Behavioral difficulties at school may lead to lifelong health and social
problems
Adolescents who misbehave
at school are more likely to have difficulties throughout their adult lives,
finds a 40-year study of British citizens published on bmj.com today. These
difficulties cover all areas of life, from mental health to domestic and personal
relationships to economic deprivation.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/behavioral-diff.php
Online racial discrimination linked to depression, anxiety in teens
In the early days of the
Internet, some scholars once predicted a lessening of racism and race-based
discrimination in online interactions thanks to the anonymity and race-neutral
nature of the medium. But according to a new study published by a University of Illinois professor who studies race and the
Internet, adolescents are increasingly experiencing both individual and vicarious
discrimination online, which in turn triggers stress, depression and anxiety.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/online-racial-d.php
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Smoking during pregnancy fosters aggression in children
Women who smoke during pregnancy
risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study
published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. While previous studies
have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research
shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring
to an additional risk: violent behavior.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/smoking-during-1.php
Spirituality may help adolescents cope with chronic illness
Chronic illness can lead
to poorer quality of life -- particularly for adolescents. New research shows
that spirituality may help teens cope with their conditions.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/spirituality-ma.php
Studies examine genetic determinants of ADHD
A special issue of American
Journal of Medical Genetics (AJMG): Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics presents a comprehensive overview
of the latest progress in genetic research of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD). The issue covers major trends in the field of complex psychiatric
genetics, underscoring how genetic studies of ADHD have evolved, and what
approaches are needed to uncover its genetic origins.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/studies-examine.php
Adolescents with arthritis need more information when transitioning
to adult care
Helping adolescents with
arthritis develop the skills and secure resources to assure that their health
care needs are met as they transition to adulthood is an important issue in
the US.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/adolescents-wit-1.php
***CIVIC ENGAGEMENT/PHILANTHROPY***
Kauffman Foundation Launches Entrepreneur Fellows Program to Increase
Number of High-Growth Startup Founders
The Ewing Marion Kauffman
Foundation announced a new fellowship program that will increase the number
of experienced founders for startup companies and help the Foundation better
understand the dynamics of firm formation, or what the Foundation calls the
"science of startups."
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/kauffman-founda-1.php
***COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT***
HUD APPROVES NEIGHBORHOOD
STABILIZATION PLANS OF STATE OF LOUISIANA AND NEW ORLEANS
U.S. Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Steve Preston approved plans from the State of Louisiana and the City of New Orleans seeking to recover from the effects
of high foreclosures and declining home values. Funded under HUD's new Neighborhood
Stabilization Program (NSP), Louisiana and New Orleans will target emergency assistance to
particular neighborhoods by acquiring and redeveloping foreclosed properties
that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/hud-approves-ne.php
HUD CHARGES MISSISSIPPI HOUSING AUTHORITY, PROPERTY MANAGERS,
AND APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH VIOLATING FAIR HOUSING ACT
The U. S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development announced that it has charged the Mississippi
Regional Housing Authority, No. VIII (MRHA), of Gulfport, Sun Belt Management
Company, Inc., and Oakridge Park Apartments, Ltd., in Biloxi, with denying a disabled resident
an available first-floor apartment, in violation of the federal Fair Housing
Act.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/hud-charges-mis.php
HUD RETURNS MIAMI-DADE HOUSING
AGENCY TO LOCAL CONTROL - CITES IMPROVED MANAGEMENT AND COUNTY COOPERATION
The U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development returned control of the Miami-Dade Housing Agency (MDHA)
to the Miami-Dade County after 15 months in HUD possession.
HUD cited accomplishments by the HUD oversight team and the County to complete
critical tasks to improve the performance of MDHA.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/hud-returns-mia.php
HUD SECRETARY RETURNS TO
BREAK GROUND AT C.J. PEETE TO BRING NEW HOUSING, MIXED-INCOME COMMUNITY
U.S. Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Steve Preston returned to New Orleans for a second time in less than 30
days to break ground at another public housing site that was slated for redevelopment
prior to Hurricane Katrina. He joined Mayor Ray Nagin at the former C.J. Peete public
housing site to make way for a new mixed-income community. Just last month
Preston joined Nagin,
other local officials and development partners to celebrate the start of construction
of Columbia Citi Residences at Bayou District, formerly
St. Bernard.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/hud-secretary-r.php
***ECONOMIC SECURITY***
Job losses balooned in final quarter of 2008
For analysis of the December
employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, read Economic
Policy Institute’s Jobs Picture.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/job-losses-balo.php
How long would a job-market recovery take?
One year into the recession
and the U.S. economy has already lost nearly 2
million jobs. And the future looks bleak: full job-market recovery may take
much longer than previous recoveries. This week's Economic Snapshot looks
at evidence from the last two recessions, which suggests that employment levels
would not fully recover until mid-2010 or beyond.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/how-long-would.php
***EDUCATION***
U.S. Secretary of Education Announces the Release of "Great Expectations"
U.S. Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings announced the release of Great Expectations. The document
examines the history of public education in America and how students once left behind
are now leading the way. Secretary Spellings announced the release at an education
reform roundtable President Bush hosted at General Philip Kearny Elementary School in Philadelphia celebrating the seventh anniversary
of the No Child Left Behind Act.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/us-secretary-of-29.php
Education Secretary Approves Additional Growth Model Pilots for 2008-2009
School Year
U.S. Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings today announced approval of four additional states' high-quality
growth models, which follow the bright-line principles of No Child Left Behind.
The states receiving approval are Colorado, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Texas. Pennsylvania and Texas are conditionally approved provided
they satisfy final requirements related to their accountability and assessment
systems, respectively.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/secretary-spell-21.php
Majority of Federal Education Dollars Are Spent on Instruction and
Instructional Support by Local School Districts
Despite NCLB's increased focus on targeting federal resources to help
students with the greatest needs, all federal education programs combined
have not closed the funding gap between the highest- and lowest-poverty school
districts around the country, according to a new analysis conducted by the
American Institutes for Research (AIR) for the U.S. Department of Education.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/majority-of-fed.php
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings Announces Approval of Three
Additional States to Use Differentiated Accountability Under NCLB
U.S. Secretary of Education
Margaret Spellings announced the approval of three additional states-Arkansas, Louisiana and New York-to use the Differentiated Accountability
Pilot aimed at helping states develop a more nuanced system of accountability
to distinguish between underperforming schools in need of dramatic interventions
and those that are closer to meeting the goals of No Child Left Behind.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/us-education-se-5.php
Career Expert Jaye Roseborough Gives College Students a Boost With
Innovative Strategies
"Getting people hired
is a lot easier when they're known," says Middlebury College Executive
Director of Career Services Jaye Roseborough discussing her department's most recent efforts
to help graduating seniors find jobs in what's become a very tough market.
Traditionally, Middlebury's graduates head for the larger and more familiar
cities of the Northeast Corridor, but this year Roseborough
and her colleagues plan to capitalize on alumni and parent relationships in
a broader spectrum of cities further afield -- Seattle,
Denver, Chicago.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/career-expert-j.php
***FEDERAL BUDGET COVERAGE
President-Elect Obama's Tax and Stimulus Plans
During the presidential
campaign, Barack Obama proposed a comprehensive tax plan that would raise
taxes on high-income taxpayers, cut taxes for low- and middle-income households,
and lose $2.9 trillion dollars of revenue over ten years. Obama will take
office with the economy in sharp recession and a deteriorating fiscal situation,
made worse by new spending on a bailout plan. Faced with those crises, Obama
says he will pursue both his campaign tax plan and additional tax-related
proposals addressing problems created by the downturn. This paper examines
revenue and distributional effects of the tax plan and describes some stimulus
proposals.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/presidentelect.php
Unemployment Insurance Reforms Should Be Part of Economic Recovery
Package
As part of the forthcoming
economic recovery package, Congress and President-elect Obama are reportedly
considering a series of reforms to the unemployment insurance (UI) system.
These reforms, based on the recommendations of a bipartisan advisory council,
would encourage states to modernize the program (which was designed in the
1930s) so that fewer workers particularly women and lower-wage workers are
excluded when they are laid off.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/unemployment-in-3.php
***HEALTH***
Expanding SCHIP: A Down payment on Health Reform
In this essay, Columbia University's Sherry Glied,
Ph.D., calls for using the upcoming reauthorization of the State Children's
Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) as means to achieve universal coverage for
U.S. children. 
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/expanding-schip.php
New Analysis: Congressional Health Care Reform Proposals Would Offer
Coverage to Many Without Insurance
With health reform high
on the agenda of the incoming Congress and President, a new analysis of legislative
proposals--including the plans of President-elect Barack Obama and Senate
Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)--shows that several proposals
already put forth could substantially reduce the number of uninsured Americans,
and would either reduce health care spending or add only modestly to annual
health care expenditures.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/new-analysis-co-1.php
Congressional health-care reform proposals would offer coverage to
many without insurance
With health reform high
on the agenda of the incoming Congress and president, a new analysis of legislative
proposals -- including the plans of President-elect Barack Obama and Senate
Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) -- shows that several proposals
already put forth could substantially reduce the number of uninsured Americans,
and would either reduce health-care spending or add only modestly to annual
health-care expenditures.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/congressional-h.php
An Analysis of Leading Congressional Health Care Bills, 2007/2008:
Part I, Insurance Coverage
This Commonwealth Fund analysis
of leading bills of the 110th Congress aimed at expanding and improving health
insurance coverage finds several of these proposals could substantially reduce
the number of uninsured Americans, and would either reduce health care spending
or add only modestly to annual health care expenditures.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/an-analysis-of-5.php
Chronic Care Model helps improve people's health and care
Over 1,500 US and international
medical practices --"more than we ever dreamed," says Dr. Ed Wagner
-- have adopted the Chronic Care Model. With Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
support, he and Group Health colleagues developed this framework to redesign
daily medical practice. The Chronic Care Model spurred the Medical Home to
renew primary care. Now the largest roundup of evidence on the Model confirms
that it really works, helping people stay healthier and get better care.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/chronic-care-mo.php
HHS Issues Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections
The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a plan that establishes a set of five-year
national prevention targets to reduce and possibly eliminate health care-associated
infections (HAIs).
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/hhs-issues-acti.php
***HOMELESSNESS***
Number of Homeless Families Climbing Due to Recession
The Center on Budget has
released a new paper, “Number of Homeless Families Climbing Due to Recession;
Recovery Package Should Include New Housing Vouchers and Other Measures to
Prevent Homelessness.” Increased homelessness could have adverse long-term
consequences, especially for children. Various studies have found that housing
instability and homelessness lower academic performance, increase the chances
of repeating a grade, and reduce high school completion rates. Homelessness
also puts children at greater risk of serious physical health problems.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/number-of-homel.php
***NUTRITION AND HEALTHY LIVING**
Eating habits and exercise behaviors in children can deteriorate early
School-age children may
develop eating habits and leisure-time patterns that may not meet current
recommendations and contribute to childhood obesity. In a study in the January/February
2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers
report that parents perceived that their pre-school children had relatively
good eating habits and physical activity levels, but that parents of school-aged
children (6 to 12 years) felt their children had less healthful diets and
leisure-time activities.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/eating-habits-a.php
Young adults need to make more time for healthy meals
The findings of this study
suggest there is a need to address the influence of perceived time constraints
on the eating and meal behaviors of early young adults...Having few shared
meals and frequently 'eating on the run' were associated with poorer dietary
intake...As most young adults indicated they enjoy and value time that is
spent eating with others, it may be beneficial for health promotion strategies
targeting young adults to address the management and reduction of individual
time barriers to having regular, shared meals.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/young-adults-ne.php
Help for the overweight could be at the end of a phone
Counseling via the phone
and internet can help weight management in overweight individuals, according
to a Dutch study published in the open access journal, BMC Public Health.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/help-for-the-ov.php
Obesity: Reviving the promise of leptin
The discovery more than
a decade ago of leptin, an appetite-suppressing
hormone secreted by fat tissue, generated headlines and great hopes for an
effective treatment for obesity.But hopes dimmed
when it was found that obese people are unresponsive to leptin due to development of leptin
resistance in the brain. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report
the first agents demonstrated to sensitize the brain to leptin:
oral drugs that are already FDA-approved and known to be safe.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/obesity-revivin-1.php
***SENIORS***
Health-monitoring technology helps seniors live at home longer
Many older adults want to
remain active and independent for as long as possible. Seniors want to age
in their own homes and avoid moving to institutions or nursing homes. University of Missouri researchers are using sensors, computers
and communication systems, along with supportive health care services to monitor
the health of older adults who are living at home. Early identification of
these changes can prompt health care interventions that can delay or prevent
serious health events.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/healthmonitorin.php
***SUBSTANCE ABUSE***
Nicotine gum effective for gradual smoking reduction and cessation
Nicotine gum has been in
use for over 20 years to help smokers quit abruptly yet close to two-thirds
of smokers report that they would prefer to quit gradually. Researchers from
the University of Pittsburgh and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
have now found that smokers who are trying to quit gradually can also be helped
by nicotine gum.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2009/01/nicotine-gum-ef.php
