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US Emergency Plan for Global COVID-19 Relief: Urgent Action to End the Pandemic Globally and Accelerate US Recovery and Security
From the Background: "We are at an exceedingly perilous and urgent moment in the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The Delta variant, vastly more dangerous and pernicious than the original SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] virus, has rapidly spread worldwide. It has been driving a deadly summer surge in the US; ripping through Latin America; causing Indonesia to become the next Asian hotspot; and fueling a third wave of the pandemic in Africa, where less than two percent of the population has been fully vaccinated [hyperlink]. [...] Unless vaccine delivery capabilities markedly improve, we are headed for a global supply glut, even as the vast majority of people in many countries remain unvaccinated. To prevent this, urgent action is needed to translate doses into vaccinations. [...] The plan's focus should be on immediate emergency relief, but it should be developed and implemented in a manner that advances long-term health system capacity for providing routine immunizations for children and adults, as well as other essential health services. Indeed, accelerating the response to the current crisis would be one of the most effective health systems strengthening initiatives ever undertaken. The plan would also serve as a catalyst and a model for efforts by other high-income nations to use their excess vaccine supplies and technical capabilities to augment the global response more effectively."
Center for Global Development; Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, D.C.); COVID Collaborative . . .
2021-08-03
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Renewed Great Power Competition: Implications for Defense--Issues for Congress [Updated August 3, 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
2021-08-03
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Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Equity
From the Document: "How do we realize similar benefits in hazard mitigation? By placing equity at the center of all that we do. Although there is no one-size-fits-all definition, equity can generally be understood as policies, practices, interactions, cultures and resources that are responsive to all people. Equity is achieved not only when everyone is provided full access to information and assistance, but when we intervene to ensure that all are provided with the resources necessary to meaningfully participate, make progress and benefit from hazard mitigation. The illustration included within this guide highlights how, without equity interventions, equal access is inherently impossible. As human beings, we each have unique needs that must be met to allow our meaningful participation. To realize this vision, we must work in partnership with the 'Whole Community.' This 'Guide to Expanding Mitigation' shows how community officials can partner with the Whole Community to strive for equity in hazard mitigation, including the planning and project development process. This guide is a starting place for community officials to initiate a conversation about mitigation investments that make communities both more equitable and more resilient, while avoiding situations in which risk reduction measures displace the very people they are intended to protect."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-08-03
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CDSE Pulse: Antiterrorism and Force Protection (Volume 2, Issue 8)
From the Document: "This August marks the eleventh antiterrorism (AT) awareness month within DOD. AT awareness is the fundamental knowledge of both the terrorist threat and the measures to reduce one's personal vulnerability to terrorism. This article will act as a reminder for the purpose of AT awareness month, describe different terrorist threats the U.S. currently faces, and show what individuals can do to raise their AT awareness."
United States. Defense Security Service. Center for Development of Security Excellence
2021-08
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Macroeconomic Effects of Covid-19: A Mid-Term Review
From the Abstract: "This article provides an interim assessment of the macroeconomic consequences of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Estimates suggest a median output loss of about 6.5 percent in 2020, a gap that is expected to narrow to around 4 percent of the pre-pandemic trend by the end of 2021. There is however a high dispersion of economic losses across economies, reflecting varying exposures to the pandemic and societies' responses. High-frequency indicators and epidemiological models provide some insights into the interactions between the pandemic evolution and societies' strategies of combating it, including the role of vaccination. The article draws lessons from experiences thus far and discusses challenges ahead."
Bank for International Settlements
Rungcharoenkitkul, Phurichai, 1977-
2021-08
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Report of the Scientific Task Force on Preventing Pandemics
From the Executive Summary: "No one wants to endure another pandemic the likes of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. Yet, the likelihood of another such pandemic occurring may be greater than ever. How to prevent the next pandemic was the core question addressed in the following report. The Scientific Task Force on Preventing Pandemics convened by the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health evaluated the latest research on what forces contribute to pathogen spillover, what actions are warranted to curtail this risk, and what more we must learn to make wiser investments directed at forestalling another pandemic. The report contains key findings and recommendations for research and action to inform pandemic prevention. The task force found that evidence strongly establishes spillover of viruses from wildlife into people, sometimes via livestock, as the root cause of pandemic risk. Spillover of the viruses currently understood to have pandemic potential occurs from land use change, and in particular the destruction of tropical forests, expansion of agricultural lands, especially near human settlements, livestock and farmed wildlife intensification, and wild animal hunting and trade."
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment; Harvard Global Health Institute
Alimi,Yewande; Bernstein, Aaron; Epstein, Jonathan . . .
2021-08
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Impacts of COVID-19 on Women's Social and Economic Outcomes: An Updated Review of the Evidence
From the Abstract: "In an updated review on the gendered social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis, we examine 49 studies identified by our search criteria between January and March 2021. This review included peer-reviewed papers, pre-prints and working papers that met specific search terms, contained empirical analyses and complete information on the study methodology, and included findings on the gendered social and economic impacts of the pandemic in low- and middle-income contexts. This collection of evidence largely confirms previous findings that in many arenas, women are bearing the greatest burdens of the crisis. Evidence continues to mount that woman [sic] have faced greater employment and income losses, have shouldered the majority of increases in unpaid care work, and have endured increased levels of violence. Gaps remain regarding the impacts on women agricultural workers and women entrepreneurs and, importantly, intrahousehold poverty and food insecurity. New evidence largely confirms however, that women are disproportionately and negatively impacted by the pandemic and policy responses must be sensitive to this reality."
Center for Global Development; University of California, San Diego. Center on Gender Equity and Health
O'Donnell, Megan; Bourgault, Shelby; McDougal, Lotus . . .
2021-08
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Children and Schools During COVID-19 and Beyond: Engagement and Connection Through Opportunity
From the Report Overview: "This Policy Briefing Report from the Children and Schools COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Working Group is intended to serve as a pandemic recovery resource for educators, administrators, support staff, school mental health professionals, and decision makers in the education sector, as well as parents/guardians and the general public. Toward this aim, this report comprises nine stand-alone chapters that provide a review and synthesis of the current state of knowledge up until August 8, 2021. Some of the chapters contain original research data, and all of the chapters contain expert opinion and detailed recommendations for a pandemic recovery in education. The recommendations provided in the executive summary are not exhaustive, but rather reflect a synthesis of the recommendations found at the end of each chapter. An Appendix on infection prevention and control is also included."
Royal Society of Canada
Vaillancourt, Tracy; Beauchamp, Miriam H.; Brown, Curtis . . .
2021-08
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DOE Office of Nuclear Energy Cybersecurity Research, Development and Demonstration Program Plan
From the Executive Summary: "This document describes the Cybersecurity Research Development and Demonstration (RD&D) Program, established by the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) to provide science-based methods and technologies necessary for cost-effective, cyber-secure digital instrumentation, control and communication in collaboration with nuclear energy stakeholders. It provides an overview of program goals, objectives, linkages to organizational strategies, management structure, and stakeholder and cross-program interfaces. The nuclear industry must modernize to remain competitive. Current nuclear power plants will be upgraded, and new advanced reactors will be designed using digital systems and novel control concepts. This nuclear sector digital modernization, including novel control concepts, will introduce cybersecurity risks that will need to be managed. Concern with cybersecurity is ubiquitous across critical infrastructure. However, successful cybersecurity in the nuclear energy industry requires an understanding of the technical, regulatory, and business constraints placed upon it. Like other programs in the NE Crosscutting Technology Development portfolio, this program was established to address challenges across the existing and future nuclear fleet by identifying common critical research needs and then translating the gaps into actionable RD&D activities. The program is organized into four cybersecurity RD&D focus areas: risk-management methods, secure architectures, supply-chain risk management, and modeling and simulation. For each focus area, this plan provides the main challenges and opportunities, goals, approach, benefits, and key three- to five-year milestones."
Sandia National Laboratories; Idaho National Laboratory; United States. National Nuclear Security Administration
2021-08
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Multifamily Residential Building Fires (2017-2019)
From the Document: "This topical report is an update to the 'Multifamily Residential Building Fires (2013-2015)' (Volume 18, Issue 3) report, released in June 2017. As part of a series of topical reports that address fires in the major residential building types, the remainder of this report addresses the characteristics of multifamily residential building fires as reported to the NFIRS [National Fire Incident
Reporting System]. Comparisons to one- and two-family residential building fires are noted based on analyses from the 'One- and Two-Family Residential Building Fires (2017-2019)' (Volume 21, Issue 6) topical report. The focus is on fires reported from 2017 to 2019, the most current data available at the time of the analysis. Complete or full years of data are required for statistical analyses presented in these topical reports. Although the NFIRS data for a calendar year are often reported to the USFA [U.S. Fire Administration] throughout the year, fire departments and or states have until the official cutoff date as set forth by the National Fire Data Center to submit their data to the USFA. Typically, this cutoff date is July 1 after the end of the previous calendar year. [...] For this report, the terms 'residential fires' and 'multifamily fires' are synonymous with 'residential building fires' and 'multifamily residential building fires,' respectively. 'Multifamily fires' is used throughout the body of this report; the findings, tables, figures, headings and endnotes reflect the full category of 'multifamily residential building fires.'"
United States Fire Administration; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-08
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2021 Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan
From the Introduction: "This plan addresses both climate adaptation and mitigation, which are complementary actions necessary for DOE [Department of Energy] to become more resilient, adapt to a changing climate, and reduce GHG [green house gas] emissions. This forward-looking plan identifies and prioritizes the Department's adaptation and resilience efforts to ensure DOE continues to achieve its mission. The actions described in this plan apply to all programs and facilities and will be updated as needed to capture any mission changes and reaffirm the Department's commitment to address the climate crisis. DOE has identified five priority adaptation actions in this plan: (1) Assess Vulnerabilities and Implement Resilience Solutions at DOE Sites, (2) Enhance Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Co-benefits at DOE Sites, (3) Institutionalize Climate Adaptation and Resilience Across DOE Policies, Directives, and Processes, (4) Provide Climate Adaptation Tools, Technical Support, and Climate Science Information, and (5) Advance Deployment of Emerging Climate Technologies. In addition, this plan describes DOE's current and planned actions for the following specific topic areas: (1) Climate Vulnerability Assessments, (2) Climate Literacy in DOE's Management Workforce, (3a) Climate Resilience for Climate-Ready Sites and Facilities, and (3b) Climate-Ready Supply of Products and Services."
United States. Department of Energy
2021-08
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U.S. Agency for International Development 2021 Climate Readiness Plan: In Response to Executive Order 14008
From the Summary: "The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recognizes the urgency of leveraging our expertise, experience, and partnerships to confront the climate crisis, which threatens to reverse years if not decades of hard-won development gains by exacerbating global inequities, increasing food and water scarcity, threatening lives and livelihoods, and contributing to conflict. With this new Climate Readiness Plan (CRP), USAID is revitalizing its approach to climate change adaptation, resilience, and risk mitigation across the Agency's programs and operations and is also committing to ambitious mitigation targets and new adaptation actions in alignment with Biden-Harris Administration priorities, multilateral climate objectives, and the newest climate science. USAID's approach to climate action includes both mitigation and adaptation."
United States. Agency for International Development
2021-08
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Department of Veterans Affairs 2021 Climate Adaptation Plan
From the Executive Summary: "The United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Climate Action Plan (CAP) outlines VA's response to the projected impacts of climate change to the department with the goal of ensuring sustained operations to support the uninterrupted delivery of benefits and services and VA's 'Fourth Mission.' VA is generating this plan in response to the requirements in section 211 of Executive Order (EO) 14008, signed January 27, 2021, which places greater emphasis on taking a government wide approach to the climate crisis. VA will continue its effort to identify mission critical functions at risk from the impacts of a changing climate. As impacts are further identified by the best available science, VA will incorporate climate change adaptation and resilience across agency programs and the management of federal procurement, real property, public lands and waters and financial programs. Mitigation of known risks are incorporated into the agency's normal business operations to the extent practicable. This plan draws on VA's ongoing efforts and establishes a pathway for expanding climate adaptation and resilience opportunities across all agency missions and roles. Efforts described in this plan will also be incorporated into the VA governance process. The plan identifies five vulnerabilities tied to management function and decision points, five priority adaptation actions, efforts to enhance climate literacy and actions to enhance climate resilience of facilities, supplies and services. It focuses on VA's physical infrastructure, resources, supply chain and the effects of climate change on the health of VA employees and the Veterans its serves."
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
2021-08
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National Research and Development Plan for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Resilience
From the Document: "This national plan for research and development (R&D) to promote critical infrastructure resilience against disruptions in PNT [Positioning, Navigation, and Timing] services, was developed pursuant to EO [Executive Order] 13905 and within the broader context of improving overall U.S. PNT resilience and the geodetic infrastructure required to support it. This R&D plan can help fulfill the capability needs identified above and is consistent with the broader vision and strategy of the National PNT Architecture. Since GPS [Global Positioning System] is the premier provider of global PNT, R&D activities towards improving the capabilities and resilience of its augmentations and its users' receivers are a natural and important component of implementing the strategy. However, both the National PNT Architecture strategy and the EO recognize that GPS alone cannot meet the requirements of all users, including the desire for overall PNT resilience. Additional PNT services and systems that are not reliant on GPS (or, more generally, GNSS [Global Navigation Satellite System]), with vulnerabilities and failure modes that are sufficiently dissimilar to those of GNSS, must be developed or improved to meet these needs. This plan's goal is to inspire the conception of fundamentally new approaches to resilient PNT technologies and services. The R&D plan supports three overarching goals for greater PNT service resilience, including GPS resilience and the development of additional PNT capabilities and services, and prioritizes fourteen R&D objectives for further R&D across these overarching goals[.]"
United States. Office of Science and Technology Policy
National Science and Technology Council (U.S.). NSTC Committee on Homeland and National Security; Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Research & Development Interagency Working Group
2021-08
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Emergency Lighting and Signage for Rail Transit Passenger Vehicles
From the Abstract: "This study collected information necessary to issue recommendations, voluntary standards, or guidance documents related to emergency lighting and signage for rail transit passenger vehicles. Industry needs identified include signage related to emergency egress near a third rail, signage for emergency personnel that would relay emergency information, and signage that is more internationally recognizable. Current standards were evaluated for necessary modifications to make them applicable to rail transit; results indicate that non-transit rail standards would need some modification, but rail transit standards could be implemented without modifications."
United States. Federal Transit Administration
Jones, MaryClara
2021-08
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United States Department of Labor: COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan
From the Document: "President Joseph R. Biden released the National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness on January 21, 2021 [hyperlink]. The National Strategy initiates a coordinated pandemic response that not only improves the effectiveness of the country's fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but also helps restore trust, accountability, and a sense of common purpose in the Federal response to the pandemic. The Administration's paramount concern in crafting COVID-19 workplace safety plans is the health and safety of all Federal employees, onsite contractors, and individuals interacting with the Federal workforce. [...] 'The purpose of this document is to provide minimum mandatory safety guidance for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the DOL agencies'. The health and safety of all DOL employees, onsite contractors, and individuals interacting with the DOL workforce is the Department's highest priority"
United States. Department of Labor
2021-08
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Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources: A Guide for Rural Communities
From the Background: "USDA [United States Department of Agriculutre] Rural Development (RD) developed this guide as a resource for rural communities seeking disaster 'resiliency and recovery' assistance. USDA RD offers programs and servicing options that can help rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disaster, and support long-term planning and recovery efforts that build for the future. According to the recent National Climate Assessment (NCA) [hyperlink], more frequent and extreme weather and climate-related events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to damage infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to communities. Strategic emergency preparedness and response is critical to averting damage to the economy, environment, and human health. The following sections provide an overview of available preparation assistance for rural communities."
United States. Rural Development
2021-08
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Strategies for States to Drive Equitable Vaccine Distribution and Administration
From the Introduction: "Since December 2020, the United States has administered more than 330 million COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccine doses, with 163 million people, or 49 percent of the population, completing a full vaccine series. While these results show significant progress by the federal government, states, local governments, and their community partners to reduce COVID-19 transmission, hospitalizations, and deaths, efforts to date have not produced equitable outcomes. Rates of COVID-19 vaccination vary widely within and across states, communities, and racial and ethnic groups, with those communities that are disproportionately experiencing the negative impacts of COVID-19 often having the lowest rates of vaccination. The disparities in vaccination rates among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) as compared with white Americans highlight the longstanding inequities and structural racism that underpin the United States health care delivery system and that contributed to disparities in health outcomes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic."
State Health and Value Strategies { SHVS); Princeton University
Manatt Health
2021-08
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Federal Debt Management: Treasury Quickly Financed Historic Government Response to the Pandemic and is Assessing Risks to Market Functioning, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The federal government's fiscal response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic dramatically increased the government's borrowing needs. Treasury borrows money needed by issuing Treasury securities. The ability to borrow large amounts of money quickly and cheaply is especially important during a crisis, when government spending tends to increase and revenues tend to decrease. Any disruptions in investor demand for Treasury securities or the functioning of the Treasury market can have costly implications for the federal government and taxpayers. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report examines (1) how the cost and liquidity of Treasury securities changed during COVID-19; (2) actions Treasury is taking to mitigate future disruptions; and (3) the actions Treasury took to finance the federal government's response to the pandemic."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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COVID-19: HHS's Collection of Hospital Capacity Data, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "The magnitude of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has underscored the importance of having quality data to help the federal government understand the health care system's capacity to provide care and to inform the allocation of resources. HHS [Department of Health and Human Services] launched HHS Protect in April 2020 to capture hospital capacity data. Throughout the public health emergency HHS has made changes to how information is collected and used. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing COVID-19 monitoring and oversight efforts. GAO was asked to examine HHS's implementation of HHS Protect. In this report, GAO describes (1) HHS's implementation of HHS Protect hospital capacity reporting requirements and the challenges experienced by reporting entities; (2) HHS's and stakeholders' use of the data, if at all; and (3) lessons learned about ensuring the collection of quality hospital capacity data during a public health emergency."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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Gender in the MDB Social Protection Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Document: "Recent work by the CGD [Center for Global Development] researchers through the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Gender and Development Initiative suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women particularly severely, disproportionately affecting their paid and unpaid work, income, and food security, while also exacerbating the risk of gender-based violence. In response to the pandemic, multilateral development banks (MDBs) rapidly expanded their financing across a range of areas, including health and social protection, but little is known regarding whether new operations have been designed to address the crisis' disproportionate impacts on women. This note builds upon previous CGD research to examine how MDB operations in response to COVID-19 have considered gender differences in their design, and how that design has evolved across institutions, with a particular focus on social protection measures in lower-income countries. We focus our analysis on social protection projects, recognizing this as the primary policy lever of choice by governments and supporting donor institutions as they sought to mitigate the risks of rising poverty and food insecurity in the COVID-19 context, as well as critical component of policy packages capable of promoting an inclusive recovery. Similar analyses could also be undertaken for projects related to broader economic development, health, education, or other sectors."
Center for Global Development
O'Donnell, Megan; Bourgault, Shelby; Webster, Brian . . .
2021-08
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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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Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data 'Still' at Risk, Staff Report, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, August 2021
From the Executive Summary: "In June 2019, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Subcommittee) issued a bipartisan report titled: 'Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data at Risk' (the 2019 Report). That report highlighted systemic failures of eight key Federal agencies to comply with Federal cybersecurity standards identified by agencies' inspectors general. [...] This report revisits those same eight agencies two years later. What this report finds is stark. Inspectors general identified many of the same issues that have plagued Federal agencies for more than a decade. Seven agencies made minimal improvements, and only DHS managed to employ and effective cybersecurity regime for 2020. As such, this report find that these seven Federal agencies still have not met the basic cybersecurity standards necessary to protect America's sensitive data."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2021-08
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Cyber Strategic Outlook: The United States Coast Guard's Vision to Protect and Operate in Cyberspace
From the Introduction: "Cyber attacks against the United States (U.S.) are one of the most significant threats to our economic and military power since World War II. The events of the last five years, including the exploitation of U.S. Coast Guard networks and information, attacks on maritime critical infrastructure, and adversarial efforts to undermine our democratic processes, reinforce that cyberspace is a contested domain. This Outlook updates the 2015 Cyber Strategy to ensure U.S. Coast Guard readiness to conduct all missions in a contested cyberspace, to secure the maritime transportation sector through a rules-based international order, and to identify and combat adversary activity in and through cyberspace. Working in close collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), our government partners, foreign allies, and the maritime industry, we will protect the Marine Transportation System (MTS) from threats delivered in and through cyberspace and hold accountable those who would do our nation harm. The threats we face from the cyber domain have outpaced threats from the physical domain. As a military service, federal law enforcement agency, and federal regulator, the U.S. Coast Guard will use its broad authorities and unique capabilities to protect the MTS from all threats, to respond to attacks on maritime critical infrastructure, and to incorporate cyber effects to achieve all mission outcomes."
United States. Coast Guard
2021-08
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National Incident Management System Emergency Operations Center How-To Quick Reference Guide
From the Introduction: "The routine, day-to-day management of government differs greatly from emergency operations. During an emergency, effective decision-making relies on leaders' ability to collect emergency-related information, which requires close coordination between key officials from a variety of agencies and departments. Having a central facility such as an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), from which leaders can coordinate and direct emergency efforts, is essential for emergency response and recovery. Governments, jurisdictions, municipalities, nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and members of the private sector, at all levels, should prepare for the possibility of an emergency that will significantly change operating procedures. Governments must be ready to direct and control emergency operations. [...] The purpose of this all-hazards how-to guide is to provide state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) jurisdictions with information and guidance related to setting up, operating, maintaining and deactivating an EOC that successfully meets the jurisdiction's needs. This guidance applies an all-hazards approach in its concepts, processes and principles. FEMA recognizes that certain hazards (such as COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]) may have specific implications, precautions and instructions that take effect under certain conditions and threat environments."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-08
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Biodefense: After-Action Findings and COVID-19 Response Revealed Opportunities to Strengthen Preparedness, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic shows how catastrophic biological incidents can cause substantial loss of life, economic damage, and require a whole-of-nation response involving multiple federal and nonfederal entities. The 2018 National Biodefense Strategy outlines specific goals and objectives to help prepare for and respond to such incidents. The CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act] Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to conduct monitoring and oversight of federal efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from COVID-19. This report addresses: (1) interagency plans key federal agencies developed, and exercises they conducted, to help prepare for biological incidents; and (2) the extent to which exercises and real-world incidents revealed opportunities to better achieve National Biodefense Strategy objectives. GAO reviewed biological incident plans and after-action reports from exercises and real-world incidents from calendar years 2009 through 2019, including a non-generalizable sample of 19 reports selected based on threat scenario and other factors. GAO interviewed federal and state officials to obtain their perspectives on plans, exercises, and the COVID-19 response."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
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New Multilateral Financing Mechanism for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
From the Overview and Context: "Health experts around the world have warned for years that countries, regional bodies, and global institutions must invest more in critical capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats -- and the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic lays bare how the current global health architecture was not prepared to prevent or respond with the necessary speed and force when the threat emerged. [...] Given this clear and present threat, multiple recent reports from an array of leading global health and finance experts have concluded that the world needs a new multilateral financing mechanism, or Fund, for global health security and pandemic preparedness. [...] In short, there is a broad consensus that urgent action is needed to mobilize significant new resources for global health security and pandemic preparedness through a new multilateral financing mechanism or Fund."
Pandemic Action Network
Glassman, Amanda, 1970-; Reynolds, Carolyn; Carson, Courtney . . .
2021-08
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Action Plan for Climate Adaptation and Resilience
From the Introduction: "On January 27, 2021, in Executive Order (E.O.) 14008 Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, President Biden laid out a vision for a United States government-wide approach and a set of coordinated domestic actions to address the risks and opportunities posed by climate change. One of these actions directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to submit an action plan of steps to bolster adaptation and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change across our mission and operations. Climate change poses a significant risk to agriculture, forests, and grasslands across the United States and the communities that support and depend upon them. This risk is disproportionately high for disadvantaged communities, including Tribal nations, low-income, and minority communities. USDA is unique among federal departments in the breadth of its Mission Areas and its reach across the United States to urban, rural, and Tribal communities. Steps to reduce the vulnerability and increase the adaptive capacity of American farmers, ranchers, forest owners, and other stakeholders to climate change are needed to maintain competitiveness and sustainability in the coming decades. Through climate change adaptation planning, USDA will increase the resilience of these sectors and communities to climate change."
United States. Department of Agriculture
2021-08
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Climate Action Plan: Revitalizing Efforts to Bolster Adaptation & Increase Resilience
From the Introduction: "Pursuant to Section 211 of Executive Order (E.O.) 14008, 'Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad' and Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Implementing Instructions, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) has developed and submitted this Climate Action Plan (Plan). This Plan builds from the previous Climate Action Plans prepared in 2012 and 2014, respectfully. The 2012 Action Plan focused on the climate change's impacts to DOT's critical mission activities--safety, state of good repair and federally owned building's environmental sustainability. The 2014 Climate Adaptation Plan provided updates on DOT's accomplishments to date and Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 and FY2014 commitments. This Plan follows the CEQ Instructions for Preparing Draft Climate Action Plans under E.O. 14008 and focuses on climate adaptation and resilience across agency programs and the management of Federal procurement, real property, public lands and waters, and financial programs. While the Department is engaged in a wide variety of activities related to reducing transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions, this Plan focuses on actions to bolster adaptation and increase resilience."
United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Secretary
2021-08
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Facial Recognition Technology: Current and Planned Uses by Federal Agencies, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Facial recognition--a type of biometric technology--mimics how people identify or verify others by examining their faces. Recent advancements have increased the accuracy of automated FRT [facial recognition technology] resulting in increased use across a range of applications. As the use of FRT continues to expand, it has become increasingly important to understand its use across the federal government in a comprehensive way. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the extent of FRT use across the federal government. This report identifies and describes (1) how agencies used FRT in fiscal year 2020, including any related research and development and interactions with non-federal entities, and (2) how agencies plan to expand their use of FRT through fiscal year 2023."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-08
