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• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

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  From the Document: "Meeting the aspiration of the agency mission requires that HUD [U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development] prioritize serving underserved communities. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; use housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. While current HUD leadership recognizes the extraordinary legacy, mission, and potential the Department brings to building equitable communities across the nation, HUD also recognizes that federal housing policies were implemented and operated for decades in a manner that enabled discriminatory practices against people of color and members of underserved communities. The BidenHarris Administration's HUD is eager to use the Department's authorities to reverse the harm caused by prior federal policies and prioritize equity in all HUD programs."

  United States. Department of Housing and Urban Development

  2022-04-11?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Transportation

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  From the Document: "From the construction of the transcontinental railroad to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, transportation has always been inseparable from America's struggle for racial and economic justice. At its best, transportation can be a powerful engine of opportunity, connecting people to jobs, education, and resources-- whether they live in a big city, a rural community, or anywhere in between. Ensuring equity and accessibility for every member of the traveling public is one of the Department's highest priorities. As DOT [U.S. Department of Transportation] continues to advance this work, it is important to recognize that past federal transportation investments have too often failed to address inequities, or even made them worse. And because a piece of physical infrastructure endures for decades, families and communities today must contend with the results of discriminatory choices that may date back generations. The Department is committed to doing the right thing for our shared future, addressing these inequities, and building a better, more equitable transportation system. DOT has already begun working to implement the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides for historic investments in transportation equity. Done right, transportation policy can help level the playing field, transform economies, connect people to opportunity, and empower underserved communities to build generational wealth for the future. In partnership with community leaders, state and local governments, and the traveling public, the Department will be a key part of realizing the vision for this vital work."

  United States. Department of Transportation

  2022-04-11?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Agriculture

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  From the Document: "Since its inception, USDA has struggled to deliver its programs and services equitably. All too often, programs have been designed to benefit those with land, experience, money, and education while leaving behind those without means, resources, or privileges of one kind or another. [...] Because of the flawed design of programs as well as individual acts of discrimination, over the course of decades, many underserved producers have lost equipment, land, farm operations, and opportunities to train future generations of diverse producers. In some cases, they lost their family home and valued links to their culture, history, community, and identity. These losses have been devastating, and USDA must both take accountability for its role in the precipitous decline in the number of Black farmers in the United States and also for erecting barriers that have kept other underserved communities, including Native Americans, beginning farmers and ranchers, Veteran farmers and ranchers, refugees, farm workers, and other underrepresented groups from full and fair access to USDA programs and services, including but not limited to USDA farm programs. [...] USDA also plays a vital role in advancing nutrition security for underserved communities and supporting the 30 million adults and 12 million children who do not always have access to nutritious food. Over the course of the Biden-Harris Administration and beyond, USDA strives to institutionalize this emphasis on equity so that, with time, USDA becomes known as a trusted partner that does right by underserved communities and lives up to its name as The People's Department."

  United States. Department of Agriculture

  2022-04-11?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: Social Security Administration

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  From the Document: "The vision of SSA [U.S. Social Security Administration] is to provide income security for the diverse communities the agency serves, including those in underserved communities, people with disabilities, workers, and their families. SSA delivers vital services that are a critical part of our nation's social safety net. For underserved communities who are at greater risk of financial insecurity and persistent poverty, SSA's programs have outsized importance. Social Security is part of the retirement plan for almost every American worker. It provides replacement income for qualified retirees and their families. For retirees of color, especially women of color, who are more likely to experience occupational segregation and lower earnings in the workplace, these retirement benefits play a critical role in addressing poverty among older adults. The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs provide assistance to people with disabilities and can support the economic security and prosperity of people with disabilities who are more likely to face denial of economic opportunity and workplace discrimination. Social Security survivors benefits are paid to widows, widowers, and dependents of eligible workers. This benefit is particularly important for young families with children and can help ensure the stability of families who lose a provider."

  United States. Social Security Administration

  2022-04-11?
• Special Operations Forces vi sion & Strategy

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  From the Document: "Since 9/11, Special Operations Forces (SOF) primarily focused on countering terrorists, while our state adversaries sought to counter our capabilities and national interests. Now, the United States faces adversaries increasingly capable of counteracting our gains, threatening our Homeland, reducing our influence, and eroding our advantages globally. To protect and advance our national interests, SOF must adapt our formations, concepts, and capabilities, while strengthening our critical relationships with allies and partners. [...] The SOF Strategy provides a framework to guide our evolution from the world's premier Counter Terrorism (CT) force into one optimally suited to support the Joint Force and the Nation as part of integrated deterrence. Across this spectrum, SOF will conduct sustainable, priority CT operations, while supporting integrated deterrence, and preparing for potential high-end conflict. As we face these new challenges, we are confident that the last 20 years have demonstrated our ability to adapt and strengthened our resolve as we continue to defend the Nation."

  U.S. Special Operations Command; United States. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict

  2022-04-11?
• PRC State & Defense Laboratory System

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  From the Introduction: "Despite a wide body of research on China's scientific progress, the laboratory system remains a less understood component of China's S&T [science and technology] ecosystem in the English literature. While lists of these labs have been compiled and some preliminary research performed to categorize them, the exact number and inner workings of these labs remain in many ways poorly understood. This opacity not only leads to gaps in our knowledge of Chinese defense research, but in many cases has allowed these labs to fly under the radar, leading to cases of close interaction, and even cooperation, between Chinese defense labs and U.S. and allied academic institutions. This paper is intended to address some of these knowledge gaps. Organized into two parts, the first part provides a brief overview of China's state and defense research laboratory system and examines how the various laboratory designations interrelate after 30 years of development."

  China Aerospace Studies Institute (U.S.)

  Stone, Alex; Xiu, Ma

  2022-04-11
• COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake and Intentions Following US Food and Drug Administration Approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

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  From the Webpage: "Despite the availability of safe and effective COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines, 25% of American adults remained partially vaccinated or unvaccinated against COVID-19 at the beginning of 2022. Lack of a formally approved COVID-19 vaccine was a common reason given for non-vaccination in polls prior to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the biologics license application--also called 'full approval'--for the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine. Understanding the repercussions for vaccination intentions after FDA full approval is important for informing vaccination interventions and policy in future infectious disease outbreaks. The primary objective of this survey with unvaccinated US adults was to assess vaccination intentions in response to full approval of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine and any demographic associations with these intentions."

  American Medical Association

  Scherer, Aaron M.; Parker, Andrew M.; Gidengil, Courtney A.

  2022-04-11
• Disaster Relief Fund: Monthly Report as of March 31, 2022 (Fiscal Year 2022 Report to Congress)

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  From the Background: "P.L. [Public Law] 117-103 requires that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (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 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. Consequently, the following report elements are included: 1. Appendix A is an appropriations summary that includes a synopsis of the amount of appropriations made available by source, the transfers executed, the previously allocated funds recovered, and the commitments, allocations, and obligations. 2. Appendix B presents details on the DRF funding activities delineated by month. 3. Appendix C presents obligations and estimates by spending category for Hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma, and Maria; Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); and declarations since August 1, 2017. 4. Appendix D presents funding summaries for the current active catastrophic events including the allocations, obligations, and expenditures. 5. Appendix E presents the fund exhaustion date, or end-of-fiscal-year balance. 6. Appendix F presents a bridge table that provides explanation for the monthly and baseline change for all activities to include details for catastrophic events. 7. Appendix G presents the fund history and current status of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC)/Predisaster Mitigation (PDM) program."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2022-04-08
• MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 8, 2022: COVID-19 Mortality and Vaccine Coverage -- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, January 6, 2022-March 21, 2022

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Mortality and Vaccine Coverage -- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, January 6, 2022-March 21, 2022." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].

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

  2022-04-08
• MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 8, 2022

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Monkeypox in a Traveler Returning from Nigeria -- Dallas, Texas, July 2021"; "Cardiac Complications After SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Infection and mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination -- PCORnet, United States, January 2021 - January 2022"; "Notes from the Field: SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Infection in 10 Persons Within 90 Days of Previous SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Infection -- Four States, October 2021 - January 2022"; "Notes from the Field: Enteropathogenic 'Escherichia coli' Outbreak at a Child Care Center -- Oregon, August 2021"; "Erratum: Vol. 71, No. 6," and "QuickStats: Rate of Deaths Attributed to Unintentional Injury from Fire or Flames, by Sex and Urban-Rural Status -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].

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

  2022-04-08
• CPTPP: Overview and Issues for Congress [Updated April 8, 2022]

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  From the Document: "The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TransPacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement (FTA) formed by the 11 remaining members of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after the Trump Administration withdrew the U.S. signature from TPP in 2017. CPTPP, which retains most of TPP's provisions, reduces and eliminates tariff and non-tariff barriers, and establishes enforceable trade rules. CPTPP is currently in effect for eight members, entering into force for Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Singapore in late 2018; Vietnam in 2019; and Peru in 2021. Brunei, Chile, and Malaysia have signed, but have not yet ratified CPTPP. The United Kingdom (UK), China, Taiwan, and Ecuador applied to join in 2021. Members of Congress may have interest in monitoring and shaping the Administration's views on CPTPP[.] [...] The Administration states it is not currently interested in joining CPTPP, but recognizes the region's economic importance, and plans to pursue an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Williams, Brock R.; Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.

  2022-04-08
• Followup Evaluation of Report No. DODIG-2019-088, 'Evaluation of DOD Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Kuwait,' June 11, 2019

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  From the Objective: "The objective of this followup evaluation was to determine whether the DoD implemented corrective actions for report recommendations in DODIG-2019-088, 'Evaluation of DoD Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Kuwait,' June 11, 2019 (the 2019 report)."

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

  2022-04-08
• Economic Development Administration: An Overview of Programs and Appropriations (FY2011-FY2022) [Updated April 8, 2022]

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  From the Summary: "The Economic Development Administration (EDA), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), is the only federal agency with economic development as its sole mission. The agency was established pursuant to the enactment of the Public Works and Economic Development Act (PWEDA) of 1965 (42 U.S.C. §3121 et seq.) to assist state and local stakeholders with developing the conditions and amenities to grow businesses, create jobs, and expand investment in economically distressed areas. Changing industry dynamics, global competition, technological developments, and other events, conditions, and priorities have shifted EDA's programs and priorities over time. During the agency's first 30 years, its programs focused on industrial growth and emphasized public works, roads, and infrastructure. Since then, Congress has supported an expanded portfolio of EDA programs to also advance existing and emerging industry clusters, develop human capital, strengthen supply chains, expand access to capital, build new types of infrastructure, and implement innovation and technology strategies. Additionally, EDA has also taken on new roles in developing state and local capacity, resiliency, disaster and economic recovery, as well as economic development integration across federal agencies."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lawhorn, Julie M.

  2022-04-08
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Office of Personnel Management

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  From the Document: "OPM's [U.S. Office of Personnel Management] policies and practices influence the composition, compensation, and work experiences of the federal workforce. In turn, the federal workforce designs and delivers policies and programs that affect all people in the U.S. and beyond. Advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are fundamental to delivering on OPM's mission to build and support a federal workforce that represents and delivers for America. Accordingly, the Agency has a significant role in implementing the President's Executive Order 14035 on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce. OPM also has a critical role to play in advancing health equity, retirement security, and equal employment opportunities for our nation's public servants."

  United States. Office of Personnel Management

  2022-04-08?
• 'Enhancing the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938,' Statement of Jacob R. Straus, Specialist on the Congress, Before Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, U.S. House of Representatives [April 8, 2022]

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  This is the April 8, 2022 testimony of Jacob R. Straus on "Enhancing the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938," held before U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties of the Committee on the Judiciary. From the statement of Jacob R. Straus: "My testimony focuses on two areas: (1) background on the Foreign Agents Registration Act [FARA], including past amendments to FARA; and (2) a discussion of recent legislative proposals to amend FARA. The discussion of recent legislation focuses on several policy proposals included in multiple introduced measures. These include proposals to provide civil investigative demand authority to the Department of Justice (DOJ); increase penalties for noncompliance; repeal or modify certain statutory exemptions to FARA; change how DOJ administers FARA; amend registration and disclosure requirements; enhance public access to FARA registration statements; change labeling requirements for informational materials; and require federal agencies to report to Congress on FARA administration and enforcement."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Straus, Jacob R.

  2022-04-08
• North Korea's Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs [Updated April 8, 2022]

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  From the Overview: "North Korea continues to advance its nuclear weapons and missile programs despite UN Security Council sanctions and high-level diplomatic efforts. Recent ballistic missile tests and military parades suggest that North Korea is continuing to build a nuclear warfighting capability designed to evade regional ballistic missile defenses. Such an approach likely reinforces a deterrence and coercive diplomacy strategy--lending more credibility as it demonstrates capability--but it also raises questions about crisis stability and escalation control. Congress may choose to examine U.S. policy in light of these advances. According to the U.S. intelligence community's 2022 annual threat assessment, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un views nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as 'the ultimate guarantor of his totalitarian and autocratic rule of North Korea and believes that over time he will gain international acceptance as a nuclear power.' At the January 2021 North Korean Workers' Party Conference, Kim hailed the 'status of our state as a nuclear weapons state' and praised its 'powerful and reliable strategic deterrent.' Kim Jong-un has said that 'nuclear weapons of the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] can be used only by a final order of the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army [Kim Jong-un] to repel invasion or attack from a hostile nuclear weapons state and make retaliatory strikes.'"

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham

  2022-04-08
• Flood Buyouts: Federal Funding for Property Acquisition [April 8, 2022]

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  From the Document: "Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster [hyperlink] in the United States and experts expect effects to intensify in the future [hyperlink]. Buyouts offer one way to reduce flood risk. Unlike other approaches to flood mitigation, buyouts eliminate future losses by removing properties from areas at risk of flooding. A floodplain buyout [hyperlink] is a property acquisition in which a government agency purchases private property, relocates or demolishes any structures on it, and preserves the land as open space [hyperlink] in perpetuity to restore and conserve natural floodplain functions [hyperlink]. The local government is responsible for maintaining parcels of bought-out land and buyout programs generally do not include funding for future design, maintenance, or use of bought-out land. In the case of property acquisition [hyperlink] and demolition, often using federal funding, a local or state government purchases flood-prone land and structures from willing sellers and demolishes the structures. Alternatively, state or local governments purchase land from willing sellers and assist the property owners with relocation to another site. If the new location is in a flood zone, the structure must meet the community's building codes (e.g., elevation above a certain height). In both cases, the bought-out land must be maintained as open space."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Horn, Diane P.

  2022-04-08
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Labor

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  From the Document: "Advancing equity complements and reinforces the Department's core functions, which necessitates close attention to the needs of workers who have faced and continue to face exclusion, marginalization, and discrimination. [...] The need to center underserved populations in the Department's work would be important at any moment, but it is especially urgent as the country grapples with deep social and economic disparities revealed and accelerated by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and the accompanying economic crisis. [...] New federal actions, bolstered by the passage of the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, have provided timely and much-needed support to these vulnerable communities and promise new historic investments in the coming years. But more work remains to ensure that the Department fully realizes its mission that all working people, jobseekers, and retirees have the economic security, opportunity, and voice they need to thrive in our society."

  United States. Department of Labor

  2022-04-08?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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  From the Document: "Underserved communities in the United States - including communities of color, disability communities, LGBTQI+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex +] communities, women, rural communities, and communities experiencing persistent poverty and inequality - often face entrenched and persistent disparities in health outcomes and healthcare access. These disparities have been further exposed and exacerbated during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, which has had a disproportionate impact on underserved communities. HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] has a fundamental role to play in advancing health equity to ensure that every person in our nation can achieve their full potential and thrive. HHS believes it is incumbent on the agency to move urgently to assess and change policies, programs, and processes that the Department administers to concretely advance equity and that for these efforts to last, HHS must simultaneously shift the culture, resources, and approaches available to HHS staff to institutionalize and sustain a focus on equity over time. HHS will advance equity through strategies that build data capacity, expand stakeholder engagement, and increase our nation's understanding of the root causes of inequities."

  United States. Department of Health and Human Services

  2022-04-08?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Energy

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  From the Document: "DOE's [U.S. Department of Energy's] mission areas provide an opportunity to advance equity and justice across sectors. For low-income households grappling with issues of energy burden and energy insecurity, DOE's Weatherization Assistance Programs provide an opportunity for financial security. For colleges and universities, including Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), DOE funding provides critical supports to advance basic research. For businesses, including Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs), DOE contracting and acquisition can advance economic opportunity while helping DOE deliver on its mission. DOE is also a critical leader in the all-of-government approach to tackle the climate crisis and deliver on the Justice40 Initiative, which will ensure that 40 percent of the benefits of its clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate programs flow to underserved communities."

  United States. Department of Energy

  2022-04-08?
• Will FEMA Recommend Public Assistance Following a Disaster? Proposed Rulemaking [Updated April 8, 2022]

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  From the Document: "This Insight reviews the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) proposed rulemaking on assessing requests for Public Assistance (PA) for major disaster declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act [hyperlink], P.L. 93-288, as amended). FEMA estimated that the rulemaking, if finalized, would significantly reduce PA obligations. The public comment period closed in April 2021. As of April 2022, FEMA reported to CRS [Congressional Research Service] that the agency's next action on the rule is undetermined, and that the 'does not expect to have a regulatory action' before December 10, 2022."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Lee, Erica A.

  2022-04-08
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Commerce

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  From the Document: "DOC's [U.S. Department of Commerce's] new mission statement acknowledges that global competitiveness and a healthy democracy require that all communities have an opportunity to participate in the 21st century economy. In short, inclusive growth is good economics. We fail to meet our full potential as a nation if we aren't investing in all communities, workers, inventors, and entrepreneurs. We must harness the talents and strengths of all parts of the country, including women, people of color, and others who are too often left behind. DOC has laid the foundation for programing and policies that will reach a larger and more diverse audience and address key barriers to economic success for historically underserved communities. DOC is committed to creating a more equitable and inclusive economy through actions across five pillars: Investments (by supporting entrepreneurs from underserved communities to nurture their companies at critical stages of development and growth); Capabilities and Knowledge Sharing (developing tools and resources for underserved entrepreneurs to successfully operate their companies); Opportunities (funding, training, and technical assistance programs and by establishing partnerships so that underrepresented groups can contribute to the emerging technologies space); People (ensuring that people and families can thrive in their communities by realizing gains from their participation in the economy); and Service Delivery (Department services that are data-driven and strengthened to meet the needs of underrepresented groups)."

  United States. Department of Commerce

  2022-04-08?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

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  From the Document: "For VA [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs], equity means intentionally committing to consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals and a just distribution of tools and resources to give veterans, including veterans who are members of underserved communities, what is required to enjoy a full, healthy life. In the 73 years since President Truman desegregated the military in 1948--making discrimination on the basis of race illegal in the armed forces - many forms of inequity persist in American society. VA is not excluded from the systemic injustices and inequities that pervade American society. For example, GI [government issue] Bill and loan guaranty programs were instrumental in economic prosperity and access to homeownership for veterans in the postwar years, but many Black veterans lacked the same level of access. Additionally, exclusionary policies such as Don't Ask, Don't Tell affected LGBTQI+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex +] service members and led to the involuntary separation and denial of benefits for many LGBTQI+ veterans. Other instances of inequities faced by underserved veterans include disparities in claim rejection rates, unequal post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compensation rates, and address discipline and discharge disparities faced by underserved veterans."

  United States. Department of Veterans Affairs

  2022-04-08?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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  From the Document: "NASA stands poised to usher in a bold new era of discovery - preparing to return astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, to the Moon and open the way for human exploration of Mars; launching new science missions to explore the depths of the universe; and working to enrich lives and protect resources on Earth. Yet, one of our biggest challenges lies here at home. As NASA ushers in the third great era of human space exploration, NASA also will take on a renewed challenge of advancing equity by working to recognize and overcome the visible and invisible systemic barriers that hinder equitable, inclusive access - by individuals or communities - to the government programs, resources, and opportunities that make all of NASA's work possible. To chart America's course in space, NASA must first embrace and empower the whole of our nation here at home. NASA will anchor equity as a core component in every mission to inspire a new, more inclusive generation. NASA will seize the opportunity to make limitless the potential of all Americans, and uphold the legacies of Katherine Johnson and Mary Jackson, of Sally Ride, Ronald McNair, Mae Jemison, and Soichi Noguchi, in all NASA's future endeavors."

  United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  2022-04-08?
• Equity Action Plan Summary: National Science Foundation

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  From the Document: "To promote the progress of science and maintain our Nation's scientific leadership and global competitiveness, the United States must educate, train, and retain more scientists, engineers, and computer scientists. Historically, underrepresented and underserved communities are the largest untapped Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) talent pools in the U.S. As such, NSF [National Science Foundation] strives to encourage the full participation of all Americans and to remove barriers to their success. NSF will advance strategies to ensure all sectors of society have the opportunity to contribute to the scientific enterprise."

  National Science Foundation (U.S.)

  2022-04-08?
• Department of Labor Equity Action Plan

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  From the Executive Summary: "The U.S Department of Labor (DOL) is committed to improving the well-being of underserved, marginalized, and excluded communities, recognizing that by doing so we improve working conditions and economic opportunities for all workers. This document, submitted in response to Executive Order 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities, summarizes key aspects of DOL's principles and approach to advancing equity. In subsequent sections, we detail five areas where DOL plans ambitious activity to support underserved communities, including through: (1) enforcement of wage and hour laws; (2) administering and improving the federal-state Unemployment Insurance system; (3) broadening access to DOL programs, services, and information for workers with limited English proficiency; (4) expanding sector-based training and employment strategies; and (5) diversifying the federal workforce by building new pathways into government apprenticeships."

  United States. Department of Labor

  2022-04-08?
• Cybersecurity in Medical Devices: Quality System Considerations and Content of Premarket Submissions Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff: Draft Guidance

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  From the Introduction: "With the increasing integration of wireless, Internet- and network- connected capabilities, portable media (e.g., USB [universal serial bus] or CD [compact disc]), and the frequent electronic exchange of medical device related health information, the need for robust cybersecurity controls to ensure medical device safety and effectiveness has become more important. In addition, cybersecurity threats to the healthcare sector have become more frequent and more severe, carrying increased potential for clinical impact. Cybersecurity incidents have rendered medical devices and hospital networks inoperable, disrupting the delivery of patient care across healthcare facilities in the U.S. and globally. Such cyber attacks and exploits may lead to patient harm as a result of clinical hazards, such as delay in diagnoses and/or treatment."

  United States. Food and Drug Administration

  2022-04-08
• Response to Congress: Navy's Waterborne Firefighting Capability

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  From the Document: "Following the BHR [USS Bonhomme Richard] incident, where firefighting-equipped Navy tug boats were employed, the Navy has reinforced the importance of waterborne and airborne firefighting capability and has ensured both are incorporated into Navy installation emergency response plans. The Navy assesses that existing waterborne firefighting capability and capacity is sufficient and there is no requirement for dedicated fire boats to support shipboard firefighting requirements. [...] As stated, Navy tug boats have inherent firefighting capabilities. Since the BHR incident, Commander, Navy Installations Command issued a directive (enclosure 1) to ensure that Navy installation emergency response plan functional area annexes and major shipboard fire hazard specific appendices include tug boat firefighting capabilities."

  United States. Department of the Navy

  2022-04-08
• Overview of Correspondent Banking and 'De-Risking' Issues [Updated April 8, 2022]

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  From the Document: "In broad terms, correspondent banking refers to formal agreements or relationships between banks to provide payment services for each other. It is often used to effectuate cross-border payments, and as such, plays an important role in the international financial system. The value of global cross-border payments is estimated to increase from almost $150 trillion in 2017 to over $250 trillion by 2027, according to the Bank of England. Correspondent banking represents a significant portion of this (e.g., the European Central Bank reported roughly $746 billion worth of daily transactions channeled through correspondent banking arrangements within Eurozone countries alone in 2019), as it underpins trade finance, migrant remittances, and humanitarian flows. [...] Although these transactions provide significant benefits, they also present several challenges. Two interrelated primary policy issues involved with correspondent banking are (1) what types of anti-money-laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) controls should be in place to prevent illicit payments? and (2) how to prevent excessive industry reaction to such controls, called 'de-risking.'"

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Miller, Rena S.

  2022-04-08
• Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection of Facilities' COVID-19 Pandemic Readiness and Response in Veterans Integrated Service Networks 2, 5, and 6

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  From the Report Overview: "This Office of Inspector General (OIG) Comprehensive Healthcare Inspection Program (CHIP) report examines key clinical and administrative processes that are associated with promoting quality care. Comprehensive healthcare inspections are one element of the OIG's overall efforts to ensure that the nation's veterans receive high-quality and timely VA [Veterans Affairs] healthcare services. The inspections are performed approximately every three years for each medical facility. The OIG selects and evaluates specific areas of focus each year. Starting in July 2020, the OIG added pandemic readiness and response as an issue for examination. CHIP staff have aggregated findings that relate to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] readiness and response from these routine inspections to ensure that the information is provided in a comprehensive manner, given the constantly changing landscape as infection rates and demands on facilities continually shift. To promote this objective, CHIP staff have combined the findings of inspected medical facilities by Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), which are regional systems that provide oversight of medical centers in their area.1 This report is the fourth in a series. It provides a descriptive evaluation of VISN 2, 5, and 6 facility responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This examination is based on findings from healthcare inspections performed during the third and fourth quarters of fiscal year 2021 (April 1 through September 30, 2021). The report also provides a more recent snapshot of the pandemic's demands on facility operations based on data compiled as of September 2021. Additionally, it includes information on COVID-19 vaccination efforts, based on a review of VA's vaccination statistics as of September 29, 2021."

  United States. Department of Veterans Affairs. Office of Inspector General

  2022-04-07