Presidential Transitions, Arms Transfers, and More from CRS
A range of presidential transition policy issues — including records management, budget preparation and the role of executive orders — is explored in a new report from the Congressional Research Service. See “Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations” (pdf), October 23, 2008.
Other noteworthy new CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News that were not previously available online include the following (all pdf).
“Status of a Senator Who Has Been Indicted for or Convicted of a Felony,” October 22, 2008.
“Transatlantic Regulatory Cooperation: Background and Analysis,” October 22, 2008.
“Would an Influenza Pandemic Qualify as a Major Disaster Under the Stafford Act?,” October 20, 2008.
“The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11,” updated October 15, 2008.
“The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act: Implementation and Proposed Amendments,” October 22, 2008.
“Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2000-2007,” October 23, 2008.
Science funding agencies are biased against risk, making transformative research difficult to fund. Forecast-based approaches to grantmaking could improve funding outcomes for high-risk, high-reward research.
Establishing an NIH Office of Infection-Associated Chronic Illness Research can guard against the long-term effects of Covid and lead to novel breakthroughs across many less understood diseases.
A military depot in central Belarus has recently been upgraded with additional security perimeters and an access point that indicate it could be intended for housing Russian nuclear warheads for Belarus’ Russia-supplied Iskander missile launchers.
With a PhD in materials science, a postdoc position at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and a stint as a AAAS Fellow, Dr. Shawn Chen has had a range of roles in the research community.