Most Recent Features...

10/13/03 - Nearly 1-in-5 Speak Foreign Language at Home
Nearly 47 million people -- about 1-in-5 U.S. residents -- age 5 and older, reported regularly speaking a foreign language at home in 2000, according to the Census Bureau. The figures represented an increase of 15 million people since the 1990 census. [Blog Archives]

10/10/03 - How To File A Telemarketing Complaint
The Federal Communication Commission has released specific steps consumers should take if they have put their names on the National Do-Not-Call Registry and are called by telemarketers on or after October 1, 2003. It provides information about what is a violation and specifics about how to file a complaint. [Blog Archives]

10/07/03 - Making a Federal Case of It: Federal Crime Report
From counterfeit vodka and wacky Internet mushroom spores, to new murder indictments against bosses of the Bonanno organized crime family, federal law enforcement officers make arrests in many unusual crimes that are rarely reported by the traditional media. Fortunately, there is nothing traditional about About. [Blog Archives]

10/04/03 - America's First Ever Homeland Security Budget
On October 1, 2003, President Bush signed into law the nation's very first spending bill dedicated to ensuring and enhancing homeland security. How will the $37.6 billion of taxpayer dollars earmarked by the bill be spent during 2004? Here are the highlights. [Blog Archives]

10/02/03 - More Americans Without Health Insurance
Mainly because few people without jobs can afford to buy individual coverage, the number of Americans not protected by health insurance rose by 2.4 million to 43.6 million between 2001 and 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. [Blog Archives]

09/28/03 - Bill Would Curb Controversial Powers of Patriot Act
Several controversial personal surveillance measures legalized by the terror-fighting USA Patriot Act would have their claws trimmed under a proposed bill just introduced by Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul. [Blog Archives]

09/21/03 - Brady Act Checks Nix 136,000 Gun Buys in 2002
Touting their effectiveness as a gun control tool, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reports that Brady Act criminal background checks triggered the rejection of a record 136,000 applications from among the more than 7.8 million applications to buy or transfer a firearm filed during 2002 -- a 1.7 percent rejection rate. [Blog Archives]

09/16/03 - 'Mom-and-Pop' Home-based Businesses Soar 
Did you know that over 70 percent of all businesses in the United States are home-based businesses with no paid employees? It's a fact, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report showing that the number of these, so called 'Mom-and-Pop' businesses grew from more than 16.5 million in 2000 to almost 17.0 million in 2001, a rate of growth of 2.7 percent. [Blog Archives]

09/12/03 - 22 Million Americans are Drug-Alcohol Dependant
An estimated 22 million Americans abused or were dependent on drugs, alcohol or both, in 2002, according to the latest report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). [Blog Archives]

09/09/03 - U.S. Foreign-Born Population Hits 33 Million
The foreign-born population of the United States exceeded 33 million in 2002, slightly more than the entire population of Canada, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest American Community Survey. [Blog Archives]

09/07/03 - Congress Votes Itself a Pay Raise
Want a raise? Don't beg to your boss. Just vote yourself one. That's what the United States Congress just did. For the fifth year in a row, lawmakers voted not to reject their automatic "cost of living" raise that will increase the annual salary of members by $3,400 to a total of $158,103 per year. [Blog Archives]

09/05/03 - 1 Out Of 32 Americans Under Correctional Supervision
While 1 out of every 142 Americans is now actually in prison, 1 out of every 32 of us is either in prison or on parole from prison, according to yet another report on Americans behaving badly from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. [Blog Archives]

09/02/03 - U.S. Has More Cars Than Drivers
For the first time in the nation's history, the average American household has more cars than drivers for them, according to a new report from the Department of Transportation. [Blog Archives]

08/27/03 - Airport Screeners Raking In Hidden Weapons
Since February 2002 alone, airport security screeners have intercepted more than 7.5 million potential weapons, including 1,437 firearms, 2.3 million knives and an astounding 49,331 boxcutters - the 9-11 terrorists' weapon of choice. [Blog Archives]

08/23/04 - Adoption Alive and Well In America: Census
About 2.1 million adopted children under age 18 now live in American households, many of them with families who tend to be better off economically than those of biological children, according to a first-ever nationwide adoption profile by the Census Bureau. [Blog Archives]

08/21/03 - Viagra Gets Competition  
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new drug for treating erectile dysfunction. Produced by the Bayer Corp. in Germany and to be distributed in the U.S. by GlaxoSmithKline, the new oral drug called Levitra (vardenafil), will compete with Viagra in the sexual stimulant market. [Blog Archives]

08/20/03 - Aging Baby Boomers Flocking to Doctors
Suffering mainly from high blood pressure, arthritis and diabetes, members of America's "Baby Boomer" generation accounted for over half of all visits to the doctor during 2001, according to the Centers for Disease Control. [Blog Archives]

08/19/03 - Sen. Schumer Calls for Blackout Hearings
Sen. Charles Schumer said what many of the 50 million Americans affected by last week's massive Northeast power outage were thinking while sitting in the dark, "We've been able to skate by as a first-rate power with a fourth-rate electricity grid for way too long." Now Schumer has called for Congressional hearings into the cause of the blackout. [Blog Archives]

08/18/03 - U.S. Navy Deploys Dolphins Against Terror
In an effort to thwart terrorist attacks like those on the USS Cole, the U.S. Navy has deployed a new animal-ally in the war on terrorism -- the MK 6 anti-swimmer dolphins. [Blog Archives]

08/14/03 - Go East, Young Man!
Could be the weather, or the prospect of having Arnold Schwarzenegger as the state's "Governator," but for some reason, the once booming state of California is losing many of its residents to nearby Nevada and Arizona. [Blog Archives]

08/11/03 - Big Brother - Thinner Brother
Obesity... overweight... fat. No questions, it's one of this nation's worst and most costly health problems. But, can government, in its finest "we know what's best for you" tradition, use laws to bring about the thinning of America? [Blog Archives]

08/08/03 - Women of Color Making Gains in US Workforce
Women of color now comprise 14.5 percent of the American workforce, according to a new study from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). [Blog Archives]

08/06/03 - What's Under Your Sink Could Kill You
A handy new online database from the National Institutes of Health provides useful, possibly even life-saving information on the potential health effects of more than 2,000 ingredients contained in more than 4,000 common household products. [Blog Archives]

08/03/03 - So, Who's NOT in Jail Now?
Americans must love prisons, since 1 out of every 143 of us now lives in one, with another 700 of us moving in every week. The latest report from the Bureau of Justice statistics breaks down the current distribution of "Americans Behaving Badly." [Blog Archives]

07/30/03 - Replacement Congress?
What if, on Sept. 11, 2001, United flight 93 had crashed into its probable target, the U.S. Capitol Building, killing or disabling hundreds of Senators and Representatives? How quickly could Congress have recovered, if at all? [Blog Archives]

07/28/03 - Inadequate 2004 Funding Could Derail Amtrak
Amtrak President David Gunn is smoking over the House Appropriations Committee's approval of $900 million for the national railroad's 2004 operations. Amtrak needs at least $1.812 billion and if they don't get it, says Gunn, no more "All Aboard" for America.[Blog Archives]

07/28/03 - 'Spoofing' and 'Phishing' and Stealing Identities
The FBI, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Earthlink have jointly issued a warning on how the growing ranks of Internet crooks are using new tricks called "phishing" and "spoofing" to steal your identity.[Blog Archives]

07/27/03 - Funds for Veterans to Top $90 Billion in '04
Federal funding for veterans' benefits will top $90 billion in 2004, an increase of over $3 billion from 2003 and $600 million more than requested by President Bush. [Blog Archives]

07/25/03 - U.S. Taxpayers Helping Public TV Go Digital
After requiring public television stations to convert to digital broadcasting, the federal government must now use taxpayer dollars to help them comply. [Blog Archives]

07/23/03 - Americans Continue to Support the Arts
Despite the human trauma and travel restrictions resulting from the 9-11 attacks and subsequent War on Terror, Americans continued regular attendance at arts events during 2002, reports the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). [Blog Archives]

07/21/03 - U.S. Highway Death Toll Hits 10-Year High
Deaths on America's highways in 2002 reached the highest level since 1990. Alcohol played a part in 41-percent of all traffic deaths, and 59 percent of those killed were not wearing seat belts. [Blog Archives]

07/19/03 - Amtrak Announces Half Price Fares for Students
Amtrak has announced it will offer 50-percent discount fares to high school juniors and seniors traveling to prospective college campuses this fall. [Blog Archives]

07/17/03 - Postal Service Pushes the Envelope
What's in your mailbox? A pizza you say? How about a donut, or a motorcycle? Anytime after August 10, it might just happen, as the U.S. Postal Service launches a new customized mailing service allowing advertisers to send mail in just about any novel and eye-catching shape. [Blog Archives]

07/16/03 - Congressional Protection from Celestial Armageddon?
They're out there and they're coming our way. Asteroids and comets, that is, many of which are large enough to wipe out humanity should they slam into the Earth. Now a group of concerned and space-savvy Americans have petitioned the U.S. Congress to begin immediate preparations to deal with the threat of impact by near Earth-approaching objects. [Blog Archives]

07/15/03 - Battle of Education: Winners and Whiners
U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige has angrily accused the National Education Association (NEA) of creating a "coalition of the whining" in response to the Association's recent proposal to block the No Child Left Behind Act in court. [Blog Archives]

07/13/03 - Iraqi Archers Headed for United States
Trying its best to avoid comparisons of bows and arrows to weapons of mass destruction, the State Department has announced it is helping to bring the Iraqi national archery team to the U.S. to compete in the World Archer Championships. [Blog Archives]

07/11/03 - Cable TV Costs Jumped 8.2 Percent Last Year
Still can't find anything good on TV? Well, the worse news is that the national average cost of cable TV service jumped by 8.2 percent, from $37.06 to $40.11, over the 12-month period ending July 1, 2002, according to the (FCC. Oh, there are also more channels on which to find nothing good. [Blog Archives]

07/08/03 - 'Mexican ID' Card Could Cloak Terrorists
The Mexican government calls it the "Matricula Consular" identification card and they distribute it widely. Too widely, warns U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (D-Colorado, 6th), who says the card could be used by terrorists to establish fictitious identities in the United States.

07/06/03 - China Backsliding on Human Rights
Just as the Chinese government seemed to at last be paying attention to the human rights of its citizens, it seems to have stopped stone cold dead, according to the U.S. State Department.

07/02/03 - Political Parties to Get $14.6 Million Each for Conventions
The Republican and Democratic political parties will receive $14,592,000 each from the U.S. Treasury for planning and conducting their respective 2004 presidential nominating conventions, according to Federal Election Commission. Back in 1976, they made do with only $2,182,000 in public funds.

06/30/03 - Wasted! Yes, You Paid For It
Better sit down for this one. Taxpayer-funded research shows people in higher-income neighborhoods have more plants in their yards than people in lower income areas. Who would have thunk it? Better yet, who would have cared?

06/29/03 - Senator Frist Supports Banning Gay Marriages
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was downright hot with the Supreme Court for striking down a Texas anti-sodomy law last week. So hot, in fact that the influential Senator from Tennessee has now come out in favor of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the United States.

06/27/03 - U.S. Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low
Continuing a 12-year decline, the U.S. birth rate has dropped to the lowest level since national data have been available, according to the CDC. Teen birth rates have also reached an all-time low.

06/25/03 - FTC Warns of Best Buy Email Scam
The FTC had warned that thousands of consumers may have fallen victim to identity theft by responding to a credit warning email from Best Buy. Here's what to do and who to call if you were a victim.

06/24/03 - CIA Seeks Locksmiths 
Long noted for seeking a wide and varied range of job skills, the CIA is now recruiting locksmiths, according to a new job posting on Agency’s Web site.

06/ 23/ 03 - Back to "The Jungle" in Chicago
Federal charges have been filed against a Chicago-based food storage company after officials found over 22 million pounds of rodent-adulterated meats and other food products in their warehouses.

06/21/03 - Feds Move to Stop Citizenship-Based Tax Scheme
If you simply declare yourself an "American" citizen, instead of a "United States" citizen, you no longer have to pay income tax, right? "Way wrong," says the Justice Department.

06/19/03 - 'Chem Dogs' Deployed Along Borders
A new force of highly skilled detector dogs capable of sniffing out chemical weapons of mass destruction from sarin to cyanide is now being deployed along America's borders.

06/16/03 - Senator Attacks Water Sucking Weed
A US Senator has declared legislative war against a fast-spreading, non-native plant he says threatens to dry up water supplies from Colorado to California.

06/15/03 - Here's to You, Mr. Mom
While you might have guessed that neckties remain the top Father' Day gift, did you know there are now over 2 million single dads in America? Read some interesting Census Bureau facts about US dads.

06/10/03 - Airport Security Screeners Being Cut
In what the agency is calling a "rightsizing" effort, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced it will eliminate 6,000 recently hired airport security screener jobs.

06/08/03 - Californians Pay Highest Median Rent: Census
Think your rent is too high? Try renting in Irvine, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara or Fremont, California, where median gross rents all top $1,200 a month according to a new report from the Census Bureau.

06/05/03 - No Fireworks for Fourth of July?
Fireworks for large Fourth of July celebrations may not make it to many parts of the country unless three federal agencies can resolve their squabbles over the terrorism-driven Safe Explosives Act.

06/02/03 - Bush Backs GM Foods - US Consumers Do Not
Despite gaining a healthy endorsement from President Bush, genetically modified foods - 'Frankenfoods' - continue to be shunned by American consumers.

05/30/03 - Working Out or Working In, It's About Exercise
While 1 in 5 Americans get plenty of daily physical activity, about 1 in 4 just sort of sit around, according to a new government report.

05/28/03 - West Nile Virus Still Top US Health Threat
While no SARS-related deaths have been reported in the US, West Nile Virus killed 284 people last summer alone, and it's almost mosquito swarming time again. Read these protection tips from the CDC.

05/26/03 - U.S. Government Acronyms and Abbreviations
APHIS is your garden's DOD. The BCIS has just replaced the INS, and the FSIS keeps you from needing the WHO or CDC. Use this handy guide to decipher the alphabet soup of government acronyms.

05/23/03 - Security Tips to Speed Summer Flying
Even dirt on your golf clubs can trigger airport security devices. Learn how prudent packing can save you plenty of travel time this summer.

05/20/03 - FBI Taming a Lawless Web
The lawless, Wild-Wild-Web days of the early Internet are coming to a jail door-slamming end as the FBI reports 130 arrests and seizure of more than $17 million in cases involving Internet fraud.

05/19/03 - Federal Posse Busts Scammers and Spammers
Highlighting recent law enforcement initiatives targeting Internet fraud, the Federal Trade Commission has filed 45 criminal and civil charges against Internet scammers and deceptive spammers.

05/16/03 - Care of the Dying Focus of NIH Study
Identifying four different 'pathways to death,' a new NIH study calls for greater flexibility in healthcare and hospice services when meeting the needs of terminally ill patients.

05/15/03 - US Senator Moves to Slam Spam
A U.S. Senator has announced he will introduce a bill making unsolicited "spam" email illegal under federal anti-racketeering laws.

05/14/03 - Websites Run 'Do Not Call' Scams, Says FTC
The FTC has cited two Web site operators for falsely claiming to "pre-register" -- for a fee -- consumers with the national telemarketing "Do Not Call" registry. When and how can you register? Find out here.

05/13/03 - Top US Baby Names for 2002 Reported
The Social Security Administration has released its list of the most popular names for babies born in the US during 2002. Read the top ten boys and girls names right here.

05/11/03 - US Government Warns of SARS Scams
The FDA and FTC warns consumer of Web sites and email spammers selling bogus treatments and even cures for SARS. Also, what are the facts about SARS and how can you protect yourself?

05/08/03 - DOT Reports US Walking, Biking Habits
Nearly 80 percent of adult Americans take at least one walk of five minutes or longer during the summer months, while fewer than 30 percent ride a bike, according to a nationwide DOT survey.

05/05/03 - New Rule Protects Homebuyers from 'Flipping'
Charging artificially inflated prices for homes or other real estate is a shady lending practice called "flipping" and HUD has just enacted a new federal regulation to protect you from becoming the "flipee."

05/03/03 - Unified Anti-Terror Force Opens Doors
The single, unified federal organization designed to assess terrorist threat information -- the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) -- has officially begun operations at CIA headquarters.

05/02/03 - CDC Reports Costs of Violence Against Women
The health-related costs of rape, physical assault, stalking, and homicide against women by their intimate partners exceeds $5.8 billion annually, according to a report just released by the CDC.

04/28/03 - American Airlines Charged with Discrimination
On top of the carrier's economic woes, American Airlines has now been charged with ten counts of discriminating against passengers due to their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or ancestry.

04/26/03 - Bullying Often Leads to Violent Life: Report
Both childhood bullies and their victims are more likely to engage in more serious violent behavior, like frequent fighting and carrying weapons, according to a new NIH study.

04/24/03 - HUD Announces $2.3 Billion in Grants
HUD is now offering more than $2.3 billion in grants to assist homeless persons, produce affordable housing, stimulate economic development and protect children from lead poisoning.

04/22/03 - Social Security Upgrades Website
Offering a "wealth of information” presented with a new "fresh, user-friendly look and feel," the Social Security Administration (SSA) announces its newly designed Website.

04/20/03 - Tiny Texas County Leads US Population Growth
Once best known as the smallest county in a huge state, tiny Rockwall County, Texas recorded the fastest population growth rate -- 7.9 percent -- of any county in the nation for the period July 1, 2001, to July 1, 2002.

04/17/03 - Details of the Bush 2003 Tax Cut Plan
A family of four, with a combined income of $40,000 could pay as little as $45 in federal income tax under President Bush's proposed tax cut program. See how his $550 billion plan might affect your tax bill.

04/15/03 - Bill Demands Accounting of Presidential Gifts
Citing abuses by the Clintons, a US Congressman has introduced a bill that would require the White House to report and account for gifts given to presidents.

04/12/03 - Congress Passes War Spending Bill
In a rare Saturday session, Congress has approved an emergency spending bill allocating $79 billion to fund wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, reward America's allies in those conflicts, strengthen anti-terrorism and assist failing airlines.

04/11/03 - US Life Expectancy Hits All-time High
Americans' life expectancy reached an all-time high, while age-adjusted deaths hit an all-time low in 2001, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Resources.

04/09/03 - U.S. Prison Population Tops 2 Million
America's prison population topped 2 million inmates for the first time in history on June 30, 2002 according to a new report from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics.

04/07/03 - Is a 'Fair' Tax in America’s Future?
The latest "dump the IRS" idea from Washington's wishful well of best intentions -- the Fair Tax bill -- would abolish all federal income taxes and replace them with a national retail sales tax.

04/03/03 - DoD Warns Families of POWs
Loose lips sink ships... and endanger POWs, the Department of Defense has warned families of American POWs in Iraq. Freedom of speech must be practiced carefully during war.

04/01/03 - Anti-telemarketing 'Do Not Call' Registry Timeline
The FTC has announced its timeline for implementing the national "do not call" registry, designed to offer Americans some relief from telemarketers. Learn when and how to sign up.

03/31/03 - DoD Details Iraqi Death Squads - War Progress
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld explains Saddam Hussein's death squads, updates coalition progress in the Iraq War and issues a stern warning to Syria and Iran.

03/27/03 - Social Security Trust Fund Gone by 2042
The Social Security Board of Trustees has finally admitted the shocking truth: the Social Security program will be flat broke by the time your kids and grandkids need it most.

03/25/03 - Bill Would Grant Asylum to Iraqi Weapons Scientists
Up to 500 Iraqi weapons scientists would be granted “safe haven” in the U.S. under a bill just passed unanimously by the Senate. Of course, there are some conditions.

03/24/01 - Government Website Matches Skills to Jobs
A new Website helps job seekers answer two of their toughest questions: "What jobs can I get with my skills and training?" and "What skills and training do I need to get this job?"

03/21/03 - Tips for Sending Mail to US Troops in Iraq War Zone
Anthrax and other terrorist threats have resulted in limitations to the public's ability to send regular mail to US troops in the Iraqi war zone. The Postal Service offers these tips for sending mail to our servicemembers.

03/18/03 - U.S. Citizenship Test to Change
The BCIS has announced plans to make the first changes in decades to the tests administered to applicants for US citizenship. Applicants will have to prove basic English-language skills.

03/16/03 - Saddam Hussein's 'Official' Biography
While still in college, he was sentenced to death, escaped twice from prison, shot in the leg and led a successful one-day national revolution. Read the biography of Saddam Hussein, as told by his personal news agency.

03/14/03 - Iraq’s Oil and Economy
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld calls suggestions that the U.S. is really after Iraq's oil "utter nonsense." Nonsense aside, how much oil does Iraq control and how important is that oil to the United States?

03/11/03 - Senator Demands Gas Price Probe
Gas hits $2.50 a gallon! Too much, says California’s Sen. Boxer in calling on the GAO to investigate reports that refiners are manipulating gasoline prices.

03/07/03 - Cost of Homeland Security Growing
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), preventing future terrorist attacks will cost taxpayers far more than merely preparing for them.

03/05/03 - What the Terrorist Threat Colors Mean
From green (lowest) to red (highest), what protective specific steps should Americans take at each of the five terrorist threat levels? At last, the Red Cross offers a simple answer.

03/02/03 - INS Absorbed by Homeland Security
On March 1, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) officially became the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, operating under the Department of Homeland Security.

02/28/03 - Agency Seeks Input From Disabled
The U.S. Department of Education has launched a new Web site to gather comments and recommendations on research to better serve Americans with disabilities.

02/25/03 - Iraq War Could Be Won in 48 Hours: Report
After a devastating opening blitz of high-tech weapons, U.S. commanders believe a war against Iraq could be virtually won in just 48 hours, say military experts in a Newsweek report.

02/22/03 - Prepare for terrorism at Ready.gov
The Department of Homeland Security has launched a new Website to educate and empower American citizens to prepare for and respond to potential future terrorist attacks.

02/20/03 - Countdown Iraq: Latest News
Can war be avoided? Read the latest headlines on the Iraq crisis from news and information sources in the U.S., Britain, Iraq and the Arab nations.

02/18/03 - Missile Defense Systems for Airliners?
All US civilian commercial aircraft would be required to carry anti-missile protection devices similar to those used on military aircraft, under a bill just introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer.

02/13/03 - Costs and Benefits of Government Regulations
Are federal government regulations, like the Clean Air Act rules, worth what they cost taxpayers to enforce them every year? Yes they are, according this first-of-a-kind, cost-benefit report from the OMB.

02/10/03 - Working for the CIA
It seems everybody wants to work at the CIA, these days. From spies to textile workers, the Agency has openings, but do you have the right stuff for them? Learn about jobs and working at the CIA right here.

02/06/03 - Bush Proposes Tax-Free Savings Plans
President Bush's FY 2004 budget proposal includes two programs designed to help Americans save and prepare for retirement -- tax-free.

02/03/03 - Bush's Emergency AIDS Relief Plan
Almost overlooked amid the war-talk in his State of the Union Address, President Bush's $15 billion AIDS relief plan aims to prevent 7 million new cases, while helping 10 million victims and AIDS orphans.

02/02/03 - Space Shuttle Columbia: The Investigation
Finding out what happened and why to space shuttle Columbia may pose the greatest challenge in the history of air disaster investigation. Keep up with the Columbia investigation here

02/01/03 - Space Shuttle Columbia Crashes - Crew Killed
On Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia - flight STS 107 - broke up during its landing approach to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. All members of the crew of seven were killed and no cause of the disaster was immediately evident, according to NASA officials.

01/31/03 - Identity Theft Tops Consumer Complaints
Topping the FTC's the list of complaints for the third straight year, identity theft cost consumers over $343 million in 2002. Reported ID theft cases more than doubled since 2001.

01/29/03 - State of the Union Address 2003
Focusing on topics including the U.S. economy, health care costs, the war on terror and the threat of Iraq, President Bush presented his State of the Union Address for 2003. Read the complete text here.

01/27/03 - "Why We Know Iraq is Lying"
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice explains why the Bush White House is sure Saddam Hussein is lying about Iraq’s intentions to dismantle its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs.

01/24/03 - Senate Passes Amber Alert Act
By a 92 - 0 vote, the U.S. Senate has passed the AMBER Alert Act creating a nationwide system to help locate abducted children.

01/23/03 - Senator Wants to Suspend Data-Mining
US Senator Russ Feingold will introduce a bill suspending further funding for the anti-terrorism data-mining project, widely criticized for its ability to snoop on Americans without probable cause.

01/20/03 - State Quarters - State Stamps Merge
The Mint and the Postal Service have agreed to market products combining two of the most popular collectibles in U.S. history -- the 50 State Quarters Program and the Greetings from America stamps.

01/16/03 - Stiffer Penalties Ahead for Corporate Criminals
The United States Sentencing Commission has unanimously voted to significantly increase criminal penalties applied to persons convicted of corporate fraud and other serious white-collar crimes.

01/14/03 - US Flu Deaths Far Exceed CDC Estimate
The CDC reports it greatly underestimated the yearly number of deaths resulting from influenza in the US. Some 16,000 more deaths are now attributed to flu than first estimated. Who should get a flu shot?

01/11/03 - Free Posters!
Whether you are trying to teach, inform, inspire or just decorate your room, you'll love this great selection of informative, educational and entertaining and -- FREE -- posters for ordering or downloading.

01/09/03 - Obesity, Diabetes Increase in US
Occurrences of both obesity and diabetes in the United States continued to increase between 2000 and 2001, according to a study just released by the Centers for Disease Control.

01/07/03 - Bush Offers Tax-cutting Economic Stimulus Plan
Stand clear! President Bush has charged the paddles and proposed to jump-start the economy with a $670 billion jolt of tax cuts and job stimulants, including ending the tax on dividends.

01/07/03 - New Congress Faces Old Budget
Before lawmakers of the newly convened 108th US Congress take on the fiscal year 2004 federal budget, they really need to finish one very large piece of unfinished business -- the fiscal year 2003 federal budget.

01/06/03 - 2002 Banner Year for US Healthcare
From preparedness for acts of bioterrorism to significant reductions in smoking and substance abuse among teens, 2002 was a banner year for healthcare in the U.S., according to Health and Human Services.

01/04/03 - Americans Counting on Internet for News
Up to 84 percent of all Americans now turn to the Internet for needed information on government, news, healthcare, and commerce, according to a survey compiled by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

01/02/03 - US Helping Prevent Children in Combat
The United States has officially joined with the United Nations in efforts to stop the exploitation of over 300,000 children taking part in armed conflict daily.

12/31/02 - Bush Issues First Presidential Pardons
Viewed as a strict disciplinarian, President Bush recently granted his first seven presidential pardons, after turning down over 2,600 requests since taking office.

12/28/02 - Rice: Security Must Reflect Reality
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice details the nature and substance of threats to the US security since 9-11, and explains the “three pillars” of the Bush administration’s strategy for dealing with them.

12/26/02 - Are You Ready? Disaster Preparedness Guide
Do you know how to build a disaster supply kit, or how to locate and evacuate to a shelter? This great new guide from FEMA helps families prepare to survive just about any manmade or natural disaster. Learn to make the U.S. 'A Nation Prepared.'

12/23/02 - At Issue: Are Visa Rules Hurting US Science?
Scientists contend newly heightened security policies on issuance of visas, designed to prevent terrorism, are actually preventing advances in U.S. science, engineering and medicine.

12/20/02 - America, How You Have Changed
One hundred years ago, most Americans were men under 23 who lived in the country. Today, most are women over 35 who live in town. Just a few of the fascinating changes reported by the Census Bureau.

2002 Features

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