The Department of Defense reportedly expects to increase its use of unmanned aerial systems (“drones”) by nearly 50% in the next few years. At the same time, however, the rate of DoD’s procurement of drones is projected to decline sharply from FY2016-2020.
The Congressional Research Service takes note of the seeming contradiction and proposes several possible explanations to resolve it. See How Many UAVs for DoD?, CRS Insights, August 27, 2015.
Other new and updated CRS publications that became public last week include the following.
Policy Implications of the Internet of Things, CRS Insights, August 25, 2015
Health Insurance: Small is the New Large, CRS Insights, August 26, 2015
Gold King Mine Spill May Renew Interest in “Good Samaritan” Legislation, CRS Insights, August 27, 2015
Financial Regulatory Improvement Act Included in Senate Appropriations Bill, CRS Insights, August 27, 2015
Terrorism Victims Sue to Enjoin Sanctions Relief under the Iran Nuclear Agreement, CRS Legal Sidebar, August 27, 2015
District of Columbia: A Brief Review of Provisions in District of Columbia Appropriations Acts Restricting the Funding of Abortion Services, updated August 27, 2015
Drug Testing and Crime-Related Restrictions in TANF, SNAP, and Housing Assistance, updated August 28, 2015
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s Essential Health Benefits (EHB), August 27, 2015
Navy Ship Names: Background For Congress, updated August 26, 2015
To tackle AI risks in grant spending, grant-making agencies should adopt trustworthy AI practices in their grant competitions and start enforcing them against reckless grantees.
Adoption of best practices across the ecosystem will help to improve hiring outcomes, reduce process delays, and enhance the overall hiring experience for all parties involved.
As long as nuclear weapons exist, nuclear war remains possible. The Nuclear Information Project provides transparency of global nuclear arsenals through open source analysis. It is through this data that policy makers can call for informed policy change.
The emphasis on interagency consensus, while well-intentioned, has become a structural impediment to bold or innovative policy options. When every agency effectively holds veto power over proposals, the path of least resistance becomes maintaining existing approaches with minor modifications.