FEDINFO E-letter from Pueblo

Welcome to the January 2005 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information at our websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov and www.USA.gov.

This issue includes:

February 6-12, 2005, has been designated National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) to highlight consumer protection and education efforts around the country. This year’s theme, ”Identity Theft: When Fact Becomes Fiction,” focuses on practical steps consumers can take to minimize their risk of identity theft.

Your everyday transactions usually reveal bits of your personal information: your bank and credit card account numbers; your income; your Social Security number (SSN); or your name, address, and phone numbers. An identity thief obtains some piece of your sensitive information and uses it without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft. Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years -- and their hard-earned money -- cleaning up the mess the thieves have made of their good name and credit record. Some victims have lost job opportunities, been refused loans for education, housing or cars, or even been arrested for crimes they didn’t commit.

To find out more about what you can do to protect yourself from this crime, visit the National Consumer Protection Week website.

The month is almost gone but did you know that any donations you make during January 2005, for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami are tax deductible on your 2004 federal tax returns?

The new law enacted on January 7 allows these donations to be deducted as if they were made on or prior to December 31, 2004.

“There are no extra forms to fill out or any additional burdens for taxpayers,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “As long as you send your check by the end of the month, the donation will be treated just like it was still 2004.”

The new law only allows for cash contributions. Cash contributions include those paid by cash, check, credit card, or payroll deduction. The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the December 26, 2004, tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The new law gives taxpayers the option of deducting the contributions on either their 2004 or 2005 returns, but not both.

NEW DIETARY GUIDELINES HELP AMERICANS MAKE BETTER FOOD CHOICES, LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES

The newly updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages people to make smarter (smaller) food choices, get physically active, and adopt better nutrition habits.

The guidelines, developed by the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, emphasize eating fewer calories and exercising 30 to 90 minutes a day. In addition, the guidelines recommend eating more vegetables and fruit, especially whole fruits and vegetables instead of juices, and choosing whole grains such as whole wheat bread instead of refined ones such as white bread or bagels. Just three one-ounce servings of whole grains each day reduces the risk of heart disease and helps maintain weight.

The Food and Drug Administration has obtained and is evaluating new and sometimes conflicting scientific data on adverse events associated with the use of several non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and COX-2 inhibitors. New data indicates an increased risk of major fatal and non-fatal heart attacks in clinical trial participants taking these drugs. As of January 2005, the National Institutes of Health has suspended clinical trials involving the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as naproxen or Aleve™, and the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex™). FDA advises patients who are currently taking over-the-counter naproxen products to carefully follow the instructions on the label.

The Federal Citizen Information Center frequently has special offers of free publications mentioned in magazines and newspapers around the country. We provide visitors to our website with an opportunity to order these publications online -- even if they didn’t see the original article. You can find these promotions on our Media Promotions page. It’s a page worth bookmarking so you can check back every so often to see what new offers have been added.

Note: Some of the older offers mentioned on the page have ended but they provide links to the publications online or you can order a free sample package of publications.

Many consumers are now using SPAM-blocking software or junk-mail filters offered by their e-mail providers. These filters may also prevent you from receiving e-letters that you have subscribed to like FEDINFO. If you are using these filters, you may want to consider adding the following e-mail address to your "safe list": cic.info@gsa.gov.

This e-mail was sent to you because you signed up to receive updates, notifications of new information, and special offers from the Federal Citizen Information Center. You may leave the list at any time by visiting http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/maillist.htm or by sending an e-mail to listserv@LISTSERV.GSA.GOV. Type "SIGNOFF FEDINFO" in the body of the message. You do not need to include anything else in the body of the message or in the subject line.