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• No-Notice Incidents: Trauma System Considerations

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  This Tip Sheet focuses on community-wide patient distribution and resource considerations in the event of a no-notice incident.

  United States. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response

  2018-04
• Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Intermountain Region, Part 2

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  "The Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) identified climate change issues relevant to resource management on Federal lands in Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, eastern California and western Wyoming, and developed solutions intended to minimize negative effects of climate change and facilitate transition of diverse ecosystems to a warmer climate. [...] The earliest and most profound effects of climate change are expected for water resources, the result of declining snowpacks causing higher peak winter streamflows, lower summer flows, and higher stream temperatures. These changes will in turn reduce fish habitat for cold-water fish species, negatively affect riparian vegetation and wildlife, damage roads and other infrastructure, and reduce reliable water supplies for communities. Increased frequency and magnitude of disturbances (drought, insect outbreaks, wildfire) will reduce the area of mature forest, affect wildlife populations (some positively, some negatively), damage infrastructure and cultural resources, degrade the quality of municipal water supplies, and reduce carbon sequestration. Climate change effects on recreation, a major economic driver in the IAP region, will be positive for warm-weather activities and negative for snow-based activities. IAP participants developed adaptation options that can be implemented in planning, project management, monitoring, and restoration as climate-smart responses to altered resource conditions."

  United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Forest Service; Rocky Mountain Research Station (Fort Collins, Colo.)

  Halofsky, Jessica E.; Peterson, David L.; Ho, Joanne J. . . .

  2018-04
• Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation in the Intermountain Region, Part 1

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  "The Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) identified climate change issues relevant to resource management on Federal lands in Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, eastern California, and western Wyoming, and developed solutions intended to minimize negative effects of climate change and facilitate transition of diverse ecosystems to a warmer climate. [...] The earliest and most profound effects of climate change are expected for water resources, the result of declining snowpacks causing higher peak winter streamflows, lower summer flows, and higher stream temperatures. These changes will in turn reduce fish habitat for cold-water fish species, negatively affect riparian vegetation and wildlife, damage roads and other infrastructure, and reduce reliable water supplies for communities. Increased frequency and magnitude of disturbances (drought, insect outbreaks, wildfire) will reduce the area of mature forest, affect wildlife populations (some positively, some negatively), damage infrastructure and cultural resources, degrade the quality of municipal water supplies, and reduce carbon sequestration. Climate change effects on recreation, a major economic driver in the IAP region, will be positive for warm-weather activities and negative for snow-based activities. IAP participants developed adaptation options that can be implemented in planning, project management, monitoring, and restoration as climate-smart responses to altered resource conditions."

  United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Forest Service; Rocky Mountain Research Station (Fort Collins, Colo.)

  Halofsky, Jessica E.; Peterson, David L.; Ho, Joanne J. . . .

  2018-04
• Decontamination of 'Bacillus' Spores from Drinking Water Infrastructure with Physical Removal (Pigging)

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  "This report summarizes the results of biological decontamination experiments performed at the WSTB [Water Security Test Bed] focused on removing 'Bacillus globigii' spores adhered to the inner surface of the 8-inch water pipe. 'B. globigii' spores are a non-pathogenic surrogate for 'B. anthracis', which is the causative agent of anthrax. Decontamination was undertaken with a technique known as pigging, or physical scouring of the inner pipe surface, followed by disinfection with free chlorine. Two pigging techniques were evaluated in separate experiments. First, ice pigging technology was used via a proprietary truck mounted mobile technology developed by the Utility Services Co., Inc. (USC). Ice pigging works by pumping a slurry of ice and water down the pipe. The ice in the slurry was expected to scour the inner pipe surface. The second pigging technique used a KEG® chain cutter. In this technique, water was pumped from a combination (Vactor®) truck at high flow and pressure and through a nozzle with a chain attached to it. The water flow caused the chains to spin and scour the pipe interior. Both pigging techniques were used to decontamination the 450 ft long pipe, as well as individual sections of cement-mortar lined iron pipe, and unlined iron pipe with corrosion. The results of this study indicate that the chain cutter followed by chlorination was more effective at reducing 'B. globigii' spores than ice pigging followed by chlorination."

  National Homeland Security Research Center (U.S.)

  Szabo, Jeffrey G.; Hall, John S.; Meiners, Greg . . .

  2018-04
• 2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection: School Climate and Safety

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  "The 2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) is a survey of all public schools and school districts in the United States. The CRDC measures student access to courses, programs, staff, and resources that impact education equity and opportunity for students. The CRDC has long provided critical information used by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in its enforcement and monitoring activities. In addition, the CRDC is a valuable resource for other federal agencies, policymakers, researchers, educators, school officials, parents, students, and other members of the public who seek data on student equity and opportunity."

  United States. Department of Education. Office for Civil Rights

  2018-04
• Public Health Preparedness and Response 2018 National Snapshot

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  "An emergency can happen at any moment, and the U.S. must be ready to respond to pandemics, natural disasters, or chemical or radiological threats. Our actions in this area directly serve to protect the health of the American people and is a matter of national security. The terrorist and anthrax attacks of 2001 revealed critical gaps in our nation's preparedness and our ability to connect around response efforts. Emerging diseases like H7N9, MERS [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome], Ebola, and Zika continue to show us that we cannot let our guard down. Preparedness demands constant vigilance and investment to keep up with public health threats as they evolve."

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

  2018-04
• Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2016 and 2017

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  "The FBI has designated 50 shootings in 2016 and 2017 as active shooter incidents. Twenty incidents occurred in 2016, while 30 incidents occurred in 2017. As with past FBI active shooter-related publications, this report does not encompass all gun-related situations. Rather, it focuses on a specific type of shooting situation. The FBI defines an active shooter as one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. Implicit in this definition is the shooter's use of one or more firearms. The active aspect of the definition inherently implies that both law enforcement personnel and citizens have the potential to affect the outcome of the event based upon their responses to the situation. [...] Though limited in scope, this report was undertaken to provide clarity and data of value to federal, state, tribal, and campus law enforcement as well as other first responders, corporations, educators, and the general public as they seek to neutralize threats posed by active shooters and save lives during such incidents."

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  2018-04
• Guidance Document on Best Practices: Key Components for Delivering Community-Based Medication Assisted Treatment Services for Opioid Use Disorders in New Hampshire

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  "To address the lack of capacity to treat OUDs [Opioid Use Disorder], the NH Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services (BDAS) convened a panel of practitioners from health care, behavioral health and specialty SUD [ Substance Use Disorder] treatment services, and the NH Medical Society to review existing MAT models in New Hampshire and other states and to identify key components and best practices to develop this compendium of recommendations and resources for implementing and delivering MAT [Medication Assisted Treatment]."

  United States. Department of Health and Human Services

  2018-04
• Emergency Communications: Increased Regional Collaboration Could Enhance Capabilities, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  "During emergencies, reliable communications are critical. Disasters, such as 2017's hurricanes, continue to test the nation's emergency communications capabilities. As disasters can cross jurisdictional boundaries, collaboration within and across regions is very important. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review implementation of the Post-Katrina Act's provisions related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This report examines: (1) challenges related to emergency communications that selected stakeholders have experienced; (2) their views on DHS's emergency communications assistance; and (3) the regional working groups established by the Post-Katrina Act and their effect on emergency communications capabilities. GAO reviewed DHS's reports and grant data for fiscal years 2011-2016 and conducted case studies of three cities--Houston, Los Angeles, and Boston--selected based on the number of declared disasters, DHS grant funding, and geographic diversity. GAO interviewed DHS officials; leaders of all 10 regional working groups and other stakeholders, including public safety officials in the case study cities; and others chosen for their expertise. FEMA should work with regional working-group members to reach consensus and implement an ongoing mechanism, such as a national-level working group, to encourage nationwide collaboration across regions. DHS concurred with this recommendation."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-04
• Climate Change: Analysis of Reported Federal Funding

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  "Since 1993, OMB [Office of Management and Budget] has reported over $154 billion in funding for federal climate change activities, spread across the government--raising questions about fragmentation, overlap, or duplication. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review federal climate change funding. This report examines (1) reported federal funding from 2010 to 2017 and the extent to which reports on such funding are clearly linked to the federal fiscal exposure to climate change; (2) the extent to which selected agencies reported climate change funding that supports programs where addressing climate change is the primary purpose; and (3) the extent to which the primary purpose programs are fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative. GAO reviewed OMB climate change funding reports; analyzed budget justifications for six agencies--the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and Energy; the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation--representing 89 percent of OMB-reported climate change funding in fiscal year 2014; analyzed documents on primary purpose programs against GAO's fragmentation, overlap, or duplication criteria; and reviewed GAO's prior work on fiscal exposures."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-04
• National Protection and Programs Directorate Office of Infrastructure Protection: Security of Soft Targets and Crowded Places - Resource Guide

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  "Segments of our society are inherently open to the general public, and by nature of their purpose do not incorporate strict security measures. Given the increased emphasis by terrorists and other extremist actors to leverage less sophisticated methods to inflict harm in public areas, it is vital that the public and private sectors collaborate to enhance security of locations such as transportation centers, parks, restaurants, shopping centers, special event venues, and similar facilities. Securing these locations and venues is essential to preserving our way of life and sustaining the engine of our economy. The Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), is committed to improving the security and resilience of soft targets by providing relevant tools, training, and programs to both the public and private sectors, and the general public. This guide is a catalog of IP soft target resources, many of which were created in collaboration with our partners to ensure they are useful and reflective of the dynamic environment we live in."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Infrastructure Protection

  2018-04
• ITL Bulletin: Improving the Trustworthiness of Email, and Beyond! (April 2018)

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  This document is the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) Bulletin for April 2018 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. From the introduction: "Each of us relies heavily on electronic mail (email) exchanges at home and at work, but the integrity of these transactions is often at risk. By one count, in the time it takes to read this sentence, 18,730,509 emails will have been sent somewhere on the Internet. (Unfortunately, 12.5 million of those will likely be spam!) Many emails include financial, proprietary, and privacy-related information that needs to be protected.This article introduces some of the work that is being done to address solutions for providing digital signature technologies to authenticate and protect the integrity of email on an end-to-end basis, protecting confidentiality of email in transit among organizations. These tools have been available but not widely adopted in the past. Yet, operating an email system without taking advantage of these security and privacy tools increases risks unnecessarily. NIST's [National Institute of Standards and Technology] Information Technology Laboratory, through the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE), recently published Special Publication (SP) 1800-6, Domain Name System-Based Electronic Mail Security, as a guide for how to architect, install, and configure a security platform for trustworthy email exchanges across organizational boundaries."

  National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.); Information Technology Laboratory (National Institute of Standards and Technology). Computer Security Division

  Rose, Scott; Feldman, Larry; Witte, Greg

  2018-04
• United States Attorneys' Bulletin: Delivering Effective and Engaging Training, Volume 66 Number 3, April 2018

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  This edition of the United States Attorneys' Bulletin covers Training. The following articles are included: "Training's Role"; "Designing Training to Improve Employee Performance"; "Tips for Effective and Engaging Presentations"; "Developing Effective Materials and Slides"; "Lessons Learned: Confessions of a Training Officer"; "Practical Tips for Effective Panels"; "How to Build a Smoking Gun"; "Lessons for Trials from Cognitive Research"; "Keys to Successful Webinars"; "Testing Students to Improve Learning: A Practical Academic Perspective"; "Effective Training: The Students' Perspective"; and "International Training: Challenges and Rewards."

  Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys

  2018-04
• SCADA Fusion with Commercial Fission

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  "Nuclear power plants rely on digital components, like supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) devices, to perform daily operations. These devices can contain software vulnerabilities. To address SCADA and other cyber threats, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued directives for licensed operators to submit cybersecurity plans for their facilities. While the guidance is on par with other sectors, the application may be inadequate. Protection against cyber-attacks becomes more important as SCADA systems become more standardized and connected to other networks. In addition to resilient components, improvements like redundancy, whitelisting, and intrusion detection systems can help improve a SCADA network. Ultimately, the nuclear power industry may need to undergo a culture shift in order to reduce the vulnerability of these systems. An information- sharing and analysis center can also provide lessons learned and expertise to the NRC and nuclear power plants in the U.S."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security

  Horner, Matthew

  2018-04
• FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Program Aimed at Combating the Storm

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  "A hurricane can leave a trail of devastation that includes loss of life and property. It can also have a major impact on the economy. Florida's Division of Emergency Management created the Hurricane Loss Mitigation Program in response to the damage Hurricane Andrew caused to Florida's insurance market in 1992. Its aim is to minimize some of the risks associated with a storm. The Florida Legislature initiated the Hurricane Catastrophe Trust Fund, which subsequently authorized the HLMP to encourage local partners to engage in best practices to reduce risk and losses."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2018-04
• FEMA Mitigation Best Practices: Mitigation: A Tale of Two Restaurants

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  "When the floodwaters receded from Texas' Gulf Coast in September 2017, the damage from Hurricane Harvey was massive and far-reaching. Restaurateur Keith Lilley had lived through other catastrophic storms and was not surprised when tons of water were dumped on his tiny hometown of Dickinson, about 30 miles south of Houston. [...] Floods are the most common and destructive natural disaster in the United States. About 90 per cent of all natural disasters involve flooding, and all 50 states have experienced floods in the past five years. Damages from floods are not covered under a standard homeowner's insurance policy."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2018-04
• Africa's Active Militant Islamist Groups

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  This map depicts active African militant Islamist groups, broken down by country and fatalities: "Violent events linked to militant Islamist groups in Africa rose by 38 percent over the past year. All major groups show an increase in activity."

  National Defense University. Africa Center for Strategic Studies

  2018-04
• Medical Surveillance Monthly Report [April 2018]

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  "Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR), in continuous publication since 1995, is produced by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch (AFHSB). The MSMR provides evidence-based estimates of the incidence, distribution, impact and trends of illness and injuries among United States military members and associated populations. Most reports in the MSMR are based on summaries of medical administrative data that are routinely provided to the AFHSB and integrated into the Defense Medical Surveillance System for health surveillance purposes.' This edition includes the following articles: "Coccidioidomycosis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2007-2017" by Valerie F. Williams, MA, MS; Shauna Stahlman, PhD, MPH; Gi-Taik Oh, MS; "Update: Heat illness, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2017"; "Update: Exertional rhabdomyolysis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013-2017"; "Update: Exertional hyponatremia, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002-2017."

  Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center (U.S.)

  Williams, Valerie F.; Stahlman, Shauna; Oh, Gi-taik

  2018-04
• HIV Infection, Risk, Prevention, and Testing Behaviors Among Heterosexuals at Increased Risk for HIV Infection: National HIV Behavioral Surveillance, 17 U.S. Cities, 2016

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  "This report summarizes findings from the fourth NHBS [National HIV Behavioral Surveillance] data collection among heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection, which was conducted in 2016; previous years of data among heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection (2007, 2010, 2013) have been published. The report provides descriptive, unweighted data that can be used to describe HIV infection among heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection and the percentages reporting specific risk behaviors, HIV testing, and participation in prevention programs. Monitoring these outcomes is useful for assessing risk behaviors and the use of prevention efforts over time and for identifying new HIV prevention opportunities for this population."

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

  Sionean, Catlainn; Doyle, Kate; Xia, Mingjing . . .

  2018-04
• CTC Sentinel [April 2018]

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  This CTC Sentinel published by the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point features the following articles: "NYPD [New York Police Department] vs. Revolution Muslim: The Inside Story of the Defeat of a Local Radicalization Hub," by Jesse Morton and Mitchell Silber; "A View from the CT [Counter-Terrorism] Foxhole: Five Years After the Boston Marathon Bombing," by Nicholas Tallant; "The Islamic State's Lingering Legacy among Young Men from the Mosul Area," by Scott Atran, Hoshang Waziri, Ángel Gómez, Hammad Sheikh, Lucía López-Rodríguez, Charles Rogan, and Richard Davis; "Challenging the ISK [Islamic State Khorasan] Brand in Afghanistan-Pakistan: Rivalries and Divided Loyalties," by Amira Jadoon, Nakissa Jahanbani, and Charmaine Willis; and "The British Hacker Who Became the Islamic State's Chief Terror Cyber-Coach: A Profile of Junaid Hussain," by Nafees Hamid.

  Combating Terrorism Center (U.S.)

  2018-04
• Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Inspector General's Use of Agreements to Protect the Integrity of Federal Health Care Programs, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  "HHS-OIG [Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General] has the authority to exclude providers and other entities that have committed certain acts, such as submitting false or fraudulent claims, from participation in federal health care programs. However, HHS-OIG can enter into agreements--CIAs [Corporate Integrity Agreements] and IAs [Integrity Agreements]--with providers and other entities as an alternative to exclusion. HHS-OIG is responsible for negotiating such agreements--which it typically does at the same time the Department of Justice [DOJ] is negotiating a legal settlement to resolve related allegations--and then monitoring the entities' compliance with them. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review HHS-OIG's use of these agreements. This report describes (1) the number of agreements and their general characteristics; (2) the circumstances that may lead to an agreement and the standard provisions of agreements; and (3) monitoring efforts and actions taken, if any, in response to noncompliance with the agreements. GAO examined agreements entered into from July 2005 (when HHS-OIG created its database) through July 2017 (most current at the time of GAO's analyses) and used HHS-OIG data to describe agreements' characteristics and actions to address noncompliance. GAO reviewed HHS-OIG documentation, including agreement templates and a selection of agreements to identify standard provisions. GAO also interviewed HHS-OIG and DOJ officials. GAO provided a draft of this report to HHS and DOJ. The agencies provided technical comments, which were incorporated as appropriate."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2018-04
• HayWired Earthquake Scenario -- We Can Outsmart Disaster

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  From the Document:"The HayWired earthquake scenario, led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), anticipates the impacts of a hypothetical magnitude-7.0 earthquake on the Hayward Fault. The fault is along the east side of California's San Francisco Bay and is among the most active and dangerous in the United States, because it runs through a densely urbanized and interconnected region. One way to learn about a large earthquake without experiencing it is to conduct a scientifically realistic scenario. The USGS and its partners in the HayWired Coalition and the HayWired Campaign are working to energize residents and businesses to engage in ongoing and new efforts to prepare the region for such a future earthquake."

  United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)

  Hudnut, Kenneth W. (Kenneth Watkins); Wein, Anne M.; Cox, Dale A. . . .

  2018-04
• Alabama Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document [April 2018]

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  "The purpose of this document is to improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following an acute waterway debris incident in coastal Alabama. The term acute waterway debris incident is used to describe an incident - either natural or anthropogenic - that results in the release of large amounts of waterway debris. This document outlines existing response structures at the local, state, and federal levels to facilitate a coordinated, well-managed, and immediate response to potential waterway debris incidents impacting coastal areas in the state of Alabama. [...] The Guide addresses potential acute waterway debris incidents affecting Alabama's two coastal counties, Mobile and Baldwin."

  United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Marine Debris Program (U.S.); United States. Department of Commerce

  2018-04
• Mississippi Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document

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  "The purpose of this document is to improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following an acute waterway debris incident in coastal Mississippi. The term acute waterway debris incident is used to describe an incident - either natural or anthropogenic - that results in the release of large amounts of waterway debris. This document outlines existing response structures at the local, state, and federal levels to facilitate a coordinated, well-managed, and immediate response to waterway debris incidents impacting the state of Mississippi. [...] The 'Guide' addresses potential acute waterway debris incidents affecting Mississippi's coastal areas with a focus on Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties."

  United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Marine Debris Program (U.S.); United States. Department of Commerce

  2018-04
• Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide

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  Form the Foreword: "On February 9, 2018, Congress passed and the President signed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123). The Act includes a provision amending the Stafford Act in a manner that largely codifies the changes related to houses of worship which were made in Version 3.0 of this Guide. [...] This Version 3.1 makes the following additional revisions to align with the changes made by the Bipartisan Budget Act: [1] Changes the terms 'essential governmental services' and 'essential governmental-type services' to 'essential social services' and 'essential social-type services.' [2] Adds houses of worship as eligible private nonprofit facilities, distinct from community centers. [3] Clarifies that houses of worship cannot be deemed ineligible because leadership or membership in the organization operating the house of worship is limited to persons who share a religious faith or practice. [4] Removes the exclusion of buildings and items used primarily for religious purposes or instruction from the definition of eligible private nonprofit educational facilities and makes clear that such facilities are eligible regardless of their religious character or use for religious instruction."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency

  2018-04
• Fire Management Today: Fire Impacts on Water Quality, Smoke Science Plan, Ordering on a Fire, and More… (Volume 76 No.1, 2018)

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  This issue of Fire Management Today features an article about staying vigilant when dealing with change titled "Coping With Change" by Shawna Legarza. Other articles include "Learning To Live With Fire" by Thomas L. Tidwell; "Water Quality Impacts of Wildland Fires" by Aregai Tecle and Daniel Neary; "Joint Fire Science Program Smoke Science Plan, 2010-2016: Results and Impacts" by Allen Riebau, Douglas Fox, and Cindy Huber; "Ordering on a Fire: Getting What You Need" by Ed Delaney; "Saving Lives, Property, and Tax Dollars in Nebraska" by Deloris Pittman; "Minnesota Programs Benefit Rural Fire Departments" by Christi Powers; "Assessing Fire Management Needs in the Pacific Islands: A Collaborative Approach" by Clay Trauernicht, Elizabeth Pickett, Pablo Beimler, Christian P. Giardina, Susan Cordell, J.B. Friday, Eric Moller, and Creighton M. Litton; "Fire Control and the 2015 Canyon Creek Complex Fire" by Hutch Brown; "The Role of Trust in Homeowner Firewise Actions" by Josh McDaniel; and "50th Meeting of the Northeast Forest Fire Supervisors" by Maris G. Gabliks.

  United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Forest Service

  2018-04
• Statistical Transparency Report Regarding Use of National Security Authorities: Calendar Year 2017

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  "Today, consistent with the USA FREEDOM Act and the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 (the reauthorized FAA) requirements to release certain statistics (codified in 50 U.S.C. § 1873(b)) and the Intelligence Community's (IC) Principles of Intelligence Transparency, we are releasing our fifth annual 'Statistical Transparency Report Regarding Use of National Security Authorities' presenting statistics on how often the government uses certain national security authorities. Providing these statistics allows for an additional way to track the use of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorities and gives further context to the IC's rigorous and multi-layered oversight framework that safeguards the privacy of United States person information acquired pursuant to FISA. The report goes beyond its statutory duty of providing statistics and further provides the public with detailed explanation as to how the IC uses these national security authorities."

  United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

  2018-04
• Intercomparison of 7 Planetary Boundary-Layer/Surface-Layer Physics Schemes Over Complex Terrain for Battlefield Situational Awareness

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  From the abstract: "This study considers the performance of 7 of the Weather Research and Forecast model boundary-layer (BL) parameterization schemes in a complex terrain environment. These BL/surface-layer options were compared and represent local, nonlocal, and hybrid approaches. Based on surface parameter root-mean-square error and bias measures, there is no clearly superior scheme; however, the BouLac, Quasi-normal Scale Elimination, and Yonsei University (YSU) schemes performed best. The surface parameters, planetary BL structure, and vertical profiles are important for US Army Research Laboratory applications, including in the formulation of some weather impact decision aids. Both the YSU and Mellor-Yamada-Janjic schemes, used in the common Weather Running Estimate-Nowcast model configurations and in operational configurations, appear to perform reasonably well in this environment. While the scale-aware scheme addresses the scale dependency problem, we have found no clear improvement when using this scheme with a 1-km inner mesh in this study. There is little variation between the schemes in the daytime BL, but at nighttime the schemes differ notably. The model's greatest difficulty is in simulating the transition between daytime and nighttime BLs. There is insufficient statistical spread in the members tested to consider a BLphysics-only-based ensemble to quantify model uncertainty."

  U.S. Army Research Laboratory

  Penc, Richard S.; Smith, Jeffrey A.; Raby, John . . .

  2018-04
• Supply Chain Vulnerabilities from China in U.S. Federal Information and Communications Technology

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  "The U.S. government needs a national strategy for supply chain risk management (SCRM) of commercial supply chain vulnerabilities in U.S. federal information and communications technology (ICT), including procurement linked to the People's Republic of China (China or PRC). This strategy must include supporting policies so that U.S. security posture is forward-leaning, rather than reactive and based on responding to vulnerabilities, breaches, and other incidents after they have already damaged U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, or the privacy of U.S. citizens."

  U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

  Beeny, Tara; Bisceglie, Jennifer; Wildasin, Brent . . .

  2018-04
• San Francisco Bay Integrated Flood Forecasting Project Summary Report

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  "This project involves state-of-the-art coupling of a NWS [National Weather Service] Distributed Hydrologic Model (DHM) with the USGS Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS). [...] This report focuses on assessment of the various flood forecast information products generated by the integrated flood forecast modeling system. The tributary DHM [Distributed Hydrologic Model] generates forecast information for each grid that are portrayed as discharge, flow hydrographs (peak flow, time-to-peak, duration of high flow), soil moisture, and flood recurrence level. The CoSMoS portrays flood inundation and timing, and duration. Both models can help identify flood impact features such as road-stream crossings, and other critical facilities. A workshop was held with state, federal and local agency staff involved with flood forecasting and warning, and flood mitigation. As part of the workshop, we asked participants to review Hydro-CoSMoS outputs and rate how useful these products would be for theirs jobs. Results of these reviews are presented, and discussion is directed to how users' assessments could influence design of the real-time operational system to be implemented."

  United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

  Kim, Jungho; Johnson, Lynn E.; Coleman, Tim . . .

  2018-04