Noteworthy new reports from the Congressional Research Service obtained by Secrecy News that have not previously been made available online include the following (all pdf).
“Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Selected Issues for Congress,” May 27, 2010.
“Deferred Examination of Patent Applications: Implications for Innovation Policy,” May 27, 2010.
“Post-Employment, ‘Revolving Door,’ Laws for Federal Personnel,” updated May 12, 2010.
“A New United Nations Entity for Women: Issues for Congress,” May 25, 2010.
“Democratic Reforms in Taiwan: Issues for Congress,” May 26, 2010.
“Detection of Nuclear Weapons and Materials: Science, Technologies, Observations,” updated June 4, 2010.
The potential implication of these evidence gaps becomes more consequential when you look at how institutions actually make decisions day to day.
Every new institution inherits something – existing incentives, existing staff, decades of prior investment that shaped what’s possible.
This is not the first time Google has agreed to censor imagery at the behest of governments, but be warned: obfuscation at this broad level poses a direct threat to the public’s ability to monitor and scrutinize government operations.
America’s affordability problem is bigger than home prices and rents. The best housing policies make it easier to build homes, and recognize how housing connects to other domains.