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Alternative Airpower for Afghanistan: Unmanned Aircraft Systems
From the Abstract: "Over the last two decades, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have become an integral part of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations. Ground forces rely on the continuous support and protection of military air-power to be effective against an elusive enemy embedded among the population. However, in the case of Afghanistan, international advisors have struggled to fully develop a traditional manned air force and transition from foreign assistance to independent host nation-led air operations. This paper proposes and supports the expanded use of UAS as an alternative to augment the manned Afghan Air Force. As a case study, the Afghan National Army has begun independently using small-UAS for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, setting the precedent for further Afghan UAS capability. Additionally, the paper looks at the ease of UAS implementation in Afghanistan as an affordable alternative located, owned, and operated directly with ground forces like the US Army Aviation construct. The paper concludes by recommending UAS Training Platoons be included within the US Army's Security Force Assistance Brigades to implement UAS training programs in Afghanistan as well as other future counterinsurgency conflicts."
Air University (U.S.). Air Command and Staff College; Air University (U.S.). Press
Schumacher, Benjamin
2021-10
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COVID-19 Relief Assistance to Small Businesses: Issues and Policy Options [Updated October 1, 2021]
From the Summary: "The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers several types of programs to support small businesses, including direct disaster loan programs for businesses, homeowners, and renters; loan guaranty and venture capital programs; management and technical assistance training programs; and contracting programs. Congressional interest in these programs has become especially acute in the wake of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's widespread adverse economic impact on the national economy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Dilger, Robert Jay, 1954-; Lindsay, Bruce R.
2021-10-01
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CDSE Pulse: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (Volume 2, Issue 10)
From the Document: "The National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) has grown immensely since its inception 18 years ago. The initiative that started under leadership from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) now reaches consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, corporations, educational institutions, and people across the nation. This article will look back at the history of NCSAM, why it is important, and how you can contribute as this awareness month continues to build momentum."
United States. Defense Security Service. Center for Development of Security Excellence
2021-10
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States Respond to COVID-19 Challenges but Also Take Advantage of New Opportunities to Address Long-Standing Issues: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022
From the Executive Summary: "The coronavirus pandemic has generated both a public health crisis and an economic crisis, with major implications for Medicaid--a countercyclical program--and its beneficiaries. The pandemic has profoundly affected Medicaid program spending, enrollment, [hyperlink] and policy, challenging state Medicaid agencies, providers, and enrollees in a variety of ways. As states continue to respond to pandemic challenges, they are also pushing forward non-emergency initiatives as well as preparing for the unwinding of the public health emergency (PHE) and the return to a new normal of operations. [...] This report highlights certain policies in place in state Medicaid programs in state fiscal year (FY) 2021 and policy changes implemented or planned for FY 2022, which began on July 1, 2021 for most states; we also highlight state experiences with policies adopted in response to the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The findings are drawn from the 21st annual budget survey of Medicaid officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) and Health Management Associates (HMA), in collaboration with the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD). States completed this survey in mid-summer of 2021, following increased vaccination rates and declining COVID-19 cases but just prior to a new wave of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths driven by the highly contagious Delta variant. Overall, 47 states responded to this year's survey, although response rates for specific questions varied. This report summarizes key findings across five sections: delivery systems, benefits and telehealth, social determinants of health (which also includes information on health equity and COVID-19 vaccine uptake), provider rates and taxes, and pharmacy."
National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD); Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Gifford, Kathleen; Lashbrook, Aimee; Barth, Sarah . . .
2021-10
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Emergency Watershed Protection: Assistance Program Helps Meet Post-Disaster Needs and Could Be Improved with Additional Guidance, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters can damage watersheds, creating threats to life and property. According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, extreme weather events in the United States are becoming more frequent and intense, in part due to climate change, which GAO [Government Accountability Office] has reported poses a significant fiscal risk to the federal government. USDA's EWP [Emergency Watershed Protection] program provides technical and financial assistance to help project sponsors relieve imminent threats to life and property created by natural disasters. Congress appropriated over $1.3 billion to the EWP program from fiscal years 2015 through 2020. GAO was asked to review the EWP program. This report (1) describes the process through which USDA provides assistance under the EWP program and (2) examines stakeholder perspectives on the EWP program, including any challenges and opportunities for improvement."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10
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After Thursday: Air Commandos Deliver the Killing Blow to Japanese Occupation in Burma
From the Abstract: "This work is a synopsis of 1st and 2nd Air Commando Groups' action alongside other Allied forces from May 1944 to May 1945 in the Pacific Campaign of World War II. A macro-level overview of events, which affected the Air Commando Groups, or the Japanese occupation of Rangoon, Burma, is included to aid the reader in understanding the context of the various operations. This work is pictorial as well as written to provide a visual of the conflict and enhance the narrative beyond statistics and facts. 'After Thursday' is an in-depth view of the groups and the squadrons which comprised the Air Commando units. Special attention was paid not only to the flying squadrons, but also the many units that enabled the personnel assigned to fly and complete their missions. The enlisted side of operations was included for a more comprehensive picture."
Air University (U.S.). Press
Collins, Ryan S.
2021-10
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Transitional Public Security: Establishing Security in the 'Golden Hour'
From the Foreword: "TPS [Transitional Public Security] is necessary to ensure that communities in post-conflict environments, or when law and order has broken down, are stabilized; thus, preventing bad actors from flourishing. It may well be that Department of Defense (DoD) is tasked to conduct TPS in accordance with DoD policy. A lot of work has been done to ensure that DoD is prepared to implement the policy and much more needs to be done. This is the story of where we are now and how we got there."
Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute
Finkenbinder, Karen
2021-10
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Strengthening the Nation-To-Nation Relationship with Tribes to Secure a Sustainable Water Future: EPA Office of Water Action Plan
From the Executive Summary: "Long-standing water challenges in Indian country are negatively impacting tribes. Tribal communities are more likely than other populations in the United States to lack access to wastewater services and piped drinking water. [...] Barriers to addressing these and other water-related challenges in Indian country include: [1] A significant shortfall of funding to address water infrastructure needs; [2] A lack of water quality standards that enable full implementation of the Clean Water Act on tribal waters; and [3] The need for training and professional development of qualified tribal water and wastewater operators. This Action Plan is the EPA Office of Water's roadmap for partnering with tribes to address these barriers. The plan calls for rooting decisions in sound science, enacting policy with an explicit and intentional focus on supporting tribal water governance, and continually consulting with tribal government partners."
United States. Environmental Protection Agency
2021-10
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VA Real Property: Enhanced Communication and Performance Measurement Could Improve Capital Asset Management, Report to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "In providing healthcare to over 9 million enrolled veterans, VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] manages a portfolio that includes 5,625 owned and 1,690 leased buildings as of fiscal year 2020. VA has pressing needs associated with these assets, not only maintaining or replacing aging facilities but also adapting to changes in veterans' demographics and needs. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review VA's management of these real property (capital) assets. This report examines: (1) VA's management of its staffing resources for constructing and maintaining its capital assets, (2) VA's communication among offices involved in and supporting capital asset management, and (3) VA's assessment of its performance in capital asset management."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10
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Small Spacecraft Technology State of the Art Report
From the Introduction: "The objective of this report is to assess and provide an overview of the state of the art in small spacecraft technologies for mission designers, project managers, technologists, and students. This report focuses on the spacecraft system as a whole, provides current best practices for integration, and then presents the state of the art for each specific spacecraft subsystem. Certain chapters have a particular emphasis on CubeSat platforms, as nanosatellite applications have expanded due to their high market growth in recent years."
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Yost, Bruce; Weston, Sasha
2021-10
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Topical Fire Report Series: Fire Risk in 2019 (Volume 21, Issue 8)
From the Document: "These topical reports are designed to explore facets of the U.S. fire problem. Each topical report briefly addresses the nature of the specific fire or fire-related topic, highlights important findings from the data, and may suggest other resources to consider for further information. [...] The risk of death or injury from fire is not the same for everyone. In 2019, fires caused 3,515 deaths and 16,600 injuries in the U.S. These casualties were not equally distributed across the U.S. population, and the resulting risk of death or injury from fire is not uniform -- it is more severe for some groups than for others. Much can be learned from understanding why different segments of society are at a heightened risk from the fire problem. This topical fire report explores fire risk as it applies to fire casualties in the U.S. population and is an update to 'Fire Risk in 2017,' Volume 20, Issue 3. The focus is on how fire risk, specifically the risks of death or injury, varies with age and how other demographic factors weigh upon that risk."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; United States Fire Administration
2021-10
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HayWired Earthquake Scenario -- Societal Consequences
From the Document: "The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) led the HayWired earthquake scenario, which examines the likely effects of a large earthquake in California's San Francisco Bay region. This hypothetical earthquake is one of many plausible seismic events that could be the region's next big earthquake. The name HayWired alludes to the threat of earthquakes on the Hayward Fault and the vulnerabilities and strengths posed by the interconnectedness of the region's inhabitants, utilities, telecommunications, roads, and economy--including the digital economy. The HayWired scenario anticipates the effects of a hypothetical magnitude ('M') 7.0 earthquake (mainshock) on the Hayward Fault and its aftershocks that occur over 2 years. [...] The HayWired scenario was developed to inform residents of the bay region and policymakers of their possible earthquake risk reduction and resilience-building opportunities. Such actions taken now, before an earthquake, will help to: [1] save lives and preserve well-being, [2] maintain functional buildings and infrastructure, [3] keep people in their homes, [4] keep businesses open, and [5] shorten the region's recovery time when the next earthquake occurs."
United States. Department of the Interior; Geological Survey (U.S.)
Wein, Anne M.; Jones, Jamie L.; Johnson, Lauren A. . . .
2021-10
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Voices of First Responders--Nationwide Public Safety Communication Survey Findings: 'Day-To-Day Technology Phase 2, Volume 3'
From the Abstract: "The Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) is being developed to provide a dedicated network for first responders' use. A wave of new communication technologies compatible with the NPSBN is on the horizon, as major research and development efforts for these technologies are ongoing. The aim of the NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] PSCR [Public Safety Communications Research] Usability Team is to gain a better understanding of the usability of communication technology for first responders, by investigating the contexts in which they work, their experiences with incident response, and their problems with and needs for communication technology. To this end, NIST's PSCR Usability Team conducted an exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study to gather insights into the experiences and needs of first responders. The multi-phase study included in-depth interviews with 193 first responders (Phase 1), followed by a nationwide survey of 7 182 first responders (Phase 2). This report is the third in the Phase 2 publication series, presenting survey results related to first responder experiences with their day-to-day devices: frequency of use of these devices, useful rankings of the devices, and problems experienced with them."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.)
Dawkins, Shanee; Prettyman, Sandra Spickard, 1957-; Buchanan, Kerrianne
2021-10
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National Strategic Overview for Research and Development Infrastructure
From the Executive Summary: "The purpose of the National Strategic Overview for Research and Development Infrastructure (RDI) is to 'provide a strategic vision that presents key policy opportunities' to optimize Federal RDI investments and planning over the next 20 years. This National Strategic Overview completes the report to Congress on Federal RDI investments mandated by the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Act. It also describes the current Federal RDI landscape and the integral role of RDIs in enabling and sustaining the Nation's R&D [research and development] enterprise. Through its strategic vision and key policy opportunities, this National Strategic Overview lays the groundwork to develop coordinated and enhanced approaches for Federal RDI investments that address short- and long-term needs."
United States. Office of Science and Technology Policy; National Science and Technology Council (U.S.)
National Science and Technology Council (U.S.). Subcommittee on Research and Development Infrastructure
2021-10
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COVID-19 Working Paper: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Food Security in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of the Emerging Microeconomic Literature
From the Abstract: "This paper reviews preliminary findings from the emerging microeconomic literature on observed changes in food insecurity associated with the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. The review complements existing macroeconomic projections of food insecurity, based on expected changes in income and prices, by providing discussions of local-level, microeconomic differences in food insecurity. The review focuses on studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries that include household survey data, measuring food insecurity, collected both before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, the authors review eight studies--seven from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and one from India. The authors discuss findings and limitations in this emerging literature, with the goal of informing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. A key takeaway is that--although most studies in the review find evidence of increasing food insecurity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also evidence of resilience (at least in terms of food security) among some subpopulations."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service
Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Farris, Jarrad
2021-10
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Advancing the Nation's Geospatial Capabilities to Promote Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Climate Planning and Resilience: A Report to the National Climate Task Force
From the Introduction: "Executive Order 14008, 'Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,' calls for the development of two companion reports. This, the second of the two reports, discusses the potential development of a consolidated Federal geographic mapping service that can facilitate public access to climate-related information to assist Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments in their local, national, and international climate planning and resilience activities. This report uses the term 'collaborative' mapping service instead of 'consolidated' mapping service to better reflect the integrated roles and participation of Federal agencies and non-Federal constituents in providing climate-related and other geospatial data and services. Geospatial data, maps, and services help users understand and address challenges at local, national, and global scales in the context of their local geography. One such challenge is the climate crisis, a problem whose solution is a national imperative that requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. The crisis caused by global climate change has many varied and interrelated facets, and numerous government agencies and nongovernmental organizations are producing data and products to understand the influences of, and the solutions needed to mitigate the different aspects of, this crisis. Geospatial data services and analysis alone cannot inform and provide solutions to all the challenges posed by climate change. However, sharing data and information is essential for climate planning and resilience and necessitates a coordinated effort by data providers, data users, and decision makers to develop their data-sharing capabilities."
United States. Federal Geographic Data Committee
2021-10
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Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Needs to Better Coordinate and Prioritize Its Research and Development Efforts, Report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "R&D [research and development] has played an essential role in EM [United States Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management]'s efforts to clean up massive amounts of contamination from decades of nuclear weapons production and energy research. Such R&D has led to safer, more efficient, and more effective cleanup approaches. Prior studies have found that investments in R&D could reduce the future costs of EM's cleanup efforts, which have increased by nearly $250 billion in the last 10 years. However, funding designated for nuclear cleanup R&D has declined since 2000. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review EM's R&D efforts. This report examines (1) how EM identifies cleanup-related R&D needs, (2) how and the extent to which EM coordinates R&D across the EM complex, and (3) the extent to which EM prioritizes cleanup-related R&D efforts. GAO reviewed DOE [United States Department of Energy] and EM documents and interviewed EM site and headquarters officials and national laboratory representatives. In addition, GAO compared EM's coordination of R&D to leading practices for collaboration and compared EM's efforts to prioritize R&D with GAO's risk-informed decision-making framework."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2021-10
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Farmers to Families? An Investigation into the Trump Administration's Food Box Program
From the Executive Summary: "This staff report presents findings from an investigation conducted by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis into how the Trump Administration, through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), administered the Farmers to Families Food Box Program (Food Box Program or Program) in 2020. The Select Subcommittee launched an investigation into the Program in August 2020 following reports that the Trump Administration, under then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, had mismanaged the program, resulting in large awards to contractors with questionable experience. [...] The Select Subcommittee's investigation focused on three distributors awarded large first-round contracts that had been the subject of multiple press reports questioning their fitness for the program. While none of the three contractors reviewed in the Select Subcommittee's investigation were renewed for the second round of the Program, the Trump Administration failed to enact certain critical improvements to the Program until its third round. Even after these improvements were implemented, the Program suffered from significant problems, such as poor-quality box contents, food safety issues, failed deliveries, and uneven distribution that excluded many suffering communities. After undertaking a review of the Food Box Program, the Biden Administration ended the Program on May 31, 2021. In the future, USDA must incorporate lessons learned from this Program to ensure the safety of recipients, limit risks of waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensure the effective, efficient, and equitable use of funds. The Select Subcommittee recommends that, when designing and implementing future food distribution programs, USDA take more care in evaluating contractors, issue and enforce guidance on eligible partner organizations and emergency pricing, and take other appropriate steps to maximize support for hungry Americans while minimizing food waste and abuse of food distribution programs."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Reform. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis
2021-10
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Federal Offenders Who Served in the Armed Forces
From the Introduction: "This report provides an analysis of the relatively small number of veterans each year who are sentenced for a federal felony or Class A misdemeanor offense, most often committed well after they left military service. In particular, the report examines federal offenders with prior military service who were sentenced in fiscal year 2019, the crimes they committed, and an assessment of whether that prior service was given special consideration at sentencing. Since most veteran offenders are sentenced for offenses other than federal felony or Class A misdemeanor offenses and, therefore, not reflected in the Commission's data, the report also discusses how many states, and even a few federal districts have established specialized courts for less serious offenses to provide veterans with additional opportunities for rehabilitation and reentry into the community."
United States Sentencing Commission
2021-10
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High Public Debt in an Uncertain World: Post-Covid-19 Dangers for Public Finance
From the Document: "During the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis, governments have had little choice but to support the economy while trying to keep the spread of the disease under control; this means accepting large deficits. Now that the health emergency is subsiding, governments have to chart a new course for public finance. The starting point is a higher level of public debt. In some countries, such as Italy or the US, public debt has increased by between 25 and 30 percentage points relative to GDP [gross domestic product]. Moreover, the levels reached by a number of countries (close to 160 percent of GDP for Italy, 130 percent of GDP for the US, 200 percent of GDP for Greece) are above the levels that would have been considered prudent a few years ago. [...] The key reason why high public debt should be considered a potential source of problems, even in an environment of low rates, is another important, but often overlooked, legacy of the Covid-19 crisis: increased uncertainty."
EconPol Europe
Gros, Daniel
2021-10
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COVID-19--Oversight of the Emergency Food Assistance Program--Interim Report [October 2021]
From the Objective: "Our ongoing inspection has four objectives. This report addresses Objective 1: What criteria did FNS [Food and Nutrition Service] use to approve States for food and administrative funds provided under the FFCR [Families First Coronavirus Response] and CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Acts. The Objective 1 includes the following sub objectives: (a) How much did FNS allocate to each State for food assistance and administrative funds under each act?; (b) Did FNS deny any State request for food assistance and/ or administrative funds provided under each act?; (c) Did FNS use different criteria to approve States for food assistance and administrative funds under each act?; and (d) What impact, if any, could changes to the criteria have on the integrity of the program? [...] We evaluated the process FNS used to approve States for food and administrative funds provided under the FFCR and CARES Acts. [...] We made no recommendations in this report."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of the Inspector General
2021-10
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Inspection of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons [October 2021]
From the Highlights: "OIG [Office of Inspector General] evaluated executive direction, policy and program implementation, foreign assistance program management, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, and resource management operations of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. [...] OIG made 5 recommendations to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons."
United States. Department of State. Office of the Inspector General
2021-10
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COVID-19 Working Paper: Filling the Pandemic Meal Gap: Disruptions to Child Nutrition Programs and Expansion of Free Meal Sites in the Early Months of the Pandemic
From the Abstract: "The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck the United States abruptly and unexpectedly, forcing the closure of schools and childcare providers nationwide beginning in March 2020. These closures disrupted the provision of meals to children through the largest of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) child nutrition programs. In response, USDA issued a series of waivers, as allowed by law, to facilitate the continued provision of meals to children while prioritizing the health and safety of communities. This working paper assesses the extent to which the existing child nutrition infrastructure was able to rapidly adapt to meet the needs of children in the immediate aftermath of the unforeseen crises. It documents disruptions in the provision of meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) from March through May 2020, and it examines the extent to which waivers allowing greater flexibility in their implementation and the expansion of free meal sites helped to compensate for these disruptions."
United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service
Toossi, Saied
2021-10
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Household Experiences in America During the Delta Variant Outbreak
From the Executive Summary: "This report examines the most serious problems facing U.S. households during the delta variant outbreak, with an aim to identify vulnerable populations in urgent need of government help or charitable aid. NPR [National Public Radio], The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a survey August 2 - September 7, 2021, to examine the most serious problems facing households across America in the past few months when it comes to their finances, healthcare, racial/ethnic discrimination, education, caregiving, work, and well-being. Despite billions of dollars appropriated by federal and state governments during the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] outbreak to protect vulnerable Americans, as well as recent reports that the poverty rate has declined, results from this survey show that a substantial share of households across the U.S. have not been adequately protected from financial problems. Many report serious impacts across different areas of their lives in the past few months alone. Of note, this poll measured experiences just before federal pandemic unemployment benefits ended and at the time housing eviction protections expired, so estimates do not include the potential impact of these events. These findings raise important concerns about the limited financial resources of many U.S. households to weather the economic effects of the delta variant outbreak, as a significant share have lost their household savings during the COVID-19 outbreak and are facing major problems paying for basic costs of living, including rent, utilities, and medical care."
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; National Public Radio (U.S.)
2021-10
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Huawei's Access to Hard Disk Drives in America: An Investigation into Seagate Technology
From the Overview: "Minority Staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation investigated industry compliance with a rule issued by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Department of Commerce substantially restricting Huawei or its affiliates ('Huawei') from accessing direct products of specified U.S. technology or software. BIS explained that the rule 'narrowly and strategically target[ed] Huawei's acquisition of semiconductors that are the direct product of certain U.S. software and technology.' Any shipment of prohibited products without a license after September 14, 2020, likely including hard disk drives incorporating semiconductors as component parts, violated this rule. Evidence suggests that Seagate Technology, a California-based company, continued shipping hard disk drives to Huawei after the rule went into effect. Seagate officials told Minority Staff that the company does not hold a valid license to continue shipping hard disk drives to Huawei, likely making transactions for this product unlawful after the effective date."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
2021-10
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Preparedness Grant Effectiveness Case Study: Georgia
From the Overvuew: "In May 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducted a preparedness grants effectiveness virtual case study with the State of Georgia. The purpose of this case study was to understand the role of FEMA preparedness grants in Georgia's coronavirus (COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]) vaccine rollout. This case study used data gathered from one interview with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS). It also drew from information that Georgia emergency management personnel provided through the Biannual Strategy Implementation Report (BSIR) and the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA)/Stakeholder Preparedness Review (SPR). This case study found that preparedness grants funds created strong working relationships among GEMA/HS and vendors, which helped GEMA/HS acquire supplies and equipment critical to establish vaccination sites. In addition, GEMA/HS invested preparedness grant funding in personnel to manage the vaccination sites, in supporting public information officers, and to purchase vehicles that allowed field staff to access the various mass vaccination sites more readily. Together, these investments enabled Georgia to effectively manage the COVID-19 vaccination process."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2021-10
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Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Report 2021 Supply Chains of Critical Goods Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic Disruptions, Recovery, and Resilience
From the Foreword: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic dramatically reduced international trade last year and significantly disrupted global value chains, complicating progress in Asia and the Pacific toward sustainable development. While trade in goods has since recovered strongly, supply chains need to be made more resilient, particularly to ensure the supply of critical goods. The Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Report 2021 shows that despite COVID-19, economies in the region have managed to cut red tape to keep trade flowing, as evidenced by the results of the 2021 Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. Also evident is that digitalization of trade procedures has accelerated, although much more remains to be done. Cross-border trade digitalization has great potential to help countries in Asia and the Pacific access critical goods, especially those most vulnerable to trade uncertainty and crisis. The report indicates that further acceleration of digital trade facilitation implementation could cut average trade costs in the region by more than 13 per cent. It suggests that the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific--a United Nations treaty that entered into force in early 2021--provides a dedicated, inclusive, and capacity-building-focused intergovernmental platform to pursue this agenda. The report also highlights the need for more holistic and inclusive trade facilitation strategies in the region to ensure that groups and sectors with special needs benefit from the trade recovery. Measures are specifically needed to support small and medium-sized enterprises, women, and the agricultural sector to make the recovery more sustainable."
Asian Development Bank; United Nations. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Chorthip Utoktham; Fu, Jiangyuan; Kim, Soo Hyun
2021-10
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Financing Resilience in Post-COVID-19 Manufacturing and Supply Systems
From the Introduction: "Supply chains have been disrupted and altered over the past years in an unprecedented way as a result of megatrends such as emerging technologies, trade tensions, sustainability imperatives and the reconfiguration of globalization. The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has further exposed the fragility of global value chains. According to a recent World Economic Forum report in collaboration with Kearney, 76% of senior executives across different industries indicated that COVID-19 was a significant disruptor of their operations, affecting activity from both the supply and demand side. The future economic outlook is still uncertain, and disruptions from these megatrends will likely accelerate, continuing to threaten manufacturing and supply systems. Companies are now shifting towards increased collaboration and finding new solutions for more resilient and sustainable value chains, building the capabilities required to future-proof them. [...] This report aims to help inform decision-making on financing resilience across manufacturing and supply systems in the post-COVID world and to highlight new opportunities for collaboration. The following sections describe the findings of our consultations with senior executives in operations with respect to: [1] The emerging financial constraints raised by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the response mechanism and financial support that were activated within manufacturing[;] [2] The investments needed for a reorganization strategy towards a more resilient global manufacturing ecosystem[;] [and] [3] The opportunity for a global response and coordination mechanism to be established, for the manufacturing community to help finance resilience in value chains[.]"
World Economic Forum; International Finance Corporation
Fendri, Memia; Peta, Joana; Betti, Francisco . . .
2021-10
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Preventing the Next Pandemic: The Case for Investing in Circulatory Health
From the Introduction: "The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a continuous and robust impact on world health. The resulting COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating physical, mental and fiscal impact on the millions of people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), as they have a higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. COVID-19 has been associated with an excess in all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality beyond that related to the infection itself and its immediate consequences. [...] COVID-19 impacts health beyond complications of infectious diseases and the current and future impact upon circulatory health must be faced directly. It is of extreme importance to identify and adequately manage those at greater risk to mitigate the already elevated burden of circulatory disease, with the greatest impact felt in low- and middle-income world regions. As the chief representatives of the global circulatory health community and patients, the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health has a unique responsibility to draw policymakers' attention to the tsunami of post-pandemic consequences lying in wait."
Global Coalition for Circulatory Health (Global Coalition, GCCH)
Stewart, David; Ferat, Leslie Rae; Forrest, Ryan . . .
2021-10?
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Real-World Assessments of COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy
From the Document: "Over the past year, the global vaccination campaign to end the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic has progressed from tests of vaccine efficacy to over six billion (and counting) administered doses. Highly structured clinical trials facilitated strong statistical examinations of the vaccines because randomization accounts for unobserved confounders that could bias the analysis. Post-approval assessments have limitations because they rely on data from less structured, real-world settings. Several post-approval studies show the existing mRNA [messenger ribonucleic acid] vaccines launched initially in the US effectively prevent, as predicted, the worst outcomes of COVID-19, while the vaccines many other countries use are less effective but still invaluable in fighting the pandemic. An observed erosion in vaccine efficacy this year, relative to the clinical trials of 2020, may be a function of the new variants of the virus, waning acquired immunity against infection over time, or other factors, such as the higher incidence of prior infections in the unvaccinated population and the tendency for random error (such as false-positive COVID-19 tests) to attenuate measured efficacy rates. Taken together, the studies make it plain that vaccinating the unvaccinated with any of the globally approved vaccines remains the most important step for lessening the pandemic's severity."
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
Capretta, James C.; Ganz, Scott C.; Allsop, Kieran
2021-10
