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• China Rising Leaders Project, Part 2: Outcomes of the Chinese Communist Party's 18th National Congress

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  From the Executive Summary: "The 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which convened in Beijing from November 8 - 14, 2012, saw a once-in-a-decade leadership transition unfold. Following from a pattern set at the 16th Party Congress in 2002, the Party's senior official, Hu Jintao, formally retired and handed over the offices of CCP General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission to his designated heir apparent: 59 year-old Xi Jinping, a longtime Party functionary and the 'princeling' son of a former PRC Vice-Premier. Alongside Li Keqiang, who is almost guaranteed to inherit the position of State Council Premier in March 2013, Xi Jinping will have a ten year (two-term) tenure in power before facing mandatory retirement at the 20th Party Congress in 2022. This leadership transition is remarkable on multiple levels: It provides one of the very few examples of an authoritarian state successfully engineering a peaceful, institutionalized political succession; and it is only the second such transition that has occurred in China since the death of paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. However, under the surface of an apparently smooth succession, there were clear signs throughout 2012 of factional conflict between supporters of CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao and officials loyal to former CCP General Secretary Jiang Zemin, who has been nominally retired from all official positions since 2004. The CCP is not a monolithic entity, and rival interest groups and patronage networks compete with each other for control of policy at a national level."

  U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

  Dotson, John

  2021-12-21
• MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 17, 2021

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  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: "Disaggregating Data to Measure Racial Disparities in COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Outcomes and Guide Community Response -- Hawaii, March 1, 2020-February 28, 2021"; "Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Infection Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years -- Long Beach, California, April 1-December 10, 2020"; "Longitudinal Trends in Body Mass Index Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Persons Aged 2-19 Years -- United States, 2018-2020"; "Monitoring Incidence of COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, by Vaccination Status -- 13 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4-July 17, 2021"; "Interim Estimates of COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department or Urgent Care Clinic Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Predominance -- Nine States, June-August 2021"; "Effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization -- Five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, United States, February 1-August 6, 2021 [corrected]"; "'Notes from the Field': Xylazine Detection and Involvement in Drug Overdose Deaths -- United States, 2019"; "'Notes from the Field': Xylazine, a Veterinary Tranquilizer, Identified as an Emerging Novel Substance in Drug Overdose Deaths -- Connecticut, 2019-2020"; "Correction and Republication: New COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Among Adults, by Vaccination Status -- New York, May 3-July 25, 2021"; "New COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations Among Adults, by Vaccination Status -- New York, May 3-July 25, 2021 [corrected]"; and "'QuickStats': Age-Adjusted Death Rates for Cancer, by Urban-Rural Status and Sex -- National Vital Statistics System, United States, 1999-2019." 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.)

  2021-09-17
• MMWR Surveillance Summaries: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 17, 2021: Asthma Surveillance -- United States, 2006-2018

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Surveillance Summaries issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Asthma Surveillance -- United States, 2006-2018." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-09-17
• EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 37, September 16, 2021

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  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: "Upcoming COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccination and testing requirements for EMS [emergency medical services] agencies"; "Lessons learned from 9/11 and responders' evolving roles in today's threat environment"; "FEMA updates National Risk Index"; "Webinar: CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] Cybersecurity Advisor discusses the cyber threat landscape and resources from CISA"; "Ransomware Risk Management: Draft NISTIR [National Institute of Standards and Technology Interagency (or Internal) Report] 8374 available for comment"; "MS-ISAC [Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center]: End-of-Support Software Report - September 2021"; "Hackers could increase medication doses through infusion pump flaws"; "Microsoft rolls out passwordless login for all Microsoft accounts."

  Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)

  2021-09-16
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 629, GAO Database Modernization Act of 2021

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 14, 2021. From the Document: "S. 629 would require federal agencies to report to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) whenever the agency revokes, suspends, replaces, amends, or makes ineffective a rule. Such reports must include a description of the provisions of the rule. The requirement would terminate in six years. Because the bill would not impose a significant additional administrative burden on federal agencies or GAO, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 629 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-09-15
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 533, Guidance Clarity Act of 2021

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on July 14, 2021. From the Document: "S. 533 would require federal agencies to include text in their guidance documents to clarify that such guidance is not legally binding. Guidance documents typically explain how regulations are interpreted by the agency but do not carry the force of law. Agencies disseminate guidance to the public in memorandums, notices, bulletins, directives, news releases, letters, blog posts, or speeches. CBO expects that placing a clarifying statement in each guidance document would not significantly increase agencies' administrative costs. CBO estimates that the administrative expenses associated with implementing S. 533 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022[-]2026 period; any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 533 could affect direct spending by some agencies that are allowed to use fees, receipts from the sale of goods, and other collections to cover operating costs. CBO estimates that any net changes in direct spending by those agencies would be negligible because most of them can adjust amounts collected to reflect changes in operating costs."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-09-15
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 4350, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on September 10, 2021. From the Bill Summary: "H.R. 4350 would authorize appropriations totaling an estimated $770.3 billion over the 2022-2024 period. Nearly all of that amount, $767.6 billion for 2022, would be specifically authorized for defense programs and activities of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy. An additional $2.7 billion would be authorized for the Maritime Administration and various other nondefense programs over the 2022-2024 period--$2.5 billion in specified authorizations and $0.2 billion in estimated authorizations. Of those amounts, a total of $2.5 billion would be authorized for 2022. CBO estimates that appropriation of the authorized amounts would increase outlays by $743.1 billion over the 2022-2026 period. The bill also contains provisions that would affect the costs of defense programs that would be funded with discretionary appropriations in 2023 and future years. Those provisions mainly would affect force structure, compensation and benefits, and multiyear procurement of weapons systems. CBO has analyzed the costs of some of those provisions and estimates that they would, on a net basis, increase the cost of those programs compared to current law by about $12.2 billion over the 2023-2026 period. The net costs of those provisions in 2023 and beyond are not included in the total amount of outlays described above because CBO expects that appropriations for those activities would be specifically authorized in National Defense Authorization Acts in future years."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-09-15
• Child Tax Credit: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Child Credit for 2021 as Expanded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; P.L. 117-2) [Updated September 15, 2021]

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  From the Document: "In March of 2021, Congress passed legislation significantly expanding the child tax credit for one year as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA; P.L. 117-2). ARPA expanded the eligibility for and the amount of the credit for 2021, especially for low- and middle-income taxpayers. The law also directed the Treasury Secretary to establish a program to advance up to half of the total credit amount 'before' 2021 income taxes are filed. This is a departure from most other tax benefits, which are typically delivered annually in a lump sum after federal income tax returns are filed. The 117th Congress is considering proposals to extend and/or modify the temporary child credit expansion included in APRA. In April 2021, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal released a discussion draft of the Building an Economy for Families Act that includes a provision to permanently extend the ARPA changes to the child credit. The Biden Administration has proposed making the full refundability provision included in ARPA permanent, while extending other ARPA provisions through the end of 2025. This report provides answers to selected frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the ARPA-expanded child credit for 2021."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.

  2021-09-15
• Provider Relief Fund: Frequently Asked Questions [Updated September 15, 2021]

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  From the Summary: "The Provider Relief Fund (PRF) was established in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act, P.L. [Public Law] 116-136) to reimburse, through grants or other mechanisms, eligible health care providers for increased expenses or lost revenue attributable to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The CARES Act provided $100 billion to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus, domestically and internationally. The amounts were subsequently increased by $78 billion, with $75 billion added in the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (PPPHCEA, P.L. 116-139) and $3 billion in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (P.L. 116-260). The latter was the first time the Provider Relief Fund was referred to in statute and required changes to the fund's reporting requirements and requirements for future fund allocations. The answers to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) in this report provide overview information on the PRF, how funds have been allocated, and the fund's requirements for provider reporting. In addition, this report describes the use of the PRF to pay providers for providing coronavirus testing, treatment, and vaccines to uninsured individuals and the use of the fund to pay providers for costs associated with vaccinating individuals who are underinsured (e.g., who do not have insurance that covers vaccine administration)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Heisler, Elayne J., 1976-

  2021-09-15
• Veterans Justice Outreach Program: Further Actions to Identify and Address Barriers to Participation Would Promote Access to Services, Report to Congressional Committees

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  From the Highlights: "In response to the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data show the agency hired 51 Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) specialists, though VA completed its hiring and reporting after the statute's deadline. The program relies on nearly 400 VJO specialists-- primarily social workers--who work with jails and municipal courts to identify and assess the needs of arrested or incarcerated veterans, and connect them to VA health care services. In addition, VA's reporting to Congress lacked required information, such as the number of veterans who lack access to VJO specialists. Although VA does not collect these data, VJO program officials said that future research will help them estimate this number. VA has identified and taken some steps to address barriers that veterans may face in accessing VJO specialists and receiving services. GAO [Government Accountability Office] additionally found that veterans with other-than-honorable discharges--often at greater risk of mental health issues and suicide--may not know they are eligible under a 2020 VA policy that extends mental health care services to certain members of this subgroup. In addition, this policy change and newly available services are not reflected in training for VJO specialists. As a result, veterans may not meet with VJO specialists and miss an opportunity to get help accessing VA's health care services."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-14
• Federal Real Property Asset Management: Additional Direction in Government-Wide Guidance Could Enhance Natural Disaster Resilience, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  From the Highlights: "The federal government spends billions of dollars each year to manage real property assets, such as buildings, levees, and roads. The rising frequency and severity of natural disasters expose these assets to damage and the government to fiscal liabilities. In 2020, the United States experienced 22 separate billion-dollar natural disasters. As the owner of real property assets, federal agencies can enhance the natural disaster resilience of real property through asset management. This can include actions to prepare for disasters. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to determine how agencies prevent or reduce damage to real property caused by natural disasters. This report addresses (1) how selected agencies have incorporated natural disaster resilience into their assets and (2) the extent to which government-wide guidance directs agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience into asset management. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed key characteristics and principles for asset management and natural disaster resilience from GAO's prior work; reviewed agency documents; interviewed officials from four selected agencies that owned a large number of assets (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, General Services Administration, National Park Service, and FWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]); and reviewed OMB [Office of Management and Budget] guidance. GAO recommends that OMB direct agencies to incorporate assessments of natural disaster risk information, such as from vulnerability assessments, into asset management investment decisions. OMB had no comments on this recommendation."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-14
• Public Transportation: Identifying Lessons Learned Could Help Improve FTA's Process to Manage Safety Risks, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  From the Highlights: "In recent years, new laws gave the Department of Transportation's FTA [Federal Transit Administration] additional requirements and authorities to oversee transit safety. In turn, FTA now requires, among other things, transit agencies to develop new safety plans that incorporate SMS [Safety Management Systems] to manage and mitigate safety risk. FTA also incorporated SMS in its transit agency oversight to better identify and assess safety risks, and determine appropriate mitigation efforts, including mandatory safety standards. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine how FTA is implementing its new responsibilities and authorities. This report examines (1) selected transit agencies' experiences in incorporating SMS in their new safety plans; (2) steps FTA is taking to identify, assess, and mitigate safety risks; and (3) FTA's status on mandating safety standards and stakeholders' views on the benefits and challenges of such standards. GAO reviewed FTA documents on safety oversight policies and practices and interviewed officials from 12 transit agencies and their 9 respective state oversight agencies. GAO selected transit agencies to reflect a variety of modes, sizes, age, and geographic diversity. GAO recommends that FTA identify and document lessons learned from the camera pilot, including a plan to implement needed changes. DOT [Department of Transportation] concurred with this recommendation and provided technical changes to the draft report, which we incorporated as appropriate."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-14
• Science & Tech Spotlight: Advanced Plastic Recycling

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  From the Document: "Plastics are found in many everyday items--including food packaging, water bottles, bags, and appliances. They are largely made from fossil fuel-based chemicals combined with various additives--such as stabilizers or flame retardants--to achieve a desired result (e.g., strength, rigidity, color, heat resistance). The majority of plastic waste in the U.S. ends up in landfills, with a relatively small portion incinerated and an even smaller portion recycled. The accumulating plastic waste in landfills generally does not biodegrade or break down. Plastic recycling technologies reprocess or remanufacture plastic waste for reuse. Currently, the dominant technology for plastic recycling is mechanical recycling, which uses physical processes--such as sorting, grinding, washing, separating, drying, and re-granulating--to recover plastics that can be substituted for virgin, or new, plastics. However, mechanical recycling technology is expensive, labor intensive, and generally results in lower quality plastics than virgin plastics. Consequently, industry is considering advanced recycling technologies-- namely, chemical recycling--as an alternative or complement to mechanical recycling. Chemical recycling technologies use heat, chemical reactions, or both, to recycle used plastic into virgin-equivalent plastic, fuel, or other chemicals. In addition, recent advances in sorting technology--one of the physical processes common to both chemical and mechanical recycling technologies--may also increase the efficiency of chemical recycling and lead to increased plastic recycling. For example, artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to increase automated sorting efficiency. Similarly, another advanced technology efficiently sorts materials by identifying their molecular vibrations."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-14
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1875, Veterans' Emergency Care Claims Parity Act

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs on July 28, 2021. From the Document: "S. 1875 would require any health care provider not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit a claim for reimbursement within 180 days of providing emergency care to veterans. Under current law, providers may take two years to submit claims for emergency care provided without prior authorization for conditions that are connected to or were caused by their military service; the deadline is 90 days for conditions that are not connected to veterans' military service. The bill also would shield veterans from financial liability for unpaid claims that are not submitted on time or that are delayed as a result of administrative errors made by the provider or the department."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-09-14
• MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 10, 2021

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  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: "Long-Term Symptoms Among Adults Tested for SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] -- United States, January 2020-April 2021"; "Using Wastewater Surveillance Data to Support the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Response -- United States, 2020-2021"; "SARS-CoV-2 Transmission to Masked and Unmasked Close Contacts of University Students with COVID-19 -- St. Louis, Missouri, January-May 2021"; "Trends in COVID-19 Cases, Emergency Department Visits, and Hospital Admissions Among Children and Adolescents Aged 0-17 Years -- United States, August 2020-August 2021"; "Hospitalizations Associated with COVID-19 Among Children and Adolescents -- COVID-NET [Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network], 14 States, March 1, 2020-August 14, 2021"; "Notes from the Field"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥20 Years Who Consumed Fruit 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 [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-09-10
• MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 10, 2021: Monitoring Incidence of COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, by Vaccination Status -- 13 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4-July 17, 2021

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Monitoring Incidence of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Cases, Hospitalizations, and Deaths, by Vaccination Status -- 13 U.S. Jurisdictions, April 4-July 17, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-09-10
• MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 10, 2021: Interim Estimates of COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department or Urgent Care Clinic Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Predominance -- Nine States, June-August 2021

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Interim Estimates of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Vaccine Effectiveness Against COVID-19-Associated Emergency Department or Urgent Care Clinic Encounters and Hospitalizations Among Adults During SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant Predominance -- Nine States, June-August 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-09-10
• Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 89, Ensuring Survivor Benefits During COVID-19 Act of 2021

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  This is the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimate as passed by the Senate on July 21, 2021. From the Document: "S. 89 would increase the number of people who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Because DIC benefits are paid from mandatory appropriations, enacting the legislation would increase direct spending."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  2021-09-10
• MMWR Surveillance Summaries: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 10, 2021: World Trade Center Health Program -- United States, 2012-2020

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Surveillance Summaries issue of MMWR contains the following article: "World Trade Center Health Program -- United States, 2012-2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-09-10
• Privacy Impact Assessment for the Operational Use of Familial DNA

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  From the Abstract: "The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is implementing Familial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing as a factor to determine if an adult claiming to be the biological parent of a child is, in fact, the biological parent. Such testing will help to identify individuals who are fraudulently representing themselves as a family unit when apprehended by DHS. Additionally, such Familial DNA testing is being implemented for purposes of complying with a court order in 'Ms. L v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),' 3:18-cv-00428 [docket number] (S.D. Cal) [United States District Court for the Southern District of California], which requires DNA testing prior to any separation of an adult and child based on concerns of parentage. CBP is conducting this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) to provide transparency about the limited scope of DNA collection for the purpose of Familial DNA testing, which compares two DNA profiles (adult and child) to determine whether a biological parent-child relationship exists, and to outline and explain how CBP will mitigate privacy risks associated with Familial DNA."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2021-09-10
• MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 10, 2021: Effectiveness of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization -- Five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, United States, February 1-August 6, 2021

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  The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This early release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Effectiveness of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19-Associated Hospitalization -- Five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, United States, February 1-August 6, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html]. Please note: a corrected version of this report can be found in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 17, 2021, located here: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=858742.

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)

  2021-09-10
• DHS Needs to Enhance Its COVID-19 Response at the Southwest Border

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  From the Highlights: "In October 2020, in conjunction with the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, the United States began experiencing a surge of migrants at the southwest border, adding increased risk to an unprecedented public health emergency. DHS, in addition to its broad mission, is responsible for helping detect and slow the spread of COVID-19. During this inspection, we received a referral from the Office of Special Counsel concerning the lack of COVID-19 testing at one CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] location. We conducted a limited review to determine to what extent DHS has implemented measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in migrants at the southwest border."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  Howes, Shelley; Mosher, Bradley; Wright, Hope . . .

  2021-09-10
• Post-Government Employment Restrictions: DOD Could Further Enhance Its Compliance Efforts Related to Former Employees Working for Defense Contractors, Report to Congressional Committees

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  From the Highlights: "Each year, civilian and military personnel leave DOD and go to work for contractors that do business with DOD. These individuals are potentially covered by laws restricting their new employment activities. The laws--some of which include penalties for violations--seek in part to protect against conflicts of interest and to promote public trust in the integrity of the government's decision-making processes, which facilitate the award of contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars annually. The conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to update its 2008 report on major defense contractors' recent employment of former DOD officials. This report (1) identifies the extent to which major defense contractors employed potentially covered ex-DOD officials in 2019, and (2) examines practices DOD and contractors use related to contractors hiring former DOD officials. GAO reviewed and surveyed 14 selected defense contractors with obligations above a certain dollar threshold. GAO also reviewed DOD documentation, and interviewed agency officials and contractor representatives. GAO recommends that DOD assess whether to incorporate recent lobbying prohibitions into its acquisition regulations. DOD concurred with the recommendation."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-09
• Technology Assessment: Exposure Notification, Benefits and Challenges of Smartphone Applications to Augment Contact Tracing, Report to Congressional Addressees

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  From the Highlights: "With the emergence and rapid global spread of COVID-19 [[coronavirus disease 2019], smartphone apps have been developed to supplement manual contact tracing, which is a public health measure used to slow the spread of infectious disease. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to conduct a technology assessment of exposure notification apps. This report discusses (1) the benefits of exposure notification apps; (2) the current level of deployment in the U.S.; (3) challenges affecting their use; and (4) policy options that may help address these challenges for future use. To address these objectives, GAO reviewed agency documentation, met with officials from several federal agencies, and conducted a review of technical and policy literature. GAO also interviewed representatives from companies involved in the development of exposure notification apps, public health organizations, federally funded research and development centers, and academic researchers. In addition, GAO analyzed information from a selection of states. GAO is identifying policy options in this report. GAO received technical comments on a draft of this report from five federal agencies and five organizations included in the review, which it incorporated as appropriate."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2021-09-09
• EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 21 Issue 36, September 9, 2021

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  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: "New report shows nearly three quarters of 9/11 responders have long-term illness"; "Drones: New CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] guidance for emergency communications centers and FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] outreach events next week"; "Updated Land Mobile Radio (LMR) funding and sustainability guidance from SAFECOM [Aviation Safety Communiqué System] and NCSWIC [National Council of Statewide Interoperability Coordinators]"; "Webinar: Implementing Telemedicine in EMS [emergency medical service] and the 911 Communications Center, Sept. 22"; "US Cyber Command warns of ongoing attacks exploiting Atlassian Confluence flaw"; "Going beyond: Assessing security practices of IT [information technology] service providers"; "CISA releases the Cloud Security Technical Reference Architecture and Zero Trust Maturity Model for public comment"; and "Five ways to navigate the threat landscape conveyed in Verizon's DBIR [Data Breach Investigations Report] 2021."

  Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)

  2021-09-09
• Letter from Phillip L. Swagel to Adam Smith Regarding Direct Spending and Revenue Effects of H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, September 9, 2021

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  This letter is from Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Phillip L. Swagel to Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services. From the letter: "The Congressional Budget Office has completed the enclosed estimate of the direct spending and revenue effects of H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on September 2, 2021. This estimate is based on the Committee Print 117-13 that was posted to the website of the House Committee on Rules on September 7, 2021. Enacting the bill would have an insignificant effect on net direct spending and revenues, CBO estimates. Our complete cost estimate of H.R. 4350, including a discussion of discretionary authorizations and mandates under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, will be provided shortly." An enclosed table is labeled "Estimated Changes in Direct Spending and Revenues Under H.R. 4350, as Ordered Reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on September 2, 2021, and Posted on the Website of the House Committee on Rules as Committee Print 117-13 on September 7, 2021."

  United States. Congressional Budget Office

  Swagel, Phillip

  2021-09-09
• Comprehensive Plan for Addressing High Drug Prices: A Report in Response to the Executive Order on Competition in the American Economy, Report to the White House Competition Council

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  From the Executive Summary: "President Biden's Executive Order 14036, 'Promoting Competition in the American Economy' (the Competition Executive Order), identifies a lack of competition as a key driver for problems across economic sectors. The Report presents principles for equitable drug pricing reform through competition, innovation, and transparency; describes promising legislative approaches; and summarizes actions already underway or under consideration across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In the course of preparing the Report, Secretary Xavier Becerra, other HHS officials, and HHS staff held listening sessions with consumer groups, staff from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), independent experts and researchers, and stakeholders from across the health care system. Americans spend more than $1,500 per person on prescription drugs and pay prices that are far higher than any comparable nation. Prices for brand name drugs are rising faster than inflation. Many Americans do not take medications as prescribed because of their cost, with resulting harm to their health care and health. Lack of competition is a key factor in these high drug costs."

  United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

  Becerra, Xavier, 1958-

  2021-09-09
• Report to the White House Competition Council: U.S. Department of Transportation's Investigatory, Enforcement and Other Activities Addressing Lack of Timely Airline Ticket Refunds Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  From the Introduction: "The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) is committed to ensuring that airline passengers are treated fairly. Airlines and ticket agents have a legal obligation to refund consumers if the airline cancels or significantly changes a consumer's flight. This obligation to refund passengers for flights cancelled or significantly changed by airlines remained unchanged notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines had difficulty processing, in a timely manner, the significant volume of refund requests that they received. Many airlines were also initially reluctant to provide the required refunds. Further, even when flights were not cancelled or substantially changed, many passengers no longer wished to travel due to COVID-19. This resulted in the Department receiving a flood of complaints about carriers' failures to provide refunds, an increase of 4,552 % relative to the same period pre-pandemic. The Department has devoted considerable time, energy, and effort to securing relief for consumers and holding airlines accountable."

  United States. Department of Transportation

  2021-09-09
• CISA Can Improve Efforts to Ensure Dam Security and Resilience

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  From the Highlights: "Nationwide, there are more than 91,000 dams, levees, and other water retention structures protecting homes and businesses, delivering electricity, and providing recreation and transportation. Recent dam failures in Oroville, CA, and Midland, MI, and widespread flooding in the Midwest highlight a need for comprehensive Federal oversight and guidance. In 2018, CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] became the newly formed DHS component responsible for Dams Sector security and resilience. Our audit objective was to determine to what extent CISA's oversight has improved Dams Sector security and resilience."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General

  Starinsky, Yesenia; Campbell, Douglas; Teal, Kirsten . . .

  2021-09-09
• COVID-19-Related Impact on the Banking Industry: Conditions in the First Quarter 2021 [September 9, 2021]

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  From the Document: "Although bank regulation is designed to allow banks to withstand some amount of unexpected losses, some worry that the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic could result in enough borrowers missing loan payments to cause distress for banks [hyperlink]. This Insight presents certain bank industry statistics for the first quarter 2021 and examines how the pandemic might be affecting the industry."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Gnanarajah, Raj; Perkins, David W.

  2021-09-09