A Bipartisan Rx for Patient-Centered Care and System-Wide Cost Containment, Bipartisan Policy Center, April 2013 “In the United States, nearly a fifth of all spending is currently devoted to health care. High and rising health care costs consume a large and rapidly growing portion of the federal budget, crowding out investments in other crucial priorities… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: April 2013
Paying Down Debt, Reducing New Borrowing, and Stricter Lending Standards Drive Household Deleveraging
“Since the financial crisis, households have reduced their outstanding debt by about $1.3 trillion. While part of this reduction stemmed from a historic increase in consumer defaults and lender charge-offsparticularly on mortgage debtother factors were also at play, according to a recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In their study, The… Continue Reading
April 27 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
“Saturday, April 27 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The event runs from 10:00am until 2:00pm. If you have unwanted prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicines, this is a great opportunity to safely discard them. Enter your ZIP code to find a collection site near you. Properly disposing of medicines is important to human health and… Continue Reading
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Criminal Complaint Filed in Federal Court
(FindLaw’s Courtside) – “A criminal complaint against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, has been filed in federal court. The White House announced that in charging Tsarnaev with using a weapon of mass destruction would not be tried before a military tribunal as an enemy combatant. United States of America… Continue Reading
USGS – Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation
“Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) is a product of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Core Science Analytics and Synthesis Program. BISON is an information system that allows users to access, explore, and download U.S. species occurrence data from participating data providers… Researchers collect species occurrence data, records of an organism at a particular time in… Continue Reading
CRS – Economic Recovery: Sustaining U.S. Economic Growth in a Post-Crisis Economy
Economic Recovery: Sustaining U.S. Economic Growth in a Post-Crisis Economy, Craig K. Elwell, Specialist in Macroeconomic Policy. April 18, 2013 The 2007-2009 recession was long and deep, and according to several indicators was the most severe economic contraction since the 1930s (but still much less severe than the Great Depression). The slowdown of economic activity… Continue Reading
Pew – Public's Knowledge of Science and Technology
“The publics knowledge of science and technology varies widely across a range of questions on current topics and basic scientific concepts, according to a new quiz by the Pew Research Center and Smithsonian magazine. Click here to take the quiz yourself before reviewing the answers. About eight-in-ten Americans (83%) identify ultraviolet as the type of… Continue Reading
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012
Department of States Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012 “We report on the world’s newest country, South Sudan, and its efforts to ensure a peaceful future for its people. We cover the horrifying violence in Syria, historic elections in Egypt, Georgia, and Libya, and the promising democratic opening in Burma. The reports also… Continue Reading
This Earth Day, help the world by not recycling – Repair is Better According to iFixit.org
“Last year, 1.75 billion phones were sold to consumers around the world. By the end of 2013, another 240 million tablets and 207 million PCs will be produced and shipped globally. Making all those fun gizmos has a huge environmental cost. Repair is better than recycling. Way better. Repairing and upgrading extends the life of… Continue Reading
CRS – Small Business: Access to Capital and Job Creation
Small Business: Access to Capital and Job Creation, Robert Jay Dilger, Senior Specialist in American National Government. April 18, 2013 “The SBA administers several programs to support small businesses, including loan guaranty and venture capital programs to enhance small business access to capital; contracting programs to increase small business opportunities in federal contracting; direct loan… Continue Reading
Brookings – Black Carbon and Kerosene Lighting: An Opportunity for Rapid Action on Climate Change
Black Carbon and Kerosene Lighting: An Opportunity for Rapid Action on Climate Change and Clean Energy for Development, By: Arne Jacobson, Nicholas L. Lam, Tami C. Bond and Nathan Hultman. April 2013. “Replacing inefficient kerosene lighting with electric lighting or other clean alternatives can rapidly achieve development and energy access goals, save money and reduce… Continue Reading
The Next Generation Science Standards are now available
“Next Generation Science Standards identifies the science all K-12 students should know. These new standards are based on the National Research Councils A Framework for K-12 Science Education. The National Research Council, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Achieve have partnered to create standards through a collaborative… Continue Reading
