What GAO Found: In the absence of completed plans, CISA is not well-positioned to execute a nationwide strategy for securing election infrastructure prior to the start of the 2020 election cycle. CISA's operations plan may not fully address all aspects outlined in its strategic plan, when finalized. GAO is making three recommendations to the CISA Director to (1) urgently finalize the strategic plan and the supporting operations plan for securing election infrastructure for the upcoming elections, (2) ensure that the operations plan fully addresses all lines of effort in the strategic plan for securing election infrastructure for the upcoming elections, and (3) document how the agency intends to address challenges identified in its prior election assistance efforts and incorporate appropriate remedial actions into the agency's 2020 planning.

"The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious. As a Senator-juror, I swore an oath, before God, to exercise “impartial justice.” I am a profoundly religious person. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the President, the leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong... I support a great deal of what the President has done. I have voted with him 80% of the time. But my promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and biases aside. Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke and the censure of my own conscience."

Ferida Wolff writes: "Sometimes there is ice on the morning windshield and by afternoon jackets aren’t needed. Snow may be predicted but we haven’t seen a snowstorm yet. One day the wind was so aggressive that it moved things sideways. Another day was so foggy that it was hard to see beyond a few feet. The weather has been puzzling for a while now." And another source: "Solving jigsaw puzzles is a low-cost, intrinsically motivating, cognitive leisure activity, which can be executed alone or with others and without the need to operate a digital device."

Of the 119 pregnancy-associated deaths for 2016 and 2017 in the state, 13.4% (16) were homicides. They estimated that, for every 100,000 women who were pregnant or postpartum, there were 12.9 homicide deaths, which outnumbered deaths from any single obstetric cause, including hypertensive disorders (3.2) and amniotic fluid entering the bloodstream (4.8). The risk of homicide death was twice as high for women and girls during pregnancy and the postpartum period, compared to women and girls who were not pregnant. Pregnancy and postpartum deaths were highest for women and girls ages 10 to 29.

Titles include: The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford, a picture book that traces the history and heroes of rap and hip hop; Pet, the fantasy novel for teens by Akwaeke Emezi; the soon-to-be adapted for television Normal People by Sally Rooney; Library of Small Catastrophes, a book of poetry by Alison C. Robbins; and a picture book about a father-daughter motorcycle ride Mi Papi Tiene Una Moto by Isabel Quintero and Zeke Peña. (Editor's Note: Don't forget the NYPL book Peculiar Questions and Practical Answers, A Little Book of Whimsy and Wisdom from the Files of the New York Public Library ... see illustration)  

Published hearing transcripts contain all witness testimony, the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, and any other material requested of the witness by the committee. It may take several months, or even years, for a hearing to be published. Unlike most other congressional documents, hearings are not available from the Senate or House Document Rooms. You may be able to locate a hearing from the Government Publishing Office's govinfo website, from a committee website, or from a federal depository library. For more tips, read the guide How to find committee hearings.

The 2020 presidential election is just months away and state legislators, courts and election officials are making final changes to policies governing access to the ballot. States remain divided along partisan lines on expanding and tightening voting laws. As the effects of climate change become increasingly apparent, many states are beginning to prepare for ongoing challenges instead of responding to disasters as one-off events. As more Americans nationwide struggle to pay rent, state lawmakers are filing bills they hope will lead to more affordable housing construction. The mortality rate in rural areas is nearly 850 people per 100,000 compared to about 730 in urban areas. The likely culprits: a lack of access to health care, lower rates of individuals with health insurance, and higher rates of poverty.

From the World Health Organization: "It is expected that further international exportation of cases may appear in any country. Thus, all countries should be prepared for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread of 2019-nCoV infection, and to share full data with WHO. Technical advice is available on the WHO website. Countries should place particular emphasis on reducing human infection, prevention of secondary transmission and international spread, and contributing to the international response though multi-sectoral communication and collaboration and active participation in increasing knowledge on the virus and the disease, as well as advancing research." 

"To keep their victims under the spell, the scammers will demand they corporate with their fake investigation by the government or face severe fines or even jail time. They also attempt to isolate the victim by keeping him or her on the phone uninterrupted for hours or even days at a time by instructing them not to tell anybody what is going on. They will cite the confidentially of the investigation. In a recent case reported by the Wall Street Journal, an oncology nurse in New York was instructed to leave work without notice, check into a hotel, and stay on the phone for nearly 50 hours. Coached by the fraudsters through a series of transactions at her bank and credit union, she lost almost $340,000 to scammers over three days."

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is presenting a major exhibition that highlights a distinctive American art movement that emerged in the late 1960s and flourished during the following decades. Focusing on iconic works made during the three decades between 1967 and 1997, the exhibition features 115 works by 62 artists. It examines a generation of pioneering artists who used body-related forms to express a personal vision and frames their work in relation to the cultural, historical and social concerns of their time.

The for-profit hospice industry has grown, allowing more Americans to die at home. But few family members realize that "hospice care" still means they'll do most of the physical and emotional work. When it comes to where we die, the US has reached a tipping point. Home is now the most common place of death, according to new research, and a majority of Medicare patients are turning to hospice services to help make that possible. Fewer Americans these days are dying in a hospital, under the close supervision of doctors and nurses.

The code will require digital services to automatically provide children with a built-in baseline of data protection whenever they download a new app, game or visit a website. That means privacy settings should be set to high by default and nudge techniques should not be used to encourage children to weaken their settings. Location settings that allow the world to see where a child is, should also be switched off by default. Data collection and sharing should be minimised and profiling that can allow children to be served up targeted content should be switched off by default too.

"The concept of impeachment originated in England and was adopted by many of the American colonial governments and state constitutions. As adopted by the framers, this congressional power is a fundamental component of the constitutional system of 'checks and balances.' Through the impeachment process, Congress charges and then tries an official of the federal government for 'Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.' The definition of 'high Crimes and Misdemeanors' was not specified in the Constitution and has long been subject to debate."    

"Mass gatherings of any kind attract a broad variety of people and, inevitably, that means an array of different motives and intentions. The overwhelming majority come with a peaceful purpose. However, in recent protests, we have seen a small portion who come seeking to hurt others or to destroy property. We have seen individuals who come armed and armored use peaceful protesters as a cover for their violent actions. Language used to announce a protest may be effective at enticing supporters, luring counter-demonstrators or provoking conflict. Others lure people by promoting spectacle. But, if you don't know the person, groups or source personally, use caution."

Margaret Cullison writes: I met one of my most memorable friends at a time when I needed a good friend. I’d just moved to the San Francisco Bay area and, while still unpacking the moving boxes, my husband told me he wanted a divorce. After thirteen years of marriage and four children, we’d drifted apart but still his announcement knocked me off balance. Since my teenage years I’d made fleeting attempts to write fiction and poetry, so I decided to nurture that interest by taking a creative writing class. When we’d finished writing, we took turns reading our character sketches aloud. That’s how I learned that the woman I’d written about had also chosen me as her subject. At the break, she and I talked about the coincidence, as yet unaware that a meaningful friendship would grow out of that synchronicity.

For the last 33 years, it has been my great honor to serve the American people as a Foreign Service Officer, over six Administrations — four Republican, and two Democratic. I have served in seven different countries, five of them hardship posts, and was appointed to serve as an ambassador three times — twice by a Republican President,and once by a Democrat. Throughout my career, I have stayed true to the oath that Foreign Service Officers take and observe every day: “that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;” and “that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”

“Vera was not only a brilliant scientist whose groundbreaking discoveries are as relevant today as they were 50 years ago, she was also a tireless advocate for women in astronomy.” added Richard Carlson, Director of Carnegie Earth and Planets, where Rubin worked. “She mentored several generations of women in science. This honor will ensure that her legacy inspires many more.” “Vera challenged conventional thinking and transformed our understanding of the universe,” said Carnegie Science President Eric D. Isaacs

"Before I conclude, I'd like to address two challenges currently facing the housing sector. The first relates to the difficulties that some employers face, including homebuilders, in finding and retaining qualified and skilled workers. To provide some context, the national data show that the unemployment rate in the private construction industry is now well below the rate we observed in the early 2000s, a time when the housing market was booming. In addition, the ratio of job vacancies to unemployment in the construction industry — a measure of labor market strength — shot up to historic highs at the end of 2018, and it has remained near those levels."

Bills Introduced: A bill to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to provide for better protections for children raised in kinship families outside of the foster care system; A bill to amend the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998; A bill to improve the effectiveness of tribal child support enforcement agencies; A bill to require the Federal Communications Commission to incorporate data on maternal health outcomes into its broadband health maps; A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study to assess the unintended impacts on the health and safety of people engaged in transactional sex; A bill to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide abortion counseling to a veteran who has an unwanted pregnanc; A bill to amend the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998  

Many allergic reactions start when immune system cells known as T cells detect a foreign substance, called an antigen, and attempt to neutralize it. A common mechanism for allergic reactions involves T cells recognizing parts of proteins, or peptides. However, personal care products contain other types of compounds that were believed to go undetected by T cells. Researchers set out to uncover how such chemical compounds in personal care products could trigger a T cell reaction. The research team was led by Drs. Annemieke de Jong of Columbia University, D. Branch Moody of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Jamie Rossjohn of Monash University and Cardiff University School of Medicine.

"Inspired by Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel, Sanditon is a compelling depiction of a developing Regency seaside town at the forefront of the great social and economic changes of the age. When a carriage accident introduces the young Charlotte Heywood to the Parker family, she embarks on a journey from the only home she has ever known to the seaside idyll of Sanditon. Carried along by the enthusiasm of entrepreneur Tom Parker for the development of the once small fishing village into a fashionable seaside resort, Charlotte quickly finds herself at the heart of a diverse and unexpected community. From the direct but miserly Lady Denham, on whose fortune the Sanditon project relies, to the bitter fight between the numerous relatives hoping to inherit Lady Denham’s money, Charlotte quickly discovers that not everyone is as they first appear.

Ferida Wolff writes: In America, we accept many different pronunciations and still understand what is meant; it is the word itself that conveys its meaning. In China, it is the tone of the character that makes the word and, depending upon which is used, the meaning changes. The character ma, for instance, can mean you are calling your mother, asking a question, naming a horse, or saying something offensive. So, armed with our new linguistic knowledge, we headed off on our own into the shops that lined Nanjing Road, a major shopping area in Shanghai.

Cervical cancer screening is not recommended for individuals under age 21, according to the US Preventive Services Task Force, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Cancer Society. Additionally, leading professional organizations recommend against performing pelvic examinations in asymptomatic women who are not pregnant. “Parents of adolescents and young women should be aware that cervical cancer screening is not recommended routinely in this age group of 15 to 20 years old. Pelvic exams are not necessary prior to getting most contraceptives and are often not needed to screen for sexually transmissible infections.”