Hard Times in the Heartland: Health Care in Rural America
"Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today released a new report, Hard Times in the Heartland: Health Care in Rural America, outlining the health care challenges facing rural communities. The report was developed by HHS staff from across the department and comes on the same day Director of the White House Office of Health Reform Nancy-Ann DeParle, HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, and Representative Mike Ross will hold a meeting with Americans from rural communities as part of the ongoing series of White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussions. The report is available at www.HealthReform.gov. Today’s White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussion will be Webcast live on www.WhiteHouse.gov and www.HealthReform.gov at 10:00 a.m. EDT.
“Americans in rural communities have seen their premiums skyrocket and are finding it difficult, if not impossible to get the care they need,” Secretary Sebelius said. “Today’s report confirms that we cannot wait to enact comprehensive health reform.”
Hard Times in the Heartland indicates that nearly 50 million people in rural America face challenges accessing health care. Not only do these Americans face higher rates of poverty, they report more health problems, are more likely to be uninsured, and have less access to a primary health care providers than do Americans living in urban areas. The report notes:
* Nearly one in five of the uninsured -- 8.5 million people -- live in rural areas.
* Rural residents pay on average for 40 percent of their health care costs out of their own pocket, compared with the urban share of one-third.
* In a multi-state survey, one in five insured farmers had medical debt.."
Monday, May 11, 2009
Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools, Findings from the School Survey on Crime and Safety: 2007-08
"This First Look report uses data from the 2007-08 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) to examine a range of issues dealing with school crime and safety, such as the frequency of school crime and violence, disciplinary actions, and school practices related to the prevention and reduction of crime. SSOCS is the primary source of school-level data on crime and safety for NCES. Since 1999, it has been administered four times to the principals of nationally representative samples of public primary, middle, high, and combined schools."
"This First Look report uses data from the 2007-08 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) to examine a range of issues dealing with school crime and safety, such as the frequency of school crime and violence, disciplinary actions, and school practices related to the prevention and reduction of crime. SSOCS is the primary source of school-level data on crime and safety for NCES. Since 1999, it has been administered four times to the principals of nationally representative samples of public primary, middle, high, and combined schools."
NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics for 2008
" The National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC’s) Missing Person File was implemented in 1975. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely, until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. The Missing Person File contains records for missing who:
* have a proven physical or mental disability (Disability—EMD);
* are missing under circumstances indicating that they may be in physical danger (Endangered—EME);
* are missing after a catastrophe (Catastrophe Victim—EMV);
* are missing under circumstances indicating their disappearance may not have been voluntary (Involuntary—EMI);
* are under the age of 21 and do not meet the above criteria (Juvenile—EMJ); or
* are 21 and older and do not meet any of the above criteria but for whom there is a reasonable concern for their safety (Other—EMO).
As of December 31, 2008, there were 102,764 active missing person records in NCIC. Juveniles under the age of 18 account for 51,054 (49.7 percent) of the records and 12,648 (12.3 percent) were for juveniles between the ages of 18 and 20.*"
" The National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC’s) Missing Person File was implemented in 1975. Records in the Missing Person File are retained indefinitely, until the individual is located or the record is canceled by the entering agency. The Missing Person File contains records for missing who:
* have a proven physical or mental disability (Disability—EMD);
* are missing under circumstances indicating that they may be in physical danger (Endangered—EME);
* are missing after a catastrophe (Catastrophe Victim—EMV);
* are missing under circumstances indicating their disappearance may not have been voluntary (Involuntary—EMI);
* are under the age of 21 and do not meet the above criteria (Juvenile—EMJ); or
* are 21 and older and do not meet any of the above criteria but for whom there is a reasonable concern for their safety (Other—EMO).
As of December 31, 2008, there were 102,764 active missing person records in NCIC. Juveniles under the age of 18 account for 51,054 (49.7 percent) of the records and 12,648 (12.3 percent) were for juveniles between the ages of 18 and 20.*"
CPSC Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers
"On August 14, 2008, the President signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) into law. This Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers was created by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to help sellers of used products understand the new law and existing regulations..."
"On August 14, 2008, the President signed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) into law. This Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Resellers was created by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to help sellers of used products understand the new law and existing regulations..."
2007 Economic Census: Wholesale Trade Industry Series
"This is a series of national-level data files on the wholesale trade sector (NAICS 42). These include data for industries such as beer, wine, alcoholic beverage wholesalers and others. The files provide data on the number of establishments, sales, payroll, number of employees, value of product line sales and other data items by industry. These data will be released through December 2009"
"This is a series of national-level data files on the wholesale trade sector (NAICS 42). These include data for industries such as beer, wine, alcoholic beverage wholesalers and others. The files provide data on the number of establishments, sales, payroll, number of employees, value of product line sales and other data items by industry. These data will be released through December 2009"
2007 Economic Census: Manufacturing Industry Series
"This is a series of national-level data files on the manufacturing sector (NAICS 31). These include data for industries such as bottled water, plastic bottles, breakfast cereal, retail bakery products, mobile homes, nitrogenous fertilizers and others. The files provide data on the value of product shipments, number of establishments, payroll, number of employees and other data items by industry. These data will be released through September 2009."
"This is a series of national-level data files on the manufacturing sector (NAICS 31). These include data for industries such as bottled water, plastic bottles, breakfast cereal, retail bakery products, mobile homes, nitrogenous fertilizers and others. The files provide data on the value of product shipments, number of establishments, payroll, number of employees and other data items by industry. These data will be released through September 2009."
Landmark U.S. Geological Survey Study Demonstrates How Methylmercury, Known to Contaminate Seafood, Originates in the Ocean
"A new landmark study published today documents for the first time the process in which increased mercury emissions from human sources across the globe, and in particular from Asia, make their way into the North Pacific Ocean and as a result contaminate tuna and other seafood. Because much of the mercury that enters the North Pacific comes from the atmosphere, scientists have predicted an additional 50 percent increase in mercury in the Pacific by 2050 if mercury emission rates continue as projected..."
"A new landmark study published today documents for the first time the process in which increased mercury emissions from human sources across the globe, and in particular from Asia, make their way into the North Pacific Ocean and as a result contaminate tuna and other seafood. Because much of the mercury that enters the North Pacific comes from the atmosphere, scientists have predicted an additional 50 percent increase in mercury in the Pacific by 2050 if mercury emission rates continue as projected..."
National Counterterrorism Center, 2008 Annual Report on Terrorism
National Counterterrorism Center, 2008 Annual Report on Terrorism
"..Consistent with its statutory mission to serve as the United States (US) government's knowledge bank on international terrorism, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is providing the Department of State with required statistical information to assist in the satisfaction of its reporting requirements under Section 2656f of title 22 of the US Code (USC). The statistical information included in this Annex to the 2008 Country Reports on Terrorism is drawn from the data that NCTC maintains on the www.nctc.gov website.."
"..Consistent with its statutory mission to serve as the United States (US) government's knowledge bank on international terrorism, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is providing the Department of State with required statistical information to assist in the satisfaction of its reporting requirements under Section 2656f of title 22 of the US Code (USC). The statistical information included in this Annex to the 2008 Country Reports on Terrorism is drawn from the data that NCTC maintains on the www.nctc.gov website.."
Potential Impacts of Climate Change in the United States
"Human activities are yielding rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse
gases and other gases and particulates and are also greatly altering the Earth’s land cover. A scientific consensus has emerged that those activities, if allowed
to continue unabated, will have extensive, highly uncertain, but potentially serious and costly impacts on regional climates and ocean conditions throughout the world.
This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper—prepared at the request of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources—presents an overview of the current understanding of the impacts of climate change in the United States, emphasizing the wide range of uncertainty about the magnitude and timing of those impacts and the implications of that uncertainty for the formulation of effective policy responses. The analysis draws from numerous published sources to summarize the current state of climate science and provide a conceptual framework for addressing climate change as an economic concern. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, the paper makes no recommendations."
"Human activities are yielding rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse
gases and other gases and particulates and are also greatly altering the Earth’s land cover. A scientific consensus has emerged that those activities, if allowed
to continue unabated, will have extensive, highly uncertain, but potentially serious and costly impacts on regional climates and ocean conditions throughout the world.
This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper—prepared at the request of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources—presents an overview of the current understanding of the impacts of climate change in the United States, emphasizing the wide range of uncertainty about the magnitude and timing of those impacts and the implications of that uncertainty for the formulation of effective policy responses. The analysis draws from numerous published sources to summarize the current state of climate science and provide a conceptual framework for addressing climate change as an economic concern. In keeping with CBO’s mandate to provide objective, impartial analysis, the paper makes no recommendations."
EPA Lifecycle Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Renewable Fuels
"Ass part of proposed revisions to the National Renewable Fuel Standard program (commonly known as the RFS program), EPA analyzed lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from increased renewable fuels use. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) establishes new renewable fuel categories and eligibility requirements. EISA sets the first U.S. mandatory lifecycle GHG reduction thresholds for renewable fuel categories, as compared to those of average petroleum fuels used in 2005. The regulatory purpose of the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions analysis is to determine whether renewable fuels meet the GHG thresholds for the different categories of renewable fuel..."
"Ass part of proposed revisions to the National Renewable Fuel Standard program (commonly known as the RFS program), EPA analyzed lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from increased renewable fuels use. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) establishes new renewable fuel categories and eligibility requirements. EISA sets the first U.S. mandatory lifecycle GHG reduction thresholds for renewable fuel categories, as compared to those of average petroleum fuels used in 2005. The regulatory purpose of the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions analysis is to determine whether renewable fuels meet the GHG thresholds for the different categories of renewable fuel..."
The 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) Outbreak:Selected Legal Issues
"Recent human cases of infection with a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus have been identified both internationally and in the United States. Since there has been human to human transmission and the new virus has the potential to become pandemic, it is timely to examine the legal issues surrounding this emerging public health threat. This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues..."
"Recent human cases of infection with a novel influenza A(H1N1) virus have been identified both internationally and in the United States. Since there has been human to human transmission and the new virus has the potential to become pandemic, it is timely to examine the legal issues surrounding this emerging public health threat. This report provides a brief overview of selected legal issues including emergency measures, civil rights, liability issues, and employment issues..."
Opportunity.gov
"New Educational Opportunities for Unemployed Workers
Americans with more education and training have more secure jobs and higher earnings. With jobs hard to find, it may be a good time to consider going back to school.
The President recently announced that unemployed workers receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for a special hand in paying for education and training. And aid can be significant: In particular, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,350 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. This is only one example of several federal student aid programs available to assist unemployed workers.
Applying for financial aid and finding education and training are not difficult."
"New Educational Opportunities for Unemployed Workers
Americans with more education and training have more secure jobs and higher earnings. With jobs hard to find, it may be a good time to consider going back to school.
The President recently announced that unemployed workers receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for a special hand in paying for education and training. And aid can be significant: In particular, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,350 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. This is only one example of several federal student aid programs available to assist unemployed workers.
Applying for financial aid and finding education and training are not difficult."
Budget of the United States:Appendix Fiscal Year 2010
"Download the entire Appendix, (11.9 MB, ZIP file). Documents within the ZIP file are available in PDF format.
Budget documents below are available in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view PDF files."
"Download the entire Appendix, (11.9 MB, ZIP file). Documents within the ZIP file are available in PDF format.
Budget documents below are available in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer to view PDF files."
A Borrower's Guide to an FDIC Insured Bank Failure
"Information on
1. About the FDIC
2. What is a Bank Failure?
3. Overview of the FDIC’s Asset Disposition Process
4. Communication with Borrowers during Interim Servicing
5. What to do if You Experience Financial Difficulties
6. Lines of Credit and Construction and Development Loans
7. Borrower Requests for Additional Funding
8. Potential Outcomes to Funding Requests
9. What to Expect if the FDIC Sells Your Loan
10. Contacting the FDIC
11. Additional Borrower Assistance"
"Information on
1. About the FDIC
2. What is a Bank Failure?
3. Overview of the FDIC’s Asset Disposition Process
4. Communication with Borrowers during Interim Servicing
5. What to do if You Experience Financial Difficulties
6. Lines of Credit and Construction and Development Loans
7. Borrower Requests for Additional Funding
8. Potential Outcomes to Funding Requests
9. What to Expect if the FDIC Sells Your Loan
10. Contacting the FDIC
11. Additional Borrower Assistance"
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
CDC's H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
"The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the expanding outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce spread and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation."
"The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.
CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to the expanding outbreak. CDC’s response goals are to reduce spread and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.
CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation."
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