Yesterday, May 20, 2013, a massive tornado devastated the town of Moore, Oklahoma. In light of the recent extreme weather event/s, and as we come closer to the 2013 hurricane season, the HSDL would like to highlight The National Child Traumatic Stress Network's (NCTSN) resources for those impacted by tornadoes. As is often the case, traumatic events and tragedies can have an enormous impact on children. The documents and links provided in this blog are meant to help families, teachers, and emergency responders, care for children and adolescents who could be dealing with emotional and psychological distress after witnessing first hand, or viewing media coverage of, the aforementioned traumatic events.

The HSDL would like to encourage those who work with children in a professional capacity, families, and emergency responders impacted by tornadoes, to take advantage of the following sampling of resources from NCTSN:

After the Tornado: Helping Young Children Heal
Parent Guidelines for Helping Children After a Tornado
Questions to Ask Your Children About the Tornado
Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students After a Tornado
Tornado Response for Kids: Right After a Tornado
Tornado Recovery for Kids: Making Things Better
Tornado Response for Teens: Right After a Tornado
Tornado Recovery for Teens: Making Things Better
Tips for Parents on Media Coverage of the Tornadoes
Simple Activities for Kids and Adolescents [during power outages or when it is unsafe to go outside]
Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S)
Childhood Traumatic Grief Education Materials: For Parents
Childhood Traumatic Grief Education Materials: For Parents [Spanish]

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The Center for Democracy and Technology posted a report from 20 of the leading experts in computer and network security criticizing the Federal Bureau of Investigation?s (FBI) proposal to require makers of secure communication tools to redesign their systems to make them wiretap compatible.

Currently, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) requires telecommunications carriers enable law enforcement officials to conduct electronic surveillance pursuant to court order or other lawful authorization.

From the report CALEA II: Risks of Wiretap Modifications to Endpoints: "This report explains how mandating wiretap capabilities in endpoints poses serious security risks. Requiring software vendors to build intercept functionality into their products is unwise and will be ineffective, with the result being serious consequences for the economic well-being and national security of the United States."

The report concludes: "The FBI?s desire to expand CALEA mandates amounts to developing for our adversaries capabilities that they may not have the competence, access, or resources to develop on their own. In that sense, the endpoint wiretap mandate of CALEA II may lower the already low barriers to successful cybersecurity attacks. We believe that on balance mandating that endpoint software vendors build intercept functionality into their products will be much more costly to personal, economic and governmental security overall than the risks associated with 'not' being able to wiretap all communications."

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In a new report by The American Security Project, authors Nick Cunningham and Danielle Parillo focus on the increasing threat that climate change poses to the United States and the world as a whole. "Protecting the Homeland: The Rising Costs of Inaction on Climate Change" argues that the United States needs to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions with haste. Moreover, the federal government should be prepared for the environmental and economic consequences of the climate change that has already occurred.

"Even if all carbon emissions could be eliminated immediately, we would continue to experience changes in the Earth?s climate over the next several decades. This is due to a lag effect ? the climate will continue to change in the coming years because of emissions over previous decades." As a result, effects such as rising temperatures, extreme weather and more frequent natural disasters can be expected. "The alarming rate of natural disasters poses risks to infrastructure, military preparedness, and human life. The destruction of these events have also directly led to steadily increasing costs to U.S. taxpayers, as the federal government pays out record levels in disaster relief each year."

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The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers the Food Defense Plan Builder which ?is a user-friendly software program designed to assist owners and operators of food facilities with developing personalized food defense plans for their facilities. This user-friendly tool harnesses existing FDA tools, guidance, and resources for food defense into one single application."

"Food Defense is the effort to protect the food supply against intentional contamination due to sabotage, terrorism, counterfeiting, or other illegal, intentionally harmful means."

"The Food Defense Plan Builder guides the user through the following sections:

- Company Information
- Broad Mitigation Strategies
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Focused Mitigation Strategies
- Emergency Contacts
- Action Plan
- Supporting Documents"

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The U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security (Democrats) has issued a Press Release which cites a Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General audit. Entitled "Interim Report on the Department of Justice?s Handling of Known or Suspected Terrorists Admitted into the Federal Witness Security Program", the audit had found that known terrorists, who had been admitted into the Federal Witness Protection Program, had been left off watch lists. In the words of Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee: "The Inspector General's audit of the federal Witness Security Program is an alarming example of the information sharing vulnerabilities that still remain over a decade after September 11th. The audit revealed that the FBI and Terrorist Screening Center did not know about, and were not involved in monitoring, individuals in the program ? essentially leaving them to freely move around the country with new identities the government provided. I am pleased that the Deputy Attorney General has implemented corrective action and am glad the Department of Justice is seriously addressing these information-sharing gaps."

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The National Network of Libraries of Medicine South Central Region (NN/LM SCR) has made a video available to "first responders, city councils, local governments etc." which demonstrates the role that public libraries can play within a community after an emergency. Entitled Public Libraries and First Responders: Partners in Emergency Response , this video is but one resource which the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and its regional branches offer in the field of emergency preparedness and response.

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The Transportation Research Board?s (TRB) ?National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 740: ?A Transportation Guide for All-Hazards Emergency Evacuation? focuses on the transportation aspects of evacuation, particularly large-scale, multijurisdictional evacuation.?

?The guidance, strategies, and tools in NCHRP Report 740 are based on an all-hazards approach that has applicability to a wide range of ?notice? and ?no-notice? emergency events. The report follows the basic planning steps of the Federal Emergency Management Agency?s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101. Each chapter parallels one of the six main CPG steps.?

?This guide provides step-by-step guidance and associated tools and resources to help any region develop the transportation coordination elements of an evacuation and reentry plan.?

?The contractor?s final report, which documents the development of the report, was published as NCHRP Web-Only Document 196. A PowerPoint presentation describing the entire project that resulted in NCHRP Report 740? is also available.

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The White House released the ?National Strategy for the Arctic Region? which sets forth the United States Government?s strategic priorities for the Arctic region.

The strategy intends to position the United States to respond effectively to challenges and emerging opportunities arising from significant increases in Arctic activity due to the diminishment of sea ice and the emergence of a new Arctic environment. It defines U.S. national security interests in the Arctic region.

The strategy is built on three lines of effort:
1. Advance United States Security Interests
2. Pursue Responsible Arctic Region Stewardship
3. Strengthen International Cooperation

On May 14-15, 2013, United States Secretary of State John Kerry will join Arctic Council colleagues Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Russia in Kiruna, Sweden for its biannual meeting. The ?National Strategy for the Arctic Region? is intend to increase international cooperation in this critical region of the world.

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Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People?s Republic of China

In a report mandated by the FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Defense's discusses China's military and security strategies, technological advancements in its capabilities, military doctrine, and security issues in the Taiwan Strait.

?The People?s Republic of China (PRC) continues to pursue a long-term, comprehensive military modernization program designed to improve the capacity of its armed forces to fight and win short-duration, high-intensity regional military conflict. Preparing for potential conflict in the Taiwan Strait appears to remain the principal focus and primary driver of China?s military investment.?

?China is fielding an array of conventionally armed ballistic missiles, ground- and air-launched land-attack cruise missiles, special operations forces, and cyber-warfare capabilities to hold targets at risk throughout the region.?

For the first time, the Pentagon officially accuses the Chinese of launching cyber attacks against the U.S. Department of Defense. ?In 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the U.S. government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to the Chinese government and military.?

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The Department of Homeland Security has released three National Planning Frameworks this month, including the National Response Framework, the National Mitigation Framework, and the National Prevention Framework.

These three documents are part of a series of five National Planning Frameworks which "document the roles and responsibilities of the whole community in all facets of national preparedness. The benefit of this unified effort is a more informed, shared understanding of risks, needs, and capabilities across the whole community; and, in the end, a more secure and resilient nation."

The three Frameworks "outline how the whole community can take steps to collectively achieve the National Preparedness Goal." The other two Frameworks in the set include the National Disaster Recovery Framework, released in 2011, and the National Protection Framework, which is still under development.

• The National Prevention Framework focuses on avoiding, preventing, or stopping a threatened or actual act of terrorism. While other mission areas focus on all hazards, including natural disasters, this framework focuses specifically on imminent acts of terrorism on U.S. soil.
• The National Mitigation Framework refers to reducing the loss of life and property by lessening the effects of disasters.
• The National Response Framework covers the capabilities necessary to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs after an incident has occurred.

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