News Digest

  Syphilis Is Soaring in the U.S. Cases have risen by 80 percent since 2018, the C.D.C. reported. But chlamydia remains by far the most common sexually transmitted infection. Syphilis, once nearly eliminated in the United States, continues to resurge,  reaching the highest rate of new infections recorded since 1950 , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday. More than 207,000 cases were diagnosed in 2022, the last year for which data are available. That represents an 80 percent increase since 2018, and 17 percent over the previous year’s tally, according to a new C.D.C. report. The rates soared in every age group, including newborns. In November, the C.D.C. said more than  3,700 cases of congenital syphilis  were reported in 2022, roughly 11 times the number recorded a decade ago. The disease caused 231 stillbirths and 51 infant deaths in 2022. Experts pointed to a slew of reasons for the continued increases in syphilis and other S.T.I.s. Substa...

  The Biden administration will start implementing a new requirement for the developers of major artificial intelligence systems to disclose their safety test results to the government. The White House AI Council is scheduled to meet Monday to review progress made on the executive order that President Joe Biden signed three months ago to manage the fast-evolving technology. Chief among the 90-day goals from the order was a mandate under the Defense Production Act that AI companies share vital information with the Commerce Department, including safety tests. AI companies will need to report safety tests to US government | AP News

  Since 2012, community health centers have seen a 45% increase in the number of people seeking care — and they’ve opened more and more service sites to expand their footprint to more than 15,000 locations. Many centers are short-staffed and struggling to compete for doctors, mental health professionals, nurses and dentists. Leaders also told The Associated Press that funding is an ever-present concern, with the months-long debate over the federal budget making it all but impossible for them to plan and hire for the long term. Millions of Americans are increasingly turning to community health centers for care, and even food | AP News

  In support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $171 million for 49 projects across 21 states to reduce industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and accelerate the development of innovative decarbonization technologies. DOE also announced that applications are open for an $83 million funding opportunity to decrease emissions from hard-to-decarbonize industrial sectors, which represent roughly 30 percent of total U.S. carbon emissions. Today’s announcements support DOE’s Industrial Heat Shot and Clean Fuels & Products Shot and will help the nation meet the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Advancing next-generation technologies that reduce harmful emissions is a key component of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to tackle the climate crisis, create new, good-paying jobs across the nation, and strengthen America’s manufacturing and industrial competi...

  The U.S. Department of Education (Department) today released the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design and Use Divides. First released in fulfillment of the 2000 Educate America Act, NETP has been updated multiple times since its original release, most recently in 2016. “From the American Rescue Plan to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and more, the Biden-Harris Administration has made bold investments aimed at closing the digital divide and ensuring all students can equitably access the latest digital tools and technology,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “As we work to Raise the Bar in education, it’s essential we focus on empowering teachers to become designers of active learning, using technology in effective ways to engage and inspire students. The 2024 National Educational Technology Plan is a forward-thinking approach to reframing and realizing the potential of educational technology to e...

  Existing homes typically account for about 90 percent of sales, but homeowners who have locked in low-rate mortgages have been reluctant to sell, resulting in limited choices and sky-high prices for prospective buyers. Last year, existing-home sales fell to the lowest level in nearly 30 years, while the median price hit a record high, according to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors. That spurred a rise in construction, as developers rushed to meet demand and dangled incentives to entice buyers. Sales of new homes jumped 4.2 percent last year from 2022, the Census Bureau reported on Thursday. New Home Sales Continue to Grow - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

A measure of inflation closely watched by the Federal Reserve continued to cool in December, the latest sign that price increases are coming back under control even as growth remains solid and the labor market healthy. In particularly positive news, a key gauge of price increases dipped below 3 percent for the first time since early 2021. The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index picked up 2.6 percent last month compared with a year earlier. That was in line with what economists had forecast and matched the November reading. But after stripping out food and fuel costs, which can move around from month to month, a “core” price index climbed 2.9 percent from December 2022. That followed a 3.2 percent November reading, and was the coolest since March 2021. Fed officials aim for 2 percent price increases, so today’s inflation remains elevated. Still, it is much lower than its roughly 7 percent peak in 2022. In their latest economic projections, central bankers predicted that inflat...

  Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its latest actions to expand access for small businesses to the over $700 billion spent through federal contracts each year, particularly for those owned by individuals from underrepresented communities. The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, making federal contracts a powerful tool to build wealth in underserved communities and ensure that the federal government is leveraging talent from all corners of the country. These new initiatives will advance the President’s Investing in America agenda and bold goal of increasing the share of federal contracting dollars going to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SDBs) to 15% by Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, a 50% increase from spending levels when he first took office. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Expand Small Business Access to Federal Contracts | The White...

  Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations. The current economic and environmental analyses DOE uses to underpin its LNG export authorizations are roughly five years old and no longer adequately account for considerations like potential energy cost increases for American consumers and manufacturers beyond current authorizations or the latest assessment of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Today, we have an evolving understanding of the market need for LNG, the long-term supply of LNG, and the perilous impacts of methane on our planet. We also must adequately guard against risks to the health of our communities, especially frontline communities in the United States who disproportionately shoulder the burden of pollution from new export facilities. The pause, which is subject to exc...

  Agencies reported that they have completed all of the 90-day actions tasked by the E.O. and advanced other vital directives that the Order tasked over a longer timeframe. Taken together, these activities mark substantial progress in achieving the EO’s mandate to protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems while catalyzing innovation in AI and beyond. The table below summarizes many of the activities federal agencies have completed in response to the Executive Order. (Open link to see table) Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Key AI Actions Following President Biden’s Landmark Executive Order | The White House

  Today, the White House announced 10 U.S. regions that are emerging as innovation ecosystems and receiving over $530 million of investment catalyzed by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. The Biden-Harris Administration is awarding the 10 NSF Regional Innovation Engines $150 million ($15 million each) in federal investment, with over $365 million in matched contributions from non-federal partners. Over the next decade, these 10 NSF Regional Innovation Engines will be eligible to receive upwards of $2 billion, with a goal of stimulating economic growth across a range of sectors, including semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, sustainable textiles, climate-resilient agriculture, regenerative medicine, and more. The NSF Regional Innovation Engines program was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act – signed into law by President Biden in August 2022 – and is part of the President’s Bidenomics agenda to grow the economy fr...

  HHS Releases the Initial Implementation and Impact Report for the First-Ever Federal Water Assistance Program | HHS.gov   Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), released the initial Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) Implementation and Impact Report. The report shows that, the program served over one million households by the end of June 2023, less than one year after all grant recipients started providing benefits. In addition to the report, HHS also released an update to the LIHWAP Data Dashboard  which includes grant recipient program data from the final quarter of federal Fiscal Year 2023.     Authorized with $1.1 billion of total funding and administered by ACF’s Office of Community Services (OCS), LIHWAP is a first-ever emergency program to restore water services, prevent disconnections, and provide rate reductions for households with low incomes. Fund...

  Climate Change Education May Soon Be Incorporated Into More NYC Classrooms - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   Last year, New Jersey, the first state to mandate climate change lessons, introduced them in its public schools. Several similar bills are being considered in New York, one of which proposes to teach climate change across all grades and subject matters and has the support of over 115 educators and nonprofits like the National Wildlife Federation.   “Climate change is not a future threat; it’s a present reality,” said State Senator James Sanders Jr., a Democrat who represents sections of southeast Queens like the Rockaways that are vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding. He is a sponsor of another bill that would include the topic in science classes. While New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and California are actively incorporating climate change into curriculums, other states including Texas, Virginia and Florida have resisted, said Glenn Branch, the deputy ...

  FACT SHEET: White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access Announces New Actions and Marks the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade | The White House   Today, on what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, women’s health and lives hang in the balance due to extreme state abortion bans. These dangerous state laws have caused chaos and confusion, as women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to travel hundreds of miles, or required to go to court to seek permission for the health care they need. In the face of the continued threats to reproductive freedom, President Biden will convene the fourth meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access, where agencies will announce new actions to protect access to reproductive health care. The Task Force will also hear directly from physicians who are on the frontlines of the fallout from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Also today, the Vice President is launching her nationwide Fight for Repr...

  Readout of White House Meeting on Competition Policy and Artificial Intelligence | The White House The Biden-Harris Administration has made clear that promoting competition and innovation is a central part of AI policy. President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence calls on agencies “to promote competition in AI and related technologies, as well as in other markets” as they develop policies and regulations.  The President’s Executive Order also supports small businesses commercializing AI products and directs a pilot of the National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) to provide federally-supported computing power, data, and other resources to AI researchers and smaller companies.  The Administration is also committed to a whole-of-government approach to promote competition and protect consumers as laid out in President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. This includes...

  https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2024/01/19/usda-launches-pilot-help-more-processors-access-high-value-beef   Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a pilot program to allow more cattle producers and meat processors to access better markets through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) official beef quality grading and certification. The Remote Grading Pilot for Beef, developed by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), matches simple technology with robust data management and program oversight to allow a USDA grader to assess beef carcass characteristics and assign the official quality grade from a remote location, reducing costs and location as barriers to participation in voluntary grading services.

  U.S. Department of Energy Announces $131 Million to Boost America's Battery Supply Chain and Supercharge Electric Vehicle Innovation | Department of Energy   The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced more than $131 million for projects to advance research and development (R&D) in electric vehicle (EV) batteries and charging systems, and funding for a consortium to address critical priorities for the next phase of widescale EV commercialization. The advanced battery consortium will work towards developing advanced technologies that will decarbonize transportation and support R&D that is responsive to the needs of EV manufacturers and battery suppliers—engaging with key stakeholders, including universities, national laboratories, and manufacturers that supply critical materials and components to the battery industry. Securing the domestic battery supply chain and developing innovative solutions to electrify the transportation sector support President Biden’s ...

  Hybrid Cars Enjoy a Renaissance as All-Electric Sales Slow - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   Automakers like Ford, Kia and Toyota are offering more hybrid options to appeal to buyers who aren’t ready for fully electric vehicles. “Consumers want the same experience they’ve had” with a combustion engine car, said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive. “And we are not there yet. Price is still the top barrier for most consumers.”   Americans bought a record 1.2 million electric vehicles last year, a gain of about 46 percent and a 7.6 percent share of all new car sales, according to Cox. But hybrid sales rose even faster, up 65 percent to more than 1.2 million, lifting their market share to 8 percent from 5.5 percent, according to Edmunds. Throw in plug-in hybrids, and nearly one in 10 new cars pairs a gasoline engine with electric motors to save fuel and boost performance.  

  Spending on infrastructure has fallen in real terms in America (economist.com)   Bringing broadband to under-served parts of rural America is one element of a giant infrastructure  programme  that began two years ago when President Joe Biden signed it into law. It was hailed as a historic opportunity to repair America’s bridges, rebuild its roads for electric vehicles and update its power grid and communications technology. With headlines proclaiming its $1.2trn in investments, worth about 5% of  gdp , it was easy to get caught up in the excitement. That makes the current state of the big dig all the more disappointing. Instead of the anticipated surge, total infrastructure spending has fallen by more than 10% in real terms since the passage of the law (see chart).  

IMF warns AI to hit almost 40% of global employment, worsen inequality (cnbc.com)   The International Monetary Fund warned that nearly 40% of jobs across the globe could be affected by the rise of artificial intelligence, with high-income economies facing greater risks than emerging markets and low-income countries.   The Washington, D.C.-based institution on Sunday assessed the potential impact of AI on the global labor market and found that, in most cases, the technology is likely to worsen overall inequality.     IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva urged policymakers to tackle this “troubling trend” and to proactively take steps “to prevent the technology from further stoking social  tensions.” “We  are on the brink of a technological revolution that could jumpstart productivity, boost global growth and raise incomes around the world. Yet it could also replace jobs and deepen inequality,” Georgieva said.     The IMF noted that about 60% of jobs coul...

  Workplace Wellness Programs Have Little Benefit, Study Finds - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   Employee mental health services have become a billion-dollar industry. New hires, once they have found the restrooms and enrolled in 401(k) plans, are presented with a panoply of digital wellness solutions, mindfulness seminars, massage classes, resilience workshops, coaching sessions and sleep apps.     These programs are a point of pride for forward-thinking human resource departments, evidence that employers care about their workers. But a British researcher who analyzed survey responses from 46,336 workers at companies that offered such programs found that people who participated in them were no better off than colleagues who did not.     The study, published this month in Industrial Relations Journal, considered the outcomes of 90 different interventions and found a single notable exception: Workers who were given the opportunity to do charity or volunte...

  Biden Administration to Fine Oil and Gas Companies for Excess Methane - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   The Biden administration announced new moves on Friday to curb the release from oil and gas facilities of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is responsible for more than a quarter of the warming the planet is currently experiencing.     Under the new plan, oil and gas companies would be required for the first time to pay a fee for emitting methane. The resulting penalties could total millions of dollars for the companies.     Methane is the second-most-abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, but is 80 times as powerful in the short run in terms of heating the atmosphere.     The proposed fees come as American gas and oil production have reached record levels.     Methane wafts into the atmosphere from pipelines, drill sites and storage facilities. Some producers burn excess gas at the production site, a process known as f...