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Origins of COVID-19: An Investigation of the Wuhan Institute of Virology
From the Executive Summary: "More than one year after the World Health Organization declared a pandemic, the world is still reeling from the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. More than four million people have lost their lives worldwide, including more than 612,000 Americans, while economies around the world have been devastated by the fallout. This report investigates the origin of this virus and looks at how it became a deadly pandemic."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs
McCaul, Michael T.
2021-08
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Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, 52nd Quarterly Report to the United States Congress
From the Executive Summary: "This report summarizes SIGAR's [Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction] oversight work and updates developments in four major areas of reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan from April 1 to June 30, 2021. During this reporting period, SIGAR issued 12 audits, evaluations, and other products assessing U.S. efforts to build the Afghan security forces, improve governance, facilitate economic and social development, and combat the production and sale of narcotics. In this period, SIGAR criminal investigations resulted in two criminal informations, two guilty pleas, one sentencing, $179,708 in restitutions, and $11.9 million in civil settlements."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
2021-07-30
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Private Security Contractors: DOD Needs to Better Identify and Monitor Personnel and Contracts, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "During Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001-2014 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003-2011, DOD significantly increased its use of PSCs [private security contractors]. In 2008, the Swiss Government and the Red Cross issued the Montreux Document, which generally reaffirmed the obligation nations have to ensure that their PSCs respect international humanitarian law. PSCs supporting DOD have faced international attention resulting from incidents allegedly involving their personnel. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO [government Accountability Office] to review DOD's use of PSCs. GAO assessed the extent to which DOD has (1) identified PSC contracts and personnel used to support contingency operations and (2) established a framework to oversee the department's use of PSC contracts. GAO analyzed DOD contract and personnel data for PSCs from 2009 through 2019, reviewed DOD guidance on PSC use, and conducted interviews with DOD officials and representatives from standards organizations. GAO is making three recommendations to improve PSC oversight, including identifying and communicating the activities that fall under DOD's definition of PSC functions, and assigning a senior-level position responsible for monitoring the implementation of DOD's PSC oversight framework. DOD partially concurred with the recommendations, agreeing in substance and planning several actions as a result. DOD's planned actions should address the intent of GAO's recommendations if implemented."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-29
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COVID-19 Pandemic: Actions Needed to Improve Federal Oversight of Assistance to Individuals, Communities, and the Transportation Industry, Statement of Heather Krause, Director, Physical Infrastructure and Chris P. Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Testimony Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In response to the public health and economic crises created by the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, Congress provided billions of dollars across a range of agencies to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. This included billions to: [1] FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund to provide assistance to individuals as well as state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and [2] DOT [Department of Transportation] and Treasury to provide financial assistance to the transportation sector. This statement describes: (1) the federal response and selected relief programs administered by FEMA, DOT, and Treasury and (2) lessons learned based on GAO's [Government Accountability Office's] reviews of selected COVID-19 relief programs, including related recommendations and their implementation status. This statement is based on GAO's body of work on the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act issued from June 2020 through July 2021. To update this information, GAO reviewed agency documentation; and interviewed agency officials, industry associations, and selected businesses that applied to these programs on the latest implementation efforts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Krause, Heather; Currie, Chris
2021-07-29
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Bureau of Prisons: BOP Could Further Enhance Its COVID-19 Response by Capturing and Incorporating Lessons Learned, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons] was responsible for the custody and care of about 129,000 federal inmates in BOP-managed facilities, and employed more than 37,000 staff as of May 2021. Because of confined spaces, the prison population is particularly vulnerable during infectious disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. About $620 million has been appropriated to or designated by BOP for COVID-19- related efforts. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review BOP's approach to responding to COVID-19. This report addresses, among other objectives: (1) BOP's development and updates of COVID-19 guidance; (2) BOP's provision of PPE [personal protective equipment], COVID-19 tests and vaccines, and infection and fatality rates for inmates and staff; and (3) the impact of COVID-19 on inmates and staff, and the extent to which BOP has incorporated lessons learned into its response. GAO reviewed BOP policies, data, and other documentation related to the impact of COVID-19 and how BOP addressed it. GAO also conducted non-generalizable interviews of officials from five BOP facilities and one private facility operating under contract with BOP, selected based on inmate infection rates and other factors. GAO is making three recommendations that BOP evaluate communication of COVID-19 guidance, develop an approach to capture and share best practices and lessons learned; and develop an approach to ensure facilities apply these practices as appropriate. BOP concurred with all three recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-29
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COVID-19 Contracting: Opportunities to Improve Practices to Assess Prospective Vendors and Capture Lessons Learned, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "In response to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], agencies awarded contracts for goods and services to vendors from a range of industries and with varying levels of federal contracting experience, but some vendors have been unable to deliver under those contracts. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review COVID-19-related federal contracting under the act. This report addresses (1) COVID-19 contract obligations and characteristics of vendors, (2) contracting challenges, including with agency assessments of vendors, and (3) whether lessons learned efforts reflect those challenges. GAO analyzed federal procurement data on agencies' reported COVID-19 contract obligations through May 31, 2021. GAO examined a nongeneralizable sample of 28 contracts with high dollar values or other characteristics from four agencies--DOD, HHS [Department of Health and Human Services], USDA, and DHS. GAO interviewed officials, including Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials about their emergency acquisition guidance. GAO is making 10 recommendations, including that agencies establish processes to better collect and communicate contracting lessons learned during emergencies such as COVID-19. Agencies agreed with nine recommendations. OMB did not agree to establish time frames for updating its guidance. GAO continues to believe OMB should do so, as discussed in this report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-29
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Paycheck Protection Program: SBA Added Program Safeguards, but Additional Actions Are Needed, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Since March 2020, Congress has provided commitment authority of about $814 billion for PPP [Paycheck Protection Program], which provides small businesses with low-interest loans that SBA [Small Business Administration] fully guarantees. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to monitor funds provided for the COVID-19 [coronavirus 2019] pandemic. This report examines (1) safeguards that SBA put in place during the PPP loan approval process, (2) the PPP loan forgiveness process, including processes for unforgiven loans, and (3) SBA's oversight of PPP loans and lenders. GAO reviewed SBA documentation; surveyed a generalizable sample of PPP lenders; analyzed data on loan forgiveness applications; compared SBA processes against federal guidance on credit programs; and interviewed staff from SBA, the Department of the Treasury, and four trade associations representing lenders. GAO recommends that SBA (1) finalize a process for claiming the PPP loan guarantee, (2) implement the statutory requirement to purchase PPP loans in advance of loan forgiveness or seek statutory exceptions to the requirement, (3) finalize procedures for the steps of its loan review process that are not yet documented, and (4) develop and implement a process to ensure timely communication with lenders. SBA generally agreed with the four recommendations, including seeking statutory flexibility or repeal of the requirement to purchase PPP loans in advance of loan forgiveness."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-29
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Cybersecurity and Information Technology: Federal Agencies Need to Strengthen Efforts to Address High-Risk Areas, Statement of Carol C. Harris, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives
From the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Highlights: "The nation's critical infrastructures and federal agencies are dependent on IT [information technology] systems and electronic data to carry out operations and to process, maintain, and report essential information. Each year, the federal government spends more than $100 billion on cybersecurity and IT investments. GAO has long stressed the continuing and urgent need for effective cybersecurity, as underscored by recent events that have illustrated persistent and evermore sophisticated cyber threats and incidents. Moreover, many IT investments have failed, performed poorly, or suffered from ineffective management. Accordingly, GAO has included information security on its high-risk list since 1997 and added improving the management of IT acquisitions and operations in 2015. In its March 2021 high-risk series update, GAO reported that significant attention was needed in both of these important areas. GAO was asked to testify on federal agencies' efforts to address cybersecurity and the management of IT. For this testimony, GAO relied on selected products it previously issued."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Harris, Carol C.
2021-07-28
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Inadequate FEMA Oversight Delayed Completion and Closeout of Louisiana's Public Assistance Projects
From the Highlights: "From 2013 to 2018, Louisiana received nearly $957 million to help recover from nine federally-declared disasters. Our objective was to determine to what extent the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ensures Louisiana manages and provides oversight of Public Assistance (PA) grants to ensure compliance with Federal regulations. [...] FEMA did not ensure Louisiana adequately managed and provided oversight of PA grants to make certain the State complied with Federal regulations. Specifically, Louisiana had a backlog of 600 incomplete projects beyond their approved completion dates. We attribute this to the State not conducting regular site visits to assess subrecipients' ongoing projects and identify and resolve issues as they arose that would have helped ensure prompt project completion. In addition, FEMA had a backlog of 2,150 completed grant projects it had not closed out due to inadequate oversight of its Region 6 staff to ensure they promptly carried out this responsibility."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
Arnold, Larry; Skrmetti, John; James, Mary . . .
2021-07-27
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COVID-19 Contracting: Actions Needed to Enhance Transparency and Oversight of Selected Awards, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In March 2020, Congress passed the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act as part of the federal response to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. The act had certain provisions for federal contracting, including providing additional flexibilities. Contracting plays a critical role in the pandemic response as agencies obligate billions of dollars for goods and services. The act also included a provision for GAO [U.S. Government Accountability Office] to review federal contracting in response to COVID-19. This report examines, among other objectives, the extent to which the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security--the only agencies that reported using other transaction agreements in response to COVID-19 in the federal procurement database--used such agreements, including awards to consortia, and oversight of such use. GAO analyzed federal procurement data as of March 2021; reviewed a nongeneralizable sample of 15 agreements selected based on high dollar amounts, agency, a mix of products and services, among other criteria; reviewed agency policies; and interviewed agency officials. GAO is making 14 recommendations to selected agencies, to improve the transparency of agreement awards in the federal procurement database and update policies to improve the oversight of agreements awarded through consortium management firms. The agencies agreed with 11 of the recommendations and did not agree with three of them. GAO continues to believe the recommendations are valid, as discussed in the report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-07-26
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Estimating SARS-CoV-2 Infections from Deaths, Confirmed Cases, Tests, and Random Surveys
From the Document: "There are multiple sources of data giving information about the number of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] infections in the population, but all have major drawbacks, including biases and delayed reporting. For example, the number of confirmed cases largely underestimates the number of infections, and deaths lag infections substantially, while test positivity rates tend to greatly overestimate prevalence. Representative random prevalence surveys, the only putatively unbiased source, are sparse in time and space, and the results can come with big delays. Reliable estimates of population prevalence are necessary for understanding the spread of the virus and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies. We develop a simple Bayesian framework to estimate viral prevalence by combining several of the main available data sources. It is based on a discrete-time Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) model with time-varying reproductive parameter. Our model includes likelihood components that incorporate data on deaths due to the virus, confirmed cases, and the number of tests administered on each day. We anchor our inference with data from random-sample testing surveys in Indiana and Ohio. We use the results from these two states to calibrate the model on positive test counts and proceed to estimate the infection fatality rate and the number of new infections on each day in each state in the United States. We estimate the extent to which reported COVID [coronavirus disease] cases have underestimated true infection counts, which was large, especially in the first months of the pandemic. We explore the implications of our results for progress toward herd immunity."
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Irons, Nicholas J.; Raftery, Adrian E.
2021-07-26
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Secure & Resilient Mobile Network Infrastructure & Emergency Comms Program R&D Guidebook
From the Introduction: "This project guide introduces you to the distinct goals and objectives for the complementary SRMNI [Secure and Resilient Mobile Network Infrastructure] and Emergency Communications projects and provides an overview of the ongoing R&D [Research & Development] of new and cutting-edge solutions. These solutions will help secure legacy and next-generation mobile network infrastructure and help protect the critical communications systems used by the nation's first responders. The SRMNI project is providing essential R&D that supports CISA's [Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency's] mission related to 5G, mobile security, and emergency communications security and resilience. Its objective is to provide accurate, timely and useful 5G, mobile security, and emergency communications R&D solutions to support CISA's mission. The SRMNI project also supports CISA's 5G Strategy, which is aligned to the White House's National Strategy to Secure 5G. Specifcally, the project is researching legacy and current telecommunications protocols (i.e., 4G Long-Term Evolution and below) protections and enabling security into 5G networks. It also is leveraging 5G to demonstrate solutions that meet government security needs, including secure voice and video capability for unclassifed government communications. Last, the SRMNI project also supports improvements to government visibility and security of network traffic from mobile devices focusing on capability testing for Protective Domain Name System integration."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
2021-07-20?
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H. Rept. 117-93: Enhancing Grid Security Through Public-Private Partnerships Act, Report to Accompany H.R. 2931, July 19, 2021
From the Purpose and Summary: "H.R. 2931, the ''Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act'', introduced on April 30, 2021, would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a program to facilitate and encourage public-private partnerships to promote and advance physical security and cybersecurity of electric utilities. The Secretary of Energy (the Secretary) is directed to carry out a program to (1) develop, and provide for voluntary implementation of, maturity models, self-assessments, and auditing methods for assessing the physical security and cybersecurity of electric utilities; (2) provide training and technical assistance to electric utilities to address and mitigate cybersecurity supply chain management risks; and (3) increase opportunities for sharing best practices and data collection within the electric sector."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021-07-19
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MMWR Recommendations and Reports: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 16, 2021: Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response
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 Recommendations and Reports contains the following: "Antimicrobial Treatment and Prophylaxis of Plague: Recommendations for Naturally Acquired Infections and Bioterrorism Response." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-07-16
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Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues [Updated July 16, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Members of Congress and Pentagon officials have placed a growing emphasis on U.S. programs to develop hypersonic weapons as a part of an effort to acquire the capability for the United States to launch prompt attacks against targets around the world. Hypersonic weapons, like all long-range ballistic missiles, can travel faster than Mach 5, or about 1 mile to 5 miles per second. The interest in these weapons is driven by both the perceived mission need for conventional prompt strike systems and concerns about falling behind Russia and China in the development of these technologies. The United States is pursuing two key technologies for this purpose: boost-glide systems that place a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) atop a ballistic missile booster or shorter-range rocket systems, and hypersonic cruise missiles that would use scramjet technologies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2021-07-16
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Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction: Opportunities for DHS to Better Address Longstanding Program Challenges, Statement of Chris P. Currie, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In December 2018, statute established the CWMD [Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction] office, reorganizing several legacy offices, including the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and Office of Health Affairs into one. The office manages programs intended to enhance the United States' ability to detect, deter, and defend against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. However, programs operated and managed by the CWMD office have faced longstanding challenges, some which predate the reorganization. This statement describes our 2016 work related to the CWMD office formation and findings from our past reports on CWMD programs from 2009 through May 2021, including challenges and opportunities for the effective operations and implementation of key programs related to biodefense, nuclear security, and chemical security."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Currie, Chris P.
2021-07-16
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Worker Rights Provisions and U.S. Trade Policy [July 16, 2021]
From the Summary: "Worker rights provisions are a prominent and often contentious issue in debates over U.S. trade negotiations, agreements and programs. Congress has input into and oversight over the design and implementation of U.S. trade agreements and policies, and interest in monitoring their impact on U.S. industries and workers. Broadly, Congress also has an interest in the U.S. role in setting labor standards and promoting fair competition in the global trading system. [...] This report provides background and analysis on key U.S. trade policies addressing worker rights abroad. It contextualizes the U.S. approach with key debates and comparison with global approaches. Several issues may be of interest to Congress, including the role of U.S. trade agreements and programs as vehicles for improving labor rights; the role of multilateral institutions; compliance with labor commitments and approaches to enforcement; and debates over capacity building efforts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Cimino-Isaacs, Cathleen D.
2021-07-16
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 16, 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: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccination Coverage Among Insured Persons Aged ≥16 Years, by Race/Ethnicity and Other Selected Characteristics -- Eight Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 14, 2020-May 15, 2021"; "COVID-19 Vaccine Administration, by Race and Ethnicity -- North Carolina, December 14, 2020-April 6, 2021"; "Acceptability of Adolescent COVID-19 Vaccination Among Adolescents and Parents of Adolescents -- United States, April 15-23, 2021"; "SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with a Gymnastics Facility -- Oklahoma, April-May 2021"; and "'QuickStats': Percentage, of Men and Women Aged 25-49 Years Who Spent at Least One Night in the Past 12 Months at an Alternate Location Because They Did Not Have a Permanent Place To Stay, by Type of Location -- National Survey of Family Growth, United States, 2017-2019." 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.)
2021-07-16
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 28, July 15, 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: "FDA no longer authorizes use of non-NIOSH [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health]- approved or decontaminated disposable respirators"; "DHS S&T [Science and Technology Directorate] showcases research and technology for resilience against pandemics, natural disasters and threats"; "FEMA webinar series on competitive Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs"; "EMI [Emergency Management Institute] releases 2022 schedule for Virtual Tabletop Exercise Program"; "New StopRansomware.gov website - The US government's one-stop location to stop ransomware"; "Connecticut becomes third state to incentivize cybersecurity best practices for businesses"; and "ISAC [Information Sharing and Analysis Center] National Webinar: The Call is Coming from Inside the House - Understanding the Insider Threat."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2021-07-15
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National Level Exercises: History, Authorities, and Congressional Considerations [July 15, 2021]
From the Document: "Every two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducts a National Level Exercise (NLE) to evaluate the nation's progress towards preparedness for catastrophic events. These exercises have multiple components, and culminate in a large, full-scale exercise with thousands of participants from multiple federal agencies, state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, industry partners, and nongovernmental organizations. The next NLE, scheduled for 2022, is to test the nation's ability to respond to a simulated earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone in the Pacific Northwest, as well as subsequent aftershocks, tsunamis, and a Spill of National Significance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Stienstra, Lauren
2021-07-15
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Wildfire Statistics [Updated July 15, 2021]
From the Document: "Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires, including lightning-caused fires, unauthorized human-caused fires, and escaped prescribed fire projects. States are responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on nonfederal (state, local, and private) lands, except for lands protected by federal agencies under cooperative agreements. The federal government is responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on federal lands. [...] As of July 15, 2021, over 34,000 wildfires have impacted nearly 2.3 million acres. The nationwide preparedness level is at the maximum level (5), suggesting significant commitment of shared resources."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoover, Katie; Hanson, Laura A.
2021-07-15
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Violations of ICE Detention Standards at Adams County Correctional Center
From the Highlights: "In accordance with the 'Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021', we conduct unannounced inspections of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities to ensure compliance with detention standards. Between January and February 2021, we conducted a remote inspection of the Adams County Correctional Center (Adams) to evaluate compliance with ICE detention standards and COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] requirements. [...] We made seven recommendations to improve ICE's oversight of detention facility management and operations at Adams."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2021-07-14
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COVID-19: Potential Implications for International Security Environment-- Overview of Issues and Further Reading for Congress [Updated July 13, 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. 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 appendices listing CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports and other writings for further reading. Issues for Congress may include whether and how the pandemic could change the international security environment, whether the Biden Administration's actions for responding to such change are appropriate and sufficient, and what implications such change could have for the role of Congress in setting and overseeing the execution of U.S. foreign and defense policy. Congress's decisions regarding these issues could have significant implications for U.S. foreign and defense policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; McInnis, Kathleen J.
2021-07-13
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VA Medical Center Security: Progress Made, but Improvements to Oversight of Risk Management and Incident Analysis Still Needed, Statement of Catina B. Latham, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "The Veterans Health Administration provides critical health services to approximately 9-million enrolled veterans at its nearly 170 medical centers. Ensuring safety and security at these medical centers can be complicated because VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] has to balance the treatment and care of veterans--a vulnerable population with high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse--while also maintaining order and enforcing the law. Officers may need to use physical force to help bring a violent or hostile situation under control. This statement focuses on how VA manages and oversees (1) the physical security of medical centers and (2) use of force incidents by police officers."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Latham, Catina B.
2021-07-13
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, July 9, 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: "Unexpected Hepatitis B Virus Infection After Liver Transplantation -- United States, 2014-2019"; "Outcomes Among Patients Referred to Outpatient Rehabilitation Clinics After COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] diagnosis -- United States, January 2020-March 2021"; "Efficacy of Portable Air Cleaners and Masking for Reducing Indoor Exposure to Simulated Exhaled SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Aerosols -- United States, 2021"; "Use of mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] COVID-19 Vaccine After Reports of Myocarditis Among Vaccine Recipients: Update from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices -- United States, June 2021"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥20 Years Who Consumed Vegetables on a Given Day, by Race and Hispanic Origin -- United States, 2015-2018." 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.)
2021-07-09
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Global Economic Effects of COVID-19 [Updated July 9, 2021]
From the Summary: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] viral pandemic continues to be a highly personal, individual experience that is also an unprecedented globally shared phenomenon with wide-ranging repercussions. 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 -3.4% to -7.6%, with a recovery of 4.2% to 5.6% 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. Generally, economic growth forecasts captured the decline and subsequent rebound in economic growth over the second and third quarters of 2020, but have been challenged since by the prolonged nature of the health crisis and its continuing impact on the global economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Jackson, James K., 1949-; Nelson, Rebecca M.; Weiss, Martin A. . . .
2021-07-09
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Covax and Global Access to Covid-19 Vaccines
From the Summary: "The development of Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines offers a potential pathway towards global recovery. However, the purchasing and administration of vaccines has been dominated by richer economies. [...] The Covax initiative [hyperlink] was established in April 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. It aims to ensure fair access to Covid-19 vaccines, and to accelerate their production. [...] This briefing sets out how the Covax scheme works, the challenges faced in administrating vaccine campaigns in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and the contributions of the UK and other high and upper-middle income economies to Covax and the distribution of vaccines."
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Library
Loft, Philip
2021-07-09
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COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)
From the Document: "This 'COVID-19 Healthcare Resource Roadmap (Version 2.0)' (Roadmap) was developed to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) leaders and other interested parties with navigating some of the challenges, as well as the resources, associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, the Roadmap describes how supplemental appropriated funds and certain ongoing annually funded federal programs can be used to implement potential solutions. [...] The Roadmap is to assist in challenges that federal departments and agencies, which work directly with SLTT partners, have identified in delivering healthcare services."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-07-08
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Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress [Updated July 8, 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
2021-07-08
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Treatment Guidelines [July 8, 2021]
From the Introduction: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Treatment Guidelines have been developed to provide clinicians with guidance on how to care for patients with COVID-19. Because clinical information about the optimal management of COVID-19 is evolving quickly, these Guidelines will be updated frequently as published data and other authoritative information become available."
National Institutes of Health (U.S.)
2021-07-08
