New Department of Defense Web Portal

According to an Aug. 17, 2009 news release, the Department of Defense (DoD) launched a new home page, www.defense.gov, "designed to invite participation from the public and make military news and information more accessible." A new feature called "We Want to Hear From You" allows users to ask Department of Defense leaders questions and vote on policy issues they would like to have explained. It also includes a frequently asked questions section. The site provides quick access to the most popular DoD sites including DoD news, the Pentagon Channel, and DoD social media sites.

The former portal, http://www.DefenseLink.mil, will now serve as a news Web site and will be accessible from Defense.gov.

New Drought Portal

Fifteen government agencies have come together to create a new portal for ascertaining the location and impacts of droughts in the United States. Drought.gov from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) is part of an interactive system designed to:

• Provide early warning about emerging and anticipated droughts
  
• Assimilate and quality control data about droughts and models
  
• Provide information about risk and impact of droughts to different agencies and stakeholders
  
• Provide information about past droughts for comparison and to understand current conditions
  
• Explain how to plan for and manage the impacts of droughts
  
• Provide a forum for different stakeholders to discuss drought-related issues

The portal includes the U.S. Drought Monitor and the Drought Impact Reporter which alternate on the screen and use a clickable color-coded United States map to provide a dramatic visual display. Drought conditions and impact statements for states and regions are available from a pull-down menu. Other features include forecasting, planning, research, and recovery information, and educational materials targeted to general audiences and to K-12 students and teachers.

Sonia Sotomayor nomination confirmed

The U.S. Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court by a vote of 68-31 this afternoon. For more information see:

From the Library of Congress:
Links to pertinent information about Sonia Sotomayor and the confirmation process

From C-SPAN:

• Breaking news about the confirmation
• Confirmation coverage and resources

NYT Artist/Blogger Maira Kalman series on American democracy

Thanks to colleague Scott Shaffer (University of Vermont) for sharing this amazing NYT blog entry on Benjamin Franklin and inventing by Maira Kalman: http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/can-do/

Artist Maira Kalman's series on American democracy, "And the Pursuit of Happiness", begins with the inauguration of President Obama and continues with a new entry each month. The artwork is beautiful and the entries are thoughtful and inspiring.

For the RSS feed:
http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/feed/

H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Recommendations

On July 29, 2009 the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to make recommendations about who should receive the H1N1 vaccine when it initially becomes available. They recommended the following groups receive the vaccine first:

• Pregnant women
  
• Household contacts and caregivers of children younger than 6 months
  
• Healthcare and emergency services personnel
  
• All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
  
• People aged 25 through 64 years of age who have health conditions that might make them more susceptible to medical complications from influenza

Although not expected, if there is a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine, the first three groups above are still targeted to receive the vaccine, but the last two groups change to:

• Children 6 months through 4 years of age
  
• Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.

For more information about the rationale behind selecting these groups, see the H1N1 vaccination recommendations press release.

The CDC stresses that this vaccine is not a substitute for the seasonal flu vaccine. Both may be administered on the same day.

Cash for Clunkers

Are you considering buying a new car but are not sure if your old car qualifies for the government rebate? Cars.gov (Car Allowance Rebate System) has a frequently asked questions section to help you decide if your old car qualifies and, if so, for what amount($3,500 or $4,500).

CDC Addresses Obesity in the U.S.

A July 24, 2009 report released by the CDC entitled Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, html version or (pdf version) contains some rather alarming statistics. Approximately two thirds of adults and one fifth of children in the United States are overweight. An estimated 33% of adults are classifed overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-29, 34% are classified obese with a BMI of 30 or greater, and nearly 6% are classified extremely obese with a BMI of 40 or greater. About 17% of children and adolescents fall above the 95 percentile of sex-specific BMI for age growth charts.

The CDC is concerned because being overweight or obese increases the risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers. To help communities promote healthier eating and active living behaviors, the CDC has initiated the Common Community Measures for Obesity Prevention Project which recommends a set of 24 strategies and measurements for communities to use to "plan and monitor environmental and policy-level changes for obesity prevention." The 24 strategies fall under six general strategies:

• promote the availability of affordable healthy food and beverages
  
• support healthy food and beverage choices
  
• encourage breastfeeding
  
• encourage physical activity or limit sedentary activity among children and youth
  
• create safe communities that support physical activity
  
• encourage communities to organize for change.