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Biodefense: After-Action Findings and COVID-19 Response Revealed Opportunities to Strengthen Preparedness, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic shows how catastrophic biological incidents can cause substantial loss of life, economic damage, and require a whole-of-nation response involving multiple federal and nonfederal entities. The 2018 National Biodefense Strategy outlines specific goals and objectives to help prepare for and respond to such incidents. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct monitoring and oversight of federal efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from COVID-19. This report addresses: (1) interagency plans key federal agencies developed, and exercises they conducted, to help prepare for biological incidents; and (2) the extent to which exercises and real-world incidents revealed opportunities to better achieve National Biodefense Strategy objectives. GAO reviewed biological incident plans and after-action reports from exercises and real-world incidents from calendar years 2009 through 2019, including a non-generalizable sample of 19 reports selected based on threat scenario and other factors. GAO interviewed federal and state officials to obtain their perspectives on plans, exercises, and the COVID-19 response."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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Solomon Islands' Road to Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Key Findings of Public Opinion Research
From the Introduction: "Solomon Islands has a recent history of civil unrest, weak governance institutions, and dependence on international aid and foreign investment for development. Corruption and long-unaddressed grievances have led to a perception that the political elite is disconnected from local realities and people's everyday needs. [...] This public opinion research was conducted in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Similarly to other countries in the Pacific Islands, restrictions imposed to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus have proven efficient, but studies show that in many countries, corruption has become even more of an issue during the pandemic and a lack of political integrity and emergencies have fed off each other, creating a vicious cycle of mismanagement that has deepened the crisis. Additionally, countries that perform poorly in controlling corruption have tended to breach human rights and democratic norms in their management of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, some have been concerned that the Solomon Islands Government may want to curtail freedom of speech, a fear that almost became reality in November 2020, when the government announced its intention to ban Facebook under the guise of preventing the spread of misinformation. [...] In the absence of public, independent, and statistically representative data, it has been difficult to quantify the timeline and intensity of changes in public opinion related to the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Solomon Islanders' top-of-mind concerns, corruption, and social cohesion. This study thus aims to fill that gap by anchoring qualitative information in objective numbers to provide a baseline upon which future research into public opinion in Solomon Islands can build."
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs; United States. Agency for International Development
Hansen, Ancuta; Socci, Christina
2021-08
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New Multilateral Financing Mechanism for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
From the Overview and Context: "Health experts around the world have warned for years that countries, regional bodies, and global institutions must invest more in critical capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats -- and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic lays bare how the current global health architecture was not prepared to prevent or respond with the necessary speed and force when the threat emerged. [...] Given this clear and present threat, multiple recent reports from an array of leading global health and finance experts have concluded that the world needs a new multilateral financing mechanism, or Fund, for global health security and pandemic preparedness. [...] In short, there is a broad consensus that urgent action is needed to mobilize significant new resources for global health security and pandemic preparedness through a new multilateral financing mechanism or Fund."
Pandemic Action Network
Glassman, Amanda, 1970-; Reynolds, Carolyn; Carson, Courtney . . .
2021-08
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Making the Most of the American Rescue Plan: A Guide to the Funding That Impacts People Experiencing Homelessness
From the Document: "President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021, in response to the economic crisis catalyzed by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The relief legislation offers more than $1.9 trillion in help for individuals, families, and businesses. It includes $21.6 billion in emergency rental assistance for households struggling to pay rent and utilities. Many of the law's provisions can be used to help people who are currently or at risk of experiencing homelessness. These resources provide communities with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to innovate and improve existing systems and should target the most vulnerable people, including those living with disabilities and those living unsheltered. 'This guide provides a snapshot of key provisions in the American Rescue Plan that are applicable to the work of USICH [United States Interagency Council on Homelessness] and beneficial to the communities we serve.'"
United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
2021-08
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One Year After COVID: the Challenges and Outlook of Chinese Micro and Small Enterprises
From the Abstract: "The Center for Enterprise Research and the Institute of Social Science Survey at Peking University, in collaboration with Ant Group Research Institute, conducted a new wave of Online Survey of Micro- and Small-Enterprises (OSOME) in March 2021. OSOME is a continuing effort to gain a better understanding of China's micro- and small- enterprises and self-employed businesses (MSEs) by conducting quarterly surveys on MSEs operating on the Alipay platform. The key findings of t he first quarter 2021 survey are as follows: 1. After exposure to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic for over a year, the operational status of micro-and-small enterprises has significantly improved. [...] 2. Cost increases, in some cases due to a price spike in raw materials, and weak demand remain two key challenges facing micro-and-small enterprises and self-employed businesses. [...] 3. Compared with other forms of policy support, tax reduction is the most inclusive. [...] 4. In general, respondents characterized the travel restrictions during Chinese New Year (February 2021) as harmful. [...] 5. In response to the COVID-19 shock, a higher percentage of newly established businesses adopted online sales and electronic information systems than those established earlier. 6. The confidence indices on market demand, production, and revenues for the next quarter have returned to positive territory, indicating an optimistic outlook. The employment index remained just below the normal level, suggesting subdued expectations of expanded employment in the next quarter."
Center for Global Development
Kong, Tao; Yang, Xiaohong (Economist); Wang, Ranran . . .
2021-08
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Right to Protection of Forcibly Displaced Persons During the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Summary: "The unprecedented shutdown of borders and restrictions on migration in response to the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic have put the core principles of refugee protection to test and resulted in the erosion of the right to asylum and violations of the principle of non-refoulment (no one should be returned to a country where they would face torture; cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; or punishment and other irreparable harm). Covid-19 is being used by some governments as an excuse to block people from the right to seek asylum and implement their nationalist agendas of border closures and anti-immigration policies."
Institute of Development Studies (Brighton, England)
Rohwerder, Brigitte
2021-08
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Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Diverse Populations: Insights and Strategies for Inclusive Emergency Management from Cities on the Frontlines
From the Executive Summary: "As communities across the United States work to recover from the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and economic recession while also grappling with a surge in new cases, it's clear that the impact on Americans has been unequal. More so than previous crises, COVID-19 exposed gaps in access to basic information, services, and social safety-net support that disproportionately impacted Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and immigrant communities. These communities have shouldered a greater share of the economic and health-related consequences of the pandemic, and without targeted efforts to promote equitable disaster response and recovery, they will be more vulnerable to future emergencies."
Partnership for a New American Economy
2021-08
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COVID-19--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Online Purchasing in Response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019
From the Objective: "Our objectives were to address the following questions: (1) What criteria did FNS [Food and Nutrition Service] use to approve States and retail food stores to accept SNAP [Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits through online transactions during COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]? (2) What risks has FNS identified during the transition to allow SNAP benefits online? (3) What controls does FNS have to ensure retail food stores meet online transaction program requirements?"
United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of the Inspector General
2021-08
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COVID-19--Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program-Interim Report
From the Objective: "One of the four objectives of our ongoing inspection was to determine what risks FNS [Food and Nutrition Service] identified related to the safe and efficient distribution of USDA-food assistance provided to States during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Specifically: (a) did FNS accept any risk related to the safe distribution of food assistance without implementing an offsetting internal control?; and (b) what controls did FNS establish to manage risks it did not accept?"
United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of the Inspector General
2021-08
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COVID-19: Improvements Needed in Guidance and Stakeholder Engagement for Immigration Courts, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Each year, EOIR [Executive Office for Immigration Review] issues decisions for hundreds of thousands of cases of foreign nationals charged as removable under U.S. immigration law. Approximately 500 immigration judges at 66 immigration courts nationwide determine whether these individuals are removable from the U.S. and, if so, whether they are eligible for any requested relief from removal. During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, EOIR faced unprecedented challenges adapting its operations to continue its mission. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review EOIR's management of court operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines, among other things, (1) EOIR's modifications to court operations and related guidance and (2) EOIR's engagement with court stakeholders."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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Debt, Tech and Tension: Addressing COVID-19's Global Fault Lines
From the Document: "We would expect a pandemic crisis to be a catalyst for global change. Yet the specific cascading effects that flow from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] remain largely undefined. It's not for lack of opportunity. In a flurry of recent diplomatic meetings, leaders of Western nations have set out their plans for dealing with the immediate pandemic crisis and, in their words, 'building back a better world'. If words were deeds, we would be well on the way to that better world. In May 2021, G7 [Group of Seven] foreign and development ministers delivered an 87-paragraph, 12,000+ word statement pronouncing on an exceptionally wide waterfront of issues. Finance ministers and central bank governors followed shortly thereafter with a relatively more restrained 20-paragraph statement. But G7 leaders ramped up the output again with a 25-page, 70-paragraph communiqué following their summit in June. Days later, the same leaders joined with NATO partners and issued another 79- paragraph, 14,000+ word declaration. A good deal of the focus has been on what we have long known: viruses and climate change constitute serious threats to humankind. Sadly, both are now irreversible and will require adaptation. Failure to take mitigating actions on these years ago provide an object lesson in both our national and international institutional shortcomings and the damage that can result. [...] Divided into three sections, this paper suggests that three other cascading risks from the pandemic merit collective actions: rising global debt, growing technological vulnerability and increased great-power tensions."
Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Mank, Randolph
2021-08
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Proposal for Longterm COVID-19 Control: Universal Vaccination, Prophylactic Drugs, Rigorous Mitigation, and International Cooperation
From the Introduction: "Four successive waves of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] have buffeted the United States for the past year and a half. With each wave, we have bet on different measures to push us through: First, public health measures, then drugs and treatments, and now, with our fifth wave, we hold out hope for vaccine-led recovery. But from the outset, we have underestimated this virus and its ability to maneuver the public health battleground; it is escaping the best defenses we are able to muster and finding new avenues of attack. In this paper, I propose a multimodal strategy for long-term COVID control, one that sets up multiple barriers of protection so that we are able to not only contain SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] and eliminate COVID-19 as a major life-threatening disease, but also return to a new social and economic life. The strategy uses the best of what we have on hand today--a rapidly growing arsenal of vaccines and antiviral drugs and public health measures-- with an eye towards future improvements and developments."
Brookings Institution. Global Economy and Development
Haseltine, William A.
2021-08
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State Strategies to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in Rural Communities
From the Document: "Access to health care is a common challenge for rural and frontier communities due to provider shortages, insufficient broadband Internet availability, geographic location, among other issues. The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has exacerbated many of these barriers. Rural residents often travel longer distances to receive the COVID-19 vaccine than people in other areas, and they generally lack access to public transportation. Rural residents may also struggle to receive critical public health information due to unreliable access to the Internet and other technology equipment, such as smartphones and computers. During the pandemic, additional challenges surfaced including a lack of trust in the government and concern about the COVID-19 vaccine's safety. The fast-paced nature of the pandemic spurred new and changing information with misinformation spreading as quickly as reliable news, undercutting science and public policies, especially related to COVID-19 prevention measures like the vaccine. Governors have the authority to pull together stakeholders and the ability to address the long-standing and emerging issues impeding vaccine confidence, access and uptake in rural communities. Because trusted messengers (outlined in Figure 2) are vital to increasing confidence, Governors might consider convening state experts and local partners to establish a strong foundation of trust. They may also allocate resources to build on existing programs and processes and create new, sustainable strategies that will both improve vaccination rates as the pandemic continues and prepare future public health initiatives."
National Governors' Association
LeBlanc, Michelle; Ruane, Kelsey; Fairbanks, Mollie . . .
2021-08
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Report of the Scientific Task Force on Preventing Pandemics
From the Executive Summary: "No one wants to endure another pandemic the likes of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Yet, the likelihood of another such pandemic occurring may be greater than ever. How to prevent the next pandemic was the core question addressed in the following report. The Scientific Task Force on Preventing Pandemics convened by the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health evaluated the latest research on what forces contribute to pathogen spillover, what actions are warranted to curtail this risk, and what more we must learn to make wiser investments directed at forestalling another pandemic. The report contains key findings and recommendations for research and action to inform pandemic prevention. The task force found that evidence strongly establishes spillover of viruses from wildlife into people, sometimes via livestock, as the root cause of pandemic risk. Spillover of the viruses currently understood to have pandemic potential occurs from land use change, and in particular the destruction of tropical forests, expansion of agricultural lands, especially near human settlements, livestock and farmed wildlife intensification, and wild animal hunting and trade."
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment; Harvard Global Health Institute
Alimi,Yewande; Bernstein, Aaron; Epstein, Jonathan . . .
2021-08
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Impacts of COVID-19 on Women's Social and Economic Outcomes: An Updated Review of the Evidence
From the Abstract: "In an updated review on the gendered social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis, we examine 49 studies identified by our search criteria between January and March 2021. This review included peer-reviewed papers, pre-prints and working papers that met specific search terms, contained empirical analyses and complete information on the study methodology, and included findings on the gendered social and economic impacts of the pandemic in low- and middle-income contexts. This collection of evidence largely confirms previous findings that in many arenas, women are bearing the greatest burdens of the crisis. Evidence continues to mount that woman [sic] have faced greater employment and income losses, have shouldered the majority of increases in unpaid care work, and have endured increased levels of violence. Gaps remain regarding the impacts on women agricultural workers and women entrepreneurs and, importantly, intrahousehold poverty and food insecurity. New evidence largely confirms however, that women are disproportionately and negatively impacted by the pandemic and policy responses must be sensitive to this reality."
Center for Global Development; University of California, San Diego. Center on Gender Equity and Health
O'Donnell, Megan; Bourgault, Shelby; McDougal, Lotus . . .
2021-08
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Coronavirus Concerns Led More Than 1 in 10 Nonelderly Adults to Delay or Forgo Health Care in Spring 2021
From the Document: "Many adults have gone without needed health care during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic over concerns about being exposed to the novel coronavirus in hospitals, doctor's and dentist's offices, and other health care settings. New data from the Urban Institute's April 2021 Health Reform Monitoring Survey show that 1 in 4 nonelderly adults (24.9 percent) reported delaying or forgoing care for this reason in the past 12 months (data not shown). And more than 1 in 10 (11.0 percent) reported having this experience in the past 30 days [...], showing that coronavirus concerns led some adults to continue delaying or forgoing care into this past spring. Unmet health care needs can adversely affect health and other daily activities and could potentially worsen chronic health conditions among adults who have them."
Urban Institute
Gonzalez, Dulce; Karpman, Michael; Haley, Jennifer M.
2021-08
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Uninsurance Rate Held Steady During the Pandemic as Public Coverage Increased: Trends in Health Insurance Coverage Between March 2019 and April 2021
From the Document: "In this brief, we examine changes in health insurance coverage among nonelderly adults ages 18 to 64 during the pandemic [coronavirus disease 2019] using data from the Urban Institute's Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS). Since it was launched in 2013, the HRMS has provided timely information on coverage before data from federal surveys become available (Long et al. 2014). Our analysis focuses on changes in coverage across three rounds of the survey: March 2019; March/April 2020, just after the pandemic caused a steep decline in employment; and April 2021, more than one year after the secretary of health and human services declared a national public health emergency on January 31, 2020. We estimate regression-adjusted changes for the national nonelderly adult population overall, by state Medicaid expansion status, and by annual family income as a percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL). We focus on adults with low incomes targeted by the ACA [Affordable Care Act] Medicaid expansion (with incomes at or below 138 percent of FPL) and adults with moderate incomes eligible for ACA Marketplace premium tax credits (with incomes between 139 and 399 percent of FPL). [...] Between 2019 and 2021, the rise in public coverage helped offset a decline in ESI [employer-sponsored insurance], and unlike in previous recessions, the uninsurance rate did not change. Medicaid and, to a lesser extent, private nongroup insurance sold through the Marketplaces have provided many adults with coverage options following unprecedented job and income losses. However, more than 1 in 10 adults were uninsured in April 2021, including nearly 1 in 5 adults in nonexpansion states."
Urban Institute
Karpman, Michael; Zuckerman, Stephen
2021-08
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Worries About the Coronavirus Caused Nearly 1 in 10 Parents to Delay or Forgo Needed Health Care for Their Children in Spring 2021
From the Document: "Though children face a lower risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] than adults, many families have avoided getting health care for their children during the pandemic for fear that their children could be exposed to the coronavirus. Children's receipt of screenings, routine vaccinations, and other care was lower in 2020 than prior years. New data from the Urban Institute's April 2021 Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) indicate parents' worries about exposure to the virus continued affecting children's receipt of care this past spring, even as COVID-19 case rates fell from their peak. In April 2021, nearly 1 in 5 parents (19.4 percent) reported they had delayed or forgone care for their children under age 19 in the past 12 months over concerns about exposure to the virus (data not shown); nearly 1 in 10 (9.2 percent) delayed or did not get care for their children in the past 30 days for this reason [...]. Not receiving needed care can adversely affect children's health in the short and long terms."
Urban Institute
Gonzalez, Dulce; Karpman, Michael; Haley, Jennifer M.
2021-08
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How COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chains Emerged in the Midst of a Pandemic
From the Abstract: "Many months after COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines were first authorized for public use, still limited supplies could only partially reduce the devastating loss of life and economic costs caused by the pandemic. Could additional vaccine doses have been manufactured more quickly some other way? Would alternative policy choices have made a difference? This paper provides a simple analytical framework through which to view the contours of the vaccine value chain. It then creates a new database that maps the COVID-19 vaccines of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford, Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, and CureVac to the product- and location-specific manufacturing supply chains that emerged in 2020 and 2021. It describes the choppy process through which dozens of other companies at nearly 100 geographically distributed facilities came together to scale up global manufacturing. The paper catalogues major pandemic policy initiatives--such as the United States' Operation Warp Speed--that are likely to have affected the timing and formation of those vaccine supply chains. Given the data, a final section identifies further questions for researchers and policymakers."
Peterson Institute for International Economics
Bollyky, Thomas J.; Bown, Chad P. (Chad Philips), 1972-
2021-08
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Post Pandemic Covid-19 Economic Recovery: Enabling Latin America and the Caribbean to Better Harness E-commerce and Digital Trade
From the Preface: "The work for this report was coordinated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), and the ADELA regional program of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), and benefitted greatly from discussions in the context of the eLAC 2022 Digital Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean. This report shows that Latin America and the Caribbean faces critical policy challenges going forward. It must accelerate the digital transformation to allow businesses and consumers to adapt to a new normal and leverage pandemic recovery to create stronger economies, and also tackle long-standing barriers to adopting digital technologies and bridging digital divides. These have impeded sustained and equitable economic growth even before the pandemic struck. This crisis should be a wake-up call for governments, the private sector, civil society, and international development partners to come together and take concerted actions to advance on consistent, long-term, and sustainable e-commerce strategies that are at the forefront of national and regional productive development agendas. Just as digital solutions allowed countries to overcome the increased role of distance within the context of the pandemic in shaping consumption and business, they should also be harnessed to increase regional economic integration beyond this emergency situation. The pandemic has presented an opportunity for the region to realize the potential of regional and international cooperation mechanisms in digital matters to leverage national initiatives, address common challenges strategically, and learn from best practices."
Inter-American Development Bank; Konrad Adenauer Foundation; United Nations
Díaz de Astarloa, Bernardo; Mulder, Nanno; Corcuera Santamaria, Sandra . . .
2021-08
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Macroeconomic Effects of Covid-19: A Mid-Term Review
From the Abstract: "This article provides an interim assessment of the macroeconomic consequences of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Estimates suggest a median output loss of about 6.5 percent in 2020, a gap that is expected to narrow to around 4 percent of the pre-pandemic trend by the end of 2021. There is however a high dispersion of economic losses across economies, reflecting varying exposures to the pandemic and societies' responses. High-frequency indicators and epidemiological models provide some insights into the interactions between the pandemic evolution and societies' strategies of combating it, including the role of vaccination. The article draws lessons from experiences thus far and discusses challenges ahead."
Bank for International Settlements
Rungcharoenkitkul, Phurichai, 1977-
2021-08
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How the Criminal Justice System's COVID-19 Response Has Provided Valuable Lessons for Broader Reform: Looking to the Future
From the About this Brief: "To better understand the challenges that the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has created within the criminal justice system and how the various sectors of the system have adapted to those challenges, the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative conducted a series of panel workshops with representatives of different sectors within the system. The Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative is a joint effort managed by the RAND Corporation in partnership with the Police Executive Research Forum, RTI International, and the University of Denver on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice. Panels focused on law enforcement, the court system, institutional corrections, community corrections, victim services providers, and community organizations. This brief presents key lessons learned and recommendations offered by panel workshop participants."
RAND Corporation
Jackson, Brian A., 1972-; Vermeer, Michael J.D.; Woods, Dulani . . .
2021-07-31?
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey Report #58: High Public Support for Mandating Vaccines
From the Document: "In this report, we update our assessment of public support for vaccine mandates, both nationally and across the 50 states, based on our June/July survey wave. A few key takeaways follow: [1] Overall, public support for federal, state, and local governments requiring that everyone be vaccinated remains very strong, ranging from 61% to 70%, depending on the specific type of mandate. [2] Public support for such mandates has increased since April/May, both overall and in specific circumstances, like for getting on an airplane and returning to school or a university. [3] These over-time increases in support emerge across nearly all partisan and demographic subgroups we investigated. [4] Majorities of respondents in nearly all (45+) or all states and the District of Columbia approve of all four types of vaccine mandates we consider."
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Baum, Matthew A., 1965-; Ognyanova, Katherine; Lazer, David . . .
2021-07-30
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COVID-19 Vaccination: Selected U.S. Data Sources Updated July 29, 2021
From the Document: "The sources below can help congressional staff track the progress of the U.S. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination campaign at the national, state, and local levels. Sources were selected for having commonly cited and frequently requested data. This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Because different resources use different methodologies, readers should check websites' notes and caveats, and use caution when comparing data across sources or geographies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cornell, Ada S.; Napili, Angela
2021-07-29
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COVID-19 Pandemic: Actions Needed to Improve Federal Oversight of Assistance to Individuals, Communities, and the Transportation Industry, Statement of Heather Krause, Director, Physical Infrastructure and Chris P. Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Testimony Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In response to the public health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, Congress provided billions of dollars across a range of agencies to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This included billions to: [1] FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund to provide assistance to individuals as well as state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and [2] DOT [Department of Transportation] and Treasury to provide financial assistance to the transportation sector. This statement describes: (1) the federal response and selected relief programs administered by FEMA, DOT, and Treasury and (2) lessons learned based on GAO's [Government Accountability Office's] reviews of selected COVID-19 relief programs, including related recommendations and their implementation status. This statement is based on GAO's body of work on the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act issued from June 2020 through July 2021. To update this information, GAO reviewed agency documentation; and interviewed agency officials, industry associations, and selected businesses that applied to these programs on the latest implementation efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Krause, Heather; Currie, Chris
2021-07-29
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Bureau of Prisons: BOP Could Further Enhance Its COVID-19 Response by Capturing and Incorporating Lessons Learned, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons] was responsible for the custody and care of about 129,000 federal inmates in BOP-managed facilities, and employed more than 37,000 staff as of May 2021. Because of confined spaces, the prison population is particularly vulnerable during infectious disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. About $620 million has been appropriated to or designated by BOP for COVID-19- related efforts. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review BOP's approach to responding to COVID-19. This report addresses, among other objectives: (1) BOP's development and updates of COVID-19 guidance; (2) BOP's provision of PPE [personal protective equipment], COVID-19 tests and vaccines, and infection and fatality rates for inmates and staff; and (3) the impact of COVID-19 on inmates and staff, and the extent to which BOP has incorporated lessons learned into its response. GAO reviewed BOP policies, data, and other documentation related to the impact of COVID-19 and how BOP addressed it. GAO also conducted non-generalizable interviews of officials from five BOP facilities and one private facility operating under contract with BOP, selected based on inmate infection rates and other factors. GAO is making three recommendations that BOP evaluate communication of COVID-19 guidance, develop an approach to capture and share best practices and lessons learned; and develop an approach to ensure facilities apply these practices as appropriate. BOP concurred with all three recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-29
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COVID-19 Contracting: Opportunities to Improve Practices to Assess Prospective Vendors and Capture Lessons Learned, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "In response to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], agencies awarded contracts for goods and services to vendors from a range of industries and with varying levels of federal contracting experience, but some vendors have been unable to deliver under those contracts. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review COVID-19-related federal contracting under the act. This report addresses (1) COVID-19 contract obligations and characteristics of vendors, (2) contracting challenges, including with agency assessments of vendors, and (3) whether lessons learned efforts reflect those challenges. GAO analyzed federal procurement data on agencies' reported COVID-19 contract obligations through May 31, 2021. GAO examined a nongeneralizable sample of 28 contracts with high dollar values or other characteristics from four agencies--DOD, HHS [Department of Health and Human Services], USDA, and DHS. GAO interviewed officials, including Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials about their emergency acquisition guidance. GAO is making 10 recommendations, including that agencies establish processes to better collect and communicate contracting lessons learned during emergencies such as COVID-19. Agencies agreed with nine recommendations. OMB did not agree to establish time frames for updating its guidance. GAO continues to believe OMB should do so, as discussed in this report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-29
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Assessing the Federal Government's COVID-19 Relief and Response Efforts and Its Impact, Hearing Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, July 29, 2021
This is from the July 29, 2021 hearing, "Assessing the Federal Government's COVID-19 Relief and Response Efforts and Its Impact," held before the U.S. House Committee on Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. This hearing focuses on the oversight of government spending in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A video of the hearing is available for viewing, and statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael E. Horowitz, Heather Krause, Chris Currie, Eric J. Soskin, James Izzard, Paul Skoutelas, Juan Ortiz, Michael J. Boskin, Wendy Edelberg, and John Samuelsen.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
2021-07-29
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Post-Pandemic Labor Market and Rising Inflation [July 28, 2021]
From the Document: "As measured by the Consumer Price Index [hyperlink] (CPI), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), inflation has increased relatively quickly during the first several months of 2021. In June 2021, CPI inflation was 5.4% (measured by the percent change from June 2020), significantly higher than the sub 2% inflation that had become commonplace since the 2008 financial crisis. There are several reasons this could be occurring, and some have pointed to the labor market as an explanation. This Insight discusses the theoretical connection between the state of the labor market and inflation, recent trends in the labor market, and the dynamics between current labor market conditions and rising inflation in the economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Weinstock, Lida R.
2021-07-28
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Supplemental Appropriations: SBA Disaster Loan Account [Updated July 28, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Program provides direct loans to businesses, private nonprofit organizations, and households to help them rebuild and recover from federally certified disasters. The SBA Disaster Loan Program divided into two loans types: (1) Home Disaster Loans, and (2) Business Disaster Loans."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lindsay, Bruce R.; Nagel, Jared C.; Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-
2021-07-28
