Industry and Efficiency Proponents Agree on Big Efficiency Gains for Pool Pumps

Washington, DC - Swimming pool owners will see a huge drop in their monthly utility bills thanks to a consensus agreement between industry, efficiency proponents, and other interested parties for the first national energy efficiency standards for pool pumps that was approved Friday by a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) advisory committee.

Education Department Releases Guidance on Homeless Children and Youth

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Education today released guidance to states and school districts on the new provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for supporting homeless youth. The new provisions address the needs of homeless individuals, and ensure educational rights and protections for homeless children and youth.

NSF commits $35 million to improve scientific software

Washington, DC - Scientists increasingly rely on computers to gain insights about the world through simulations, data analytics or visualizations. These computational investigations typically rely on scientific software that makes it possible to perform virtual experiments and explore laboratory research data with reliable, reproducible results, whether one is using a desktop computer or the nation's most powerful supercomputers.

CFPB Outlines Proposals to Protect Consumers from Abusive Debt Collection Practices

Washington, DC - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it is considering a series of proposals to address the record number of complaints it has received from consumers about abusive debt collection practices.  The proposals would establish important protections to help ensure debt collectors can verify a debt is owed and make it easier for consumers to dispute unfair collection efforts, according to Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports.

Zoos Bring Animal Kingdom to Patients at Boston Children's Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts - Young patients, their families and invited guests were treated to a visit with a prehensile-tailed porcupine from Zoo New England earlier today (July 29, 2016), at a gathering at Boston Children’s Hospital. This special event was presented to announce a groundbreaking collaboration of the San Diego Zoo, Zoo New England and Boston Children’s Hospital, with the arrival of San Diego Zoo Kids.