1940 Census Released

The embargo has been lifted, and for the first time, the 1940 census is not only available, but available online. The files accessible via Census.gov can be downloaded in a zip file of the whole thing or in individual PDF's. It is nicely broken down into the Census of Housing, Census of Agriculture, etc.

Here's the transcript of a pretty good NPR story (from "All Things Considered"), which you can listen to if you choose.

And here's a clip from last night's CBS nightly news.

NPR Commits Audio Plagiarism

Mary Elizabeth Williams' Salon.com story details a shocking and flagrant act of plagiarism committed by NPR's "Morning Edition."

This Wednesday, correspondent Beth Accomando delivered a segment entitled "The Cell Phone Always Dies First," spoofing cell-phone-oriented plot devices in horror films.

However, the sketch was composed almost entirely of material--used without acknowledgement--from a viral youtube video, No Signal, by Rich Juzwiak.

NPR is now attributing the material to Juzwiak.

Juzwiak, a blogger for VH1, told Salon.com, "(No Signal) took months and months of research...if there had been no video, there would have been no (NPR) piece."

How Health Care Reform Affects Higher Education

The historic health care legislation passed by the House of Representatives this week not only means sweeping health care reform but also revamps the federal student loan program.

In short, the bill, attached to the health care legislation, "would end government payments to private, commercial student lenders, leaving the government to lend directly to students. It would also redirect billions of dollars to expand the Pell grant program for low-income students, and to pay for other education initiatives."

To fully understand the impacts of the bill on student lending, please explore these links.

From The Washington Post: "Obama's student loan plan moving forward with health bill"

From The New York Times: "Deal Gives New Life to Overhaul of Student Loans"

From National Public Radio: "Health Care Reform Could Revamp Student Lending"

From GoCollege.com (higher education blog): "With Health Care Vote, Congress Puts an End to FFEL Student Loan Program"

Gov Docs News Flash

NPR reports on Census 2010

Today's "Morning Edition," NPR's daily news and culture show, included a story on the federal census for 2010 as it applies to New York.

Additionally, here's an interactive map from npr--click on various options and categories for info on each state.

Additional links

NPR story from Apr 19: 2010 Census Stirs Debate in Washington

Census Bureau's video page