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Global Women's Issues: Background and Selected U.S. Efforts [Updated May 5, 2022]
From the Document: "For several decades, Congress has considered or enacted legislation aimed at improving the rights and status of women and girls worldwide. These efforts, which may address a range of issues globally, including women's health, education, and security, are often grouped under the broad policy umbrella of 'global women's issues.' [...] U.S. efforts to address global women's issues have shifted over time, often reflecting world events, domestic political conditions, and the priorities of individual policymakers. During the past two decades, many Members of Congress and the executive branch have increasingly recognized a growing body of research linking gender equality to the overall stability, prosperity, and security of societies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Margesson, Rhoda; Blanchfield, Luisa; Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
2022-05-02
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Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "Wildfires are unplanned fires. Wildfires can have some beneficial impacts on an ecosystem, but they often threaten homes and communities, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Wildfires are sometimes caused by lightning strikes and may occur when a prescribed burn escapes control or through other human activities (deliberate or accidental). Annually from 2012 to 2021, there were an average of 61,289 wildfires, with an average of 7.4 million acres impacted and an average of 8,000 structures burned. In 2021, 58,968 wildfires impacted 7.1 million acres and burned nearly 6,000 structures nationwide, 60% (3,577) of which were residences. Congress and other stakeholders have considered options for federal support and assistance to address wildfire suppression during a fire, post-wildfire recovery, and land management activities to reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires, among other issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoover, Katie
2022-05-02
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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works: Policy Primer [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress authorizes and funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to undertake civil works activities, including planning and construction of water resource projects and maintenance of navigation improvements and other infrastructure (e.g., multipurpose dams). Division J, Title III, of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. [Public Law] 117-58), which became law on November 15, 2021, provided $17.1 billion in emergency appropriations to various USACE accounts (see 'Figure 1'), with the majority going to three accounts: [1] Construction (68%)[;] [2] Operation and Maintenance (O&M, 23%)[;] [3] Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T, 5%)[.] IIJA also provided [1] $251 million for repair of damages to existing projects, including nonfederal levees and shore protection through the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) account[;] [2] $75 million to the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) account for USACE [hyperlink] to implement a direct loan and loan guarantee program [hyperlink], which IIJA limited to nonfederal dam safety work (similar to a limit applied to FY2021 and FY2022 appropriations)[.]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.; Normand, Anna E.
2022-05-02
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Army Corps of Engineers: FY2022 Appropriations [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts. These activities include the planning and construction of authorized water resource projects and the operation and maintenance of infrastructure and navigation improvements managed by USACE. For USACE civil works, President Biden requested $6.79 billion for FY2022, which was $547 million above FY2021 enacted. Since FY2013, Congress has funded USACE above the President's request. For FY2022, Congress provided $8.34 billion (19% above the FY2022 request and 7% above FY2021 enacted level) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Division D, Title I of P.L. 117-103). In 2021, Congress also provided USACE with $22.81 billion in supplemental appropriations in P.L. 117-43 and P.L. 117-58 (see CRS [Congressional Research Service] In Focus IF11945, 'U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Supplemental Appropriations'). Of these supplemental funds, $20.68 billion were made available in FY2022."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Normand, Anna E.; Carter, Nicole T.
2022-05-02
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Army Corps of Engineers: FY2023 Appropriations [May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "Congress generally funds the civil works activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in annual Energy and Water Development appropriations acts. These activities include the planning and construction of authorized water resource projects and the operation and maintenance of infrastructure and navigation improvements managed by USACE. For USACE civil works, President Biden requested $6.60 billion for FY2023 [...], which is $1.74 billion below FY2022 enacted annual appropriations of $8.34 billion (Division D, Title I of P.L. 117-103). In 2021, Congress provided USACE with $22.81 billion in supplemental appropriations in P.L. 117-43 and P.L. 117-58 (see CRS [Congressional Research Service] In Focus IF11945, 'U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Supplemental Appropriations'). Of P.L. 117- 58 supplemental appropriations, $1.08 billion are to become available for use in FY2023 (e.g., $1.00 billion for navigation Operations and Maintenance [O&M] activities). During the FY2023 appropriation process, the Administration may continue its allocation of these supplemental funds toward eligible USACE activities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Normand, Anna E.; Carter, Nicole T.
2022-05-02
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Puerto Rico's Public Debts: Accumulation and Restructuring [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report outlines the accumulation of Puerto Rico's debt and the restructuring of the island's public debt through processes established by PROMESA [Puerto Rico Oversight,
Management, and Economic Stability Act]. Acute fiscal crises in 2006-2007 and 2013-2016 resulted in debt levels that could neither be sustained nor addressed through the Bankruptcy Code, which led to PROMESA's enactment. This report focuses on the largest portions of the island's public debt. For brevity's sake, it omits discussion of pensions and the restructuring of public corporations, such as the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), the Highways and Transportation Authority (HTA), and smaller entities. Also, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority's (PRASA's) somewhat stronger financial position has enabled it to avoid the need to seek a restructuring of its bonds. The report's Appendices include a summary of the structure of Puerto Rico's pre-restructuring public debts, an analysis of the evolution of prices and trading volumes of selected bonds during the restructuring process, a chronology of selected events, and a glossary of abbreviations in English and Spanish."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Austin, D. Andrew
2022-05-02
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Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Introduction: "This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. The Navy began procuring DDG-51s, also known as Aegis destroyers, in FY1985, and a total of 89 have been procured through FY2022, including two in FY2022. The Navy procured three DDG-1000 class destroyers in FY2007-FY2009 and plans no further procurement of DDG-1000s. The Navy's FY2023 budget requests the procurement of two DDG-51s in FY2023. The Navy's FY2023 budget submission also requests and multiyear procurement (MYP) contract for DDG-51s scheduled for procurement in FY2023-FY2027. Potential issues for Congress for the DDG-51 program in FY2023 include the number of firm ships to include in an MYP contract for the DDG-51 program for FY2023-FY2027, the Navy's future force-level goal for large surface combatants (or LSCs, meaning cruisers and destroyers), and how the Navy proposes to transition several years from now from procurement of DDG-51s to procurement of a successor destroyer design now in development called the DDG(X). Decisions that Congress makes on these issues could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-05-02
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Refining 'Reed: City of Austin' Updates Test for Content-Based Speech Restrictions [May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "The Supreme Court's April 21, 2022, decision in 'City of Austin v. Reagan National Advertising of Austin, LLC' [hyperlink] is the latest development in the Court's free speech jurisprudence on content neutrality. Content neutrality is important because it largely determines the level of scrutiny that a court would apply to a law regulating speech in a First Amendment challenge, with content-neutral laws receiving less rigorous scrutiny than content-based ones do. In this case, the Court held [hyperlink] that the city's restriction on 'off-premises' signs--signs advertising or directing readers to businesses or activities at another location-- was content neutral on its face because it regulated signs based on their location rather than their subject matter or topic. This Sidebar provides a brief overview of how the Court's standards for evaluating content neutrality have changed over time. It then discusses the 'City of Austin' decision and why the case could have implications beyond sign ordinances, potentially paving the way for broader location- or function-based regulation of speech, including online speech."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Killion, Victoria L.
2022-05-02
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Supplemental Appropriations [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a Department of Defense agency with civil works responsibilities, consisting largely of water resource projects to maintain navigable channels, reduce flood and storm damage, and restore aquatic ecosystems. USACE also has a role in responding to natural disasters, especially floods. This In Focus covers the appropriations that Congress has provided USACE that are in addition to annual appropriations, referred to as 'supplemental appropriations.' Congress may consider both the amount of USACE supplemental appropriations and how effectively and efficiently the agency uses these funds. [...] Issues for Congress include oversight of USACE's short-term and long-term implementation of supplemental appropriations. There may be questions regarding how efficiently the funds are spent on projects and how effective the funded projects are in accomplishing the purposes set out by Congress. Implementation concerns have arisen with USACE emergency appropriations at times; for example, an August 2021 Senate Appropriations Committee report, S.Rept. 117-36, identified shortcomings in the pace and approach to managing supplemental construction funding and in compliance with required reporting. An ongoing challenge for USACE is that numerous authorized studies and construction projects remain unfunded. In spring 2021, USACE estimated its construction backlog at $109 billion. To what extent supplemental appropriations have helped address the USACE backlog remains uncertain, and the aggregate effect of supplemental appropriations on accomplishing the agency's water resource missions nationally remains unknown."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Carter, Nicole T.; Normand, Anna E.
2022-05-02
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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Implications for Global Food Prices and Food Security [May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has impacts on global food security [hyperlink]. Since February 24, 2022, a humanitarian and economic crisis has unfolded in Ukraine, limiting Ukrainian exports of food and agricultural commodities, and affecting millions of people in Ukraine and the region, including more than 12 million recently displaced [hyperlink] (roughly a quarter of the population of Ukraine). In addition, in response to the invasion, the United States and other countries have imposed financial and trade sanctions on Russia, further affecting international trade patterns. Because Ukraine and Russia are among the world's leading exporters of certain food staples used in many countries, the effects of such disruptions on global food security are becoming apparent."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Margesson, Rhoda; Nair, Amber D.; Rosch, Stephanie . . .
2022-05-02
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Wildfire Statistics [Updated May 2, 2022]
From the Document: "Wildfires are unplanned 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. The Forest Service (FS)--within the U.S. Department of Agriculture--carries out wildfire management and response across the 193 million acres of the National Forest System (NFS). The Department of the Interior (DOI) manages wildfire response for more than 400 million acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and preserves, other public lands, and Indian reservations. Wildfire statistics help to illustrate past U.S. wildfire activity. Nationwide data compiled by the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) indicate that the number of annual wildfires is variable but has decreased slightly over the last 30 years and the number of acres affected annually, while also variable, generally has increased (see 'Figure 1'). Since 2000, an annual average of 70,072 wildfires has burned an annual average of 7.0 million acres. The acreage figure is more than double the average annual acreage burned in the 1990s (3.3 million acres), although a greater number of fires occurred annually in the 1990s (78,600 average)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hoover, Katie; Hanson, Laura A.
2022-05-02
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DOD Animal Use: Objectives and Performance Measures Needed to Monitor Use of Alternatives for Trauma Training, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "DOD uses live animals, in addition to alternatives such as training videos, mannequins and cadavers, for trauma training-that is, training for military personnel to treat acute battlefield injuries. However, the use of animals in medical education has faced longstanding scrutiny due to a continuing focus on animal welfare and continued improvement in other training methods. Various laws have addressed how animals can be used in government testing, research, and training programs and have sought to reduce this use where possible. DOD has, among other things, established a two-level review process for documents justifying animal use for trauma training, called 'protocols'. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review DOD's use of animals for trauma training. GAO evaluated the extent to which DOD has (1) made progress in its efforts to refine, reduce, and replace the use of animals for trauma training and (2) consistently applied guidance for reviewing and approving animal use protocols for trauma training."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Nuclear Waste: DOE Needs Greater Leadership Stability and Commitment to Accomplish Cleanup Mission, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "EM [Office of Environmental Management] is responsible for cleaning up legacy nuclear waste from weapons production dating back to World War II. In fiscal year 2021, EM estimated the probable future cost of cleaning up its remaining sites to be $407 billion. In addition, EM expects to shift from constructing to operating waste treatment facilities in coming years. However, EM's cleanup costs and contract and project management are included on GAO's [Government Accountability Office] High Risk List, for various reasons. House Report 116-442 includes a provision for GAO to review EM's leadership capacity. This report examines the extent to which EM (1) has had sustained and consistent leadership commitment and (2) communicates with its workforce in developing and implementing reforms."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Environmental Cleanup: Status of Major DOE Projects and Operations, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "EM [Office of Environmental Management] is responsible for the cleanup of hazardous and radioactive waste at sites and facilities that have been contaminated from decades of nuclear weapons production and nuclear energy research. EM divides its cleanup work into capital asset projects--those with defined start and end points--and operations activities-- recurring facility or environmental operations. GAO [Government Accountability Office] has identified DOE [Department of Energy] project management as a high-risk area because the department's record regarding management and oversight has left DOE vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. GAO's 2021 High-Risk Report identified numerous recommendations to EM to address this high-risk area. However, as of December 2020, 45 of these recommendations have not been implemented, including 19 that were made since GAO's 2019 High-Risk Report. GAO initiated a review to examine EM's performance and progress in managing its nuclear cleanup projects. This report (1) describes EM's largest capital asset projects, (2) describes EM's largest operations activities at selected sites, and (3) provides summary observations across the largest projects and operations activities GAO reviewed."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Earthquakes: Opportunities Exist to Further Assess Risk, Build Resilience, and Communicate Research, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "Established in 1977, NEHRP [National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program] aims to help reduce the risks to life and property from earthquakes. NEHRP's initiatives include strengthening community resilience through improved design and construction methods, conducting research to better understand the impacts from earthquakes, and providing outreach and education. NEHRP is comprised of four federal agencies (FEMA, NIST [National Institute of Science and Technology], NSF [National Science Foundation], and the U.S. Geological Survey) that promote and support NEHRP's initiatives for strengthening earthquake resilience. The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2018 includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to assess the program's efforts. This report examines, among other things, NEHRP's progress in identifying gaps and strengthening resilience to earthquakes, and its activities to identify and communicate about research priorities."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Nation's Fiscal Health: Federal Action Critical to Pivot Toward Fiscal Sustainability, Annual Report to Congress
From the Highlights: "The federal government faces an unsustainable fiscal future. At the end of fiscal year 2021, debt held by the public was about 100 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), a 33 percent increase from fiscal year 2019. Projections from the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of the Treasury, the Congressional Budget Office, and GAO [Government Accountability Office] all show that current fiscal policy is unsustainable over the long term. Debt held by the public is projected to reach its historical high of 106 percent of GDP within 10 years and continue to grow at an increasing pace. This ratio could reach 217 percent of GDP by 2050, absent any change in fiscal policy. The underlying conditions driving this unsustainable fiscal outlook existed well before the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and continue to pose serious challenges if not addressed."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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DHS Contracts: Opportunities Exist to Improve Oversight and Monitoring of Urgent Noncompetitive Awards, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Agencies are permitted to award contracts without full and open competition, such as when the unusual and compelling urgency of the agency's circumstances justify limiting competition. But past GAO [Government Accountability Office] work found problems with various agencies' use and oversight of contracts awarded citing the urgency exception to competition. GAO was asked to review this issue within DHS. GAO examined (1) trends in DHS's use of the urgency exception from fiscal years 2016 through 2020; (2) selected DHS components' reasons for using this exception and whether their use of justifications and approvals met acquisition regulations and policies; and (3) whether selected DHS components monitored and documented the performance of urgent, noncompeted contracts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Capitol Attack: Federal Agencies' Use of Open Source Data and Related Threat Products Prior to January 6, 2021, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Open source data indicated that the potential for violence at the U.S. Capitol appeared online months prior to the attack on January 6, 2021. Law enforcement agencies may use posts on social media platforms and other open source information to identify potential criminal activity, to develop 'threat products,' and to conduct criminal investigations. Agencies must consider the protection of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties when collecting and sharing this information. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review information related to the January 6 Capitol attack. This is the fifth in a series of reports on aspects of the attack. This report addresses what open source data selected federal agencies obtained and shared, as well as threat products they developed that leveraged such data related to the events of January 6. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed open source data that agencies obtained and shared, as well as threat products that leveraged the data. Agencies in GAO's review included those within DHS; the Departments of Justice and the Interior; Architect of the Capitol; U.S. Capitol Police; House and Senate Sergeants at Arms; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as they had specific roles in preparing for the planned events of January 6. GAO interviewed officials from Facebook, Parler, and Twitter about the extent to which they shared information with agencies. GAO selected social media platforms based on, for example, if they had appeared in threat products. This report is a public version of a sensitive report issued in February 2022. Information that agencies deemed sensitive has been omitted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Advancing America's Space Characterization Ecosystem: An Organizational, Technological, and Data-Driven Approach to Addressing Tomorrow's Space Conflicts
From the Abstract: "This study aims to provide organizational and technological recommendations to the burgeoning problems associated with the congested and contested space domain. The authors contribute to the lexicon by offering a novel concept entitled the space characterization ecosystem to better define the nuances of relationships and responsibilities in the space domain while adding clarity to the global nature of the problem. The study also offers a space characterization ecosystem data architectural construct to address the complex data issues to provide leaders decision-ready information. Through a historical and contemporary analysis of the evolution of the space situational awareness and space domain awareness arenas, the authors establish the significant role that the new space characterization ecosystems plays in American space security interests now and in the future. This work contributes to the discussion with a broad investigation of relevant organizations in the military, commercial, and intelligence community sectors that capture historical context to provide various organizational and technical recommendations to the space community. Space scholars, enthusiasts, operators, engineers, and leaders may find motivation to address the problem of gaining and maintaining freedom of action and freedom of maneuver in a highly contested and competitive space threat environment. It is the wish of the authors to establish a twenty-first century space characterization ecosystem primer for future generations to assume the leading role in an unending race towards American and allied space security."
Air University (U.S.). Press
Holt, Jason; Pambianchi, Johann; Sleeper, Barrett
2022-05
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Tailoring Messages for Cross-Cultural Communication: Recommendations for COVID-19 Case Investigators and Contact Tracers
From the Introduction: "Case investigators and contact tracers must understand and adapt to the culture of people with COVID 19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and their close contacts to conduct effective interviews and follow-up. 'Culture' refers to the learned and shared behavior of a community of people who interact with one another. A person's culture may be influenced by a several factors, including those listed in the image below. Culture helps shape a person's values, relationships, and understanding of the world around them. For example, some cultures may have different attitudes or beliefs about COVID-19 transmission, vaccination or treatment Culturp may affect a person's willingness to identify close contacts or provide a description of those contacts. It may also affect how person understands and communicates their symptoms, or influence their beliefs about authority figures, healthcare professionals, and public health."
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (U.S.)
2022-05
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Tribal Funding: Actions Needed to Improve Information on Federal Funds That Benefit Native Americans, Report to the Committee on Indian Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "Federal law requires federal agencies to provide a variety of services to tribes and their members. GAO [Government Accountability Office] refers to the need for these services--as defined by tribes, tribal members, and other tribal organizations that administer federal programs or grants for tribes and their members--collectively as tribal needs. In 2018, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reported that the federal government does not keep complete records of federal funding for programs serving tribes. OMB [Office of Management and Budget] publishes a crosscut on federal funding for programs that benefit Native Americans, but tribal stakeholders have expressed concerns about its transparency. This report examines (1) information the crosscut provides and reported challenges with using it and (2) the extent to which federal agencies obtain tribal input and reflect tribal needs during budget formulation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Defense Cybersecurity: Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information Systems, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "DOD computer systems contain vast amounts of sensitive data, including CUI [controlled unclassified information] that can be vulnerable to cyber incidents. In 2015, a phishing attack on the Joint Chiefs of Staff unclassified email servers resulted in an 11-day shutdown while cyber experts rebuilt the network. This affected the work of roughly 4,000 military and civilian personnel. In response to Section 1742 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, in June 2021 DOD submitted a report to the Congress on cybersecurity of CUI. The report discussed the extent to which DOD had implemented selected cybersecurity requirements across the department. The act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review DOD's report, and GAO has continued to monitor the department's subsequent progress. This report describes 1) the status of DOD components' implementation of selected CUI cybersecurity requirements; and 2) actions taken by DOD CIO [Chief Information Officer] to address the security of CUI systems."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management Practices for Systems and Organizations
From the Abstract: "Organizations are concerned about the risks associated with products and services that may potentially contain malicious functionality, are counterfeit, or are vulnerable due to poor manufacturing and development practices within the supply chain. These risks are associated with an enterprise's decreased visibility into and understanding of how the technology they acquire is developed, integrated, and deployed or the processes, procedures, standards, and practices used to ensure the security, resilience, reliability, safety, integrity, and quality of the products and services. This publication provides guidance to organizations on identifying, assessing, and mitigating cybersecurity risks throughout the supply chain at all levels of their organizations. The publication integrates cybersecurity supply chain risk management (C-SCRM) into risk management activities by applying a multilevel, C-SCRM-specific approach, including guidance on the development of C-SCRM strategy implementation plans, C-SCRM policies, C-SCRM plans, and risk assessments for products and services."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.)
Boyens, Jon; Smith, Angela; Bartol, Nadya . . .
2022-05
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Nuclear Security Enterprise: NNSA Could Enhance Its Evaluation of Manufacturingrelated R&D Performance, Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] is in the midst of a major effort to modernize its nuclear weapons and supporting infrastructure. As part of this effort, NNSA and its sites in the nuclear security enterprise support a variety of R&D [research and development] projects. These projects explore new manufacturing methods or alternatives to manufacturing processes that may be inefficient, unsafe, or obsolete. The House report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act included a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review NNSA's manufacturing-related R&D programs. This report (1) describes the manufacturing-related R&D projects underway at NNSA sites and (2) assesses the extent to which NNSA's management of its manufacturingrelated R&D projects follow leading practices."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
From the Background: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis has served as a painful demonstration that no country is fully prepared for a pandemic and that the existing global health architecture remains ill-equipped to finance pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR). The rationale for preventing and containing pandemics is self-evident: the price of preparedness is a fraction of the cost of responding to catastrophic outbreaks, both in terms of human and economic well-being. In the aftermath of the 2003 SARS [Severe acute respiratory syndrome] outbreak, 2009 H1N1 [influenza A virus subtype] pandemic, and the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, experts called for scaling up sustainable financing to ensure the world was better prepared to face that next global health threat. But even amid efforts to better understand and measure preparedness gaps, little action was taken to mobilize financing and incentivize investments in strengthening detection, prevention, and response capabilities. As global health threats evolve, countries' capacity to prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks is increasingly a global imperative. Now is the time to take concrete steps toward establishing sustained financing for pandemic PPR to help bring an end to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, combat future health security threats, and break the costly cycle of neglect."
Center for Global Development
Glassman, Amanda, 1970-; Smitham, Eleni; Collinson, Erin
2022-05
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Science & Tech Spotlight: Alternative Data Storage Technologies
From the Document: "Alternative data storage technologies--such as synthetic DNA and etched glass--are in development to meet growing demand. Current data storage media (e.g., magnetic tapes, DVDs [Digital Versatile Disc], and hard drives) are likely insufficient to meet the emerging global data storage needs, which are currently estimated to be around 97 trillion gigabytes. Demand is expected to double by 2025. The plastic and magnetic materials in current storage degrade over time and the technologies become obsolete by newer technology, requiring replacement as often as every 3 years. In addition, researchers estimate that by 2040, 2.4 billion kilograms of wafer-grade silicon--a high-purity component of computer chips and storage devices--would be needed to store the world's data. Yet the projected supply is estimated to be only 1 percent of demand. Furthermore, current data storage systems require large, energy-intensive facilities to operate and slow degradation of the storage media. Data centers have a significant environmental impact--reportedly consuming about 2 percent of the world's electricity as of January 2020 and potentially reaching 8 percent by 2030."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Hiding the Elephant: The Tragedy of COVID Policy and Its Economist Apologists
From the Abstract: "In 2020 and 2021, the world witnessed policies that caused enormous net damage to nearly every country. We demonstrate the usefulness of the new WELLBY [Well-Being-Year] currency in gauging the costs and benefits of COVID [coronavirus disease] policies and review the contributions of Australian economists to the scholarly and public debates about these policies. Our analysis documents the value of what was destroyed, the weak resistance mounted by the Australian economics profession during this period, and the role played by many Australian economists as apologists for Australia's most catastrophic peacetime economic policy failure. We close with ideas for working towards a better future."
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Foster, Gigi; Frijters, Paul
2022-05
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Military Depots: DOD Strategy for Addressing Deteriorating Facilities and Equipment is Incomplete, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The Department of Defense (DOD) operates industrial installations known as depots to maintain, overhaul, and repair its weapon systems and equipment. Depots are crucial to supporting readiness by repairing critical systems and returning them to the warfighter. GAO [Government Accountability Office] found in 2019 that the poor condition of depot facilities and equipment contributed to a decline in depot performance. This adversely affected readiness and incurred hundreds of millions in extra costs. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 included a provision for GAO to assess DOD and service depot improvement plans. This report (1) describes changes to the condition of depot infrastructure since 2016; and evaluates the extent to which (2) the military services address infrastructure challenges, and (3) the DOD depot improvement plan included all required elements."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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Pandemic Learning: As Students Struggled to Learn, Teachers Reported Few Strategies as Particularly Helpful to Mitigate Learning Loss, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic disrupted learning for millions of students, educators, and families who had to navigate modified in-person and virtual schooling, often in difficult circumstances. The pandemic's effects continue to reverberate across the nation and produce challenges for schools that will likely be felt for years to come. In many respects, the 2020-21 school year offered useful insights that may help schools, educators, and parents in the future. 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 also conducted this work in response to a provision in the conference report accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2021. This report, which is the first in a series of reports, examines (1) obstacles to learning during school year 2020- 21, and (2) strategies to mitigate learning loss. GAO examines these topics overall, by grade level, and by instructional model (in-person, virtual, or hybrid)."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-05
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FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: May 2022
This May 2022 edition of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin contains the following content: "Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, Police Department"; "Patch Call: Pennsylvania State Police"; "Preventing Attacks Using Targeted Violence Manifestos"; "Preventing Attacks Using Targeted Violence Manifestos"; "Perspective: Lights On!"; "Community Outreach Spotlight: FBI Explorers"; "Bulletin Reports: Causes of School Violence"; and "Bulletin Notes."
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
2022-05
