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• Smithsonian Institution: Climate Change Action Plan

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  From the Introduction: "As one of the foremost research complexes in the world, the Smithsonian has long kept climate change, sustainability, and stewardship of the planet a focus of our scientific research as well as our operational decisions -- a focus that spans across all aspects of the Institution for a truly One Smithsonian approach. This Climate Action Plan details our Institution-wide efforts to assess our vulnerabilities, enhance our resiliency, research the Earth system, adapt to a changing climate and its effects, and educate our staff and the public on the climate crisis. Because the Smithsonian is such a multi-faceted organization, these initiatives are not siloed into certain portions of the Institution. Instead, many areas, specifically our public programs, our research, our collections, our administrative functions, and our facilities infrastructure, which touch every part of the Institution, are all vital to our ongoing approach in facing climate change. Smithsonian's Climate Action Plan, combined with our Climate Change Policy, are the backbone of how we are and will address these urgent concerns of preparing for and mitigating against the impacts of climate change as well as our steps to create a more sustainable future."

  Smithsonian Institution

  2021-08-13
• Transportation Security Administration's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Program, Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, May 16, 2006

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  From the opening statement of Ted Stevens: "The purpose of our hearing is to examine the status of TSA's Transportation Worker Identification Credential, commonly known as the TWIC program. The emphasis of our discussion will be to review policy and management issues that have prevented TSA from fully launching this program. The Commerce Committee first authorized the Transportation Worker Credential in the Aviation Transportation Security Act of 2001, then again in 2002 and 2004, when the Committee developed and reauthorized the Maritime Transportation Security Act. These laws authorized the development and issuance of biometric security cards to transportation workers who satisfied background checks for entry to secure areas in the maritime as well as secure transportation facilities." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: George P. Cummings, Lisa B. Himber, Michael P. Jackson, Larry I. Willis, and Daniel K. Inouye.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2011
• Climate Action Plan: Revitalizing Efforts to Bolster Adaptation & Increase Resilience

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  From the Introduction: "Pursuant to Section 211 of Executive Order (E.O.) 14008, 'Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad' and Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ) Implementing Instructions, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or Department) has developed and submitted this Climate Action Plan (Plan). This Plan builds from the previous Climate Action Plans prepared in 2012 and 2014, respectfully. The 2012 Action Plan focused on the climate change's impacts to DOT's critical mission activities--safety, state of good repair and federally owned building's environmental sustainability. The 2014 Climate Adaptation Plan provided updates on DOT's accomplishments to date and Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 and FY2014 commitments. This Plan follows the CEQ Instructions for Preparing Draft Climate Action Plans under E.O. 14008 and focuses on climate adaptation and resilience across agency programs and the management of Federal procurement, real property, public lands and waters, and financial programs. While the Department is engaged in a wide variety of activities related to reducing transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions, this Plan focuses on actions to bolster adaptation and increase resilience."

  United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Secretary

  2021-08
• Stranded: The Impacts of COVID-19 on Irregular Migration and Migrant Smuggling

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  From the Executive Summary: "This research brief documents the impacts the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response, coupled with border enforcement and migration restrictions have had on the journeys of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in transit irregularly and on their communities. Relying on recent empirical research and journalistic coverage, the brief pays specific attention to how measures against the pandemic may impact the activities of those behind irregular journeys -including migrant smugglers or facilitators. For this we draw from data on the experiences of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the context of irregular or clandestine journeys and the growing empirical evidence and insights from facilitators."

  Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies; Migration Policy Centre

  Sanchez, Gabriella; Achilli, Luigi

  2020-05
• Climate Action Plan [October 2021]

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  From the Introduction: "The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is an innovative and independent U.S. foreign assistance agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty. Created by the U.S. Congress in January 2004 with strong bipartisan support, MCC delivers smart U.S. foreign assistance by focusing on good policies, country ownership, and results. MCC provides predictable, multi-year grants that promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and strengthen institutions. These investments not only support stability and prosperity in partner countries but also enhance American interests. Climate change is inextricably tied to poverty and economic growth, and it poses the greatest risks to low and lower-middle income countries, like those where MCC works. These are precisely the countries whose people, economies, and institutions are least able to adapt to or afford its consequences and are generally least responsible for the problem. [...] Given this reality, MCC recognizes that addressing the impacts of climate change is central to achieving MCC's mission and we must invest now to counter its dire consequences. To meet this challenge, MCC has substantially increased its climate commitments. This Climate Action Plan (the Plan) and MCC's newly developed Climate Change Strategy (the Strategy) memorialize how MCC will meet these commitments and adjust its approaches to expand and deepen work on climate change across the agency's investment portfolio and business operations."

  Millennium Challenge Corporation (U.S.)

  2021-10
• Bold Vision for America's Mental Well-Being: It's Time to Redesign the U.S. Mental & Behavioral Health System

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  From the Document: "Mental health is foundational for our overall well-being and must be prioritized to improve both health care and society. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in mental and addiction issues in America. As of 2018, approximately 19% of all adults carried a mental health diagnosis and approximately 20.3 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder. The data also shows an increase in suicides (suicide was the 10th leading cause of death overall and second for young people ages 10 years to 34 years) indicative of increased severity of illness and related negative impacts. In 2019, rates of death from alcohol, drugs, and suicide increased, with preliminary data from 2020 showing that drug overdoses increased by over 30%. Statistics like these demonstrate the vital role mental health treatment and care has to play in supporting healthy communities, especially for individuals already dealing with a mental or behavioral health diagnosis. Yet, there are low rates of treatment across the care continuum. [...] Access to mental health treatment is impacted by numerous issues including: geography, workforce issues, cost and health insurance coverage, with disparities for racial/ethnic and other underrepresented groups. There are not enough clinicians available or that accept health insurance to meet existing demand. Policymakers must do all we can to increase workforce numbers but in doing so must recognize that these steps alone are insufficient to solve our many problems. We must become more creative with how we think about who does, what, where and for whom."

  Bennet, Michael, 1964-; Cornyn, John, 1952-

  Bennet, Michael, 1964-; Cornyn, John, 1952-

  2021-09-09
• COVID Behaviors Dashboard [website]

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  From the Website: "Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs' COVID [coronavirus disease] Behaviors Dashboard presents data from a global survey of knowledge, attitudes and practices around COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]. This analysis is generated from the Delphi Group at Carnegie Mellon University COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey and University of Maryland Social Data Science Center COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey (CTIS), in collaboration with Facebook. Analysis and content on the COVID Behaviors Dashboard is developed by Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs and the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN)."

  Johns Hopkins University. Center for Communication Programs
• FAA Reauthorization: Perspectives on Improving Airport Infrastructure and Aviation Manufacturing, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, March 23, 2017

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  This is the March 23, 2017 hearing on "FAA Reauthorization: Perspectives on Improving Airport Infrastructure and Aviation Manufacturing," held before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. From the opening statement of Roy Blunt: "Today's panels will focus on two important subjects: first, airport infrastructure and the funding of capital needs through the FAA's Airport Improvement Program, federally-authorized passenger facility charges, and other things the Federal Government does to encourage and help meet those capital needs; second, the FAA's regulatory certification process and an examination of further reforms that could improve safety while also enhancing competitiveness in the global marketplace for U.S. aviation products." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Rhonda K. Hamm-Niebruegge, Bob Montgomery, Margaret Gilligan, Gerald L. Dillingham, and Gregory J. Fedele.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017
• FAA Reauthorization: Administration Perspectives, Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, June 7, 2017

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  This is the June 7, 2017 hearing titled "FAA Reauthorization: Administration Perspectives" before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. From the opening statement of John Thune: "The FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] runs a remarkably safe operation, but outside auditors have dinged the Government's performance on delivering safety and efficiency upgrades, prompting a debate as to the best path forward to realize those benefits. This week, the President used his bully pulpit to join the proponents of significant reform. The President has challenged Congress, his administration, and aviation stakeholders to take bold action to improve our air traffic control system. It is hard to ignore the many independent studies and reviews that document the flaws with the current structure. I'm looking forward to a robust discussion today on the merits of the reform proposals as well as ways the Administration will seek to address concerns of key stakeholders, especially those with a rural perspective. While ATC [Air Traffic Control] reform has garnered much of the attention this week, there are plenty of other important issues that require the consideration of the DOT [United States Department of Transportation] and this committee. The Department administers several key programs, including the Essential Air Service Program, and is responsible for consumer protection oversight for the aviation industry." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Elaine L. Chao.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2018
• Nomination of Vice Admiral David P. Pekoske, to Be Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Hearing Before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, June 21, 2017

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  This is the June 21, 2017 hearing titled "Nomination of Vice Admiral David P. Pekoske, to Be Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security" before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. From the opening statement of John Thune: "Today we will consider the nomination of Admiral David Pekoske to become the next Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. [...] Currently, the Agency is drawing considerable attention for exploring the possible expansion of the ban on personal electronic devices, such as laptop computers, on flights to the United States from certain last point of departure airports. While the Secretary of Homeland Security has recently signaled that such a move may be unnecessary, this is a good example of an issue where stakeholder collaboration will be critical to the development of solutions and the acceptance and implementation of security protocols. My hope is that Admiral Pekoske will work to promote relationships with the private sector and create a culture at TSA that embraces innovative approaches to security." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: David P. Pekoske.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2018
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018, Hearing before the Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, March 8, 2017

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  This is the March 8, 2017 hearing titled "Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018," held before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. From the opening statement of Susan Collins: "Today, our subcommittee is holding this hearing on the state of our Nation's transportation infrastructure and potential funding and financing options to help meet the long-term transportation needs of our Nation." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: David B. Bernhardt, Susan Collins, Jack Reed, Jim Tymon, Todd Hauptli, Edward L. Mortimer, Patrick Leahy, and Beth Osborne.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017-03-08
• Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018, Hearing Before the Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, July 13, 2017

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  This is the April 2, 2018 hearing on the "Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019", held before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations. From the opening statement of Susan Collins: "This year is going to be particularly challenging due to the budget caps under the current law, which are lower than the budget caps for fiscal year 2017. Moreover, the President's budget request proposes to set them even lower. The administration's $76 billion request for the Department of Transportation includes more than $3 billion in cuts to its programs. While I am encouraged that the administration provides increases for highway, transit, and safety programs funded by the Highway Trust Fund, I am disappointed in several of the reductions in the President's budget." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Elaine L. Chao and Jack Reed.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2018?
• TSA Modernization: Improvements to Aviation Security, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, September 28, 2017

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  This is the September 28, 2017 hearing on "TSA Modernization" held before the the Senate Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security. From the opening statement of Roy Blunt: "But, certainly, the TSA obligation, the TSA challenges are significant. Everyone knows that the airports, the airlines, the transportation that's involved in tourism as well as the daily business of the country-critically important on what happens at airports and how we do that. The TSA challenge is obviously formidable. In 2016, TSA officers screened 738 million passengers, more than 2 million a day. In addition, TSA screened 466 million checked bags and over 24 million airport employees. So to get that right and to get it right every time is a huge challenge, and I think there is a lot of appreciation for just how hard this job is. [...] We know that we need to speed up technology evaluation and deployment of the best technology. We need to improve communication with the traveling public on wait times; identify how to leverage the PreCheck program; not be afraid to get creative and test new ways of doing things, such as one of the things we're going to talk about today, the idea of automating the exit line and impacting in a positive way the bottom line." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Brian C. Weiler, Stephen A. Alterman, Sissy Pressnell, and Michael White.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2019
• Assessing the Security of Our Critical Transportation Infrastructure, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, December 7, 2016

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  This is from the December 7, 2016 hearing "Assessing the Security of Our Critical Transportation Infrastructure" before the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security. From the statement of Neil Trugman: "Passenger rail security differs fundamentally from aviation security. Many railroad stations are a part of the urban fabric of city centers. The largest stations are multi-modal, hosting busses, subways and commuter rail with offices, food courts and retail establishments. New York Penn Station hosts more rail travelers annually than the La Guardia, JFK, and Newark Airports together. Daily commuting cycles require a fundamentally different security solution 3 than airports, because urban terrain is different, and rail journeys are an organic part of our travelers' daily schedule. Conversely, small rural stations are frequently unstaffed and provide access and connectivity between the nation's heartland and its cities through an intercity route system. Screening every passenger prior to boarding in the passenger rail environment, as the airports do, is not feasible without resources and technology railroads don't currently possess. We do however, employ a variety of tactics to surveil key infrastructure and stations, while retaining robust capability to surge resources and leverage partnerships in unpredictable ways to complicate the task for an attacker. We coordinate with other law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community to respond to threats and adapt tactics in anticipation of potential new threats. We have also trained Amtrak's employees and passengers to spot and report suspicious behaviors including by phone or text. The ability to leverage our skilled workforce and our passengers contributes significantly to our safety and security." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John Roth, Neil Trugman, Chris Spear, Tony Straquadine, and Tom Belfiore.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017
• Stakeholder Perspectives on Improving TSA for the Security of the Traveling Public, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, February 16, 2017

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  This is the February 16, 2017 hearing on "Stakeholder Perspectives on Improving TSA for the Security of the Traveling Public," held before the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, From the opening statement Roy Blunt: "Since taking the helm of DIA (Denver International Airport) in 2008, Kim has led the airport to record domestic and international passenger levels and growth. She has played a key role in the recent reopening of the multimillion dollar hotel and transit center that connects downtown Denver to the airport terminal with commuter rail. And above all else, she has put the passenger experience first, working on security improvements at Denver International Airport, one of the Nation's busiest airports. […] Ms. Day, we're glad to have you here. Also, we're glad to have Stephen Alterman, the President of the Cargo Airline Association and Chairman of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee; as well as Sharon Pinkerton, the Senior Vice President of Legislative and Regulatory Policy for Airlines of America; and Mark Laustra, the Vice President of Global Business Development and Government Relations for Analogic, a company that develops state-of-theart threat detection systems for airport screening." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Stephen A. Alterman, Sharon Pinkerton, Kim Day, and Mark Laustra.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017
• Dogs of DHS: How Canine Programs Contribute to Homeland Security, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, March 3, 2016

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  This is the March 3, 2016 hearing on "Dogs of DHS: How Canine Programs Contribute to Homeland Security," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Ron Johnson: "This is something that has been really a couple of years in the planning from my standpoint, because I have always been intrigued by the capabilities of canine units and I love dogs, particularly little puppies like Jerry. What we are going to first start out with is we are going to introduce the two canine teams that later will be doing a demonstration for us. The first is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) canine team. Doug Timberlake is a Transportation Security Inspector for TSA, and he is here with his partner, Rriverso, who has a pretty special name, named after somebody who was lost in the World Trade Center, I was told. Mr. Timberlake, kind of walk through it." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Doug Timberlake, Jennifer Jones, Patrick Dowling, Kimberly S. Hutchinson, Damian Montes, Jennifer Grover, and Cynthia M. Otto.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017
• MAP-21 Reauthorization: State and Local Perspectives on Transportation Priorities and Funding, Hearing Before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, March 27, 2014

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  This is a hearing titled "MAP-21 Reauthorization: State and Local Perspectives on Transportation Priorities and Funding" held on March 27, 2014 before the Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the opening statement of Senator Barbara Boxer: "MAP-21 was a bipartisan bill that included transformational reforms to improve flexibility, reduce costs and require accountability for our surface transportation programs. These reforms, many of which are still in the rulemaking process, will enhance Federal transportation programs and help to build public trust in seeing how our tax dollars are spent. We will continue to track the implementation of these reforms as the DOT [Department of Transportation] makes them, and we welcome the opportunity to hear from States, counties, parishes, cities on how these reforms are working and what tweaks and improvements should be considered for our next bill." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael P. Lewis, Sue Minter, Gregory A. Ballard, Mick Cornett, Bill Fontenot, Stephanie A. Miner, Jim Willox, and Dave Gula.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2016
• Frustrated Travelers: Rethinking TSA Operations to Improve Passenger Screening and Address Threats to Aviation, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, June 7, 2016

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  This is the June 7, 2016 hearing on "Frustrated Travelers: Rethinking TSA Operations to Improve Passenger Screening and Address Threats to Aviation," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Ron Johnson: "I think, at the heart of what is currently ailing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is the fact that we really have two completely contradictory goals. On the one hand, we want efficient throughput, so we can get passengers to their flights on time. And, at the same time, we need to be 100 percent secure. All of this is being driven-we have to understand that the root cause of the problem here is Islamic terrorism." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jennifer Grover, Peter V. Neffenger, and John Roth.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2017
• Goods Movement on our Nation's Highways, Hearing Before the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Second Session, May 8, 2008

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  This is the May 8, 2008 hearing, "Goods Movement on our Nation's Highways" before the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the opening statement of Barbara Boxer: "The current highway, transit and highway safety authorization legislation, SAFETEA-LU [Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act, Legacy for Users], will expire on September 30, 2009. Goods movement and its impact on congestion and air quality will at the top of my list of issues that need to be addressed through the authorization process. Today's hearing is the first step." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Michael Gallis, Charles Potts, and Mortimer Downey.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2015
• Nomination Hearing: Elaine Chao, Secretary of the Department of Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, January 11, 2017

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  This is the January 11 nomination hearing for Elaine Chao, to-be secretary of the Department of Transportation, compiled by HSDL staff.

  2017-01-11
• Department of Homeland Security Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2017, Hearing Before the Subcommittee of the Department of Homeland Security of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, March 1, 2016

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  This is the March 1, 2016 hearing on "Department of Homeland Security" held before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee of the Department of Homeland Security of the Committee on Appropriations. The purpose of this hearing is to establish a budget for fiscal year 2017 for the Department of Homeland Security. The largest issue presented in this hearing is the Transportation Security Administration [TSA] and its continued importance in keeping Americans safe given the ongoing threat of ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] and its targeting of valuable methods of transportation infrastructure like air travel.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2016
• MAP-21 Reauthorization: The Economic Importance of Maintaining Federal Investment in our Transportation Infrastructure, Hearing Before the Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, February 12, 2014

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  This is a hearing titled "MAP-21 Reauthorization: The Economic Importance of Maintaining Federal Investment in our Transportation Infrastructure" held on February 12, 2014 before the Committee on Environment and Public Works. From the opening statement of Senator Barbara Boxer: "We are focusing on maintaining Federal funding for transportation, maintaining Federal funding. That is what is at stake here, for transportation. Ensuring the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund and averting a major crisis later this year. We will hear from our witnesses who are national leaders representing businesses, States and workers who build, maintain and utilize our transportation system." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Thomas J. Donohue, Richard L. Trumka, Mike Hancock, T. Peter Ruane, and Jay Timmons.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2016
• Strengthening the Cybersecurity Posture of America's Small Business Community, Hearing Before the Committee on Small Business, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, July 20, 2021

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  This is the July 20, 2021 hearing on "Strengthening the Cybersecurity Posture of America's Small Business Community," held before the House of Representatives Committee on Small Business. From the opening statement of Nydia Velaquez: "Today's hearing gives us the chance to examine how existing cyber resources can be enhanced and integrated into small business support mechanisms. I also look forward to discussing new initiatives that can alleviate the financial burden of cybersecurity preparedness. Small businesses are the foundation of our economy, so their vulnerability is our nation's vulnerability. Investment in their security will make us all more secure." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Tasha Cornish, Sharon Nichols, Kiersten Todt, and Graham Dufault.

  United States. Government Publishing Office
• SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern and Variants Under Investigation in England

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  From the Summary: "This report has been published to continue to share the detailed variant surveillance analyses which contribute to the variant risk assessments and designation of new VOCs [variants of concern] and VUIs [variants under investigation]. The specialist technical briefings contain early data and analysis on emerging variants and findings have a high level of uncertainty. A separate report is published [hyperlink] covering surveillance data on all other VOCs and VUIs."

  Great Britain. Crown Office; United Kingdom Health Security Agency

  2021-10-01
• SOF Role in Combating Transnational Organized Crime

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  "It is my pleasure to present this publication's summary and conclusions from our 2015 Symposium on Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) conducted with our Canadian Special Operations Forces (CANSOF) and Mexican special operations and law enforcement partners. Why is TOC a concern and why should it be a concern to our special operations community? The nexus between criminal and terrorist networks is significant and evolving, and the threat to our nations' security demands that we collectively explore regional whole-of-government approaches and determine the potential Special Operations Forces (SOF) roles for countering and diminishing these violent destabilizing networks. The panel summaries that fill this publication detail our national sovereignty challenges, shared opportunities, and most importantly, some very useful conclusions regarding the employment of SOF against TOC."

  Joint Special Operations University (U.S.)

  Mendel, William W.; McCabe, Peter M.; Pagan, Hector E. . . .

  2016
• Third Temple's Holy of Holies: Israel's Nuclear Weapons

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  This paper is a history of the Israeli nuclear weapons program drawn from a review of unclassified sources. Israel began its search for nuclear weapons at the inception of the state in 1948. As payment for Israeli participation in the Suez Crisis of 1956, France provided nuclear expertise and constructed a reactor complex for Israel at Dimona capable of large-scale plutonium production and reprocessing. The United States discovered the facility by 1958 and it was a subject of continual discussions between American presidents and Israeli prime ministers. Israel used delay and deception to at first keep the United States at bay, and later used the nuclear option as a bargaining chip for a consistent American conventional arms supply. After French disengagement in the early 1960s, Israel progressed on its own, including through several covert operations, to project completion. Before the 1967 Six-Day War, they felt their nuclear facility threatened and reportedly assembled several nuclear devices. By the 1973 Yom Kippur War Israel had a number of sophisticated nuclear bombs, deployed them, and considered using them. The Arabs may have limited their war aims because of their knowledge of the Israeli nuclear weapons. Israel has most probably conducted several nuclear bomb tests. They have continued to modernize and vertically proliferate and are now one of the world's larger nuclear powers. Using "bomb in the basement" nuclear opacity, Israel has been able to use its arsenal as a deterrent to the Arab world while not technically violating American nonproliferation requirements.

  USAF Counterproliferation Center

  Farr, Warner D.

  1999-09
• Death of the Golden Hour and the Return of the Future Guerrilla Hospital

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  From the Introduction: "Guerrilla warfare (GW) literature concentrates on the conduct of each war and does not often mention the medical aspects of such conflicts. Military medicine began in the early 1800s, with few or no references prior to that. Military trauma evacuation and treatment dates back from the Napoleonic era. In conventional warfare prior to this time, comrades carried wounded soldiers off the battlefield. This caused a significant loss of combat power for each wounded soldier. During early unconventional warfare (UW) campaigns, sympathizers sequestered wounded in civilian homes, an example of early guerrilla auxiliaries and undergrounds. The purpose of this monograph is not so much to teach, but encourage learning about GW medicine by highlighting published resources. The medics in essentially all UW campaigns are indigenous. They wrote of battles and campaigns. Books on guerrilla logistics and medical care are rare. Books on guerrilla campaigns are more common and include the countries: Yugoslavia, France, Indochina, Malaysia, and Afghanistan, along with less familiar venues such as Northern Ireland, Venezuela, Brazil, Algeria, Korea, Tibet, Quebec, and Uruguay. Urban UW comprises a subset of the literature. The foremost American urban GW outfit was Detachment A, Berlin Brigade--a cold war U.S. Army special forces (SF) stay-behind unit. The SF patch has three lightning bolts representing air, land, and sea. More famously, the Navy SEALS represent sea, air, and land teams. Staying behind is a method that is often overlooked. This monograph will explore the evolution of required medical care support for isolated SOF [Special Operations Forces] operations in austere areas."

  Joint Special Operations University (U.S.)

  Farr, Warner D.

  2017-11
• Hate Crimes and the Rise of White Nationalism, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, April 9, 2019

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  This is the April 9, 2019 hearing on "Hate Crimes and the Rise of White Nationalism," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary. From the opening statement of Jerrold Nadler: "We will consider issues relating to hate crimes and the rise of White nationalism. This topic goes to the heart of our country's longstanding struggle to carry out what the Preamble to our Constitution says it is designed to do, 'to form a more perfect union.' Hate incidents target victims based on their actual or perceived race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or other immutable characteristics. Some of these incidents may be crimes, and some are not. All of them harm not only individuals, but also our communities and, ultimately, our entire Nation." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Eileen Hershenov, Mohammad Abu-Salha, Eva Paterson, Neil Potts, Alexandria Walden, Morton Klein, Candace Owens, and Kristen Clarke.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2021
• Information Age Proxy Warfare

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  From the Document: "The utility of employing proxies to achieve strategic ends has increased with the arrival of the information age. Akin to the 'classic' nuclear deterrence theory of the Cold War era, the costs of major conventional warfare (to all parties) have encouraged the use of virtually-supported proxy forces to limit the likelihood and costs of escalation in future conflicts. Conversely, the opportunities inherent in information age access, reach and penetration to proxy forces overcome certain conventional force deterrence effects. The author describes these outcomes as being achieved through weapons of mass mobilization, subversion, instruction, and surveillance. This paper explains why such proxy options appeal to government, and how proxy warfare considerations might influence Western military strategy."

  Joint Special Operations University (U.S.)

  Maher, Andrew

  2019-08
• Current Trends in Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Implications for U.S. Special Operations Forces

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  From the Document: "This paper assesses current trends in small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) technology and its applications to the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. Of critical concern to SOF is that commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sUAS technologies are relatively inexpensive, improving at a dramatic rate, and widely available throughout the world. Insurgents, terrorists, violent extremist organizations (VEOs) and other nefarious actors have used COTS sUAS to conduct offensive attacks as well as to develop battlefield situation awareness; these technological improvements combined with their widespread availability will require enhanced and rapidly adaptive counter-sUAS measures in the future. To understand the most current trends in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology and their applicability to SOF, this paper analyzes the definition and classification of sUAS, their major applications, and characteristics. In the military context, UAS are principally used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), border security, counterinsurgency, attack and strike, target identification and designation, communications relay, electronic attack, remote sensing, and aerial mapping. As technology improves, smaller versions of sUAS will be used by both friendly operators and maligned actors (insurgents, terrorists, VEOs, nation states) as force multipliers for military operations. As armed forces around the world continue to invest in research and development of sUAS technologies, there will be tremendous potential to revolutionize warfare, particularly in context of special operations. Consequently, the use of sUAS technology by SOF is likely to escalate over the next decade, as is the likelihood of sUAS countermeasures due to the availability of the technology within nefarious organizations."

  Joint Special Operations University (U.S.)

  Craiger, J. Philip (John Philip); Zorri, Diane Maye

  2019-09