Source: Friends of the Earth
Today Friends of the Earth issued the first-ever Cruise Ship Environmental Report Card, an assessment of the environmental and human health footprint of cruise lines and ships operating in the United States.
Millions of Americans take cruise vacations every year. Travelers may not realize that taking a cruise is more harmful to the environment and human health than many other forms of travel.
“For the first time, vacationers can decide which cruise to take based on a ship’s environmental and human health impacts,” said Marcie Keever, Clean Vessels Campaign Director at Friends of the Earth. “Typically, cruise ship passengers are attracted to cruise vacations with pictures of pristine waters and promises of unspoiled scenery and abundant wildlife, but these passengers are never told that their vacation could leave a dirty mark on the places they visit. This is something travelers should pay close attention to: half of the cruise lines we evaluated earned grades of C- or below.”
Cruise ships carrying up to 7,000 passengers and crew are like floating cities that release substantial amounts of pollution into the air and water. Cruise ships have the potential to despoil the very areas they visit and passengers often ask whether there are any cruise lines or ships that are environmentally friendly.
Friends of the Earth’s report card ranks 10 major lines—Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean Int’l, and Silversea Cruises—according to three environmental criteria: sewage treatment technology, air pollution reduction, and water quality compliance in Alaskan waters. Holland America, Norwegian and Princess come out on top, and Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Disney are rated the worst.
+ Full Report (PDF; 289 KB)
U.S. Chamber Trade Study: 500,000 American Jobs at Risk
Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a study today exposing the economic cost-particularly in lost American jobs-resulting from the failure to approve pending trade agreements, “Buy American” rules in the stimulus bill, and the U.S. refusal to implement cross-border trucking with Mexico.
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The study, entitled Trade Action – or Inaction: The Cost for American Workers and Companies found the U.S. could suffer a net loss of more than 380,000 jobs and $40 billion in lost export sales if it fails to implement its pending trade agreements with Colombia and Korea while the European Union and Canada move ahead with their own agreements with the two countries.
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The study also found that while “Buy American” rules in the Recovery Act will create a limited number of U.S. jobs, the gains will quickly evaporate if other countries implement “buy national” policies in their own stimulus programs. If foreign governments lock U.S. companies out of just one percent of this total spending, the net U.S. job loss could surpass 170,000.
Seniors in Medicare Advantage Receive Higher Quality Care, New Reports Show
Source: America’s Health Insurance Plans
Seniors in Medicare Advantage spent fewer days in a hospital, were subject to fewer hospital re-admissions, and were less likely to have “potentially avoidable” admissions, for common conditions ranging from uncontrolled diabetes to dehydration, according to a new analysis of publicly available AHRQ data released today by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
The new study echoes the findings of an earlier analysis of AHIP member data showing that seniors in Medicare health plans can receive higher quality care compared to fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare.
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Instead of focusing almost exclusively on treating beneficiaries when they are sick, Medicare Advantage plans place a strong emphasis on preventive health care services that detect diseases at an early stage and disease management programs for seniors with chronic illnesses to help them keep their conditions under control. These programs are working to help keep patients out of the hospital and avoid potentially harmful complications.The new study analyzed statewide datasets on hospital admissions in California and Nevada compiled by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The unique data in these states allows for direct comparisons of utilization rates among enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans and in FFS Medicare. These comparisons were adjusted for health status using the Medicare risk score process for age, sex, and 70 Hierarchical Condition Categories that are used as a basis for Medicare risk adjustment.
NSBA and NEA Publish Undocumented Students Legal Issues Guide
Source: National School Boards Association/National Education Association
The National School Boards Association (NSBA), with a generous grant from the National Education Association (NEA), released a publication designed to help school districts answer questions about the legal rights of undocumented students in public K-12 schools. Legal Issues for School Districts Related to the Education of Undocumented Children offers practical information for schools as they deal with this complicated issue.
Sixteen national education organizations have signed onto the guide, which will go to every school district in the United States and is available on NSBA and NEA’s websites. The guide provides answers to 13 questions that school districts face as they navigate the growing trend of undocumented student enrollment.
+ Full Document (PDF; 717 KB)
CREW Releases Fifth Annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress Report
Source: Citizen for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its fifth annual report on the most corrupt members of Congress.
CREW’s Most Corrupt Members of Congress provides a detailed analysis of the unethical and sometimes illegal activities of 15 congressmen and women who have most egregiously betrayed the public’s trust.
CREW also has launched the report’s tandem website, www.CREWsMostCorrupt.org, which offers short summaries of each member’s transgressions as well as the full-length profiles and all accompanying exhibits.
New to this year’s list are Senators Roland Burris and John Ensign, and Representatives Nathan Deal, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Pete Visclosky. After a two year absence, Rep. Maxine Waters has reappeared in the study for unethical activities unrelated to the conduct that landed her on the list in the past. A detailed list of those who have previously graced the report can be found on the website.
Credit Crunch Constrains International Home Buyers in U.S. Market
Source: National Association of Realtors
Interest in U.S. real estate by international buyers declined due to the worldwide recession and severe credit crunch, according to the 2009 National Association of Realtors® Profile of International Home Buying Activity.
The share of Realtor® clientele who are foreign buyers is smaller than in previous years, but among those purchasing nearly half paid all cash – bypassing the mortgage process. Twenty-three percent of survey respondents served at least one international client in the 12-month period between the end of May 2008 and the end of May 2009, down from 26 percent in the 2008 study. During this period an estimated 154,000 homes were sold to foreign nationals, which is down from approximately 170,000 international transactions during the previous 12 months.
The median price for a home paid by foreign buyers for the year ending in May 2009 was $247,100, higher than the overall national price of $198,100 in 2008. A significant number, 45.8 percent of foreign buyers, paid cash for their property, in part because obtaining a mortgage was more difficult than in prior years. The total dollar volume was $38.7 billion.
+ The 2009 NAR Profile of International Home Buying Activity (PDF; 636 KB)
DNI Unveils 2009 National Intelligence Strategy (PDF; 52 KB)
Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair today unveiled the 2009 National Intelligence Strategy – the blueprint that will drive the priorities for the nation’s 16 intelligence agencies over the next 4 years. The National Intelligence Strategy (NIS) is one of the most important documents for the Intelligence Community (IC) as it lays out the strategic environment, sets priorities and objectives, and guides current and future decisions on budgets, acquisitions, and operations.
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The National Intelligence Strategy lays out the strategic environment – challenges the U.S. faces not only from other nations and non-state actors, but also from global trends related to forces like economics, the environment, emerging technology, and pandemic disease. It identifies four IC-wide goals to: enable wise national security policies, support national security actions, deliver top-notch capabilities, and operate as a team. Finally, it explains the IC’s objectives – what the IC intends to accomplish (6 mission objectives) and how the IC will accomplish them (enterprise objectives).The 6 “mission objectives” are: 1) Combat Violent Extremism; 2) Counter WMD Proliferation; 3) Provide Strategic Intelligence and Warning; 4) Integrate Counterintelligence capabilities; 5) Enhance Cybersecurity; and 6) Support Current Operations (ongoing U.S. diplomatic, military, and law enforcement operations).
The 7 “enterprise objectives” are: 1) Enhance Community Mission Management; 2) Strengthen Partnerships; 3) Streamline Business Processes; 4) Improve Information Integration & Sharing; 5) Advance S&T/R&D; 6) Develop the Workforce; and 7) Improve Acquisition.
- Documents available via links within press release.
OSHA document describes silica control
Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Controlling Silica Exposures in Construction, a guidance document recently published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration addresses the control of worker exposure to dust containing crystalline silica, known to cause the lung disease silicosis.
The publication, intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace, includes methods for controlling silica such as wet cutting during construction operations. Wet cutting controls silica dust generated when using hand-held saws, grinders and jackhammers. Wetting materials at the point of impact makes the dust particles heavier and more likely to stick to each other, reducing the chance of dust becoming airborne.
Vacuum dust collection systems also effectively control silica by drawing dust particles away from the worker’s breathing zone and depositing them into a filtered dust collection chamber.
+ Full Document (PDF; 1.1 MB)
Medications Effective in Reducing Risk of Breast Cancer but Increase Risk of Adverse Effects, New Report Says
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HHS)
Three drugs, including tamoxifen, reduce a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer, but each drug carries distinct potential harms of its own, according to a new report from the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Drugs to reduce the risk of breast cancer can be prescribed to women with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors, but prescribing practices vary widely. The comparative effectiveness review found that all three drugs—tamoxifen, raloxifene, and tibolone—significantly reduce invasive breast cancer in midlife and older women but that benefits and adverse effects can vary depending on the drug and the patient.
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The report is the first to make a direct, comprehensive comparison of the drugs so that women and their health care providers can assess the medications’ potential effectiveness and adverse effects. The report compares the use of the three drugs to reduce the risks of getting breast cancer in women who have not previously had breast cancer.
+ Comparative Effectiveness of Medications To Reduce Risk of Primary Breast Cancer in Women
EPIC Releases Obama Administration Privacy Report Card (PDF; 32 KB)
Source: Electronic Privacy Information Center
Marc Rotenberg, EPIC Executive Director, said “The Administration has made progress in some areas, but it is clear that there is more to do to address the public concerns about privacy.”
+ Full Document (PDF; 55 KB)
The Department of Justice’s Efforts to Prevent Staff Sexual Abuse of Federal Inmates (PDF; 3.2 MB)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General
This review examined the efforts of the Department of Justice (DOJ or Department) to deter the sexual abuse of federal prisoners by federal correctional and law enforcement personnel. It is a crime for a prison employee to engage in any sexual contact or sexual relations with a federal prisoner.1 Under the federal criminal code, consent by a prisoner is never a legal defense because of the inherently unequal positions of prisoners and correctional and law enforcement staff who control many aspects of prisoners’ lives. Apart from criminal charges, federal corrections staff may be subject to administrative discipline for engaging in sexual misconduct that is not criminal but violates employee conduct policies, such as using indecent language or gestures, or surveilling prisoners for the purpose of sexual gratification.
Staff sexual abuse of prisoners has severe consequences for victims, undermines the safety and security of prisons, and in some cases leads to other crimes. Prisoners who are victims of staff sexual abuse may suffer physical pain, fear, humiliation, degradation, and desperation, and this harm can last beyond the victims’ incarceration. Moreover, because female prisoners in particular often have histories of being sexually abused, they are even more traumatized by further abuse inflicted by correctional staff while in custody.
In addition to traumatizing prisoners, federal personnel may also neglect their professional duties and subvert their prison’s security procedures in order to engage in and conceal their prohibited sexual relationships with prisoners. Federal personnel who are sexually involved with prisoners can be subject to extortion demands and may be more easily pressured to violate other prison rules and federal laws. Compromised personnel who have been found to have sexually abused prisoners also have been found to have provided contraband to prisoners, accepted bribes, lied to federal investigators, and committed other serious crimes as a result of their sexual involvement with federal prisoners.
New GAO Reports and Testimonies (PDFs)
Source: Government Accountability Office
16 September 2009
+ Reports
1. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation: More Strategic Approach Needed for Processing Complex Plans Prone to Delays and Overpayments
2. Mineral Revenues: MMS Could Do More to Improve the Accuracy of Key Data Used to Collect and Verify Oil and Gas Royalties
3. Energy Policy Act of 2005: Greater Clarity Needed to Address Concerns with Categorical Exclusions for Oil and Gas Development under Section 390 of the Act
4. Missile Defense: DOD Needs to More Fully Assess Requirements and Establish Operational Units before Fielding New Capabilities
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+ Testimonies
1. Federal Oil and Gas Management: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight, by Franklin Rusco, director, natural resources and environment, before the House Committee on Natural Resources
2. Personnel Security Clearances: Progress Has Been Made to Reduce Delays but Further Actions Are Needed to Enhance Quality and Sustain Reform Efforts, by Brenda S. Farrell, director, defense capabilities and management, before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
EPA Punts on Risks to Children From Playground Tire Crumb
Source: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Contrary to its public statements, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not conducting studies on potential health effects to children from contact with shredded tires on playgrounds, according to correspondence released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Despite serious concerns raised by its own scientists about health risks to children, the agency continues to endorse use of ground rubber (called “tire crumb”), on playgrounds without examining the extent of childhood exposure from ingestion or inhalation of toxic chemicals found within tires.
Every year millions of pounds of tires are recycled into and placed on playgrounds to reduce injuries from falls. In fact, tire crumb was added to the White House playground constructed for the Obama children.
Records obtained earlier this year by PEER under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) document EPA scientists strongly urging the agency to immediately “assess toxicological risks of tire crumb in situations where children are exposed.” On May 29, 2009, PEER wrote EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson asking her to 1) revoke her agency’s endorsement of tire crumb until research shows it is safe for children; 2) issue an interim public health advisory; and 3) coordinate with other agencies in a risk assessment.
+ Look at EPA scientists’ concerns about tire crumb risk
+ Read the EPA response to PEER (PDF; 56 KB)
+ View EPA admission that it is not conducting tire crumb health effects studies (PDF; 58 KB)
CTIA–The Wireless Association® Statement on “The Health Effects of Cell Phone Use” Hearing
Source: CTIA–The Wireless Association®
Today, CTIA-The Wireless Association® President and CEO Steve Largent issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing on “The Health Effects of Cell Phone Use:”
“CTIA and the wireless industry are deeply committed to safety and to providing timely, accurate information to consumers about wireless phones. When it comes to the facts about cell phones and health-related effects, the industry relies on the conclusions of impartial groups such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Cancer Society, and the National Institute of Health, which have all concluded that the scientific evidence to date does not demonstrate any adverse health effects associated with the use of wireless phones.
“In July 2009, the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) released a statement (PDF; 54 KB) addressing the current scientific evidence concerning exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF), including frequencies used for modern wireless communications. It said the scientific literature ‘provided no evidence of any adverse effects below the basic restrictions and does not necessitate an immediate revision of its guidance on limiting exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields.’
“There has been significant research conducted on the issue of whether there is a link between wireless phone use and health effects. Much has been completed and more continues today. CTIA and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently examined scientific questions about radiofrequency (RF) energy pursuant to a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The FDA, not industry, was responsible for the research performed under the CRADA.
“All wireless devices must adhere to strict emissions guidelines in the United States, which have been developed under a thorough and rigorous review process. All wireless base station antennas and phones must meet the science-based, RF emission guidelines of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has established very conservative limits to ensure that the health of all citizens is protected. The FCC maintains a database that provides the SAR value for cellular phones sold in the United States.”
+ Webcast of Labor HHS Hearing on Health Effects of Cell Phone Use
Physicians’ Beliefs and U.S. Health Care Reform — A National Survey
Source: New England Journal of Medicine
From press release (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) study published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine shows that a majority of physicians (63 percent) support a health reform proposal that includes both a public option and traditional private insurance. If the additional 10 percent of doctors who support an entirely public health system are included, then approximately three out of four physicians nationwide support inclusion of a public option. A minority (27 percent) support a private-only option that would provide subsidies for low-income individuals to purchase private insurance.
Surveying a nationally representative sample of 2,130 physicians across America, researchers Salomeh Keyhani, M.D., M.P.H., and Alex Federman, M.D., M.P.H., from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City queried physicians about a range of options for expanding health insurance coverage. They also examined physician views on the possibility of Medicare expansion and found that the majority of physicians surveyed (58 percent) support expanding Medicare eligibility to those between the ages of 55 and 64.
