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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 22, 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: "HIV Infection and HIV-Associated Behaviors Among Persons Who Inject Drugs -- 23 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, United States, 2018"; "Self-Management Education Class Attendance and Health Care Provider Counseling for Physical Activity Among Adults with Arthritis -- United States, 2019"; "'Mycobacterium porcinum' Skin and Soft Tissue Infections After Vaccinations -- Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, September 2018-February 2019"; "Temporal Trends in Dietary Sodium Intake Among Adults Aged ≥19 Years -- United States, 2003-2016"; "Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] Vaccination Against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Hospitalization Among Persons Aged 12-18 Years -- United States, June-September 2021"; "Notes from the Field: Pediatric HIV Outbreak in Ratodero, Pakistan -- April 2019-April 2020"; and "QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Rates of Firearm-Related Homicide, by Race, Hispanic Origin, and Sex -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-22
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DHS Strategic Framework for Addressing Climate Change
From the Executive Summary: "The impacts of climate change pose both an acute and a systemic threat to the safety, security, and prosperity of the United States. This human-induced warming has already led to changes in the environment, such as rising ocean temperatures, shrinking sea ice, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. As our climate continues to warm, the Nation will experience even more extreme climate change related disasters, such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires, coastal storms, and inland flooding. These hazards often disproportionately affect the Nation's most vulnerable communities. As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to support and coordinate across the homeland security enterprise to address impacts of climate change, the Department will also model best practices to mitigate our own carbon footprint and build resilient capacity to adapt to a rapidly changing environment. This Framework provides the overarching goals, principles, and lines of effort for the Department to counter the effects of climate change on the homeland and join in the global effort to mitigate climate change."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2021-10-21
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Federal Reserve Lending Programs: Credit Markets Served by the Programs Have Stabilized, but Vulnerabilities Remain, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "On July 30, 2021, the last of the 13 Federal Reserve lending facilities stopped purchasing assets or extending credit. However, some of these facilities, including facilities that were supported through Department of the Treasury funding appropriated under section 4003(b)(4) of the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act, continue to hold outstanding assets and loans. The Federal Reserve will continue to monitor and manage the facilities until these assets and loans are no longer outstanding. The CARES Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to periodically report on section 4003 loans, loan guarantees, and investments. This report examines the Federal Reserve's continued oversight and monitoring of the CARES Act facilities; what available evidence suggests about the facilities' effects on corporate credit markets, states and municipalities, and small businesses; and the characteristics of Main Street Lending Program participants, among other things. GAO reviewed applicable laws and agency and Federal Reserve Bank documentation; analyzed agency and other data on the facilities and credit markets; interviewed Federal Reserve and Treasury officials and representatives of state and local governments; and conducted a generalizable survey of for-profit Main Street borrowers. [...] The Federal Reserve oversight reviews completed in December 2020 identified opportunities to enhance certain areas, including internal process and controls. These reviews also identified areas for continued monitoring, such as cybersecurity and conflicts of interest. GAO found that Federal Reserve's plans for ongoing monitoring of the facilities align with federal internal control standards for ongoing monitoring of an entity's internal control system."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10-19
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Information Technology: Cost and Schedule Performance of Selected IRS Investments, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "IRS [Internal Revenue Service] relies extensively on IT [Information Technology] investments to annually collect more than $3.5 trillion in taxes, distribute more than $450 billion in refunds, and carry out its mission of providing service to America's taxpayers in meeting their tax obligations. For fiscal year 2020, the agency reported spending approximately $2.8 billion for these investments. The Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2020 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to annually review the status of IRS's IT investments. GAO's specific objectives were to (1) summarize IRS's reported performance for selected IT investments, including CADE [Customer Account Data Engine] 2; (2) identify IRS's reported progress in implementing its 2019 IT modernization plan; and (3) identify the IT-related actions IRS has taken to maximize telework and operate during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, and any impacts of those actions. GAO obtained IRS's reported performance information for a nonprobability sample of five investments, and compared performance to agency targets. GAO also compared modernization activities that IRS reported completing to those identified in the agency's 2019 IT modernization plan. Further, GAO reviewed agency documentation to identify reported IT actions taken to continue to operate during the pandemic and reported associated impacts. GAO also interviewed cognizant IRS officials."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10-19
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Roadmap to Build a Climate-Resilient Economy
From the Foreword: "The scientific evidence on climate change has grown increasingly stark. Continued warming will further destabilize our climate and produce more frequent and intense storms, wildfires, and heatwaves as well as more damaging droughts and more extensive ecosystem losses. In August 2021, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its latest report in which 234 of the world's leading scientists, citing over 14,000 different studies, concluded with high confidence that the climate crisis is a 'code red for humanity.' [...] This report lays out a strategy to advance a whole-of-government effort that safeguards workers and families from financial loss and positions the United States for success in the fight against climate change. It includes a roadmap for a long-term effort to build climate resilience throughout the U.S. economy and drive better long-term investment outcomes for ordinary Americans. Specifically, this report pushes forward on a broader economic strategy that invests in the country's physical and human infrastructure, reimagines public procurement policy as a tool to strategically shape markets and spread innovation, embeds resilience within supply chains critical to the clean energy transition, leverages the full talent and creativity of all Americans by elevating equity as a top priority in all policy decision-making, and restores the United States' relationship with key allies internationally, finding common ground to meet the global goals of the Paris Agreement."
United States. White House Office
2021-10-14
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 41, October 14, 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: "Getting ready for Crash Responder Safety Week on Nov. 8-14, webinar Oct. 20"; "DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] seizes record numbers of fake prescription pills, launches One Pill Can Kill campaign"; "DOT [Department of Transportation] awards nearly $100 million for pipeline and hazardous materials safety programs"; "Webinars: NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] and CISA Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] on emergency communications cybersecurity, Oct. 21 and Oct. 26"; "
NSA [National Security Agency] releases guidance on avoiding the dangers of wildcard TLS [Transport Layer Security] Certificates and ALPACA [Allowing Cross-Protocol Attacks] techniques"; "In-person, remote, and hybrid! Oh my! Securing your new reality with TIC [Trusted Internet Connections] 3.0"; "Arizona opens new cybersecurity operations center"; "Unpatched Dahua cams vulnerable to unauthenticated remote access"; "HC3 [Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center] warns health sector against LockBit ransomware variant".
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-10-14
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CBO Presentation: CBO's Budget and Economic Analysis During the Pandemic
This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) presentation provides information on the following: "Budgetary Effects of Laws Enacted in Response to the 2020-2021 Coronavirus Pandemic, March and April 2020"; "Budgetary Effects of Major Laws Enacted in Response to the 2020-2021 Coronavirus Pandemic, December 2020 and March 2021"; "Health Analysis"; and "Macroeconomic Analysis."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
Swagel, Phillip
2021-10-13
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H. Rept. 117-142: Small Business Advanced Cybersecurity Enhancements Act of 2021, Report to Accompany H.R. 4513, October 12, 2021
From the Document: "The purpose of H.R. 4513, the 'Small Business Advanced Cybersecurity Enhancements Act', is to amend the Small Business Act to provide for the establishment of enhanced cybersecurity assistance and protections for small businesses. [...] As Small Business Administration (SBA) Resource Partners, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) promote the economic growth of small firms, generating business revenue, job creation and job retention, as well as advancing local and regional economies. SBDCs deliver management and technical assistance to small businesses through an extensive business education network comprised of 62 lead centers managing nearly 1,000 outreach locations throughout the country. They deliver professional business advice and training focused on strategic planning, business development, financial planning, and cash flow management to hundreds of thousands of business clients annually. As more small businesses adopt digital tools, they become more vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. These incidents can have major consequences, but small businesses may not have the resources to mitigate cybersecurity risks. Small businesses may not have designated information technology (IT) staff and lack in-house technical knowledge to manage adequate protection measures. In the event of a cyberattack, small businesses may face loss of income and customers as well as regulatory fines and penalties, and damage to credit. Because small businesses are often part of the supply chain for large companies and government procurement systems, a breach could have significant impact on the larger economy."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021-10-12
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H. Rept. 117-143: Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2021, Report to Accompany H.R. 4515, October 12, 2021
From the Purpose and Bill Summary: "The purpose of H.R. 4515, the 'Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act', is to amend the Small Business Act to help Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) become better trained to assist small businesses with their cybersecurity and cybersecurity strategy needs. Specifically, the bill would establish a cybersecurity counseling certification program in lead SBDCs to better assist small businesses with planning and implementing cybersecurity measures to defend against cybersecurity attacks. The Small Business Administration (SBA) would be authorized to reimburse SBDCs for employee certification costs up to $350,000 per fiscal year."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021-10-12
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Chemical Security Analysis Center Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Annual Report
From the Document: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) is the Nation's only federal studies, analysis, and knowledge management center for assessing the threat and hazard associated with an accidental or intentional large-scale chemical event or chemical terrorism event in the United States. CSAC's mission is to assess and address chemical threats to the homeland. CSAC accomplishes its mission by: [1] Collecting, consolidating, curating, storing, and sharing chemical data; [2] Generating meaningful assessments, recommendations, and forecasts based on vetted data; [and] [3] identifying, prioritizing, and addressing data gaps through high quality chemical research, development, test, and evaluation[.]" This document includes an overview of CSAC as well as program accomplishments and expanded core technical resources for the 2020 fiscal year.
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2021-10-08?
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Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress [Updated October 7, 2021]
From the Introduction: "This report provides a brief overview of implications for U.S. defense of great power competition with China and Russia. The issue for Congress is how U.S. defense planning should respond to renewed great power competition, and whether to approve, reject, or modify the Biden Administration's proposed defense funding levels, strategy, plans, and programs for addressing renewed great power competition. Congress's decisions on these issues could have significant implications for U.S. defense capabilities and funding requirements. This report focuses on defense-related issues and does not discuss potential implications of renewed great power competition for other policy areas, such as foreign policy and diplomacy, trade and finance, energy, and foreign assistance"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2021-10-07
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China Naval Modernization: Implications for U.S. Navy Capabilities--Background and Issues for Congress [Updated October 7, 2021]
From the Introduction: "This report provides background information and issues for Congress on China's naval modernization effort and its implications for U.S. Navy capabilities. In an era of renewed great power competition, China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort, has become the top focus of U.S. defense planning and budgeting. The issue for Congress for this CRS [Congressional Research Service] report is whether the U.S. Navy is responding appropriately to China's naval modernization effort. Decisions that Congress reaches on this issue could affect U.S. and allied security, Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the defense industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2021-10-07
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 40, October 7, 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: "NVFC [National Volunteer Fire Council] and IAFC [International Association of Fire Chiefs] release update to Lavender Ribbon Report on 11 best practices to prevent firefighter cancer"; "DHS S&T [Science and Technology Directorate] field tests FirstNet push-to-talk app for communications interoperability among DHS components and first responders"; "FEMA releases major update to Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101, final webinar on Oct. 13"; "REMINDER: Deadline to request FEMA Exercise Support is Nov. 1"; "Blockchain technology could provide secure communications for robot teams"; "Coinbase says hackers stole cryptocurrency from at least 6,000 customers;" "DHS issues roadmap to help organizations prepare for quantum computing threat"; "Conti gang threatens to dump victim data if ransom negotiations leak to reporters"; and "GAO [Government Accountability Office] flags six agencies on telework security measures."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-10-07
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Ransomware and Federal Law: Cybercrime and Cybersecurity [October 5, 2021]
From the Introduction: "This report explores legal issues implicated by two potential approaches to combatting ransomware. First, the report summarizes the potential for criminal prosecution under federal statutes such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the Economic Espionage Act (EEA). This section of the report also discusses legal issues facing ransomware victims--in particular, whether victims risk legal liability by making ransomware payments. Second, the report summarizes federal laws governing public and private sector cybersecurity, including preparedness and incident response. This report does not cover technological and policy considerations involving ransomware, as these topics may be found in other CRS [Congressional Research Service] products."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Berris, Peter G.; Gaffney, Jonathan M.
2021-10-05
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated October 5, 2021]
From the Summary: "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. Other observers are more skeptical that the pandemic will have such effects. In reports issued in March and April 2021, the U.S. intelligence community provided assessments of the potential impact of the pandemic on the international security environment. Observers who argue the pandemic could be world-changing for the international security environment have focused on several areas of potential change, including the following, which are listed here separately but overlap in some cases and can interact with one another: [1] world order, international institutions, and global governance; [2] U.S. global leadership and the U.S. role in the world; [3] China's potential role as a global leader; [4] U.S. relations and great power competition with China and Russia; [5] the relative prevalence of democratic and authoritarian or autocratic forms of government; [6] societal tension, reform, transformation, and governmental stability in various countries; [7] the world economy, globalization, and U.S. trade policy; [8] allied defense spending and U.S. alliances; [9] the cohesion of the European Union; [10] the definition of, and budgeting for, U.S. national security; [11] U.S. defense strategy, defense budgets, and military operations; [12] U.S. foreign assistance programs, international debt relief, and refugee policy; [13] activities of non-state actors; [14] the amount of U.S. attention devoted to ongoing international issues other than the pandemic; and [15] the role of Congress in setting and overseeing the execution of U.S. foreign and defense policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; McInnis, Kathleen J.
2021-10-05
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Global Economic Effects of COVID-19 [Updated October 4, 2021]
From the Summary: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] viral pandemic is an unprecedented global phenomenon that is also a highly personal experience with wide-ranging effects. On September 20, 2021, U.S. viral deaths surpassed the 675,446 total from the 1918 Spanish flu, the previous worst U.S. pandemic-related death total on record. The pandemic has disrupted lives across all countries and communities and negatively affected global economic growth in 2020 beyond anything experienced in nearly a century. Estimates indicate the virus reduced global economic growth in 2020 to an annualized rate of around -3.2%,with a recovery of 6.0% projected for 2021. Global trade is estimated to have fallen by 5.3% in 2020, but is projected to grow by 8.0% in 2021. According to a consensus of forecasts, the economic downturn in 2020 was not as negative as initially estimated, due in part to the fiscal and monetary policies governments adopted in 2020. In most countries, economic growth fell sharply in the second quarter of 2020, rebounded quickly in the third quarter, and has been mostly positive since. Although lessening, the total global economic effects continue to mount. [...] This report provides an overview of the global economic costs to date and the response by governments and international institutions to address these effects."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-; Nelson, Rebecca M.; Weiss, Martin A. . . .
2021-10-04
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 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 issue of MMWR contains the following: "Progress Toward Poliomyelitis Eradication -- Pakistan, January 2020-July 2021"; Disparities in COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination Status, Intent, and Perceived Access for Noninstitutionalized Adults, by Disability Status -- National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module, United States, May 30-June 26, 2021"; "Association Between K-12 School Mask Policies and School-Associated
COVID-19 Outbreaks -- Maricopa and Pima Counties, Arizona, July-August 2021"; "COVID-19-Related School Closures and Learning Modality Changes --United States, August 1-September 17, 2021"; "Pediatric COVID-19 Cases in Counties With and Without School Mask Requirements - United States, July 1-September 4, 2021"; "Safety Monitoring of an Additional Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine -- United States, August 12-September 19, 2021"; "Notes from the Field: Deaths Related to Hurricane Ida Reported by Media -- Nine States, August 29-September 9, 2021"; "Notes from the Field: E-Cigarette Use Among Middle and High School Students - National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2021"; and "QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Female Breast Cancer, by State --National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-10-01
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COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options [Updated October 1, 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."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lindsay, Bruce R.
2021-10-01
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National Strategic Computing Reserve: A Blueprint
From the Document: "This report outlines a Federal proposal for setting up a National Strategic Computing Reserve (NSCR) that can be called on in times of national crisis to rapidly activate a multisector advanced computing reserve infrastructure that can speed solutions, and it defines a blueprint for operational and coordination structures that will support an NSCR implementation. The formation of the NSCR suggested in this document is based on the U.S. experience in 2020 of initiating and operating the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] High Performance Computing Consortium and a public Request for Information on Potential Concepts and Approaches for an NSCR."
National Science and Technology Council (U.S.)
Parashar, Manish, 1967-; Friedlander, Amy, 1952-; Helland, Barbara . . .
2021-10
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Masks and Respirators for the 21st Century: Policy Changes Needed to Save Lives and Prevent Societal Disruption
From the Executive Summary: "Masks and respirators have played an essential role in the response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic for both healthcare workers and the public. However, the masks and respirators that both healthcare workers and the public have needed to rely upon leave much to be desired. [...] In this report, we provide an overview of the history and types of masks and respirators that exist and consider the development, manufacture, approval, and stockpiling of better respiratory protection for healthcare workers, the nonhealthcare workforce, and the public in the United States. We address issues related to acceptance and willingness to wear face coverings, masks, or respirators. We discuss ways to foster ingenuity in designs of new devices, promote advanced development, obtain regulatory approval, and stockpile a reasonable number of devices."
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Center for Health Security
Toner, Eric (Eric S.); Veenema, Tener Goodwin; Adalja, Amesh A. . . .
2021-10
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Adaptation Action Plan [October 2021]
From the Introduction: "Climate change poses a real and present danger to communities all across the country. Its impacts are already being felt. President Biden's Executive Order 14008, 'Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,' requires federal agencies to develop Climate Action Plans that describe their agency's climate vulnerabilities and the steps it will take to bolster adaptation and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. This 2021 EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] Climate Adaptation Action Plan ('Plan') builds on a strong foundation. The agency released its first Climate Change Adaptation Plan in June 2014, followed by 17 Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plans prepared by its National Environmental Program Offices, National Support Offices, and 10 Regional Offices. The 2021 Plan accelerates action and focuses agency attention on priority actions it will take to fulfill our mission and increase human and ecosystem resilience even as the climate changes. This Plan will be followed by updates to the 17 'Implementation Plans' produced in 2014. Every office will report on its progress since 2014 and identify future actions to address the agency-wide priorities identified in this Plan. EPA offices will engage with states, tribes, territories, local communities, and other stakeholders when updating their plans."
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
2021-10
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Report on the Impact of Climate Change on Migration
From the Introduction: "The climate crisis is reshaping our world, as the Earth's climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization. Defined by changes in average weather conditions that persist over multiple decades or longer, climate change includes changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, the frequency and severity of certain weather events, and other features of the climate system. When combined with physical, social, economic, and/or environmental vulnerabilities, climate change can undermine food, water, and economic security. Secondary effects of climate change can include displacement, loss of livelihoods, weakened governments, and in some cases political instability and conflict. In recognition of this, on February 9, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order (E.O.) 14013, 'Rebuilding and Enhancing Programs to Resettle Refugees and Planning for the Impact of Climate Change on Migration,' in which he directed the National Security Advisor to prepare a report on climate change and its impact on migration. This report marks the first time the U.S. Government is officially reporting on the link between climate change and migration."
United States. White House Office
2021-10
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Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis
From the Executive Summary: "Climate change is reshaping the geostrategic, operational, and tactical environments with significant implications for U.S. national security and defense. Increasing temperatures; changing precipitation patterns; and more frequent, intense, and unpredictable extreme weather conditions caused by climate change are exacerbating existing risks and creating new security challenges for U.S. interests. The risks of climate change to Department of Defense (DoD) strategies, plans, capabilities, missions, and equipment, as well as those of U.S. allies and partners, are growing. Global efforts to address climate change - including actions to address the causes as well as the effects - will influence DoD strategic interests, relationships, competition, and priorities. To train, fight, and win in this increasingly complex environment, DoD will consider the effects of climate change at every level of the DoD enterprise."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Under Secretary for Policy
2021-10
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COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations on the Ongoing Recovery of the Aviation Industry, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "International flight restrictions, local stay-at-home orders, and a general fear of contracting and spreading COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] through air travel had a sudden and profound effect on the U.S. aviation industry. According to Department of Transportation (DOT) statistics, passenger traffic in April 2020 was 96 percent lower systemwide than April 2019, and remained 60 percent below 2019 traffic levels throughout 2020. This report examines (1) immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses across the aviation industry; (2) actions those businesses took in response; (3) actions the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] took to help the industry respond to the pandemic; and (4) the outlook for industry recovery, among other issues."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10
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Alternatives to Radioactive Materials: A National Strategy to Support Alternative Technologies May Reduce Risks of a Dirty Bomb, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Radioactive material, which is dangerous if mishandled, is found in many medical and industrial applications. In the hands of terrorists, it could be used to construct a radiological dispersal device, or dirty bomb, that uses conventional explosives to disperse the material. Replacing technologies that use dangerous radioactive materials with safer alternatives may help protect people and reduce potential socioeconomic costs from remediation and evacuation of affected residents. Senate Report 116-102 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review alternative technologies to applications that use radioactive materials. This report examines (1) the potential for adopting alternative technologies in the United States for the six most commonly used medical and industrial applications; (2) factors affecting adoption of alternative technologies; and (3) federal activities relating to alternative technologies in the United States."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10
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National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality
From the Document: "This strategy is the product of and roadmap for a whole-of-government effort to advance gender equity and equality. Responsibility for realizing its bold vision is not the task of a sole agency or White House office, but rather a responsibility that cuts across the work of the Biden-Harris Administration in both domestic and foreign affairs. In order to mainstream gender equity and equality across our domestic and foreign policy, we will elevate gender in strategic planning and budgeting, policy development, management and training, and monitoring and evaluation efforts. We will also strengthen data collection and analysis and take steps to ensure transparency and accountability for progress toward the goals laid out in this strategy. This work will be conducted in partnership with Congress, state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments, foreign governments and multi-lateral organizations, and non-governmental actors--including faith-based groups, civil society, and private sector organizations--who were also consulted in the development of the strategy and have an essential role in the work ahead."
United States. White House Office
2021-10?
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Assessing SARS-CoV-2 Circulation, Variants of Concern, Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions and Vaccine Rollout in the EU/EEA, 16th Update
From the Summary: "Since its emergence in March 2021, the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of concern (VOC) has rapidly become predominant across the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). More than 99% of newly reported cases are attributed to this variant. The Delta variant has demonstrated a significant transmission advantage relative to previously circulating SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] strains. However, full vaccination remains protective against severe outcomes such as hospitalisation, admission to intensive care and death. Currently available vaccines have played a crucial role in limiting viral circulation and in particular, limiting the impact of infections by the Delta variant. Despite the fact that over 565 million vaccine doses have been administered in the EU/EEA so far, only 61.1% (range: 18.4-79.4%) of the total population in the EU/EEA have been fully vaccinated to date. The total population includes children and adolescents for whom the vaccine is not available or who may not be included in national target groups yet. There is considerable inter-country and sub-national variation in vaccine uptake, resulting in large proportions of the EU/EEA population remaining susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Modelling scenarios that consider vaccination coverage, vaccine effectiveness, natural immunity and population contact rates--in the context of continued Delta circulation--indicate that the potential burden of disease risk in the EU/EEA from the Delta variant is high between now to the end of November, unless vaccination coverage can be increased rapidly in the total population in the next few weeks."
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
2021-09-30
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Redefining 'Waters of the United States' (WOTUS): Recent Developments [September 30, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Congress established the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, also known as the Clean Water Act (CWA), to restore and protect the quality of the nation's surface waters. The CWA protects 'navigable waters,' defined in the statute as 'waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.' The scope of this term--'waters of the United States,' or WOTUS--determines which waters are federally regulated and has been the subject of debate for decades. The CWA does not define the term. Thus, in implementing the CWA, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--the two agencies that administer the statute--have defined the term in regulations. For several decades, successive presidential administrations have struggled to interpret the term 'waters of the United States' for the purpose of implementing various requirements of the CWA, and courts have been asked repeatedly to review the regulations and policy expressing those interpretations. [...] Actions by the courts, the Biden Administration, and Congress all have the potential to continue to alter the scope of federal jurisdiction under the CWA. This report examines the actions taken by the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations to define 'waters of the United States,' along with related legislation and case law."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gatz, Laura; Bowers, Kate R.
2021-09-30
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COVID-19 Vaccination: Selected U.S. Data Sources [Updated September 30, 2021]
From the Document: "In the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine program, doses are first 'allocated' and made available to states and other jurisdictions for ordering. Once ordered, doses are 'delivered' (distributed) to appropriate state and jurisdictional sites. States then allocate and deliver doses to health departments, health care systems, pharmacies, and multi-county entities, which can further re-allocate to local clinical sites. Providers then 'administer' doses to patients and report administration data to jurisdictions and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. (See CDC's How COVID-19 Vaccines Get to You [hyperlink] and About COVID-19 Vaccine Delivered and Administration Data [hyperlink].) Federal health care programs (e.g., Veterans Health Administration) manage vaccine data through a similar process. Comirnaty (the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine) is approved [hyperlink] as a two-dose vaccine for ages 16+. Comirnaty is also authorized [hyperlink] for uses that fall outside the scope of its approval--that is, as a two-dose regimen in individuals aged 12-15, as a third dose for certain immunocompromised individuals aged 12+, and as a single booster dose to be given at least six months after the primary series in certain individuals aged 18+. For more information, see CRS Report R46913, 'FDA Approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID19 Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions.' Vaccines manufactured by Moderna (a two-dose vaccine) and J&J/Janssen [Johnson & Johnson/Janssen] (a single-dose vaccine) are currently authorized [hyperlink] for emergency use for ages 18+. The Moderna [hyperlink] vaccine is also authorized to be given as a third dose to certain immunocompromised individuals."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cornell, Ada S.; Napili, Angela
2021-09-30
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COVID-19: Reviewing Existing Policies Could Help Selected Agencies Better Prepare for Dedicated User Fee Revenue Fluctuations, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Each year, federal agencies collect billions of dollars in dedicated user fee revenue from fees charged to users of federal goods and services, which are dedicated by law for a specific purpose or program. The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic disrupted critical government operations for agencies that rely on these revenues. The CARES Act [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the effects of the pandemic on public institutions of the U.S. This report examines how dedicated user fee revenues have changed since the onset of the pandemic and how selected agencies managed revenue changes related to the pandemic, among other objectives. To determine revenue changes, GAO compared dedicated user fee revenues in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to amounts from prior years. GAO selected three agencies to review-- FAA [Federal Aviation Administration], NPS [National Park Service], and USCIS [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services]--based on whether they relied on dedicated user fee revenue to a high (FAA and USCIS) or low (NPS) extent, among other factors. GAO interviewed officials at the selected agencies and reviewed relevant documents to determine how these agencies managed revenue changes, and compared those actions to internal control standards and leading practices for fee design."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-09-29
