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Assured Access: A History of the United States Air Force Space Launch Enterprise, 1945-2020
From the Preface: "'Assured Access: A History of the United States Air Force Space Launch Enterprise, 1945-2020' is a study of more than six decades of Air Force launch support for the nation's military, intelligence, and civilian space communities. From their inception as refurbished ballistic missiles, Air Force boosters have launched national security space payloads for the Defense Department (DOD) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), as well as for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and commercial and other civilian elements. Throughout this period, Air Force launch strategy has been to provide assured access to space by means of affordable, reliable, and responsive launch. Basic technology that produced the expendable launch space boosters of the early Cold War era changed little in fundamental engineering and manufacturing processes from that period until the advent of the evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) program at the turn of the new century. Expendable launch vehicles (ELV) had been the backbone of Air Force space flight until the arrival of the space shuttle, with its promise of routine access to space. By the early 1980s, that promise had become increasingly problematical as space shuttle development and launch rate promises failed to meet projected targets."
Air University (U.S.). Press
Spires, David N.
2022-04
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Digital Health Credentials and COVID-19: Can Vaccine and Testing Requirements Restart Global Mobility?
From the Introduction: "More than two years into the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, rising vaccination levels and widespread testing in many countries are giving governments and the public increasing confidence in international travel. A central part of these efforts to restart mobility are digital health credentials, which verify a person's vaccination, testing, and/or recovery status and thus help minimize the risk that travelers will be carrying the virus or its variants. Such digital credentials are increasingly common, both for international travel and to access domestic services and venues. [...] This report examines the implications of digital health credentials for international travel and domestic access to services and venues, before exploring the implications for specific groups of people on the move (tourists and business travelers, students, labor migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and unauthorized migrants). Finally, it offers policy recommendations to facilitate mobility and minimize risks for people on the move, along with key principles that should underpin long-term planning around digital credentials."
Migration Policy Institute
Huang, Lawrence
2022-04
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Stockpile Stewardship in an Era of Renewed Strategic Competition
From the Introduction: "Stockpile stewardship was born in a particular moment in the security environment-- in that optimistic period after the end of the Cold War marked by rising confidence that major power confrontation would turn to major power concert in support of a new world order. [...] Alas, this moment has now passed. A new world order has not emerged; instead, the U.S.-led orders in Europe and Asia are hotly contested by Russia and China. Cooperation among the major powers has waned, while competition and rivalry have intensified. What does this imply for the ambition to reduce nuclear dangers through the exercise of strategic restraint? How, if at all, should the United States modify its approach to maintaining a nuclear deterrent in light of the new, more competitive relationships with Russia and China? These questions came into sharper focus with revelations in 2018 about novel Russian nuclear systems and in 2021 about China's covert program to deploy large numbers of new weapons. In reaction, CGSR [Center for Global Security Research] launched a project in 2021 designed to address a few key questions: [1] How have the United States, Russia, and China approached the maintenance of their nuclear deterrents in a changing security environment? [2] Where do their approaches align and differ? [3] Do the asymmetries matter? [4] How competitive is the U.S. approach?"
Center for Global Security Research; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Roberts, Brad; Albertson, Michael; Anastasio, Michael . . .
2022-04
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Department of Defense Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "In January 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD) took steps to immediately implement President Biden's Executive Order (EO) 13985, 'Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government', by conducting an equity assessment to identify potential barriers that underserved communities and individuals face regarding Federal programs. The enclosed responds to EO 13985, which requires Federal agencies to produce an equity action plan. While the Department has historically focused on increasing equity within the DoD community, the collective actions described in this plan represent a shift in the Department's approach and focus to better ensure that we leverage our capabilities to create opportunities for 'all' Americans."
United States. Department of Defense
2022-04
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Cyber Deterrence Revisited
From the Abstract: "The discourse on cyber deterrence is a melting pot of ideas, concepts, and experiments meant to continuously twist, bend, and refine our understanding, from the conflict dynamics playing out in cyberspace to the psychological deterrence effects taking root inside the human mind. At least, that is how it ought to be. With the exception of persistent engagement, cyber deterrence thinking has to a large degree treaded intellectual water due to the absence of access to operational data and insights into the tactical decision-making processes. To circumvent this substantial gap, academics have turned to recycling and transposing known deterrence mechanisms onto the cyber domain to mimic known behavioral outcomes elsewhere. Overall, those efforts have had limited practical success or could even be considered counterproductive for creating a deterrence theory applicable to cyberspace. This paper is a correcting effort to disentangle the ongoing academic discussions. It critically reflects on mechanism outcomes, shortfalls, and misconceptions and explains when cyber deterrence is successful and when it is not. It also outlines potential research avenues, policies, and access requirements that will likely help to ascertain the deterrence effects we so desperately crave to create in cyberspace."
Air University (U.S.). Press
Soesanto, Stefan
2022-04
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Augmented Reality (AR) Usability Evaluation Framework: The Case of Public Safety Communications Research
From the Abstract: "Augmented Reality (AR) is an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device. AR solutions have potential uses in many fields such as education, healthcare, retail, repair/maintenance, manufacturing, and gaming. Any well-conducted and well-planned product development project should follow an iterative human-centered process. [...] This report provides a five-component AR Usability Evaluation Framework to facilitate systematic planning of usability evaluations to ensure successful evaluations and collection of useful usability data for product improvement. The five components are: (1) Determine evaluation scope; (2) Identify users and context of use; (3) Develop evaluation scenario and tasks; (4) Select applicable usability metrics; and (5) Define usability measures for selected metrics. Following this framework to conduct usability evaluations throughout development cycle will help reduce development cost and bring the AR solutions to market faster, while providing usable products that are easy, quick, comfortable, and safe to use."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.)
Choong, Yee-Yin; Goad, Kurtis; Mangold, Kevin
2022-04
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E.O. 13985 Equity Action Plan: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, April 2022
From the Executive Summary: "Under the leadership of Administrator Michael S. Regan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has committed to making equity, environmental justice, and civil rights a centerpiece of the agency's mission. EPA's strategic plan for FY2022-2026--finalized in February 2022--includes 'Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights' as Strategic Goal 2 and outlines the following key objectives: [1] 'Objective 2.1': Promote Environmental Justice and Civil Rights at the Federal, Tribal, State, and Local Levels[;] [2] 'Objective 2.2': Embed Environmental Justice and Civil Rights into EPA's Programs, Policies, and Activities[;] [and 3] 'Objective 2.3': Strengthen Civil Rights Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns[.]"
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
2022-04
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Scientific Integrity: HHS Agencies Need to Develop Procedures and Train Staff on Reporting and Addressing Political Interference, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the Highlights: "Since 2007, Congress and multiple administrations have taken actions to help ensure that federal science agencies have scientific integrity policies and procedures in place that, among other things, protect against the suppression or alteration of scientific findings for political purposes. GAO [Government Accountability Office] defined scientific integrity as the use of scientific evidence and data to make policy decisions that are based on established scientific methods and processes, are not inappropriately influenced by political considerations, and are shared with the public when appropriate. GAO was asked to review scientific integrity policies and procedures, and how allegations of political interference in scientific decision-making are addressed at CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], FDA, NIH [National Institutes of Health], and ASPR [Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response]. This report examines the procedures in place to address such allegations and the extent to which agencies received them. It also examines training provided by selected agencies on scientific integrity policies and procedures, including those related to political interference. GAO analyzed the agencies' scientific integrity policies, procedures, and trainings; interviewed agency officials, and employees, which includes managers and non-managers; and deployed a confidential hotline."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Economic Report of the President: Transmitted to the Congress April 2022, Together with the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers
From the Document: "When I took office on January 20, 2021, I looked out at a Nation that was in the midst of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and experiencing a weak and uneven economic recovery. There were roughly 4 million workers who had been unemployed for more than 6 months. The Congressional Budget Office and private sector forecasters predicted a slow decrease in the unemployment rate throughout 2021. Our Nation needed an economic policy that was nimble enough to meet the significant and evolving challenges required to defeat a pandemic and recover from the severe economic disruptions it had caused. Recovery had to be swift and robust; it was not sufficient to return to where we had been, we also had to build toward a better future. Today, we look out at a markedly different America. Over 200 million Americans have been fully vaccinated and are now protected from the worst of COVID-19. Businesses have been able to resume activity. Schools and childcare centers are open again. Our Nation's economic recovery has been strong, marked by dramatic increases in employment and GDP [Gross Domestic Product]. Moreover, our progress has been achieved with a $360 billion decline in the Nation's deficit in fiscal year (FY) 2021 and a historic $1.3 trillion projected decrease in FY22. This success was not preordained. It is the result of well-designed and well-administered policies."
United States. White House Office
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2022-04
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Suicide Prevention: DOD Should Enhance Oversight, Staffing, Guidance, and Training Affecting Certain Remote Installations, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "In 2020, DOD recorded 384 active component suicide deaths, representing a 33.5 percent increase in the suicide rate since 2016. Some of these servicemembers were stationed at remote OCONUS [outside the contiguous United States] installations, defined by GAO [Government Accountability Office] as meeting DOD criteria involving factors such as harsh living conditions and limited resources. In response to a provision in the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, this report examines, among other objectives, the extent to which DOD and the military services have, in relation to remote OCONUS installations (1) collected required suicide incident data, and what is known about the incidence of suicide and related risk factors among servicemembers during 2016-2020; (2) established and ensured implementation of policies, programs, and activities that address suicide prevention; and (3) established guidance and training for key personnel for responding to suicide deaths and attempts."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Guide to the Distributed Energy Resource Risk Management Framework
From the Executive Summary: "The emergence of distributed energy resources (DERs) has transformed the electric power sector and will likely have even more profound impacts on the future evolution of the United States energy sector as it modernizes and becomes more reliant upon complex informatics programming and systems to ensure that our power grid remains safe from malicious interference. In an effort to improve the nation's cybersecurity posture, Executive Order 13800: Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure (2017) recognizes the increasing interconnectedness of federal information systems while acknowledging that critical infrastructure is at risk due to the misalignment of many policies that govern information technology at a national level. Office of Management and Budget Circular A-130, 'Managing Information as a Strategic Resource' (2016) addresses responsibilities for protecting federal information resources, requiring agencies to implement the Risk Management Framework (RMF), developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Executive Order 14028: Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity (2021) clarifies the responsibility of the federal government to collaborate with the private sector to maintain a safe virtual environment that is agile and may be modified in tandem with the discovery of new cybersecurity threats and proactive mitigation of unknown future cybersecurity incidents."
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.)
Thomas, Dana-Marie; Sanghvi, Anuj; Touhiduzzaman, MD . . .
2022-04
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COVID-19: Current and Future Federal Preparedness Requires Fixes to Improve Health Data and Address Improper Payments, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "By the end of March 2022, the U.S. had about 80 million reported cases of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and over 980,000 reported deaths, according to CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]. The country also experiences lingering economic repercussions related to the pandemic, including rising inflation and ongoing supply chain disruptions. As of February 28, 2022 (the most recent date for which data were available), the federal government had obligated $4.2 trillion and expended $3.6 trillion for pandemic relief. These amounts reflect 91 and 79 percent, respectively, of the total amount of COVID-19 relief funds provided by the CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act and five other relief laws. The CARES Act includes a provision for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to report on its ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report--GAO's 10th comprehensive report--examines the federal government's continued efforts to respond to, and recover from, the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, GAO's March 17, 2022 testimony included 10 new legislative suggestions to enhance the transparency and accountability of federal spending, which we reiterate here."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Afghan Air Forces: The U.S. Has Reduced Its Advising for Vetting AAF and SMW Recruits and the Afghan Ministry of Defense Does Not Have the Resources Needed to Vet All Recruits or Personnel
From the Document: "This report discusses the unclassified results of SIGAR's [Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction] audit of U.S. Department of Defense and Afghan Ministry of Defense (MOD) efforts to address challenges associated with corruption in the Afghan Air Force (AAF) and Special Mission Wing (SMW). The objective of this audit was to assess the extent to which the MOD vets AAF and SMW recruits for corruption. We are making two recommendations to help ensure the MOD maximizes its anti-corruption vetting capacity. Specifically, we recommend that the Commander of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A): '1. Direct U.S. advisors to coordinate with the Afghan National Army (ANA) General Staff for Intelligence (GSG2) to develop additional, anti-corruption-specific questions for the Preliminary Credibility Assessment Screening System (PCASS) program'. '2. Direct U.S. advisors to advise and assist the MOD in identifying resource requirements that would allow GSG2 to impose PCASS and Cellular Exploitation (CELLEX) screening on all recruits to the Afghan air forces and high-risk individuals'."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
2022-04
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USAID's Community-Based Support Services for Crisis and Disaster-Affected Communities in Afghanistan [redacted]
From the Document: "On September 23, 2019, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a $3,500,000 grant to to provide community-based support for crisis and disaster-affected communities[.] [...] The grant had an initial period of performance from September 1, 2019 , through August 31. 2020. USAID modified the grant one time, which extended the period of performance end date to October 31, 2020. SIGAR's [Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction's] financial audit, performed by Conrad LLP (Conrad), reviewed $3,493,277 in costs charged to the agreement from September 1. 2019, through October 31, 2020. The objectives of the audit were to (1) identify and report on material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in [...] internal controls related to the grant; (2) identify and report on instances of material noncompliance with the terms of the grant and applicable laws and regulations, including any potential fraud or abuse; (3) determine and report on whether[...] has taken corrective action on prior findings and recommendations; and (4) express an opinion on the fair presentation of [...] Special Purpose Financial Statement (SPFS). See Conrad's report for the precise audit objectives. In contracting with an independent audit firm and drawing from the results of the audit, auditing standards require SIGAR to review the work performed. Accordingly, SIGAR oversaw the audit and reviewed its results. SIGAR's review disclosed no instances wherein Conrad did not comply, in all material respects. with generally accepted government auditing standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States."
United States. Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction
2022-04
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U.S. Department of the Interior, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Wildfire Risk Five-Year Monitoring, Maintenance, and Treatment Plan
From the Introduction: "American communities continue to bear the brunt of droughts, wildfires, flooding, and other climate-driven disasters. Wildfires have been growing in intensity and number, adversely impacting air quality, contaminating drinking water, destroying important fish and wildlife habitat, and causing billions of dollars in damages to homes and infrastructure. On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The law provides historic, long-term investments in the infrastructure and economy of the United States, including more than $5 billion directed to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The BIL provides a transformative opportunity for DOI and USDA to modernize their wildland fire workforce and increase the pace and scale of fuels management and ecosystem restoration across Federal and Tribal Nation lands."
United States. Department of the Interior; United States. Department of Agriculture
2022-04
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Joint Force Quarterly: 2nd Quarter, Issue 105 [April 2022]
From the Document: "NDU Press produces 'Joint Force Quarterly' in concert with ongoing education and research at National Defense University in support of the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 'JFQ' is the Chairman's joint military and security studies journal designed to inform and educate national security professionals on joint and integrated operations; whole of government contributions to national security policy and strategy; homeland security; and developments in training and joint military education to better equip America's military and security apparatus to meet tomorrow's challenges while protecting freedom today." Highlighted in this issue is the following: The Quantum Internet: An Interview with Richard D. Clarke Toward Military Design.
National Defense University Press
2022-04
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Journal of Military Learning (Volume 6, Number 1)
This April 2022 edition of the "Journal of Military Learning" contains the following articles: "Improving After Action Review (AAR): Applications of Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning" by Kim Cates, Marc Banghart, and Alexander Plant; "A Mixed Methods Analysis of STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] Major Attrition at the U.S. Air Force Academy" by Daniel S. O'Keefe, David Meier, Jorge Valentine-Rodríguez, Lachlan T. Belcher, and Wilson González-Espada; "The Impact of Military Occupational Specialty Training on the Trait Development of Marines" by Tom Miller, Bruce Moore, Michael D. "Mo" Becker, Calvin Lathan, and Adam Beatty; "The Cost of Compliance: A Call for Context in Military Behavioral Compliance Training" by Bradley J. Sanders; "Nontechnical Skills: A Development Hierarchy for Military Teams" by Sandra Veigas Campaniço Cavaleiro, Catarina Gomes, and Miguel Pereira Lopes; and "Upcoming Conferences of Note."
Army University Press (U.S.)
2022-04
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AQIM's Imperial Playbook: Understanding al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb's Expansion into West Africa
From the Executive Summary: "In 2021, the United Nations noted the newfound threats of the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), a branch of al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), that extended into Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast, stretching farther yet into Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Had an observer in 2006 had this information presented to them, they might have scarcely believed it. That year, in which AQIM was formed, the group was a thoroughly North African organization and based primarily in Algeria. Fast forward 15 years, how did AQIM end up nearly 1,300 miles away, now posing immediate threats in the states of littoral West Africa? Relying on a combination of primary source jihadi propaganda and historical research, this report argues that over the past 30 years, al-Qa`ida and its branches and allies in North and West Africa have followed what this report calls 'al- Qa`ida's Imperial Playbook,' as they have sought to expand their areas of influence southward. Al-Qa`ida's 'playbook,' this report shows, is composed of five fundamental tactics: befriending or creating militant groups operating in the midst of conflict; integrating themselves into communities where those militants exist; exploiting grievances of those communities to gain sympathy; addressing internal or external dissent either passively or aggressively; and looking toward new theaters once their base is solidified."
Combating Terrorism Center (U.S.)
Weiss, Caleb
2022-04
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HHS Equity Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "Executive Order [EO] 13985 calls on agencies to advance equity through identifying and addressing barriers to equal opportunity that underserved communities may face due to government policies and programs. This Equity Action Plan focuses on a main tenet of EO 13985, that advancing equity must be a central component of the decision-making framework that all agency functions are routed through. Using the definition of equity presented in EO 13985, this plan takes the perspective that it is incumbent on HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] to move urgently to assess and change policies, programs and processes that the Department administers to concretely advance equity and that for these efforts to last, HHS must simultaneously shift the culture, resources, and approaches available to HHS staff to institutionalize and sustain a focus on equity over time. This Equity Action Plan does not describe comprehensively how all HHS components are working to advance equity, but instead highlights a few examples across the Department."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
2022-04
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Protecting Californians from Extreme Heat: A State Action Plan to Build Community Resilience
From the Introduction: "California's best climate science projects that every corner of the state will be impacted in years and decades to come by higher average temperatures and more frequent and severe heat waves. These changes will pose a risk to every region and sector across natural, built, and social systems. The 2022 Action Plan outlines California's all-of-government approach to mitigating the health, economic, cultural, ecological, and social impacts of increasing average temperatures and heat waves. It constitutes California's response to what has become known as 'extreme heat' and accompanying 'extreme heat events.'"
California
2022-04
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Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) in Adults
From the Introduction: "Public Health Ontario (PHO) is actively monitoring, reviewing and assessing relevant information related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This rapid review concentrates on results from systematic reviews and meta-analyses, updating the evidence on the prevalence of PACS [post-acute COVID-19 syndrome], PACS symptoms by organ system and risk factors for developing PACS. The update includes more meta-analyses and primary research with larger sample sizes and includes a new section reporting on the impacts of PACS on daily living. This rapid review replaces 'Persistent Symptoms and Post-Acute COVID-19 in Adults - What We Know So Far' (April 9, 2021)."
Public Health Ontario
2022-04
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Evidence-Based Laboratory Biorisk Management Science & Technology Roadmap
From the Document: "To ensure biorisk management is based on the best available science, the National Science and Technology Council's Subcommittee on Health Security Threats established the Applied Biosafety Research Working Group to identify and address research gaps needed to improve laboratory biorisk management, with the goal of ensuring that practices, guidance, and regulations are based on the best available science. The working group developed the 'Evidence-based Laboratory Biorisk Management Science & Technology Roadmap', which offers recommendations on how to advance applied biorisk research and employ the findings, as described in the Recommendations of this 'Roadmap'. The Distributed Biorisk Research Landscape section of this 'Roadmap' outlines the distributed stakeholder landscape for laboratory biorisk management, and the Applied Biorisk Research Priorities identifies priority biorisk management research areas based on initial engagements in federal and practitioner communities."
National Science and Technology Council (U.S.)
2022-04
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Coordination to Reduce Barriers to Reentry: 'Lessons Learned from COVID-19 and Beyond'
From the Introduction: "Each year, about 600,000 people in the United States enter prisons; and at the same time, people are sent to jails across our country over 10 million times per year. Individuals returning to their communities after a term of imprisonment face a number of barriers to success, including housing insecurity, inability to access health care, food insecurity, and barriers to education and employment. These longstanding barriers were exacerbated during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic and compounded by additional hurdles, including limited access to government and community-based services and support. Yet, despite the pandemic's tragic toll, new resources and creative solutions emerged, providing innovative approaches to combating barriers to reentry and to assisting justice system-impacted individuals. This report represents the efforts of six federal agencies, joined in collaboration with the Department of Justice, to study the impact of COVID-19 on longstanding barriers to reentry, to review efforts taken to ease those barriers, and to collaborate on efforts to improve successful outcomes for those returning home after contact with the criminal legal system."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of Public Affairs; Federal Interagency Reentry Council (FIRC)
2022-04
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Global Strategy to Manage the Long-Term Risks of COVID-19
From the Abstract: "The pandemic is not over, and the health and economic losses continue to grow. It is now evident that COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] will be with us for the long term, and there are very different scenarios for how it could evolve, from a mild endemic scenario to a dangerous variant scenario. This realization calls for a new strategy that manages both the uncertainty and the long-term risks of COVID-19. There are four key policy implications of such as strategy. First, we need to achieve equitable access beyond vaccines to encompass a comprehensive toolkit. Second, we must monitor the evolving virus and dynamically upgrade the toolkit. Third, we must transition from the acute response to a sustainable strategy toward COVID-19, balanced and integrated with other health and social priorities. Fourth, we need a unified risk-mitigation approach to future infectious disease threats beyond COVID-19. Infectious diseases with pandemic potential are a threat to global economic and health security. The international community should recognize that its pandemic financing addresses a systemic risk to the global economy, not just the development need of a particular country. Accordingly, it should allocate additional funding to fight pandemics and strengthen health systems both domestically and overseas. This will require about $15 billion in grants this year and $10 billion annually after that."
International Monetary Fund
Agarwal, Ruchir; Farrar, Jeremy; Gopinath, Gita, 1971- . . .
2022-04
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United States Coast Guard Ready Workforce 2030
From the Executive Summary: "The resiliency, flexibility, and adaptability of our workforce is at the heart of what has made the Coast Guard successful for well over 200 years, and it remains our greatest strength. However, the environment the Coast Guard must navigate to build its force has changed dramatically since 2000 and increasingly since the start of 2020. This rate of change will only continue to accelerate. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is well underway, with deep implications for Service missions, capabilities, and challenges. Continuing demographic and social trends are fundamentally altering the American population from which the Service recruits and serves. The Service is trying to retain its top talent in an increasingly competitive job market shaped by exceptional growth in emerging technology and science. Specialists and generalists alike will increasingly be in high demand, and top performers will want to jump in quickly wherever they are needed. 'Ready Workforce 2030 focuses on creating a system with the ability to generate the force we need, when and where we need it,' moving away from our current predictive workforce modeling."
United States. Coast Guard
2022-04
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Law Enforcement Departments Have Not Adequately Guarded Against Biased Conduct
From the opening letter of Michael S. Tilden: "Our audit of five law enforcement departments throughout the State uncovered the actions of some officers at each department who engaged in biased conduct, either during their on-duty interactions with individuals or online through their social media posts. Although we did not find officers who were members of hate groups, some officers made statements indicating that they support problematic groups. We have included in this report some disturbing content (with some redactions) because we believe that it is important to accurately reflect the nature of the conduct that we observed. We depend on law enforcement departments and the peace officers they employ to ensure that they exercise their unique authority without regard for individuals' identity characteristics, such as race, national origin, or mental or physical disability. What we found is that these five departments have not adequately guarded against biased conduct among their officers: [1] They have not used sufficient strategies to achieve representative diversity in hiring. [2] They have not implemented robust community engagement strategies or employee training practices. [3] They have not established sufficient, proactive processes to identify possibly biased behavior. [4] They have not consistently conducted adequate investigations of alleged biased behavior. [...] This report makes specific recommendations about steps each department can take to better ensure that Californians receive fair and impartial policing services. We also make several recommendations to the Legislature to better align expectations in state law with best practices for addressing bias in policing, such as by adopting a uniform definition of biased conduct, requiring more frequent and thorough training, and increasing independent oversight."
California. State Auditor (2013- )
2022-04
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Middle East Studies at the Marine Corps University: MES Insights, Volume 13 Issue 2, April 2022
This edition of the MES Insights published by the Middle East Studies (MES) program of the Marine Corps University contains the following article: "Society-Centric Warfare: Lessons from Afghanistan and Ukraine" by Amin Tarzin. From the document: "This article briefly compares the unexpected resilience of the Ukrainian people and government facing a much larger force committing a vicious military campaign with the failure of the much larger and better-equipped Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to stop the Taliban from taking over the Afghan capital of Kabul in a few days. What is missing from the dialogue is the often-forgotten dimension of strategic calculations--namely the societal dimension. In this article, the author argues that this is one of the primary reasons that Ukraine stands tall in its resistance and Afghanistan collapsed."
Marine Corps University (U.S.). Middle East Studies
2022-04
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Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board 32nd Annual Report to Congress, April 2022
From the Executive Summary: "Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB or Board) is charged with providing independent safety oversight of the Department of Energy's (DOE) defense nuclear facilities complex--a complex with the mission to design, manufacture, test, maintain, and decommission nuclear weapons, as well as other national security priorities. The act mandates that the Board review the content and implementation of DOE standards, facility and system designs, and events and practices at DOE defense nuclear facilities to provide independent analysis, advice, and recommendations to inform the Secretary of Energy regarding issues of adequate protection of public health and safety at DOE defense nuclear facilities. The Board prioritizes its safety oversight activities based on risk to the public and workers, types and quantities of nuclear and hazardous material at hand, and hazards of the operations involved. This annual report summarizes the Board's significant safety oversight initiatives and some high-priority safety issues at defense nuclear facilities subject to the Board's oversight during 2021."
United States. Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
2022-04
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Coronavirus and the Widening Global North-South Gap
From the Summary: "The European Union (EU) has a growing interest in investing in the Global South as the bloc seeks to fill a niche amid the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, find new allies in support of multilateralism, and diversify its international relations in pursuit of its norms and interests. But the union's policies and ambitions are underinformed by empirical research on how the Global South views the EU and Europe as a whole. This paper presents the initial results of an eighteen-month-long project conducted by Carnegie Europe and the Open Society European Policy Institute (OSEPI) that explored perspectives on Europe's international role through the eyes of the Global South."
Carnegie Europe
Balfour, Rosa; Bomassi, Lizza; Martinelli, Marta
2022-04
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Iran Entangled: Iran and Hezbollah's Support to Proxies Operating in Syria
From the Executive Summary: "Syria is a cornerstone of Iran's national security doctrine. While Iran's alliance with Syria is longstanding, in the past decade Iran has entangled with Syrian economics, politics, and security through a variety of hard and soft power techniques. To Iran, Syria is also a crucial regional ally. Syria has geopolitical utility for Iran's regional strategy and is an avenue through which Iran can exert considerable influence. The two countries have an alliance dating back to the early 1980s during the regime of Hafez al-Assad. In Syria, Iran can both exert influence in the security sphere through more tactical means while also fan a religious and social support base in Syrian society. Iran achieves these goals through raising and supporting non-state militant groups in Syria."
Combating Terrorism Center (U.S.)
Jahanbani, Nakissa; Levy, Suzanne Weedon
2022-04
