Advanced search Help
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 20 Issue 44, October 29, 2020
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "Critical drug shortages further complicate pandemic response"; "Increased and imminent cyber threat to healthcare and public health"; "2020 Wildfire Risk Report"; "FEMA hosting integrated preparedness planning workshop series"; and "Cyber Threats."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2020-10-29
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5541, Tribal Power Act
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 15, 2020. From the Document: "H.R. 5541 would reauthorize and expand programs sponsored by the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Indian Energy. Under the bill, DOE would provide grants and technical assistance to Native American tribes, intertribal organizations, and tribal energy development organizations for energy efficiency programs, electric infrastructure projects, and other related activities. The bill would authorize the appropriation of $30 million annually from 2021 through 2025 for those purposes."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2020-10-29
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5668, Making Objective Drug Evidence Revisions for New Labeling Act of 2020
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on July 15, 2020. From the Document: "Under current law, labels on generic drugs must match those of their corresponding reference brand drug. H.R. 5668 would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to require label updates for certain generic drugs once the reference drug's patents and exclusivities expire, new information is available, and the Secretary determines that the public health would benefit from the updated label. The bill also would require the Secretary to report to the Congress every four years on the number and types of such determinations made and on the number of times manufacturers disagreed with those determinations."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2020-10-29
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4727, Department of Homeland Security Mentor-Protégé Program
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on
July 22, 2020. From the Document: "H.R. 4727 would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a program for mentor firms to enter into agreements with protégé firms to help them compete for prime contracts and subcontracts. DHS is currently carrying out activities similar to those required by this act, and any new activities required under the legislation would not require substantial action by the department. Thus, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing H.R. 4727 would not have a significant cost; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2020-10-29
-
Navy Maintenance: Navy Report Did Not Fully Address Causes of Delays or Results-Oriented Elements, Report to Congressional Committees
From the GAO (Government Accountability Office) Highlights: "The Navy generally has been unable to complete ship and submarine maintenance on time, resulting in reduced time for training and operations, and additional costs. The Navy's ability to successfully maintain its ships is affected by numerous factors throughout a ship's life cycle, such as decisions made during acquisition, which occurs years before a ship arrives at a shipyard for maintenance. Others manifest during operational use of the ship or during the maintenance process. The conference report accompanying a bill for the Fiscal Year 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act directed the Secretary of the Navy to submit a report identifying the underlying causes of maintenance delays for aircraft carriers, surface ships, and submarines and to include elements of results-oriented management. The conference report also included a provision for GAO to review the Navy's report that was released in July 2020. This report evaluates the extent to which the Navy's report (1) identifies the underlying causes of maintenance delays and (2) incorporates elements of results-oriented management. GAO reviewed the Navy's report and interviewed Navy officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10-29
-
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1730, A Bill to Direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to Make Grants to State and Local Governments and Nongovernmental Organizations for Purposes of Carrying Out Climate-Resilient Living Shoreline Projects That Protect Coastal Communities by Supporting Ecosystem Functions and Habitats with the Use of Natural Materials and Systems, and for Other Purposes
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 22, 2020. From the Document: "S. 1730 would amend the National Sea Grant College Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to authorize the appropriation of $50 million annually over the 2021-2024 period for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide grants to states and university partners to research, design, and implement projects that restore or stabilize shorelines using nature-based approaches. Using historical spending patterns for similar grant programs, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 1730 would cost $174 million over the 2021-2025 period and $26 million after 2025, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2020-10-29
-
COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations, Version 2.0
From the Executive Summary: "Immunization with a safe and effective COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine is a critical component of the United States strategy to reduce COVID-19-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths and to help restore societal functioning. The goal of the U.S. government is to have enough COVID-19 vaccine for all people in the United States who wish to be vaccinated. [...] This document serves as an interim playbook for state, territorial (including the US-affiliated Pacific Islands [USAPI] of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau), tribal, and local public health programs and their partners on how to plan and operationalize a vaccination response to COVID-19 within their jurisdictions. The document's sections cover specific areas of COVID-19 vaccination program planning and implementation and provide key guidance documents and links to resources to assist those efforts. Many, but not all, of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program activities described may overlap with routine activities; routine immunization and pandemic influenza program activities can serve as a foundation for COVID-19 vaccination planning."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-10-29
-
Public Confidence in Elections [October 29, 2020]
From the Document: "Since the 2016 election cycle, election officials have warned about ongoing efforts to undermine public confidence in American political institutions. They also have consistently reassured Americans that there is no publicly available evidence that foreign or domestic interference have changed or likely could change official election results. This CRS [Congressional Research Service] Insight discusses recent policy issues and selected factors that could affect public confidence in voting and elections."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Garrett, R. Sam, 1977-
2020-10-29
-
Navy Ship Names: Background for Congress [Updated October 29, 2020]
From the Summary: "Names for Navy ships traditionally have been chosen and announced by the Secretary of the Navy, under the direction of the President and in accordance with rules prescribed by Congress. Rules for giving certain types of names to certain types of Navy ships have evolved over time. There have been exceptions to the Navy's ship-naming rules, particularly for the purpose of naming a ship for a person when the rule for that type of ship would have called for it to be named for something else. Some observers have perceived a breakdown in, or corruption of, the rules for naming Navy ships. Section 1749 of the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (S. 1790/P.L. 116-92 of December 20, 2019) prohibits the Secretary of Defense, in naming a new ship (or other asset) or renaming an existing ship (or other asset), from giving the asset a name that refers to, or includes a term referring to, the Confederate States of America, including any name referring to a person who served or held leadership within the Confederacy, or a Confederate battlefield victory."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-10-29
-
Kyrgyz Parliamentary Elections Annulled Amid Protests and Unrest [Updated October 29, 2020]
From the Document: "The Kyrgyz Republic (commonly known as Kyrgyzstan) faces political upheaval in the wake of disputed October 4, 2020, parliamentary elections that heavily favored pro-government parties. As a parliamentary republic that holds contested elections, Kyrgyzstan has long been considered the most democratic country in Central Asia, with a vibrant civil society and a higher degree of press freedom than found elsewhere in the region. Promoting a more inclusive and accountable democracy is a stated goal of U.S. foreign policy in Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyzstan is one of 21 countries worldwide that participate in the House Democracy Partnership. Many Members of Congress and other U.S. policymakers have long voiced support for consolidating Kyrgyzstan's gains as Central Asia's only parliamentary democracy. Corruption is pervasive, however, and political institutions remain weak."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blackwood, Maria A.
2020-10-29
-
First Responder's Toolbox: Natural Gas and Propane Terrorist Tactics
From the Scope: "This product highlights the importance of recognizing potential suspicious activity during responses or service calls to incidents involving 'odors of gas.'"
National Counterterrorism Center (U.S.)
Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team
2020-10-29
-
Public Health and Emergency Measures Working Group, Summary Discussion: Lessons from the First Wave of COVID-19
From the Introduction: "This Communiqué provides a summary of discussions, insights and observations from the Public Health and Emergency Measures Working Group. The group met frequently during the first wave of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] to provide timely insights to policymakers and the public about the various challenges the healthcare system had to manage. As case numbers grow across Canada, insights from the first wave of COVID-19 can be applied to better manage infection risks while also minimizing social and economic disruption caused by public health and social distancing related restrictions on activity. Health policy issues highlighted by the COVID-19 crisis are both short and long term in nature. In the short term, maintaining the capacity of the healthcare system to manage surges of COVID-19, while also ensuring minimal negative health and economic outcomes, is the main priority. The pandemic has resulted in drastic changes to how Canadians access healthcare services, which present an opportunity to incorporate positive change into the 'new normal' of health system operations."
C.D. Howe Institute
Wyonch, Rosalie; Maqbool, Sana
2020-10-28
-
Navy Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate (Previously FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Summary: "The Constellation (FFG-62) class frigate program, previously known as the FFG(X) program, is a Navy program to build a class of 20 guided-missile frigates (FFGs). Congress funded the procurement of the first FFG-62 class ship in FY2020 at a cost of $1,281.2 million (i.e., about $1.3 billion). The Navy's proposed FY2021 budget requests $1,053.1 million (i.e., about $1.1 billion) for the procurement of the second FFG-62 class ship. The Navy estimates that subsequent ships in the class will cost roughly $940 million each in then-year dollars. Four industry teams were competing for the FFG-62 program. On April 30, 2020, the Navy announced that it had awarded the FFG-62 contract to the team led by Fincantieri/Marinette Marine (F/MM) of Marinette, WI. F/MM was awarded a fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract for Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) for up to 10 ships in the program--the lead ship plus nine option ships. The other three industry teams reportedly competing for the program were led by Austal USA of Mobile, AL; General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of Bath, ME; and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-10-28
-
China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Summary: "In an era of renewed great power competition, China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has become the top focus of U.S. defense planning and budgeting. [...] The U.S. Navy in recent years has taken a number of actions to counter China's naval modernization effort. Among other things, the U.S. Navy has shifted a greater percentage of its fleet to the Pacific; assigned its most-capable new ships and aircraft and its best personnel to the Pacific; maintained or increased general presence operations, training and developmental exercises, and engagement and cooperation with allied and other navies in the Indo-Pacific; increased the planned future size of the Navy; initiated, increased, or accelerated numerous programs for developing new military technologies and acquiring new ships, aircraft, unmanned vehicles, and weapons; begun development of new operational concepts (i.e., new ways to employ Navy and Marine Corps forces) for countering Chinese maritime A2/AD [anti-access/area-denial] forces; and signaled that the Navy in coming years will shift to a more-distributed fleet architecture that will feature a smaller portion of larger ships, a larger portion of smaller ships, and a substantially greater use of unmanned vehicles. The issue for Congress is whether the U.S. Navy is responding appropriately to China's naval modernization effort."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2020-10-28
-
Federal Wildfire Management: Ten-Year Funding Trends and Issues (FY2011-FY2020) [October 28, 2020]
From the Summary: "Wildfire management is a series of coordinated activities to prepare for, resolve, and recover from wildfire events. The federal agencies responsible for wildfire management include the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (FS) and the Department of the Interior (DOI). FS carries out wildfire response and management across the 193 million acres of national forests and national grasslands; DOI carries out these activities on more than 400million acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and preserves, Indian reservations, and other public lands. The federal agencies also coordinate wildfire response activities with state and local governments as needed. Both FS and DOI generally receive annual discretionary appropriations for wildfire management activities through the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. Wildfire management funding for DOI is provided to the Office of Wildland Fire (a department-level office). Both FS and DOI receive wildfire appropriations through similarly structured accounts, programs, and activities, though FS's account structure changed several times between FY2011 and FY2020. [...] Total combined FS and DOI wildfire appropriations fluctuated annually but increased from FY2011 to FY2020."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoover, Katie
2020-10-28
-
Immigration Relief for Victims of Trafficking [October 28, 2020]
From the Document: "Human trafficking occurs throughout the United States, and traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals for commercial sex and forced labor in a variety of legal and illegal industries. [...] under federal law there are certain protections from removal that are sometimes available to noncitizen victims of trafficking. [1] Noncitizen victims of trafficking are potentially eligible for the T nonimmigrant status, which protects them from removal and provides a path to permanent residency. [2] U nonimmigrant status is available to certain noncitizen victims of crime and may be available to trafficking victims who do not qualify for T status; the U status also provides a path to permanent residency. [3] Trafficking victims may be eligible for continued presence, which is not an immigration status but can offer protection from removal, among other benefits. This report provides a brief overview of human trafficking in the United States, discusses these three types of immigration relief available to trafficking victims, and presents relevant issues policymakers may consider regarding immigration protections available to these victims."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kolker, Abigail F.; Finklea, Kristin
2020-10-28
-
ICE Needs to Address Concerns About Detainee Care and Treatment at the Howard County Detention Center
From the Highlights: "As directed by Congress, we conduct annual unannounced inspections of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities to ensure compliance with detention standards. In December 2019, we inspected Howard County Detention Center (HCDC) in Jessup, Maryland, to evaluate compliance with ICE detention standards. We made two recommendations to improve ICE's oversight of detention facility management and operations at HCDC."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
Shiffer, John D.; Burns, Amy; Christian, Stephanie . . .
2020-10-28
-
Respondendo á COVID-19 na África: Usando dados para encontrar um equilíbrio (parte II)
"Este relatório foi produzido pela Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC), uma parceria público-privada que apoia medidas baseadas em evidências para reduzir o impacto da COVID-19 [enfermedad del coronavirus 2019] nos Estados Membros da União Africana (UA). O objetivo deste relatório, e da parceria em geral, é ajudar os governos a determinar a aceitabilidade, o impacto e a eficácia das medidas de saúde pública e sociais (MSPSs) para a COVID-19, incluindo seus impactos secundários na saúde, segurança alimentar e economia. O relatório baseia-se nas conclusões de uma pesquisa telefônica com mais de 24.000 adultos em 18 Estados Membros da UA (realizada entre 4 e 17 de agosto de 2020), bem como dados sociais, econômicos, epidemiológicos, de circulação da população, mídia e segurança. Briefings sobre cada um dos 18 Estados Membros da UA estão disponíveis em: [https://preventepidemics.org/covid19/perc/]. Este é o segundo relatório regional da série da PERC 'Respondendo à COVID-19 na África: Usando dados para encontrar um equilíbrio'; o primeiro relatório regional da PERC, publicado em maio de 2020, combinou dados multissetoriais de forma semelhante, incluindo achados de uma pesquisa realizada em 28 cidades em 20 Estados Membros da UA. Desde o primeiro relatório, a PERC publicou uma série de atualizações quinzenais, que também podem ser acessadas no link acima ."
Partnership for Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (PERC)
2020-10-28?
-
Role of Cities as First Responders to Pandemics: Focusing on the Case of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Response to COVID-19
From the Abstract: "This study was conducted to discuss the role of urban governments in the future, including intercity network construction, by reviewing cases of responding to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in Seoul amid changes in the international situation caused by COVID-19. This paper is organized into four sections. First, this paper described the outbreak of COVID-19 in Seoul from January to August 2020 and the Seoul city's response over time. Second, the background of Alliance for Multilateralism and inter-city cooperation in accordance with the changes in the international situation due to COVID-19 was explained. Third, the response of the Seoul Metropolitan Government to the pandemic was reviewed based on the following four characteristics: (i) Social distancing; (ii) Enhanced contact tracing; (iii) Widespread testing; and, (iv) Early preparation. Finally, this paper reviewed how Seoul city cooperated with overseas cities in order to overcome the pandemic crisis, as well as the cases in which 25 autonomous districts of Seoul shared their policies using the Healthy Cities Network."
Nautilus Institute
Shon, Changwoo
2020-10-28?
-
Enhanced Industry-Wide Hotel Cleaning Guidelines in Response to COVID-19
From the Document: "The hotel industry has a longstanding commitment to cleanliness and safety for our employees and guests. We continue this commitment during the public health crisis. The [included] health and safety guidelines represent best practices for the hotel industry, in accordance with CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, during the re-opening phase of the economy. It is anticipated that these guidelines and protocols will evolve based on the recommendations of public health authorities and must be done in compliance with any federal, state and local laws."
American Hotel & Lodging Association
2020-10-28
-
Inspection of Small Business Administration's Initial Disaster Assistance Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
From the Document: "This report presents the results of our inspection to assess the Small Business Administration's (SBA's) initial disaster assistance response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. SBA's Disaster Assistance Program is the federal government's primary program for providing disaster assistance. SBA provides Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to eligible entities such as small businesses, nonprofits, farms, etc."
United States. Small Business Administration. Office of the Inspector General
2020-10-28
-
COVID-19: Considerations for First Responders [video]
This presentation explores violent extremist exploitation of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], considerations complicating first responders' response, and provides a research project overview and resources for first responders. The duration of the video is 49 minutes and 29 seconds.
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (U.S.)
Braniff, Bill; Koven, Barnett S.
2020-10-28
-
Veterans Crisis Line Challenges, Contingency Plans, and Successes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Executive Summary: "The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is conducting a series of reviews focusing on the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) management of key clinical areas during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic that are crucial to the well-being of veterans. This review focused on select Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) operations ranging from contingency planning to quality metrics and lessons learned. The VCL is organizationally aligned under the VHA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention and operates 24 hours per day and 7 days per week, with call centers in Canandaigua, New York; Atlanta, Georgia; and Topeka, Kansas. [...] As COVID-19 evolved, many Americans, including veterans, experienced a range of negative effects from fear and social isolation to unemployment and financial insolvency. Because of these and other stressors associated with the pandemic, an increase in the volume of incoming VCL calls, chats, and texts was expected. [...] Overall, VCL leaders repeatedly expressed that although initially reluctant, the transition to telework had improved staff morale and decreased unplanned leave usage, as well as positioned the VCL to recruit additional staff and enhance future services operations. The OIG was impressed with VCL leaders' and employees' efforts to promote employee health safety and ensure that the VCL met its mission to provide immediate access to crisis intervention services during the COVID-19 pandemic."
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs. Office of Inspector General
2020-10-28
-
Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Document: "Since the early 1960s, when the United States imposed a trade embargo on Cuba, the centerpiece of U.S. policy toward Cuba has consisted of economic sanctions aimed at isolating the government. In 2014, the Obama Administration initiated a policy shift moving away from sanctions toward engagement and the normalization of relations. Changes included the rescission of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of international terrorism (May 2015); the restoration of diplomatic relations (July 2015); and an easing of restrictions on travel, remittances, trade, telecommunications, and banking and financial services (2015 and 2016), accomplished through amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR), administered by the Treasury Department, and the Export Administration Regulations, administered by the Commerce Department. The restoration of relations led to increased government-to-government engagement, with over 20 bilateral agreements and numerous dialogues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.
2020-10-28
-
Title X Family Planning Program [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Introduction: "The Title X Family Planning Program (Title X) was enacted in 1970 as Title X of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act). Title X provides grants to public and nonprofit agencies for family planning services, research, and training. The Office of Population Affairs (OPA) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) administers Title X, which is the only domestic federal program devoted solely to family planning and related preventive health services. This In Focus answers questions on Title X, legislative mandates, and other family planning programs, and it identifies resources for Title X projects during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Napili, Angela
2020-10-28
-
Joint Cybersecurity Advisory: Ransomware Activity Targeting the Healthcare and Public Health Sector
From the Summary: "This joint cybersecurity advisory was coauthored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This advisory describes the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by cybercriminals against targets in the Healthcare and Public Health Sector (HPH) to infect systems with ransomware, notably Ryuk and Conti, for financial gain. CISA, FBI, and HHS have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers. CISA, FBI, and HHS are sharing this information to provide warning to healthcare providers to ensure that they take timely and reasonable precautions to protect their networks from these threats."
United States. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency; United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2020-10-28
-
Europe, COVID-19, and U.S. Relations [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Document: "Like most of the rest of the world, European governments and the European Union (EU) have struggled to manage the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. European leaders have characterized the pandemic as Europe's biggest challenge since the Second World War, with potentially far-reaching political, social, and economic consequences beyond the public health impact. COVID-19 also has added new tensions to an already strained U.S.- European partnership. Members of Congress may be interested in COVID-19's implications for U.S. relations with Europe, including in NATO and with the EU, and in how the pandemic might alter certain U.S.-European dynamics, especially vis-à-vis China."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Archick, Kristin; Belkin, Paul; Garding, Sarah E. . . .
2020-10-28
-
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act [Updated October 28, 2020]
From the Document: "The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (Global Magnitsky Act, Title XII, Subtitle F of P.L. 114- 328; 22 U.S.C. §2656 note) authorizes the President to impose economic sanctions and deny entry into the United States to any foreign person identified as engaging in human rights abuse or corruption."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weber, Michael A.; Collins-Chase, Edward J.
2020-10-28
-
Nigeria: #EndSARS Protests Against Police Brutality [October 27, 2020]
From the Document: "Since early October, large youth-led protests against police abuses have shaken cities across Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. The demonstrations emerged after video circulated on social media purporting to show an extrajudicial killing by members of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the national Nigeria Police Force (NPF) responsible for investigating violent offenses. SARS personnel previously had been implicated in extensive human rights abuses by what the U.S. State Department describes as 'credible international organizations.' In response to protesters' calls to disband SARS--a demand amplified on Twitter and other social media via the hashtag #EndSARS--President Muhammadu Buhari announced on October 11 that the unit would be dissolved and its officers retrained and redeployed as part of a new task force. Demonstrations and social media campaigns have continued, with activists criticizing SARS's dissolution as insufficient and calling for additional reforms, including accountability for past abuses and higher police salaries to reduce incentives for extortion. The government has cracked down on the unrest; since mid-October, security forces, including military personnel, reportedly have killed dozens of protesters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Husted, Tomas F.
2020-10-27
-
'California v. Texas': The Fate of the Affordable Care Act [October 27, 2020]
From the Document: "On November 10, 2020, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral argument in 'California v. Texas' (consolidated with the related case 'Texas v. California'), a constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) individual mandate. The suit also seeks to invalidate the ACA's many other provisions, which cover a range of issues such as the regulation of private health insurance, changes to public health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare, funding for preventive health care programs, drug regulation, and nutritional content display at restaurants. This Sidebar provides background on the ACA's individual mandate, including relevant prior litigation, followed by a discussion of the 'California v. Texas' case, including the parties' arguments in the case. It concludes with some select considerations for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Liu, Edward C.
2020-10-27
