Patent Office Suffers 'Shock and Awe' Attack
Just seven months after "Shock and Awe" blasted its way in to the American lexicon, the U.S. Patent Office reports being besieged by applications to register the phrase for use in product names and advertising. Along with golf clubs and video games, on application attached "Shock and Awe" to "infant action crib toys." Congressman Changes Mind on Gay Rights
Eight years ago, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), voted for a bill that would have banned gay and lesbian marriages. Today, Congressman Blumenauer admits regretting that vote and says he will vote against a proposed constitution amendment that would legally define marriage as the union of a man and a woman only. Halloween 2003: By the Numbers
Don't be scared. These are just some interesting Halloween-related statistics compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. Why did the census folks compile these numbers? I guess they were just "afraid" you might ask. Pick Your Field, Find a Government Job
A new tool for finding job openings in the U.S. Government. Simply click on your area of interest or expertise, for a complete list of all job openings in that category. When the list appears, clicking on any job title will get you complete, detailed information on that job, including instructions on how to apply. New Website Helps Families Plan for College
After a new report showed that parents and students often greatly overestimate the cost of college tuition, the U.S. Department of Education created a new Web site designed to give students and families the facts they need to better plan and prepare for college. Brief history of the Pledge of Allegiance
As written in 1892, the Pledge of Allegiance didn't even include the words "under God." Who wrote the Pledge and where did the constitutionally controversial reference to God come from? Read the brief history of the Pledge of Allegiance. Nearly 1-in-5 Americans 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. How To Make A Telemarketing Complaint
The Federal Communication Commission has released detailed information outlining specific steps consumer 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 when there is a violation of the FCC do-not-call rules, and specifics about how to file a complaint. You Say 'El Nino,' I Say 'La Nina,' NOAA Says...
El Niño and La Niña. We hear about them every year and, while we know they both mean potential bad weather, does anybody really understand the difference between these twin climatic troublemakers? After more than a year of study and consultation between experts in the federal government and academia, NOAA has announced official definitions for El Niño and La Niña. 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. This White House fact sheet provides highlights of exactly how $37.6 billion dedicated to the Department of Homeland Security will be spent during Fiscal Year 2004. More Americans Without Health Insurance
The number of Americans not covered by health insurance rose by 2.4 million to 43.6 million between 2001 and 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 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 (Ohio, 10th) and Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul. H. Con. Res. 101 - Dennis J. Kucinich
On March 19, 2003, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio, 10th), an announced presidential candidate, proposed this resolution that, if passed, would express the "sense" or opinion of the U.S. Congress that the bill authorizing the use of military force against Iraq should be declared null and void. Social Security's Response to 9-11 Attacks
The Social Security Administration (SSA) reports having paid nearly $67 million in benefits to people affected by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Brady 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. Federal Marriage Amendment - H.J. Res 56
Text of a congressional resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution that would legally define marriage as the union between a man and a woman only. 'Mom-and-Pop' Home-based Businesses Soar
The number of 'Mom-and-Pop' home-based businesses, those with no paid employees, grew from more than 16.5 million in 2000 to almost 17.0 million in 2001, a rate of growth of 2.7 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 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). Congress Votes Itself a Pay Raise
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 Congress Members by $3,400 to a total of $158,103 per year. 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 (ACS). 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.[ U.S. Has More Cars Than Drivers
For the first time in the nation's history, the average American household owns more cars than drivers for them, according to a new report from the Department of Transportation. Airport Screeners Raking In Hidden Weapons
Since February 2002, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport security screeners have intercepted more than 7.5 million prohibited items, including 1,437 firearms, 2.3 million knives and an astounding 49,331 boxcutters - the 9-11 terrorists' weapon of choice. 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. 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. | 