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• H. Rept. 116-496: Strength in Diversity Act of 2019, Report Together with Minority Views to Accompany H.R. 2639, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, September 8, 2020

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  From the Purpose and Summary: "Our nation's system of public education has never come close to achieving full racial integration of public education. But there is now a growing prevalence of racial segregation and, in certain regions of the country, re-segregation in public schools that undermines meaningful progress made toward racial integration in the decades following the 'Brown' decision, denying millions of students of color high-quality public education. [...] The purpose of H.R. 2639 is to provide federal support for school integration. The bill authorizes funding for communities to develop and implement evidence-based plans to tackle racial and socioeconomic segregation in public schools. Planning grants authorized by the bill will allow LEAs [local educational agencies] to study segregation in their schools, evaluate current policies to identify revisions necessary to achieve integration, and develop a robust family, student, and community engagement plan to carry out voluntary integration efforts. Implementation grants authorized by the bill provide resources to LEAs to implement an evidence-based integration plan and rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of the plan. Implementation grants may also be used to recruit, hire, and train teachers to improve diversity in the teaching profession, support activities in a district under a court-ordered desegregation plan, and fund other innovative activities designed to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity in schools, prioritizing funding for school districts that address racial isolation in their schools. H.R. 2639 also strengthens other federal efforts to promote integration, including providing dedicated research funding."

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2020-09-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 4162, AIR Act of 2020

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  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. 4162 would temporarily modify the apportionment formula for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, which provide funding to airport sponsors for capital improvement projects related to airport safety, capacity, and security. In general, under current law, each airport's annual apportionment is based on the number of passengers at that facility during the previous calendar year. For 2022 and 2023, the bill would direct the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to calculate AIP apportionments based on the number of passengers at each airport in 2018, 2019, or the full calendar year prior to the current fiscal year, whichever would result in the highest amount."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2020-09-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 7795, Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act of 2020

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on July 30, 2020. From the Document: "H.R. 7795 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make disability benefit questionnaires (DBQs) available on the department's website. DBQs are standardized forms used by physicians when performing examinations that are used to determine veterans' eligibility for disability compensation. Disability compensation is a monthly cash benefit paid to veterans who have disabilities or diseases that have been determined to be connected to their military service. The bill also would require VA to accept earlier versions of DBQ forms and would require VA's inspector general to report annually on the use of DBQs until 2027."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2020-09-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2216, Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for Veterans Caregivers Act

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs on August 5, 2020. From the Document: "The Family Caregivers Program provides training, counseling, mental health services, respite care, and a monthly stipend to a veteran's caregiver. Veterans and their caregivers are eligible for the program if the veterans require assistance in activities of daily living (such as bathing, eating, or grooming) because of injuries incurred as a result of military service. S. 2216 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to temporarily extend the program's benefits to veterans who become ineligible because they no longer require a caregiver. The duration of that extension would be determined by the department. The bill also would require VA to record the names of caregivers in veterans' health care records and to notify both veterans and those caregivers of medical determinations that affect eligibility for the program."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2020-09-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 5517, Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on July 29, 2020. From the Document: "H.R. 5517 would authorize the appropriation of $97 million for a new foundation and other programs that would focus on the legacies of Mohandas K. Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2020-09-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 2558, Nursing Home Care for Native American Veterans Act

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on August 5, 2020. From the Document: "S. 2558 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make grants to Indian tribes to defray the cost of constructing veterans' nursing homes on tribal land and to pay a portion of the costs of care provided at those facilities. Under current law, VA pays 65 percent of construction costs for state-operated nursing homes for veterans and subsidizes residents' care. Over the 2017-2019 period, VA provided about $300 million in construction grants for 30 new state veterans homes (roughly $8 million per grant), and it spent $1.2 billion annually on care for veterans living in existing facilities."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2020-09-08
• FEMA is Not Effectively Administering a Program to Reduce or Eliminate Damage to Severe Repetitive Loss Properties

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  From the Document: "Severe repetitive loss (SRL) properties are those that flood repeatedly, causing significant difficulties for property owners. The objective of this audit was to determine to what extent the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is managing SRL properties covered by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  2020-09-08
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 4204, Federal Emergency Pandemic Response Act

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  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: "S. 4204 would establish a federal interagency task force to analyze the nation's preparedness for national pandemics. The bill would detail the task force's membership and responsibilities, which would include a review of the mission of the Strategic National Stockpile and an assessment of its current inventory and future needs."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2020-09-08
• Webinar: Promising Strategies for Encouraging COVID-19 Protective Behaviors [video]

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  From the Webpage Description: "Join this webinar for a discussion of promising strategies from the behavioral and social sciences to make the adoption of protective behaviors against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] more likely. Decision makers across the country are looking for ways to encourage community members to wear masks, wash their hands, and maintain social distance. New guidance from the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) helps decision makers understand strategies to increase adherence to protective behaviors to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This webinar will discuss strategies from communications, social psychology, and behavioral economics." The duration of the video is 1 hour and 14 seconds.

  National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

  2020-09-08
• Artemis: NASA's Program to Return Humans to the Moon [September 8, 2020]

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  From the Document: "Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed 12 American men on the Moon and returned them safely to Earth. [...] Since then, no human has been farther from Earth than low Earth orbit, a few hundred miles up; the distance to the Moon is about 240,000 miles. Artemis, named for Apollo's twin sister in ancient Greek mythology, is NASA's program for a return to the Moon by American astronauts--one of them a woman--in 2024."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Morgan, Daniel (Daniel L.)

  2020-09-08
• Japanese Prime Minister Abe's Resignation and the U.S.-Japan Alliance [September 8, 2020]

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  From the Introduction: "On August 28, 2020, after weeks of rumors in the press, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would resign due to the resurgence of a chronic health condition. Abe, the longest-serving premier in modern Japanese history, had been in power since 2012, bringing unusual stability to Japanese politics and foreign policy. During his tenure, he expanded Japan's military and diplomatic capabilities and championed the U.S.-Japan alliance by, among other steps, aligning bilateral security policy and integrating military operations more tightly. Abe forged a personal relationship with President Trump to further Japan's interests, succeeding in convincing Trump to adopt Abe's vision of the Indo-Pacific strategy. He also avoided a contentious trade fight over autos while concluding a limited trade agreement that covers about 5% of bilateral trade flows. However, the warm rapport between the two leaders was insufficient to persuade Trump to remain in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement or support Japan's priorities in dealing with North Korea. While Abe received praise for strengthening the U.S.-Japan military partnership, some observers see indications of cracks that have developed, particularly in the areas of cost-sharing and joint weapons deployments that will almost immediately create challenges for Abe's successor."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Campbell, Caitlin; Manyin, Mark E.

  2020-09-08
• Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes: A Vector Control Technology for Reducing Virus Transmission [Updated September 8, 2020]

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  From the Document: "No vaccine exists for Zika, although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several diagnostic tests for detecting Zika virus antibodies. Mosquito control and bite prevention are the first lines of defense. Conventional control methods such as truck and aerial spraying are only moderately effective (30%-50%) in reducing mosquito populations, in part owing to the resistance the mosquitoes have developed to common insecticides and to the limited area in which 'Aedes aegypti' mosquitoes circulate (100-200 yards from where the larvae emerge). 'Aedes aegypti' mosquitoes also tend to favor house interiors where spraying/fogging is not practical. Strategic placement of several low-cost autocidal gravid ovitraps (which mimic breeding sites) in house interiors can reduce the 'Aedes aegypti' population by about 50%. In this environment, the creation of a genetically engineered (GE) Aedes aegypti mosquito by the British firm Oxitec in 2002, known as OX513A, generated significant interest among public health officials. Developed originally to suppress the incidence of dengue fever, OX513A was seen as a promising technology to reduce the incidence of Zika virus transmission by reducing the population of mosquitoes. Oxitec is owned by Maryland-based Intrexon Corporation."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Cowan, Tadlock

  2020-09-08
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) [September 8, 2020]

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  This is an infographic regarding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which "provides the public with a right to access federal agency information, subject to enumerated exemptions and exclusions."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sheffner, Daniel J.

  2020-09-08
• Political Campaign Contributions and Congress: A Legal Primer [September 8, 2020]

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  From the Summary: "To help curb corruption in the political process and safeguard First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association, Congress has enacted laws that regulate political campaign contributions. These laws include political patronage and campaign finance laws. Federal political patronage laws serve to protect federal employees--including congressional staff--from being required to make campaign contributions as a condition of employment. These criminal laws include a prohibition on Members of Congress, congressional candidates, and congressional staff from knowingly soliciting federal office campaign contributions from another such officer, employee, or person receiving compensation for services from money derived from the U.S. Treasury. [...] Federal campaign finance laws regulate campaign contributions made to congressional candidates by establishing limits, source restrictions, and disclosure requirements. The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) defines a contribution to include money or anything of value that is made for the purpose of influencing any federal election. A contribution can be distinguished from an expenditure in that a contribution involves giving money to an entity, such as a candidate's campaign committee, while an expenditure involves spending money directly for advocacy of the election or defeat of a candidate. For knowing and willful violations of FECA, criminal penalties may be imposed."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Whitaker, L. Paige

  2020-09-08
• Navy Large Unmanned Surface and Undersea Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated September 8, 2020]

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  From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and potential issues for Congress for three types of large unmanned vehicles (UVs) that the Navy wants to develop and procure in FY2021 and beyond: [1] Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSVs); [2] Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles (MUSVs); and [3] Extra-large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs). The Navy wants to acquire these large UVs as part of an effort to shift the Navy to a new fleet architecture (i.e., a new combination of ships and other platforms) that is more widely distributed than the Navy's current fleet architecture. The Navy is requesting $579.9 million in FY2021 research and development funding for these large UVs and their enabling technologies. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the Navy's acquisition strategies and FY2021 funding requests for these large UVs. The Navy's proposals for developing and procuring them pose a number of oversight issues for Congress. Congress's decisions on these issues could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements and the shipbuilding and UV industrial bases."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2020-09-08
• For Whom the FERC Tolls: Federal Court Rejects Agency 'Tolling Orders' [September 8, 2020]

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  From the Document: "In 'Allegheny Defense Project v. FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission]', the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit) addressed the legitimacy of 'tolling orders,' a long-standing procedural tool utilized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to administer the Natural Gas Act (NGA). FERC's use of tolling orders, which is not expressly authorized by statute, has long been a source of controversy, drawing criticism from environmental groups, state attorneys general, and FERC Commissioners, among others. Nonetheless, until this year, the practice had been widely used and generally accepted. However, in 'Allegheny Defense Project', the D.C. Circuit rejected FERC's use of a tolling order, and in so doing created uncertainty about the regulatory process for pipeline certification and construction as well as other administrative efforts to prolong deadlines through the use of tolling orders. After an overview of the NGA and FERC's use of tolling orders, this post analyzes the D.C. Circuit's 'Allegheny Defense Project' decision and examines its potential impact."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Vann, Adam

  2020-09-08
• Navy Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated September 8, 2020]

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  From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Columbia-class program, a program to design and build a class of 12 new ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace the Navy's current force of 14 aging Ohio-class SSBNs. The Navy has identified the Columbia-class program as the Navy's top priority program. The Navy wants to procure the first Columbia-class boat in FY2021. The Navy's proposed FY2021 budget requests $2,891.5 million in procurement funding, $1,123.2 million in advance procurement (AP) funding, and $397.3 million in research and development funding for the program. The program poses a number of funding and oversight issues for Congress. Decisions that Congress makes on the Columbia-class program could substantially affect U.S. military capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  O'Rourke, Ronald

  2020-09-08
• Disaster Relief Fund: Monthly Report as of August 31, 2020 (Fiscal Year 2020 Report to Congress)

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  From the Background: "P.L. 116-93 [2020 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act ] requires that the FEMA Administrator provide a report by the fifth business day of each month on the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) that includes a funding summary, a table delineating DRF funding activities each month by state and event, a summary of the funding for the catastrophic events, and the fund exhaustion date, or end-of-fiscal-year balance. P.L. 116-136 [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] requires that both projected and actual costs for funds provided by it for major disasters and any other expenses be provided to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2020-09-08
• Management Advisory: FHFA-OIG's Investigation of Allegations of Fraud Affecting Paycheck Protection Program Loans Obtained or Sought from Federal Home Loan Bank Member Institutions

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  From the Summary: "The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act establishes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which authorizes up to $659 billion for small businesses to pay up to 8 weeks of payroll costs, including benefits, and to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP is implemented by the Small Business Administration (SBA) with support from the Department of the Treasury. Since April 2020, at the invitation of the Fraud Section (Fraud Section) of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), we have participated in coordinated multiagency investigations into allegations of PPP fraud perpetrated at financial institutions that are members of the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) system. The purpose of this memorandum is to provide FHFA [Federal Housing Finance Agency] with a status report on these investigations. To date, as a result of our efforts and those of our partner law enforcement agencies, eight individuals have been charged by indictment or complaint with stealing or attempting to steal $60.5 million in PPP funds."

  United States. Federal Housing Finance Agency. Office of Inspector General

  2020-09-08
• '2020 Census Alert: The Census Bureau Faces Challenges in Ensuring Employee Health Safety During 2020 Census Field Operations' Final Memorandum No. OIG-20-046-M

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  From the memorandum to Dr. Steven D. Dillingham, Director U.S. Census Bureau, from Mark H. Zabarsky, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Audit and Evaluation: "The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is issuing this 2020 Census Alert to bring to your attention our concerns--about the Census Bureau's (Bureau's) inconsistent implementation of safety procedures to prevent the spread of coronavirus [disease] 2019 (COVID-19) as it completes its 2020 Census operations--that require immediate attention. Based on the number and consistency of COVID-19-related OIG hotline complaints that we have received, we are concerned that the Bureau is not fully complying with key elements of its own COVID-19 safety requirements--or operating fully in line with recommended guidance provided by the Department of Commerce (the Department), the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor)--and not holding its managers, employees, and contractors fully accountable for noncompliance, thereby putting their health at risk."

  United States. Department of Commerce. Office of the Inspector General

  Zabarsky, Mark H.

  2020-09-08
• FY2021 Budget Documents: Internet and GPO Availability [Updated September 8, 2020]

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  From the Summary: "Every year the President submits a series of volumes to Congress containing the President's proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The President's submission is required on or after the first Monday in January, but no later than the first Monday in February (31 U.S.C. §1105(a)). This year the President released the budget submission on February 10, 2020. This report provides brief descriptions of the FY2021 budget volumes and related documents, together with internet addresses, Government Publishing Office (GPO) stock numbers, and prices for obtaining print copies of these publications. It also explains how to find the locations of government depository libraries, which can provide both printed copies for reference use and internet access to the online versions. This report will be updated as events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Murray, Justin

  2020-09-08
• Social Safety Net in the Wake of COVID-19

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  From the Abstract: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis has led to spiking unemployment rates with disproportionate impacts on low-income families. School and child-care center closures have also meant lost free- and reduced-price school meals. Food prices have increased sharply leading to reduced purchasing power for families' limited income. The Families First Coronavirus Act and the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act included robust responses including expansions to unemployment insurance (expansions in eligibility and $600 per week supplement), a one-time payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per dependent, an increase in SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] payments, and the launch of the Pandemic EBT [electronic benefit transfer] program to replace lost school meals. Despite these efforts, real time data show significant distress - notably food insecurity rates have increased almost three times over the pre-COVID [coronavirus disease] rates and food pantry use has also spiked. In this paper, the researchers explore why there is so much unmet need despite a robust policy response. They provide evidence for three explanations: (1) timing-relief came with a substantial delay (due to overwhelmed UI [unemployment insurance] systems/need to implement new programs); (2) magnitude - payments outside UI are modest; and (3) coverage gaps - access is lower for some groups and other groups are statutorily excluded."

  Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Institute for Policy Research

  Bitler, Marianne; Hoynes, Hilary Williamson; Schanzenbach, Diane, 1972-

  2020-09-08
• State of the Nation: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey, Report #12: Executive Approval Update

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  From the Document: "The August wave of our COVID States survey indicates a continued gradual decline in approval of governors' management of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], and a small improvement in President Trump's management of COVID-19. 'The average governor saw their approval slip another 3 points in the last month, to 48% approval (versus 63% in late April). President Trump, who started from a much lower point, rebounded slightly from his low point of approval of 32% in July to 34% in August.' [...] The governors of Maryland, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are all at 65% approval or above. States with governors that have notably low approval ratings (below 40%) include Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Hawaii, Idaho, Mississippi, Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina, and Texas. 'Governors who have suffered particularly precipitous drops in the last month include the governors of California (Newsom), Virginia (Northam), and Florida (DeSantis).' Newsom dropped from 58% approval to 47%, Northam from 59% to 46%, and DeSantis from an already low 40% to 29%. Notably, despite the general stability in presidential approval, Trump's approval in Florida of his management of COVID-19 also dropped sharply, from 39% to 29%. Approval for governors dropped since April among their co- and anti-partisans; but generally, more so among anti-partisans."

  Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .

  Lazer, David; Quintana, Alexi; Ognyanova, Katherine . . .

  2020-09-08
• Disaster Zone: Intersection of COVID-19 and the Annual Flu [audio]

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  From the Webpage: "Health officials have been concerned about the intersection of the corona virus and the annual flu season here in 2020. This podcast is a conversation with Dr. Jeff Duchin, the Health Officer for Seattle-King County Public Heath about his concerns and what to expect concerning a COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine." The duration of this audio is 24 minutes and 24 seconds.

  Disaster Zone

  Holdeman, Eric; Duchin, Jeffrey S.

  2020-09-07
• Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly Epidemiological Update [6 September 2020]

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  From the Document: "Cumulatively, nearly 27 million COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] cases and 900,000 deaths have been reported to WHO [World Health Organization] to date. Over 1.8 million new cases and 37,000 new deaths were reported for the week ending 6 September, a 5% increase in the number of cases and a 2% decrease in the number of deaths compared to the previous week (24 to 30 August)."

  World Health Organization

  2020-09-06
• COVIDView: A Weekly Surveillance Summary of U.S. COVID-19 Activity, Week 36 [September 5, 2020]

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  From the Key Updates: "After declining since mid-July, the percentage of laboratory specimen testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] nationally increased slightly during week 35 but then decreased during week 36. Indicators that track influenza-like illness (ILI) and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]-like illness (CLI) continued to decrease or remain stable (change of ≤0.1%) nationally and in all 10 regions; however, due to COVID-19 activity, one region reported levels of ILI above the region-specific baseline. Weekly hospitalization rates and mortality attributed to COVID19 declined during week 36. Mortality attributed to COVID-19 remains above the epidemic threshold."

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2020-09-05
• Covid Economics Vetted and Real-Time Papers: Issue 47, 4 September 2020

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  This September 4, 2020 edition of 'Covid Economics Vetted and Real-Time Papers' contains the following articles: "Test sensitivity for infection versus infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2]" by Joshua S. Gans; "Asset pricing during pandemic lockdown" by Yuta Saito and Jun Sakamoto; "Pandemic shocks and household spending" by David Finck and Peter Tillmann; "The consequences of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] job losses: Who will suffer most and by how much?" by Andreas Gulyas and Krzysztof Pytka; "Demand for health insurance in the time of COVID-19: Evidence from the Special Enrollment Period in the Washington State ACA [Affordable Care Act] Marketplace" by Gerardo Ruiz Sánchez; "The distributional effects of COVID-19 and mitigation policies" by Sewon Hur; and "Mass outdoor events and the spread of an airborne virus: English football and Covid-19" Matthew Olczak, J. James Reade and Matthew Yeo.

  Centre for Economic Policy Research

  2020-09-04
• Poverty and Economic Dislocation Reduce Compliance with COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place Protocols

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  From the Abstract: "Shelter-in-place ordinances were the first wide-spread policy measures aimed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Compliance with shelter-in-place directives is individually costly and requires behavioral changes across diverse sub-populations. Leveraging county-day measures on population movement derived from cellphone location data and the staggered introduction of local mandates, we find that economic factors have played an important role in determining the level of compliance with local shelter-in-place ordinances in the US. Specifically, residents of low income areas complied with shelter-in-place ordinances less than their counterparts in areas with stronger economic endowments, even after accounting for potential confounding factors including partisanship, population density, exposure to recent trade disputes, unemployment, and other factors. Novel results on the local impact of the 2020 CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act suggest stimulus transfers that addressed economic dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased social distancing."

  Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics

  Wright, Austin (Austin L.); Sonin, Konstantin; Driscoll, Jesse, 1978- . . .

  2020-09-04
• COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options [Updated September 4, 2020]

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  From the Document: "The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including direct disaster loan programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters; loan guaranty and venture capital programs; management and technical assistance training programs; and contracting programs. Congressional interest in these programs has always been high, primarily because small businesses are viewed as a means to stimulate economic activity and create jobs, but it has become especially acute in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's widespread adverse economic impact on the national economy. This report provides a brief description of the SBA's programs and examines congressional action to assist small businesses during and immediately following the Great Recession (2007- 2009) and during the COVID-19 pandemic[.]"

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lowry, Sean; Lindsay, Bruce R.

  2020-09-04
• Lessons Learned from the 2020 Primary During COVID-19

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  From the Document: "This document includes common themes and feedback from election officials, in their own words, outlining their observations, lessons learned, and best practices based on their experience of adjusting to conducting a large turnout election after the outbreak of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] required stay at home orders across the United States. This document does not include feedback from states that saw no shift in their processes due to already conducting their elections by mail and is not exhaustive of all experiences in the 2020 primary election calendar. It includes information shared with the EAC [Election Assistance Commission] through webinars, interviews, and a public hearing on lessons learned from the 2020 primaries. While officials saw a surge of ballots cast by mail or absentee, it is notable that election officials spent considerable time highlighting to the EAC the unique challenges they faced in conducting in-person voting and the extensive planning that they are undertaking to ensure safe and accessible in-person voting for November."

  United States. Election Assistance Commission

  2020-09-04?