Before the passage of the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, more commonly referred to as the 2018 Farm Bill, forensic laboratories were only required to perform qualitative measurements to confirm the identity of seized plant samples as Cannabis sativa (hemp or marijuana). The new law defines hemp at a federal level as Cannabis sativa containing 0.3% or less Δ9-THC. Because forensic laboratories were not adequately equipped with the proper methods or training to meet these requirements, significant backlogs in casework resulted. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) responded by providing analytical tools to the forensic community. An accurate and precise method was previously developed to determine Δ9-THC, Δ9-THCA, and total Δ9-THC in botanical samples based on liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (LC-PDA). Cannabis plant samples were ground and extracted with methanol using routine laboratory equipment. The original sample preparation procedure was time-consuming, taking over 70 minutes. The method described here has been optimized with the time required for sample preparation and LC-PDA analysis has been reduced to less than 30 minutes.

For upwards of 30 years, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) and its research division, the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ), have provided database development, data analysis, and organizational planning/operations support to an array of juvenile and family courts with particular emphasis on enhancing their performance in managing their child welfare docket. Many courts strive to expand the use of automated operations data to become more data-driven in monitoring and assessing day-to-day performance, while also improving overall quality assurance and decision-making proficiencies. However, resources are often scarce to enhance the court’s internal capacity in this regard. Many courts still struggle with basic yet essential case management data, such as tracking the number of child welfare petitions filed in a year, the number of children involved in these filings, and the number of children active at any one time. A juvenile court’s automated system may struggle to accurately count and track filings because multiple siblings involved in a child welfare case do not always move through the court process at the same pace. To add to the complexity, allegations can vary by child. More importantly, adjudication, disposition, placement, permanency, and closure decisions, as well as the dates these decisions were made, can vary by child. For example, the court may make different permanency decisions on a child welfare petition in which three children are named. The court may transfer legal custody of one child to a relative, parental rights may have been terminated on a second child, while the third child may be placed in the protective supervision of the non-custodial parent.

This report uses data from the Parent and Family Involvement Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (PFI-NHES: 2019). The PFI survey collects data about students in kindergarten through grade 12. The survey asks about ways parents are involved in their child’s education, such as helping with homework, family activities, and attending events at school. In 2019, about 7.9% of K–12 enrolled students had parents who primarily spoke Spanish at home or as a first language. The PFI asks non-English speaking parents questions about whether they have had difficulty participating in school activities because of speaking a language other than English. Some Spanish speaking parents reported difficulty participating due to language barriers. Among those students from Spanish speaking families whose parents reported trying to participate in activities at their school, about 69% had parents who reported having difficulty because of a language barrier. Language barriers were associated with less frequent participation in school activities for Spanish speaking families. Overall, students in Spanish-speaking families whose parents reported trying to participate in activities had parents who attended an average of 4.4 meetings or activities at their school. For students whose Spanish-speaking parents reported trying to participate but did not have difficulty because of a language barrier, the average number of activities during the school year was 5.2. In comparison, the average for students whose parents reported trying to participate but experienced difficulty was 4.1 school meetings or activities. This one-activity-a-year difference is statistically significant. Non-English-speaking parents were asked about certain language related services their child’s school offered. These services may have helped them participate in school activities. In 2018–19, among students whose Spanish-speaking parents reported trying to participate in school activities, 88% had parents who reported that the school provided interpreters in the parent’s native language for meetings or parent-teacher conferences, and 85% had parents who were provided written materials such as newsletters or school notices, translated into the parent’s native language.

Many states intend to strengthen and grow their computer science and information technology workforces. Jobs in computer science and information technology are projected to grow in coming years, but it is not always clear how states can expand and diversify their computer science and information technology workforces. In this report, the authors leverage representative national and state survey data, detailed state administrative data, and focus group data to evaluate how Ohio residents obtain postsecondary computer science and information technology education, their wages on completion of this education, and factors that facilitate or impede their education and employment in computer science and information technology. In doing so, the authors aim to help pinpoint ways that Ohio might grow its computer science and information technology workforces. They also offer suggestions on how state leaders across the United States can grow and diversify these workforces. Key findings include that, as in much of the United States, a very small percentage share of Ohio residents study and work in computer science and information technology. Female students, Black and Hispanic students, and students 25 years and older face many of the same disadvantages in computer science and information technology education in Ohio that these populations face nationally. Female students in Ohio face early disadvantages in computer science and information technology course-taking and programs of study (compared with male students and regardless of type of institution). Black and Hispanic students who start at two-year institutions in Ohio face persistent disadvantages in computer science and information technology postsecondary education. Students 25 years and older are less likely than younger students to complete computer science and information technology bachelor's degrees. And average computer science wages are lower in Ohio than in the rest of the United States, even after differences in cost of living are taken into account. Individual wage returns are generally nil for short-term certificates in these fields. Wage returns are somewhat larger for associate's degrees in these fields than for long-term certificates and are largest for information technology and especially computer science bachelor's degrees. Female, Black and Hispanic, and older students receive lower wages for bachelor's degrees in these fields. Personal connections are important for entering and completing postsecondary education in these fields and for finding employment. Conversely, superficial connections between institutions and employers limit Ohio students' knowledge about employer preferences in these fields and direct access to these employers in Ohio.

In the fall of 2019, the City University of New York (CUNY) Office of Academic Affairs provided colleges with updated guidance for designing and delivering evidence-based corequisite courses and set a timeline for the phaseout of traditional, standalone remediation by fall 2022. This report describes findings from research exploring the first year of full-scale implementation of corequisite English and math courses in the system. Drawing on interview and focus-group data with Office of Academic Affairs administrators and with faculty and staff at seven associate-granting CUNY colleges (five of which are community colleges), the report examines how the colleges managed the transition to fully scaled corequisite courses and structured their corequisite offerings and the implications of those choices for early implementation. Findings include that (1) At the time researchers conducted data collection in the spring of 2023, all participating CUNY colleges had fully scaled corequisite courses in math and English. For many colleges, this marked the culmination of over a decade of experimentation with and expansion of corequisites. By fully scaling corequisite courses, the system navigated a complex transition and managed to do so successfully in the midst of the COVID pandemic. (2) While CUNY Office of Academic Affairs provided guidance to colleges on aspects of corequisite design, colleges were allowed autonomy to determine the pace of scaling and how best to design courses. Researchers observed variation in scaling timelines and some variation in corequisite models, as well as earnest engagement among faculty and staff to design and continue to improve courses to reflect their campus context and the needs of their students. (3) CUNY Office of Academic Affairs staff and college faculty and staff described facilitators of the scaling process, including the Office of Academic Affairs’ mandate and timeline for scaling and financial support for course and professional development. The mandate catalyzed experimentation with and expansion of corequisite courses and sometimes cut through departmental inertia or a lack of consensus regarding the next steps in developmental education reform. The provision of grant funding was critical for moving colleges toward scale and designing course syllabi, curricula, and professional development to prepare faculty to teach the courses.

A key component of the federal ethics program is the financial disclosure program, which applies to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. As the supervising ethics office for the executive branch, the federal Office of Government Ethics (OGE) interprets ethics laws and issues regulations and guidance for the executive branch financial disclosure programs, among other functions. Regular disclosure of personal financial interests helps ethics officials to identify and address conflicts with the filers' government responsibilities. There are two categories of filers in the executive branch. Public filers are typically high-level officials and career senior employees. Confidential filers are typically lower-level employees whose job duties involve a heightened risk of conflicts of interest (e.g., contracting, procurement, and grants administration). More than 29,000 public reports and 420,000 confidential reports were filed in 2023. Public filers are required to disclose detailed information on assets, nonfederal income, liabilities, positions held outside government, employment agreements, gifts and travel. The public reporting requirements were fixed by law in 1978. Confidential filers generally disclose similar information as public filers, but in less detail. The OGE has regularly updated and modified the reporting requirements for the confidential financial disclosure program through the regulatory process. Evaluations of the financial disclosure program have been conducted in its 45-year history. Notably, these studies—spanning 25 years—found that the statutorily-defined reporting requirements for public filers in the executive branch are outdated, inconsistent, and, in some cases, unnecessary. The studies presented recommendations to Congress to revise the public reporting requirements, generally falling into four categories: (1) raising reporting thresholds; (2) changing and reducing the number of categories for reporting value; (3) ensuring consistency across regulations and laws; and (4) eliminating the disclosure of unnecessary information. These studies and their recommendations provide policymakers and lawmakers with information to consider updates or legislative changes to the government's ethics program, as needed. Changes would help reduce filing and review burdens while ensuring that agencies continue to have relevant, reliable, and appropriate information for their conflict-of-interest reviews. Absent changes to the requirements, public employees will continue to report information that may be too detailed or may not be necessary for an effective conflict of interest review. Legislation would be needed to address these issues. As of October 2024, the research team had not identified any enacted legislation addressing these specific recommendations. Moreover, while the changes described above may still be relevant and warranted, OGE's last evaluation is almost 20 years old. An updated evaluation could provide Congress with valuable information as it considers changes to the public financial disclosure program.

The U.S. Census Bureau produces population estimates and projections for over 200 countries and areas with populations of 5,000 or more that are publicly available on the International Database. These population estimates and projections show population trends that are unique to some countries and others that represent broader global shifts. They also help the U.S. government and the public answer fundamental questions about the world’s people and places. The global trend of declining fertility is at its most extreme in South Korea. The updated data on South Korea shows that the country’s total fertility rate in 2024 is an estimated 0.68. The total fertility rate measures the number of children a woman would have in her lifetime given current fertility rates; 2.1 is generally considered the level needed for long-term population replacement. South Korea’s ultra-low level of fertility represents a 43% decline over 10 years from an already low level of 1.2 in 2014. The country’s steep and rapid decline to ultra-low fertility is unprecedented and is much lower than previous projections. South Korea’s population has been declining since 2020, but it is still more populous than it was a few decades ago. Its 2024 population is still 19% larger than in 1990. Despite projections of population declines for the foreseeable future, it is not expected to drop lower than it was in 1990 until 2055. Canada represents a country with high immigration compared to other countries. Canada has had decades of high immigration. In 2024, the rate of net migration is 6.1 per thousand, meaning that about another six people are added to the population via migration for every 1,000 people in the population. Between 1991 and 2024, Canada’s level of net migration fluctuated between 4 and 8 per thousand. The cumulative effect of decades of high immigration means that approximately 1 in 4 (23%) people in Canada in 2021 were immigrants, according to Statistics Canada. Due to Canada’s consistent trend of relatively high immigration, the Census Bureau projects high immigration to continue in the near future. However, migration is also the most difficult demographic component to project. Migration is less dependent than mortality or fertility on the age of the population and can pivot suddenly and dramatically because of policy decisions, economic conditions, and complex humanitarian crises. Like South Korea and Canada, Cuba has also had below-replacement fertility rates for decades. Cuba is unusual, however, because of its recent population exodus. This database update incorporates the latest data on the demographic trends unfolding in the island country. An economic crisis sparked a massive outflow of people from Cuba in 2021. The Census Bureau estimates that Cuba lost approximately 7% of its population due to emigration between 2021 and 2023. Although emigration peaked in 2022, it remains relatively high. Since emigration has been declining since its 2022 peak, the Bureau projects that Cuba’s net migration will continue to fall back to its long-term trends of moderate emigration. This projection is, of course, uncertain.

Nearly three million people travel by air every day in the United States and as America enters the busy holiday travel season, the research team explores who manages the nation’s public airports and how they’re funded. According to the Census of Governments (CoG), there are 435 independent special districts operating as airport authorities, airport commissions, or port authorities across the United States. In addition, local governments such as counties and municipalities, and state governments, may also operate airport authorities. They are all responsible for the behind-the-scenes operations at public airports. The Midwest had the most (189) of any region, followed by the South (159). Florida has nine. Independent airport authorities are considered special district governments that are separate entities from general-purpose local governments like cities and counties. Airport authorities vary in size of operations from those that manage very small, often rural, airports to international connectors such as the San Bernardino International Airport Authority in California. The five states that generate the most in air transportation revenue also spend the most, but the rankings differ. Florida is ranked fourth in revenue and third in expenditures.

This report provides a comprehensive look at enrollment in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), including consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) among privately insured people younger than age 65. HDHPs are health insurance policies with higher deductibles than traditional insurance plans. People with HDHPs pay lower monthly insurance premiums by paying more out-of-pocket for medical expenses until their minimum deductible is met. An HDHP may be used with or without a health savings account. Plans with an associated health savings account or health reimbursement agreement are also known as CDHPs. Enrollment in HDHPs has grown since the enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, which established health savings accounts. Data from the 2019 through 2023 National Health Interview Survey were used to examine enrollment in these plans among people younger than age 65 with private health insurance. In 2023, among privately insured people younger than age 65, 41.7% were enrolled in an HDHP. Enrollment increased from 40.3% in 2019 to 43.3% in 2021, followed by a decrease to 41.7% in 2023. Among people with employment-based coverage, enrollment in an HDHP increased from 40.2% in 2019 to 43.4% in 2021, followed by a decrease to 41.9% in 2023. For people with directly purchased coverage, enrollment in an HDHP increased from 44.3% in 2019 to 47.0% in 2020, followed by a decrease to 43.1% in 2023. Generally, White non-Hispanic people were the most likely to be enrolled in an HDHP. Black non-Hispanic and Hispanic people were the least likely to be enrolled in an HDHP. Enrollment in an HDHP increased with family income and family educational attainment. In 2023, 19.5% of people younger than age 65 with private health insurance were enrolled in a CDHP. Enrollment characteristics of people with CDHPs mirrored those of people with HDHPs overall. However, children were more likely to be enrolled in an CDHP plan than adults ages 18–64. People with employment-based coverage were nearly four times more likely to be enrolled in a CDHP than their counterparts with directly purchased coverage.

Anemia is a condition in which not enough red blood cells are available to deliver oxygen to the body, which can cause fatigue and shortness of breath. Severe anemia is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes ranging from poor child development to maternal mortality. Anemia can result from many causes, including iron deficiency, chronic or infectious diseases, or inherited blood disorders such as thalassemia. This report provides estimates of anemia in those age 2 years and older by selected characteristics during the August 2021–August 2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Key findings include that during August 2021–August 2023, the overall prevalence of anemia in people age 2 years and older was 9.3%. Prevalence was higher in females (13.0%) than in males (5.5%). Anemia prevalence was lowest in children ages 2–11 (4.7%) and highest in adults 60 and older (12.5%). Anemia prevalence was highest in Black non-Hispanic females (31.4%) and Black non-Hispanic males (10.8%) age 2 and older compared with all other race and Hispanic-origin groups. Anemia prevalence decreased with increasing family income overall and in both males and females age 2 and older.

Adverse patient events are inevitable in surgical practice. This mixed-methods study surveyed 93 surgical trainees and interviewed 23 faculty and found that surgeons and trainees frequently grapple with the personal impact of adverse events. Trainees who identified as female and/or from a minority racial or ethnic background more frequently reported negative psychological consequences, and surgeons described opportunities to reduce stigma and improve support mechanisms. Of the trainees, 77 (82.8%) endorsed involvement in at least 1 recent adverse event. Most reported embarrassment (67 of 79 trainees [84.8%]), rumination (64 of 78 trainees [82.1%]), and fear of attempting future procedures (51 of 78 trainees [65.4%]); 28 of 78 trainees (35.9%) had considered quitting. Female trainees and trainees who identified as having a race and/or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White consistently reported more negative consequences compared with male and White trainees. The most desired form of support was the opportunity to discuss the incident with an attending physician (76 of 78 respondents [97.4%]). Similarly, faculty described feelings of guilt and shame, loss of confidence, and distraction after adverse events. Most described the utility of confiding in peers and senior colleagues, although some expressed unwillingness to reach out. Several suggested designating a departmental point person for event debriefing. These findings suggest that the negative personal impact of adverse events is underrecognized but nearly universal in surgery; more formal structures to restore surgeon and trainee well-being are warranted and may be particularly helpful for underrepresented groups.