U.S. Government News

IRS Accepting Applications for Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grants

Wed, 28 May 2008 11:55:42 PST

National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson announced today that the 2009 Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) grant application process is now open.

Sports and Exercise Activities among Various Age Groups

Thu, 22 May 2008 14:18:18 PST

The specific sports and exercises people do vary by age. People aged 15 to 24 years were more likely to participate in team sports such as basketball, football, and soccer than those 25 and older.

Wireless Phone Study: 63 Million U.S. Adults Mostly or Only Use Wireless Phones

Wed, 14 May 2008 07:30:05 PST

Preliminary results from the July-December 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) indicate that nearly one out of every six American homes (15.8%) had only wireless telephones during the second half of 2007.

From Cellblocks to Classrooms: Reforming Inmate Education To Improve Public Safety

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:33:01 PST

According to national research, academic and vocational programs can significantly reduce the likelihood that offenders will commit new offenses and return to prison. Despite these findings, the state offers these programs to only a relatively small segment of the inmate population. Moreover, the inmate education programs that do exist suffer from a number of problems that limit their effectiveness at reducing recidivism. To improve prison education programs and public safety, we recommend several structural reforms to increase the performance, outcomes, and accountability of the existing inmate education programs, as well as ways to expand their capacity at a low cost to the state.

Sexual Stereotypes Portrayed in Rap Music Videos Influence High-Risk Behaviors Among African-American Teenage Girls

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:56:01 PST

This study sought to determine whether perceiving portrayals of sexual stereotypes in rap music videos was associated with adverse health outcomes among African American adolescent females.

Southern California Wildfires: Economic Impact of the 2007 Southern California Wildfires

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:05:34 PST

The Southern California wildfires of October 2007 affected lives and businesses in seven Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and President George W. Bush each declared a state of emergency.

California Prison Report: The California Institution for Women Quadrennial and Warden Audit Report

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:33:38 PST

Established in 1952, CIW’s primary mission is to provide a safe and secure environment while providing quality health care and institution programs geared to meet the special needs of female offenders.

Server Based Computing Service RFP- Bid Submittal Deadline 12/6/2007

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:38:28 PST

Server Based Computing Service consulting services for the State of California, Department of Technology Services

Mitsubishi Recalls Certain Model Trucks for Model Years 2001-2006 for Engine and Engine Cooling Defects

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:46:21 PST

On certain Mitsubishi trucks, the cylinder head idler gear bushing may have been improperly machined, causing excessive stress on the cylinder head idler gear shaft. Continued operating in this condition could cause the idler gear shaft flance to break and generate abnormal engine noise or engine oil leaks. As a result, the engine could stall and would ot restart, increasing the risk of a crash. Read more...

What Danger Lurks in the School Cafeteria?

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:09:41 PST

WASHINGTON�Conditions in America�s school cafeterias could trigger potentially disastrous outbreaks of food poisoning at any time, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which ranks food service operations in a new report released today. Most of the 29 million meals served in the nation�s school cafeterias each day are nutritious and safe, but some school districts and governments aren�t inspecting school cafeterias frequently enough or are using out-of-date food safety standards, leaving students at risk of food poisoning.

Solving California's Corrections Crisis: Time is Running Out

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 15:07:30 PST

California�s prisons are out of space and running out of
time. The State already has ceded control to the federal
courts for prison mental health, juvenile justice and the
prison health system. In December, a federal judge ordered the State to fix the overcrowding problem within six months, or face the prospect of a prison population cap.

Rand Study Warns Maritime Terrorism Risk Extends Beyond Dangers Posed To Container Shipping

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 21:15:00 PST

Cruise ships and ferry boats need more protection against terrorist attacks that could kill and injure many passengers and cause serious financial losses, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

Child Support Enforcement Grant: ACF Awards Grants to Strengthen Child Support

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:11:00 PST

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced grants totaling $696,000 to six state child support enforcement agencies for demonstration and research purposes.

Major Features of the 2006 California Budget

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 07:38:00 PST

On June 27, 2006, the Legislature passed the 2006-07 Budget Bill along with implementing legislation (see Appendix 1 for a list of these �trailer bills�). The Governor signed the budget on June 30, after using his line item veto authority to reduce appropriations by $112 million ($62 million General Fund). The budget package authorizes total spending of $127.9 billion, of which $101.3 billion is from the General Fund and $26.6 billion is from special funds. Figure 1 shows the distribution of General Fund spending by major program area.

Federal Trade Commission Urged to Investigate Beer and Liquor Sponsorship of NASCAR

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:24:00 PST

When it conducts its upcoming review of the alcohol industry�s advertising and marketing practices and the industry�s self-regulation systems, the Federal Trade Commission should examine the burgeoning alcohol sponsorship relationships with Nascar, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

BOARD RELEASES STATEWIDE REVIEW OF NONPROFIT HOSPITAL ORGANIZATIONS

Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:55:00 PST

The State Board of Equalization (BOE) today released a review of approximately 200 hospital organizations that are exempt from local property taxes under the welfare exemption as nonprofit entities. State law relieves certain non-profit entities with hospital, charitable, religious, or scientific purposes from local property taxes. To qualify for the exemption, an organization must have tax-exempt status from either the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) and must be hold an OCC from the BOE as a qualifying nonprofit hospital organization. Local assessors then determine if the organization�s property qualifies for the tax exemption based on its use.

Strategies for Improving Child Support Collections In California

Wed, 03 May 2006 09:34:00 PST

Despite reform attempts, California continues to lag the nation in the collection of child support and in its performance on federal outcome measures. We recommend creating a performance-based system which gives counties the flexibility and financial incentives to meet state-established performance benchmarks. If enacted, our proposed reforms would (1) likely increase the amount of child support collected on behalf of custodial parents and (2) restore accountability to the child support enforcement system. (24 pp.)

Strengthening Independent Media Program in Timor-Leste Grant Opportunity

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 06:59:00 PST

The United States Agency for International Development Timor-Leste Mission (USAID/TL) is seeking applications from qualified applicants to implement a program to strengthen the independent media sector and provide citizens with greater access to information, particularly in the context of the 2007 legislative and presidential elections in Timor-Leste.

Chicken Consumption Continues Longrun Rise

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 07:02:00 PST

Is chicken on your menu today? Perhaps in an enchilada or a stir fry made at home, or chicken tenders at a restaurant tonight? If so, you will have plenty of company. Chicken consumption more than doubled between 1970 and 2004, from 27.4 pounds per person to 59.2 pounds (boneless, edible weight). Chicken is gaining ground on beef, the current leading meat.

DOT Releases Flight Cancellation Statistics on Major Airlines

Mon, 03 Apr 2006 13:24:00 PST

The nation�s largest airlines recorded a lower rate of on-time flights this past February than in either January 2006 or February 2005, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).