What GAO Found Each year in the U.S., hundreds of women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth—known as maternal death. GAO's analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that maternal deaths increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the data show...
What GAO Found Kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools have reported significant educational impact due to cybersecurity incidents, such as ransomware attacks. Cyberattacks can also cause monetary losses for targeted schools due to the downtime and resources needed to recover from incidents. Officials...
What GAO Found Based on survey data it reviewed, GAO estimated that adults' receipt of four routine vaccines at the ages they are recommended for all adults—flu, pneumococcal, shingles, and tetanus—varied by type of vaccine, state, and other factors, such as race and ethnicity. Vaccine type: Estimated...
What GAO Found U.S. Border Patrol's implementation of the Notice to Report (NTR) process created challenges for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which the agencies sought to address in developing the parole plus Alternatives to Detention (ATD) process. In March 2021, Border Patrol initiated...
What GAO Found Recent drinking water data from six selected states show that at least 18 percent of the states' 5,300 total water systems had at least two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate—above the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)...
What GAO Found A majority (about 69 percent) of vehicles owned and leased by federal agencies are classified as light-duty—mostly sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pick-up trucks, and sedans—and operated across the country. In fiscal year 2021, we found that agencies reported that federal vehicles traveled...
What GAO Found U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has established a variety of command and control (C2) structures to manage its Special Operations Forces (SOF). In calendar year 2021, USSOCOM reported that it had 28 active SOF C2 structures, primarily in the Middle East (Central Command) and...
What GAO Found Research indicates that the number of rural hospitals providing obstetric services declined from 2004 through 2018, and more than half of rural counties did not have such services in 2018, according to the most recent data available. Studies showed that closures were focused in rural counties...
What GAO Found Ransomware is a form of malicious software designed to encrypt files on a device and render data and systems unusable. Malicious actors then demand ransom payments in exchange for restoring access to the locked data and systems. A ransomware attack is not a single event but occurs in stages...
What GAO Found Public K-12 teacher shortages occurred nationwide, but were more prevalent in specific geographic and demographic areas and specific subject matters, according to GAO's analysis of the most recent available national data. GAO found that shortages were most prevalent in the West, urban...