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Financing Emergencies in Cities and Regions: Ongoing Lessons from the Pandemic
From the Introduction: "The pandemic has been a stark reminder of the challenges currently facing government officials at all levels: we are now living in an era in which emergencies are occurring with increasing frequency and severity. [...] During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response, city and regional governments have been facing a 'scissor effect' of mounting expenditures associated with the health, economic and social impacts of the virus, and a simultaneous decrease in revenues due to the economic disruption. Despite the enormity of this challenge, there is a lack of information and policy guidance in relation to emergency finance for cities and regions. [...] This Policy Brief is designed to address this gap. It presents an analysis of the main trends that have been developing in subnational finance during the emergency, and outlines lessons that could be taken up at various levels of government to improve the financial response of cities and regions during future emergencies."
United Cities and Local Governments; World Association of the Major Metropolises; London School of Economics and Political Science
Flynn, Rebecca; Heeckt, Catarina; Da Cruz, Nuno Ferreira
2021-01
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2020 Menino Survey of Mayors: COVID-19 Recovery and the Future of Cities
From the Introduction: "In March of 2020, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] upended life in American cities. It tragically claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. It devastated families, economies, jobs, and routines. [...] From the beginning, cities and mayors have had to deal with COVID-19's immediate consequences and its impact on their futures. They have had to make public health and economic decisions in an unprecedented public health and economic crisis. As part of the 2020 Menino Survey of Mayors, between June and August of 2020 we asked a nationally representative set of 130 mayors about the COVID-19 pandemic, their responses to it, and their expectations about its consequences. In this report, we outline mayors' a) responses to the global pandemic, b) perceptions of its impact, and c) expectations for the future of their cities. While COVID-19 is an ongoing health, economic, and social crisis, much of this report is forward looking. Many of the questions are about mayors' expectations for the future. Thus, given the centrality of COVID-19 and related issues to cities and mayors, much of this report can be read as a summary of mayors' views on priorities and challenges in the coming months and years as they consider urban life beyond the pandemic."
Boston University
Glick, David Matthew, 1979-; Einstein, Katherine Levine; Palmer, Maxwell . . .
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Economic Impact Payments: Uses, Payment Methods, and Costs to Recipients
From the Executive Summary: "When the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis struck the United States in the spring of 2020, it posed a threat not only to the physical health of Americans but also to their financial health. The crisis found most Americans in financially vulnerable or coping positions, and many with incomes that barely made ends meet, high levels of debt, and low levels of savings that would not sustain them through the crisis. Recognizing that the social safety net in the U.S. would not be sufficient to support individuals and families through this crisis, several provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act were intended to provide economic relief. Among these relief provisions were 'Economic Impact Payments' (EIPs), direct payments to individuals and families broadly available to all of those making under specified income thresholds. As policymakers implemented these payments they ran into a number of challenges, such as identifying eligible recipients and distributing payments efficiently. In this report, the Financial Health Network draws upon publicly-available data and our own U.S. Financial Health Pulse to estimate how long recipients waited to receive their EIP, what fees some might have paid to access their EIP, and how recipients used their EIP. The report also compares EIPs under the CARES Act to the more recent round of $600 direct payments created by the Consolidated Appropriations Act enacted at the end of 2020."
Brookings Institution
Murphy, Dan
2021-02
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Fatigue in Emergency Medical Services Systems
From the Executive Summary: "Fatigue refers to 'a subjective, unpleasant symptom, which incorporates total body feelings ranging from tiredness to exhaustion creating an unrelenting overall condition which interferes with an individual's ability to function to their normal capacity' [...]. Work-related fatigue affects greater than half of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel. Fatigue affects the safety of EMS operations. The odds of injury, medical error, patient adverse events, and safety compromising behavior are higher among fatigued EMS personnel than nonfatigued personnel [...]. Work-related fatigue is a threat to the safety of EMS clinicians, their patients, and the public at large; yet there are no guidelines for fatigue risk management in the EMS setting [...]. On January 30, 2013, the National EMS Advisory Council issued an advisory that recommended the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal partners examine fatigue in EMS and disseminate evidence for fatigue mitigation [...]. NHTSA awarded a contract in 2015 that sought to develop evidence-based guidelines (EBGs) for fatigue risk management tailored to EMS operations. The project followed the procedures and protocol for development of EBGs as prescribed by the National Prehospital EBG Model Process (Model Process) and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology."
United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Patterson, P. Daniel; Robinson, Kathy D.
2019-08
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What COVID-19 Means for City Finances
From the Document: "City governments across the nation provide essential services that keep our economy and neighborhoods strong. From sanitation services, water utilities and public health to affordable housing, summer youth programming and public safety, these are the services that make our communities work. As the coronavirus spiraled into a global public health and economic crisis, local leaders and municipal workers were and continue to be on the frontlines of minimizing the spread and preparing to reopen, while minimizing the financial burden of mass unemployment and industry shutdowns on residents and businesses. [...] This report profiles city budgets and details how the pandemic-induced economic downturn is affecting cities nationwide."
National League of Cities
Yadavalli, Anita; McFarland, Christiana K.; Wagner, Spencer
2020
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City Fiscal Conditions 2020
From the Introduction: "Now in its 35th year, the City Fiscal Conditions survey of 485 cities reveals the breadth and depth of challenges facing city budgets, including: [1] Nearly 90 percent of cities will be less able in FY 2021 than in FY 2020 to meet the fiscal needs of their communities. This widespread sentiment about lack of fiscal capacity has not been reported since the low point of the Great Recession; [2] Current estimates for FY 2020 put year-over-year general fund revenue growth at near zero; [3] All major local tax revenue sources slowed in FY 2020, with severe year-over-year declines in sales (-11%) and income tax (-3.4%) receipts; and [4] On average, cities anticipate a 13 percent decline in FY 2021 general fund revenues over FY 2020."
National League of Cities
McFarland, Christiana K.; Pagano, Michael A.
2020
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White Extremism & the U.S. Military
From the thesis Abstract: "This thesis argues that the involvement of active duty military personnel in white extremist groups and activities, no matter how small in numbers, poses a serious threat to the 'good order and discipline' and ultimate combat effectiveness of the U.S. military. The purpose of this thesis is twofold: 1) to produce a reference document for military commanders; and 2) to offer policy and other recommendations. Beginning with a discussion of the two subsets of white extremists and their respective ideologies, the thesis then provides an in-depth analysis of nine contemporary groups and a profile of their membership. Following this is a discussion of sociological and psychological explanations for contemporary white extremism. Finally, this thesis outlines the Department of Defense (DoD) policy on extremism, analyzes reports released by the United States Army (USA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on this subject and discusses the extent of this problem DoD-wide. Recommendations that I advocate beyond those recommended by the USA and the NAACP are: 1) the prohibition of passive participation in extremist groups; 2) that leaders receive periodic training in the indicators of extremist activity and information on local extremist groups; 3) that minorities are spread evenly throughout units so as to be present at the smallest sub-units possible; 4) that servicemembers should be assigned to barracks rooms based on these ethnically diverse small units; 5) that the DoD should prohibit the policy of 'open installations.' and 6) that the DoD (e.g. the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) should consult with those in academia who are subject matter experts on extremism."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Curtin, Lawrence M., Jr.
1997-06
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Caring for Health Care Workers During Crisis: Creating a Resilient Organization
From the Summary: "Action steps taken by an organization before, during and after a crisis will reduce psychosocial trauma and increase the likelihood your workforce will cope or even thrive. How physicians and other health care workers are supported during a time of acute stress impacts how they cope and whether they recover from the crisis, or alternatively, whether they will adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms and show signs of stress injury (e.g., burnout, insomnia, dysphoria) or even worse, chronic stress illness (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], substance abuse). Effectively caring for the health care worker may decrease their risk of leaving practice or limiting their fulltime effort. Successful organizations will take a systems approach and focus on becoming a resilient organization prior to times of crises, rather than limiting their efforts to a focus on individual resilience or only attending to the well-being of health care workers after crises develop. Furthermore, resilient organizations will need to rapidly reconfigure their well-being priorities to meet the biggest new drivers of stress in a crisis setting."
American Medical Association
Shanafelt, Tait D.; Ripp, Jonathan A.; Brown, Marie Teresa . . .
2020-05-08
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Recruiting and Retention: An Overview of FY2005 and FY2006 Results for Active and Reserve Component Enlisted Personnel [Updated July 18, 2006]
"This report provides a brief overview of the recruiting and retention rates for Active and Reserve Component enlisted personnel during FY2005 and the first nine months of FY2006. Since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the United States has launched several major military operations which have dramatically increased the operations tempo of the military services, required the large scale mobilization of reservists, and resulted in significant battle casualties. These factors have been particularly applicable to the Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard, which have shouldered the bulk of the manpower burden associated with the occupation of Iraq. The Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve have also been heavily involved in Iraq. Many observers have expressed concern that these factors might lead to lower recruiting and retention rates, thereby jeopardizing the vitality of today's all-volunteer military. Recruiting and retention results for FY2005 and FY2006 to date are summarized below."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kapp, Lawrence
2006-07-18
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Master Question List for COVID-19 (Caused by SARS-CoV-2) Weekly Report [February 9, 2021]
From the Foreword: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is paying close attention to the evolving Coronavirus Infectious Disease (COVID-19) situation in order to protect our nation. [...] [T]he DHS Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) developed the following 'master question list' that quickly summarizes what is known, what additional information is needed, and who may be working to address such fundamental questions as, 'What is the infectious dose?' and 'How long does the virus persist in the environment?' The Master Question List (MQL) is intended to quickly present the current state of available information to government decision makers in the operational response to COVID-19 and allow structured and scientifically guided discussions across the federal government without burdening them with the need to review scientific reports, and to prevent duplication of efforts by highlighting and coordinating research." This version is from the February 9, 2021 update.
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2021-02-09
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MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 19, 2021
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Care Outcomes Among Black or African American Persons with Diagnosed HIV in Rural, Urban, and Metropolitan Statistical Areas -- 42 U.S. Jurisdictions, 2018"; "Mortality Among Minority Populations with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Including Asian and Hispanic/Latino Persons -- California, 2007-2017"; "Trends in Use of Telehealth Among Health Centers During the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Pandemic -- United States, June 26-November 6, 2020"; "Decline in Receipt of Vaccines by Medicare Beneficiaries During the COVID-19 Pandemic -- United States, 2020"; "Required and Voluntary Occupational Use of Hazard Controls for COVID-19 Prevention in Non-Health Care Workplaces -- United States, June 2020"; "Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021"; and "'QuickStats': Death Rates Attributed to Excessive Cold or Hypothermia Among Persons Aged ≥15 Years, by Urban-Rural Status and Age Group - National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2021.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2021-02-19
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COVID-19 and Healthcare Professional Stress and Resilience- Speaker Series [presentation]
This PowerPoint presentation outlines the October 2020 webinar, "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] and Healthcare Professional Stress and Resilience- Speaker Series." Included in the presentation is a link to the webinar video (access requirements include name and email address) as well as a transcript of the presentation. From the ASPR TRACIE [Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange] Webinar Transcript: "This collection of brief presentations highlights emerging behavioral health and resilience practices among healthcare facilities across the country during COVID-19. [...] In this video, Dr. Eileen Barrett, Director of Continuous Medical Education and Graduate Medical Education Wellness Initiatives from the University of New Mexico, will discuss proactive programs available to support staff during stressful times."
United States. Technical Resources, Assistance Center and Information Exchange
2020-10
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Systematic Racism, Health Disparities, & COVID-19: Leading Through Complex Trauma [video]
From the Video Description: "How do seemingly unrelated but overwhelming global events connect to create complex trauma? How do we reckon with systemic racism, health disparities, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019], and the unprecedented social and economic stress impacting individuals, families, and communities across cultures, generations, genders, and racial groups? Join us to learn about the tools for supporting individuals as they develop healing and resiliency around complex trauma." The duration of the video is 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 5 seconds.
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (U.S.)
2020-10-13
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Communicating and Managing Uncertainty in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quick Guide
From the Document: "[1] Uncertainty is inevitable. A pandemic like COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has not been seen in a century, and much remains unknown and evolving about the situation and the virus that causes it. [2] Uncertainty leads to fear, panic and loss of trust among people. [3] Risk communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) research identifies tactics to communicate and manage uncertainty effectively by building public trust in health authorities and gaining adherence to health recommendations."
World Health Organization
2020-05-27
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New START Treaty: Central Limits and Key Provisions [Updated February 3, 2021]
From the Summary: "The United States and Russia signed the New START [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty] Treaty on April 8, 2010. After more than 20 hearings, the U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent to ratification on December 22, 2010, by a vote of 71-26. Both houses of the Russian parliament--the Duma and Federation Council-- approved the treaty in late January 2011 and it entered into force on February 5, 2011. Both parties met the treaty's requirement to complete the reductions by February 5, 2018. On February 3, 2021, the two parties agreed to extend the treaty for five years, as permitted in the treaty text. [...] The Obama Administration and outside analysts argued that New START strengthens strategic stability and enhances U.S. national security. Critics, however, questioned whether the treaty would serve U.S. national security interests[.] [...] The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review confirmed that the United States would continue to implement the treaty, at least through 2021. The Trump Administration raised questions about the value of the treaty and suggested that the United States might allow it to lapse while negotiating a new treaty that would include Russia and China, and capture all types of Russian nuclear weapons. It eventually sought, but failed, to negotiate a short-term extension in the latter half of 2020. The incoming Biden Administration announced that it would seek a five-year extension of the treaty, and Russia accepted this proposal."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woolf, Amy F.
2021-02-03
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Emergency Management Preparedness Standards: Overview and Options for Congress [Update August 30, 2006]
From the Summary: "The deficiencies of the troubled and much-criticized governmental response to Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 has been attributed, in part, to the failure to establish adequate emergency preparedness standards or to adhere to standards that were established. This is not a new issue for congressional concern. The report issued by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (also referred to as the '9/11 Commission') also identified emergency response gaps evident after the attacks of September 11, 2001. In short, while heroic actions after both catastrophes saved thousands of people, many lives were lost, in part because standard procedures were not in place, or were not followed, and because standardized technologies had not yet been developed or were not used by participating agencies. To correct those deficiencies, the 9/11 Commission report included recommendations that emergency response standards be adopted nationwide. Investigations and reviews conducted after Hurricane Katrina address the same concerns, and the Senate and White House reports included recommendations as well."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bea, Keith
2006-08-30
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CESER Blueprint
From the Introduction: "In 2018, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) to elevate the Department's energy security responsibilities and safeguard against growing and evolving cyber and physical threats to U.S. critical energy infrastructure. CESER focuses on addressing these threats and engaging across industry, government, and academia to secure energy infrastructure against all hazards; reduce the risk of disruptive events; and respond to energy disruptions that could have devastating effects on national security, public health and safety, or the U.S. economy. Consistent with these priorities, the CESER team is pleased to introduce this Blueprint to guide its support in addressing the most compelling energy and cybersecurity challenges facing the sector."
United States. Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response
2021-01
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Congressional Budget Office Estimate for Division N--Additional Coronavirus Response and Relief; H.R. 133, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021; Public Law 116-260
This is the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate for H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 enacted on December 27, 2020. From the Document: "The Congressional Budget Office and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) have completed an estimate of the direct spending and revenue effects of division N of H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (enacted on December 27, 2020, as Public Law 116-260). Division N of the act provides funding, expands eligibility for existing programs, and establishes new programs to provide assistance to individuals and businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Division N will increase deficits by an estimated $682 billion over the 2021-2030 period, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] and JCT estimate. In addition, division M, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021, provides supplemental discretionary appropriations for federal activities in response to the pandemic. On December 22, 2020, CBO estimated that outlays stemming from those appropriations would increase deficits by $185 billion over the 2021-2030 period. CBO estimates that provisions in division N, together with those in division M, will increase the deficit by $868 billion."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2021-01-14
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Global Refugee Resettlement: Selected Issues and Questions [Updated January 29, 2021]
From the Document: "Congress has demonstrated a continued interest in refugee 'resettlement', although such opportunities are available to only a small percentage of the global refugee population. (For more information on the refugee 'admissions' process to the United States, see CRS [Congressional Research Service] Report RL31269, 'Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy'.) Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) travel bans, on March 17, 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced the suspension of global resettlement travel for refugees. On June 18, 2020, they announced the resumption of resettlement departures for refugees, although many travel restrictions remain in place."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Margesson, Rhoda
2021-01-29
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Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans
From the Document: "Consistent with our character as a Nation of opportunity and of welcome, it is essential to ensure that our laws and policies encourage full participation by immigrants, including refugees, in our civic life; that immigration processes and other benefits are delivered effectively and efficiently; and that the Federal Government eliminates sources of fear and other barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing government services available to them. Our Nation is enriched socially and economically by the presence of immigrants, and we celebrate with them as they take the important step of becoming United States citizens. The Federal Government should develop welcoming strategies that promote integration, inclusion, and citizenship, and it should embrace the full participation of the newest Americans in our democracy."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2021-02-02
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H. Res. 24: Resolution Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, January 11, 2021
From the Document: "'Resolved', That Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following article of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate: Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2021-01-11
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Nuclear Ban Treaty: An Overview [Updated January 25, 2021]
From the Document: "Since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, the UN General Assembly (UN GA) has called for the elimination of nuclear weapons. UNGA Resolution A/71/258 (2016) called on UN member states to negotiate in 2017 a legally binding Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), also known as the nuclear 'ban treaty.' Negotiations ended on July 7, 2017, when 122 countries voted to approve the treaty. Singapore abstained, and the Netherlands voted against it, citing conflicts between the treaty and its commitments as a member of NATO. The United States and 40 other states did not participate in negotiations. To date, 84 countries have signed and 50 countries have ratified the treaty. In accordance with Article 15, the TPNW entered into force 90 days following the 50th ratification on January 22, 2021. Civil society groups advocated for a nuclear ban, and in 2017, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the nongovernmental International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for its advocacy role."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nikitin, Mary Beth Dunham
2021-01-25
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U.S. Health Care Coverage and Spending [Updated January 26, 2021]
From the Document: "In 2019, the United States had an estimated population of 323 million individuals. Most of those individuals had private health insurance or received health care services under a federal program (such as Medicare or Medicaid). About 9.2% of the U.S. population was uninsured. Individuals (including those who were uninsured), health insurers, and federal and state governments spent approximately $3.6 trillion on various types of health consumption expenditures (HCE) in 2019, which accounted for 16.8% of the nation's gross domestic product."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Rosso, Ryan J.
2021-01-26
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Executive Order 14011: Establishment of Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families
From the Document: "It is the policy of my Administration to respect and value the integrity of families seeking to enter the United States. My Administration condemns the human tragedy that occurred when our immigration laws were used to intentionally separate children from their parents or legal guardians (families), including through the use of the Zero-Tolerance Policy. My Administration will protect family unity and ensure that children entering the United States are not separated from their families, except in the most extreme circumstances where a separation is clearly necessary for the safety and well-being of the child or is required by law."
United States. Office of the Federal Register
Biden, Joseph R., Jr.
2021-02-02
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From Overall Fiscal Space to Budgetary Space for Health: Connecting Public Financial Management to Resource Mobilization in the Era of COVID-19
From the Abstract: "This paper advances the concept of budgetary space for health, which explores resources available for health that are generated through higher public expenditure, better budget allocations, and through improved public financial management (PFM). The budget decomposition approach presented in the paper provides insight into the extent to which each factor drives expansion in budgetary space for health. The approach is applied to 133 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) between 2000-2017 and finds that around 70% of budgetary space for health is driven by changes in overall public expenditure, while about 30% is directly attributable to the share of the budget allocated to health."
Center for Global Development; World Health Organization
Barroy, Helene; Gupta, Sanjeev
2020-10
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Is the World Bank's COVID Crisis Lending Big Enough, Fast Enough? New Evidence on Loan Disbursements
From the Abstract: "The World Bank has forecast an unprecedented global recession in 2020-21, and the reversal of a decades-long fall in global poverty, provoking an acute need for short-term financing in low- and lower-middle income countries. Critics contend that the Bank has failed to rise to this challenge, acting slowly to increase lending volumes and resisting calls for a multilateral debt standstill. We compile a new data set, combining official sources with transaction-level records scraped from the World Bank website, spanning all commitments, disbursements, and payments on all World Bank loans from before the 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis (GFC) through August 2020, allowing us to compare the Bank's COVID [coronavirus disease] response to the last comparable global crisis. We find that lending has indeed accelerated in 2020, with new loan commitments up 118 percent year on year in the first seven months of 2020, but actual disbursements up only 31 percent."
Center for Global Development
Morris, Scott; Duggan, Julian; Sandefur, Justin . . .
2020-10
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Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated February 1, 2021]
From the Summary: "The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region. The seven other Arctic states are Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark (by virtue of Greenland), and Russia. [...] The Arctic Council, created in 1996, is the leading international forum for addressing issues relating to the Arctic. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets forth a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans, including the Arctic Ocean. The United States is not a party to UNCLOS. Record low extents of Arctic sea ice over the past decade have focused scientific and policy attention on links to global climate change and projected ice-free seasons in the Arctic within decades. These changes have potential consequences for weather in the United States, access to mineral and biological resources in the Arctic, the economies and cultures of peoples in the region, and national security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
O'Rourke, Ronald; Leggett, Jane A.; Comay, Laura B. . . .
2021-02-01
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Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief [Updated January 27, 2021]
From the Introduction: "Israel [...] has forged close bilateral cooperation with the United States in many areas; issues with significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations include the following. [1] Israeli domestic political issues, including an election scheduled for March 2021 and an ongoing criminal trial against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. [2] Israel's security cooperation with the United States. [3] Israeli-Palestinian issues and Israel's normalization of relations with various Arab states. [4] Concerns about Iran's nuclear program and regional influence, including with Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Syria, and Iraq. [5] Chinese investment in Israeli companies and infrastructure, and U.S. concerns about implications for U.S. national security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim
2021-01-27
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National Flood Insurance Program: The Current Rating Structure and Risk Rating 2.0 [Updated January 25, 2021]
From the Summary "The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is the primary source of flood insurance coverage for residential properties in the United States, with more than five million policies in over 22,000 communities in 56 states and jurisdictions. FEMA is planning to introduce the biggest change to the way the NFIP calculates flood insurance premiums, known as Risk Rating 2.0, since the inception of the NFIP in 1968. The new premium rates are scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2021, for all NFIP policies across the country."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Horn, Diane P.
2021-01-25
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Kyrgyz Republic [Updated January 25, 2021]
From the Overview: "The Kyrgyz Republic (commonly known as Kyrgyzstan) is a mountainous, landlocked country that borders China and maintains close ties with Russia. Formerly a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan became independent in 1991. As a parliamentary republic that holds contested elections, Kyrgyzstan has long been considered the most democratic country in Central Asia, with a vibrant civil society and a higher degree of press freedom than found elsewhere in the region. Corruption is pervasive, however, and political institutions remain weak. In recent years, international observers have voiced concerns about democratic backsliding in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in light of the political upheaval that followed the annulment of the country's 2020 parliamentary elections. Some Members of Congress have also expressed concerns about Kyrgyz government pressure on independent media outlets, including the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Because Kyrgyzstan is an impoverished country that relies heavily on foreign remittances, the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is causing significant economic strain."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blackwood, Maria A.
2021-01-25
