

• Updated information for fully vaccinated people given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant currently circulating in the United States.
• Added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission.
• Added information that fully vaccinated people might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they are immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease from COVID-19, or if they have someone in their household who is immunocompromised, at increased risk of severe disease or not fully vaccinated.
• Added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.
• CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.

---

View Previous Updates

Key Points

The following recommendations apply to non-healthcare settings. For related information for healthcare settings, visit Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination.

Fully vaccinated people can:

• Participate in many of the activities that they did before the pandemic; for some of these activities, they may choose to wear a mask.
• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel and from self-quarantine after travel.
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States.
• Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible.

Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the Delta variant. However, preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the Delta variant can spread the virus to others. To reduce their risk of becoming infected with the Delta variant and potentially spreading it to others: CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people:

• Wear a mask in public indoor settings if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission.
  • Fully vaccinated people might choose to mask regardless of the level of transmission, particularly if they or someone in their household is immunocompromised or at increased risk for severe disease, or if someone in their household is unvaccinated. People who are at increased risk for severe disease include older adults and those who have certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, overweight or obesity, and heart conditions.
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Get tested 3-5 days following a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days after exposure or until a negative test result.
• Isolate if they have tested positive for COVID-19 in the prior 10 days or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow any applicable federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations.

People who are immunocompromised should be counseled about the potential for reduced immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines and to follow current prevention measures (including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others they don’t live with, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces) regardless of their vaccination status to protect themselves against COVID-19 until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider..."
Fully vaccinated people 

Executive Order 9981: Desegregation of the Armed Forces

"On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed this executive order establishing the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, committing the government to integrating the segregated military..."
Military desegregation 

Impetigo: All You Need to Know

"Impetigo (im-peh-TIE-go) is a bacterial infection of the skin that is most common in young children. Doctors use antibiotics to treat impetigo. Antibiotics can also help protect others from getting sick.

Impetigo is a skin infection caused by one or both of the following bacteria: group A Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus. This page focuses on impetigo caused by group A Streptococcus (group A strep). In addition to impetigo, group A strep cause many other types of infections.

 

How Someone Gets Impetigo

When group A strep infects the skin, it causes sores. The bacteria can spread to others if someone touches those sores or comes into contact with fluid from the sores.

Signs and Symptoms

Impetigo starts as a red, itchy sore. As it heals, a crusty, yellow or “honey-colored” scab forms over the sore.

In general, impetigo is a mild infection that can occur anywhere on the body. It most often affects exposed skin, such as around the nose and mouth or on the arms or legs.

Symptoms include red, itchy sores that break open and leak a clear fluid or pus for a few days. Next, a crusty yellow or “honey-colored” scab forms over the sore, which then heals without leaving a scar.

It usually takes 10 days for sores to appear after someone is exposed to group A strep.

Young Children Are at Increased Risk

Anyone can get impetigo, but some factors increase someone’s risk of getting this infection.

• Age: Impetigo is most common in children 2 through 5 years old.
• Infections or injuries that break the skin: People with scabies infection are at increased risk for impetigo. Participating in activities where cuts or scrapes are common can also increase someone’s risk of impetigo.
• Close contact or crowding: Close contact with another person with impetigo is the most common risk factor for illness. For example, if someone has impetigo, it often spreads to other people in their household. Infectious illnesses also tend to spread wherever large groups of people gather. Crowded conditions — such as those in schools and daycare centers — can increase the spread of impetigo.
• Climate: Impetigo is more common in areas with hot, humid summers and mild winters (subtropics), or wet and dry seasons (tropics), but it can occur anywhere.
• Poor personal hygiene: Lack of proper handwashing, body washing, and facial cleanliness can increase someone’s risk of getting impetigo..."
  Impetigo 

7 Resources All Working Parents Should Know About

"Of all jobs, being a parent is one of the hardest. In honor of Parents’ Day this July 25, here are seven U.S. Department of Labor resources that support working families everyone should know about. 

1. FMLA time off

While the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a& national paid leave policy, many workers still lack access to paid family and medical leave when they need time off to care for themselves or a family member. But you may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. View our employee guide to see if you qualify and how to request FMLA leave. If you have questions about taking leave for pandemic-related reasons, start here.

2. Long COVID support

We know many workers in America are experiencing long COVID symptoms that can make working difficult. If you have long COVID, you may qualify for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, even if your symptoms are temporary or episodic.

3. Equal pay check 

Working moms: Are you being paid the same as your male colleagues? Over time, a pay gap can mean a substantial loss of income and retirement savings for you and your family. Explore your state’s equal pay and pay transparency protections using our interactive map.

4. Pregnancy and nursing protections 

There are a number of federal and state laws that protect you on the job if you’re pregnant or nursing, from non-discrimination statutes to requirements ensuring you have time and a private place to express breast milk. Explore our map to see the laws in your state. 

5. Military family assistance 

Military families should know that we can help veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses connect with training and employment opportunities. Don’t miss our new virtual workshops designed to help military spouses stand out in the job market.  

6. Savings tools 

The pandemic made it clear just how important long-term financial stability is for families. We have calculators, worksheets and guides you can use to set savings goals and ensure a secure retirement.  

7. Career and training exploration  

If you’re considering a career change, looking for work or just want to boost your skills, CareerOneStop has everything you need to get started..."
Working parents 

New Health Equity Tool Tracks How the Pandemic is Affecting Communities

"Researchers are using data to map the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact across the nation and illustrate its disproportionately devastating toll on Black and Latino communities.

Called Health Equity Tracker, the new tool is designed to aid policymakers and leaders in identifying existing racial health inequities so that they can shift resources to the hardest hit communities.

The Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta launched the tracker, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation joined a consortium of funders — including Gilead Sciences, Google.org and CDC Foundation — to support its development.

“The Health Equity Tracker is an important resource for communities, decision makers and researchers to understand and close the racial gap in health outcomes and ensure that all communities have equitable access to health services,” says T’Pring Westbrook, a senior research associate at the Casey Foundation.

The tracker maps the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths across the United States by race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and other social and political determinants of health. Users can customize searches at the county, state, territory or national level..."
Pandemic and communities 

Code of Federal Regulations (Annual Edition)

"About the Code of Federal Regulations

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) annual edition is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. The 50 subject matter titles contain one or more individual volumes, which are updated once each calendar year, on a staggered basis. The annual update cycle is as follows: titles 1-16 are revised as of January 1; titles 17-27 are revised as of April 1; titles 28-41 are revised as of July 1; and titles 42-50 are revised as of October 1. Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations to the CFR refer to material at the section level. Read More

Click here to access the e-CFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations), the regularly updated online version of the CFR..."
Code of Federal Regulations 

Casualties from "the 54th"

"The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was one of the most celebrated regiments of black soldiers that fought in the Civil War. Known simply as "the 54th," this regiment became famous after the heroic, but ill-fated, assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina in July, 1863. Leading the direct assault under heavy fire, the 54th suffered enormous casualties before being forced to withdraw.

The courage and sacrifice of the 54th helped to dispel doubt within the Union Army about the fighting ability of black soldiers and earned this regiment undying battlefield glory. Shown here is one of the 54th’s casualty lists with the names of 116 enlisted men who died at Fort Wagner. Of the 600 men that charged Fort Wagner, 272 were killed, wounded, or captured..."
the 54th 

U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory During COVID-19 Vaccination Push Warning American Public About Threat of Health Misinformation

"U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is issuing the first Surgeon General's Advisory of this Administration to warn the American public about the urgent threat of health misinformation. Health misinformation, including disinformation, have threatened the U.S. response to COVID-19 and continue to prevent Americans from getting vaccinated, prolonging the pandemic and putting lives at risk, and the advisory encourages technology and social media companies to take more responsibility to stop online spread of health misinformation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have been exposed to a wide range of misinformation about masks and social distancing, treatments, and vaccines. As of late May, 67% of unvaccinated adults  had heard at least one COVID-19 vaccine myth and either believed it to be true or were not sure of its veracity. Health misinformation has already caused significant harm , dividing families and communities and undermining vaccination efforts. An analysis of millions of social media posts  found that false news stories were 70 percent more likely to be shared than true stories. And a recent study  showed that even brief exposure to misinformation made people less likely to want a COVID-19 vaccine.

"Health misinformation is an urgent threat to public health. It can cause confusion, sow mistrust, and undermine public health efforts, including our ongoing work to end the COVID-19 pandemic," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. "As Surgeon General, my job is to help people stay safe and healthy, and without limiting the spread of health misinformation, American lives are at risk. From the tech and social media companies who must do more to address the spread on their platforms, to all of us identifying and avoiding sharing misinformation, tackling this challenge will require an all-of-society approach, but it is critical for the long-term health of our nation."

Health misinformation is information that is false, inaccurate, or misleading according to the best available evidence. It is not a recent phenomenon, and persistent rumors about HIV/AIDS for decades have undermined efforts to reduce infection rates in the U.S. During the Ebola epidemic, misinformation spread rapidly on social media. A 2014 study - PDF  found that Ebola-related tweets that contained misinformation were more likely to be politically charged and have content promoting discord.

This advisory lays out how the nation can confront health misinformation by helping individuals, families, and communities better identify and limit its spread, and issues a number of ways institutions in education, media, medicine, research, and government stakeholders can approach this issue. It also underscores the urgent need for technology and social media companies to address the way misinformation and disinformation spread on their platforms, threatening people's health..."
Health Misinformation 

U.S. Census Bureau to Release First Look at Nation's Demographic Characteristics from 2020 Census

"The U.S. Census Bureau by August 16 is set to release in-depth demographic statistics from the 2020 Census that will be used to redraw legislative voting districts. 

These follow the April 26 release of the first results from the 2020 Census, which showed that the total population was 331.4 million. The first release determined each state’s share of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Aside from showing how the ethnic, racial, and voting age makeup of neighborhoods has changed since the 2010 Census, these detailed data will be used by most state legislatures to redistrict or redraw their political districts for elections.

The August data release will provide the first look at the demographic characteristics of the nation by state, county and city (down to the census block level), including:

• Race and ethnicity.
• Voting-age population.
• Occupied and vacant housing units.
• People living in group quarters like nursing homes, prisons, military barracks and college dorms.

Aside from showing how the ethnic, racial, and voting age makeup of neighborhoods has changed since the 2010 Census, these detailed data will be used by most state legislatures to redistrict or redraw their political districts for elections.

“While the primary purpose of these data is for states to redraw their districts, these statistics will also tell us how many people live in each county, in each city and in each block,” said James Whitehorne, chief of the Census Bureau’s Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office. “This information will provide a detailed demographic portrait of our nation’s population for communities all across the United States.”

The August release will be in a “legacy” format that governments used in the 2010 and 2000 Censuses. States will use these files to begin their redistricting efforts. By September 30, the Census Bureau will make the same data available online in a more user-friendly format on data.census.gov.

In a new video, James Whitehorne and Nicholas Jones, the Census Bureau’s race/ethnicity Research and Outreach director, discuss what to expect in the upcoming data release...."
2020 Census