http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40594.pdf
Landsat 8, launched in 2013 by NASA, is the latest in a string of earth-observing satellites going back to 1972. This report focuses on whether there should be a Landsat 9, whether the effort should be privatized, the value of continuous earth monitoring, and the cost of such a project.
From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists
http://www.sigar.mil/pdf/special%20projects/SIGAR-15-10-SP.pdf
Finds that after the spending of $7 billion on counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan, opium poppy cultivation levels are at an all-time high. From the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/IN10108.pdf
Describes the efforts of DC leaders to pass legislation that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, provides a map which shows which states have passed laws decriminalizing marijuana or have passed medical marijuana laws, presents arguments for and against decriminalization, and examines controversies involving home rule. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists
http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3292/
Announces the availability of an online global geologic map of Mars which records the distribution of geologic units and landforms on the planet’s surface with data acquired from the Viking Orbiters. From the U.S. Geological Survey
http://historicalmaps.arcgis.com/usgs/
Interactive resource that allows you to find historic maps for a selected area within the U.S. From the U.S. Geological Survey and ESRI
http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acs-27.pdf
Compares poverty data from the 2000 Census with that from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey. Finds that in 2010 more than 77 million people lived in poverty areas, defined as census tracts with a poverty rate of 20% or more. The percentage of people living in such areas grew from 18 to 25.7% between 2000 and 2010. From the Census Bureau
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0340.htm
Investigates whether high sodium and low potassium diets, which can contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular disease, may be related to the availability of healthful food in neighborhood stores. From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.census.gov/censusexplorer/censusexplorer-commuting.html
A new commuting edition of the interactive Census Explorer mapsite, which gives users click and zoom access to commuting statistics for every neighborhood in the U.S. Also shows how commuting has changed since 1990 at the neighborhood, county, and state level. From the Census Bureau