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As ever, when scammers spot a crisis in the world, they are there to take advantage. It’s true after natural disasters, when scammers set up fake charities that look and sound like real ones to try to get your money. And it’s true now that millions of people want to support the Ukrainian people. If you’re one of them, take a moment to make sure your generosity really benefits the people and groups you intend.

Here are some places to start.

Check out the organization. Search online for the name of the group, plus words like “review,” “scam,” or “complaint.” See if others have had good or bad experiences with the charity. And see what charity watchdog groups say about that organization.

Slow down. You don’t have to give immediately. It’s a good idea to do some research first to make sure your donation goes where you want it go.  

Find out how your money will be spent. Ask, for example, how much of your donation will go to the program you want to help? If someone calls to ask to donate, they should be able to answer those critical questions.

Know who’s asking. Don’t assume a request to donate is legitimate because a friend posted it on social media. Your friend might not personally know the charity or how it spends money.

Look at fees and timing, especially if you’re donating through social media. Be sure to make sure what organization your donation goes to, check whether there are fees, and how quickly your money gets to them. And if you can’t find the answers quickly, consider donating in other ways.

Your generosity can make a difference any time you give — especially if you take a few minutes to make sure your donation goes where you mean it to. Learn more at ftc.gov/charity.

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Bureau of Labor Statistics Data about Joblessness:

National Unemployment Rate (from the Current Population Survey): A monthly household survey provides comprehensive information on the employment and unemployment of the population classified by age, sex, race, and other characteristics.

State and Local Unemployment Rates: Monthly estimates of employment and unemployment are available for all states, metropolitan areas, small labor market areas, counties, cities of 25,000 or more, all cities and towns in New England, and certain other areas.

Mass Layoff Statistics: BLS publishes monthly reports on all mass layoffs and quarterly reports on layoffs lasting more than 30 days. These reports identify, describe, and track the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each state's unemployment insurance database supplemented with employer-provided data.

Unemployment Research: The Employment Research staff initiates, plans, and directs activities for improving the quality and enhancing the analytical usefulness of BLS employment and unemployment statistics.

Unemployment Rates in Other Countries: Monthly estimates of unemployment rates for 10 countries, approximating U.S. concepts, are available on a seasonally adjusted basis. (Note that the International Labor Comparisons program has been discontinued.)

h/t The Hill

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CDC Gov Docs: Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety Reports

MMWR highlights the latest scientific information on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. 

Visit the CDC COVID-19 home page for the latest information about CDC’s response to the CDC COVID-19 pandemic, locations for testing, vaccines and care, stats/data, local guidance, travel, threat assessments, resources and more.

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Hot Yoga Tallahassee: A Case Study of Misogynistic Extremism is a case study examining the 2018 shooting at a yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, during which two women were killed, four more were injured, and the attacker committed suicide. The case study provides a detailed look into the attacker’s background and personal history, presenting decades of prior concerning behaviors, many of which were directed at women. While the attacker had previously pursued higher education, served in the military, and held highly regarded professional positions of trust, his behavior had caused alarm among his parents, siblings, friends, roommates, coworkers, workplace managers, school officials, students, law enforcement, the online community, neighbors, and other community members.

....The case study also sets forth that a multidisciplinary threat assessment program established at the community level may reduce the risk of future tragedies if the appropriate systems are in place to identity warning signs, assess an individual’s risk of violence, and apply the appropriate community resources. Such proactive safety programs have been established by workplaces, universities, local police departments, and other organizations with a role in public safety. more

h/t The Hill

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NARA Kennedy Library Gov Reources: Fanny Lou Hamer

March 16 at 7 pm ET. Register here

NOBODY’S FREE UNTIL EVERYBODY’S FREE.”

In honor of Women’s History Month (March) and Black History Month (Feb), NARA continuesa celebration of Black women with this special virtual Kennedy Library Forum on March 16 at 7 pm ET. Register here to watch live or later.

Kate Clifford Larson, visiting scholar at the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center, will discuss her new book with Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead, professor of communication and African and African American studies at Loyola University Maryland.

More NARA Fanny Lou Hamer Resources:

Archives specialist Netisha Currie wrote about Hamer for the National Archives Say It Loud! Employee Affinity Group’s Rediscovering Black History blog’s Black History Basic Training series.

DocsTeach: Fannie Lou Hamer and Voting Rights: Students will analyze a portion of Hamer’s testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention about registering to vote in Mississippi in 1962. They will answer questions to understand the specific challenges Black Americans faced, and the motivations behind the Civil Rights Movement.

Meet Fannie Lou Hamer: National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program. Online here. Hamer (as portrayed by Sheila Arnold) shared her story from her birth as the 20th child of parents who were tenant farmers in Mississippi to her efforts to organize the Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and more.

Civil rights crusader Fannie Lou Hamer represents the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Methodist Church Ministries/Kenneth Thompson, online here.

“NOBODY’S FREE UNTIL EVERYBODY’S FREE.”

In honor of Women's History Month (March) and Black History Month (Feb), we continue our celebration of Black women with this special virtual Kennedy Library Forum on March 16 at 7 pm ET. Register here to watch live or later.

Kate Clifford Larson, visiting scholar at the Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center, will discuss her new book with Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead, professor of communication and African and African American studies at Loyola University Maryland.

Walk with Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer draws on new interviews and fresh archival material to explore Hamer’s life and impact on the civil rights movement. Kennedy Library education and public programs on civil rights and social justice are supported in part by AT&T.

Archives specialist Netisha Currie wrote about Hamer for the National Archives Say It Loud! Employee Affinity Group's Rediscovering Black History blog's Black History Basic Training series. Currie shared Hamer’s incredible history that included African American voter registration, organizing Freedom Summer, co-founding the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, and helping to establish the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971.

Governor Bill Clinton’s “Vision for America” speech at the Democratic National Committee (DNC), 7/16/1992, Clinton Library, NARA ID 18557458.

FOR KIDS AND EDUCATORS:

DocsTeach: Fannie Lou Hamer and Voting Rights: Students will analyze a portion of Hamer's testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention about registering to vote in Mississippi in 1962. They will answer questions to understand the specific challenges Black Americans faced, and the motivations behind the Civil Rights Movement.

Meet Fannie Lou Hamer: National Archives Comes Alive! Young Learners Program. Online here. Hamer (as portrayed by Sheila Arnold) shared her story from her birth as the 20th child of parents who were tenant farmers in Mississippi to her efforts to organize the Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and more.

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NOAA Gov Docs: National Marine Sanctuaries 50th Anniversary Poster Set

As part of the 50th anniversary, of the National Marine Sanctuaries,  a new commemorative poster will be released each month to capture the beauty and diversity of the National Marine Sanctuary System.

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in Español

U.S. Department of Education Blog

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S. Department of Education released a toolkit outlining federal resources available to help Puerto Rico recover and rebuild safe, healthy, and modernized school facilities.   The Departments of Energy and Labor, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, also collaborated on the toolkit.

The toolkit focuses on four key aspects to supplement ongoing recovery efforts in the education sector: planning and design, workforce readiness, contracting and procurement, and project review.  In addition, the document includes a directory with technical assistance opportunities and information on other funding sources from federal partners...

This toolkit was generated by the White House Working Group on Puerto Rico, which was launched in July 2021 to provide Puerto Rico  the resources and technical assistance it needs to recover and prosper.... more

To see the full toolkit, visit: https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_technical-assistance-toolkit_schools-puerto-rico.pdf.

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The Department of State has released 2022 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR)– one of several mandated reports intended to provide a factual basis for the President’s annual report to Congress. The President’s report lists countries who have failed to make substantial efforts in adhering to counternarcotics agreements, and whose financial institutions have engaged in currency transactions in relation to international narcotics trafficking.

2021 INCSR-Volume I: Drug and Chemical Control (As submitted to Congress)

2021 INCSR-Volume II:  Money Laundering & Financial Crimes (As submitted to Congress)

More: Homeland Security Digital Library (h/t) featured Topics on Opioids and documents related to international drug control

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Idaho Legislature Gov Doc: H.B. 666 Librarians could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if they distribute to a minor material that’s judged to be obscene. (passed 51-14-5)

Final Bill Text

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS29570 / H0666

Idaho Law prohibits the distribution of harmful materials to children. Harmful materials include obscene depictions in movies, books, and other media. This bill amends Idaho Code 18-1517 to remove exemptions of the prohibition afforded to schools, public libraries, universities, and museums. It deletes subsection (d) 18-1517.

More:

Idaho Statesman: Idaho bill would hold schools, libraries liable for giving minors “harmful materials”

Idaho Capitol Sun: Idaho House passes bill that could lead to prosecution of librarians for “harmful material”

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UN & UN Women Doc: International Women’s Day 2022

This International Women’s Day, 8 March, join UN Women and the world in coming together under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, and call for climate action for women, by women.

With the latest data, we now understand the vital link between gender, social equity and climate change, and recognize that without gender equality today, a sustainable future, an equal future, remains out of reach.

Women and girls experience the greatest impacts of the climate crisis as it amplifies existing gender inequalities and puts women’s lives and livelihoods at risk. Across the world, women depend more on, yet have less access to, natural resources, and often bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water, and fuel.

As women and girls bear the burden of climate impacts, they are also essential to leading and driving change in climate adaption, mitigation and solutions.  Without the inclusion of half of the world's population, it is unlikely that solutions for a sustainable planet and a gender equal world tomorrow will be realized. 

Selected Resources:

Explainer: How gender inequality and climate change are interconnected

Explainer: Why women need to be at the heart of climate action

Youth voices for change: Four young climate action leaders we admire

UN courses about gender and climate change

Gender and environment

Gender Equality and Human Rights in Climate Action and Renewable Energy

Watch the UN/UN Women Celebration

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HHS Gov Doc: Healthy Happy Womanhood - A Pamphlet for Girls and Young Women (1940)

via HathiTrust

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NASA Gov Doc: Happy Valentine’s Day from Mars

Happy St. Valentine’s Day from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) team! This collection of images acquired [between 2001-2004]  shows some of the heart-shaped features found on Mars by the MGS MOC.

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LOC Gov Docs: Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress

The complete Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress consists of approximately 20,000 documents. The collection is organized into three “General Correspondence” series which include incoming and outgoing correspondence and enclosures, drafts of speeches, and notes and printed material. Most of the 20,000 items are from the 1850s through Lincoln’s presidential years, 1860-65. Treasures include Lincoln’s draft of the Emancipation Proclamation, his March 4, 1865, draft of his second Inaugural Address, and his August 23, 1864, memorandum expressing his expectation of being defeated for re-election in the upcoming presidential contest.

The Lincoln Papers are characterized by a large number of correspondents, including friends and associates from Lincoln’s Springfield days, well-known political figures and reformers, and local people and organizations writing to their president. In its online presentation, the Abraham Lincoln Papers comprises approximately 61,000 images and 10,000 transcriptions.

Search by Keyword

Browse the Collection

Special Presentations:

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Lincoln Assassination

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NASA Gov App: HubbleSite

The HubbleSite iPhone App, from the online home of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, has Hubble images & wallpapers, Hubble facts, and more.

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LOC Gov Doc: NAACP A “New Day Begun" by Frank Frazier. 1998.

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Smithsonian Gov Doc/Exhibit: Freedom Just Around the Corner - Black America from Civil War to Civil Rights

The Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s first exhibition devoted entirely to African American history, Freedom marks 150 years since the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery throughout the United States. It highlights letters carried by enslaved Americans, mail sent  by and to leaders of the civil rights movement, and original artwork for numerous stamps issued by the United States Postal Service. Nearly one hundred items from NPM’s collection are on display, augmented by outstanding pieces on  loan from other institutions and private collections.

Homepage

Sections:

Slavery

Slavery: Slave-Carried Mail

Slavery: The Business of Slavery

Abolition

Abolition: Abolition and the Mail

Abolition: Liberia

Civil War & Reconstruction

The Civil War

Reconstruction

Reconstruction: The Ku Klux Klan

Segregation

Segregation: Postal

Segregation: Military

Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights Movement: Origins

Civil Rights Movement: Struggle against Lynching

Civil Rights Movement: Direct Action

Black Heritage Stamps

Black Heritage Stamp Series: Origins

Black Heritage Stamp Series: Controversies

Black Heritage Stamp Series: Portraiture

Black Heritage Stamp Series: Legacies

Resources

Exhibition Catalog [Fantastic!]

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DOE & EPA Gov Doc: 2022 Fuel Economy Guide / fueleconomy.gov

Contains data on over one thousand vehicles, with dedicated pages on Diesel, Fuel Cell, Hybrids, Plug-in Hybrids, Electric, Plug-in Hybrids. Updated weekly.

In addition to fuel economy & environmental impact data, on  Fueleconomy.gov you can search, browse, find and compare cars from 1984 to the present, Buyer Guides, Auto Buying Services, Online Magazines and Resources, related Gov Agencies and Programs, Safety information & more.