The Congressional Research Service has prepared a new account of the state secrets privilege, which is used by the government to bar disclosure of certain national security information in the course of civil litigation. While the CRS report contains nothing new, it is a detailed, dispassionate and fairly comprehensive account of the subject. A copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See “The State Secrets Privilege and Other Limits on Litigation Involving Classified Information” (pdf), May 28, 2009.
Other notable new CRS products that have not been made publicly available include the following (all pdf).
“Major U.S. Arms Sales and Grants to Pakistan Since 2001” (fact sheet), updated June 3, 2009.
“Political Turmoil in Thailand and U.S. Interests,” May 26, 2009.
“The 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) ‘Swine Flu’ Outbreak: An Overview,” May 20, 2009.
“Defense: FY2010 Authorization and Appropriations,” May 8, 2009.
“Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies,” March 31, 2009.
Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed revoking its 2009 “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases pose a substantial threat to the public. The Federation of American Scientists stands in strong opposition.
Modernizing ClinicalTrials.gov will empower patients, oncologists, and others to better understand what trials are available, where they are available, and their up-to-date eligibility criteria, using standardized search categories to make them more easily discoverable.
The Federation of American Scientists supports H.R. 4420, the Cool Corridors Act of 2025, which would reauthorize the Healthy Streets program through 2030 and seeks to increase green and other shade infrastructure in high-heat areas.
The current lack of public trust in AI risks inhibiting innovation and adoption of AI systems, meaning new methods will not be discovered and new benefits won’t be felt. A failure to uphold high standards in the technology we deploy will also place our nation at a strategic disadvantage compared to our competitors.