U.S.A.'s interesting news

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today released a new documentary video, USCIS and the Legacy of Ellis Island, following an internal premiere for the agency’s employees. From 1892 to 1954, the federal immigration service and its employees processed over twelve million immigrants at the Ellis Island Immigration Station in New York Harbor.  The video, created by USCIS, tells the story of Ellis Island from the perspective of those who worked there, highlighting the historical connections between our agency’s mission to administer lawful immigration to the U.S. and this iconic port of entry in New York. “USCIS holds a distinctive place in history for its role in processing immigrants into the fabric of our nation,” USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna said to employees at the premiere. “It remains an undisputable fact that America is a nation of immigrants. As employees, we all have an essential duty in honoring and preserving that legacy.” The video consists of three chronological thematic chapters:  Chapter One: Creating Ellis Island: Introduces the audience to the origins of the federal Immigration Service, Ellis Island, and its role in our agency’s early history. Chapter Two: Working on the Island: Explores the often overlooked roles of Ellis Island’s employees and their importance to the operation of the nation’s busiest immigration station. Chapter Three: Remembering Ellis Island: examines the closing of Ellis Island, discusses its historical legacy, and emphasizes its lasting connection to USCIS. The result of extensive historical research, USCIS produced the video with the support of the National Park Service, who provided access to Ellis Island’s historic collections and enabled filming on-location at Ellis Island. Watch the video on the USCIS YouTube channel. For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis) and Facebook. Preventing Sports Injuries Spring and summer are well on their way and so is participating in sports and other outdoor activities. Use these tips to keep your child safe through extreme temperatures and high-contact sports. Teach them how to avoid injuries and make the most of the warm months. Summer School Lunches Good nutrition is essential for kids to stay focused all yearlong. Did you know that some school lunch programs continue into the summer? Learn more on what to expect, who is eligible, and how to apply! NASA's Space Place Looking for indoor activities for your kids to have fun while also learning? Give them access to the whole universe through NASA's Space Place. They can learn how a planet is formed, what gravity is, and more about space through videos, games, and crafts!  How to Create a Budget Thinking about traveling this summer? It's important to set some money aside for your trip. Making a budget can show how much money you make and how much you spend over a certain period of time. It can help you stay on top of your bills, set savings targets, and prepare for unplanned expenses in the future.    Statement by Acting FTC Chairman Ohlhausen Regarding Senate Confirmation of Joseph Simons, who will become Chairman, and Four other Commissioner Nominees Acting Federal Trade Commission Chairman Maureen K. Ohlhausen issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Joseph Simons, who will become the new FTC Chairman, and of Noah Joshua Phillips, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, Rohit Chopra and Christine Wilson to also become new FTC Commissioners. “I congratulate Joe, as well as Noah, Rebecca, and Rohit on their Senate confirmations. I look forward to welcoming them to the Commission once their appointments are made final by President Trump. I also congratulate Christine, who will take my seat if I am so fortunate as to be confirmed by the Senate as a Judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.” FTC Charges Lending Club with Deceiving Consumers Defendant promises “no hidden fees” but charges them anyway The Federal Trade Commission has charged the LendingClub Corporation with falsely promising consumers they would receive a loan with “no hidden fees,” when, in actuality, the company deducted hundreds or even thousands of dollars in hidden up-front fees from the loans. “This case demonstrates the importance to consumers of having truthful information from lenders, including online marketplace lenders,” said Reilly Dolan, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Stopping this kind of conduct will help consumers make informed choices about loan offers.”  As stated in the FTC’s complaint, Lending Club recognized that its hidden fee was a significant problem for consumers, and an internal review noted that its claims about the fee and the amount consumers would receive “could be perceived as deceptive as it is likely to mislead the consumer.” An attorney for one of the company’s largest investors also warned the company that the “relative obscurity” of the up-front fee in light of the company’s prominent “no hidden fees” representation could make the company a target for a law enforcement action. According to the FTC, Lending Club ignored these and other warnings and, over time, made its deceptive “no hidden fees” claim even more prominent. The FTC also alleges that Lending Club falsely told loan applicants that “Investors Have Backed Your Loan” while knowing that many of them would never get a loan, a practice that delayed applicants from seeking loans elsewhere. In addition, in numerous instances, Lending Club has withdrawn double payments from consumers’ accounts and has continued to charge those who cancelled automatic payments or paid off their loans, which costs consumers overdraft fees and prevents them from making other payments. In addition, Lending Club failed to get consumers’ acknowledgment of its information-sharing policy as required by law. The company is charged with violating the FTC Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The Commission vote approving the complaint was 2-0. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division. NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court. FTC Seeks Comment on Proposed Amendment to Privacy Act Notices The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on proposed modifications to its system of records notices under the Privacy Act to ensure the Commission can disclose records to another agency in the event of a data breach. The Privacy Act authorizes federal agencies to adopt routine uses of data as long as they are consistent with the purpose for which the information was collected. Acting on a recommendation from the President’s Identity Theft Task Force, the FTC in 2007 published a new routine use based on model language recommended from the Justice Department that allowed for disclosure of records to appropriate persons and entities in order to respond to a data breach. Since then, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) determined that the model language was too narrow and that agencies needed authority to make disclosures that go beyond those contemplated by the original routine use. Based on additional guidance provided last year by OMB, the FTC’s proposed modification, which will be published in the Federal Register shortly, more specifically addresses harm to individuals and expands the concept to make clear that it is not limited to identity theft or financial harm. In addition, the proposed modification adds a second routine use to allow the FTC to disclose information to another federal agency when that agency determines that the information is reasonably needed by that agency to respond to a breach. The Commission will be accepting public comments on the notice for 30 days after it is published in the Federal Register. Instructions for filing comments appear in the “Supplementary Information” section of the notice. The Commission vote to approve the notice publication in the Federal Register was 2-0. MedWatch - The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program Magnetic Resonance-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (MRgLITT) Devices: Letter to Health Care Providers - Risk of Tissue Overheating Due to Inaccurate Magnetic Resonance Thermometry AUDIENCE: Neurology, Risk Manager ISSUE: FDA is providing preliminary information concerning magnetic resonance (MR) thermometry reliability with magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) devices. FDA is currently evaluating data which suggests that potentially inaccurate MR thermometry information can be displayed during treatment. For example, MR parameters such as voxel size (measurement of the image resolution or detail) and MR image acquisition time (e.g., up to 8 seconds) may contribute to inaccurate MR thermometry readings and potential errors in the ablation assessment. In addition, MRgLITT devices may not account for the continued thermal spread of energy to the surrounding tissue (as the target ablation area returns to its baseline temperature), which may result in an underestimation of thermal damage. The FDA has reviewed Medical Device Reports (MDRs) and literature reports which describe adverse events such as neurological deficits (e.g., focal motor deficits, aphasia, cognitive changes), increased intracerebral edema or pressure, intracranial bleeding, and/or visual changes (e.g., visual field deficits, blurry vision) when these devices were used to treat intra-cranial lesions. Several of these reports note events which required urgent medical and/or surgical intervention, and may have been associated with patient deaths. However, it is unclear at this time, whether an inaccuracy of MR thermometry directly caused or contributed to these events. BACKGROUND: MRgLITT devices are commonly used in neurosurgical procedures for minimally invasive ablation of brain tumors, epileptic foci, or radiation necrosis. During these procedures, the tip of a laser probe is stereotaxically placed within the tissue to be ablated, and controlled thermal energy is delivered to the target tissue. MR thermometry is used to monitor the changes in temperature at the treatment site using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner, and proprietary software information is displayed on a workstation to aid the physician in assessing and controlling thermal damage. RECOMMENDATION: The FDA recommends that health care providers Consider and discuss with your patients the benefits and risks of these devices, as well as the availability of any alternative treatment modalities on an individual patient basis. Should an MRgLITT device be the best available treatment option: Physicians should consider heating the target tissue slowly to reduce the potential for inaccurate MR thermometry readings. Additionally, heating the tissue slowly may lessen unanticipated thermal spread. For example: Heating tissue at a rate of 4 degrees Celsius per second, and an MR acquisition time of 8 seconds, may result in uncertainties of up to 32 degrees Celsius during MR thermometry readings Heating tissue at a rate of 1 degrees Celsius per second, and an MR acquisition time of 8 seconds, may result in uncertainties of up to 8 degrees Celsius during MR thermometry readings While heating the target tissue slowly, physicians should also consider using one of the following settings to mitigate the risk of unintended damage to surrounding tissue or nearby critical structures: Set the low temperature targets on nearby critical structures to 43 degrees Celsius or less Follow the outer perimeter or isothermal contour line at the Cumulative Equivalent Minutes of 43 degree Celsius (CEM43)=2 minutes or less so that no critical structures are within the contour line Contact the applicable manufacturer for further information regarding recommended heating parameters Report problems to the FDA Device manufacturers and user facilities must comply with the applicable Medical Device Reporting (MDR) regulations. Health care personnel employed by facilities that are subject toFDA's user facility reporting requirements should follow the reporting procedures established by their facilities. Prompt reporting of adverse events can help the FDA identify and better understand the risks associated with medical devices. Please include the following information in the report, if known: Information on the manufacturer, brand of MRgLITT device used Reason for treatment (e.g. tumor ablation, epileptic foci, etc.) Anatomical location of treatment Peak temperature, time needed to reach the peak temperature, and total laser-on time for each ablation Information on the MRI (manufacturer, brand, field strength, transmit coil, receive coil, and MR imaging parameters) Thermal damage dimensions estimated by the device; and actual thermal damage dimensions as measured by the health care provider Patient outcome and whether additional treatment was needed Read the MedWatch Safety Alert:https://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm605609