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Tarrant's Last Laugh? The Spectre of White Supremacist Penetration of Western Security Forces
From the Document: "Before embarking on his livestreamed murder of 51 Muslim worshippers in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15 March 2019, the Australian white supremacist and terrorist, Brenton Tarrant, posted a manifesto online. He claimed that his ideological beliefs were shared 'in every place of employment and field' in Western countries but 'disproportionately' so 'in military services and law enforcement.' He estimated the 'number of soldiers in European armed forces that also belong to nationalist groups to number in the hundreds of thousands, with just as many employed in law enforcement positions. [...] Tarrant observed in his tract that 'ethno-nationalists and nationalists' - 'unsurprisingly' - pursue 'employment in areas that serve their nations and community.' Meanwhile, white supremacist threat groups actively seek active or former servicemen with the military skillsets to fill their ranks. This is not the full picture however. This disturbing phenomenon of white supremacist penetration of Western security forces is a function of the societal and political mainstreaming of such ideas in wider communities in Western countries such as Germany."
Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
Ramakrishna, Kumar
2020-09
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CBO Paper: Long-Term Implications of the 2021 Future Years Defense Program
From the Summary: "In most years, the Department of Defense (DoD) produces a five-year plan, called the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP), that is associated with the budget it submits to the Congress. The 2021 FYDP, issued in March 2020, comprises DoD's request for appropriations in 2021 and a series of planned budgets for 2022 through 2025. This report describes the Congressional Budget Office's [CBO] analysis of the FYDP and summarizes DoD's expectations about the costs of its plans for 2021 through 2025. Because decisions made in the near term can have consequences for the defense budget in the longer term, CBO projected the costs of the 2021 plan through 2035."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Arthur, David (David Alan); Woodward, F. Matthew
2020-09
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Are Happier People More Compliant? Global Evidence from Three Large-Scale Surveys During Covid-19 Lockdowns
From the Abstract: "Around the world, governments have been asking their citizens to practice physical distancing and stay at home to contain the spread of Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Are happier people more willing to comply with these measures? Using three independent surveys covering over 119,000 adult respondents across 35 countries, including longitudinal data from the UK, we test competing psychological theories, and find that past and present happiness predicts compliance during lockdown. The relationship is stronger for those with higher levels of happiness. A negative mood, or loss in happiness, predicts lower compliance. We explore risk-avoidance and pro-social motivations for compliance, and find that these are not uniform but dependent on personal characteristics and context: people who are older or have certain medical preconditions seem to be predominantly motivated by risk-avoidance, whereas motivations of people who are less at risk of Covid-19 seem more mixed. Our findings have implications for policy design, targeting, and communication."
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Krekel, Christian; Swanke, Sarah; De Neve, Jan-Emmanuel . . .
2020-09
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U.S. Foreign Aid Policy in the Age of COVID-19
From the Introduction: "In April 2020, the Trump Administration halted funding [hyperlink] for the World Health Organization (WHO), an agency of the United Nations, while it reviewed the agency 's response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. One month later, President Trump announced that the U.S. would officially withdraw [hyperlink] from the WHO, and in July the United States initiated the formal process [hyperlink] of withdrawal. Ultimately, because the WHO requires a one-year notification and all debts paid for a withdrawal process to be completed, the U.S. will not officially cease being a member until July 2021. The U.S. withdrawal notification was the culmination of months of mounting tensions between the Trump administration and the WHO, which the administration accused of failing to disclose timely COVID-19 case data and mortality information, providing faulty theories on transmission mechanisms, opposing travel restrictions, and accepting at face value inaccurate statements made by the Chinese government early into the pandemic. [...] This New Center issue brief seeks to provide a primer on U.S. foreign aid policy, what the public thinks of it, and what role it should play in our relations with the world now and in the future."
The New Center
Srdanovic, Aleksandra
2020-09
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Five Laredo and San Antonio Area CBP Facilities Generally Complied with the National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search
From the Document: "During our unannounced inspections of five U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in the Laredo and San Antonio areas of Texas in February 2020, the three CBP Border Patrol stations and two CBP Office of Field Operations (OFO) ports of entry we visited appeared to be operating in compliance with the 'National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search' (TEDS) standards. We verified accessibility to water, food, toilets, sinks, basic hygiene supplies, and bedding. We observed clean facilities and verified that temperatures and ventilation in the holding rooms were appropriate. Of the five facilities, only one could provide on-site showers to detainees, but during our visits, no detainees were approaching the detention time threshold when a shower would be required. Because Border Patrol leadership directed all Border Patrol stations to implement Phase 2 of enhanced medical screening ahead of the prescribed schedule outlined in CBP Directive 2210-004, the Border Patrol stations we visited were conducting alien intake health assessments using CBP Form 2500. Ports of entry had implemented Phase 1, but were not yet required to conduct Phase 2 assessments at the time of our inspection."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2020-09-01
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COVID-19 Pandemic Threatens Public Transit Jobs and Service [September 2020]
From the Key Takeaways: "1. Public transit agencies face a critical funding shortfall because of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic that threatens jobs and service[.] 2. If Congress and the Administration do not provide $32 billion of additional COVID-19 emergency transit funding, more than six in 10 public transit agencies will have to cut transit service or furlough staff[.] 3. Without this emergency funding, transit agencies are considering laying off or furloughing staff (54 percent) and reducing service (61 percent), including eliminating routes (38 percent) and reducing days of service (20 percent)[.] 4. Eight in 10 large agencies are also considering delaying, deferring, or cancelling capital projects to close their budget gaps[.]"
American Public Transportation Association
Dickens, Matthew
2020-09
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COVID-19 Pandemic Threatens Public Transit Businesses [September 2020]
From the Key Takeaways: "1. More than eight in 10 businesses (86 percent) have seen a reduction in their transit industry business as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than one-third of these businesses have already furloughed employees[.] 2. If Congress and the Administration do not provide additional COVID-19 emergency funding for public transit agencies, nearly one-half of businesses (47 percent) expect to lay off employees[.] 3. One-third of transit industry businesses (31 percent) are concerned that they may go out of business due to the COVID-19 pandemic[.]"
American Public Transportation Association
Dickens, Matthew
2020-09
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CDSE Pulse: National Insider Threat Awareness Month (Volume 1, Issue 9)
From the Document: "The first National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM) was launched in September 2019 as a joint effort between federal agencies and the insider threat practitioner community to emphasize the importance of safeguarding our nation from the risks posed by insiders, and to share best practices for mitigating those risks. The 2019 effort was a rousing success and started what has now become an annual event. The theme for this year's recognition is Resilience. No one could've predicted the security challenges we would face in 2020. COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has presented a unique risk environment, increasing both threats and vulnerabilities Insider Threat programs are uniquely positioned to meet this challenge deploying multidisciplinary teams to deter, detect, and mitigate insider risk while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of the workforce. Insider Threat programs are also proactive in nature, can often mitigate risk before a negative event occurs, and can foster both individual and organizational resilience leading to positive outcomes for all."
United States. Defense Security Service. Center for Development of Security Excellence
2020-09
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Civic Voice During COVID-19: A SIDE Event Playbook for Members of Congress and Their Communities
From the Introduction: "In response to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], Members of Congress have been adapting by connecting with constituents using video conferencing platforms, holding hybrid online/offline meetings, having socially-distant in-person convenings, and accepting invitations to online events held by community groups hoping to provide local input to Congress In mid-May 2020, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 965 [hyperlink], an emergency measure in response to COVID-19 that 'allows for congressional deliberations to occur virtually', with remote committee procedures and proxy voting. These emergency changes are dramatic for an institution steeped in the tradition of physical presence. While the Senate has also adapted, it has not yet changed its digital document workflow. This playbook is therefore written for House activities. As of July 27, 2020, Members are allowed to use the Zoom platform to connect with constituents. This change opens up a new opportunity for constituents and congressional representatives to meet. Now that Congress is able to use an electronic workflow, a virtual SIDE [Stakeholders, Individuals, Data and Evidence] Event can be an effective place for Members to discuss important policy issues with their constituents. After these virtual events, Members may submit written public testimony as input for the official record. A virtual SIDE Event facilitates the process of making local feedback an accessible and productive part of lawmaking now and in the future."
Georgetown University. Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation
Kelly, Lorelei
2020-09
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Reconciling Civil Liberties and Public Health in the Response to COVID-19
From the Introduction: "Within the span of a few months, a new virus named SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] (which causes the disease COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]) has altered the course of nations and the world, introducing rapid and sweeping changes to our lives, social interactions, government functioning, and global relations. Most of us have accepted the need for measures designed to slow the pandemic's spread and buy ourselves time--time for our hospitals to treat cases without being overwhelmed, time to study the disease and develop treatments and (hopefully) a vaccine. But measures taken to 'flatten the curve' have imposed real collateral damage, some in the register of public health: the cancellation of elective surgeries has stalled the treatment of life-threatening diseases, almost certainly putting lives at risk; lockdown orders have impacted mental health, causing some to suffer anxiety, depression and a heightened risk of suicide; 'sheltering at home' poses a higher risk of physical harm for victims of domestic violence; and globally, the disruption of the economy and government services will exacerbate problems of food insecurity. [...] In this briefing, we want to first outline some of the impacts on civil liberties resulting from this pandemic and response efforts, and then discuss the underlying legal principles that guide thinking about civil rights and public health. [...] Some civil liberties may be given legal protection through a range of legal sources, most fundamentally through entrenchment in the 'Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'. In the discussion that follows, we explore the interaction between civil liberties and collective goals of public health using the framework provided by the 'Charter' to show that rights are not trump cards in the way it is often thought, and that they need to be balanced with public health goals such as protecting people from suffering and death from COVID-19."
Royal Society of Canada
Flood, Colleen M.; MacDonnell, Vanessa; Thomas, Bryan . . .
2020-09
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America's Three Domestic Threats and the Need for a Reform of Domestic Intelligence
From the Thesis Abstract: "The United States today faces three big threats domestically: Jihadist terrorism, Alt-Right terrorism, and great power competition (GPC), which can be characterized from a homeland security perspective as 'great power incursion.' Instead of focusing their efforts on a single threat, such as the Soviet Union during the Cold War, or Al-Qaeda right after 9/11, the current homeland intelligence structure consisting of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies now must focus attention on multiple threats simultaneously. Jihadist terrorism, Alt-Right terrorism, or great power incursion could target the American homeland at any one time, and present DHS, FBI, and SLTT resources may not be enough to effectively combat them all. Under these circumstances, this thesis examines the following research question: In light of these dynamic homeland security threats, is there a need for a new, purely domestic intelligence service in the United States? This thesis discusses these threats and analyzes the current DHS, FBI, and SLTT law enforcement postures toward them. The research conducted for this thesis suggests that the current domestic intelligence agencies are not able to address this new confluence of threats sufficiently. Although no single, new domestic intelligence agency is needed, significant reform is necessary."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Jackson, Matthew L.
2020-09
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Careful Connections: Keeping the Internet of Things Secure
From the Document: "Market analysts estimate that consumers and businesses around the world will use more than 20 billion Internet-connected devices by 2025. Internet of Things (IoT) companies design, manufacture, market, or support these connected devices - everything from light bulbs to smart TVs to wearable fitness trackers. As the industry has grown, so have the security risks. If a connected device is unsecure, it could give a hacker access not just to the confidential information transmitted by the device, but to everything else the device is connected to. So, how should IoT companies think about security to protect people against these risks? There is no 'one size fits all' approach to securing IoT devices, and what constitutes reasonable security will depend on a number of factors, including: [1] the device functionality and purpose, [2] the type and amount of information collected, [3] the entities with whom the data is shared, and [4] the level and likelihood of potential security risks involved. To make sure your IoT company is taking reasonable steps to protect your customers' devices from hackers, thieves, and other bad actors, consider these recommendations from the FTC [Federal Trade Commission]."
United States. Federal Trade Commission
2020-09
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Memorandum from Majority Staff to Members of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Regarding Preliminary Analysis of Paycheck Protection Program Data, September 1, 2020
From the Document: "This memorandum provides a preliminary analysis of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan-level data by Select Subcommittee staff as part of the Subcommittee's ongoing investigation of the program. The analysis shows PPP helped millions of small businesses and non-profit organizations stay afloat during the coronavirus crisis, but a lack of oversight and accountability from the Treasury Department and Small Business Administration (SBA) may have led to billions of dollars being diverted to fraud, waste, and abuse, rather than reaching small businesses truly in need. Congress established PPP in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020 to provide $349 billion in forgivable loans to eligible small businesses and non-profit organizations to cover payroll, rent, and utility payments to help them survive the coronavirus crisis. In April 2020, Congress expanded the program by an additional $321 billion. On June 15, 2020, the Select Subcommittee launched an investigation into the Trump Administration's implementation of the PPP, following reports that the program has favored large, well-funded companies over struggling small businesses in underserved communities. In response, Treasury and SBA have produced to the Subcommittee detailed data on all 5.2 million loans approved by SBA as of August 8, 2020, the last day of the program. Preliminary analysis of this data by Select Subcommittee staff reveals that tens of thousands of loans issued by the Administration could be subject to fraud, waste, or abuse."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Reform. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
2020-09-01
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Resilient Energy Systems and Cyber Deterrence and Resilience Strategic Initiatives: Cyber Resilience as a Deterrence Strategy
From the Abstract: "This paper explores how building resiliency in cyberspace can not only serve to strengthen the defender's posture and capabilities in a general sense but also deter adversaries from attacking."
Sandia National Laboratories
Hammer, Ann E.; Miller, Trisha; Uribe, Eva C.
2020-09
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Statistics in the Time of Coronavirus: COVID-19-Related Nonresponse in the CPS Household Survey
From the Abstract: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has significantly affected data collection for the nation's primary source of household-level labor force data, the Current Population Survey (CPS). In the first four months of the pandemic (March-June 2020) the average month-over-month nonresponse rate increased by 62 percent, while the size of newly entering cohorts declined by 37 percent relative to the prior 18 months. Together, these factors reduced the overall sample size of the CPS by around 17 percent. Both of these changes appear related to the cessation of in-person interviewing, a change which appears to be associated with significant shifts in the demographic composition of the sample. We find some evidence that these changes may affect the accuracy of subgroup unemployment estimates. Our primary aim is to advise researchers that the representativeness of the workhorse survey of labor economics, which has been and will be instrumental in identifying the labor market effects of COVID-19, was itself affected by the pandemic."
RAND Corporation
Ward, Jason (Jason M.); Edwards, Kathryn Anne
2020-09
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Securing U.S. Elections Against Cyber Threats: Considerations for Supply Chain Risk Management
From the Webpage Description: "Federal partners in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology are supporting the election community, including election officials and vendors, to improve cybersecurity. More recently, this focus has expanded to concerns about the supply chain of components that are integral to election system equipment. This concern for the cybersecurity of supply chains is found throughout industry as organizations strive to protect their equipment and customers from cyber threats. In this Perspective, RAND Corporation researchers lay out the considerations for securing election system supply chains against cyber threats and how the federal government can partner with state and local officials and the vendor community to understand where risk lies in the supply chain. The Perspective discusses how existing tools and approaches can be adapted and used to facilitate cyber supply chain risk management."
RAND Corporation
Hodgson, Quentin E.; Brauner, Marygail K., 1947-; Chan, Edward Wei-Min, 1970-
2020-09
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How to Engage the Enemy: The Case for National Security Diplomacy with North Korea
From About the Report: "This report examines the benefits and risks to the United States of establishing regular diplomatic engagements with North Korea's national security elites in an effort to improve the prospects of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. The report was commissioned by the North Korea program at the United States Institute of Peace."
United States Institute of Peace
Jackson, Van
2020-09
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Fentanyl Used in Vape Pens
From the Document: "In September 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Diego Division was contacted by local authorities in regards to a suspected fentanyl overdose death. The roommate of the deceased, who admitted to vaping fentanyl on a regular basis, told agents there was fentanyl and possibly carfentanil located in their shared residence, as well as fentanyl-laced 'vape' tanks. While the presence of fentanyl powder (lethal in doses as small as two milligrams) poses a public safety threat, the ingestion of fentanyl via vaping poses a threat of unknown consequences to the user and those nearby."
United States. Drug Enforcement Administration
2020-09
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Rapidly Increasing Postal Service Delivery Delays for Mail-Order Prescription Drugs Pose Health Risks for Millions of Americans
From the Executive Summary: "Louis DeJoy was selected to serve as Postmaster General in May 2020. Almost immediately after being named to the position, Postmaster General DeJoy - with the support of President Donald Trump - began implementing changes that threaten the service and integrity of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Members of Congress and outside experts have raised concerns that these changes may be causing significant delivery delays for mail-order prescription drugs, putting the health of Americans in danger. To determine the extent of these delays, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Senator Bob Casey opened an investigation, writing to five of the largest pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers and asking them a series of questions about mail-order prescription deliveries. This report contains the results of that investigation. The findings are new and previously unreleased, and show that, although Postmaster General DeJoy testified that his changes to mail service 'should not have impacted anybody,' there have been significant delays in USPS deliveries of mail-order prescription drugs in recent months, potentially posing serious health risks to millions of Americans and increasing costs for consumers and taxpayers."
United States. Congress. Senate
Warren, Elizabeth; Casey, Bob
2020-09
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Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Emission Projections: Assessment of Green Versus Non-Green Recovery
From the Main Findings: "This report assesses the implications of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and associated recovery measures on emissions out to 2030 and global emission pathways towards meeting the Paris climate goals. Due to the high uncertainty surrounding the course of the pandemic and its impact on CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions, we only present 'what-if' scenarios, based on explorative 'ex-post' calculations (using sources available before June 2020) for several potential emission pathways and factors that could affect their course, including rebound effects. Furthermore, we review and summarise the most recent insights (up to June 2020) published in the literature on post-COVID emissions projections and green recovery trajectories, and provide a framework for analysing the 'greenness' of recovery packages, using Germany as a case study. Finally, we explore how integrated assessment models can be used to explore both the shortterm and long-term effects of the pandemic and associated recovery measures."
NewClimate Institute; PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Hans, Frederic; Dafnomilis, Ioannis, 1984-; Elzen, Michel den . . .
2020-09
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COVID-19 & Achieving Health Equity: 'Congressional Action is Necessary to Address Racism and Inequality in the U.S. Health Care System'
From the Introduction: "This Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Democratic staff report examines the intersection of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, inequality in infection rates and health outcomes, and structural racism within the health care system. It describes the impact of COVID-19 on the health of communities of color and discusses a few of the factors that have contributed to inequality in health outcomes, including exploitation of communities of color, segregation, discrimination, and bias within the health care system, lack of access to high-quality care, and social determinants of health. Throughout, the report conveys the impact COVID-19 has had on communities of color using data and individual storytelling. This review is meant to be illustrative rather than complete; the factors that contribute to systemic racism and inequality in health outcomes are complex and are not all included in this document. The report concludes with initial steps Congress can take to begin to address inequality and systemic racism within the health care system."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
2020-09
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Is the Cure Worse Than the Disease? County-Level Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States
From the Abstract: "Using county-level data on COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] mortality and infections, along with county-level information on the adoption of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in the United States, we examine how the speed of NPI adoption affected COVID-19 mortality. Our estimates suggest that advancing the date of NPI adoption by one day lowers the COVID-19 death rate by 2.4 percent. This finding proves robust to alternative measures of NPI adoption speed, model specifications that control for testing and mobility, and across various samples: national, restricted to the Northeast region, excluding New York, and excluding the Northeast region. We also find that the adoption speed of NPIs is associated with lower infections, as well as lower non-COVID mortality, suggesting that these measures slowed contagion and the pace at which the healthcare system might have been overburdened by the pandemic. Finally, NPI adoption speed appears to have been less relevant in Republican counties, suggesting that political ideology might have compromised their efficiency."
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina; Kaushal, Neeraj; Muchow. Ashley N.
2020-09
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Impact of COVID-19 on Small Business Owners: The First Three Months After Social-Distancing Restrictions
From the Abstract: "This paper provides the first analysis of impacts of the pandemic on the number of active small businesses in the United States using nationally representative data from the April 2020 CPS [Current Population Survey] - the first month fully capturing early effects. The number of active business owners in the United States plummeted by 3.3 million or 22 percent over the crucial two-month window from February to April 2020. The drop in active business owners was the largest on record, and losses to business activity were felt across nearly all industries. African-American businesses were hit especially hard experiencing a 41 percent drop in business activity. Latinx business owner activity fell by 32 percent, and Asian business owner activity dropped by 26 percent. Simulations indicate that industry compositions partly placed these groups at a higher risk of business activity losses. Immigrant business owners experienced substantial losses in business activity of 36 percent. Female business owners were also disproportionately affected (25 percent drop in business activity). Continuing the analysis in May and June, the number of active business owners remained low - down by 15 percent and 8 percent, respectively. The continued losses in May and June, and partial rebounds from April were felt across all demographic groups and most industries. These findings of early-stage losses to small business activity have important implications for policy, income losses, and future economic inequality."
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Fairlie, Robert W.
2020-09
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Impact of COVID-19 on Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from Singapore
From the Abstract: "We provide novel evidence on how the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] global health and economic crisis is affecting overall life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction using data from a monthly longitudinal survey of middle-aged and older Singaporeans. Using a difference-indifferences framework, we document large declines in overall life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction during the COVID-19 outbreak, except satisfaction with health. These declines coincide with the introduction of a nationwide lockdown, with life satisfaction remaining below its pre-pandemic levels even after the lockdown is lifted. We also find that individuals who report a drop in household income during the COVID-19 outbreak experience a decline in overall life satisfaction almost twice as large as those who do not report any income loss."
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Cheng, Terence C.; Kim, Seonghoon; Koh, Kanghyock
2020-09
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Dutch Labour Market Early on in the COVID-19 Outbreak: Regional Coronavirus Hotspots and the National Lockdown
From the Abstract: "We explore the impact of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] hotspots and regional lockdowns on the Dutch labour market. Using weekly administrative panel microdata for 50 per cent of Dutch employees until the end of March 2020, we study whether individual labour market outcomes, as measured by employment, working hours and hourly wages, were more strongly affected in provinces where COVID-19 confirmed cases, hospitalizations and mortality were relatively high. We do not observe a region-specific impact of COVID-19 on labour market outcomes. The results suggest individual characteristics are more important, including the employee's age, type of contract and type of job. The evidence suggests that the decline of the labour market was all due to the impacts from the government-enforced lockdown and higher virus case numbers did not reinforce this decline. This suggests that preventive health measures should be at the regional level, isolating hotspots from low-risk areas."
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Hassink, Wolter H. J.; Kalb, Guyonne; Meekes, Jordy
2020-09
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COVID-19 Action Agenda: Leaders on the Front Line: Why Social Entrepreneurs Are Needed Now More Than Ever
From the Executive Summary: "While some countries are already addressing the aftermath of their COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] outbreak, the World Health Organization projects that the worst is yet to come in many developing and emerging countries, with the global pandemic expected to last at least another year. As of August 2020, over 20 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported, of which one-third are in Africa, Brazil and India. Marginalized communities worldwide are being hit the hardest by the health and economic effects of this crisis and will thus continue to struggle. The pandemic has a much greater impact on these communities: an additional 100 million people could slip into extreme poverty - a number that could easily climb higher. Decades of work to tackle impoverishment are being erased as the world witnesses a rise in global poverty for the first time since 1998."
World Economic Forum
2020-09
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Defense Real Property: DOD-Wide Strategy Needed to Address Control Issues and Improve Reliability of Records, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD manages one of the federal government's largest portfolios of real property. This engagement was initiated in connection with the statutory requirement for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to audit the U.S. government's consolidated financial statements. DOD's uncorrected deficiencies, including those affecting real property, prevent DOD from having auditable financial statements, one of the three major impediments preventing GAO from expressing an opinion on the accrual-based consolidated financial statements of the U.S. government. This report (1) identifies the real property control issues that independent public accountants reported that may affect the ability of the military services to establish and maintain accurate and complete real property records, (2) examines the extent to which DOD had a strategy to address the control issues, and (3) assesses the extent to which DOD provided guidance for the required E&C [existence and completeness] verifications during fiscal year 2019 and how each military service implemented the directive."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
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Conflict Minerals: Actions Needed to Assess Progress Addressing Armed Groups' Exploitation of Minerals, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Document: "Armed groups in eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] continue to commit severe human rights abuses and to profit from the exploitation of 'conflict minerals,' according to State. Provisions in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act required, among other things, that State, USAID [U.S. Agency for International Development] , and the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] take certain actions to promote peace and security. In 2011, State created the U.S. conflict minerals strategy in consultation with USAID to address armed groups' exploitation of conflict minerals. In 2012, the SEC also promulgated regulations containing disclosure and reporting requirements for companies that use conflict minerals from covered countries. The act also included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to annually assess, among other things, the SEC regulations' effectiveness in promoting peace and security. In this report, GAO examines, among other things, how companies responded to the SEC conflict minerals disclosure rule when filing in 2019 and the extent to which State and USAID assessed progress toward the U.S. conflict minerals strategy's objectives and goal. GAO analyzed a generalizable sample of SEC filings, reviewed documents, and interviewed U.S. officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
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After COVID-19: Australia, the Region and Multilateralism (Volume 2)
From the Introduction: "The global Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis continues to dominate the international strategic environment, fuelling uncertainty about the future. The only thing that's certain is that this pandemic will be with us for some time yet, meaning that Australia, like other nations, needs to be prepared to manage its response to the pandemic while simultaneously focusing on the future. Since we approached the contributing authors to write for this second volume in May, there's been a second wave in Victoria, New Zealand has gone back into a temporary lockdown in parts of the country, and the US has experienced a resurgence in different states and a death toll now over 191,000 as it approaches a presidential election. Those developments remind us that the pandemic will continue to be with us for months, if not years, until a vaccine is discovered and globally administered. Covid-19 and the responses to it will also continue to have a disproportionate impact on different segments of the population--such as women, youth, and racial and ethnic minorities--well beyond the crisis phase. This volume of 'After Covid-19' has built on volume 1 and continued to take a longer term view by looking at some policy settings and identifying likely challenges and opportunities, particularly as they relate to Australia's role in the region and the multilateral system."
Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Shoebridge, Michael; Sharland, Lisa
2020-09
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Nuclear Weapons: NNSA Should Further Develop Cost, Schedule, and Risk Information for the W87-1 Warhead Program, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "The Department of Defense (DOD) and NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] restarted a program in fiscal year 2019 to replace the capabilities of the aging W78 nuclear warhead with the W87-1. NNSA made key design decisions for this weapon from 2010 until the program was paused in 2014. NNSA estimated in December 2018 that the W87-1 would cost $8.6 billion to $14.8 billion, which could make it the most expensive warhead modernization program to date. NNSA plans to newly manufacture the entire warhead, including the two major nuclear components, called the primary and secondary, using facilities it is modernizing or repurposing. You asked us to examine plans for the W87-1 warhead. This report examines, among other things, the extent to which NNSA (1) considered cost estimates in prior design decisions for the W87-1 and the potential effects of remaining design decisions on program cost, and (2) will be able to produce sufficient numbers of key nuclear components to meet W87-1 production needs."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-09
