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Roll Call Votes to Confirm Supreme Court Nominations: Historical Analysis of Support and Opposition (1900-2020) [April 1, 2022]

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From the Document: "This Insight provides analysis of the roll call votes used to confirm Supreme Court nominees from 1900 through 2020. Specifically, the Insight examines historical patterns of partisan support and opposition among Senators in casting votes on whether to confirm nominees to the Court. [...] A roll call vote to confirm a nominee requires a simple majority of Senators present and voting, a quorum being present. Overall, from 1900 to 2020 [hyperlink], there were 38 Supreme Court nominations that received a roll call vote on whether to confirm a nominee to the Court. Since 1967 (starting with the confirmation vote for Thurgood Marshall [hyperlink]), each of the 24 Senate votes on whether to confirm a nominee has been by roll call vote. By contrast, from 1900 to 1966, 14 (or 33%) of the 42 votes on whether to confirm nominees to the Court were by roll call vote, whereas 28 (67%) were by voice vote or unanimous consent. During this period there was notable variation in how Democratic and Republican Senators voted on nominations to the Court."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

McMillion, Barry J.

2022-04-01
Surprise Billing: Independent Dispute Resolution Process [April 1, 2022]

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From the Document: "This In Focus summarizes statute and interim final rule (IFR) regulations to describe the independent dispute resolution (IDR) process available to insurers and out-of-network providers in certain surprise medical billing situations. It accounts for IFR aspects invalidated in the 'Texas Medical Association v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' decision but predates a federal response to that decision. For more information on surprise billing in general and corresponding consumer protections, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report R46856, 'Surprise Billing in Private Health Insurance: Overview of Federal Consumer Protections and Payment for Out-of-Network Services.' For more information on the litigation related to the IDR process, see CRS Insight IN11906, 'No Surprises Act's Independent Dispute Resolution Process and Related Litigation.'"

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Rosso, Ryan J.

2022-04-01
Second Chance Reentry Grants: DOJ Should Report Limitations When Publishing Performance Data, Report to Congressional Committees

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From the Highlights: "More than 600,000 individuals were released from U.S. prisons in 2019 after serving their sentences. DOJ [Department of Justice] awards grants to organizations that assist these individuals in obtaining employment, housing, and mental health treatment, among other services. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2018 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DOJ's reentry grants. This report (1) describes Second Chance Reauthorization Act grants awarded by DOJ from fiscal years 2019 to 2020, (2) examines steps that DOJ is taking to evaluate the effectiveness of these grants, and (3) describes the reentry grant performance data that DOJ reported in products shared with external parties and assesses whether DOJ disclosed any limitations of the data."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2022-04
Discretionary Transportation Grants: DOT Should Clarify Application Requirements and Oversight Activities, Report to Congressional Committees

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From the Highlights: "In 2007, GAO [Government Accountability Office] placed funding for surface transportation programs on the High Risk list. The INFRA [Infrastructure for Rebuilding America] program--a DOT [Department of Transportation] discretionary grant program--was established by statute to fund nationally significant freight and highway projects. Since 2016, DOT has awarded more than $4 billion to 94 transportation projects across the country. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included a provision for GAO to review DOT's process for evaluating and selecting INFRA projects for award. This report examines, among other things, the extent to which DOT has: (1) taken steps to clarify to applicants how it will evaluate INFRA grant applications and (2) provided oversight for the INFRA grant application review process and ensured that application evaluations were accurate and complete."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2022-04
Federal Civil Action for Disclosure of Intimate Images: Free Speech Considerations [April 1, 2022]

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From the Document: "On March 15, 2022, Congress authorized a federal civil claim [hyperlink] relating to the disclosure of intimate images as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 [hyperlink]. The new cause of action, which takes effect [hyperlink] on October 1, 2022, marks the first federal law targeting the unauthorized dissemination of private, intimate images of both adults and children--images commonly referred to as 'nonconsensual pornography [hyperlink]' or 'revenge porn [hyperlink].' This Sidebar discusses the current legal landscape with respect to prohibitions on nonconsensual pornography. It first provides an overview of state and federal laws on the subject, including the new private right of action. It then discusses how courts have decided significant First Amendment challenges to nonconsensual pornography laws at the state level. The Sidebar concludes with a discussion of the relevance of these legal developments for legislative proposals to criminalize [hyperlink] the distribution of nonconsensual pornography at the federal level or to expand liability [hyperlink] for distributing other types [hyperlink] of content online."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Killion, Victoria L.

2022-04-01
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2022 Budget and Appropriations [Updated April 1, 2022]

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From the Summary: "Each year, Congress considers 12 distinct appropriations measures to fund federal programs and activities. One of these is the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) bill, which includes funding for U.S. diplomatic activities, cultural exchanges, development and security assistance, and participation in multilateral organizations, among other international activities. On May 28, 2021, the Biden Administration released its proposed FY2022 budget request, which called for $62.121 billion, after rescissions of prior year funds, for SFOPS accounts. The original FY2022 request was about 13% less than the total FY2021-enacted level, which included nearly $16 billion in emergency funds, but 11.5% more than enacted FY2021 levels when emergency funding was excluded. The Administration submitted a supplemental emergency budget request that included $9.35 billion in SFOPS accounts on March 2, 2022, to address Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing global COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response. This brought the total FY2022 SFOPS request to $71.371 billion, net of rescissions. [...] This report tracks SFOPS appropriations, comparing funding levels for accounts and purposes across proposals and legislation. It does not provide extensive analysis of international affairs policy issues. For in-depth analysis and contextual information on international affairs issues, consult the wide range of CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports on specific subjects, such as global health, diplomatic security, and U.S. participation in the United Nations."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Gill, Cory R.; Morgenstern, Emily M.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo

2022-04-01
Uncrewed Maritime Systems: Navy Should Improve Its Approach to Maximize Early Investments, Report to Congressional Committees

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From the Highlights: "In March 2021, the Navy published a framework that called for developing and fielding uncrewed surface and undersea vehicles to complement its existing fleet as a key to future Navy capabilities. The Navy intends to prototype these systems to gain knowledge and address technical issues before acquiring systems in significant numbers. A House Report included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the Navy's efforts to develop and produce uncrewed surface and undersea vehicles. GAO's report assesses the Navy's planned investments for these uncrewed maritime systems and its management and prototyping approaches. GAO reviewed documentation for four ongoing medium and large uncrewed maritime system prototype efforts and the associated information technology efforts that enable these systems."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2022-04
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: April 2022

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This April 2022 edition of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin contains the following articles: "Patch Call: Los Altos, California, Police Department"; "Patch Call: Norwood, Ohio, Police Division"; "Notable Speech: Duty Amid Challenges" by Irick "T.J." Geary; "Assessing Law Enforcement's Cybercrime Capacity and Capability" by Christopher J. Moloney, N. Prabha Unnithan, and Weiqi Zhang; "First Responder Peer Support Programs" by Emily Cnapich, Samantha Rodriguez, Bailee Schuhmann, Judy Couwels, Vincent Van Hasselt, and Jessica Blalock; "Bulletin Notes"; and "Leadership Spotlight: A Calm, Focused Mind."

United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

2022-04
Overview of Federal Hate Crime Laws [April 1, 2022]

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From the Document: "Hate, in and of itself, cannot be criminalized. When hate motivates criminal conduct, however, such conduct may be classified as a hate crime--defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a 'criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.' According to the FBI, hate crimes are 'traditional offenses like murder, arson, or vandalism with an added element of bias.' In 2020, the FBI received reports of 8,263 incidents of bias-motivated crimes involving 11,472 victims. Hate crime laws have garnered significant public attention, as evidenced by the widespread media coverage of the reported rise in hate crimes during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Over the years, Congress has maintained a perennial interest in hate crime laws, and a number of relevant proposals have been introduced in recent Congresses to either enact new or amend existing federal hate crime laws. [...] This Report begins with an overview of concepts key to understanding the applicability and scope of federal hate crime laws, and what it means for conduct to occur 'because of' a factor such as race, religion, gender, or other characteristics of a victim or person. It then examines the substantive provisions of the federal hate crime statutes listed above, and summarizes statutorily authorized penalties and the hate crime enhancement contained in the Guidelines. The Report concludes by evaluating various sources of congressional authority to legislate in the hate crime arena and discusses hate crime legislation introduced in the 117th Congress."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Berris, Peter G.

2022-04-01
Ukraine Conflict and Other Factors Contributing to High Commodity Prices and Food Insecurity

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From the Executive Summary: "A number of factors have converged over the last 18 months to send global agricultural commodity prices to near-record levels. Russia's invasion of Ukraine - and the potential loss of Ukrainian exports - was the latest development to push commodity prices higher. Other factors affecting global markets, which date back to late 2020, include: increased global demand, led by China; drought-reduced supplies; tightening wheat, corn, and soybean stocks in major exporting countries; high energy prices pushing up the costs of fertilizer, transportation, and agricultural production; and countries imposing export bans and restrictions, further tightening supplies. As observed during the food price crises of 2008 and 2012, developing countries that are dependent on food imports are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. Such countries tend to respond to price signals by shifting consumption and trade patterns, while larger exporting nations respond by increasing production to meet demand. However, the geopolitical turmoil of a war between two major agricultural exporting countries, including the world's largest fertilizer exporter (Russia), adds additional uncertainty and concern to today's situation."

United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Foreign Agricultural Service

2022-04
In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing National Strategy

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From the Executive Summary: "The United States is a pre-eminent leader in space exploration, development, and operations, spanning a broad spectrum of applications from remote sensing to navigation to satellite communications. The benefits of U.S. leadership have had a positive impact on its citizens and provided economic and security benefits. As we move toward increased reliance on space-based services, the growing complexity and aspiration of global space missions are at an inflection point. Sustained leadership requires continual adoption of new capabilities. The history of satellite servicing, refueling, assembly, and upgrade span from crewed servicing of telescopes, to in-space construction and maintenance of large structures, to autonomous robotic servicing missions. Recent commercial operations have extended the lifespan of satellites that are low on fuel. These novel and complex space activities are included within the In-space Servicing Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) set of capabilities, which support sustained economic activity and human presence in space. The United States will build on this foundation to accelerate a new, diverse, and market-focused ecosystem of autonomous persistent platforms and assets, to improve the way we use space for in-space and terrestrial operations. This National Strategy outlines how the United States will support and stimulate the United States Government (USG), academic, and commercial ISAM capability development. It provides strategic goals to advance ISAM capability development discussed in the United States Space Priorities Framework. The next step following the strategy is to develop USG implementation action plans to fulfill the goals."

United States. Office of Science and Technology Policy

National Science & Technology Council (U.S). In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Interagency Working Group

2022-04
Summary of Resources for State, Local, Tribal, Territorial, and Campus Law Enforcement Partners

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From the Document: "The Department of Homeland Security is proud to support and work alongside [...] law enforcement [professionals]. You work on the front lines every day, at great personal risk, to keep our communities safe. We are committed to ensuring you have the tools, resources, and support you need to continue doing so successfully. This guide highlights many of the resources available to you, including training and grant opportunities, to increase our nation's resilience to evolving threats." This guide also provides information on resources related to the following topics: "Preparedness and Prevention"; "Information and Intelligence Sharing"; "Cybersecurity"; "Critical Infrastructure Protection"; "School Safety and Security"; "Human Trafficking, Forced Labor, and Sex Trafficking"; and "Training and Funding Opportunities."

United States. Department of Homeland Security

2022-04
Compound Risk Analysis of Natural Hazards and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

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From the Executive Summary: "The multiyear nature of the coronavirus disease [2019] (COVID-19) pandemic provides the conditions for a compound event. The likelihood of a natural hazard occurring in a country affected by COVID-19 is high. This compound risk scenario is not theoretical, but one which has played out across the member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC). Flooding in Afghanistan in May 2020, in the Kyrgyz Republic in May 2020, and in Georgia in August 2020 are some examples. Similarly, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in February 2021 affected Pakistan and Tajikistan. CAREC member countries will continue to face compound risk, not just for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, but on an ongoing basis, as various types of natural hazards potentially co-occur and compound each other. Compound risk occurs when two or more shock events overlap, inducing additional pressure on social and physical vulnerability and/or initiating a chain of further stressors. In theory, the impact of a compound event are potentially much higher than those of two events occurring discretely. Damage to physical and social infrastructure and existing emergency needs occupy the bandwidth of government, civil society, households, and businesses. Additional pressure from a new shock may deepen existing vulnerabilities and undermine response efforts."

Asian Development Bank

2022-04
Athena Agenda: Advancing the Apollo Program for Biodefense

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From the Executive Summary: "The exploitation of wildlife through hunting and trade facilitates opportunities for animal-human interactions and zoonotic disease transmission. Furthermore, advances in DNA sequencing, gene-editing, and synthetic biology (among others) hold the promise of profound advances in healthcare, crop and environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Unfortunately, these are dual-use technologies that could yield accidental, unintended, and deliberate misuse by creating deadly pathogens or disrupting ecological balances. [...] 'The Athena Agenda: Advancing The Apollo Program for Biodefense' contains additional recommendations to execute The Apollo Program, building on the Commission's previous work and taking into consideration the efforts of current and former Administrations and Congresses. This report provides the following specific governance and technology recommendations to implement The Apollo Program for Biodefense and identifies the US government organizations responsible for leadership and accountability, though certain actions may require or benefit from public-private partnerships."

Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

2022-04
Robotic Modular Stereoscopic Retrofit System: Operational Field Assessment Report

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From the Introduction: "Bomb technicians protect the public by rendering explosives safe and performing forensic work on those explosives. Mobile, unmanned platforms (i.e., bomb disposal robots) are controlled by operators from a safe standoff distance. Bomb technicians rely on robot vision systems for video imagery to control the robot, its arm, and its gripper for manipulation of devices or tools. Existing robot vision systems, however, are limited to two-dimensional images. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded a contract to Honeybee Robotics to develop the Robotic Modular Stereoscopic Retrofit System (MSR). This system aims to improve an operator's perception of the robot's environment by providing real-time, high quality, stereoscopic video imagery using camera heads, a power and data transmission core module, and an operator control station (OCS) with a glasses-free lenticular display. [...] On behalf of the S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS), the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) conducted an operational field assessment (OFA) to evaluate the suitability of the MSR for use by bomb technicians. NUSTL conducted the OFA at the Middlesex County Fire Academy located in Sayreville, New Jersey. MCS and Office of Science and Engineering (OSE) program management staff observed remotely over Microsoft Teams. This report describes the evaluators' feedback obtained during the operational test activities that simulated conditions one might encounter during emergency response missions."

United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)

Casparro, Robert; Linn, Blaise; Murtagh, Cecilia

2022-04
Using Donald Trump's COVID-19 Vaccine Endorsement to Give Public Health a Shot in the Arm: A Large-Scale Ad Experiment

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From the Abstract: "We report a large-scale randomized controlled trial designed to assess whether the partisan cue of a provaccine message from Donald Trump would induce Americans to get COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines. Our study involved presenting a 27-second advertisement to millions of U.S. YouTube users in October 2021. Results indicate that the campaign increased the number of vaccines in the average treated county by 103. Spread across 1,014 treated counties, the total effect of the campaign was an estimated increase of 104,036 vaccines. The campaign was cost-effective: with an overall budget of about $100,000, the cost to obtain an additional vaccine was about $1 or less."

National Bureau of Economic Research

Larsen, Bradley; Hetherington, Marc J., 1968-; Greene, Steven H., 1972- . . .

2022-04
COVID-19 and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A Working Paper on the Consequences of the Current Crisis

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From the Introduction: "The impact of current events goes beyond the borders of one state or continent, rather affecting the whole world. The provision of food goods and production supplies, as well as maintaining price stability, have become the world's most important challenge after the second year of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Moreover, Russia's war on Ukraine has exacerbated the global economic situation, with its repercussions coinciding with those of the pandemic and the recession that countries are still trying to recover from. Wheat prices have risen over the past year as a result of the decline in the proportion of global crops and supply in the face of strong and growing demand, making the consequences of this war extremely serious for wheat and grain markets in general and supply chains. On its first day, the war led to a 6% increase of wheat prices, and this increase may not be the last in the coming period, due to concerns about the consequences of the war on farmers and producers. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has resulted in high oil and gas prices, increased transport and insurance costs, instability of trade and disruption of traffic in Russian and Ukrainian ports, as well as restriction of bank transfers to and from Russia only."

Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Ghurfah al-Tijārīyah al-Miṣrīyah li-Muḥāfaẓat al-Iskandarīyah

2022-04
Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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From the Document: "As the nation's largest law enforcement agency, DHS has a vital role to play in keeping Americans safe while also advancing equity and safeguarding civil rights and civil liberties. To deliver its mission of securing the homeland, DHS is focused on addressing the threats that underserved communities face, especially from racially motivated domestic violent extremism. Over the past year, DHS has worked to address threats to Asian American communities stemming from anti-Asian bias and xenophobia while addressing the continuing threats that domestic violent extremism poses to all Americans, including threats targeting communities of color and religious communities. DHS is committed to combatting all forms of terrorism and targeted violence, including terrorism and targeted violence meant to intimidate or coerce specific populations on the basis of their ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or political views."

United States. Department of Homeland Security

2022-04?
Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of the Interior

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From the Document: "DOI [U.S. Department of the Interior] protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage, and provides scientific and other information about those resources. DOI also plays a central role in how the United States stewards its public lands, increases environmental protections, pursues environmental justice, and ensures that underserved communities can access and benefit from outdoor space and recreation. DOI is also the primary federal agency charged with honoring the United States' trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native people and special commitments to Native Hawaiians. DOI plays a critical role in maintaining nation-to-nation relationships with federally recognized Indian Tribes, and promoting and supporting Tribal self-determination. The Department is leaning into its moral and legal responsibilities to Tribes by honoring sovereignty and reckoning with DOI's role in the history of injustice and marginalization of indigenous people. Leaders are learning from past mistakes through nation-to-nation consultation, listening for understanding, using evidence and data for decision-making, and employing analytic tools to advance and promote equity and justice in all that we do for Tribes, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the American public."

United States. Department of the Interior

2022-04?
Equity Action Plan Summary: Peace Corps

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From the Document: "The Peace Corps delivers on its mission through its volunteers. The Peace Corps' call to serve has historically been answered by a diverse set of U.S. citizens, though there are disproportionately fewer volunteers from underserved communities. The Peace Corps' mission of world peace and friendship, and its approach to achieving this mission, requires a diverse Corps to model how individuals from diverse backgrounds can unite to address important and challenging goals."

Peace Corps (U.S.)

2022-04?
Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Agency for International Development

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From the Document: "As USAID [United States Agency for International Development] engages with its partners, USAID democratizes the development process by integrating equity into agency policies, strategies, and practices. USAID is enhancing the ability of nontraditional partners to pursue USAID opportunities, preventing discrimination in agency programs, and strengthening the agency's capacity to advance inclusive development in overseas programming."

United States. Agency for International Development

2022-04?
Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Small Business Administration

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From the Document: "Each year, SBA [U.S. Small Business Administration] serves thousands of small businesses across the country. Many of these businesses are owned by entrepreneurs who are members of communities that have been traditionally underserved. These underserved entrepreneurs include people of color; people with disabilities; LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and other identities] ; individuals who are religious minorities; people who live or do business in rural communities; veterans, Service members and military spouses; women; and individuals who are otherwise affected by persistent poverty or systemic inequality. By supporting these entrepreneurs to launch and sustain small businesses, including through access to capital, SBA's actions contribute to closing the racial and gender wealth gaps and addressing other disparities."

United States. Small Business Administration

2022-04?
Equity Action Plan Summary: Federal Emergency Management Agency

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From the Document: "FEMA can enhance equity by executing a methodical, multilayered, and systematic approach to analyzing intended and actual accessibility to and impacts for underserved and marginalized communities. Starting from the highest level of leadership, FEMA is integrating equity into its strategic plan, goals and priorities, programs and activities, and foundational documents and processes. These actions will help to achieve the following impacts: underserved communities will be able to access and leverage resources in ways that meet their needs, underserved communities will be routinely consulted in decisions about policy and program implementation, staff and partners will have the training and tools required to advance equity in their programs, resources will be directed to eliminate disparities in outcomes, and programs will be routinely evaluated and address disparities in outcomes."

United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

2022-04?
Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. General Services Administration

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From the Document: "GSA [U.S. General Services Administration] delivers mission-critical services and core products to federal agency customers and clients, which makes the agency uniquely positioned to have a multiplier effect across government in advancing equity and removing barriers for underserved communities. GSA will leverage its mission to contribute to closing the racial wealth gap by advancing equity through supplier diversity and increasing opportunities for overall contract dollars to be awarded to underserved and disadvantaged businesses. GSA's governmentwide technology services and solutions each serve millions of end-users annually. GSA is dedicated to actions that prioritize equitable user experience as a core design principle, mitigate algorithmic bias, improve digital accessibility, and thereby modernize the delivery of government services to the American people."

United States. General Services Administration

2022-04?
Despair and Resilience in the U.S.: Did the Covid Pandemic Worsen Mental Health Outcomes?

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From the Abstract: "The COVID [coronavirus disease] pandemic was an unprecedented shock to U.S. society at a time when the nation was already coping with a crisis of despair and related deaths from suicides, overdoses, and alcohol poisoning. COVID's impact was inequitable: Deaths were concentrated among the elderly and minorities working in essential jobs, groups who up to the pandemic had been reporting better mental health. Yet how the shock has affected society's well-being and mental health is not fully understood. Exploring the impact by comparing 2019 to 2020 as reflected in nationally representative data sets, we found a variety of contrasting stories. While data from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) show that depression and anxiety increased significantly, especially among young and low-income Americans in 2020, we found no such changes when analyzing alternative depression questions in the 2019-20 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Nevertheless, for the same period determinants of mental health were similar in the NHIS, BRFSS, and HPS data. We also explored whether the pandemic affected physical health and behaviors by examining Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data calls related to behavior, overdoses, suicide attempts, and gun violence. [...] Our results highlight two findings: (1) Scholars investigating mental and behavioral health trends must be cautious about relying too heavily on a single dataset; results generated from different data may differ considerably. (2) High metropolitan rates of depression and anxiety may be correlated with higher rates of suicide and overdose years later."

Brookings Institution. Global Economy and Development

Graham, Carol, 1962-; Dobson, Emily; Hua, Tim . . .

2022-04
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Cost Growth and Schedule Delays Continue, Report to Congressional Committees

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From the Highlights: "The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program remains DOD's most expensive weapon system program. It is estimated to cost over $1.7 trillion to buy, operate, and sustain. DOD is 4 years into a development effort to modernize the F-35 aircraft's capabilities. An important element to operating and maintaining the F-35 is a complex logistics system called ALIS [Autonomic Logistics Information System]. In 2020, DOD began an effort to improve ALIS after years of concerns regarding its performance. Congress included provisions in two statutes for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the F-35 program. This report (1) identifies the F-35's progress towards full-rate production, (2) addresses the program's progress and improvements towards developing, testing, and delivering modernization capabilities, and (3) describes DOD's plan for improving its logistics system."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2022-04
Traffic Safety: Implementing Leading Practices Could Improve Management of Mandated Rulemakings and Reports, Report to Congressional Requesters

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From the Highlights: "According to NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] estimates, 38,824 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 on U.S. roads and highways, with even more projected to have died in 2021. NHTSA is responsible for overseeing the safety of motor vehicles on U.S. roads. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine NHTSA's processes for developing statutorily required, or 'mandated,' rulemakings and reports. In this report, GAO examined: (1) the number of rulemakings and reports mandated by MAP-21 [Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act] and the FAST [Fixing America's Surface Transportation] Act that NHTSA completed, and factors that affected its completion of selected mandates; and (2) the extent to which NHTSA followed leading project schedule management practices when developing mandated rulemakings and reports, among other objectives."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2022-04
Economic Case for Federal Investment in COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Remains Strong

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From the Document: "Vaccines and therapeutics have greatly reduced rates of severe illness and death from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. On March 2, the Biden administration formally requested [hyperlink] an additional $22.5 billion in COVID-19 response funding, most of which would have supported additional investments in the development, manufacturing, and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. The Biden administration subsequently stated [hyperlink] that, without new funding, it would have to wind down most federal efforts related to the production and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. Congressional negotiations are ongoing and appear on track to produce a much smaller [hyperlink] package of funding, if any new funding is approved at all. [...] We argue that there is a strong economic case for continued federal investment in COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. In brief, the private sector on its own will invest too little because COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics generate enormous benefits for public health and the macroeconomy that private firms can only very partially capture. Preexisting uninsurance and underinsurance, especially among vulnerable populations, also hinder access to preventive measures and treatment. Direct federal investment in development, manufacturing, and procurement of vaccines and therapeutics--and in ensuring affordable access to these products--has been key to overcoming these challenges to date and will remain important in the future. Over the longer term, policymakers could consider assigning the health insurance system a larger role in paying for these activities, but doing so in a sensible way will take time and require legislative changes."

Brookings Institution; University of Southern California. Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics

Athey, Susan; Conti, Rena M.; Fiedler, Matthew . . .

2022-04-01
Evidence-Based Policy Making: USDA's Decision to Relocate Research Agencies to Kansas City Was Not Fully Consistent with an Evidence-Based Approach, Report to Congressional Requesters

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From the Highlights: "USDA [U.S Department of Agriculture] is made up of several agencies, including the research agencies, ERS [Economic Research Service] and NIFA. ERS reviews trends and emerging issues in food, agriculture, the environment, and rural America, while NIFA [National Institute of Food and Agriculture] administers federal funding through formula and competitive grants, among other things. In October 2019, USDA relocated most staff positions at ERS and NIFA from their headquarters in Washington, D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri. This decision was based on USDA's economic analysis. USDA stated the move would save taxpayers more than $300 million over 15 years compared to remaining in the Washington, D.C. region. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess the analysis USDA used to support its decision to relocate ERS and NIFA to the Kansas City region. This report reviewed how USDA made its relocation decision, the underlying analyses, and the use of evidence in its decision-making."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2022-04
Taking Stock After Two Years of Covid-19

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From the Executive Summary: "When it became known in early 2020 that Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] was becoming a global pandemic, it also became clear that governmental responses to the pandemic would have significant effects on democracy and human rights. At that time, International IDEA [Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance] (supported by the European Union) began a programme to track what governments did and how that affected democracy and human rights. Now, with two years of data from International IDEA's Global Monitor of Covid-19's Impact on Democracy and Human Rights (Global Monitor), we can take stock of what has happened, and in which areas the events align with or differ from our expectations about how a pandemic might affect these vital areas of public life. This report uses data from the Global Monitor to specifically examine the effects of the pandemic responses in six broad areas: (1) emergency legal responses and civil liberties, (2) freedom of movement, association, and assembly, (3) freedom of expression and media integrity, (4) privacy rights and contact tracing applications, (5) women's rights and minority rights, and (6) vaccination and fundamental rights. In each of the sections, the report describes the global trends in each of these areas, highlights cases that illustrate both positive and negative examples, and considers what the upcoming challenges will be."

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

Gibaja, Alberto Fernández; Hirakawa, Atsuko; Hudson, Alexander . . .

2022-04

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