Secretary of State Antony Blinken: "Welcome to the State Department. First let me say how grateful I am to my friend and colleague of so many years, Lee Satterfield, our assistant secretary of state. (Applause.) Lee and the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs were the masterminds of this evening, and every single day are out there working to strengthen the bonds between Americans and people around the world. To our philanthropic and private sector partners – YouTube, Chevron, Boeing, the Wasserman Foundation, United Airlines – thank you. Thank you for making so many of our cultural diplomacy programs possible. We could not do what we’re doing without you. And to my friend and colleague, Chairman Mike McCaul, thank you for your support, your advocacy for international exchange. It makes a huge difference, and I’m proud to be your partner in this endeavor as well."      

"Because these reports are transmitted automatically to cancer registries, the findings suggest that the decline in new cancer diagnoses was not due to delays in reporting caused by pandemic disruptions but rather to missed screenings and delays in other cancer-related procedures. The authors also looked at declines in new cancer cases by cancer stage at diagnosis, sex, age, and population group. For each cancer type in the study, new cases of early-stage cancers fell more sharply than new cases of advanced cancers. The declines were greatest for the cancers typically diagnosed through screening (female breast, lung, and colorectal cancer). For example, 7,147 cases of early-stage colorectal cancer were expected to be diagnosed in 2020, but only 5,983 cases were diagnosed — meaning that potentially more than 16% of early-stage colorectal cancer cases weren’t caught."

A number of bills introduced: September 18-22, 2023: A bill to extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of family and medical leave; increasing access to short-term child care; a bill to provide access to an annually updated list of adoption agencies that are licensed and not-for-profit; extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of family and medical leave; a bill providing deferment of loans for borrowers who are survivors of sexual harassment, stalking, and assault; A bill to provide birth mothers and adoptive families with access to an annually updated list of adoption agencies that are licensed and not-for-profit in states across the United States; and a bill to recognize the Women-Owned Small Business program in the Department of Veterans Affairs procurement hierarchy of small business preferences.  

Jo Freeman Writes: "A coalition of national and local organizations brought approximately 15,000 people to NYC to demand that President Joe Biden end the use of fossil fuels. On Sunday, September 17 they marched from Columbus Circle across Manhattan to rally half a mile from the United Nations. This was the first day of Climate Week, which is held every year at the beginning of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. President Biden will address that Assembly on Tuesday. A UN Climate Ambition Summit will be held on Wednesday, September 20. Biden will be meeting with other Heads of State that day as well."

"Human Trafficking - On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations will hold a hearing, "Children are Not for Sale – Global Efforts to Address Child Trafficking". This week, the Senate is scheduled to consider a “minibus” spending package that will include S. 2131, the FY2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill; S. 2127, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs

"The effort, building off work following last August's IRA funding, will center on adding more attention on wealthy, partnerships and other high earners that have seen sharp drops in audit rates for these taxpayer segments during the past decade. The changes will be driven with the help of improved technology as well as Artificial Intelligence that will help IRS compliance teams better detect tax cheating, identify emerging compliance threats and improve case selection tools to avoid burdening taxpayers with needless "no-change" audits."

Yes, my car. I'm always losing it ... on city streets, parking lots, and once in front of my own house. I used to rent a garage from the neighbors across the street, you see. One night I came home late, and instead of driving into the garage, I parked smack up against a stairway that leads up an embankment to my house. The next morning, a slave to habit, I headed for the garage. No car! It must have been stolen! I rushed back across the street to call the police, but something stopped me. My car. It was blocking the stairs. I had actually had to squeeze past it a few minutes earlier when I went to the garage.  

In September, the National Archives will present free public programs at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC, at its Presidential Libraries nationwide and online. Programs this month include book talks with award-winning authors and live concerts as well as Civics for All of US offerings. Welcome to the Archives Experience debut series: A Republic, If You Can Keep It. In celebration of Constitution Day, we’re chronicling the creation of this document — but these aren’t the stories we’ve all heard before. Instead, we’ll look at how the National Archives holdings show just how close we came to an entirely different form of government and how “We the People” triumphed in the end.    

Jo Freeman Writes: "The women’s liberation movement (wlm) flowered in the late 1960s. Seattle was one of the seeds, as one of five cities in North America where small groups formed independently, without an outsider bringing the news from someplace else. It pollinated much of the northwest. As was true elsewhere, wlm groups divided and multiplied. Within two years there were three independent women’s liberation organizations. As was not true elsewhere, the founders, and most of their followers, thought of themselves as revolutionaries before they became feminists."      

"Opening in September 2023, the Guggenheim Museum presents Experimental Art in South Korea, 1960s–70s. This is the first exhibition in North America to explore the influential art practices, often referred to as Experimental Art (silheom misul), that emerged in South Korea in the decades following the Korean War (1950–53)...The Guggenheim’s show presents the artists’ pioneering approach to materials, process, and performance, and features major historic pieces across various mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, installation, and film to illustrate how artists harnessed the power of contemporary languages of art to explore pressing sociohistorical and metaphysical issues."

"My Administration is committed to realizing the promise of the suffragists, who knew that equality begins at the ballot box and requires women to have a seat at the table. That is why we will keep fighting to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to ensure fair Congressional maps give all Americans an equal chance to be heard. It is also why I have delivered on my promise to build an Administration that looks like America — with courageous leaders like Vice President Kamala Harris and the record number of women who serve in our Nation’s first gender-equal Cabinet leading the way."

In recent months, news organizations have covered crosswalk construction or changes to existing crosswalks, including new, decorative pavers in Slidell, Louisiana, proposed infrastructure changes aimed at improving pedestrian safety in Phoenix, and decorative, themed crosswalks, such as rainbow crosswalks painted in towns across the country for Pride month. Such stories call attention to the dangers of pedestrians and vehicles sharing roadways -- and the rising rate of pedestrian deaths nationwide. The Governors Highway Safety Association estimates at least 7,508 pedestrians were killed as a result of crashes on U.S. roadways in 2022.

A person's health is influenced throughout their lifespan by many factors. Some of the most important factors include sex, gender, racial ethnicity, culture, environment, and socioeconomic status. Researchers are discovering the critical roles that sex (being male or female) and gender identity (including social and cultural factors) play in health, wellness, and disease progression. The discoveries being made through the study of women's health and sex differences are key to advancements in personalized medicine for both sexes.

Ferida Wolff Writes: "Sometimes trees reach their life span and start losing their leaves, eventually remaining as just a trunk with bare branches. Most of the time they will be chopped by the township and no one will know that they had once been providing beauty and shade and nesting places for local birds. So it was quite the surprise when I came upon the trunk of a dead tree that was artfully transformed!"

“And so, I dedicated then my time and energy, as well as many of you have, too, trying to solve and answer that question... I joined the Newsom administration. The governor on day one, he declared an emergency on these fires so that we could start investing in the prevention work." Jessica Morse, the deputy secretary for forest and wildland resilience at the California Natural Resources Agency, discusses the current wildfire crisis in California and how we got here, strategies the state is implementing and lessons they’ve learned in order to decrease catastrophic wildfires and create more resilient forests.

Great Reads from Great Places: A great way to interact and stay connected to the Library and the Festival is to download the Great Reads from Great Places brochure. The brochure contains a reading list of books and authors for each state across the nation and a map that allows you to mark and keep track of your reading. Local libraries and other organizations will be hosting livestream watch parties and live events across the country. Locate an event near you by visiting the Festival Near You page. Contact the organizations directly or visit their sites for more information.

In the 2022-23 academic year alone, at least eight K-12 school districts throughout the country were impacted by significant cyberattacks – four of which left schools having to cancel classes or close completely. Sensitive personal information – including, student grades, medical records, documented home issues, behavioral information, and financial information – of students and employees were stolen and publicly disclosed. Additionally, sensitive information about school security systems was leaked online as a result of these attacks.  Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions and private commitments to bolster the nation’s cyber defense at schools and protect hard-working American families.

Ferida Wolff writes: "A rainbow, besides being amazing, is seen as a sign of possibilities. In the midst of life’s storms it is often hard to spot a rainbow, but they tend to appear after the storm and offer hope. A double rainbow is even rarer and a good omen. It is the symbol of hope and encouragement and prosperity. It also provides spiritual encouragement. But whether scientific or spiritual, any rainbow is a joy to see."

"... the economy and the labor market have remained strong as the FOMC has tightened monetary policy. Real gross domestic product grew slightly more than 2 percent at an annual rate in the first half of the year, well above many forecasters' expectations. Consumer spending has been robust, and the housing sector appears to be rebounding with accelerating growth in house prices and a pickup in new housing starts. The most recent employment report showed a strong labor market with low unemployment and solid job gains. The pace of job gains has slowed, which is a sign that labor market demand and supply are coming into better balance. But the demand for workers continues to exceed the supply of available job seekers, adding upward pressure on prices."

"THE MEN AND WOMEN OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO DEFENDED THE U.S. CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6 ARE HEROES. THEY ARE PATRIOTS AND THEY ARE THE VERY BEST OF US. THEY DID NOT JUST DEFEND A BUILDING WITH PEOPLE SHELTERING IN IT, THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO DEFEND WHO WE ARE AS A COUNTRY AND AS A PEOPLE. THEY DEFENDED THE VERY INSTITUTIONS AND PRINCIPLES THAT DEFINE THE UNITED STATES. SINCE THE ATTACK ON OUR CAPITOL, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS REMAINED COMMITTED TO ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY"  

"In most cases, whether you need a vitamin or mineral supplement depends on how much you get from the foods and beverages you consume each day. For example, the RDA for calcium is 1,000 milligrams per day for many adults. If you get that much from foods and beverages, you shouldn’t need a calcium supplement unless your health care provider recommends it. There are some exceptions for certain vitamins and minerals. For example, if you could become pregnant, you should get 400 micrograms a day of folic acid from dietary supplements and/or fortified foods in addition to what you get naturally from foods. This helps reduce the risk of serious birth defects, called neural tube defects."

In Undaunted the author tells the stories of numerous women who have made their mark on the profession of journalism. Reaching back to the early 19th Century, she begins with Margaret Fuller, who “unstuck the gate” in the 1840s. She carries that history to the current era, exploring several themes. Her own years as a journalist shine through in her writing. Undaunted is a good read.

Ferida Woolf Writes: "I’ve been noticing that there are more mushrooms popping up on lawns recently. Brown ones, white ones, flat, round, and, well, traditionally mushroom-shaped. I looked up mushrooms and I think the ones I saw were like Giant Puffballs (Calvatia gigantea)... But whatever kind is local, they are so interesting to see. It makes my daily walk new each time."