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Please take a moment and complete the APDU Membership Survey to help us better understand your needs by end of day on Thursday, February 28, 2013.
If you are unsure if you are an APDU Member please contact Spencer Abrams.
News
Happy Valentines Day from APDU and the Census Bureau
The Census Bureau released some facts about Valentine’s Day. For example, there were 409 U.S. establishments that manufactured nonchocolate confectionary products in 2009. These establishments employed 16,974 people. California led the nation in this category, with 45 establishments. Read the rest of the factoids here.
Consumer.Data.Gov is Live
The Obama Administration has launched the Smart Disclosure Data Community at Consumer.Data.gov, an important step to empower Americans with the data and tools they need to make more informed choices in the marketplace. The Community has announced a first-of-its-kind centralized platform containing over 400 smart disclosure data sets and resources from dozens of agencies across government. Using the Community, entrepreneurs and innovators can access free Federal data to create the consumer applications, products, and services of the future—all in one convenient location. This new Community is part of the Administration’s ongoing commitment to foster an Open Government and unlock the potential of Open Data for the benefit of American citizens. Read more here.
BEA Announces Accelerated Release of Monthly Trade Statistics
Starting in early March, monthly trade statistics will be available to you approximately one week earlier than in 2012. The first accelerated report on U.S. international trade in goods and services will cover January and be released on March 7 by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau. Business people and government officials can use the timelier statistics to inform their economic analysis and decision-making. Learn more here.
NSF, NEH, IMLS Join International Partners to Fund Another Round of Digging into Data Challenge
The National Science Foundation (NSF), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMS) will join with seven international research funders to jointly participate in round three of the “Digging into Data Challenge (DiD),” a grant competition designed to spur computationally intensive research in the social sciences and humanities. This third round aims to address how “Big Data” changes the research landscape for the humanities and social sciences by asking what “Big Data” means for researchers in these disciplines. Read more here.
Mohawks, Mars, Big Ideas, & Beautiful Data Addressed at White House “State of STEM” Event for Kids
At the White House State of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (SoSTEM) event, nearly 100 press-pass wielding middle- and high-schoolers spent an hour questioning top S&T innovators about all things STEM. SoSTEM marked an unprecedented opportunity for DC-area kids from local schools and organizations to grill Administration officials and others working to advance the American innovation agenda. Read more here.
New Smart Phone App Lets Public Report Rain, Hail, Sleet and Snow to NOAA
The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory, in partnership with the University of Oklahoma, has launched a free app for users to anonymously report precipitation from their Apple or Android mobile device. With the mPING app, anyone can send a weather observation on the go. The user simply opens the app, selects the type of precipitation that is falling at his or her location, and presses submit. Read more here.
Measuring the Services of Commercial Banks in the National Income and Products Accounts
As part of the 2013 comprehensive revision of the national income and product accounts (NIPAs) to be released in July, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) will change its methods for measuring implicitly priced services produced by commercial banks. Read the full release here.
Two American Housing Survey Webcasts Now Available
A recent interview by Shawn Bucholtz with Federal News Radio on the American Housing Survey, providing a comprehensive overview of its purpose and methodology.
Disability and Accessibility Variables in the American Housing Market. This webinar features one of PD&R’s Senior Economists, David Vandenbroucke, discussing the 2011 AHS topical module that covers accessibility features.
Did you work on a great report that you want your colleagues to know about? Just email us and we’ll include it here.
Calls for Comment
APDU maintains a list of open calls for comment on proposed federal data collections. We periodically alert APDU members to newly added calls for comment. Over the last several weeks, calls for comment on the following proposed data collections were published in the Federal Register (with due date):
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
National Animal Health Reporting System 3/13/2013
Census Bureau
Manufacturers’ Unfilled Orders Survey 3/6/2013
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted 3/13/2013
Federal Communications Commission
Broadband Speed Test and Unavailability Registry 4/15/2013
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Estuaries Restoration Inventory 4/15/2013
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