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Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements [Updated April 25, 2022]
From the Summary: "Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that the United States has occasionally used to implement its national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the behavior of U.S. adversaries, while doing too much to restrain U.S. military forces and operations, many others see them as an effective means to promote transparency, ease military planning, limit forces, and protect against uncertainty and surprise. Arms control and nonproliferation efforts have produced formal treaties and agreements, informal arrangements, and cooperative threat reduction and monitoring mechanisms. After the end of the Cold War, the pace of implementation for many of these agreements slowed during the Clinton Administration. The Bush Administration usually preferred unilateral or ad hoc measures to formal treaties and agreements to address U.S. security concerns. The Obama Administration resumed bilateral negotiations with Russia and pledged its support for a number of multilateral arms control and nonproliferation efforts, but succeeded in negotiating only a few of its priority agreements. The Trump Administration withdrew the United States from the INF Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty. It did not support the full five-year extension of the New START Treaty but did seek to negotiate a short-term extension during the latter half of 2020. These talks failed to produce an agreement. It also advocated discussions on a future treaty that would limit all types of U.S., Russian, and Chinese nuclear weapons, but most arms control analysts doubt that China would participate in this process. The Biden Administration supported the full five-year extension of New START and reached an agreement with Russia that took effect on February 3, 2021."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.; Kerr, Paul K.; Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham
2022-04-25
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Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated April 25, 2022]
From the Introduction: "The Navy wants to begin procuring a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN), called the Next-Generation Attack Submarine or SSN(X), in the mid-2030s. The SSN(X) would be the successor to the Virginia-class SSN design, which the Navy has been procuring since FY1998. The Navy's proposed FY2023 budget requests $237.0 million in research and development funding for the SSN(X) program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-04-25
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Navy TAGOS-25 (Previously TAGOS[X]) Ocean Surveillance Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated April 25, 2022]
From the Introduction: "The first of a planned class of seven new TAGOS-25 class ocean surveillance ships was procured in FY2022 at a cost of $434.4 million. The Navy wants to procure the second ship in the class in FY2025. The Navy's proposed FY2023 budget requests no procurement funding for the program."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald
2022-04-25
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National Hurricane Center Forecast Verification Report: 2021 Hurricane Season
From the Abstract: "There were 394 official forecasts issued during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which is above the long-term average number of forecasts and a similar level of activity as the 2016-2018 seasons. The mean NHC official track forecast errors in the Atlantic basin were close to or below their previous 5-yr means. Records for track accuracy were set from 48-72 h in 2021. Track forecast errors have decreased significantly over the long term, but there has been less improvement during the past several years. [...] A three-year evaluation from 2019-21 in the eastern North Pacific indicates that the official track forecasts were very skillful, and had skill levels close to the consensus models. Regarding intensity, the official forecasts during the 3-yr sample performed as good as or better than the consensus aids. HMNI [Previous cycle HMON, adjusted] was the best individual model for the short lead times, and DSHP [SHIPS with inland decay] was best at 96 and 120 h. Quantitative probabilistic forecasts of tropical cyclogenesis are expressed in 48 and 120 h time frames in 10% increments and in terms of categories ('low', 'medium', or 'high'). In the Atlantic basin, results from 2021 indicate that the probabilistic forecasts were generally well calibrated at most probabilities for both the 48- and 120-h forecasts. In the eastern North Pacific basin, a slight low bias existed at most ranges for the 120-h probabilistic forecasts."
National Hurricane Center (2012- ); United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Cangialosi, John P.
2022-04-25
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'Unrestricted Warfare' is Not China's Master Plan
From the Introduction: "The book 'Unrestricted Warfare' (UW), published in 1999 by People's Liberation Army officers Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui has been thoroughly discussed and lauded by many in the West as an important document for understanding the Chinese strategic perspective. An article published in 'War on the Rocks' went as far as to say the authors, 'were about a decade and a half before their time.' In many universities and other higher learning institutions excerpts from the book are assigned and studied. NewsMax Media, Medina University Press International and Natraj Publishers even added 'China's Master Plan to Destroy America' as a subtitle. Shadow Lawn Press' 2017 publication of UW depicted a woman representing the U.S. sleeping with the words, 'Wake Up, America! China's Master Plan to Destroy America'. Overall, since UW's publication in English, the book has been used and cited many times as an important work in understanding China's military strategy. The narrative that UW represents an authoritative source that provides valuable insight the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) follows is extremely problematic. The book is unoriginal, not authoritative, both the authors themselves and examples from history contradict their thesis and much of the writing is designed to sound profound, but falls flat under closer examination. Moreover, the authors do not provide an applicable plan for a military to follow. While the book has certainly been popular and widely cited, this does not validate it. Understanding the PLA's strategic thinking is complicated and continues to evolve. A book written in the 90s does not hold the answers to China's 'Master Plan'."
China Aerospace Studies Institute (U.S.)
Baughman, Joshua
2022-04-25
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H. Doc. 117-113: Declaration of National Emergency and Invocation of Emergency Authority Relating to the Regulation of the Anchorage and Movement of Russian-Affiliated Vessels to United States Ports, April 25, 2022
From the Document: "Pursuant to the National Emergencies Act [..] and section 1 of title II of Public Law 65-24, ch. 30, June 15, 1917, as amended [...], I hereby report that I have issued a proclamation with respect to the policies and actions of the Government of the Russian Federation to continue the premeditated, unjustified, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine, which constitute a national emergency by reason of a disturbance or threatened disturbance of international relations of the United States. The proclamation prohibits Russian-affiliated vessels from entering into United States ports with limited exceptions for Russian-affiliated vessels used in the transport of source material, special nuclear material, and nuclear byproduct material for which, and for such time as, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Commerce, determines that no viable source of supply is available that would not require transport by Russian-affiliated vessels; and for Russian-affiliated vessels requesting only to enter United States ports due to force majeure, solely to allow seafarers of any nationality to disembark or embark for purposes of conducting crew changes, emergency medical care, or for other humanitarian need. The proclamation also authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make and issue such rules and regulations as the Secretary may find appropriate to regulate the anchorage and movement of Russian-affiliated vessels, and delegates to the Secretary my authority to approve such rules and regulations, as authorized by the Magnuson Act. I am enclosing a copy of the proclamation I have issued."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2022-04-25
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U.S. Immigration Courts and the Pending Cases Backlog [April 25, 2022]
From the Introduction: "Immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews, and administrative hearings are adjudicated by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), under authority delegated by the Attorney General. Immigration courts are not part of the federal judiciary. [...] This report begins by outlining EOIR's adjudicatory components. It then describes the process for removal proceedings, which are the most common proceedings in immigration courts. It also describes bond proceedings for individuals detained during removal proceedings. Next, the report discusses key policy topics related to removal proceedings, including respondents' access to legal representation and 'in absentia' removal orders. The second half of the report focuses on the backlog of pending cases, factors associated with the backlog, proposed solutions for addressing it, and related debates."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Straut-Eppsteiner, Holly
2022-04-25
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Pacific Islands [Updated April 25, 2022]
From the Overview: "In recent years, the Pacific Islands region in the Southwest Pacific has re-emerged as an area of keen interest to major powers, largely due to the People's Republic of China's (PRC's or China's) expanding engagement in the region. The region has strategic significance for the United States and hosts key U.S. military installations. Major issues affecting the Pacific Islands include international tensions, economic development, illegal fishing, climate change, and issues related to self-determination and decolonization. The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is the region's main political and economic policy organization with 18 members: 14 Pacific Island countries (PICs), two French 'overseas collectivities,' Australia, and New Zealand."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lum, Thomas G. (Thomas Gong), 1961-; Vaughn, Bruce, 1963-
2022-04-25
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Political Transition in Yemen [April 25, 2022]
From the Document: "In April 2022, a truce went into effect between the Republic of Yemen Government (ROYG) and the 'Ansar Allah' movement (aka the Houthis), the first nationwide truce in six years. Yemen's president subsequently resigned, reportedly under pressure from Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition backing the ROYG in its fight against the Iran-backed Houthi movement. Congress may review the status of the Yemen conflict during its consideration of the Biden Administration's request for $46 million in FY2023 foreign assistance funding for Yemen and through its oversight of the Administration's regional policies, including a potential nuclear agreement with Iran and defensive support to U.S. partners."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
2022-04-25
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Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N) [April 25, 2022]
From the Document: "In its FY2023 budget request, the Navy eliminated funding for research and development into a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N). The Navy indicated that the program was 'cost prohibitive and the acquisition schedule would have delivered capability late to need.' According to the Navy, this cancellation would save $199.2 million in FY2023 and $2.1 billion over the next five years. Press reports also indicate that this decision is supported in the Biden Administration's Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2022-04-25
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Privately Made and Unmarked Firearms: Overview of ATF 'Ghost Gun' Rule [April 25, 2022]
From the Document: "On April 7, 2021, President Biden announced several [hyperlink] executive actions seeking to address gun violence, including instructions for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to issue a rule addressing [hyperlink] so-called 'ghost guns' that lack serial numbers or other identifying markings. The announcement came amidst concern [hyperlink] from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) over its inability to trace unmarked firearms that have been used in shootings and other crimes in recent years. In May 2021, ATF published a proposed rule [hyperlink] addressing certain regulatory definitions relevant to identification requirements for firearms, among other things. On April 11, 2022, DOJ submitted [hyperlink] ATF final rule [hyperlink] 2021R-05F, 'Definition of 'Frame or Receiver' and Identification of Firearms,' with the stated [hyperlink] goal of 'ensur[ing] the proper marking, recordkeeping, and traceability of all firearms manufactured, imported, acquired and disposed by' persons and entities federally licensed to engage in the firearms business (Federal Firearms Licensees, or 'FFLs'). This Sidebar provides legal context for, and an overview of, the major components of the recent final rule."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Foster, Michael A. (Legislative attorney)
2022-04-25
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 22, 2022
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: "Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten -- United States, 2020-21 School Year"; "Poisoning Associated with Consumption of a Homemade Medicinal Liquor -- Chongqing, China, 2018"; "Hospitalizations of Children Aged 5-11 Years with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] -- COVID-NET, [Coronavirus Disease 2019-Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network] 14 States, March 2020-February 2022"; and "QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 18-64 Years Who Had a Dental Visit in the Past 12 Months, by Dental Insurance and Year -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019-2020." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-22
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 22, 2022: Provisional Mortality Data -- United States, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Provisional Mortality Data -- United States, 2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-22
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 6899, Russia and Belarus SDR Exchange Prohibition Act of 202
From the Document: "H.R. 6899 would prohibit the Department of the Treasury from exchanging U.S. dollars for Special Drawing Rights (SDR) held by Russia or Belarus. SDR are an international reserve asset of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that are distributed to each member country. The bill would direct the department to encourage other IMF members to follow suit and to oppose any non-humanitarian assistance for Russia and Belarus provided by international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank. On the basis of information about the costs of similar diplomatic efforts to influence the actions of other nations, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing H.R. 6899 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period. Such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2022-04-22
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MMWR Early Release: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 22, 2022: Provisional COVID-19 Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity -- United States, 2020-2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This Early Release issue of MMWR contains the following article: "Provisional COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Age-Adjusted Death Rates, by Race and Ethnicity -- United States, 2020-2021." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from MMWR can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2022.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2022-04-22
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Violations of ICE Detention Standards at South Texas ICE Processing Center
From the Document: "During our unannounced inspection of South Texas in Pearsall, Texas, we identified violations of ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement ] detention standards that compromised the health, safety, and rights of detainees. South Texas complied with standards for legal services, the voluntary work program, and detainee classification and provided sufficient medical care to detainees. However, we found that South Texas did not meet standards for grievances, segregation, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response, or communications with detainees. Specifically, the facility was late responding to grievances and did not document grievance resolutions. Grievances included complaints about mistreatment by staff, some of which the facility substantiated. Also, South Texas did not consistently provide required services for detainees in segregation, including access to legal materials and razors; nor were we able to confirm the facility consistently provided access to legal calls, mail, commissary, and linen exchange due to missing documentation of these activities in facility records. In addressing COVID-19, South Texas did not consistently enforce precautions including use of masks and social distancing but did begin providing COVID-19 vaccinations to detainees through partnerships with local governments. Further, ICE and the facility did not consistently respond to detainee requests in a timely manner and ICE did not log requests sent by detainees using paper forms. Finally, we determined the diminished detainee population at South Texas resulted in ICE paying roughly $18 million for unused bed space for a 1-year period under a guaranteed minimum contract."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2022-04-22
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Federal Broadband Data Sources: Frequently Asked Questions [April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "This report provides an overview of select federal broadband data sources and answers frequently asked congressional questions concerning these sources. The answers to frequently asked questions include links to available funding sources, service maps, provider speeds and technologies, and guidance resources. This report highlights reports and data sources from federal entities, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Census. Types of reports and data sources include federal survey data, congressionally mandated reports, federal assistance data, and select programmatic reports. The Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act [...], enacted in March 2020, highlights congressional interest in accurate broadband data. The FCC is in the process of creating systems and processes for the broadband data collection requirements included in the Broadband DATA Act."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Roan, Rachael D.
2022-04-22
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FY2020 State Grants Under Title I-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) [April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), most recently comprehensively amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act [...], is the primary source of federal aid to support elementary and secondary education. The Title I-A program is the largest grant program authorized under the ESEA and was funded at $16.3 billion for FY2020. It is designed to provide supplementary educational and related services to low-achieving and other students attending elementary and secondary schools with relatively high concentrations of students from low-income families. Under current law, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) determines Title I-A grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) based on four separate funding formulas: Basic Grants, Concentration Grants, Targeted Grants, and Education Finance Incentive Grants (EFIG). State grants are the total of the allocations for all LEAs in the state under all four formulas. The four Title I-A formulas have somewhat distinct allocation patterns, providing varying shares of allocated funds to different types of LEAs and states. Thus, for some states, certain formulas are more favorable than others."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Skinner, Rebecca; Sorenson, Isobel
2022-04-22
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Strategic Petroleum Reserve Oil Releases: October 2021 Through October 2022 [April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The Biden Administration announced plans to release up to 260 million barrels of crude oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve [hyperlink] (SPR) from October 2021 through October 2022. Oil stocks in the SPR were approximately 618 million barrels [hyperlink] at the end of September 2021. Releases planned during this period include exercise of three SPR authorities: (1) mandatory sales, (2) exchanges, and (3) emergency sales. Each release type differs in terms of congressional authority, use of funds, and replacing released barrels."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Brown, Phillip (Specialist in Energy Policy)
2022-04-22
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Long COVID and the Labor Market
From the Document: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates [hyperlink] that between February 2020 and September 2021 nearly 147 million Americans contracted COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], with a little over 100 million of those cases presenting in working-age adults. 'Multiple studies--including recent 'analysis' from researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles--have found that roughly 30 percent of those infected with COVID-19 experience some long COVID symptoms, again with no correlation to severity of the initial illness.' A January report [hyperlink] from the Brookings Institution pulls this all together, concluding that roughly 30 million working-age Americans have likely experienced long COVID, and further points to multiple studies finding that between 23-28 percent of long COVID patients reported being out of work because of their symptoms. 'All told, the report concludes that between 1.04-1.26 million people could be out of work at any given point because of long COVID.' [...] 'Given the uncertainty around long COVID, it's hard to make any emphatic claims, but it is likely that persistent long COVID is having an impact on labor market participation, and potentially a large one.'"
American Action Forum
Holt, Christopher
2022-04-22
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Insurance, Cyberattacks, and War in Ukraine [April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The potential for large, correlated losses has long made insurers wary of offering coverage for war damage. The first exclusions in insurance contracts for marine war risks [hyperlink] appeared in the late 1800s. With the relative absence of wars fought on U.S. territory, insurance against war risks has primarily been a concern for the transportation industry, with aviation being added to marine travel over the 20th century. The U.S. government has stepped in at various points and in various forms to ensure the availability of insurance against war risks from the beginnings of World War I through the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. (The 9/11 terrorist attacks also prompted a federal insurance program against terrorism risk [hyperlink].) While federal provision of war risk insurance is still authorized for sea and air vessels, it is narrower than it has been in the past. The risk of cyberattacks in the 21st century, particularly in regard to Russia's war in Ukraine, has brought the possibility of damages directly due to wars around the globe closer to home. Private insurance against such damage, however, may become more and more costly and difficult to obtain."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Webel, Baird
2022-04-22
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Overview of the Treasury Department's Federal Payment Levy and Treasury Offset Programs [Updated April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS), has two programs for collecting delinquent debt owed by individuals, businesses, and other entities to federal and state government agencies. They differ mainly by the type of debt each program collects. The Federal Payment Levy Program (FPLP) collects delinquent 'federal tax debt' only. In this case, the BFS collaborates with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to collect this debt by placing a continuous levy on eligible federal payments to delinquent taxpayers. The Treasury Offset Program (TOP) collects a 'variety of state tax and nontax debt and federal nontax debt'. In this case, the BFS collaborates with federal and state government agencies to collect delinquent debt (including past-due child support) by offsetting certain federal payments to delinquent individuals. Federal nontax debt consists of direct loans, defaulted guaranteed loans, administrative debt (e.g., salary and benefit overpayments), and unpaid fines and penalties."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Guenther, Gary L.
2022-04-22
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Intellectual Property and Technical Data in DOD Acquisitions [April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "The Department of Defense (DOD) relies extensively on the organizations that comprise the defense industrial base (DIB). These entities provide the products and services that enable DOD's business operations and warfighting capabilities. In some situations, DOD must also consider the need to obtain intellectual property (IP) and technical data rights in order to operate and maintain the capabilities it acquires. IP rights have grown in importance to DOD as U.S. defense research and development (R&D) spending as a share of global R&D spending has declined--and IP rights are also increasingly important to DIB entities who rely on their portfolios of developed IP to generate profits from their R&D investments. Observers such as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have said that DOD has not always been consistent in its acquisition and licensing of IP developed at private expense in the past, resulting in 'reduced mission readiness and surging sustainment costs' in some instances. In recognition of these trends, Congress has directed DOD to take a number of actions to improve policies and processes for how DOD acquires IP."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Peters, Heidi M.
2022-04-22
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Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Overview of U.S. Sanctions and Other Responses [Updated April 22, 2022]
From the Document: "On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an undeclared war [hyperlink] against Ukraine. The United States [hyperlink] and countries [hyperlink] around the world [hyperlink] have condemned Russia's 'unprecedented military aggression' as 'unprovoked and unjustified.' Members of legislatures, local governments, businesses, and publics [hyperlink] in the United States and elsewhere have expressed support for Ukraine and have condemned Russia's invasion. Hundreds of U.S. and other companies [hyperlink] have withdrawn, suspended, or curtailed operations in Russia. On March 2, 2022, the U.N. General Assembly voted [hyperlink] 141-5 to demand Russia 'immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw' from Ukraine (34 countries, including China and India, abstained)."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Welt, Cory
2022-04-22
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Fact Sheet on U.S. Security Assistance for Ukraine [April 22, 2022]
From the Webpage: "As of April 22, the United States has now committed more than $4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $3.4 billion since the beginning of Russia's unprovoked invasion on February 24. On April 21, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced the authorization of a Presidential Drawdown of security assistance valued at up to an additional $800 million tailored to meet critical Ukrainian needs for today's fight as Russian forces launch a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. This authorization is the eighth drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021."
United States. Department of Defense
2022-04-22
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey, Report #85: Unvaccinated Older Americans
From the Document: "In this report, we examine how many older Americans are unvaccinated against COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], and who these unvaccinated individuals are. The risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 is far higher for older adults, making vaccination particularly critical in reducing the impact of the pandemic. [...] Who are the older Americans who are unvaccinated? This is one of the key questions in terms of the future trajectory of serious illnesses and deaths from COVID [coronavirus disease]. Vaccines were approved first for this age group, and public health efforts have stressed their importance in reducing risk in this group. Age is strongly related to vulnerability to COVID infections, where 75% of deaths [hyperlink] from COVID are individuals who were 65 and older, versus a population share of 16.5%. Vaccinations have shown great efficacy at reducing mortality from COVID infection for all ages, including older individuals, by 90+% [hyperlink]. Thus, vaccinating older Americans has been the single intervention with the most promise of reducing mortality. Here we ask, first, how many older Americans remain unvaccinated? And who are the older Americans who remain unvaccinated?"
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Lazer, David; Uslu, Ata A.; Guo, Zhen . . .
2022-04-22
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COVID States Project: A 50-State COVID-19 Survey, Report #86: Misperceptions About the War in Ukraine and COVID-19 Vaccines
From the Document: "For the past two years, the United States has endured what the World Health Organization has termed an infodemic [hyperlink] of misinformation involving COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] in general [hyperlink], and the COVID-19 vaccination [hyperlink] in particular. We reviewed the current breadth and depth of the COVID [coronavirus disease] misinformation problem in a recent report [#82] [hyperlink]. In that report (based on our January 2022 survey), we found that about one in six respondents (16%) believed at least one out of four false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, while a little over 1/3 (37%) were unsure about at least one false claim. As we discuss below, those percentages have remained stable in our latest survey. [...] In this report, we review the extent of Americans' acceptance of false claims about COVID-19 and the conflict in Ukraine. We investigate the demographic and partisan correlates of believing false claims about Ukraine and the COVID19 vaccine, as well as the confluence of these two overlapping misinformation crises. In particular, we explore whether and to what extent acceptance of COVID-19 misinformation is associated with accepting misinformation relating to the current conflict in Ukraine. Are people who are inclined to believe false claims about COVID-19 more likely to also believe false claims about the conflict in Ukraine?" The previous report can be found at [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=868069].
Northeastern University (Boston, Mass.); Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy; Harvard Medical School . . .
Baum, Matthew A., 1965-; Ognyanova, Katherine; Lazer, David . . .
2022-04-22
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National Drug Control Strategy: Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy
From the Introduction: "Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operating on both sides of the United States-Canada border (Northern Border) often exploit the international boundary's vulnerabilities for illegal activities, at times in conjunction with outlaw motorcycle gangs. They smuggle illegal drugs as well as both weapons and the illicit proceeds from drug sales between the two countries. The predominate drugs trafficked across the Northern border are cocaine, which is smuggled into Canada, and MDMA [methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine] (ecstasy), which is smuggled into the United States. Though marijuana, heroin, and illicitly manufactured fentanyl are also trafficked across the Northern Border, their volume is substantially less than that which is trafficked across the Southwest Border."
United States. Office of National Drug Control Policy; United States. Executive Office of the President
2022-04-22?
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National Drug Control Strategy [2022]
From the Document: "I am pleased to transmit the 2022 'National Drug Control Strategy'. This inaugural 'Strategy' proposes bold, targeted, and consequential actions to bend the curve on overdose deaths in the immediate term and reduce drug use and its damaging consequences over the longer term. These actions are based on the best science, evidence, and data available. Through them, we strive to usher in a new era of drug policy centered on individuals and communities. [...] Saving lives is our North Star, and the 2022 'National Drug Control Strategy' calls for immediate actions that will save lives in the short term and outlines long-term solutions to reduce drug use and its associated harms, including overdose."
United States. White House Office; United States. Executive Office of the President; United States. Office of National Drug Control Policy
2022-04-21?
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EMR-ISAC: InfoGram, Volume 22 Issue 16, April 21, 2022
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: "NIOSH [National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health] announces new study on cancers linked to 9/11"; "FEMA updates 25 NIMS [National Incident Management System] resource types for fire management and suppression"; "NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] releases first-of-its-kind holistic home and community wildfire protection methodology"; "Webinar: How is 5G [fifth generation] impacting emergency communications?"; "CISA [Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency], FBI, NSA [National Security Agency], and international partners issue advisory on demonstrated threats and capabilities of Russian state-sponsored and cybercriminal actors"; "North Korean state-sponsored APT [advanced persistent threat] targets blockchain companies"; "Ransomware attacks on agricultural cooperatives potentially timed to critical seasons"; "BlackCat/ALPHV Ransomware Indicators of Compromise"; "Wind turbine firm Nordex hit by Conti ransomware attack"; and "CISA expands the joint cyber defense collaborative to include industrial control systems industry expertise."
Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)
2022-04-21
