The Welfare Law Center has received a request from an ABA Commission addressing poverty issues for information on arbitrary sanctioning. They would appreciate hearing about any recent studies by advocacy groups or others addressing issues regarding sanctions, including arbitrariness, at the state or local level. Contact Gina Mannix at mannix@welfarelaw.org or 212 633-6967.

In the United States, women represent 30% of new HIV infections and comprise a growing share of new cases of AIDS. The Kaiser Family Foundation and WomenÕs Policy, Inc. held a briefing on Capitol Hill entitled "Women and HIV/AIDS: Overlooked and Underserved," which examined the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and discussed the challenges facing the health care providers who care for women with HIV/AIDS.

Materials from the briefing are available on the Kaiser Family Foundation website at: http://www.kff.org/women including a chartbook, Key Facts: Women and HIV/AIDS, that examines the impact of the epidemic on women generally, and how that has evolved over time; the disproportionate impact on minority women; and what is known about the women affected by the epidemic and their use of the health care system. In addition, a new fact sheet on women and HIV/AIDS is also available.

A webcast of the briefing can be viewed through kaisernetwork.org, a free webcasting and news summary service of the Kaiser Family Foundation at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/healthcast/women&aids/may01

This Federal Register Notice is online at HUDÕs web site, http://www.hudclips.org/sub_nonhud/cgi/date_14run.cgi and also http://www.hud.gov/adm/grants/fundsavail.html. The online listing includes important Information Related to the SuperNOFA. If you are unable to access these web sites, or need additional information, please call (800) 483-8929.

Coyote Communications, led by nonprofit tech thinker Jayne Cravens, has posted a variety of technology tip sheets for nonprofit organizations at its web site at http://www.coyotecom.com/tips.html. The tips are organized into such categories as Database & Software Tip Sheets, Internet Outreach & Use, Community Relations With & Without Technology, and Web Development & Maintenance.

"A Report on the Feasibility of Deconstruction: An Investigation of Deconstruction Activity in Four Cities," just released by HUD, is a qualitative investigation of deconstruction-related activity in El Paso, Miami, Milwaukee, and Nashville.

Deconstruction is a new term that describes an old process: the selective dismantling or removal of materials from buildings before or instead of demolition.

Deconstruction is being used, on a limited scale, as an economic development tool. Toward this end, deconstruction has been incorporated as a component of workforce development training to enhance the skills and marketability of program participants working toward construction-related employment.

While this report is especially timely for public housing authorities implementing modernization and HOPE VI strategies, it is also intended for community leaders who may want to consider deconstruction as a way to enhance and improve community revitalization efforts.

To order "A Report on the Feasibility of Deconstruction: An Investigation of Deconstruction Activity in Four Cities," visit http://www.huduser.org/publications/destech/deconstruct.html

THN Coalition positions are available in Amarillo, Brownsville, El Paso, Corpus Christi, Fort Worth and San Antonio.These positions are sponsored by Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), a program of the Corporation for National & Community Service. Throughout a one-year term of service, each VISTA receieves a monthly stipend, health insurance and a relocation allowance. After a year of service, VISTAs choose either a $1200 cash award or a $4,725 education award. For VISTA application materials, contact The Corporation for National & Community ServiceÕs Texas State Program at 903 San Jacinto, Suite. 130., Austin, TX 78701. VISTAs eligible for employment should direct inquiries to Natalie Cuccia at (512) 482-8270 or (800) 531-0828.

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse has released "Understanding the Purchase of Outcomes in Substance Abuse Treatment." This document is designed to provide the context in which the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Committee on Benefits has been working to develop an outcome-based system for the purchase of substance abuse treatment services. The full 122 page report can be downloaded free at the councilÕs web site, www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Alcohol/purchase.pdf

The 2001 KIDS COUNT Data Book is now available online. This easy- to-use, powerful online database allows you to generate your own state profiles, graphs, maps, ranked lists, and more. Access KIDS COUNT 2001 at http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/kc2001

A project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the United States. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure a better future for all children.