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Army Modernization: Army Should Improve Use of Alternative Agreements and Approaches by Enhancing Oversight and Communication of Lessons Learned, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The Army annually invests billions of dollars in science and technology projects to support weapon systems modernization. These projects often involve the use of alternative agreements outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The Army also uses alternative approaches to reduce barriers to partnerships with industry and academia. In doing so, the Army has lessons learned available to it about, for example, the type of alternative agreement to use or how to better execute an alternative approach. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the Army's alternative agreements and approaches for modernization. This report examines the Army's use, oversight efforts, and lessons learned practices for alternative agreements and approaches."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs: Views on Usefulness and Challenges of Programs, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Prescription medications-- particularly when misused or overprescribed--can contribute to dangerous drug interactions, substance use disorder, overdoses, and deaths. The federal government has identified PDMPs [prescription drug monitoring programs] as key tools to help ensure the safe and appropriate prescribing of opioids and other controlled substances. The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to study the operation of PDMPs. In this report, GAO describes (1) physicians' views on the usefulness of PDMPs when making patient care decisions; and (2) challenges to using PDMPs when making patient care decisions, as well as state and federal efforts to address these challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Small Business Administration: COVID-19 Loans Lack Controls and Are Susceptible to Fraud, Statement of William B. Shear, Director, Financial Markets and Community Investment, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations, Committee on Small Business, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "SBA [Small Business Administration] has made or guaranteed more than 14.5 million loans and grants through PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] and EIDL [Economic Injury Disaster Loans], providing about $729 billion to help small businesses adversely affected by COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. However, the speed with which SBA implemented the programs may have increased their susceptibility to fraud. This testimony discusses fraud risks associated with SBA's PPP and EIDL programs. It is based largely on GAO's reports in June 2020 (GAO-20-625) and September 2020 (GAO-20-701) that addressed the federal response, including by SBA, to the economic downturn caused by COVID-19."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Shear, William B.
2020-10-01
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COVID-19 Vaccine Predictions: Using Mathematical Modelling and Expert Opinions to Estimate Timelines and Probabilities of Success of COVID-19 Vaccines
From the Abstract: "We collected publicly available information, interviewed experts, and used our diverse range of expertise to analyse and model the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine portfolio. There is significant uncertainty surrounding the development, approval and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines. We find that the chances of developing a safe and efficacious vaccine are high but it will not occur in the immediate future, and it is unlikely to be the silver bullet that resolves the pandemic and returns our world to normal. Using inputs generated from expert interviews, our modelling suggests that there is a 50 percent chance that by the end of April 2021 there will be a vaccine safe and efficacious enough to win approval from a stringent regulator; by the end of 2021, this rises to 85 percent. Inputs more optimistic or pessimistic than those we gained through expert interviews lead to very different results."
Center for Global Development
McDonnell, Anthony; Van Exan, Robert; Chalkidou, Kalipso . . .
2020-10
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Telecommunications: FCC Should Enhance Performance Goals and Measures for Its Program to Support Broadband Service in High-Cost Areas, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives
"Millions of Americans do not have access to broadband. Within the Universal Service Fund, FCC's [Federal Communications Commission] high-cost program provided about $5 billion in 2019 to telecommunications carriers to support broadband deployment in unserved areas where the cost to provide broadband service is high. In 2011, FCC established five performance goals and related measures for the high-cost program. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the high-cost program's performance goals and measures. This report examines: (1) the extent to which the program's performance goals and measures align with leading practices to enable the effective use of performance information and (2) the key challenges selected stakeholders believe FCC faces in meeting the program's goals."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Maryland Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
From the Document: "The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) has engaged a multi-agency planning group to align federal guidance to the existing state and local infrastructure to ensure safe, equitable, and efficient vaccination against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Under this plan, and dependent on vaccine supply availability, MDH will assure that COVID-19 vaccine will be available for all Maryland residents who wish to be vaccinated."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-10
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Row House Fire Fighting Tactics [infographic]
This infographic details fire fighting tactics when addressing a row house fire. It also provides information and feature descriptions for row houses.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-10
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Impact of COVID-19 on the Economic Inclusion of Venezuelans in Colombia
From the Abstract: "Colombia is the largest destination country for displaced Venezuelans, hosting almost 1.8 million as of May 2020. The Government of Colombia has maintained an open and constructive response, issuing residency and work permits and providing humanitarian relief. Yet Venezuelans in Colombia still face many obstacles to economic inclusion. Consequently, Venezuelans earn less than their Colombian peers, and face high rates of poverty, widespread threats of eviction, and food insecurity. COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has exacerbated these challenges, increasing Venezuelan unemployment and exacerbating their precarious situation. This policy paper, part of the 'Let Them Work' initiative, outlines the impact of COVID-19 on Colombians and Venezuelans alike, exploring the barriers both face to accessing the labor market. It then identifies practical ways in which the Government of Colombia, donors, international organizations, and NGOs, can overcome these barriers."
Center for Global Development; Refugees International (Organization)
Graham, Jimmy; Guerrero Ble, Martha
2020-10
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EPA Grants to Tribes: Additional Actions Needed to Effectively Address Tribal Environmental Concerns, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Hundreds of tribal environmental programs operate across the nation to protect human health and safeguard the environment. Many of these programs are supported, at least in part, by EPA grants. Some tribes have raised concerns that a lack of resources threatens their ability to operate tribal environmental programs. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review EPA grants to tribes. This report examines (1) the amount and types of grants EPA awarded to tribes for fiscal years 2014 through 2019; (2) how tribes used these grants; and (3) challenges EPA and tribes identified in addressing environmental concerns through grants, and EPA's actions to address these challenges. GAO reviewed laws, policies, and grant documentation; assessed EPA data on the types and amount of grants provided to tribes; and interviewed EPA officials as well as 10 tribes and one intertribal consortium selected to highlight different EPA regions and grant types, for nongeneralizable information about EPA grants and related challenges."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Coast Guard Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Reduce Risk for the Offshore Patrol Cutter Program, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The Coast Guard--a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)--is planning to spend over $12 billion to acquire a fleet of 25 OPCs [Offshore Patrol Cutter]. This is the component's highest investment priority and will help ensure a variety of missions, such as drug and migrant interdiction, are carried out in offshore waters once its aging Medium Endurance Cutters are decommissioned. After Hurricane Michael--a category 5 storm-- significantly disrupted the OPC shipbuilder's ability to continue work in October 2018, DHS granted up to $659 million in extraordinary contractual relief to the shipbuilder. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the status of the OPC acquisition program. This report examines, among other objectives, how the Coast Guard revised the OPC program after Hurricane Michael and the extent to which the program addressed major risks--particularly in the areas of design maturity, schedule, and cost-- before proceeding through key acquisition decisions both pre- and post-hurricane."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Federal-Aid Highways: States and Local Governments Reported Benefits to Federal Highway Fund Swapping, but Impacts Cannot Be Definitively Determined, Report to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides funding to states to build and maintain the nation's roadways and bridges. States must follow applicable federal standards such as laws that require contractors to pay locally prevailing wages. States can make federal funding available to local agencies for projects, but the ability of local agencies to comply with federal requirements is a well-documented risk area. Some states have established 'fund swapping' programs where local agencies swap proposed federal funding with the state in return for state dollars. FHWA does not directly oversee these programs, and no federal statutes or regulations authorize or prohibit fund swapping. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review swapping of federal-aid highway funds and its impact. In this report, GAO describes: (1) the extent to which states and local agencies engage in fund swapping; (2) factors affecting whether state and local agencies engage in federal fund swapping; and (3) what is known about the impact fund swapping has on prevailing wages paid to workers and other federal requirements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Federal Social Safety Net Programs: Millions of Full-Time Workers Rely on Federal Health Care and Food Assistance Programs, Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on the Budget, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Each year millions of wage-earning adults participate in federally funded social safety net programs to help pay for basic needs including health care and food assistance. These individuals may work for employers in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, or be self-employed. They also may work full-time or part-time schedules. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review several aspects of this population. This report examines (1) what is known about the labor characteristics of working adult Medicaid enrollees and SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] recipients and (2) what is known about where adult Medicaid enrollees and SNAP recipients work."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2019
From the Acknowledgments: "The ultimate objective of this report's effort is to reduce the number of firefighter deaths through an increased awareness and understanding of their causes and how they can be prevented. Firefighting, rescue and other types of emergency operations are essential activities in an inherently dangerous profession, and unfortunate tragedies do occur. These are the risks that all firefighters accept every time they respond to an emergency incident. However, the risks can be greatly reduced through efforts to improve training, emergency scene operations, and firefighter health and safety."
United States Fire Administration
2020-10
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Arizona Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
From the Executive Summary: "The Arizona COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination Plan is a working document structured to address planning guidance provided by the CDC's [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] 'COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Template for Jurisdictions' and 'COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations'. The purpose of this plan is to detail the Arizona's Department of Health Services' (ADHS) capacity to support the statewide COVID-19 vaccination campaign and local county and tribal planning initiatives. The plan highlights Arizona's vaccination strategy, which designates county health departments and some tribal facilities as the local authority responsible for approving vaccine allocations for providers within each county jurisdiction. Planning efforts have been informed by the 'Arizona Pandemic Influenza Response Plan', lessons learned from the H1N1 [Hemagglutinin Type 1 and Neuraminidase Type 1] vaccination campaign, and the Arizona Vaccine Task Force, initiated by the ADHS in July 2020, and comprised of a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders representing county and tribal public health, outpatient healthcare providers and associations, inpatient healthcare providers and associations, payors, pharmacy and EMS stakeholders, and state and local emergency management agencies."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-10
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Washington State Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
From the Executive Summary: "On September 16, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 'COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations.' This document outlined the federal strategy for delivering and administering COVID-19 vaccine once one is approved, and it requested state and territorial health departments to answer questions and outline their plans for vaccine distribution. The jurisdictional plans were due to the CDC by October 16, 2020. This plan is Washington State's response to this request. It describes how we will approach the work of planning for and distributing a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. It will be updated over time as additional planning occurs and as CDC updates guidance for jurisdictions. Overall, Washington State is well positioned to receive, handle, distribute, and administer COVID-19 vaccine to its residents once a safe and effective vaccine is available. The Washington State Department of Health has started its planning by coordinating with tribal nations, state agencies, local government, community leaders, health care providers, neighboring states, and other partners."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-10
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Farm Programs: USDA Has Improved Its Completion of Eligibility Compliance Reviews, but Additional Oversight is Needed, Report to the Honorable Charles E. Grassley, President Pro Tempore, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Each crop year, USDA distributes billions of dollars in payments to farmers through programs that, by law, require payment recipients to be actively engaged in farming. These programs provide income support to producers of key crops such as corn, cotton, and soybeans. In September 2013, GAO [Government Accountability Office] found weaknesses in how FSA [Farm Service Agency] implemented regulations to ensure that farmers meet the criteria for being actively engaged and do not receive payments above program limits. GAO recommended that FSA set a plan and time frame for using its tracking system to monitor compliance reviews, which FSA did."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Biomedical Research: NIH Should Publicly Report More Information About the Licensing of Its Intellectual Property, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] labs conduct research that can contribute to the development of new life-saving drugs. HHS may grant rights to its inventions by licensing the patents to pharmaceutical companies that conduct the additional development activities and testing necessary to bring drugs to market. Public health experts and patients' rights advocates have raised concerns about the prices of drugs developed with federal support. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review HHS's management of its intellectual property. This report examines (1) the extent to which HHS-owned intellectual property has contributed to the development of FDA-approved drugs, (2) what is known about the licenses associated with FDA-approved drugs, (3) factors NIH prioritizes when licensing its inventions and information about licensing it makes public, and (4) steps HHS has taken to protect its rights."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Crude Oil Markets: Effects of the Repeal of the Crude Oil Export Ban, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Between 1975 and the end of 2015, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act directed a ban on nearly all exports of U.S. crude oil. This ban was not considered a significant policy issue when U.S. oil production was declining and import volumes were increasing. However, U.S. crude oil production roughly doubled from 2009 to 2015, due in part to a boom in shale oil production made possible by advancements in drilling technologies. In December 2015, Congress effectively repealed the ban, allowing the free export of U.S. crude oil worldwide. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to provide information on the effects of repealing the crude oil export ban. This report describes the effects of the repeal of the crude oil export ban on the domestic crude oil production, petroleum refining, and related sectors of the U.S. shipping industry."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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New Jersey Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
From the Executive Summary: "'COVID-19's [coronavirus disease 2019] devastating impacts motivate New Jersey to build a robust COVID-19 vaccination program.' In January 2020, the State of New Jersey started actively tracking the outbreak of a novel coronavirus. Since the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared through Executive Order No. 103 on March 9, 2020, New Jersey has mobilized a statewide, data-driven COVID-19 response that includes healthcare capacity expansion, focus on vulnerable populations, scaling of testing, contact tracing and exposure notification mobilization, resource provision, and resiliency planning. The State informs COVID-19 efforts through transparent information to the public and through funding and technical guidance to local partners. New Jersey began COVID-19 vaccination planning in the context of considerable unknowns regarding vaccine safety, efficacy, availability and timelines, federal distribution logistics, supplies and funding resources, public demand, likelihood of community protection through vaccination, and other factors. New Jersey submitted a Draft Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Plan to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for feedback on October 16, 2020, but New Jersey will adapt its phased approach as unknowns are resolved."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-10
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What Explains Temporal and Geographic Variation in the Early US Coronavirus Pandemic?
From the Abstract: "We provide new evidence on the drivers of the early US coronavirus pandemic. We combine an epidemiological model of disease transmission with quasi-random variation arising from the timing of stay-at-home orders to estimate the causal roles of policy interventions and voluntary social distancing. We then relate the residual variation in disease transmission rates to observable features of cities. We estimate significant impacts of policy and social distancing responses, but we show that the magnitude of policy effects is modest, and most social distancing is driven by voluntary responses. Moreover, we show that neither policy nor rates of voluntary social distancing explain a meaningful share of geographic variation. The most important predictors of which cities were hardest hit by the pandemic are exogenous characteristics such as population and density."
Stanford University. Institute for Economic Policy Research
Allcott, Hunt; Boxell, Levi; Conway, Jacob C. . . .
2020-10
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Affective Polarization Did Not Increase During the Coronavirus Pandemic
From the Abstract: "We document trends in affective polarization during the coronavirus pandemic. In our main measure, affective polarization is relatively flat between July 2019 and February 2020, then falls significantly around the onset of the pandemic. Two other data sources show no evidence of an increase in polarization around the onset of the pandemic. Finally, we show in an experiment that priming respondents to think about the coronavirus pandemic significantly reduces affective polarization."
Stanford University. Institute for Economic Policy Research
Boxell, Levi; Conway, Jacob C.; Gentzkow, Matthew . . .
2020-10
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Food Safety: CDC Could Further Strengthen Its Efforts to Identify and Respond to Foodborne Illnesses, Report to the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] has estimated that each year, one in six people in the United States gets a foodborne illness, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. CDC data show increases in the number of reported multistate foodborne illness outbreaks--groups of two or more linked cases in multiple states--in recent years. Such outbreaks are responsible for a disproportionate number of hospitalizations and deaths, compared with single-state outbreaks. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CDC's response to multistate foodborne illness outbreaks. This report examines (1) CDC's roles and responsibilities, (2) challenges that CDC faces and the extent to which it has addressed these challenges, and (3) the extent to which CDC evaluates its performance."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Consumer Privacy: Better Disclosures Needed on Information Sharing by Banks and Credit Unions, Report to the Chairman, Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Banks and credit unions maintain a large amount of personal information about consumers. Federal law requires that they have processes to protect this information, including data shared with certain third parties. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review how banks and credit unions collect, use, and share such information and federal oversight of these activities. This report examines, among other things, (1) what personal information banks and credit unions collect, and how they use and share the information; (2) the extent to which they make consumers aware of the personal information they collect and share; and (3) how regulatory agencies oversee such collection, use, and sharing."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Food Insecurity Edged Back Up After COVID-19 Relief Expired: Findings from the September 11-28 Coronavirus Tracking Survey
From the Document: "Food insecurity decreased early in the pandemic between late March/early April and mid-to-late May, after stimulus checks were released to many Americans and a $600 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits was implemented. However, food insecurity edged back up the month after the unemployment benefit boost expired. In September 2020, one in five adults reported their households had experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days, an increase of 1.7 percentage points since May 2020, according to new data from the Urban Institute's Coronavirus Tracking Survey. Nearly four in ten adults who reported they or a spouse or partner lost a job at some point during the pandemic reported being food insecure in the September survey, which was fielded just over one month after the weekly supplement to unemployment benefits expired at the end of July. Black and Hispanic/Latinx adults, two groups who have experienced significant negative economic and health impacts from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], continued to experience food insecurity at rates approximately twice that of white adults. Parents with children under age 19 had similar rates of food insecurity in May and September, while adults not living with children experienced a statistically significant increase over the same period."
Urban Institute
Waxman, Elaine; Gupta, Poonam; Gonzalez, Dulce
2020-10
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Impact of the Coronavirus on Food Insecurity in 2020
From the Introduction: "In this brief, we provide updated analysis of the potential impact of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] on food insecurity in 2020. Households that experience food insecurity lack access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. Before the COVID-19 crisis began, more than 35 million people, including nearly 11 million children, lived in a food-insecure household. Pre-pandemic data reflect the lowest food insecurity rates had been in more than 20 years, but the current crisis has reversed improvements made over the past decade since the Great Recession."
Feeding America
2020-10
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Federal Contracting: Actions Needed to Improve Department of Labor's Enforcement of Service Worker Wage Protections, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The SCA [Service Contract Act] ensures that service workers on certain federal contracts receive pay and benefits that reflect current employment conditions in their locality. From fiscal years 2014 through 2019, the U.S. government obligated over $720 billion on service contracts covered under the SCA. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review SCA implementation and enforcement. This report examines (1) what available data reveal about past SCA cases, (2) what challenges DOL [Department of Labor] reports facing in enforcing the SCA, and (3) how contracting agencies implement the SCA."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-10
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Violent Victimization by Race or Ethnicity, 2005-2019
This document provides statistics related to violent victimization by race or ethnicity from 2005 to 2019.
United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics
Oudekerk, Barbara A.
2020-10
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Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers: Cepheid, Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV
From the Document: "This Fact Sheet informs you of the significant known and potential risks and benefits of the emergency use of the Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]/Flu/RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] test. The Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV test is authorized for use with certain respiratory specimens collected from individuals suspected of respiratory viral infection consistent with COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] by their healthcare provider."
United States. Food and Drug Administration
2020-10-01
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Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers: Tempus Labs, Inc., iC SARS-CoV2 Test
From the Document: "This Fact Sheet informs you of the significant known and potential risks and benefits of the emergency use of the iC SARS-CoV2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Test. The iC SARS-CoV2 Test is authorized for use with upper respiratory tract specimens collected from individuals suspected of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] by their healthcare provider."
United States. Food and Drug Administration
2020-10-01
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Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers: Access IL-6 - Beckman Coulter, Inc.
From the Document: "This Fact Sheet informs you of the significant known and potential risks and benefits of the emergency use of the Access IL-6. The Access IL-6 is authorized for use in human serum and plasma specimens collected from patients with confirmed Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) to assist in identifying severe inflammatory response to aid in determining the risk of intubation with mechanical ventilation, in conjunction with clinical findings and the results of other laboratory testing."
United States. Food and Drug Administration
2020-10-01
