Counting Electoral Votes (CRS) December 14, 2020
The procedural steps leading up to inauguration of the next President on January 20, 2021 are described in a recent Congressional Research Service publication. See…
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A “Drop Dead” Date for Classified Info
The declassification process has been overwhelmed by the flood of classified records awaiting review, said Sen. Ron Wyden last week. "I intend to push the Director of National Intelligence to fix a broken declassification system," he said. One highly effective way to begin fixing the declassification system would be to…
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The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Enters Into Force Today
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) enters into force today, 90 days after the deposit of the 50th instrument of ratification. So far, a total of 86 countries have signed the treaty, which complements existing disarmament measures like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The TPNW is a significant milestone…
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Biden Issues National Security Directive 1
Amid the whirlwind of White House activity following inauguration last week, President Biden issued his first presidential directive on national security to designate pandemic response as a priority. "My Administration will treat epidemic and pandemic preparedness, health security, and global health as top national security priorities, and will work with other…
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New NASIC Report Appears Watered Down And Out Of Date
The US Air Force National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has published a new version of its widely referenced Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat report. The agency normally puts out an updated version of the report every four years. The previous version dates from 2017. The 2021 report (dated…
Read moreSpanish-language vaccine news stories hosting malware disseminated via URL shorteners December 10, 2020
Through link-shortening services such as bit.ly, a third-party has disseminated vaccine-related malware across Latin America.
Read moreJASON Science Advisory Panel Endures December 7, 2020
Having survived a Pentagon attempt to terminate it, the JASON panel that performs independent technical assessments for government agencies now seems set for a period of relative stability. Last year…
Read moreDoD Legislative Proposals to be Published December 7, 2020
After failing to publicly disclose its proposed legislative agenda, the Department of Defense will soon be required to do so. Each year DoD generates proposals for legislative actions that it…
Read more2020 Declassification Deadline Remains in Force December 6, 2020
Classified records that turn 25 years old this year will be automatically declassified on December 31 — despite requests from agencies to extend the deadline due to the pandemic —…
Read moreTrump Jr: “Declassify Everything!!!” December 6, 2020
On November 8 Donald J. Trump Jr., the President’s oldest son, tweeted: “DECLASSIFY EVERYTHING!!!” adding “We can’t let the bad actors get away with it.”…
Read morePresidential Transition Act, and More from CRS December 6, 2020
Noteworthy new publications from the Congressional Research Service include the following. Presidential Transition Act: Provisions and Funding, November 13, 2020…
Read moreTrump Administration Again Refuses To Disclose Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Size December 3, 2020
The Trump administration has denied a request from the Federation of American Scientists to disclose the size of the US nuclear weapons stockpile and the number of dismantled warheads.
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