Podcasts - US Government

From usa.gov - Government Podcasts available

Podcasts from the U.S. Government
Official information and services from the U.S. government.
http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference_Shelf/Libraries/Podcasts.shtml

Podcasting is a method of publishing and syndicating audio broadcasts through the Internet. Here are some of the current federal government podcasts available by subject:

Defense and International Relations
State Department Stories, Pentagon Channel, DoD Briefings, Air Force News...
Family, Home, and Community
Profile America, Barney Cam...
Health
Health care, research, patient safety...
History, Arts, and Culture
Black History Month, Holocaust Museum...
Public Safety and Law
Homeland security, drug control policy...
Reference and General Government
White House, courts, data and statistics...
Science and Technology
Space, weather, research labs...
Voting and Elections
Federal Election Commission meetings and hearings...

Tax Information

Kiplinger.com: Taxes
This compilation of articles addresses topics related to U.S. income taxes, such as tax filing, changes to tax laws, and tax breaks. Includes a withholding calculator and state tax profiles. From the website for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.
URL: http://www.kiplinger.com/money/taxes/

Emergency Services Revenue Increases

From the Census Department:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FRIDAY, JAN. 26, 2007

Mike Bergman CB07-16
Public Information Office
301-763-3030/763-3762 (fax)
301-457-1037 (TDD)

Emergency and Other Relief Services Revenue Increases
27 Percent in 2005, Census Bureau Reports

Emergency and other relief services firms saw revenue increase from $6.7 billion in 2004 to $8.5 billion in 2005 ¾ a 27 percent rise ¾ according to a report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report, 2005 Service Annual Survey (SAS): Health Care and Social Assistance, shows revenue for firms with paid employees. Other 2004-2005 changes:

· Within the medical and diagnostic laboratories industry, revenue provided by government entities (excluding Medicare and Medicaid) rose from $180 million
to $227 million, a 26 percent increase.

· Revenue for continuing care retirement communities rose from $16.3 billion to
$18 billion, a 10 percent rise.

· Hospital revenue rose 7 percent from $569 billion to $611 billion.

· Revenue provided by worker’s compensation for chiropractors fell from
$812 million to $714 million, a 12 percent decrease.

-X-
Editor’s Note: The report can be accessed at http://www.census.gov/econ/www/servmenu.html

The estimates are from a newly selected sample for the 2005 SAS based on the 2002 NAICS and apply only to employer firms. Estimates contain sampling and nonsampling errors. To keep the identity of an individual firm confidential, some estimates may be suppressed. Users making their own estimates, based on the survey estimates, should cite the U.S. Census Bureau as the source of the original estimates only. See for measures of sampling variability and other survey information.

African American Voices in Congress

Here's a new Web site:

Avoice: African American Voices in Congress This site was "designed to capture and preserve the rich history of political and legislative contributions of blacks for future generations. This virtual online library is a central source of information about historical and contemporary African American policy issues." Features exhibits on the history of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, and related topics. Developed by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.
URL: http://www.avoiceonline.org/

Census Information

Here are two tools to help you answer the question "How did our area respond in Census 2000?"
The Tract Level Planning Database with Census 2000 Data is a database that assembles a range of housing, demographic, and socioeconomic variables that are correlated with mail nonresponse. The Tract Level Planning Database with Census 2000 Data is one of many resource tools to aid the many planning activities leading up to the 2010 Census.
Below are links to the tract-level planning database with Census 2000 data.
It includes the "hard to count scores" by census tract. It does not include the Census 2000 mail return rates (with characteristics).
http://www.census.gov/procur/www/2010communications/library.html
The mail response rates (participation rates) by tract can be found at:
http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/rates.html.
NOTE: Data users may need to link both databases. The 2 databases have different geographies. The Planning database is based on tabulation geography. The Mail Response/Participation rates database is based on collection geography.
Please contact your local State Data Center for assistance with Census Bureau data and programs. The data center addresses can be found at:
http://www.census.gov/sdc/www/

Library Subscriptions

SSO Tenants -
National Journal offers significant discounts to SSO tenants on all publications - including CongressDailyAM/PM, Hotline, and National Journal Magazine. If you are interested in subscribing please contact Marianne Reiff in the SSO Library at 624-5485 or e-mail at mreiff@sso.org.

THOMAS Beta Test

This is your chance to provide feedback to the Library of Congress about the THOMAS legislative web site.

THOMAS Beta Test

THOMAS is the primary website through which the U.S. Congress provides public access to legislative information. The site was established in 1994 and is managed by the Library of Congress for the Congress. THOMAS has gained new content and features -- and undergone the occasional facelift -- over the past 12 years. This month, January 2007, the folks at THOMAS rolled out a beta test of new THOMAS features at the URL http://thomas.loc.gov/beta/. While making no change in the core content, the beta presents some of the biggest search, display, and navigation changes to THOMAS in its history.
THOMAS Beta Test Homepage