Employment Characteristics of Families, 2011

"In 2011, 11.5 percent of families included an unemployed person, falling from a peak of 12.4 percent in 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Of the nation's 78.4 million families, 79.8 percent had at least one employed member in 2011..."

State Nuclear Profiles: 2010

 A report on nuclear power generation by individual states.

Older Americans Month: May 2012

 Various statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau portraiting older americans during Older Americans Month.

Protecting Classified Information and the Rights of Criminal Defendants: The Classified Information Procedures Act

"A criminal prosecution involving classified information may cause tension between the
government’s interest in protecting classified information and the criminal defendant’s right to a constitutionally valid trial. In some cases, a defendant may threaten to disclose classified information in an effort to gain leverage. Concerns about this practice, referred to as “graymail,” led the 96th Congress to enact the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA) to provide uniform procedures for prosecutions involving classified information..."

Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents

"The detainee provisions passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2012,P.L. 112-81, affirm that the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), P.L. 107-40, in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, authorizes the detention of persons captured in connection with hostilities. The act provides for the first time a statutory definition of covered persons whose detention is authorized pursuant to the AUMF. During debate of the provision, significant attention focused on the applicability of this detention authority to U.S. citizens and other persons within the United States. The Senate adopted an amendment to clarify that the provision was not intended to affect any existing law or authorities relating to the detention of U.S. citizens or lawful resident aliens, or any other persons captured or arrested in the United States. This report analyzes the existing law and authority to detain U.S. persons, including American citizens and resident aliens, as well as other persons within the United States
who are suspected of being members, agents, or associates of Al Qaeda or possibly other terrorist organizations as “enemy combatants.”..."

Gasoline and Diesel Fuel (Gasoline Component History)

A historical table indicating cost of a gallon of gasoline with breakdown of retail price, refining, distribution and marketing, taxes, and crude oil components.

Hydraulic Fracturing: Chemical Disclosure Requirements

"Hydraulic fracturing is a technique used to free oil and natural gas trapped underground in low-permeability rock formations by injecting a fluid under high pressure in order to cause cracks in the formations. The composition of a fracturing fluid varies with the nature of the formation, but typically contains mostly water;a proppant to keep the fractures open, such as sand; and a small percentage of chemical additives. Some of these additives may be hazardous to health and the environment. The Shale Gas Production Subcommittee of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board(SEAB) has recommended public disclosure, on a well-by-well basis, of all of the chemical ingredients added to fracturing fluids, with some protection for trade secrets..."

Hydraulic Fracturing and Safe Drinking Water Act Issues

"Hydraulic fracturing is a technique developed initially to stimulate oil production from wells in declining oil reservoirs. More recently, it has been used to initiate oil and gas production in unconventional (i.e., low-permeability) reservoirs where these resources were previously inaccessible. This process now is used in more than 90% of new oil and gas production wells. Hydraulic fracturing is done after a well is drilled and involves injecting large volumes of water, sand (or other propping agent), and specialized chemicals under enough pressure to fracture the formation holding the oil or gas. The sand or other proppant holds the fractures open to allow the oil or gas to flow freely out of the formation and into a production well..."

Library of Congress Website Updated

"The Library’s main web search function has been improved. A new feature allows users to narrow their search results by language and location. In addition, the homepage and search-results pages have updated search boxes that allow users to refine their search by format, such as books, photos and maps.

Speaking of maps, the Library has implemented a new “object” page – initially limited to some 9,500 maps from the Geography and Maps Division – that present material in a cleaner, simpler layout. An improved zoom feature lets you better examine the finer details of the map images, including a “full screen” view. And, you can take your map “on the go,” as it were, thanks to better mobile-device functionality and the now-Library-standard features such as social-media sharing..."

Federal Depository Library Program: Issues for Congress

"The transition to digital information raises a number of issues of possible interest to Congress. This report discusses those possible concerns as they affect FDLP , but also extend beyond the program to variety of contexts related to the management of government information in tangible and digital forms. Issues include the following: maintenance and availability of the FDLP tangible collection; retention and preservation of digital information; access to FDLP resources; authenticity and accuracy of digital material; robustness of the FDLP Electronic Collection; and the cost of FDLP and other government information distribution initiatives..."

Military Justice: Courts-Martial, An Overview

"Recent high profile military-related cases involving U.S. armed forces in Afghanistan, including the deadly attack on Afghan civilians allegedly by a servicemember, the accidental burning of the Quran, and servicemembers allegedly urinating on Afghan corpses, have resulted in increased public and congressional interest in military discipline and the military justice system. Many of these recent cases, including those of Maj. Nidal Hasan, the alleged shooter at Fort Hood, Pfc.
Bradley Manning, the alleged source of leaked classified material through the organization WikiLeaks, and quite possibly, the recent attack on the Afghan civilians, have raised questions regarding the mental capacity of the accused and how the military justice system addresses this concern..."

White House Forum on Women and the Economy

"Today, at the White House Forum on Women and the Economy, the President will discuss the importance of restoring the economic security for the middle class and creating an economy that’s built to last for America’s women. The President believes we must build an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone pays their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules. As part of today’s Forum the White House released a new report entitled Keeping America’s Women Moving Forward, The Key to an Economy Built to Last, which examines the ways in which the Administration has worked to ensure women’s economic security through all stages of life – from young women furthering their education and beginning their careers, to working women who create jobs and provide for their families, to seniors in retirement or getting ready for retirement. View the report HERE..."

VA Gulf War Task Force Report Released

"The Department of Veterans Affairs has released the second in a series of annual reports from its Gulf War Veterans Illnesses Task Force, outlining how the department will address the concerns of Veterans deployed during the Gulf War of 1990-1991. The report is available on the Internet..

The report focuses on efforts to improve the delivery of health care for Gulf War Veterans. One of the most substantial additions is the launch of a prototype clinical care model specifically for Gulf War Veterans, which is the most critical point of service VA provides. There are also efforts underway to create better links between specialty knowledge on Gulf War health issues and subject matter experts for health care providers serving these Veterans at the point of care..."

Pesticides: Controlling Pests

With the coming of Spring, get advise on the use of pesticides to control pests from the the U.S. EPA.

Environmental Tips

Get email tips on the environment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during Earth month.