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Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community
From the Foreword: "In the coming year, the United States and its allies will face a diverse array of threats that are playing out amidst the global disruption resulting from the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and against the backdrop of great power competition, the disruptive effects of ecological degradation and a changing climate, an increasing number of empowered non-state actors, and rapidly evolving technology. The complexity of the threats, their intersections, and the potential for cascading events in an increasingly interconnected and mobile world create new challenges for the IC [intelligence community]. Ecological and climate changes, for example, are connected to public health risks, humanitarian concerns, social and political instability, and geopolitical rivalry. The 2021 Annual Threat Assessment highlights some of those connections as it provides the IC's baseline assessments of the most pressing threats to US national interests, while emphasizing the United States' key adversaries and competitors. It is not an exhaustive assessment of all global challenges and notably excludes assessments of US adversaries' vulnerabilities. It accounts for functional concerns, such as weapons of mass destruction and technology, primarily in the sections on threat actors, such as China and Russia."
United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence
2021-04-09
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 14, April 8, 2021
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] National Emphasis Program focuses on protecting workers against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], impacts EMS [Emergency Medical Services] agencies"; "Resources for security awareness and mitigation against vehicle ramming attacks on soft targets and crowded places"; "DHS S&T [Science and Technology] partnership and grant funding support regional planners in pre-coordination, licensing, and distribution of 700 and 800 MHz [Megahertz] safety band"; "Webinar: 911 - Sticking together in the critical hours"; "FBI-CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Agency] joint advisory on exploitation of Fortinet FortiOS vulnerabilities"; "CISA gives agencies 90 days to further harden networks against Microsoft email threat"; "Ransomware crooks are targeting vulnerable VPN [virtual private network] devices in their attacks"; and "Meet Janeleiro, a new banking Trojan striking company, government targets."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-04-08
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National Emergency Powers [Updated April 8, 2021]
From the Summary: "The President of the United States has available certain powers that may be exercised in the event that the nation is threatened by crisis, exigency, or emergency circumstances (other than natural disasters, war, or near-war situations). Such powers may be stated explicitly or implied by the Constitution, assumed by the Chief Executive to be permissible constitutionally, or inferred from or specified by statute. Through legislation, Congress has made a great many delegations of authority in this regard over the past 230 years. There are, however, limits and restraints upon the President in his exercise of emergency powers. With the exception of the habeas corpus clause, the Constitution makes no allowance for the suspension of any of its provisions during a national emergency. Disputes over the constitutionality or legality of the exercise of emergency powers are judicially reviewable. Both the judiciary and Congress, as co-equal branches, can restrain the executive regarding emergency powers. So can public opinion. Since 1976, the President has been subject to certain procedural formalities in utilizing some statutorily delegated emergency authority. The National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. §§1601-1651) eliminated or modified some statutory grants of emergency authority, required the President to formally declare the existence of a national emergency and to specify what statutory authority activated by the declaration would be used, and provided Congress a means to countermand the President's declaration and the activated authority being sought. The development of this regulatory statute and subsequent declarations of national emergency are reviewed in this report."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Halchin, L. Elaine
2021-04-08
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Japan-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [Updated April 6, 2021]
From the Document: "Japan is a significant partner of the United States in a number of foreign policy areas, including addressing regional security concerns, which range from hedging against Chinese military modernization to countering threats from North Korea. The U.S.-Japan military alliance, formed in 1952, grants the U.S. military the right to base U.S. troops--currently around 54,000 strong-- and other military assets on Japanese territory, undergirding the 'forward deployment' of U.S. troops in East Asia. In return, the United States pledges to help defend Japan. The two countries collaborate through multiple bilateral and multilateral institutions on issues such as science and technology, global health, energy, and agriculture. [...] This report contains two main parts: a section describing recent events and a longer background section on key elements of the U.S.-Japan relationship."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Manyin, Mark E.; Williams, Brock R. . . .
2021-04-06
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 658, National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium Act of 2021
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on March 17, 2021. From the Document: "S. 658 would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate with a consortium of academic and nonprofit entities to help state and local governments prepare for and respond to cybersecurity risks."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-04-05
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Depot Maintenance: DOD Should Improve Pandemic Plans and Publish Working Capital Fund Policy, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Pandemics such as COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] can impact the productivity of critical DOD depots that maintain weapon systems if essential personnel are unable to report for work. Navy and Air Force WCFs [Working Capital Funds] must also maintain cash balances sufficient for the activities they support, including the eight depots operated by the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force, to sustain readiness. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess the effects of COVID-19 on WCF and depot operations as part of its CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act oversight. This report (1) describes how COVID-19 impacted Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force depot productivity; (2) examines the extent to which depot actions in response to COVID-19 addressed key practices to support the workforce, continue operations, and improve crisis response; and (3) examines the extent to which WCF cash management policy ensured financial solvency and reflected current guidance. GAO reviewed DOD guidance, depot revenue data for fiscal year 2020, and documents related to the impact of COVID-19 on productivity and WCF solvency; and interviewed depot and financial management officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-04
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Covid-19 and Climate Change: How to Apply the Lessons of the Pandemic to the Climate Emergency
From the Introduction: "The challenges posed by coronavirus and climate change are, of course, different in nature. Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] is health-related rather than environmental; Covid-19 is potentially acute and relatively short-term, while climate change is chronic and long-term. But there are also significant areas of commonality. Both are challenges with local, national and global implications, requiring local, national and global solutions. Both require urgency of action because of the scale and pace of the problem. And both are susceptible to exponential escalation. [...] This paper sets out the key lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic - and how we can apply them to tackling climate change: 1. Act quickly. 2. Tackle the problem - or face new and more difficult challenges. 3. Economic success depends on positive health and environmental outcomes. 4. Failure anywhere is failure everywhere. 5. Build a strategy with sustained political leadership and commitment. 6. Mitigate and adapt at the same time. 7. Gather and use the right data. 8. Markets and technology will provide solutions if government sets the right framework. 9. Success depends on the right skills and supply chains. 10. Build and retain public trust and understanding."
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change
Lord, Tim
2021-04
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Climate Change Adaptation: Department of Commerce [April 1, 2021]
From the Document: "Climate change affects the mission and programs of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and its agencies, and these effects are likely to continue. Congress authorizes and funds DOC's missions and programs, which are wide-ranging, with relevance to trade enforcement, economic development, innovation support, entrepreneurship and business development, standard setting, environmental monitoring, weather forecasting, marine resources management, and statistical research and analysis Given the diversity of DOC's responsibilities, how climate change may affect DOC and its activities varies. [...] This report provides an overview of selected DOC statutory authorities, executive orders, and departmental and agency guidance related to climate change adaptation activities. Each section contains a brief background of the department or agency and an overview of its climate change adaptation activities. The report also presents information on DOC spending on climate change adaptation where available. The last section of the report discusses potential issues for Congress to consider related to climate change adaptation activities and spending. This report is not intended to be a comprehensive review of DOC's climate change activities--the information should be considered illustrative rather than exhaustive."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lipiec, Eva
2021-04-01
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Military Readiness: Department of Defense Domain Readiness Varied from Fiscal Year 2017 Through Fiscal Year 2019, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Nearly 2 decades of conflict has degraded military readiness at a time when the 'National Defense Strategy' calls for preparedness for great-power competition. The strategy states that DOD should be ready to operate in all warfighting domains--ground, sea, air, space, and cyber. To assess readiness over time, the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 included a provision that GAO [Government Accountability Office] report annually through 2022--using 2017 as a baseline--on the readiness of the military in the ground, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. This report describes (1) the extent to which DOD has established a plan with goals and metrics for readiness recovery and (2) how readiness has changed from fiscal year 2017 through fiscal year 2019 in each domain. This report is a public version of information reported in classified reports that GAO issued from August 2018 through January 2020, with information GAO has updated as appropriate and the most current data available for underlying reports on which this report is based. Information DOD deemed classified has been omitted. GAO reviewed readiness recovery plans and, in consultation with DOD, selected nongeneralizable samples of forces for each domain. GAO grouped the forces into mission areas and analyzed readiness data."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-04
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Drug Pricing and Intellectual Property: The Legislative Landscape for the 117th Congress [March 31, 2021]
From the Summary: "Intellectual property (IP) rights play an important role in the development and pricing of pharmaceuticals, such as prescription drugs and biological products (biologics). To provide incentives for research and development (R&D), IP law grants innovators exclusive rights that may prevent others from making generic or biosimilar versions of a drug or biologic, enabling makers of brand-name pharmaceuticals to charge higher prices in some circumstances. In the pharmaceutical context, such higher-than-competitive prices are intended to allow pharmaceutical manufacturers an opportunity to recoup substantial R&D costs, including clinical trials and other tests necessary to obtain regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although many factors other than IP rights contribute to the cost of prescription drugs and biologics, pharmaceutical products are frequently protected by IP rights, and IP rights are often among the most important factors driving high drug prices. [...] [T]his report summarizes legislative proposals introduced in the 116th Congress that concern drug pricing and relate to patent and regulatory exclusivity rights in drugs and biologics. Among other things, this report classifies bills by legislative status and type, and analyzes and compares bills addressing similar subject matter."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hickey, Kevin J.; Richards, Kevin T.; Ward, Erin H.
2021-03-31
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COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options [Updated March 31, 2021]
From the Summary: "The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including direct disaster loan programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters; loan guaranty and venture capital programs; management and technical assistance training programs; and contracting programs.Congressional interest in these programs has become especially acute in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's widespread adverse economic impact on the national economy. This report provides a brief description of the SBA's programs and examines congressional action to assist small businesses during and immediately following the Great Recession (2007- 2009) and during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lindsay, Bruce R.; Lowry, Sean
2021-03-31
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Violations of Detention Standards Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak at La Palma Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ
From the Highlights: "Treatment and care of detainees at facilities can be challenging and vary greatly. In accordance with the 'Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019,' we conduct annual unannounced inspections of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities to ensure compliance with detention standards. Between August and November 2020, we conducted a remote inspection of the La Palma Correctional Center (LPCC) to evaluate compliance with ICE detention standards and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] requirements."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2021-03-30
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Interim National Security Strategic Guidance [March 29, 2021]
From the Document: "On March 3, 2021, the White House released an Interim National Security Strategic Guidance (INSSG). This is the first time an administration has issued interim guidance; previous administrations refrained from issuing formal guidance that articulated strategic intent until producing the congressionally mandated National Security Strategy (NSS) (originating in the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 P.L. [public law] 99-433, §603/50 U.S.C §3043). The full NSS is likely to be released later in 2021 or early 2022. The INSSG states the Biden Administration's conceptual approach to national security matters as well as signaling its key priorities, particularly as executive branch departments and agencies prepare their Fiscal Year(FY) 2022 budget submissions. With respect to the latter, FY2022 will be the first budget prepared after the expiration of the budget caps required under the Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011. Details regarding how the Administration's conceptual approach will be implemented across different regions and functional issues are likely to be expressed in the full NSS."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McInnis, Kathleen J.
2021-03-29
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Domestic Funding for COVID-19 Vaccines: An Overview [Updated March 29, 2021]
From the Document: "To date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized for emergency use [hyperlink] three Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines; additional vaccines [hyperlink] may become available within months. Federal efforts to develop, manufacture, regulate, purchase, and distribute vaccines have involved a number of agencies. Under the Trump Administration, such efforts were largely organized under Operation Warp Speed [hyperlink] (OWS) led by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD). Coordinated interagency efforts continue under the Biden Administration. Many aspects of federal domestic vaccine efforts have thus far been funded by appropriations in COVID-19 relief acts, especially funding to U.S. Public Health Service [hyperlink] (PHS) agencies and accounts. The following provides an overview of appropriations for selected domestic COVID-19 vaccine related activities. (With the exception of the mandatory funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), all funding amounts discussed below are classified as discretionary [hyperlink].) The following is meant to inform a general understanding of available funding, but may not capture every federal account that can be used for vaccine-related activities. In general, many of the HHS appropriations are available for multiple years or until expended, and some of the funding is transferrable [hyperlink] between accounts by the HHS Secretary."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sekar, Kavya
2021-03-29
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 26, 2021
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: "Tuberculosis -- United States, 2020"; "Declines in Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine-Type Infection Among Females after Introduction of Vaccine -- United States, 2003-2018"; "Rapid Scale-up of an Antiretroviral Therapy Program Before and During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic -- Nine States, Nigeria, March 31, 2019-September 30, 2020"; "Epidemiology of Tuberculosis and Progress Toward Meeting Global Targets -- Worldwide, 2019"; "County-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Social Vulnerability -- United States, December 14, 2020-March 1, 2021"; "COVID-19 in Primary and Secondary School Settings During the First Semester of School Reopening -- Florida, August-December 2020"; "Low SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Transmission in Elementary Schools -- Salt Lake County, Utah, December 3, 2020-January 31, 2021"; "Pilot Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Secondary Transmission in Kindergarten Through Grade 12 Schools Implementing Mitigation Strategies -- St. Louis County and City of Springfield, Missouri, December 2020"; and "'QuickStats': Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Influenza and Pneumonia, by Urbanization Level and Sex -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019." Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-03-26
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Global COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution [March 26, 2021]
From the Background: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has led to severe health and economic consequences across the globe, as governments work to contain the spread of the virus and its variants. Officials have instituted a range of physical lockdowns and quarantine measures. In late 2020, researchers identified several new COVID-19 variants, which present challenges to pandemic control. For example, parts of Brazil, South Africa, and the United Kingdom are experiencing surges in COVID-19 cases believed to be caused in part by variants that have emerged in those countries. Vaccines and other countermeasures are playing a growing role in COVID-19 control. Researchers continue to study the safety and effectiveness of various COVID-19 vaccine candidates. Congress has appropriated approximately $15 billion through supplemental appropriations (P.L. 116-123, P.L. 116-136, P.L. 116-260, and P.L. 117-2) for a range of global COVID-19 responses. Congress authorized the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to use $4 billion of those funds in support of multilateral COVID19 vaccine efforts. Actions by the Biden Administration to deepen U.S. multilateral engagement, such as joining the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX), may lead to additional U.S. government support for global COVID-19 control."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Tharakan, Sara M.; Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
2021-03-26
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 12, March 25, 2021
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center's (EMR-ISAC) InfoGram is a weekly publication of information concerning the protection of critical infrastructures relevant to members of the Emergency Services Sector. This issue includes the following articles: "CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] releases Insight on COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine hesitancy within the critical infrastructure workforce"; "FDA warns the public not to use Ivermectin to treat COVID-19, in response to reports of multiple poisonings"; "NIC [National Integration Center] publishes final updates to 18 public works resource type positions and teams"; "Virtual training on Mass Fatalities Planning and Response from the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium"; "FBI releases the Internet Crime Complaint Center 2020 Internet Crime Report, including COVID-19 scam statistics"; "Five months after takedown attempt, CISA and FBI warn of ongoing TrickBot attacks"; "Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks"; and "How one company was hit by ransomware, but refused to pay up."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-03-25
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Financial Audit: FY 2020 and FY 2019 Consolidated Financial Statements of the U.S. Government
From the Document: "This report transmits the results of GAO's [U.S. Government Accountability Office's] audit of the U.S. government's fiscal years 2020 and 2019 consolidated financial statements. GAO's audit report is incorporated on page 226 in the enclosed 'Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Report of the United States Government (2020 Financial Report)' prepared by the Secretary of the Treasury in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). To operate as effectively and efficiently as possible, Congress, the administration, and federal managers must have ready access to reliable and complete financial and performance information--both for individual federal entities and for the federal government as a whole. Our report on the U.S. government's consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2020 and 2019 discusses progress that has been made but also underscores that much work remains to improve federal financial management and that the federal government continues to face an unsustainable long-term fiscal path. The federal government took unprecedented actions in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to protect public health and reduce economic impacts on individuals and businesses in fiscal year 2020. These efforts are reflected in the assets, liabilities, net cost, and the budget deficit reported in the U.S. government's consolidated financial statements for fiscal year 2020."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-25
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Expected Warning Times from the ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System for Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest
From the Abstract: "The ShakeAlert® earthquake early warning system has been live since October 2019 for the testing of public alerting to mobile devices in California and will soon begin testing this modality in Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Northwest presents new challenges and opportunities for ShakeAlert owing to the different types of earthquakes that occur in the Cascadia subduction zone. Many locations in the Pacific Northwest are expected to experience shaking from shallow crustal earthquakes (similar to those in California), earthquakes that occur deep within the subducted slab, and large megathrust earthquakes that occur primarily offshore. The different geometries and maximum magnitudes associated with these types of earthquakes lead to a range of warning times that are possible between when the initial ShakeAlert Message is issued and when a user experiences strong shaking. After an earthquake begins, the strategy of the ShakeAlert system for public alerting is to warn people who are located close enough to the fault that the system estimates they will experience at least weak to moderate shaking. By alerting the public at these low levels of expected shaking, it is possible to provide sufficient warning times for some users to take protective actions before strong shaking begins. In this study, we present an analysis of past ShakeAlert Messages as well as simulations of historical earthquakes and potential future Cascadia earthquakes to quantify the range of warning times that users who experience strong or worse shaking are likely to receive."
Geological Survey (U.S.); United States. Department of the Interior
McGuire, Jeffrey J.; Smith, Deborah E.; Frankel, Arthur D. . . .
2021-03-24
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Compensation Programs for Potential COVID-19 Vaccine Injuries [March 22, 2021]
From the Document: "Following the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) emergency authorization of the Pfizer/BioNTech [hyperlink], Moderna [hyperlink], and Janssen Biotech/Johnson & Johnson [hyperlink] vaccines against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], millions of Americans [hyperlink] have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine regimen. Based on months-long clinical trials (including safety monitoring) of each vaccine candidate involving tens of thousands of participants, FDA did not [hyperlink] identify any [hyperlink] safety concerns for these vaccines that would preclude FDA emergency use authorization. As with most vaccines, however, a very small percentage of inoculated individuals experienced adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccine. Anecdotal reports [hyperlink] from early in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign include several cases of anaphylaxis--a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction--following vaccination. [...] Federal law has two distinct vaccination compensation regimes that may compensate individuals harmed by adverse reactions. In general, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program [hyperlink] (VICP) may provide compensation for injuries or deaths associated with most vaccines [hyperlink] routinely administered in the United States (such as pediatric and seasonal influenza vaccines). During certain public health emergencies, the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program [hyperlink] (CICP) may provide compensation for injuries and deaths resulting from the administration of 'covered countermeasures' under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act [hyperlink] (PREP Act), which may include vaccines."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hickey, Kevin J.; Ward, Erin H.
2021-03-22
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Stafford Act Assistance for Public Health Incidents [Updated March 22, 2021]
From the Document: "This Insight provides a brief overview of presidential declarations under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (hereinafter the Stafford Act--42 U.S.C. §5121 et seq.) in response to public health incidents. It also provides examples of previously issued Stafford Act declarations that address public health hazards, including the unprecedented declarations for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lee, Erica A.; Lindsay, Bruce R.
2021-03-22
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 19, 2021
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: "Association of Children's Mode of School Instruction with Child and Parent Experiences and Well-Being During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic -- COVID Experiences Survey, United States, October 8-November 13, 2020"; "Minimal SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Transmission After Implementation of a Comprehensive Mitigation Strategy at a School -- New Jersey, August 20-November 27, 2020"; "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Incidence by Age, Sex, and Period Among Persons Aged
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-03-19
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MMWR Surveillance Summaries: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 19, 2021: Malaria Surveillance -- United States, 2017
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 Surveillance Summaries issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Malaria Surveillance -- United States, 2017." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-03-19
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PREP Act and COVID-19: Limiting Liability for Medical Countermeasures [Updated March 19, 2021]
From the Document: "To encourage the expeditious development and deployment of medical countermeasures during a public health emergency, the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act [hyperlink]) authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to limit legal liability for losses relating to the administration of medical countermeasures such as diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. In a declaration effective February 4, 2020 (the HHS Declaration [hyperlink]), the Secretary of HHS (the Secretary) invoked the PREP Act and declared Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) to be a public health emergency warranting liability protections for covered countermeasures. [...] Federal laws such as the PREP Act may preempt [hyperlink] state tort laws--as well as other state and federal laws-- in certain contexts. Preemptive federal legislation displaces [hyperlink] state law to alter the usual liability rules or immunize certain individuals from liability. In the PREP Act, Congress made the judgment that, in the context of a public health emergency, immunizing certain persons and entities from liability was necessary [hyperlink] to ensure that potentially life-saving countermeasures will be efficiently developed, deployed, and administered. This Sidebar reviews the structure of the PREP Act and the HHS Declaration to explain the scope of this liability immunity as it applies to COVID-19 countermeasures."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hickey, Kevin J.
2021-03-19
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Electricity Grid Cybersecurity: DOE Needs to Ensure Its Plans Fully Address Risks to Distribution Systems, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Protecting the reliability of the U.S. electricity grid, which delivers electricity essential for modern life, is a long-standing national interest. The grid comprises three functions: generation, transmission, and distribution. In August 2019, GAO [U. S. Government Accountability Office] reported that the generation and transmission systems--which are federally regulated for reliability--are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. GAO was asked to review grid distribution systems' cybersecurity. This report (1) describes the extent to which grid distribution systems are at risk from cyberattacks and the scale of potential impacts from such attacks, (2) describes selected state and industry actions to improve distribution systems' cybersecurity and federal efforts to support those actions, and (3) examines the extent to which DOE [U.S. Department of Energy] has addressed risks to distribution systems in its plans for implementing the national cybersecurity strategy. To do so, GAO reviewed relevant federal and industry reports on grid cybersecurity risks and analyzed relevant DOE documents. GAO also interviewed a nongeneralizable sample of federal, state, and industry officials with a role in grid distribution systems' cybersecurity. GAO recommends that DOE more fully address risks to the grid's distribution systems from cyberattacks--including their potential impact--in its plans to implement the national cybersecurity strategy. DOE agreed with GAO's recommendation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-03-18
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Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: FY2021 Budget and Appropriations [Updated March 18, 2021]
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 February 10, 2020, the Trump Administration submitted to Congress its SFOPS budget proposal for FY2021, totaling $44.12 billion (including $158.90 million in mandatory State Department retirement funds). None of the requested SFOPS funds were designated as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds. The Administration's FY2021 request was about 3% higher than its FY2020 request for SFOPS accounts but nearly 24% below the FY2020 SFOPS funding level enacted by Congress (including COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] supplemental funds, which were enacted after the FY2021 request was submitted)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gill, Cory R.; Lawson, Marian Leonardo; Morgenstern, Emily M.
2021-03-18
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FEMA Advisory: FEMA COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Update [March 17, 2021]
From the Key Messages: "[1] As of March 16, FEMA has provided more than $4.38 billion to 40 states, Washington D.C., four tribes and five territories for expenses related to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccination at 100% federal cost share. These funds cover critical supplies, staffing, training and transportation needs that support increased vaccination efforts. [2] FEMA is working to speed up vaccinations by supporting states as they open community vaccine centers across the country, and working with its interagency partners continue to stand-up and provide support to additional sites daily. Each state determines its own vaccination priority groups and procedures. Community vaccination centers are led by states, but may be supported by the federal government, including FEMA. [3] FEMA and its partners have established Mobile Vaccination Centers, including pop-up locations, to bring vaccines closer to the communities and people that need them. The mobile vaccination capability is another way FEMA is supporting communities and getting vaccine services to hard-to-reach and high-risk populations who cannot access services from larger, fixed sites."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-03-17
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated March 17, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Some observers argue the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could be a world-changing event with potentially profound and long-lasting implications for the international security environment and the U.S. role in the world. Other observers are more skeptical that the pandemic will have such effects. This report provides a brief overview of some potential implications the pandemic might have for the international security environment, and a bibliography of CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports and other writings for further reading. [...] Appendix A [hyperlink] presents a list of CRS reports that provide more in-depth discussions of issues presented in this report. Appendix B [hyperlink] presents a list of additional writings reflecting various perspectives on these issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; McInnis, Kathleen J.; Moodie, Michael, 1948-
2021-03-17
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COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: HHS Has Taken Steps in Response to Pandemic, but Several GAO Recommendations Have Not Been Implemented, Statement of John E. Dicken, Director, Health Care, Testimony Before the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on the 1.4 million elderly or disabled residents in the nation's more than 15,000 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes, who are often in frail health and living in close proximity to one another. HHS [Department of Health and Human Services], primarily through CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], has led the pandemic response in nursing homes. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct monitoring and oversight of the federal government's efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. GAO has examined the government's response to COVID-19 in nursing homes through its CARES Act reporting (GAO-21-265 [hyperlink], GAO-21-191 [hyperlink], GAO-20-701 [hyperlink], and GAO-20-625 [hyperlink]). This testimony will summarize the findings from these reports. Specifically, it describes COVID-19 trends in nursing homes and their experiences responding to the pandemic, and HHS's response to the pandemic in nursing homes."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Dicken, John E.
2021-03-17
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 17, 2021: County-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Social Vulnerability -- United States, December 14, 2020-March 1, 2021
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: "County-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Social Vulnerability -- United States, December 14, 2020-March 1, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-03-17
