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Ukraine Conflict and Other Factors Contributing to High Commodity Prices and Food Insecurity
From the Executive Summary: "A number of factors have converged over the last 18 months to send global agricultural commodity prices to near-record levels. Russia's invasion of Ukraine - and the potential loss of Ukrainian exports - was the latest development to push commodity prices higher. Other factors affecting global markets, which date back to late 2020, include: increased global demand, led by China; drought-reduced supplies; tightening wheat, corn, and soybean stocks in major exporting countries; high energy prices pushing up the costs of fertilizer, transportation, and agricultural production; and countries imposing export bans and restrictions, further tightening supplies. As observed during the food price crises of 2008 and 2012, developing countries that are dependent on food imports are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. Such countries tend to respond to price signals by shifting consumption and trade patterns, while larger exporting nations respond by increasing production to meet demand. However, the geopolitical turmoil of a war between two major agricultural exporting countries, including the world's largest fertilizer exporter (Russia), adds additional uncertainty and concern to today's situation."
United States. Department of Agriculture; United States. Foreign Agricultural Service
2022-04
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In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing National Strategy
From the Executive Summary: "The United States is a pre-eminent leader in space exploration, development, and operations, spanning a broad spectrum of applications from remote sensing to navigation to satellite communications. The benefits of U.S. leadership have had a positive impact on its citizens and provided economic and security benefits. As we move toward increased reliance on space-based services, the growing complexity and aspiration of global space missions are at an inflection point. Sustained leadership requires continual adoption of new capabilities. The history of satellite servicing, refueling, assembly, and upgrade span from crewed servicing of telescopes, to in-space construction and maintenance of large structures, to autonomous robotic servicing missions. Recent commercial operations have extended the lifespan of satellites that are low on fuel. These novel and complex space activities are included within the In-space Servicing Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) set of capabilities, which support sustained economic activity and human presence in space. The United States will build on this foundation to accelerate a new, diverse, and market-focused ecosystem of autonomous persistent platforms and assets, to improve the way we use space for in-space and terrestrial operations. This National Strategy outlines how the United States will support and stimulate the United States Government (USG), academic, and commercial ISAM capability development. It provides strategic goals to advance ISAM capability development discussed in the United States Space Priorities Framework. The next step following the strategy is to develop USG implementation action plans to fulfill the goals."
United States. Office of Science and Technology Policy
National Science & Technology Council (U.S). In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Interagency Working Group
2022-04
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Summary of Resources for State, Local, Tribal, Territorial, and Campus Law Enforcement Partners
From the Document: "The Department of Homeland Security is proud to support and work alongside [...] law enforcement [professionals]. You work on the front lines every day, at great personal risk, to keep our communities safe. We are committed to ensuring you have the tools, resources, and support you need to continue doing so successfully. This guide highlights many of the resources available to you, including training and grant opportunities, to increase our nation's resilience to evolving threats." This guide also provides information on resources related to the following topics: "Preparedness and Prevention"; "Information and Intelligence Sharing"; "Cybersecurity"; "Critical Infrastructure Protection"; "School Safety and Security"; "Human Trafficking, Forced Labor, and Sex Trafficking"; and "Training and Funding Opportunities."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2022-04
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Compound Risk Analysis of Natural Hazards and Infectious Disease Outbreaks
From the Executive Summary: "The multiyear nature of the coronavirus disease [2019] (COVID-19) pandemic provides the conditions for a compound event. The likelihood of a natural hazard occurring in a country affected by COVID-19 is high. This compound risk scenario is not theoretical, but one which has played out across the member countries of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC). Flooding in Afghanistan in May 2020, in the Kyrgyz Republic in May 2020, and in Georgia in August 2020 are some examples. Similarly, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in February 2021 affected Pakistan and Tajikistan. CAREC member countries will continue to face compound risk, not just for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, but on an ongoing basis, as various types of natural hazards potentially co-occur and compound each other. Compound risk occurs when two or more shock events overlap, inducing additional pressure on social and physical vulnerability and/or initiating a chain of further stressors. In theory, the impact of a compound event are potentially much higher than those of two events occurring discretely. Damage to physical and social infrastructure and existing emergency needs occupy the bandwidth of government, civil society, households, and businesses. Additional pressure from a new shock may deepen existing vulnerabilities and undermine response efforts."
Asian Development Bank
2022-04
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Athena Agenda: Advancing the Apollo Program for Biodefense
From the Executive Summary: "The exploitation of wildlife through hunting and trade facilitates opportunities for animal-human interactions and zoonotic disease transmission. Furthermore, advances in DNA sequencing, gene-editing, and synthetic biology (among others) hold the promise of profound advances in healthcare, crop and environmental sustainability, and economic growth. Unfortunately, these are dual-use technologies that could yield accidental, unintended, and deliberate misuse by creating deadly pathogens or disrupting ecological balances. [...] 'The Athena Agenda: Advancing The Apollo Program for Biodefense' contains additional recommendations to execute The Apollo Program, building on the Commission's previous work and taking into consideration the efforts of current and former Administrations and Congresses. This report provides the following specific governance and technology recommendations to implement The Apollo Program for Biodefense and identifies the US government organizations responsible for leadership and accountability, though certain actions may require or benefit from public-private partnerships."
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense
2022-04
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Robotic Modular Stereoscopic Retrofit System: Operational Field Assessment Report
From the Introduction: "Bomb technicians protect the public by rendering explosives safe and performing forensic work on those explosives. Mobile, unmanned platforms (i.e., bomb disposal robots) are controlled by operators from a safe standoff distance. Bomb technicians rely on robot vision systems for video imagery to control the robot, its arm, and its gripper for manipulation of devices or tools. Existing robot vision systems, however, are limited to two-dimensional images. As a result, the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) awarded a contract to Honeybee Robotics to develop the Robotic Modular Stereoscopic Retrofit System (MSR). This system aims to improve an operator's perception of the robot's environment by providing real-time, high quality, stereoscopic video imagery using camera heads, a power and data transmission core module, and an operator control station (OCS) with a glasses-free lenticular display. [...] On behalf of the S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS), the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) conducted an operational field assessment (OFA) to evaluate the suitability of the MSR for use by bomb technicians. NUSTL conducted the OFA at the Middlesex County Fire Academy located in Sayreville, New Jersey. MCS and Office of Science and Engineering (OSE) program management staff observed remotely over Microsoft Teams. This report describes the evaluators' feedback obtained during the operational test activities that simulated conditions one might encounter during emergency response missions."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Casparro, Robert; Linn, Blaise; Murtagh, Cecilia
2022-04
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Using Donald Trump's COVID-19 Vaccine Endorsement to Give Public Health a Shot in the Arm: A Large-Scale Ad Experiment
From the Abstract: "We report a large-scale randomized controlled trial designed to assess whether the partisan cue of a provaccine message from Donald Trump would induce Americans to get COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] vaccines. Our study involved presenting a 27-second advertisement to millions of U.S. YouTube users in October 2021. Results indicate that the campaign increased the number of vaccines in the average treated county by 103. Spread across 1,014 treated counties, the total effect of the campaign was an estimated increase of 104,036 vaccines. The campaign was cost-effective: with an overall budget of about $100,000, the cost to obtain an additional vaccine was about $1 or less."
National Bureau of Economic Research
Larsen, Bradley; Hetherington, Marc J., 1968-; Greene, Steven H., 1972- . . .
2022-04
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COVID-19 and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: A Working Paper on the Consequences of the Current Crisis
From the Introduction: "The impact of current events goes beyond the borders of one state or continent, rather affecting the whole world. The provision of food goods and production supplies, as well as maintaining price stability, have become the world's most important challenge after the second year of the Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic. Moreover, Russia's war on Ukraine has exacerbated the global economic situation, with its repercussions coinciding with those of the pandemic and the recession that countries are still trying to recover from. Wheat prices have risen over the past year as a result of the decline in the proportion of global crops and supply in the face of strong and growing demand, making the consequences of this war extremely serious for wheat and grain markets in general and supply chains. On its first day, the war led to a 6% increase of wheat prices, and this increase may not be the last in the coming period, due to concerns about the consequences of the war on farmers and producers. Moreover, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has resulted in high oil and gas prices, increased transport and insurance costs, instability of trade and disruption of traffic in Russian and Ukrainian ports, as well as restriction of bank transfers to and from Russia only."
Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry; Ghurfah al-Tijārīyah al-Miṣrīyah li-Muḥāfaẓat al-Iskandarīyah
2022-04
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Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of Homeland Security
From the Document: "As the nation's largest law enforcement agency, DHS has a vital role to play in keeping Americans safe while also advancing equity and safeguarding civil rights and civil liberties. To deliver its mission of securing the homeland, DHS is focused on addressing the threats that underserved communities face, especially from racially motivated domestic violent extremism. Over the past year, DHS has worked to address threats to Asian American communities stemming from anti-Asian bias and xenophobia while addressing the continuing threats that domestic violent extremism poses to all Americans, including threats targeting communities of color and religious communities. DHS is committed to combatting all forms of terrorism and targeted violence, including terrorism and targeted violence meant to intimidate or coerce specific populations on the basis of their ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or political views."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2022-04?
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Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Department of the Interior
From the Document: "DOI [U.S. Department of the Interior] protects and manages the Nation's natural resources and cultural heritage, and provides scientific and other information about those resources. DOI also plays a central role in how the United States stewards its public lands, increases environmental protections, pursues environmental justice, and ensures that underserved communities can access and benefit from outdoor space and recreation. DOI is also the primary federal agency charged with honoring the United States' trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native people and special commitments to Native Hawaiians. DOI plays a critical role in maintaining nation-to-nation relationships with federally recognized Indian Tribes, and promoting and supporting Tribal self-determination. The Department is leaning into its moral and legal responsibilities to Tribes by honoring sovereignty and reckoning with DOI's role in the history of injustice and marginalization of indigenous people. Leaders are learning from past mistakes through nation-to-nation consultation, listening for understanding, using evidence and data for decision-making, and employing analytic tools to advance and promote equity and justice in all that we do for Tribes, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and the American public."
United States. Department of the Interior
2022-04?
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Equity Action Plan Summary: Peace Corps
From the Document: "The Peace Corps delivers on its mission through its volunteers. The Peace Corps' call to serve has historically been answered by a diverse set of U.S. citizens, though there are disproportionately fewer volunteers from underserved communities. The Peace Corps' mission of world peace and friendship, and its approach to achieving this mission, requires a diverse Corps to model how individuals from diverse backgrounds can unite to address important and challenging goals."
Peace Corps (U.S.)
2022-04?
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Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Agency for International Development
From the Document: "As USAID [United States Agency for International Development] engages with its partners, USAID democratizes the development process by integrating equity into agency policies, strategies, and practices. USAID is enhancing the ability of nontraditional partners to pursue USAID opportunities, preventing discrimination in agency programs, and strengthening the agency's capacity to advance inclusive development in overseas programming."
United States. Agency for International Development
2022-04?
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Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. Small Business Administration
From the Document: "Each year, SBA [U.S. Small Business Administration] serves thousands of small businesses across the country. Many of these businesses are owned by entrepreneurs who are members of communities that have been traditionally underserved. These underserved entrepreneurs include people of color; people with disabilities; LGBTQ+ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and other identities] ; individuals who are religious minorities; people who live or do business in rural communities; veterans, Service members and military spouses; women; and individuals who are otherwise affected by persistent poverty or systemic inequality. By supporting these entrepreneurs to launch and sustain small businesses, including through access to capital, SBA's actions contribute to closing the racial and gender wealth gaps and addressing other disparities."
United States. Small Business Administration
2022-04?
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Equity Action Plan Summary: Federal Emergency Management Agency
From the Document: "FEMA can enhance equity by executing a methodical, multilayered, and systematic approach to analyzing intended and actual accessibility to and impacts for underserved and marginalized communities. Starting from the highest level of leadership, FEMA is integrating equity into its strategic plan, goals and priorities, programs and activities, and foundational documents and processes. These actions will help to achieve the following impacts: underserved communities will be able to access and leverage resources in ways that meet their needs, underserved communities will be routinely consulted in decisions about policy and program implementation, staff and partners will have the training and tools required to advance equity in their programs, resources will be directed to eliminate disparities in outcomes, and programs will be routinely evaluated and address disparities in outcomes."
United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2022-04?
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Equity Action Plan Summary: U.S. General Services Administration
From the Document: "GSA [U.S. General Services Administration] delivers mission-critical services and core products to federal agency customers and clients, which makes the agency uniquely positioned to have a multiplier effect across government in advancing equity and removing barriers for underserved communities. GSA will leverage its mission to contribute to closing the racial wealth gap by advancing equity through supplier diversity and increasing opportunities for overall contract dollars to be awarded to underserved and disadvantaged businesses. GSA's governmentwide technology services and solutions each serve millions of end-users annually. GSA is dedicated to actions that prioritize equitable user experience as a core design principle, mitigate algorithmic bias, improve digital accessibility, and thereby modernize the delivery of government services to the American people."
United States. General Services Administration
2022-04?
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Despair and Resilience in the U.S.: Did the Covid Pandemic Worsen Mental Health Outcomes?
From the Abstract: "The COVID [coronavirus disease] pandemic was an unprecedented shock to U.S. society at a time when the nation was already coping with a crisis of despair and related deaths from suicides, overdoses, and alcohol poisoning. COVID's impact was inequitable: Deaths were concentrated among the elderly and minorities working in essential jobs, groups who up to the pandemic had been reporting better mental health. Yet how the shock has affected society's well-being and mental health is not fully understood. Exploring the impact by comparing 2019 to 2020 as reflected in nationally representative data sets, we found a variety of contrasting stories. While data from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2020 Household Pulse Survey (HPS) show that depression and anxiety increased significantly, especially among young and low-income Americans in 2020, we found no such changes when analyzing alternative depression questions in the 2019-20 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Nevertheless, for the same period determinants of mental health were similar in the NHIS, BRFSS, and HPS data. We also explored whether the pandemic affected physical health and behaviors by examining Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data calls related to behavior, overdoses, suicide attempts, and gun violence. [...] Our results highlight two findings: (1) Scholars investigating mental and behavioral health trends must be cautious about relying too heavily on a single dataset; results generated from different data may differ considerably. (2) High metropolitan rates of depression and anxiety may be correlated with higher rates of suicide and overdose years later."
Brookings Institution. Global Economy and Development
Graham, Carol, 1962-; Dobson, Emily; Hua, Tim . . .
2022-04
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F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Cost Growth and Schedule Delays Continue, Report to Congressional Committees
From the Highlights: "The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program remains DOD's most expensive weapon system program. It is estimated to cost over $1.7 trillion to buy, operate, and sustain. DOD is 4 years into a development effort to modernize the F-35 aircraft's capabilities. An important element to operating and maintaining the F-35 is a complex logistics system called ALIS [Autonomic Logistics Information System]. In 2020, DOD began an effort to improve ALIS after years of concerns regarding its performance. Congress included provisions in two statutes for GAO [Government Accountability Office] to review the F-35 program. This report (1) identifies the F-35's progress towards full-rate production, (2) addresses the program's progress and improvements towards developing, testing, and delivering modernization capabilities, and (3) describes DOD's plan for improving its logistics system."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Traffic Safety: Implementing Leading Practices Could Improve Management of Mandated Rulemakings and Reports, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "According to NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] estimates, 38,824 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2020 on U.S. roads and highways, with even more projected to have died in 2021. NHTSA is responsible for overseeing the safety of motor vehicles on U.S. roads. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to examine NHTSA's processes for developing statutorily required, or 'mandated,' rulemakings and reports. In this report, GAO examined: (1) the number of rulemakings and reports mandated by MAP-21 [Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act] and the FAST [Fixing America's Surface Transportation] Act that NHTSA completed, and factors that affected its completion of selected mandates; and (2) the extent to which NHTSA followed leading project schedule management practices when developing mandated rulemakings and reports, among other objectives."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Economic Case for Federal Investment in COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Remains Strong
From the Document: "Vaccines and therapeutics have greatly reduced rates of severe illness and death from COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. On March 2, the Biden administration formally requested [hyperlink] an additional $22.5 billion in COVID-19 response funding, most of which would have supported additional investments in the development, manufacturing, and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. The Biden administration subsequently stated [hyperlink] that, without new funding, it would have to wind down most federal efforts related to the production and procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. Congressional negotiations are ongoing and appear on track to produce a much smaller [hyperlink] package of funding, if any new funding is approved at all. [...] We argue that there is a strong economic case for continued federal investment in COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics. In brief, the private sector on its own will invest too little because COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics generate enormous benefits for public health and the macroeconomy that private firms can only very partially capture. Preexisting uninsurance and underinsurance, especially among vulnerable populations, also hinder access to preventive measures and treatment. Direct federal investment in development, manufacturing, and procurement of vaccines and therapeutics--and in ensuring affordable access to these products--has been key to overcoming these challenges to date and will remain important in the future. Over the longer term, policymakers could consider assigning the health insurance system a larger role in paying for these activities, but doing so in a sensible way will take time and require legislative changes."
Brookings Institution; University of Southern California. Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics
Athey, Susan; Conti, Rena M.; Fiedler, Matthew . . .
2022-04-01
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Evidence-Based Policy Making: USDA's Decision to Relocate Research Agencies to Kansas City Was Not Fully Consistent with an Evidence-Based Approach, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "USDA [U.S Department of Agriculture] is made up of several agencies, including the research agencies, ERS [Economic Research Service] and NIFA. ERS reviews trends and emerging issues in food, agriculture, the environment, and rural America, while NIFA [National Institute of Food and Agriculture] administers federal funding through formula and competitive grants, among other things. In October 2019, USDA relocated most staff positions at ERS and NIFA from their headquarters in Washington, D.C. to Kansas City, Missouri. This decision was based on USDA's economic analysis. USDA stated the move would save taxpayers more than $300 million over 15 years compared to remaining in the Washington, D.C. region. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess the analysis USDA used to support its decision to relocate ERS and NIFA to the Kansas City region. This report reviewed how USDA made its relocation decision, the underlying analyses, and the use of evidence in its decision-making."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2022-04
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Taking Stock After Two Years of Covid-19
From the Executive Summary: "When it became known in early 2020 that Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] was becoming a global pandemic, it also became clear that governmental responses to the pandemic would have significant effects on democracy and human rights. At that time, International IDEA [Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance] (supported by the European Union) began a programme to track what governments did and how that affected democracy and human rights. Now, with two years of data from International IDEA's Global Monitor of Covid-19's Impact on Democracy and Human Rights (Global Monitor), we can take stock of what has happened, and in which areas the events align with or differ from our expectations about how a pandemic might affect these vital areas of public life. This report uses data from the Global Monitor to specifically examine the effects of the pandemic responses in six broad areas: (1) emergency legal responses and civil liberties, (2) freedom of movement, association, and assembly, (3) freedom of expression and media integrity, (4) privacy rights and contact tracing applications, (5) women's rights and minority rights, and (6) vaccination and fundamental rights. In each of the sections, the report describes the global trends in each of these areas, highlights cases that illustrate both positive and negative examples, and considers what the upcoming challenges will be."
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
Gibaja, Alberto Fernández; Hirakawa, Atsuko; Hudson, Alexander . . .
2022-04
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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
