Americans have begun to focus on the downside of certain patterns of growth and development-increasing dependence on automobiles; worsening traffic congestion; and contributing to the loss of farmland, forests, and open space. Increasingly, some are also concerned that this prevailing pattern of land use, commonly called "urban sprawl," can increase air and water pollution, threatening their health and, in some cases, their livelihood. Vehicle emissions in congested areas can trigger respiratory and other illnesses, and runoff from impervious surfaces can carry lawn chemicals and other...

WHO is directing and coordinating authority for global health within the United Nations system. In 2012, member states approved a reform agenda addressing three areas 1) priority setting, to refocus its effort and establish a process to determine priorities; 2) governance, to improve the effectiveness of its governing bodies and strengthen engagement with other stakeholders; and 3) management, including human resources, results-based planning, and accountability.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and Development of Housing and Urban Development rely on VA medical centers and public agencies that serve veterans directly to determine participant eligibility for the HUD-VA Supportive Housing program.

For each of their aircraft, the Air Force lead commands set training requirements that aircrews must complete on an annual basis in order to maintain combat mission readiness. These training requirements include basic tasks such as take-offs and landings and also more-advanced tasks, such as air-to-air combat and ground-attack missions. To help meet these requirements, the Air Force has developed an approach to training that it terms distributed mission operations.

A refugee is generally defined as a person who is outside his or her country and who is unable or unwilling to return because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The Refugee Act of 1980, which amended the Immigration and Nationality Act, provided a systematic and permanent procedure for admitting refugees to the United States and maintains comprehensive and uniform provisions to resettle refugees as quickly as possible and to encourage them to become self-sufficient....

Agricultural imports, including imports of fruits, vegetables, seafood and other commodities that directly compete with U.S. products has more than doubled over the last decade, according to the USDA. The department's TAA for Farmers program provides technical and financial assistance to producers of commodities certified by USDA as eligible for assistance.

This section includes (1) an overview of oil and natural gas, (2) the shale oil and gas development process, (3) the regulatory framework, (4) the location of shale oil and gas in the United States, and (5) information on estimating the size of these resources.

Bankruptcy is a federal court procedure conducted under the Code. The goal of bankruptcy is to give individuals and businesses a "fresh start" by eliminating or restructuring debts they cannot repay and help creditors receive some payment in an equitable manner. The filing of a bankruptcy petition operates as an "automatic stay" that stops most lawsuits, foreclosures, and most other collection activities against the debtor. Under the Code, secured creditors-those with liens or other secured claims against the debtor's property-are more likely to get some debt repaid than unsecured creditors....

The Communications Act of 1934 first established the nation's telecommunications policy, including making communications services available "so far as possible, to all the people of the United States." Since the cost of providing telephone service in rural areas is generally higher than the cost of providing service in central cities of metropolitan areas, universal service policy has traditionally targeted financial support to rural and other high-cost areas.

To achieve its facility protection mission, in fiscal year 2012, FPS has a budget of $1.3 billion; over 1,200 full-time employees; and about 12,500 contract security guards. Contract guards are responsible for controlling access to federal facilities, screening access areas to prevent the introduction of weapons and explosives, enforcing property rules and regulations, detecting and reporting criminal acts, and responding to emergency situations involving facility safety and security.