When wives earn more than their husbands do, a puzzling thing can happen: Husbands say they earn more than they are and wives underreport their income. New Census Bureau research shows that the incomes couples report on Census Bureau surveys do not always match their IRS filings. The Census Bureau is working to improve the quality of reported earnings by comparing an individual’s survey response with their reported response from another source.    

"The Trump administration has enacted tariffs on imported solar panels, washing machines, steel, and aluminum, plans to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, and is investigating further tariffs on Chinese imports and automobile imports. • The effects of each tariff will be lower GDP, wages, and employment in the long run. The tariffs will also make the US tax code less progressive because the increased tax burden would fall hardest on lower- and middle-income households. • Rather than erect barriers to trade that will have negative economic consequences, policymakers should promote free trade and the economic benefits it brings."

“What we’re seeing is just like what happened with opioids in the 1990s. It really does begin with overprescribing. Liberal therapeutic use of drugs in a medical setting tends to normalize their use. People start to think they’re safe and, because they make them feel good, it doesn’t matter where they get them or how many they use ... We have this whole infrastructure set up now to prevent overprescribing of opioids and address the need for addiction treatment, said Dr. Anna Lembke, a researcher and addiction specialist at Stanford University. “We need to start making benzos part of that.”

Rose Madeline Mula writes: Within an hour, a slate of ten contestants on The Proposal is quickly winnowed down to one, who then becomes engaged to a mystery man or woman, who has been hidden behind a pod until the end. Before the climactic engagement, the couple has spent a total of less than five minutes or so talking to each other. What’s next? A program where a marriage of strangers will be consummated, on camera, before the first commercial break?And I really don’t understand apps like Tinder that enable guys and gals to dial up an immediate “hook-up” with an unknown partner as easily as ordering delivery of a pizza.

According to the allegations of the complaint, the City failed to recognize that the work of predominantly-female registered nurses and midwives was “physically taxing,” while deeming other predominantly-male occupations “physically taxing.” As a result, City employees in the predominantly-male “physically taxing” jobs were allowed to retire with full pensions as early as age 50, while registered nurses and midwives, who are predominantly female, had to wait until age 55 or 57 to retire with full pensions. 

“The Department of Justice will pursue those who attempt to fraudulently profit at the expense of the United States, particularly when the stakes are life or death,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio. “Bullet proof vests protect the brave men and women of our nation’s law enforcement community, and those who manufacture and sell these products have a solemn duty to ensure their safety and efficacy.” "Fraudulently presenting false claims to the government regarding products intended to protect the lives of public servants is illegal and utterly unacceptable," said Carol F. Ochoa, Inspector General of the U.S. General Services Administration. 

"The Internet allows foreign adversaries to attack America in new and unexpected ways. Free and fair elections are hard-fought and contentious. There will always be adversaries who work to exacerbate domestic differences and try to confuse, divide, and conquer us. So long as we are united in our commitment to the values enshrined in the Constitution, they will not succeed. The partisan warfare fueled by modern technology does not fairly reflect the grace and dignity of the American people. The blame for election interference belongs to the criminals who committed election interference. We need to work together to hold the perpetrators accountable and keep moving forward to preserve our values, protect against future interference, and defend America."

Sonya Zalubowski writes: First, it was just a hitch in my step, then my legs began to feel sore and weirdly hollow during my daily walk with my dog, especially if I lollygagged along the way and spent time standing and chatting with friends we met. By the time I’d get home, down a steep hill, my right hip outright throbbed with the aching. I was young, my early 70s, and had had only one operation in my whole life. Some 30 years before. I had miles to go, no room for a hip replacement.

This year in the United States, Idaho became the last to protect mothers who are nursing in public against fines for public indecency. Utah enacted a similar law a few days before, so all 50 states now allow public breastfeeding. New Jersey expanded its civil rights law to protect nursing mothers from discrimination at work, joining 28 states that offer workplace protections. New York will begin requiring breastfeeding rooms in all state buildings open to the public by next year. The choices made by mothers in the United States and those abroad may seem unrelated, but in fact are closely intertwined.

From Dr. Gilad D. Evrony: "I would never have predicted that I would spend my final month of medical school performing fetal ultra-sounds on a pregnant gorilla, phlebotomizing a 500-pound tapir with hemochromatosis, caring for a meerkat in heart failure, and investigating medical mysteries across the animal kingdom. Yet spending the final month of my MD-PhD program working at the veterinary hospital of a zoo was one of the more remarkable and humbling experiences I had during medical school — a unique capstone to my education as a physician-scientist;" - And a Peaceable Primate Sanctuary created to fill an unmet need and to provide a sanctuary for baboons retired from use in biomedical research, as pets or entertainers

On June 21, 2018, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) introduced Open Bookshelf, a one-stop shop for hundreds of e-books that are freely available online. This collection, which currently features over 1,000 books, includes titles that are in the public domain along with titles that are Creative Commons licensed. These titles are selected by the Curation Corps, a team of librarians from across the country that includes public, school, and academic librarians. The books available on Open Bookshelf reflect the diversity of the Curation Corps: the collection features classical literature (including Pride and Prejudice and Little Women), textbooks, academic titles, and children's books.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (on June 28th) pushes back against questioning from Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden over his agency's handling of over 2,000 migrant children placed in its custody as a result of the Trump administration's family-separation policy. Secretary Azar declines to provide specific numbers on how many parents know the whereabouts of their children, but says they can find the information at agency portals and with the help of case workers.

Jo Freeman writes: Once inside [the Hart Office Building] women occupied a central atrium and intentionally disturbed the peace. The US Capitol Police said that they arrested 575, though some reports said there were over 600. After about ten percent of the women had been arrested, several Democratic Members of Congress came to greet the women. These included Sen. Ed Markey, Kirsten Gillibrand and Tammy Duckworth. Sen. Gillibrand sat down and linked arms with the protestors. Sen. Duckworth rolled in with her new daughter in her lap. Rep. Pramila Jayapal sat down and was arrested with the other women. Sen. Elizabeth Warren waved to them from an upper floor.

Julia Sneden wrote: On hot days, my brother and I could bike down one hill and up another to a little green puddle partly ringed with a stone wall and a gate with a curved sign above it. There was no clubhouse; no tennis court; no amenity beyond a couple of outdoor restrooms and a trucked-in sandy beach. The lake had a raft in the middle, and a tall swing next to the high diving platform on the edge. On the Fourth of July, there were swimming races for children. I won mine a couple of times when Kay Belden moved up to the older age group, but in the years that we were in the same group, there was no touching her. I learned to dive by watching Kay, and every now and again she'd deign to notice my efforts, and offer advice, which thrilled me.

“People tend to experience social change as this irresistible tide of public opinion,” he said. “But there are always many people who worked countless hours to create the context for change actually happening. It’s the same with Freedom to Marry. There were hundreds of deeply engaged people, many of whom we interviewed for this project, who worked to change the discourse so that people would feel that changing their opinion on same-sex marriage was actually the right thing to do.”   

“My husband accidentally shot me,” Hill, 75, of The Dalles, Ore., groaned on the May 16, 2015, call. “In the stomach, and he can’t talk, please …” Less than four feet away, Hill’s husband, Darrell Hill, a former local police chief and two-term county sheriff, sat in his wheelchair with a discharged Glock handgun on the table in front of him, unaware that he’d nearly killed his wife of almost 57 years. The 76-year-old lawman had been diagnosed two years earlier with a form of rapidly progressive dementia, a disease that quickly stripped him of reasoning and memory. “He didn’t understand,” said Dee, who needed 30 pints of blood, three surgeries and seven weeks in the hospital to survive her injuries.

Large and growing federal debt over the coming decades would hurt the economy and constrain future budget policy. The amount of debt that is projected under the extended baseline would reduce national saving and income in the long term; increase the government’s interest costs, putting more pressure on the rest of the budget; limit lawmakers’ ability to respond to unforeseen events; and increase the likelihood of a fiscal crisis. (In that event, investors would become unwilling to finance the government’s borrowing unless they were compensated with very high interest rates.)

A working paper entitled “Millennial Marriage: How Much Does Economic Security Matter to Marriage Rates of Young Adults” finds that socio-economic indicators associated with labor force participation, wages, poverty and housing all relate to marriage rates for young adults ages 18 to 34. Specifically, full-time employment, median annual wages for all types of workers, and owning a home were associated with higher marriage rates.

It is now illegal for employers to ask job applicants about their previous salary in at least eight states and eight counties and cities. The laws and ordinances passed in the last two years are aimed at narrowing the persistent pay gap between men and women. A prospective employer who knows your current salary can offer you a pay bump based on that figure – or keep your new salary low. If you’re a woman, you likely make less in your current job than a male recruit with the same skills and experience.

A new report from the Innovation Group London and J. Walter Thompson explores the lifestyles and attitudes of British women aged between 53 and 72. Over two thirds (69%) of 'Elastic' women think the fashion industry ignores people their age while 82% think that the clothes that are aimed at them are “way too old-fashioned.” Elastic women are tired of negative stereotypes about them when it comes to technology: 73% say they hate the way their generation is patronised when it comes to tech while 78% express no desire to buy technology that is especially designed for older people. It’s time for brands to forget the digital myth – these women were there in tech’s infancy.

Everything has its blossoming time. The petals are now beginning to fall, coating the back lawn with color. And now the rest of the garden is starting to expand. I am looking forward to the tomatoes we already planted and to the hibiscus that are just starting to peek out of the dirt. But meanwhile, I appreciate what I can see. When the flowers are all gone, the Tulip Tree will provide us with welcome shade. Ah, sitting outside with nature and being in the moment — another delightful gift.

Learn about the country from the US State Department website, including visa requirements, local laws, customs, and medical care in the countries where you will be. Check for any Travel Advisories for your destination. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive important safety and security messages and make it easier for us to locate and assist you in an emergency. Keep the contact details for the nearest US embassy or consulate with you. The State Department is available for emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, overseas and in Washington, D.C. (888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444).

"While we are alarmed about the impact that separation of families will have on children, we are also deeply concerned that implementation of this policy will exacerbate a foster care and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unaccompanied alien children (UAC) system already stretched to capacity. Under the current policy, after parents are placed in adult immigration detention centers, the children are transferred to HHS, which is then responsible for caring for the children or finding suitable caregivers. HHS therefore must vet potential caregivers or send children to group facilities across the country."