A selection of recent news releases issued by the U.S. government agencies, the White House and Congress.

USDA Says Caffeine Foils Snails
Caffeine can repel or kill snails that might otherwise eat and ruin plants, Agricultural Research Service scientists report in the June 27, 2002 issue of the scientific journal Nature.

Bush Calls for WorldCom Investigation
"Today the revelations that Worldcom has misaccounted $3.4 billion is outrageous. We will fully investigate and hold people accountable for misleading not only shareholders, but employees, as well," said President Bush.

HRSA Awards Grants to Screen Pregnant Women for Domestic Violence
HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau recently awarded four new community-based grants totaling $1.8 million to screen and provide services for pregnant women experiencing domestic violence.

FBI Announces 2 Percent Increase in Crime
The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that preliminary 2001 data indicate a 2.0-percent increase in the Nation's Crime Index from the 2000 figure.

National Parks Announces Free-Pass Weekend
As part of the President's Comprehensive Fitness Agenda, the Initiative will include an entrance fee-free weekend on June 22-23, 2002, to all national park sites across the country.

U.S. Senate to Look Into Steroid Use in Sports
U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) announced Friday the U.S. Senate Commerce subcommittee he chairs will hold a hearing at 9:30 AM, Tuesday, June 18, to look into reports of wide-spread steroid use in major league baseball.

Few Women Regret Sterilization Procedures
Few of the women who undergo tubal sterilization or whose husbands undergo vasectomy later go on to regret either procedure, according to a study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

NASA Finds Planetary System with "Hometown" Look
After 15 years of observation and a lot of patience, the world's premier planet-hunting team has finally found a planetary system that reminds them of our own home solar system.

Fourfold Increase in Chronic Hepatitis C Infection Expected
Substantial advances in treatment for chronic hepatitis C and a decline in the number of new infections, were highlighted by a panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Nonetheless, a fourfold increase in persons with chronic hepatitis C infection is projected over the next decade, as a result of unsuspected infection from contaminated blood and blood products, occupational exposure, and injection drug use prior to the advent of routine screening in the early 1990s

FBI DNA Index System Reaches 1 Million Profiles
The FBI Laboratory today announced a major milestone in its mission to facilitate the investigation of violent crimes by the sharing of information between law enforcement agencies. On June 12, 2002, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement contributed the one millionth DNA profile to the National DNA Index System, known as NDIS.

Online System Speeds Up Veterans' Home Loan Processing
A new federal Internet-based system for mortgage bankers and other lenders will speed up the processing of home loans for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).