MPL Gov Info

The President's Budget

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:54:00 +0000

"The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 9 directs that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” Each year the U.S. Congress drafts legislation to appropriate funds for the continued operation of the government during the next fiscal year. Since 1921, this process has been kicked off by the submission from the President of the United States of a budget with the proposed expenditures for the executive, legislative and judicial branchs of the government. This document is entitled “The Budget of the United States Government.”.."

Child Development: Investing in Our Children

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:48:00 +0000

"CDC currently is funding and working on a study called Legacy for Children™.
The Legacy program is based on the belief that parents can have a real effect on how their children learn and grow. Research has shown that how parents interact with their children is related to children's success later in life. It appears that even children who face various challenges, such as poverty or poor neighborhoods, are more likely to overcome these challenges when their parents are involved and invested in providing a safe, stable, and nurturing base of support..."

Child Safety Seat Guidelines

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:46:00 +0000

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulates car seats based on recommendations for different age groups. There are different recommendations for children’s age groups ranging from birth until 12 years old.

Children should be kept in a rear facing car seat for as long as possible, especially when they are one or younger. Only when they have reached the correct height and weight for a front facing car seat, as stated by the manufacturer, should you transfer them to that type of safety seat..."
View additional information

Winter Storms and Extreme Weather

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:42:00 +0000

Find tips for dealing with winter weather and extreme conditions.

U.S. Census of Agriculture Historical Archives

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:23:00 +0000

"The USDA Census of Agriculture Historical Archive is a collaborative project between Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The site serves as a public archive of Census publications published prior to 1987. These publications are primarily scanned print material now available in PDF format..."

‘Drum Major Quote’ on the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 18:01:00 +0000

"Following a meeting on Monday, Feb. 6, with members of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s family regarding the recently-dedicated Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis today announced a plan to correct the so-called “Drum Major” quote on the Memorial to more accurately reflect the meaning and intent of Dr. King’s original statement.

Observers and visitors to the new memorial have noted that a quote etched in the stone near the statue’s left shoulder is paraphrased from a passage in a sermon that Dr. King delivered at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church in 1968. The paraphrased quote reads: “I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”.."

National Girls Institute

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:41:00 +0000

"The Department of Justice announces a new resource—the National Girls
Institute website—to better meet the needs of at-risk and delinquent girls, their families and the
agencies and organizations that serve them. The institute is supported by the National Council on
Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) through a grant from the Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)...
Contact the website

Trans-fatty Acids in Blood Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:38:00 +0000

"Blood levels of trans–fatty acids (TFAs) in white adults in the U.S. population decreased by 58 percent from 2000 to 2009 according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the Feb. 8 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. This is the first time CDC researchers have been able to measure trans fats in human blood.

State and County Quick Facts

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Find up-to-date information on people, busineses and geography by states and counties.

Sourcing Policy: Selected Developments and Issue

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:29:00 +0000

"Dating back to the 1950s, federal sourcing policy generally has focused on the premise that the
government should rely on the private sector for the provision of certain goods and services.
Additionally, it has centered around guidance for conducting public-private competitions to
determine whether federal employees, or contractor employees, should be selected to perform
certain agency functions..."

Water Pollution Interactive Tool

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:43:00 +0000

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of a new tool that provides the public with important information about pollutants that are released into local waterways. Developed under President Obama’s transparency initiative, the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool brings together millions of records and allows for easy searching and mapping of water pollution by local area, watershed, company, industry sector, and pollutant. Americans can use this new tool to protect their health and the health of their communities..."

2010 Annual Capital Expenditures

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:05:00 +0000

"These data, based on the 2007 North American Industry Classification System, estimate business spending in 2010 for new and used structures and equipment at the sector level, as well as for three-digit and selected four-digit industries. The data provide the private sector, especially the business community, with a relevant, timely and accurate measure of current business conditions..."

Energy Savers

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Find energy saving tips on a number of categories: applicances & electronics, design and remodeling, electricity, heating & cooling, insulation & air sealing, landscaping, lighting and daylighting, water heating, and windows, doors & skylights.

Employment Projections by Major Industries, 2010-2020

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:34:00 +0000

"Nonagricultural wage and salary employment, which accounts for more than 9 in 10 jobs in the economy, is projected to expand to 150.2 million by 2020, up from 130.4 million in 2010."

EPA's Beach Cleanup Program

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:27:00 +0000

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will provide $9.8 million in grants to 38 states, territories and tribes to help protect the health of swimmers at America’s beaches. The agency also launched an improved website for beach advisories and closings, which will allow the public to more quickly and easily access the most current water quality and pollution testing information for more than 6,000 U.S. beaches.

The website, called BEACON, has the capability to update as frequently as every two hours based on new data provided by states, territories and tribes. Users will have access to mapped location data for beaches and water monitoring stations, monitoring results for various pollutants such as bacteria and algae, and data on public notification of beach water quality advisories and closures. For the first time, users can also access reports that combine notifications and water quality monitoring data. The enhanced system also uses enhanced map navigation and report display tools..."

President's Budget for Fiscal Year 2012

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:13:00 +0000

"Having emerged from the worst recession in generations, the President has put forward a plan to rebuild our economy and win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building our global competitors and creating the jobs and industries of tomorrow. But we cannot rebuild our economy and win the future if we pass on a mountain of debt to our children and grandchildren. We must restore fiscal responsibility, and reform our government to make it more effective, efficient, and open to the American people..."

Detention of U.S. Persons as Enemy Belligerents

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:11:00 +0000

"The detainee provisions passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2012,
P.L. 112-81, affirm that the Authorization to Use 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.”..."

Summer Teacher Institutes

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:01:00 +0000

"Each year the Library of Congress provides the opportunity for K-12 educators to attend one of its Summer Teacher Institutes in Washington, D.C. During the five-day institutes, participants work with Library of Congress education specialists to learn best practices for using primary sources in the K-12 classroom, while exploring some of the millions of digitized primary sources available on the Library’s Web site...."

Deadline for application submission is February 17, 2012.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, February 7th

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:58:00 +0000

"Among all racial/ethnic groups, African Americans bear the greatest burden of HIV in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 16 black men and 1 in 32 black women will be diagnosed with HIV infection during their lifetimes. In 2009, blacks made up 14% of the US population but accounted for nearly half (44%) of all new HIV infections. Recent CDC data showed an alarming 48% increase in new HIV infections from 2006 to 2009 among young, black men who have sex with men (MSM), aged 13 to 29 years.."

Where's the Sodium?

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:50:00 +0000

"About 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet. Too much sodium increases a person's risk for high blood pressure. High blood pressure often leads to heart disease and stroke. More than 800,000 people die each year from heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases, costing the nation $273 billion health care dollars in 2010.."

New Airline Passenger Protections Take Effect This Week

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:33:00 +0000

"New regulations going into effect this week will help ensure that consumers are treated fairly when they travel by air, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said today. Among the new provisions, part of the airline consumer rule issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation in April 2011, are requirements that airlines and ticket agents include all mandatory taxes and fees in published airfares and that they disclose baggage fees to consumers buying tickets..."

Infant Swings

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:29:00 +0000

"CPSC is making progress in establishing a new safety rule for infant swings. Many of you moms and dads know these products well, as they have helped your baby fall asleep at 3 a.m., 3 p.m., and everywhere in between.

While working through the safety of these swings, CPSC staff has assembled some interesting information for new moms and dads:

First, when you bring your new baby home, remember that newborns and young infants don’t have the muscle tone or strength to keep their heads up. So, when you put them into a swing, make sure that your baby is lying down..."

Used Car Scams

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:34:00 +0000

Tips from the U.S. Department of Justice on avoiding used car scams.

Absentee Voting

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:29:00 +0000

Absentee voting instructions from the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Pillbox

noreply@blogger.com (RDmpl) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:22:00 +0000

"Pillbox enables rapid identification of unknown solid-dosage medications (tablets/capsules) based on physical characteristics and high-resolution images.
Once a medication is identified, Pillbox provides links to drug information and drug labels."