Drought in California, Democracy in Hong Kong (CRS)
Noteworthy new Congressional Research Service reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following (all pdf).
“Military Service Records and Unit Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources,” December 16, 2009.
“California Drought: Hydrological and Regulatory Water Supply Issues,” December 7, 2009.
“Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRTIOT Act Reauthorization,” December 9, 2009.
“Amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Set to Expire February 28, 2010,” December 23, 2009.
“Homeland Security Department: FY2010 Appropriations,” December 14, 2009.
“Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Legal Issues,” December 22, 2009.
“International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress,” January 5, 2010.
“U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background and Current Issues,” December 18, 2009.
“Prospects for Democracy in Hong Kong: The 2012 Election Reforms,” December 10, 2009.
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.