ATF publishes the complete list of ~75,000 active Federal Firearms Licensees monthly as a free CSV. Here's what the data contains, what the Tiahrt Amendment keeps hidden, and how to cross-reference it.
May 2026
221 dated technical articles. These pages record the methods and claims as published; follow each article's source links and update notes for its current scope.
foreignassistance.gov went dark on January 31, 2025. What the dataset contained, how it was archived, what the DOGE cuts actually targeted, and where to access it now.
Federal data · Government operations · Transparency and open data
PCAOB inspection reports contain structured deficiency data for every registered audit firm. In 2023, 26% of Big 4 audits reviewed had Part I.A deficiencies — meaning auditors signed off without sufficient evidence. Here is what the data covers and how to use it.
How to pull, clean, and analyze NLRB union election records — RC and RD cases, the 2021–2024 organizing surge, the 100k export cap workaround, industry breakdowns, and cross-referencing with OSHA and CFPB data.
How joining CMS Open Payments (100M+ pharma payments to physicians) with Medicare Part D prescribing data (25M+ provider-drug rows) surfaces the correlation between manufacturer payments and prescribing patterns — and how to cross-reference with HHS OIG exclusions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey is the most comprehensive federal source of wage data by occupation — covering 830 detailed occupations across every industry and geographic area in the United States, with employment counts and full wage distributions for 1.1 million surveyed establishments.
Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace · Federal data
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint database contains every consumer complaint submitted to the CFPB since 2012 — 3 million+ complaints about mortgages, credit cards, student loans, debt collection, and credit reporting — with the company response, resolution outcome, and optional consumer narrative, making it the most comprehensive federal record of retail financial product failures.
The Foreign Agents Registration Act database maintained by the DOJ National Security Division is the federal government authoritative record of foreign influence operations in the United States — covering every individual and firm registered as a foreign agent, the foreign governments and entities that retained them, and the lobbying activities, media campaigns, and political contacts conducted on their behalf.
SEC Form 4 filings are the mandatory disclosure every corporate officer, director, and large shareholder must submit within two business days of any transaction in company stock — creating a real-time public record of insider buying and selling at every US public company, covering 4 million+ filings in the EDGAR database.
The National Labor Relations Board maintains two parallel federal databases covering union organizing activity and labor law enforcement in the United States private sector — a representation election database covering every NLRB-supervised election since the 1930s, and an Unfair Labor Practice case database tracking charges, complaints, and Board orders against employers and unions.
The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Storm Events Database is the official federal record of severe weather in the United States — 48 event types including tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and winter storms with records back to 1950, covering property damage estimates, crop damage, injuries, deaths, and event narratives across every county in the country.
The NHTSA vehicle safety complaints database contains every consumer complaint filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — 3 million+ complaints covering unexpected acceleration, brake failures, airbag malfunctions, fire risks, and steering defects — forming the primary data source for NHTSA defect investigations that trigger the largest vehicle recalls in US history.
The EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act database tracks every generator, transporter, and disposal facility in the US hazardous waste management system — 400,000+ regulated facilities from small quantity generators to commercial hazardous waste incinerators — creating the most comprehensive federal record of hazardous waste compliance, violations, and enforcement.
The EIA Annual Electric Generator Report (Form 860) collects data from every utility-scale generator in the United States — 25,000+ generating units at 8,000+ plants covering coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, and hydropower — providing the most comprehensive public inventory of US electricity generating capacity, ownership, location, and operational status.
The National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System collects annual data from every Title IV-eligible institution in the United States — 6,000 colleges and universities reporting enrollment, graduation rates, tuition, faculty salaries, financial aid, and institutional finances — making IPEDS the most comprehensive federal database of US higher education.
The Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control publishes every civil penalty settlement for sanctions violations — the banks, corporations, and individuals who conducted transactions with sanctioned countries or entities — with penalties ranging from thousands to over $1 billion, creating the most comprehensive public record of US sanctions enforcement.
Sanctions and illicit finance · Finance and markets · Federal data
The HHS Office of Research Integrity maintains the authoritative federal database of research misconduct findings — every case where a PHS-funded researcher has been found to have fabricated data, falsified results, or committed plagiarism, with findings covering hundreds of scientists at major research universities and medical centers.
USASpending.gov subaward data tracks the flow of federal money beyond the prime awardee — the sub-grants flowing from universities and state agencies to community organizations, and the sub-contracts from prime defense contractors to thousands of small suppliers, covering $500 billion+ in annual pass-through federal funding.
Government operations · Transparency and open data · Federal data
The FEC independent expenditure database covers every Super PAC and outside group that spent money to influence federal elections — over $4 billion in disclosed outside spending in the 2020 election cycle, plus dark money flowing through nonprofit organizations not required to disclose donors.
The National Transportation Safety Board has maintained a structured record of every civil aviation accident in the United States since 1962 — 90,000+ accidents and incidents coded against a standardized schema covering aircraft type, phase of flight, weather conditions, pilot experience, injury counts, and probable cause findings that drive the largest safety reforms in US aviation history.
The United States spends more than $50 billion per year on foreign assistance — aid, development programs, security cooperation, and humanitarian response across 200 countries administered by a dozen federal agencies, all publicly disclosed on ForeignAssistance.gov with country-level, sector-level, and implementing-partner-level detail.
Congressional roll call vote data — maintained through VoteView, Congress.gov, and GovInfo — covers every recorded vote in the House and Senate dating back to the First Congress in 1789, enabling researchers to calculate legislator ideology scores, track party loyalty, analyze bipartisan coalitions, and build comprehensive political science datasets covering 250 years of American legislative history.
Grants.gov is the federal government unified portal for grant opportunities — listing every competitive federal grant, cooperative agreement, and other financial assistance opportunity from 26 grant-making agencies, covering $500 billion+ in annual awards to universities, state and local governments, nonprofits, and businesses across every federal program area.
Government operations · Research and education · Transparency and open data · Federal data
The EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System tracks every violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act by the 150,000 public water systems in the United States — health-based violations for exceeding maximum contaminant levels, monitoring failures, reporting violations, and treatment technique violations — creating the most comprehensive federal record of drinking water safety failures.
Regulations.gov is the federal government unified rulemaking portal — hosting dockets for every significant federal regulation from 170+ agencies, 25 million public comments, and supporting documents including economic analyses and scientific studies, making it the most comprehensive public record of how federal rules are made and who influences them.
The Federal Highway Administration Highway Performance Monitoring System is the national database for US roadway conditions — collecting pavement condition ratings, traffic volumes, lane miles, and functional class data for 4.1 million miles of public roads, from Interstate highways to rural local roads, enabling Congress to calculate federal highway funding formulas and researchers to track infrastructure decline.
Transportation safety · Engineering and infrastructure · Federal data
The FAA Civil Aviation Registry maintains two of the most comprehensive public databases in US aviation — the Airmen Certification Database covering 700,000 active pilots with certificate type, ratings, and medical status, and the Aircraft Registration Database covering 300,000 registered civil aircraft with owner, make, model, and airworthiness information.
The Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Station Locator database tracks every publicly accessible electric vehicle charging station, hydrogen station, propane station, CNG station, and other alternative fuel outlet in the United States — 180,000+ stations as of 2024, with real-time status for DCFC fast chargers, providing the most comprehensive federal dataset on EV charging infrastructure deployment.
Environment and energy · Transportation safety · Federal data
The United States Geological Survey maintains the most comprehensive public databases of wind turbine locations and utility-scale solar photovoltaic facility data in the United States — 72,000+ wind turbines with GPS coordinates, capacity ratings, hub heights, and rotor diameters, plus a growing solar PV database covering thousands of utility-scale installations.
The Small Business Administration 7(a) and 504 loan guarantee programs back over $50 billion in small business financing per year — every loan disclosed in a public dataset covering borrower name, location, loan amount, lender, industry, and jobs supported, making SBA the most transparent source of small business capital data in the United States.
The 94 United States Attorneys offices prosecute every federal crime — drug trafficking, financial fraud, public corruption, terrorism, and violent crime — generating a public record through press releases, PACER dockets, and USAO annual statistical reports that together document over 80,000 criminal defendants per year in federal court.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration publishes the most comprehensive federal data on addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States — the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the Treatment Episode Data Set covering 2 million annual admissions, and the National Mental Health Services Survey covering 12,000 treatment facilities.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration maintains incident reports for every significant gas and liquid pipeline accident in the United States — spills, explosions, injuries, fatalities, and property damage — creating the most comprehensive public record of pipeline safety performance across 2.7 million miles of US pipeline infrastructure.
Transportation safety · Engineering and infrastructure · Federal data
The CDC Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System tracks every reported multi-person foodborne illness outbreak in the United States — pathogen, implicated food, setting, illness count, hospitalizations, and deaths — covering 800+ outbreaks per year across all food categories.
The OSHA 300A Summary data collects annual establishment-level injury and illness totals from 750,000 employers — enabling calculation of Total Recordable Case rates, Days Away Restricted or Transferred rates, and industry-specific benchmarks for every major employer in the United States.
The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division enforces federal civil rights laws through pattern-or-practice investigations, consent decrees, voting rights litigation, and fair housing enforcement — producing a public record of every settlement, consent decree, and enforcement action against state and local governments.
The USDA Economic Research Service publishes the most comprehensive federal data on food and agricultural economics — farm income and wealth statistics, food price indices, food security measurements, rural county classifications, and commodity supply-and-use tables spanning decades of US agricultural history.
CMS publishes annual Medicare Part D prescriber-level drug spending data for every provider who prescribed drugs covered under Medicare — enabling researchers to identify outlier prescribers, track opioid prescribing patterns, and analyze drug spending by specialty and geography.
The Drug Enforcement Administration publishes every order to show cause, immediate suspension order, and final order revoking a DEA registration — the controlled substance prescribing licenses held by physicians, pharmacies, hospitals, and distributors.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reactor Oversight Process evaluates every US commercial nuclear power plant across seven safety cornerstones — yielding publicly available performance indicator data, inspection findings, and action matrix dispositions.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission enforcement database covers every civil action for violations of the Commodity Exchange Act — manipulation, fraud, spoofing, wash trading, and crypto asset fraud — with penalties totaling billions annually.
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requires every US mortgage lender to report every loan application — applicant race, income, property location, loan amount, interest rate, action taken, and denial reason — creating the most comprehensive public dataset on mortgage lending disparities.
The CMS Hospital Cost Report database contains detailed financial and utilization data for every Medicare-participating hospital — revenues, costs, charges, staffing, beds, and patient days — making it the most comprehensive source of US hospital financial data.
The Federal Election Commission Matters Under Review database tracks every campaign finance complaint and enforcement action — from contribution limit violations and disclosure failures to foreign national contributions and coordinated expenditure violations.
IRS Criminal Investigation is the only federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over federal tax crimes — filing 2,500-3,000 criminal cases per year with a 90%+ conviction rate covering tax evasion, money laundering, and identity theft refund fraud.
Transparency and open data · Sanctions and illicit finance · Federal data
The National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System aggregates case reports from all 50 states and territories for 120+ nationally notifiable diseases — from salmonellosis and Lyme disease to HIV, hepatitis, measles, and emerging threats.
The OSHA enforcement database contains every citation issued after a workplace inspection — violation type, penalty amount, standard violated, and abatement status — covering 200,000+ annual citations across all industries.
The Government Accountability Office publishes 900+ reports, testimonies, and correspondence per year — audits, investigations, and evaluations of federal programs across every agency and department.
The FCC Universal Licensing System contains every active radio license in the United States — AM and FM broadcast stations, TV stations, cellular carriers, commercial satellite operators, amateur radio operators, and 1,500+ other wireless service categories.
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List identifies companies whose goods are presumed to be produced with Uyghur forced labor in Xinjiang — any imports from these entities are barred from US markets unless importers can rebut the presumption with clear and convincing evidence.
Sanctions and illicit finance · Federal data · Economy and demographics
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network publishes every Bank Secrecy Act civil enforcement action — civil money penalties, consent orders, and cease-and-desist orders against banks, money services businesses, and cryptocurrency exchanges for failures in anti-money laundering compliance programs.
The System for Award Management exclusions database lists every individual and entity currently barred from receiving federal contracts, grants, and other financial assistance — covering debarments, suspensions, proposed debarments, and voluntary exclusions across all federal agencies.
The Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inventory collects biennial condition ratings for every highway bridge in the United States — 620,000 bridges covering structural sufficiency, deck ratings, superstructure, substructure, and channel conditions.
Transportation safety · Engineering and infrastructure · Federal data
The NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools database covers every NIH-funded research project since 1985 — 500,000+ active and historical grants totaling over $50 billion per year, spanning every disease area, institution, and principal investigator in US biomedical research.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the largest US food assistance program — 42 million participants, $100 billion in annual benefits, and one of the largest automatic stabilizers in the federal budget.
The FEMA disaster declaration database records every major disaster, emergency, and fire management assistance declaration since 1953 — over 4,600 major disaster declarations covering hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and pandemics.
The CMS Hospital Compare program publishes readmission rates, patient safety indicators, HCAHPS patient satisfaction scores, and payment data for every Medicare-certified hospital in the United States.
The Department of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certification publishes every H-1B Labor Condition Application, H-2A agricultural temporary worker certification, and H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker certification — the employer wage attestations behind the US guest-worker visa system.
Labor and workplace · Justice and immigration · Federal data
The Public Access to Court Electronic Records system holds dockets and documents for every federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate case filed since the 1980s — over 1 billion documents accessible via the CourtListener API and RECAP mirror.
The Bureau of Industry and Security's export enforcement records cover every administrative settlement, denial order, and criminal referral for violations of US export control law — the Export Administration Regulations that govern dual-use technology exports to adversary nations.
The Daily Treasury Statement reports the federal government's cash position every business day — receipts, outlays, and the operating cash balance — and is the most granular real-time fiscal data available from the US government.
The Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program produces annual county-level income and poverty statistics used to allocate $16 billion in Title I-A education funding.
The EEOC charge database tracks every workplace discrimination complaint filed with the federal government — race, sex, disability, age, religion — from first filing through litigation outcome.
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System contains every post-market drug safety report submitted since 1968 — manufacturer reports, voluntary consumer reports, and FDA-initiated reports — totaling over 26 million case submissions.
The Fatality Analysis Reporting System is a census of every motor vehicle crash in the United States resulting in death — 50 years of data, 2 million fatalities, and the primary evidence base for federal highway safety policy.
CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Act 1972): ~9,800 recalls since 1973 covering ~15,000 product types (excludes food, drugs, autos, firearms). Section 15 voluntary (negotiated, most common) vs. Section 9 mandatory recalls; 24-hour reporting obligation for substantial product hazards. CPSIA 2008 (Chinese toy lead paint scandal 2007): third-party testing mandates, CPC/GCC certificates, 100 ppm lead limits, phthalate limits, tracking labels. SaferProducts.gov incident reporting database (NEISS-AIP, CPSC hospital sentinel network). Recall delays: average 12-18 months first incident to recall. Notable: Fisher-Price Rock n Play sleeper (4.7M units, 32 infant deaths, 2019), IKEA MALM dresser tip-over (29M units North America, 2016/2022), Peloton Tread+ (125k units, 2021), Samsung Galaxy Note 7 (2.5M units, 2016), Takata airbags (67M+ airbags, 19+ deaths, 2014-2019, NHTSA-led). recalls.gov/api and cpsc.gov/data: recallID/recallDate/title/description/hazard/remedy/units/productCategory/injuries/deaths fields; API parameters: product_type_id/date_from/date_to. Furniture stability mandatory rule (2023) targeting tip-overs. Safe Sleep for Babies Act (2022): banned inclined sleepers, crib bumpers. Python recalls.gov API analysis: hazard-type aggregation, product-category units recalled, 2015-2024 annual trend, fatal recall identification.
ClinicalTrials.gov (NLM, launched February 2000 per FDAMA 1997): 500,000+ registered studies as of 2024. FDAAA 801 (2007): mandatory registration within 21 days of first enrollment for applicable clinical trials (ACTs -- Phase 2+ interventional trials of FDA-regulated drugs/biologics/devices); results reporting within 12 months of primary completion date; penalties up to $10,000/day; NIH grant withholding; but 2015 NEJM study found only 13% reporting on time. Study phases: Phase 0 (microdosing), Phase 1 (safety, 20-80 participants), Phase 2 (efficacy signal, 100-300), Phase 3 (pivotal RCTs, FDA approval basis), Phase 4 (post-marketing); observational (cohort/case-control/cross-sectional) studies phased differently. Key fields: NCT number, official title, brief summary, sponsor type (industry ~50%, NIH/federal ~20%, academic ~30%), study status, phase, allocation, intervention model, masking, primary completion date, enrollment, primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria (inclusion/exclusion), age range, gender, MeSH condition terms, intervention type (drug/device/behavioral/procedure). Disease area composition: oncology ~35%, diabetes/cardiology/psychiatry/ID follow. COVID-19 surge: ~11,000 COVID trials 2020-2021. Publication bias (file drawer problem): AllTrials campaign, Ben Goldacre, COMPARE project, RIAT. ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 at clinicaltrials.gov/api/v2/studies: no API key, pagination by pageSize/pageToken, protocolSection/resultsSection/statusModule/conditionsModule modules. Aggregate stats: ~40% completed, ~25% recruiting, ~15% terminated. Python API query: recruiting Phase 3 oncology trials by enrollment (top 10) + phase distribution for all cancer trials.
CPS (Census/BLS joint survey since 1940): ~60,000 housing units/month (4-8-4 rotation group design); reference week containing the 12th. Labor force classifications: employed (1+ hour for pay/profit during reference week), unemployed (no work + active search past 4 weeks + currently available), not in labor force. U-1 through U-6 supplemental measures: U-3 = official rate, U-6 = total underemployment (unemployed + marginally attached + part-time for economic reasons); COVID-19 peak April 2020 U-3 14.7% / U-6 22.9%. Annual ASEC supplement (March, expanded ~100,000 households): official poverty rate (48 Orshansky thresholds by family size/composition; 2023 family-of-4 threshold ~$30,900; 2023 poverty rate ~11.1%, ~36M people); health insurance coverage; SPM (Supplemental Poverty Measure, 2011: counts SNAP/housing subsidies/EITC, subtracts taxes/work expenses/medical costs, geographic cost adjustment -- lower poverty for working-age, higher for elderly). CPS vs. CES/QCEW: residence-based (where people live) vs. establishment-based (where jobs are); CPS includes agricultural/domestic/self-employed not in QCEW. CPS microdata fields: PWSSWGT/PRTAGE/PESEX/PRDTRACE/PEHSPNON/PEEDUCA/PEMLR/PRUNTYPE/PRERNWA/OFFPOV/POVLL/PRCITSHP. IPUMS-CPS harmonized microdata back to 1962; raw files at census.gov/data/datasets; FRED: UNRATE/U6RATE/CIVPART/LNS11000000; BLS LAUS for state-level unemployment. Python FRED API + BLS LAUS API: state unemployment/poverty/LFPR table with YoY change.
DEA ARCOS (Automation of Reports and Consolidated Orders System): mandatory reporting under 21 USC 827 + 21 CFR 1304.33 for all manufacturers/distributors/importers of Schedule I/II controlled substances. 380M individual opioid transaction records 2006-2014 (oxycodone, hydrocodone, fentanyl, morphine, hydromorphone, methadone, oxymorphone, buprenorphine). Transaction fields: reporter DEA number, buyer DEA number, drug code, drug name, dosage unit, quantity, transaction date, transaction type (S=sale, P=purchase, T=theft/loss, R=return). MDL 2804 (In re: National Prescription Opiate Litigation, Judge Polster, NDOH): July 2019 court order released ARCOS data to Washington Post and HD Media -- first-ever public transaction-level release. Key findings: 76B oxycodone/hydrocodone pills shipped 2006-2014; WV ~780 pills/person/year; Mingo County WV: 3.3M hydrocodone pills over 2 years for 25,000 people; McKesson, Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen (Big Three) distributed 44% of all opioids. Suspicious order monitoring failure: 21 CFR 1301.74(b) requires reporting unusual orders; DEA settlements: McKesson $150M + registration surrenders 2017, AmerisourceBergen $150M 2017, Cardinal Health $44M. Purdue Pharma: OxyContin 1996, $634M 2007 plea, $8.34B 2020 settlement, Sacklers $6B; Mallinckrodt $1.6B. Big Three civil settlement $21B (2022); J&J $5B; Walgreens $5.7B; CVS $5B; Walmart $3.1B; total settlements $55B+. Washington Post bulk download at WaPo arcos-database pages; arcos R package. Python WaPo bulk TSV download: pills-per-capita by county for oxycodone/hydrocodone, top distributors, annual trend.
DOL ETA weekly UI claims (Thursday 8:30am): initial claims SA (ICSA) + continuing claims SA (CCSA/CC4WSA). 53 jurisdictions: 50 states + DC + PR + VI. COVID peak: 6.9M initial claims week of April 4 2020 (prior record 695k, Oct 1982); continuing claims peak 24.9M May 2020. CARES Act PUA extended to gig/self-employed. Regular state UI: typically 26 weeks; federal-state Extended Benefits at 6.5%/8% insured unemployment rate trigger. State benefit max: Mississippi $235/wk to Massachusetts $1,050/wk. Recipiency rate ~27% of unemployed in normal times. FRED series: ICSA, ICNSA, CCSA, CC4WSA at fred.stlouisfed.org; DOL ETA-539/5159 forms; DOL bulk at oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims.asp. BLS UI-vs-CPS distinction: UI = administrative benefit recipients vs. CPS = household survey unemployed. Python FRED API ICSA 2019-present + COVID peak detection + 52-week rolling average.
Labor and workplace · Economy and demographics · Federal data
CMS Five-Star Quality Rating: ~15,000 Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes, ~1.35M residents, ~$90k-105k/yr private pay. Three domains: Health Inspections (standard annual + complaint surveys; F-tag deficiency system F600-F999; scope/severity matrix A-L; immediate jeopardy J-L), Staffing (Payroll-Based Journal PBJ quarterly since 2017: RN hours/resident day, total nurse hours/resident day, weekend staffing), Quality Measures (MDS 3.0 derived: long-stay high-risk pressure ulcers, falls with major injury, antipsychotic use in dementia, UTI; short-stay pressure ulcer + improved function). Special Focus Facilities (SFF): ~90 facilities with persistent serious quality problems; ~400 on SFF Candidate list; monthly CMS publication; decertification risk. Ownership transparency: Form CMS-855A; private equity association with lower staffing (Braun 2021, Harrington 2020); large chains: ManorCare/ProMedica (~250 facilities), Genesis Healthcare. data.cms.gov datasets: Provider Information (CMS_Certified_Nursing_Facilities.csv), Health Deficiencies, Quality Measures, Staffing, Penalties (CMPs). Socrata API, no key required. Python Provider Info CSV analysis: star distribution, SFF flags, average staffing by star rating, top-10 states by 1-star share.
BLS QCEW (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages): joint BLS-state partnership using UI administrative tax records. ~11M establishment records/quarter, ~95% of all US civilian employment. Excludes self-employed, military, elected officials, railroad (RRB), some agricultural. Key fields: area_fips (2-digit state, 5-digit county, MSA, US), industry_code (NAICS 2-6 digit), own_code (0=total, 1=federal, 2=state, 3=local, 5=private), disclosure_code (N=suppressed when <3 establishments or 1 employer >80% wages), avg_weekly_wage, month1/2/3_emplvl, total_qtrly_wages, taxable_qtrly_wages. Geographic coverage: national, 51 states+DC, 3,200+ counties, 380+ MSAs. QCEW vs. CES: QCEW is the administrative universe (5-month lag), CES is the sample survey (1-month lag); CES March benchmark revisions align to QCEW. 2024 benchmark revision: -818,000 downward revision to CES (QCEW showed slower job growth than CES estimated). Location Quotient: (county industry share) / (national share); LQ>1 = local specialization. Three data access paths: BLS API series IDs, QCEW cross-sectional API at data.bls.gov/cew/api/, bulk flat files at blsdownload.bls.gov (~500MB/quarter compressed). Python QCEW API private sector 2-digit NAICS: employment/wage table by supersector + LQ demo + YoY wage growth.
BLS CES (Current Employment Statistics): monthly payroll survey of ~140,000 businesses and ~440,000 worksites covering ~34% of all nonfarm payroll. Two surveys: CES (establishment, payroll jobs) + CPS (household, unemployment rate). Released first Friday of each month at 8:30am ET. Headline: total nonfarm payroll employment; also private payrolls, manufacturing, AHE (average hourly earnings), AWH (average weekly hours). NAICS supersectors: Mining/Logging, Construction, Manufacturing (durable/nondurable), Trade/Transport/Utilities, Information, Financial Activities, Professional/Business Services, Education/Health, Leisure/Hospitality, Other Services, Government. Series ID format: CEU + supersector + industry + data type (01=employment, 03=hours, 11=AHE). Examples: CEU0000000001 (total nonfarm), CEU3000000001 (manufacturing), CEU7000000001 (leisure/hospitality), CEU0500000011 (private AHE). Reference week = week containing the 12th. Three estimates: preliminary (T+30 days), first revision (T+60), second revision (T+90). March annual benchmark revision aligns to QCEW administrative records. COVID: April 2020 -20.5M jobs (worst single month ever); Great Recession trough Feb 2010 -8.7M from Jan 2008 peak. BLS API: api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/, 500 series/query with key, 10 years. ADP preview released 2 days before. AHE ~$35/hr all private (2024); real wage growth = AHE minus CPI. Python BLS API 20-series fetch + supersector employment table with YoY change + AHE/AWH block + COVID recovery tracker.
BOP (Bureau of Prisons) under DOJ: 148,000+ federal inmates in 122 institutions (~36,000 staff). Federal offenses: drug trafficking ~44%, weapons ~20%, sex offenses ~8%, immigration ~6%, fraud/white collar ~5%. Federal mandatory minimums: 21 USC 841(b) (1kg+ heroin/5kg+ cocaine = 10-yr minimum). Crack/powder disparity: pre-FSA 2010 100:1 ratio, FSA 2010 reduced to 18:1. USSC Sentencing Guidelines advisory since Booker 2005; 13.4% longer sentences for Black defendants (USSC 2017). First Step Act 2018: FSA retroactivity (~2,600 released), safety valve expansion, earned-time credits (10-15 days/month), PATTERN risk tool. Demographics: 93% male, 37% Black, ~23% non-US citizens. Facility types: ADX (Florence supermax), USP, FCI, FPC, FMC. Private prisons: Biden EO 14006 non-renewal; Trump 2025 re-expansion. BOP Statistics at bop.gov/about/statistics/ (static tables). USSC datafiles at ussc.gov for sentencing data. Python BOP HTML table scraper + USSC drug sentence trends 2010-2023.
107,543 overdose deaths in 2023 (CDC NCHS provisional); first 100k+ year was 2021. Three-wave opioid crisis: Wave 1 prescription opioids (OxyContin 1996, Purdue 2007 $634M fine); Wave 2 heroin surge (2010-2013); Wave 3 synthetic opioids (IMF fentanyl 50-100x morphine, ~75k synthetic opioid deaths 2022). Three CDC sources: VSRR Provisional Drug Overdose Counts (monthly, Socrata API at data.cdc.gov, 12-month rolling), CDC WONDER (death certificate ICD-10 queries 1999-present, county-level), state drug category flat file. ICD-10 T-codes: T40.1 heroin, T40.2 natural/semisynthetic, T40.4 synthetic opioids (fentanyl -- the key field), T40.5 cocaine, T43.6 stimulants. Fentanyl supply: China scheduled 2019; Mexico (Sinaloa/CJNG) now primary; counterfeit M30 pills; xylazine (tranq) not reversed by naloxone. Geographic: WV ~80/100k; Appalachian epicenter. Purdue $8.34B 2022 DOJ settlement; Sackler $6B; total settlements >$55B. MOUD: buprenorphine (waiver removed 2022 SUPPORT Act), methadone, naltrexone. Python VSRR Socrata API synthetic opioid rate by state.
Form 5500 Annual Return/Report: ~217,000 filings/year for all ERISA plans (DB, DC, health/welfare with 100+ participants). $30T+ plan assets. EFAST2 at efast.dol.gov -- public record. Plan types: DB (defined benefit, 27M->13M participants since 1985, employer bears investment risk); DC (401k: $23k employee deferral 2024, $69k total, 5% TSP match, target-date funds); 403(b); ESOPs. Schedule architecture: A (insurance contracts), C (service provider fees -- 408(b)(2) indirect compensation, basis for ERISA fee litigation: Boeing/Intel/MIT/Cornell all settled), G (prohibited transactions), H (large plan financials: balance sheet, income statement), R (retirement/actuarial), SB (Schedule SB: funding target, min required contribution, AFTAP triggers at 60%/80%). PBGC insurance: $80k/yr guarantee; $96/participant flat premium + $52/$1k variable (2024); ARP 2021: $86B SPAP for troubled multiemployer plans (Central States $73B). Large plan audit: 100-participant threshold; SAS 136; 2015 OIG found 39% deficient. Bulk data: dol.gov/agencies/ebsa research files. Python EFAST2 Schedule H + C analysis: top-50 401k plans by assets + fee rates in basis points by asset tier.
BLS OEWS (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics): semi-annual survey of 1.1M non-farm establishments, ~57M workers. Annual release: mean/median wages, 10th-25th-75th-90th percentiles, employment for 830 occupations across 590+ areas (all states, 564+ MSAs, nonmetro areas). SOC 2018: 23 major groups, 6-digit codes. Highest-paying: anesthesiologists ~$331k, oral surgeons ~$317k, OB/GYN ~$296k, CEOs ~$246k. Data fields: area_type (1=national, 2=state, 3=MSA), occ_code, o_group (major/minor/broad/detailed), emp, h_mean/a_mean, h_median/a_median, h_pct10/h_pct90/a_pct10/a_pct90, emp_prse, mean_prse. Special symbols: * = above $208k cap, # = employment suppressed. Access: bls.gov/oes/tables.htm bulk zip files (national/state/MSA); BLS API v2 with complex OEWS series IDs. Industry-occupation matrix: SWE in finance vs. tech vs. manufacturing. Projections link: NEM 2022-2032 (wind turbine techs +60%, nurse practitioners +46%, data scientists +35%). Python: downloads national zip, ranks Computer & Math occupations by wage, computes percentile spread healthcare vs. tech.
FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) accident reporting system (49 CFR Part 225): ~224k records since 1975. Train accidents (Form 54), grade crossing (Form 57), employee injuries (Form 55). Cause codes: Track/Equipment/Human Factors/Misc. Reportable threshold: $11,200+ damage, or death/injury/evacuation/hazmat. East Palestine OH Feb 2023: Norfolk Southern 32N derailment; vinyl chloride; controlled burn; NTSB 37 recommendations. Grade crossing: ~2,000-2,200 collisions/yr, ~270-290 deaths, 128,000 public crossings. PTC: mandated 2008 Rail Safety Improvement Act after Chatsworth 2008 (25 dead); fully implemented 2020. FRA: 140,000 inspections/yr, 28,000 violations, $27,904 max penalty. CRISI grants $1B+ (IIJA 2021). FRA Safety Data API at safetydata.fra.dot.gov; bulk CSV Forms 54/57/55. Python derailments by state + hazmat releases by commodity.
OPM CPDF/FedScope: ~2.1-2.3M federal civilian employees quarterly. Largest: DOD ~750k, VA ~400k, DHS ~250k. GS pay: GS-1 Step 1 $22,270/yr to GS-15 Step 10 $163,964 base + 34 locality areas (DC +33.26%); SES ~9,000 positions $155k-$235k (2024). FedScope dimensions: agency, occupation series, location, pay plan, grade, education, age, race, gender, veterans status (27% federal vs 6% private). FERS: 1.1%/yr x high-3 x years + TSP 5% match + Social Security; CSRS pre-1984. DOGE 2025: fork-in-the-road email ~75k acceptances; USAID ~10k terminated; HHS ~20k; DOE ~1,500; EPA ~1,500; union lawsuits. Data: fedscope.opm.gov cube; opm.gov bulk CSV; no public REST API. Python FedScope CSV analysis by agency grade distribution and SES density.
NIFC (Boise ID) with USFS/NPS/BLM/BIA/FWS: wildfire stats since 1926. 2023: ~56,580 fires, ~2.7M acres (10-yr avg ~7M/yr). Record years: 2015 (10.1M), 2020 (10.1M). Fire suppression paradox: Smokey Bear 1944+ = fuel accumulation = larger fires. USFS FOD: ~2.3M fires 1992-present, SQLite, size classes A-G, cause (human/lightning/unknown), lat-lon, county. MTBS: USGS-USFS Landsat dNBR burn severity for fires >=1,000 acres at mtbs.gov. ICS-209 extended attack reports at famweb.nwcg.gov. WUI: 43M homes (Radeloff 2018 PNAS); Camp Fire 2018 Paradise CA (153k acres, 85 dead); Lahaina 2023 (2,200 structures). Active fire: NIFC ArcGIS GeoJSON; NASA FIRMS MODIS/VIIRS. Climate: Westerling 2006 Science + Williams 2019 PNAS VPD correlation. Python decade-by-decade analysis + active fire query.
CFPB Consumer Complaint Database (March 2012): 7M+ complaints since 2011. Products: credit reporting ~60%, debt collection ~10%, credit card ~8%, mortgage ~7%. Equifax/Experian/TransUnion receive 50%+ of all complaints. Fields: complaint_id, date_received, product/sub_product/issue, consumer_complaint_narrative (~20% with text, PII-scrubbed), company_response (monetary/non-monetary/explanation relief), timely (Y/N), consumer_disputed (Y/N), state, zip (3-digit partial). COVID: mortgage forbearance surge. Biden loan forgiveness 2022-2024: 2-3x student loan complaints. Navient $1.85B 2022. Wells Fargo $3.7B 2022 (largest-ever CFPB). API: api.consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-complaints/search (no key, max 10k/query). Bulk download ~1.5GB+. Python mortgage complaint analysis by company and response type.
The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Storm Events Database records every significant weather event in the US from 1950 to present — ~2.1M event records, 48 standardized event types (tornado, hurricane, flash flood, hail, winter storm, wildfire, and more), with property damage, crop damage, injuries, fatalities, and county-level geography. Bulk download at ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/ with annual gzipped CSVs; CDO API at www.ncei.noaa.gov/cdo-web/api/v2/. DAMAGE_PROPERTY field uses K/M/B suffix encoding requiring parsing. NOAA Billion-Dollar Disasters tracker covers 376 events since 1980 totaling $2.6T in CPI-adjusted damages; 2023: 28 events exceeding $1B each — a record. Tornado climatology: ~1,200-1,500 annually, EF0-EF5 scale, 2011 Super Outbreak 362 tornadoes/3 days, Dixie Alley shift. Hurricane damage: Harvey $125B, Ian $112B county-by-county in Storm Events. Flood events: deadliest weather type most years, ~88 fatalities/year average, AHPS stream gauge network. Climate change signal in increasing damage frequency and extreme precipitation. Here is event type taxonomy, data quality caveats, NCEI CDO API, Billion-Dollar Disasters methodology, tornado EF scale, hurricane storm surge vs. wind damage distinction, and a Python DAMAGE_PROPERTY parsing analysis by event type and state.
The FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) replaced summary-level UCR in 2021 with incident-level records from 15,000+ law enforcement agencies — 52 offense categories, victim/offender/arrestee demographics, location, weapon, property, and arrest outcomes. 2022: ~15,724 agencies reporting, covering ~79% of US population; NYPD (8M people) only began NIBRS submission 2023. Offense segments: Group A (52 categories) vs Group B (11 citation-only). Victim segment: age, sex, race, ethnicity, victim-offender relationship (intimate partner, acquaintance, stranger, unknown). Hate crime codes: 88 bias motivation codes. Crime Data Explorer API at cde.ucr.cjis.gov: /api/nibrs/{offense}/offense/agencies, /api/nibrs/{offense}/victim/count — free API key, 1,000 req/day. Annual bulk downloads: incident, offense, victim, offender, arrestee, property files. Supplemental Homicide Reports (SHR) since 1976: victim-offender-weapon-circumstance at case level. NIBRS vs NCVS: only ~43% of violent crimes reported to police. TRAC-NIBRS for coverage gap analysis. Here is the UCR-to-NIBRS transition, reporting gaps, API structure, hate crime methodology, SHR limitations, NCVS complement, and a Python CDE API violent crime rate analysis by state.
Social Security OASDI (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) pays ~$1.4T annually to ~70M beneficiaries. Three components: OASI (~58M, ~$1.2T), DI (~8.8M, ~$160B), SSI (~7.5M, ~$65B, means-tested). Trust funds: OASI ~$2.75T invested in special-issue Treasuries; 2034 projected OASI depletion (77% payable). FICA tax: 6.2%+6.2% on wages up to $168,600 (2024). Benefit formula: AIME computed from 35 highest-earning years indexed to AWI; PIA = 90% of AIME to first bend point + 32% between bend points + 15% above second. FRA: 67 (born 1960+); early at 62 with ~30% reduction; DRCs +8%/year to 70. 2024 bend points: $1,174/$7,078. SSA data: data.ssa.gov — Monthly Statistical Snapshot, Annual Statistical Supplement (Table 5.A state-level beneficiaries, Table 4.B DI allowance rates, Table 6.C SSI by state), state/county OASDI CSV. FRED series: SSASSHDI, SSARECEIPTSDISABILITY. Disability sequential evaluation: SGA → severe impairment → Blue Book listings → RFC → past relevant work → vocational grids. ALJ hearing backlog ~1M. WEP/GPO eliminated January 2025 (Social Security Fairness Act) for 3.2M workers. Here is trust fund mechanics, AIME/PIA formula, DI determination process, state data API, and a Python analysis of retired-worker benefit penetration rates by state.
Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace · Federal data
The IRS EO BMF is a monthly account/status extract, not a census or a uniform recognition list. It omits self-declared organizations and churches that were not required to apply and did not apply; NTEE X is broader than church; and absence of a Form 990 can be a lawful filing exception. This guide separates a STATUS-filtered BMF recognition cohort, Pub. 78, automatic revocation history, and electronically filed Form 990 data, while excluding contributor identities from this project.
USAID (United States Agency for International Development) manages ~$40B in annual foreign assistance across 100+ countries. ForeignAssistance.gov (IATI) publishes whole-of-government aid data by agency, country, sector, and implementing partner. Award types: contracts (for-profit implementers like Chemonics ~$1-2B/yr, DAI, AECOM), grants (INGOs: Save the Children, CARE, IRC, World Vision), cooperative agreements, interagency agreements. PEPFAR: $110B+ since 2003, 20M+ people on ARVs, Country Operational Plans at pepfar.gov. DATA Act: USAID contracts on USASpending.gov; IATI XML at iatiregistry.org. Top recipients FY2022: Ukraine (surged post-invasion), Ethiopia, DR Congo, Nigeria, Jordan, South Africa (PEPFAR). Sub-Saharan Africa ~35%, Near East ~20% of obligations. ForeignAssistance.gov API at /api/v1/resources.json. OpenAid, AidData, D-Portal for secondary access. Here is award mechanisms, PEPFAR data structure, implementing partner concentration, geographic patterns, IATI standard, and a Python ForeignAssistance.gov analysis by country and sector.
PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board) was created by Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 after Enron/WorldCom/Arthur Andersen scandals; ~1,700 registered audit firms globally; annual inspections for firms auditing >100 SEC-registered issuers, triennial for ≤100. Two-part inspection report: Part I (public deficiencies — insufficient audit evidence, ICFR failures, revenue recognition) immediately; Part II (quality control criticisms) public after 12 months. Big Four 2022 deficiency rates: 31-44% of inspected engagements. HFCAA: Chinese audit firms required to allow PCAOB inspection; August 2022 agreement enabled first-ever inspection of KPMG Huazhen and PwC Zhong Tian. Enforcement: Section 105, $15M/$750k monetary penalties; KPMG 2019 $50M fine for stealing inspection plans. Critical Audit Matters (CAMs) required since 2019. All inspection reports at pcaobus.org/inspections. Here is inspection methodology, deficiency trends by audit area, HFCAA China access resolution, enforcement actions, CAM disclosure, and a Python deficiency rate trend analysis.
Medicare Part D (MMA 2003, implemented January 2006) covers outpatient prescription drugs for ~50M beneficiaries through private PDPs and MA-PD plans; ~$225B annual spending. CMS publishes Part D Prescriber Data (NPI, specialty, drug, total claims, total cost) and Drug Spending Dashboard. Top drugs by spending: Eliquis (apixaban) ~$14B, Humira ~$6B pre-biosimilar, Keytruda ~$5B, GLP-1 agonists (Ozempic/Victoza) rapidly rising. PBM rebate mechanics: Tier 1-5 formulary; manufacturer pays 70% brand discount in coverage gap. IRA 2022: Medicare drug price negotiation (first 10 drugs 2026); $2,000 OOP cap 2025; inflation rebates. Humira 2023: 7 biosimilars launched simultaneously. ProPublica Prescriber Checkup identifies high-volume opioid prescribers. LIS/Extra Help: ~13M beneficiaries, full subsidy. CMS data at data.cms.gov. Here is benefit phases, formulary mechanics, IRA negotiation program, prescriber-level data structure, opioid prescribing patterns, and a Python analysis of specialty drug spending.
NFIP (National Flood Insurance Act 1968) provides flood insurance for ~5M policyholders across 22,000+ communities; ~$1.3T total coverage in force. Flood zones: SFHAs (Zone A/AE/V, 1% annual chance) require federally-backed mortgages to carry NFIP. Coverage limits: $250,000 building/$100,000 contents residential. Katrina 2005: $16B, 267k claims; Harvey 2017: $8.9B, 89k claims; Ian 2022: $3.6B. NFIP was $20B+ in debt to Treasury. Risk Rating 2.0 (Oct 2021): property-specific pricing by flood frequency, distance to water, foundation type; 18% annual cap; 1.2M policies canceled/non-renewed. National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) at msc.fema.gov; WFS API at hazards.fema.gov. OpenFEMA API: FimaNfipClaims and FimaNfipPolicies datasets. Repetitive loss: ~25,000 severe repetitive loss structures = 25-30% of total claims. First Street Foundation alternative risk model. Here is flood zone mechanics, Risk Rating 2.0 reform, NFHL GIS data, OpenFEMA API structure, repetitive loss dynamics, and a Python Harvey claims analysis by county.
FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act, 22 U.S.C. §§ 611-621, 1938) requires agents of foreign governments and political parties to register with DOJ's National Security Division and file semi-annual disclosure statements. ~500-600 active registrations at any time. Registration: Form RA-1 (within 10 days) → Form NSD-3 (semi-annual supplement) disclosing principal identity, activities, compensation, disbursements, political contacts. LDA exemption (22 U.S.C. § 613(h)): agents registering under the Lobbying Disclosure Act whose principal is not a foreign government or political party may use LDA instead -- DOJ IG 2016 report criticized this gap. Mueller-era surge 2018-2022: Manafort convicted, Flynn retroactively registered (Turkey/Gülen), Barrack acquitted (UAE), Podesta Group and Mercury LLC retroactively registered. Saudi Arabia post-Khashoggi: $14M+ annually, $450M+ since 2016; firms retained: Squire Patton Boggs, Akin Gump, BGR Group. Chinese state media: CGTN and Xinhua registered as foreign agents 2019. Criminal penalty: 22 U.S.C. § 618 felony, up to 5 years + fines. Electronic Reading Room: justice.gov/nsd-fara; eFARA bulk CSV at efile.fara.gov/bulk/. OpenSecrets and POGO maintain secondary databases. Here is registration mechanics, LDA exemption gap, Mueller-era cases, Saudi Arabia and China enforcement, eFARA bulk data structure, and a Python analysis of FARA disbursements by country.
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (ACA Section 6002, 2010) requires applicable manufacturers to report all payments ≥$10 to covered recipients. 2022 dataset: $12.7B total; research payments ~$4B; general payments ~$2.5B; ownership/investment interests ~$6.2B. ~2,700 applicable manufacturers; ~900,000 covered recipients. Three datasets at openpaymentsdata.cms.gov: General Payments (GP), Research Payments (RP), Ownership/Investment Interests (OI). Key fields: NPI, total_amount_of_payment_usdollars, nature_of_payment (consulting/speaking/food/royalty/research), drug/device name, manufacturer. NPI linkage to NPPES enables physician specialty/location cross-reference. ProPublica "Dollars for Docs" since 2010. Research: Carey et al. (2021) meals associated with brand prescribing; DeJong et al. (2016) payment receipt and prescribing patterns. Dispute process: 45-day window before publication. Socrata API at data.cms.gov/open-payments. Here is Sunshine Act mechanics, payment category taxonomy, scale data, prescribing-impact research, drug-specific linkage (Ozempic/Humira/insulin), and a Python Socrata API analysis by specialty and manufacturer.
NLRB Union Elections and Unfair Labor Practice Data: The Federal Database Behind US Labor Organizing
NLRB processes ~2,500-3,000 election cases and ~15,000-20,000 ULP charges annually. RC (union-initiated), RM (employer), RD (decertification) petition types; 25-30% showing of interest required; secret ballot; majority of valid votes cast to win. 2014 "Ambush Election" rule reduced pre-election period to ~23 days; 2023 Biden rule restoration. Union win rate ~65-70% in recent years. Amazon LDJ5 Staten Island April 2022: 2,654-2,131 first US Amazon union win; Starbucks Workers United 400+ stores. ULP charges: Section 8(a)(1) interference, 8(a)(3) anti-union discrimination, 8(a)(5) refusal to bargain; ALJ hearing → NLRB Board → circuit court. Gissel bargaining orders; McLaren Macomb (2023) confidentiality clauses unlawful. BLS 2023: 10.0% union density, 6.0% private, 33.1% public. NLRB election results CSV and case search at nlrb.gov. Here is petition types, 2014 rule history, Amazon/Starbucks campaigns, ULP mechanics, Gissel orders, and a Python election win rate analysis by industry.
ATF eTrace processes ~350,000-400,000 crime gun trace requests annually from law enforcement. Trace chain: law enforcement submits recovered gun → ATF contacts manufacturer/importer → FFL of first sale → subsequent FFLs until first retail purchaser identified. Time-to-crime (TTC): average 7-8 years nationally; TTC under 3 years flags potential trafficking; 21% of handguns traced within 3 years. Tiahrt Amendments (2003): prohibit ATF from releasing trace data to the public, using in civil litigation against gun dealers/manufacturers. Iron Pipeline: southeastern states (GA, SC, VA, FL) supply northeastern cities (NY, NJ, MD) via regulatory arbitrage. NIBIN: 300+ sites, 7,300 ballistic leads/week, links cartridge cases across crime scenes. ~130,000 active FFLs; 5-7% annually inspected; 920M+ records at Out-of-Business Records Center. ATF publishes state-level aggregate trace data at atf.gov. Here is eTrace chain mechanics, Tiahrt Amendments history, Iron Pipeline geographic patterns, NIBIN infrastructure, and a Python TTC distribution analysis by state and firearm type.
FDIC BankFind Suite at banks.data.fdic.gov provides institution profiles for all ~4,600 active FDIC-insured banks and thrifts plus 10,000+ historical institutions back to 1934. Charter types: N = national bank (OCC-chartered), SM = state member bank (Federal Reserve), NM = state nonmember bank (FDIC-supervised), SA = state savings association (OCC), SB = state savings bank (FDIC). Dual banking system: institutions choose state or federal charter creating regulatory competition. Banking consolidation: 14,000+ FDIC-insured institutions in 1984 to ~4,600 today -- 67% reduction driven by S&L crisis failures, interstate banking deregulation (Riegle-Neal 1994), Gramm-Leach-Bliley 1999, post-GFC 2008-2012 failures, and ongoing M&A. Summary of Deposits: annual branch-level deposit data enabling banking desert analysis (census tracts with no bank or credit union within 10 miles). CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) exam ratings published: Outstanding, Satisfactory, Needs to Improve, Substantial Noncompliance. BankFind API: /api/institutions endpoint with CERT (unique 5-digit certificate number), ACTIVE, ASSET (thousands), CLASSP, STALP, ESTYMD, SPECGRP, HCTMULT fields; no API key required. Here is charter type mechanics, dual banking regulatory competition, consolidation drivers, CRA compliance, banking desert geography, and a Python active institution analysis by state and asset tier.
FMCSA's MCMIS tracks ~500,000 reportable CMV crashes per year. Large truck fatalities reached 5,837 in 2022 -- the highest since 2005. 80%+ of truck crash fatalities are passenger vehicle occupants. The Large Truck Crash Causation Study (963 crashes) found driver error in 55% of crashes (87% decision/recognition/performance errors). HOS regulations: 11-hour drive limit, 14-hour window, ELD mandate December 2017. CSA SMS: 7 BASICs updated monthly. Roadside inspections: 3.5M/year, 20% vehicle OOS rate, 5% driver OOS rate. ATA v. FMCSA 2019 removed BASIC percentile scores from public display. SAFER, A&I portal, FMCSA public API, NHTSA FARS complement. Industry: 3.5M drivers, 750,000 carriers, 350,000 owner-operators. Here is the state fatality rate normalized by FHWA VMT, time-of-day and road-type breakdowns, critical reason attribution, and a Python carrier-level crash lookup.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is the nonpartisan policy and legal research arm of Congress within the Library of Congress, established 1914. 700 analysts across 7 divisions produce six product types: Reports (comprehensive analyses), Insights (2-4 page current issue), In Focus (2-page overviews), Legal Sidebars, Report Updates, and Testimonies. 25+ policy areas including agriculture, appropriations, budget, energy, environment, foreign affairs, health, homeland security, immigration, technology, labor, law, national defense, and transportation. The 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act first mandated public release; crsreports.congress.gov is the official portal with 9,000+ available reports. Historically products were available only to members of Congress -- the 2012 Coburn-blocked report on top marginal tax rates and economic growth (finding no correlation) galvanized the public access movement. EveryCRSReport.com (Federation of American Scientists + Demand Progress) provides bulk access including pre-2018 reports via API at everycrsreport.com/reports.json; each report has id, title, topics array, date, and versions list. CRS differs from GAO (auditing/program evaluation) and CBO (budget scoring only). Here is CRS product type mechanics, the public access mandate, EveryCRSReport.com API structure, and a Python analysis of publication frequency and update patterns by policy area.
NIST NVD enriches 250,000+ CVE records with CVSS scores, CWE classifications, and CPE product data. CVE Numbering Authorities (400+ CNAs): Microsoft, Google, Apple, Red Hat, MITRE root CNA. CVSS v3.1: Attack Vector/Complexity, Privileges Required, User Interaction, Scope, CIA impact. Score ranges: Critical 9.0-10.0, High 7.0-8.9, Medium 4.0-6.9. CISA KEV catalog: 1,000+ confirmed-exploited CVEs, BOD 22-01 mandates federal patching within 14 days. Log4Shell CVE-2021-44228 CVSS 10.0; EternalBlue CVE-2017-0144 9.3; Heartbleed CVE-2014-0160 7.5. CWE-787 Out-of-Bounds Write dominates Critical CVEs. NVD REST API /rest/json/cves/2.0 with cvssV3Severity/cweId/cpeMatchString/hasKev parameters. FedRAMP, PCI DSS, FISMA compliance applications. Here is CVE assignment mechanics, CVSS base/temporal/environmental scores, KEV operational mechanics, and a Python Critical CVE analysis for 2024.
EPA GHGRP requires ~8,000 facilities emitting ≥25,000 tCO2e/year to report annually, covering ~85-90% of US stationary source emissions. 41 source categories: power plants (Subpart D), petroleum/natural gas systems (Subpart W, largest by count), refineries (Subpart Y), landfills, cement, iron/steel, chemical manufacturing. Six GHGs: CO2, CH4 (28-34x GWP), N2O (265-298x), HFCs (up to 14,800x), PFCs, SF6 (23,500x). FLIGHT tool at ghgdata.epa.gov for facility search. ECHO bulk download. Satellite methane validation controversy: TROPOMI/Sentinel-5P, GHGSat, MethaneSAT finding higher Permian Basin emissions than Subpart W reports. EPA 2024 Subpart W methodology revision. Here is sector composition, data access via ENVIRO API, and a Python top-emitter analysis.
DOJ Antitrust Division enforces Sherman Act (criminal: price-fixing, bid-rigging, market allocation) and Clayton Act (civil merger review). HSR Act pre-merger notification: 2024 threshold $119.5M, ~1,500-2,000 annual filings, ~3% receive Second Requests, $51,744/day penalty for failure to file. Merger review: Phase 1 (30-day) → Phase 2 → consent decree or litigation. 2023 Merger Guidelines: HHI thresholds (2,500+ highly concentrated). Leniency Program: first cartel self-reporter gets automatic amnesty. Auto parts cartel $2.9B fines. AT&T-Time Warner (DOJ lost), UnitedHealth-Change Healthcare (blocked), JetBlue-Spirit (blocked). DOJ press releases RSS, PACER for complaints. Here is FTC coordination, criminal enforcement mechanics, and a Python press release classification analysis.
CDC WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) covers all US injury deaths (ICD-10 external cause V-Y) back to 1981 and nonfatal ED visits via NEISS-AIP. 2022: unintentional injury ~230k deaths (#1 cause ages 1-44); drug overdose ~109,680 (fentanyl/synthetics ~73,800); motor vehicle ~46,000; suicide ~49,000 (firearms 55%, hanging 27%); homicide ~24,000 (firearms 79%). Total firearm deaths 48,204 (14.6/100k). Three opioid waves: prescription, heroin, fentanyl. WISQARS API, WONDER, NVDRS (case-level violent deaths with circumstance data). Geographic patterns: firearm suicide highest in rural Mountain West; firearm homicide concentrated in urban areas. Here is ICD-10 coding, NEISS methodology, and a Python state firearm rate analysis.
USASpending.gov tracks ~$6T in annual federal spending via FFATA 2006 and DATA Act 2014. Contracts (~$700B from FPDS-NG): DoD ~$412B, Lockheed Martin ~$73B, RTX ~$42B, Boeing, General Dynamics, Northrop. Grants (~$800B): NIH $40B, NSF $9B. API at api.usaspending.gov: /search/spending_by_award, /bulk_download. FPDS fields: UEI, CAGE, PSC, NAICS, contract type, competition type, set-aside (8(a)/HUBZone/SDVOSB/WOSB). FSRS subaward reporting >$30k. Data Act financial linkage: appropriation → obligation → outlay. Here is defense contract patterns, small business set-asides, DATA Act mechanics, and a Python DoD top-contractor analysis.
The Federal Register is the official daily journal of the US federal government, published since 1936, containing proposed rules (NPRMs), final rules, presidential documents, and notices — ~85,000-95,000 pages/year. APA requires notice-and-comment: NPRM → 30-90 day comment period → final rule with 30-day delay. OIRA reviews significant/major rules (>$100M impact) under EO 12866. Unified Regulatory Agenda tracks all agency rules in the pipeline. Congressional Review Act allows Congress to overturn recent major rules. Here is the CFR 50-title structure, Regulations.gov docket API, Federal Register API at federalregister.gov/api/v1/, Loper Bright 2024 overruling of Chevron, and a Python EPA NPRM analysis.
The FEC administers FECA (1971/1974) for federal elections only. Committee types: PCC, party committees, PAC ($5k/election limit), Super PAC (post-Citizens United, unlimited), SSF, Leadership PAC. 2024 federal spending ~$14B. Individual to candidate limit $3,300/election. FEC bulk data: cm.zip (committees), indiv.zip (individual contributions >$200 with employer/occupation), pas2.zip (PAC-to-candidate), oppexp.zip (disbursements). OpenFEC API at api.open.fec.gov/v1/. 501(c)(4) dark money: no donor disclosure required. Here is all eight bulk files, Super PAC mechanics, MURs, and a Python occupation partisan lean analysis.
SEC Form D is filed within 15 days of first sale in a Reg D exempt offering. Rule 506(b): unlimited amount, no general solicitation, up to 35 non-accredited investors (~90% of filings). Rule 506(c): unlimited, general solicitation permitted (JOBS Act 2012), accredited investors only. Rule 506 offerings raised ~$2.5T in 2022. Fields: entity name, exemption type, offering amount, investor count, investment fund type (VC/PE/hedge/real estate), industry group. EDGAR full-text search at efts.sec.gov. Historical back to 2009. Reg CF ($5M crowdfunding), Reg A+ ($75M mini-IPO). Here is all Reg D exemptions, JOBS Act impact, dark money limitations, and a Python VC state/sector analysis.
CMS publishes annual Medicare Inpatient Provider Charge Data for ~3,000 hospitals across ~760 DRGs. The IPPS pays a fixed amount per DRG via relative weights (RW) — DRG 001 Heart Transplant RW ~25.0, DRG 470 Major Joint Replacement RW ~2.1, 2023 base rate ~$6,000. Medicare pays ~$170B/year via IPPS. Adjustments include Wage Index, IME for teaching hospitals, DSH for safety-net hospitals, and outlier payments. Chargemasters produce 5x-10x sticker prices vs. actual payments. Geographic variation: DRG 470 ranges $12,000–$35,000+ across hospitals. Here is the full dataset schema, Socrata API access, value-based care adjustments (HVBP, HRRP, HACRP), and a Python charge-to-payment ratio analysis.
The FDA Orange Book lists approved drugs and their TE ratings (AB = substitutable bioequivalent). Hatch-Waxman Act (1984) created the ANDA pathway — generics skip clinical trials, show bioequivalence. Paragraph IV certification challenges listed patents → 30-month stay + 180-day first-filer exclusivity. Exclusivity types: NCE 5yr, new clinical investigation 3yr, Orphan Drug 7yr, Pediatric 6mo. Patent thickets: average 71+ listed patents per brand drug. Lipitor $10B/year cliff Nov 2011; Humira 2023 multi-biosimilar launch. Three flat files: Products.txt, Patent.txt, Exclusivity.txt. Here is TE code breakdown, pay-for-delay/FTC v. Actavis, Purple Book for biologics, and a Python upcoming patent cliff analysis.
CDC PLACES produces model-based small area health estimates for all 3,100+ counties, 29,000+ census tracts, and 28,000+ ZCTAs. 36+ measures across 5 domains: health outcomes (diabetes, obesity, CHD, stroke), prevention (screenings, insurance), unhealthy behaviors (smoking, binge drinking), disabilities, and social determinants. Uses multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) applied to BRFSS survey data + Census ACS. Obesity >40% in Appalachian counties vs. <20% in Mountain West. Diabetes 15%+ in Mississippi Delta vs. <7% in Colorado. Socrata API at data.cdc.gov, GeoJSON endpoint, sodapy library. Here is full methodology, PLACES vs. County Health Rankings, and a Python Mississippi county health burden analysis.
BSEE was created in 2011 from MMS breakup after the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo blowout (87 days, 4.9M barrels, 11 deaths). Regulates ~2,000 OCS facilities, MODUs, 15,000+ wells. 4,000+ annual inspections, ~2,000+ INCs (Incidents of Noncompliance) issued. Incident categories: blowouts, fires/explosions, collisions, fatalities (~10-15/yr), injuries (100+/yr). SEMS rule (2010/2013) required operator safety management systems. Well Control Rule (2016) set BOP testing/monitoring requirements. OCS produces 15-17% of US oil. Data at bsee.gov: incident, INC, inspection, production, well CSVs. ArcGIS REST services for OCS infrastructure GIS.
The DTS is published each federal business day at 4 PM ET by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, reporting the prior day's cash receipts, outlays, and borrowing. Tables cover TGA balance at Federal Reserve Banks, public debt outstanding, deposits and withdrawals by source category, operating cash balances, and federal agency deposits. The fiscal year deficit is the running sum of daily net outflows. Here is DTS Table I-VII structure, TGA balance mechanics, debt ceiling X-date tracking, Fiscal Data API access, and a Python script to chart daily outflows by category.
The Federal Reserve H.15 release publishes daily interest rate data for the federal funds effective rate, Treasury constant maturities (1-month through 30-year), prime rate, discount rate, and SOFR since the LIBOR transition. The 2-10 yield curve inverted to -108 bps in 2023, the deepest inversion since 1981. Here is CMT construction methodology, EFFR vs. SOFR vs. LIBOR mechanics, FRED series IDs (DFF, DGS10, SOFR), real rate calculation via TIPS breakevens, and a Python FRED API dual-chart of the yield curve spread with recession shading.
The Census PEP produces annual population estimates for all 3,100+ counties and 50 states using a cohort-component model: base census + births - deaths + net migration. Florida gained 2.1M residents 2020-2023; Texas gained 2.4M; NYC lost ~500K from 2020 peak. Here is the components-of-change methodology, TIGER geography linkage, vintage year vs. decennial census reconciliation, Census API pep/population endpoint, and a Python script ranking counties by population growth rate with net migration decomposition.
FSIS regulates 6,500+ meat, poultry, and egg processing establishments covering 80+ billion pounds of product annually. The three-class recall system escalates from Class III (mislabeling) to Class I (health hazard). The 2008 Hallmark/Westland recall (143M lbs, largest ever) involved downer cattle. E. coli O157:H7 is a zero-tolerance adulterant. Here is the Establishments.csv schema, FSIS recall database API, GenomeTrakr WGS pathogen tracing, HACCP plan requirements, PHIS inspection reports, and a Python recall trend analysis by Class and commodity.
SAIPE produces annual model-based poverty estimates for all 3,100+ counties and 13,000+ school districts — the only single-year official source at that geography. It drives ~$17B in annual Title I-A education funding and the $3.5B CDBG formula. The model combines ACS, IRS EITC filers, SNAP counts, and CPS via small area estimation. The Census API exposes county and school-district poverty rates and median household income back to 1989 via a single endpoint.
Economy and demographics · Research and education · Federal data
The NTD collects annual ridership (UPT), vehicle miles, fares, and expenses from ~800 transit agencies as a condition of FTA grants. US total UPT hit 10.4B in 2023, still below the 15.7B pre-COVID peak. The COVID collapse was severe — NYC subway fell from 1.8B to 600M annual trips — and $69B in emergency relief (CARES + CRRSAA + ARP) kept systems running. Section 5307 formula grants (~$5B/year) are allocated directly from NTD UPT/VRM data.
The USPTO holds ~3M active registered trademarks, with ~650,000 new applications per year at peak. Federal registration provides nationwide constructive notice, ® usage rights, US Customs blocking of infringing imports, and incontestability after 5 years. The 45 Nice Classification classes span all goods and services. Bulk XML data at bulkdata.uspto.gov and the USPTO Trademark JSON API enable filing trend analysis; China accounts for ~25% of foreign USPTO filings.
The SLOOS surveys ~80 large US banks and 24 foreign branches quarterly on changes in lending standards and loan demand. The net percentage (tightening minus easing) is the key signal: it hit +80% for C&I loans in Q4 2008 and +68% in Q2 2020. Net tightening above +50% has historically predicted recession within 4 quarters. FRED series DRTSCILM (large/medium C&I) and DRTSCIS (small firms) extend back to 1990 and are freely accessible via the FRED API.
The FCC's Universal Licensing System (ULS) holds 25M+ active wireless licenses covering amateur radio (11M+ operators), commercial mobile (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile spectrum), public safety, broadcast, microwave, and satellite. Spectrum auctions have raised $160B+ total — Auction 110 (C-band 2021) alone netted $81B, the largest ever. The National Table of Frequency Allocations (47 CFR Part 2) governs band use. ULS bulk data at ftp.fcc.gov enables license density analysis, and the FCC also maintains broadcast license data (CDBS/LMS) for AM/FM/TV stations.
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program subsidizes rent for ~2.3 million households at ~$30B/year, administered by ~2,200 local PHAs. HUD publishes Fair Market Rents (FMRs) annually for ~2,600 areas at the 40th percentile of gross rent (2024: NYC 2BR $2,765, rural MS $725). Only ~25% of eligible households receive assistance due to funding caps; waitlists run 1–10 years. The HUD Picture of Subsidized Households (PASH) provides tract-level data on income, demographics, and voucher concentration for spatial analysis.
The AHS is a biennial panel survey (~60,000 housing units) covering structural quality, condition deficiencies, heating fuel, plumbing, and neighborhood characteristics — the deepest housing-unit dataset in the US. Tracking the same units since 1973 reveals: plumbing inadequacy fell from 4.5% to under 0.5%; owner-occupancy peaked at 69% (2004–05) and troughed at 63% (2016); new single-family median size grew from 1,500 to 2,300+ sq ft. HUD uses AHS microdata for the biennial Worst Case Housing Needs report (8.5M households in 2023).
USDA ERS publishes agricultural economic data across farm income ($116B net farm income in 2023), food prices (monthly CPI food outlook, 2022's +11.4% grocery price surge), food security (13.5% of households food insecure in 2023, 47M people), commodity program costs (ARC/PLC reference prices), and rural America (Beale Codes 1–9 classifying all 3,100+ counties, 180+ rural hospital closures since 2010). The Food Access Research Atlas maps food deserts at the census-tract level.
The BLS Employment Cost Index (ECI) measures quarterly changes in employer compensation costs (wages + benefits) using fixed employment weights — eliminating the industry-mix distortion that afflicts Average Hourly Earnings. Private-industry wages peaked at ~5.7% YoY in mid-2022 before decelerating to ~4.2% by end-2023; the Fed's comfort level is ~3.5% consistent with 2% PCE inflation. The ECI benefits breakdown (ECEC release) shows health insurance at ~$3.50–$4.00/hour and total benefits at ~31% of compensation. A Q1 2024 upside ECI surprise directly delayed Fed rate cut timing.
DOL publishes initial and continuing unemployment insurance claims every Thursday at 8:30 AM ET, covering 53 state programs. Initial claims peaked at 6.87 million for the week ending March 28, 2020 — dwarfing the prior record of 695,000 (1982). Pre-COVID lows of ~200,000 (2018–2019) were the lowest since 1969. The 4-week moving average smooths weather and auto-plant retooling noise. FRED series ICSA, ICNSA, and CC4WSA provide full history back to 1967.
Labor and workplace · Economy and demographics · Federal data
The Census Bureau Foreign Trade Division compiles monthly import/export statistics from CBP ACE entry data and AES electronic export filings. 2023: goods exports $2.02T, imports $3.08T, deficit $1.06T. Data drills to 10-digit HS/Schedule B codes by country and port. Section 301 China tariffs 2018–2019 reduced the US-China goods deficit from $419B to $279B but shifted sourcing to Vietnam, Mexico, and Taiwan. The Census API (api.census.gov/data/timeseries/intltrade/) and USA Trade Online enable country-HS-month-level analysis.
Social Security's OASDI program (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) paid $1.4T in benefits to ~70 million recipients in 2024, funded by 6.2% FICA payroll tax on wages up to $168,600. The benefit formula converts 35 highest indexed earning years into AIME, then applies progressive bend points (90%/32%/15%) to compute PIA. Full Retirement Age is 67 for those born 1960+; early claiming at 62 permanently reduces benefits 25-30%; delayed claiming to 70 adds 8%/year. The 2024 Trustees Report projects OASI trust fund depletion in 2033, after which revenues cover ~77% of scheduled benefits. SSA publishes 700+ statistical tables in the Annual Statistical Supplement, monthly snapshots at data.ssa.gov, and the Social Security Statement via my.ssa.gov.
The Current Population Survey (CPS) interviews ~60,000 households monthly to produce the official unemployment rate and, via the March ASEC supplement (~95,000 households), the official US poverty rate. The official poverty measure (OPM) uses 1960s Orshansky thresholds adjusted only for CPI ($30,900 for a family of 4 in 2023, 11.1% poverty rate). The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) adds SNAP, housing subsidies, and EITC while subtracting taxes, yielding 12.9% in 2023 — more policy-sensitive. Median household income was ~$80,610 in 2023. IPUMS CPS harmonizes all CPS waves back to 1962; the Census API exposes state-level poverty rates programmatically.
The BEA's International Transactions Accounts (ITAs) record all economic flows between US residents and the rest of the world. In 2023, the US ran a goods deficit of ~$1.06T, offset partially by a services surplus of ~$293B and net primary income of +$196B, for a total current account deficit of ~$905B (3.3% of GDP). The US's net international investment position stood at -$20.6T — yet the US earns positive net primary income because US assets abroad yield higher returns ("exorbitant privilege"). The BEA ITA API exposes quarterly data on all current account components back to 1960.
NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) archives 150+ petabytes of atmospheric, ocean, and geophysical data serving 25+ billion online requests per year. The Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily) covers ~120,000 stations worldwide with daily Tmax/Tmin/PRCP/SNOW back to the late 1800s. NOAAGlobalTemp made 2023 the warmest year on record (+1.45°C above pre-industrial). US Climate Normals (1991–2020) define 30-year averages for 15,000+ stations. NCEI's Billion-Dollar Disasters database counted 28 events totaling $94B in losses in 2023. The CDO REST API provides programmatic access with daily and monthly summary endpoints.
The VA disability compensation program pays monthly benefits to ~5.5 million veterans (up from 3.5M in 2010) based on a 0–100% rating using a whole-person combined formula. Here is the 2024 compensation rate table ($171/month at 10% to $3,737 at 100%), the PACT Act 2022 and its 23 new burn pit presumptive conditions (3.5M newly eligible veterans, $280B 10-year cost), the GI Bill (Post-9/11 Ch. 33: tuition cap, BAH allowance, $1K books stipend), the VA Home Loan Guaranty (no down payment, 4M+ loans in FY2022), the claims processing system (884K 2012 peak backlog, three Appeals Reform Act review lanes), VSOs and TDIU (~370K recipients), and the VA Open Data portal with state-level benefits utilization data.
The USGS National Water Information System runs 8,000+ streamflow gauging stations and feeds NWS River Forecast Centers and the National Water Model (2.7 million reaches, 15-minute forecasts). Here is ADCP gauging methodology, annual peak discharge feeding FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the Ogallala Aquifer (174,000 sq miles, declining 1–3 ft/year in TX/KS), Central Valley land subsidence from groundwater pumping, the NAWQA water quality monitoring program, water use surveys (thermoelectric power 41% of withdrawals), the 7Q10 low-flow statistic driving NPDES permits, the NWIS REST API (parameterCd/statCd parameter table), and a Python script plotting 5-year discharge with drought-period shading.
The NSF funds ~25% of all federally funded basic research at US universities (excluding life sciences) with a $9B+ annual budget across 8 directorates. Here is the proposal review process (dual merit criteria: intellectual merit AND broader impacts; funding rates 17–25% by directorate; ~40,000–50,000 proposals/year), the CAREER award ($500k/5 years, highly competitive), the Graduate Research Fellowship GRFP ($37k/year, ~2,000 awards from 12,000+ applicants), the NSF Awards API (api.nsf.gov, 600,000+ awards searchable), National AI Research Institutes ($200M+), the 2023 immediate open-access mandate stricter than NIH's, EPSCoR geographic equity program, and a Python Awards API CAREER grant analysis by directorate and institution.
The BTS ATOP/ASQP database covers ~6 million flight records per year from all domestic carriers with 1%+ market share, with delay coded across five cause categories: Carrier (~30-35%), NAS (~30-35%), Late Aircraft (~35-45%), Weather (~5-10%), and Security (<1%). Here is the T-100 domestic/international traffic series (ASM, RPM, load factor), Form 41 carrier financials (CASM, RASM, fuel as 20-30% of costs), the COVID collapse (96% RPM decline April 2020, $54B CARES Act PSP), the Southwest December 2022 meltdown (17,000 cancelled flights, $140M DOT settlement), the 3-hour/4-hour tarmac delay rule, BTS Transtats bulk download, and a Python script to compute monthly on-time rate and cancellation rate by carrier.
The Federal Reserve Z.1 (formerly Flow of Funds) publishes quarterly financial assets and liabilities for all US economic sectors. Here is the household net worth data ($156T 2021 peak, ~$8T 2022 decline from rate hikes), the Distributional Financial Accounts showing top 1% hold ~31% of wealth vs. bottom 50% at ~3%, the two-sided sectoral balance accounting identity, corporate leverage, Table B.101 residential real estate at market value ($25T to $43T 2019–2024), the $26T+ Treasury liability position, Rest of World holdings, FRED mnemonic guide, and a Python FRED API script pulling household net worth with CPI deflation and NBER recession shading.
Finance and markets · Economy and demographics · Federal data
The Census LEHD program links UI wage records for 95%+ of private workers to employer and household records, producing the Quarterly Workforce Indicators (employment/payroll/hires/separations by county × industry × age × sex × education), LODES origin-destination commuting matrices (block-to-block home-work pairs), job-to-job flow statistics (7–10% earnings premium from voluntary job switching), and business dynamics data. Here is how LEHD differs from QCEW/CES/ACS, the COVID remote-work reshaping of OD commute flows, the great resignation mobility spike, OnTheMap and LEHD Explorer tools, and a Python Census QWI API script analyzing young construction worker employment by county.
Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace · Federal data
The BEA Regional Accounts allocate national economic totals to states, counties, and MSAs: GDP by State (annual/quarterly, NAICS detail, post-COVID TX/FL leading growth), Personal Income by State (quarterly, five-component decomposition of labor/capital/transfers), Personal Income by County (~3,100 counties annually, CAINC1 table), and GDP by MSA (~380 MSAs, NYC at $2T+ vs. rural laggards). Here is the energy boom-bust signal (North Dakota Bakken GDP doubled 2007–2014 then collapsed), the high-income state tax migration effect (California 13.3% vs. Texas/Florida 0%), transfer payment COVID surge and unwinding, BEA Regional API parameters, and a Python script ranking states by 2010–2024 per-capita personal income growth.
The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service conducts 400+ surveys annually, reaching 3 million respondents to produce the authoritative federal record of US crop production, livestock inventories, commodity prices, and agricultural prices since 1867. Here is the Crop Production report, WASDE supply-demand balance sheets, the QuickStats API (eight parameters, 50,000 record limit), weekly Crop Progress with Good/Excellent condition ratings, the five major crops (corn 35% of cropland, soybeans competing with Brazil, winter/spring wheat, cotton, rice), the 2012 drought sending corn to $8.49/bushel and soybeans above $17, Cattle on Feed, Hogs and Pigs quarterly, Prices Received/Paid, and a Python QuickStats API script to plot state-level corn yield per acre for the top 5 producing states over 20 years.
The Energy Information Administration is the primary federal authority for US energy data, publishing the market-moving Short-Term Energy Outlook, the Weekly Petroleum Status Report (Cushing OK crude stocks that move WTI crude prices $1–2/barrel), the Natural Gas Storage Report (five-region EIA-914 data), EIA-860 and EIA-923 power plant databases (15,000+ generators, monthly fuel consumption and generation), the Electric Power Monthly, Petroleum Supply Monthly, and the EIA Open Data API (500,000+ series). Here is the 2019 US net petroleum export milestone, the 2022 European energy crisis Henry Hub spike to $9/MMBtu, and a Python EIA v2 API script pulling WTI crude and Henry Hub weekly prices with a dual-axis chart annotating the 2022 spike.
Environment and energy · Economy and demographics · Federal data
The Census Bureau Building Permits Survey and New Residential Construction release track ~20,000 permit-issuing jurisdictions and ~900 construction sample areas monthly — the primary federal leading indicators for US housing activity. Here is the BPS 96% coverage of US construction, SAAR methodology, permits-to-starts ratio dynamics, the 2006 peak at 2.07M SAAR to 2009 trough at 554K to the 2020–2021 surge to the 2022–2023 pullback as mortgage rates went 3% to 7%, the SFH/multifamily bifurcation, Sun Belt concentration (Texas 15–18%, Florida 10–12%), New Residential Sales contract-signed timing, lumber futures (2021 spike to $1,700/MBF), Census BPS API, and FRED series PERMIT/HOUST/HOUST1F/HOUST5F.
BLS Occupational Employment Data: Wages, Job Counts, and 10-Year Projections for Every US Occupation
The BLS OEWS program publishes wages and employment counts for 830 occupations across 590+ geographies from a 1.1M establishment semiannual survey pooled over 3 years into ~3.3M observations. Here is the data structure (TOT_EMP, hourly/annual wage percentiles 10th–90th, location quotient, entry/experienced wage fields), the Standard Occupational Classification (23 major groups / 459 broad / 867 detailed occupations), top-paying occupations (surgeons $250k+, anesthesiologists, airline pilots), Employment Projections 2022–2032 (fastest-growing: home health aides +924k, NPs, solar installers; fastest-declining: word processors, cashiers), the Occupational Outlook Handbook, O*NET skills crosswalk, wage inequality analysis (90/10 percentile ratio), H-1B prevailing wage connection, and a Python script to analyze healthcare occupation wages from the national OEWS ZIP.
Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace · Federal data
The Federal Highway Administration publishes the most comprehensive infrastructure dataset in the federal government: the National Bridge Inventory (620,000+ bridges, biennial inspection, 0–9 condition ratings, sufficiency score), the Highway Performance Monitoring System (pavement IRI, Good/Fair/Poor condition, 900,000+ road segments), Annual Average Daily Traffic counts, and Highway Statistics (registered vehicles, licensed drivers, gas tax revenues). Here is the structurally deficient vs. functionally obsolete distinction, the IIJA 2021 $40B bridge repair program, the Highway Trust Fund solvency crisis (gas tax frozen at $0.184/gallon since 1993, EVs avoiding it), the Freight Analysis Framework commodity-flow OD matrices, and a Python NBI bridge data script to map structurally deficient bridges by sufficiency rating.
Transportation safety · Engineering and infrastructure · Federal data
The BLS releases two surveys on “Jobs Friday” (first Friday of each month): the Establishment Survey (580,000 worksites, source of the nonfarm payroll headline) and the Household Survey (60,000 households, source of the unemployment rate). Here is why the two surveys often diverge, how the net birth/death model handles new businesses, the three-tier revision cycle including the annual benchmark (the January 2024 benchmark removed 818,000 jobs from the prior year), X-13ARIMA-SEATS seasonal adjustment, industry-level dynamics (healthcare adding jobs through every recession, the COVID −20.5M single-month collapse), the 8:30 AM release market impact, and a Python BLS API script to download total nonfarm payroll and plot recession bars.
Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace · Federal data
The SEC has required XBRL-tagged financial statements from all public companies since 2009–2011, creating a machine-readable database of ~7,000 active filers. Here is the US-GAAP taxonomy (17,000+ concepts, us-gaap/dei/srt namespaces), the three EDGAR APIs (Company Facts for all filings, Company Concept for a single metric over time, Frames for cross-sectional data across all companies in one period), data quality pitfalls (30% custom extension elements, taxonomy changes after ASC 606, fiscal year misalignment), the Beneish M-score fraud detection application, and a Python script using the SEC EDGAR API to extract Apple's revenue and net income history from 10-K filings.
CMS Care Compare publishes quality data for every Medicare- and Medicaid-certified skilled nursing facility in the US. Here is the five-star composite rating system (health inspection, staffing, and quality measure components), the 3×4 scope/severity deficiency grid (A through L, Immediate Jeopardy at J–L), the Payroll-Based Journal staffing system that replaced self-reported data in 2016, the Minimum Data Set resident assessment that drives both quality measures and PDPM reimbursement, COVID-19’s toll on nursing homes (170,000+ deaths, 38% of early US COVID deaths), private equity ownership transparency gaps, and a Python script to download CMS Care Compare CSV files and compute state-level star rating distributions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses surveys ~230,000 establishments annually to produce the only national count of workplace injuries and illnesses. Here is the Total Recordable Incidence Rate formula, OSHA recordkeeping requirements (Form 300 Log, 300A Summary, 301 Incident Report), the case-and-demographic microdata for individual injury characteristics, the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries as the companion fatal census (~5,500/year, construction’s fatal four), the musculoskeletal disorder supplement, the pervasive underreporting problem (academic research shows 40–69% capture rate), and a Python BLS API script to compare TRIR across construction, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace · Federal data
The EPA Air Quality System aggregates hourly and daily pollutant readings from 4,000+ monitoring sites operated by state, local, tribal, and federal agencies. Here is the six criteria pollutant NAAQS framework (PM2.5, PM10, ozone, CO, SO2, NO2), the 2024 PM2.5 standard tightened to 9 μg/m³, the AQI 0–500 scale and daily worst-of-pollutants calculation, nonattainment designation and State Implementation Plan mechanics, the Harvard Six Cities study and BenMAP health burden model (100,000+ annual PM2.5-attributable deaths), environmental justice monitoring gaps, wildfire smoke exceptional events provisions, and a Python script using the EPA AQS API to download daily PM2.5 readings and identify exceedance days.
HUD’s annual Point-in-Time count, conducted over the last 10 days of January by ~400 Continuum of Care regions, is the only national census of homelessness in the US. Here is the sheltered vs. unsheltered methodology, the 2023 count of 653,100 (the highest since reporting began), California’s 28% share, the Homeless Management Information System as the longitudinal individual-level tracking database, veteran homelessness (37,000+ and the HUD-VASH voucher program), the chronic homeless definition (12+ months or 4+ episodes), methodological limitations (January weather, volunteer variation, doubled-up household exclusion), Housing First policy evidence, and a Python script to download HUD Exchange PIT CSVs and compute per-capita homeless rates by state.
The federal aviation safety ecosystem spans four major databases: the NTSB accident database (every civil aviation accident since 1962), the FAA AIDS system, the NASA-administered Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS — voluntary, confidential, non-punitive near-miss reports), and the FAA Wildlife Strike Database. Here is the NTSB probable cause taxonomy (pilot error 70%+ of GA accidents), the Boeing 737 MAX MCAS investigation, the ASRS reporting immunity mechanism, runway incursion categories, the Miracle on Hudson Canada Goose strike context, the FAA Civil Aviation Registry N-number database, pilot workforce demographics, and a Python NTSB bulk CSV phase-of-flight fatal accident rate analysis.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission publishes quarterly Performance Indicators, inspection findings, and daily Event Notification Reports for all 99 operating US nuclear reactors. Here is the Reactor Oversight Process cornerstones (Initiating Events, Mitigating Systems, Barrier Integrity), the Significance Determination Process (Green/White/Yellow/Red), Licensee Event Reports, the TMI and Fukushima reform trail, probabilistic risk assessment (core damage frequency ~1E-5/reactor-year), the ADAMS document management system with 7M+ public records, the 92–93% nuclear capacity factor record, and a Python NRC PI XML parser to rank plants by unplanned scram rate.
The Bureau of Prisons manages 121 federal prisons holding ~148,000 inmates — down from a 219,000 peak in 2013. Here is the weekly population data, offense category breakdown (drug offenses 43%+, the legacy of mandatory minimums), the racial disparity in crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing before the Fair Sentencing Act 2010, FIRST STEP Act reforms, the BJS National Prisoner Statistics Program covering all US incarceration, US Sentencing Commission case-level sentencing data and disparity research, PACER federal court records, supervised release mechanics, private prison contracting ($700M+/year), ICE immigration detention as a separate civil system, and recidivism data (68% rearrest within 3 years).
USCIS adjudicates ~8 million petitions annually and publishes detailed statistics on every immigration benefit category. Here is the naturalization data (~800–900K/year by country of birth), the employment-based green card per-country 7% cap that creates 40+ year backlogs for Indian nationals (EB-2 India priority date ~2012), the H-1B lottery (470K registrations for 85K slots in FY2025), the 1.7M+ affirmative asylum backlog, DACA quarterly recipient counts by state, the EOIR immigration court 3.3M+ case backlog with judge-level grant rate variation, DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, and a Python USCIS naturalization Excel workbook analysis.
Federal data · Justice and immigration · Economy and demographics
The FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program collects crime data from ~18,000 law enforcement agencies — transitioning from the legacy Summary Reporting System to the incident-level NIBRS, a shift that created massive coverage gaps in the 2021 national crime count when major cities failed to report. Here is the 8 Part I Index Crimes, the NIBRS incident/offense/victim/property/arrestee segment structure, the 2020–2021 murder surge (+30% single-year, the largest since national tracking began), hate crime data, LEOKA officer safety statistics, the dark figure of crime and NCVS complement, clearance rates, and the Crime Data Explorer API with a Python state-level murder rate trend analysis.
The SBA publishes loan-level data for all approved 7(a) and 504 loans — the two flagship small business lending programs covering $30–40B/year in 7(a) guarantees and $8–10B/year in 504 fixed-asset financing. Here is the 7(a) guarantee structure (85% on loans ≤$150K, 75% above, up to $5M), the 504 three-party 50/40/10 split, the loan-level public dataset fields (NAICS, lender, status, charge-off amount, ownership flags), lender concentration (Live Oak Bank, OIG 2014 high-risk lender report), industry default rates, SBIC venture financing, equity and access analysis by minority/women/veteran-owned status, and a Python Socrata API sector default rate analysis.
The BLS American Time Use Survey has tracked 24-hour time diaries for ~10,000 Americans annually since 2003 — the only federal dataset measuring time allocation across all life activities. Here is the 17 major activity categories and ATUS Lexicon coding, the gender gap (women average 2+ hours/day more household/caregiving vs. men's more leisure and paid work), parental intensive childcare trends, the 2020 COVID shift to remote work (42% working from home), leisure inequality by education (TV vs. reading/exercise divergence), the Well-Being and Eating & Health special modules, IPUMS-ATUS for harmonized cross-year access, and a Python weighted gender gap analysis.
Every FDIC-insured institution files quarterly Call Reports (FFIEC 031/041/051) — the primary supervisory dataset covering ~4,700 banks with balance sheet, income, asset quality, capital adequacy, and liquidity detail. Here is the RC schedule structure (HTM vs. AFS securities, loan categories, deposit types), Schedule RI income statement, Schedule RC-N nonperforming loans and charge-offs, Schedule RC-R capital ratios and PCA thresholds, the SVB warning signs visible in 2022 Call Report data (HTM unrealized losses, concentrated uninsured deposits), the Texas Ratio methodology, FDIC BankFind Suite API, and a Python community-bank screening script.
The BLS Multifactor Productivity (Total Factor Productivity) program measures output growth unexplained by measurable labor and capital inputs — the Solow residual that captures technological progress. Here is the growth accounting decomposition, the historical MFP episodes (1.5%/year golden age 1948–73, the productivity slowdown, the 1995–2004 IT revival, the post-2004 deceleration), the Hall-Jorgenson capital services methodology, labor vs. MFP distinction and its implications for real wage growth, unit labor costs as the core services inflation driver (peaked 2022, recovered 2023), the AI productivity hypothesis, FRED series IDs (OPHNFB, ULCNFB), and a Python BLS API dual-axis chart.
Medicaid is the largest health coverage program in the US by beneficiary count (~90M people, ~$900B/year), administered by states under federal rules with FMAP matching. Here is the key data sources (monthly enrollment by eligibility group, T-MSIS claims data, MBES expenditure system), the ACA expansion 37-state vs. 13-holdout divide, the COVID continuous enrollment surge from 70M to 95M and the 2023–2024 unwinding that disenrolled millions, FMAP mechanics (50–77% federal match), managed care's 70% enrollment share, dual eligibles ($35K/year cost vs. $8K non-dual), long-term care payment (Medicaid covers 42% of all LTC spending), and a Python Medicaid.gov Socrata API unwinding analysis by state.
The DOL Wage and Hour Division enforces the FLSA, Davis-Bacon Act, Service Contract Act, FMLA, and child labor laws through ~1,000 investigators nationwide — recovering $200–300M in back wages for 200,000–300,000 workers annually. Here is the WHISARD public enforcement database schema, the FLSA exempt vs. non-exempt classification battle, worker misclassification under the 2024 economic reality rule, H-2A agricultural wage violations, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage enforcement, the Asplundh $95M settlement, FLSA criminal prosecution under 216(a), and a Python sector-level penalty analysis by NAICS code.
The BLS Producer Price Index measures average change in selling prices received by domestic producers — the upstream complement to the consumer-facing CPI, with a 2–3 month leading relationship to goods inflation. Here is the three indexing systems (Final Demand PPI launched 2014, Intermediate Demand stage-of-processing pipeline, traditional commodity-based), the trade services margin methodology, the PPI vs. CPI spread as a retailer margin signal, the 2021–2022 supply chain surge (+22.9% FD goods peak), FRED series IDs (PPIFIS, PPIFAF, PPIFAE, PPICOR, PPIACO), BLS API access, and a Python 4-line chart of the inflation episode by component.
Public Law 94-171 mandates the Census Bureau to deliver block-level population data to states for legislative redistricting by April 1 of the year following the decennial census — the foundational dataset for every congressional and state legislative district. Here is the five data tables (P1–P5, H1), the geographic hierarchy to census block, the one-person-one-vote case law (Reynolds v. Sims, Wesberry v. Sanders), the 2020 apportionment results (Texas +2, New York missed a seat by 89 people), differential privacy and the TopDown Algorithm controversy, the 63-combination race/ethnicity schema, Census API variable naming (P2_006N syntax), VRA Section 2 and the Gingles three-part test, and a Python Census API tract-level racial composition analysis.
The Treasury International Capital system tracks foreign purchases and sales of US securities — the primary federal source on who holds US Treasuries and how capital flows across borders. Here is the four main TIC reports (monthly major holders, TIC-S/TIC-B flow surveys, SHCA annual position survey, SHLA mirror), the top foreign holders (Japan $1.1T, China $800B peak, UK $700B, Belgium/Euroclear anomaly), the custodian country problem, China's “financial nuclear option” analysis, sudden stop risk, 2008 flight-to-safety dynamics, and a Python script to download the monthly major foreign holders Excel.
CDC WONDER is the query interface for US death certificate data — every death in America since 1999 coded by ICD-10 underlying cause, linked to place, age, race, and demographic characteristics. Here is the death certificate pipeline, ICD-10 code taxonomy (C codes for cancers, I codes for circulatory, F codes for mental, V–Y codes for external causes), the <10 death suppression rule, age-adjusted rates using the 2000 Standard Population, the three-wave opioid crisis (prescription T40.2–T40.3 to heroin T40.1 to synthetic fentanyl T40.4, ~110K deaths in 2022), Case–Deaton “deaths of despair” research, and COVID-19 U07.1 excess mortality analysis.
The BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey measures the monthly flow of workers into and out of US employment — job openings, hires, quits, and layoffs across 21,000 establishments. Here is the four core metrics, how the quit rate peaked at 3.0% in April 2022 signaling the hottest labor market in decades, the Beveridge Curve rightward shift that revealed labor market frictions, labor hoarding dynamics in 2023, how JOLTS compares to Indeed and LinkedIn alternative measures, FRED series IDs (JTSJOL, JTSHIL, JTSQUL, JTSLAL, JTSQUR), and a Python fredapi Beveridge Curve plot.
Federal data · Economy and demographics · Labor and workplace
The NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System is a complete census of every US traffic fatality since 1975 — not a sample, but a record of all 38,000–43,000 annual deaths with linked accident, vehicle, and person detail. Here is the three-table structure (accident/vehicle/person), key variable codes (HARM_EV, MAN_COLL, LGT_COND, DRUNK_DR), the COVID anomaly (miles driven −13% but fatality rate spiked 24%), the alcohol-impaired decline from 20K/year in the 1980s to 10.5K/year, the pedestrian fatality rise from 4,300 to 7,500 since 2010, the CRSS companion for non-fatal crashes, and a Python state-level pedestrian fatality rate analysis.
Medicare Advantage now covers 51% of Medicare beneficiaries (~33M people) through private insurance plans. Here is the CMS benchmark-bid-rebate payment system, the 40-measure Star Ratings framework, how HCC risk adjustment creates a $10–30B upcoding incentive, the prior authorization controversy (OIG 2022: 13% of denials met coverage criteria), enrollment concentration (UHC 29%, Humana 19%, CVS/Aetna 12%), and a Python market-share analysis by state.
The IRS Statistics of Income program has published aggregated tax return statistics since 1916 — the definitive federal source on income distribution, effective tax rates, deductions, and credits. Here is the individual 1040 AGI class tables, the Piketty-Saez top 1% income share data, EITC distribution, estate tax stepped-up basis issue, corporate SOI and TCJA effective rate dynamics, and the restricted-use Public Use File for microsimulation.
Federal data · Transparency and open data · Economy and demographics
OSHA publishes every workplace inspection, citation, and penalty going back to 1972 — covering ~130M US workers in 10M workplaces. Here is the inspection types (unprogrammed complaint-driven vs. programmed NEP vs. fatality follow-up), the citation taxonomy (Willful $156K max through De Minimis), top-cited 29 CFR standards (fall protection chronically #1), the Imperial Sugar explosion, Amazon injury rate controversy, State Plan boundary, and a Python sector-level penalty analysis.
The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requires most mortgage lenders to publicly disclose every application, origination, and denial — with loan amount, property location, applicant race/ethnicity, income, pricing, DTI, LTV, and AUS results. Here is the full post-2018 field schema, how CFPB and DOJ use denial-rate mapping to build redlining cases (Trustmark, Cadence, City National), the denial reason codes, HMDA Platform API, CRA examination connections, and a Python disparity-ratio analysis by county.
Federal data · Finance and markets · Economy and demographics
The American Community Survey sends questionnaires to 3.5 million addresses per year — replacing the decennial long form with continuous annual estimates. Here is the 1-year vs. 5-year distinction, the full social/economic/housing/demographic variable taxonomy, margin of error and coefficient of variation thresholds, Census API variable naming conventions (B19013_001E syntax), key tables for income/poverty/rent/race/commute, and a Python census-tract rent burden analysis.
BLS CPI: The Consumer Price Index and the Federal Inflation Measurement Behind Every Policy Decision
The BLS Consumer Price Index has tracked the price level for urban consumers since 1913 — the primary US inflation gauge driving Social Security COLAs ($1.4T/year in indexed spending), wage negotiations, and Fed policy. Here is CPI-U vs. CPI-W vs. Chained CPI, the basket weights (shelter 35%, the OER methodology debate), CPI vs. PCE deflator gap, the 2021–2023 9.1% peak episode, FRED series IDs, BLS API access, and a Python chart tracking the inflation episode by component.
The CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System interviews ~450,000 adults per year across all 50 states — the world's largest health survey. Here is the core module variables (obesity, smoking, diabetes, exercise, mental health), the raking weighting methodology, the PLACES MRP small-area estimation project, how 2011 cell-phone addition created a trend discontinuity, and a Python approach to computing weighted state-level obesity prevalence from the LLCP XPT file.
The FHFA HPI tracks single-family home price changes using repeat-sales methodology on conforming mortgages purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — back to 1975, with national, state, MSA, and ZIP code coverage. Here is the weighted repeat-sales methodology, the conforming loan limit boundary, expanded-data HPI with FHA additions, the 40%+ pandemic price surge, FHFA vs. Case-Shiller vs. Zillow distinctions, and a Python script for state-level YoY appreciation rankings.
The Federal Reserve publishes the H.8 every Friday — a weekly aggregate balance sheet for all US commercial banks covering $23T+ in assets: C&I loans, real estate loans, securities (HTM vs. AFS), reserve balances, and deposit flows. Here is the large vs. small bank breakdown, how the SVB collapse showed as a $98B single-week deposit outflow, H.8 vs. Call Report distinctions, FRED series IDs, and a Python snippet tracking credit cycle signals.
County Business Patterns is the Census Bureau's annual series on US business activity at the county–NAICS level, published since 1964 — establishment counts by size class, mid-March employment, and first-quarter payroll for every county. Here is the Business Register source, noise infusion disclosure methodology, the Nonemployer Statistics companion series, CBP vs. QCEW vs. Economic Census distinctions, Business Dynamics Statistics, Census API access, and how to compute manufacturing location quotients by county.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the only nationally representative, continuing assessment of US student achievement — covering reading, math, science, and more for 4th, 8th, and 12th graders. Here is the 0–500 scale and NAGB achievement levels, the COVID-era learning loss evidence (largest reading decline in 30 years), state comparison methodology, the plausible values estimation approach, NAEP Data Explorer API access, and the White–Black achievement gap trend since 1992.
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program covers 800+ occupations across every industry and geography — the most comprehensive source for occupation-level wage percentiles in the US. Here is the survey methodology, full SOC hierarchy, wage percentile fields (10th through 90th), the H-1B prevailing wage Level I–IV connection, OEWS vs. CPS vs. QCEW distinctions, and a Python script for ranking the highest-paid tech occupations.
The USPTO publishes bulk patent grant data (4M+ grants since 1976) and applications (since 2001), with PatentsView as the canonical research dataset — disambiguated inventor and assignee records, CPC classification codes, citation networks, and prosecution history via PEDS. Here is the three patent types, continuation and evergreening strategy, Alice Corp and IPR quality controversies, PatentsView API, BigQuery public data, and a Python snippet for ranking top AI patent holders by CPC subclass.
The BEA National Income and Product Accounts are the official measure of US economic output, income, and spending — updated three times per year with advance, second, and third estimates. Here is the C+I+G+(X-M) expenditure identity, every GDP component in depth, real vs. nominal GDP, GDP by State and GDP by Industry breakdowns, the BEA API query structure, and FRED series IDs as the easiest access path.
The FDA CDER Drugs@FDA dataset tracks every drug approval action since 1939 — NDAs for brand drugs, BLAs for biologics, ANDAs for generics. Here is the Orange Book TE codes and patent/exclusivity listings, NCE/3-year/pediatric/orphan/biologic exclusivity mechanics, Breakthrough and Accelerated Approval designations, the Aduhelm controversy, and how to query OpenFDA drugs API.
The CMS Medicare Part B Physician and Supplier Public Use File covers 1M+ providers, 12,000+ HCPCS procedure codes, and $400B+ in annual submitted charges. Here is the submitted vs. allowed vs. payment markup ratio, standardized payments removing geographic wage index, the Lucentis/Avastin ASP+6% controversy, the Salomon Melgen $21M ophthalmology fraud, and how to filter anti-VEGF injections to expose the billion-dollar pricing disparity.
The BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages covers 97%+ of US jobs at the county–NAICS industry level — the most granular federal employment dataset available. Here is the QCEW vs. CES vs. LAUS distinctions, the suppression rules for counties with fewer than three establishments, average weekly wage by sector, BLS bulk CSV download structure, and a Python snippet for the highest-wage industries by county.
The Brady Act NICS system has processed 400M+ background checks since 1998 — publishing monthly state-level counts of handgun, long gun, and permit check types. Here is the full check type taxonomy, why NICS counts don't equal gun sales, the default proceed loophole that enabled the Charleston shooting, the COVID-2020 and Biden-2021 demand spikes, and how to use the BuzzFeed News parsed CSV.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has financed 50,000+ projects and 3.5M+ affordable units since 1986 — the largest US affordable housing subsidy. Here is the HUD LIHTC database schema, the 9% vs. 4% credit mechanics, how State HFA Qualified Allocation Plans shape development geography, the National Housing Preservation Database complement, and how to compute units per capita by state.
The CFTC publishes weekly open interest broken down by trader category — Commercial hedgers, Managed Money (hedge funds), and Swap Dealers — for every regulated futures market since 1986. Here is the four COT report formats, how net non-commercial positioning signals crowded trades, the disaggregated vs. legacy format distinction, all covered markets, and how to build a 52-week COT z-score.
The OFAC SDN list (~8,000 entries) and Consolidated Sanctions List cover every individual, entity, and vessel that US persons are prohibited from transacting with — with civil penalties up to $1.3M per violation. Here is the full SDN record schema, all major sanctions programs, the 50% ownership rule, the Binance $4.3B landmark penalty, and how to parse and screen the XML list.
EPCRA Section 313 requires 20,000+ industrial facilities to report annual releases of 800+ toxic chemicals — air, water, land, and off-site transfers. Here is the full TRI field schema, the 75% release decline since 1988, the 2024 PFAS additions, how to use the RSEI model for toxicity-weighted population exposure, and how to join TRI to Census ACS for environmental justice analysis.
CMS Care Compare publishes quality measures for every Medicare-certified hospital — 30-day mortality and readmission rates, HCAHPS patient experience scores, process compliance, and Medicare spending per beneficiary. Here is the full measure taxonomy, how risk adjustment works, the HAC Reduction Program penalties, Value-Based Purchasing incentives, and how to download and analyze the data.
Since 2009, every public company files XBRL-tagged financial statements with the SEC — extractable through the EDGAR Company Facts API, the Frames endpoint for cross-sectional screening, and bulk quarterly FSN downloads. Here is the US-GAAP taxonomy structure, the three data quality pitfalls (extension elements, restated periods, unit inconsistencies), rate limits, and how to build a revenue growth screener.
The Corporate Prosecution Registry (Duke Law) tracks every federal corporate criminal resolution since 1990 — deferred prosecution agreements, non-prosecution agreements, and guilty pleas — covering 400+ resolutions and $30B+ in fines. Here is the DPA/NPA/guilty plea taxonomy, the Yates Memo and Monaco Doctrine evolution, the HSBC and Boeing landmark cases, the compliance monitor system, and FCPA as the dominant enforcement category.
The PCAOB registers, inspects, and disciplines auditors of public companies — publishing inspection reports on every registered firm's deficiency rate. Here is the Big Four inspection pattern, the KPMG $50M scandal for receiving stolen inspection lists, the HFCAA Chinese auditor crisis and 2022 CSRC breakthrough, and how researchers use deficiency rates as an auditor quality proxy.
CMS publishes provider-level Medicare Part D prescribing data showing every drug prescribed by every provider with 10+ claims — 1M+ providers, 5,700+ drugs, $100B+ in visible prescription spending per year. Here is the full schema, how Part D data exposed the opioid crisis (ProPublica Prescriber Checkup), the GLP-1 agonist cost surge, and how to join it with CMS Open Payments to detect prescribing-payment correlations.
The ATF National Tracing Center processes 500,000+ firearm traces per year — reconstructing the chain of commerce from manufacturer to crime scene. Here is what the Tiahrt Amendment restricts, what aggregated state-level trace data still reveals about the iron pipeline, how time-to-crime exposes straw purchasing, the FFL directory, AFMER manufacturing data, and the ghost gun tracing gap.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes every recall of consumer products — 400-500 per year covering toys, furniture, appliances, nursery products, and 15,000+ product categories not regulated by FDA or NHTSA. Here is the full recall database schema, the SaferProducts.gov incident report system, the IKEA Malm tip-over and Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play landmark cases, and how the CPSIA 2008 transformed product safety data.
The FDA CDRH publishes every medical device recall action — Class I (serious health risk), Class II, and Class III — covering 1,000–1,500 recalls per year since 1999. Here is the full field schema, the three recall classes, the DePuy ASR ($4B settlement) and Philips Respironics CPAP (5.5M+ units) landmark recalls, how MAUDE adverse event reports feed recall decisions, and how to query the OpenFDA device recall API.
The NCUA publishes quarterly 5300 Call Report data for every federally insured credit union — assets, shares, loans, delinquency, net worth ratios — plus a public enforcement action database covering Consent Orders through Conservatorships. Here is the data structure, the net worth PCA thresholds, the 2009 corporate credit union crisis ($28.5B bailout), and how to download and screen the quarterly data.
The CFPB has brought 200+ enforcement actions since 2011 — covering UDAAP violations, redlining, student loan servicer abuses, and predatory auto lending — with $20B+ in consumer relief and penalties. Here is the enforcement action taxonomy, the UDAAP abusiveness standard, the Wells Fargo $3.7B action, how enforcement trends shift across administrations, and how to scrape and analyze the enforcement database.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes monthly counts of every border crossing type at ~290 US land ports going back to 1996 — personal vehicles, pedestrians, trucks, buses, trains, and containers broken out by crossing type and port. Here is the full taxonomy, the COVID-19 collapse (pedestrians -93%, trucks -28%), the San Ysidro and Laredo dominance, and how to use the Socrata API for supply chain and trade flow analysis.
FDAAA 801 requires registration of all applicable clinical trials before enrollment and results submission within 12 months of completion — but 50%+ of trials still fail to report results. Here is the full NCT schema, how to access the AACT PostgreSQL mirror from Duke/CTTI, how to detect publication bias using the results reporting gap, and how the GLP-1 agonist trial explosion looks in the data.
The FDA 510(k) pathway clears medical devices by showing substantial equivalence to a predicate device — no clinical trials required. Here is the three-class device system, the K-number database fields, the predicate daisy-chain problem that lets cleared devices drift from the original, the De Novo pathway for novel low-risk devices, the metal-on-metal hip and vaginal mesh controversies, and how to query the OpenFDA device API.
The H-2A program (cap-free agricultural) and H-2B program (66,000-cap non-agricultural) bring hundreds of thousands of temporary workers to the US annually. DOL OFLC publishes quarterly disclosure files with employer, job title, wages, worksites, and worker counts. Here is the data structure, how H-2A grew from 60,000 to 370,000+ certifications between 2012 and 2023, and how to compare offered wages against adverse effect wage rates.
Federal data · Labor and workplace · Justice and immigration
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency publishes every formal enforcement action against national banks and federal thrifts — from Commitment Letters through Formal Agreements, Consent Orders, and Cease-and-Desist Orders. Here is the enforcement action taxonomy, the BSA/AML enforcement pattern, the Wells Fargo consent order cascade, and how to scrape and analyze the OCC enforcement database.
FERC investigates electricity and gas market manipulation with penalties up to $1.4M per day per violation. Here is the enforcement database, the JP Morgan ($410M) and Barclays ($488M) market manipulation cases, how Electric Quarterly Reports expose every bilateral power transaction, and how to search FERC eLibrary enforcement dockets.
The SEC publishes Administrative Proceedings, Litigation Releases, and final orders covering 700-800 enforcement actions per year — with $4-5B in annual disgorgement and penalties. Here is the enforcement record structure, the whistleblower program mechanics, how to scrape and parse the enforcement databases, and how to track administration-level enforcement priority shifts.
The HHS OIG List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE) bars providers from billing Medicare and Medicaid — with $10,000 per-service penalties for employers that fail to screen. Here is the exclusion type taxonomy, how to download the monthly LEIE CSV, how it differs from SAM.gov EPLS, and how to implement fuzzy-match screening against a provider roster.
Public companies must file Form 8-K within 4 business days of any material event — covering 33 item types from earnings releases and executive departures to bankruptcy filings and the new 2023 cybersecurity incident disclosure requirement. Here is the item taxonomy, how to filter EDGAR for specific event types, and how Item 4.02 non-reliance filings signal fraud.
NHTSA maintains the recall database covering every safety-related defect since 1966 — 900M+ vehicles affected, with the Takata airbag inflator recall (70M vehicles, 28+ deaths from metal shrapnel) as the largest in US history. Here is the data structure, the NHTSA complaint-to-recall investigation pipeline, and how to query by VIN.
Every large ERISA plan files Form 5500 annually — covering 750,000+ plans with $10T+ in assets. Schedule C reveals service provider fees that drive 401(k) litigation; Schedule SB tracks pension funding ratios that determine minimum required contributions. Here is the schema, EFAST2 access, and how to compute average expense ratios by plan size.
The Lobbying Disclosure Act requires quarterly filings with the Senate SOPR — covering lobbyist identities, issue codes, specific bills lobbied, and dollar amounts for every registered lobbying engagement. Here is the LDA API, the relationship to FARA and LD-203 contribution reports, and how to connect lobbying spending to legislative outcomes.
Federal data · Money in politics · Transparency and open data
The EIA publishes Form 923 (monthly plant-level generation and fuel use), Form 861 (annual utility retail sales and pricing), Form 860 (every generator's nameplate capacity and status), and EIA-930 (hourly real-time grid data by Balancing Authority). Here is the fuel mix transformation from 2000–2023 (coal 52% to 16%, gas 17% to 43%, wind/solar near zero to 16%), the ERCOT Texas grid isolation and Winter Storm Uri generation collapse, EIA API v2 structure, and a Python stacked-area chart of the energy transition.
FINRA BrokerCheck publishes registration history, licenses, employment records, and disclosure events (customer complaints, regulatory actions, criminal disclosures, bankruptcies) for every registered broker and firm. Here is the data structure, the recidivist broker problem, how to access the BrokerCheck API, and how attorneys use it to vet advisers.
Section 16(a) requires officers, directors, and 10%+ shareholders to file Form 4 within 2 business days of any stock transaction — creating a near-real-time public record on EDGAR since 2004. Here is the full transaction code taxonomy (code P open-market purchases as the only discretionary signal), the 10b5-1 plan gaming problem and the 2022 SEC amendments, cluster-buying methodology, academic evidence on 6%+ abnormal returns, and a Python screen for officer open-market purchases.
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System contains 7 linked quarterly files tracking drug adverse events reported by manufacturers, providers, and consumers — with MedDRA reaction coding, outcome classification, and therapy dates. Here is the schema, how disproportionality analysis (PRR/ROR) detects safety signals, and the Avandia/Vioxx/SSRI signal cases.
The College Scorecard links IPEDS enrollment data to federal loan records and IRS earnings data — publishing median earnings, debt, repayment rates, and completion rates for every institution and field of study. Here is the data structure, how to use the API, and what the earnings-debt gap reveals about for-profit colleges and high-debt programs.
The CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog lists CVEs confirmed as actively exploited in the wild — with mandatory federal patching deadlines under BOD 22-01. Here is the catalog structure, how CISA decides what gets listed, how it differs from CVSS severity scoring, and how security teams use it as a minimal-patch prioritization framework.
The DOL Labor Condition Application dataset and USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub together reveal the true shape of the skilled-worker visa program: IT staffing companies dominate approvals, India-born workers hold 70%+ of visas, and prevailing wage Level I filings expose systematic wage suppression. Here is the data structure and how to compute employer-level wage ratios.
Federal data · Justice and immigration · Labor and workplace
The False Claims Act is the government's primary anti-fraud tool, with qui tam whistleblowers driving 80%+ of the $2B+ in annual recoveries. Healthcare fraud dominates — Medicare and Medicaid upcoding, kickbacks, and unnecessary procedures. Here is how to access the DOJ settlement database, scrape press releases, and identify repeat violators.
Federal data · Justice and immigration · Health and medicine
The DOJ buries the FARA bulk download inside an Oracle APEX URL that looks broken. Behind it: daily CSV exports of every DC firm registered to lobby for a foreign government — who they represent, what they're paid, and what activities they conduct. Here is how to use it.
FEMA's NFIP claims dataset covers 2.7 million paid flood insurance claims. The "multiple loss properties" subset shows properties paid out more than their assessed value — some 10–15 times. FEMA redacted addresses after journalists used the data to identify specific owners. Here is what's left and what it shows.
How we built a 0–100 compliance risk score across OFAC, SAM, OIG, CFPB, SEC, DOJ, FDIC, FINRA, CFTC, EPA, MSHA, FDA warning letters, PCAOB, UFLPA, and 15+ more lists in a single API call.
Federal data · Sanctions and illicit finance · Engineering and infrastructure
How the Federal Regulatory Data Hub resolves entity identity across 30+ compliance lists: three-stage pipeline (identifier join 34%, FTS5 canonical name 41%, Jaro-Winkler fuzzy 18%), false positive taxonomy (same-name different entity 47%, subsidiary-parent 28%, historical name 16%, transliteration 9%), EntityResolutionResult confidence-to-action mapping (MATCH ≥0.90, PROBABLE_MATCH 0.72–0.90), 99.1% recall, 98.7% precision at ≥0.90, and weekly analyst-feedback calibration loop.
Federal data · Machine learning and OSINT · Engineering and infrastructure
How the Federal Regulatory Data Hub resolves entity names across 208 federal datasets when identifiers disagree — OFAC alias explosion (44K aliases from 12K entries), SEC EDGAR subsidiary mapping, three-pass fuzzy matching (exact → Jaro-Winkler → TF-IDF cosine), 1.4% combined false positive rate, and how entity_confidence weights the compliance risk score.
How the Federal Regulatory Data Hub generates and maintains stable canonical IDs for entities across 208 federal datasets — deterministic SHA-256 ID generation, EntityVersion history for merge and split events, EntityAlias tracking for historical name variants, and subscriber continuity guarantees when source identifiers change.
How we built an entity bridge across 208 federal datasets so a single query returns every SEC filing, FDA warning letter, EPA enforcement case, and OFAC sanction for any company.