The current outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa has infected and killed more people than all previous outbreaks combined.
A new report from the Congressional Research Service provides detailed background on the spread of the disease, the weaknesses of the health care infrastructure in the affected countries, and related policy issues for congressional consideration. See The 2014 Ebola Outbreak: International and U.S. Responses, August 26, 2014.
Next week, NATO leaders will hold their first meeting since Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. A new CRS report offers a preview of the meeting’s anticipated agenda and objectives. See NATO’s Wales Summit: Expected Outcomes and Key Challenges, August 26, 2014.
Some other CRS products that have been recently updated include the following.
Conventional Prompt Global Strike and Long-Range Ballistic Missiles: Background and Issues, August 26, 2014
Membership of the 113th Congress: A Profile, August 26, 2014
Bills of Attainder: The Constitutional Implications of Congress Legislating Narrowly, August 26, 2014
Time out: Secrecy News will be back the week of September 8.
Investing in interventions behind the walls is not just a matter of improving conditions for incarcerated individuals—it is a public safety and economic imperative. By reducing recidivism through education and family contact, we can improve reentry outcomes and save billions in taxpayer dollars.
The U.S. government should establish a public-private National Exposome Project (NEP) to generate benchmark human exposure levels for the ~80,000 chemicals to which Americans are regularly exposed.
The federal government spends billions every year on wildfire suppression and recovery. Despite this, the size and intensity of fires continues to grow, increasing costs to human health, property, and the economy as a whole.
To respond and maintain U.S. global leadership, USAID should transition to heavily favor a Fixed-Price model to enhance the United States’ ability to compete globally and deliver impact at scale.