John W. Ficklin retired last month from his position as Senior Director for Records and Access Management at the National Security Council. In that capacity he was responsible for declassification of White House records, among other records management duties. He also chaired an interagency classification reform committee that met (and still meets) to consider improvements in classification practices.
Mr. Ficklin was the subject of a moving profile in the Washington Post yesterday. See “Long White House tradition nears end for a family descended from a slave” by Juliet Eilperin, February 7.
His successor at the National Security Council is John P. Fitzpatrick, the former director of the Information Security Oversight Office. On the occasion of Mr. Fitzpatrick’s appointment, the title of the NSC position has been changed to reflect an expanded portfolio of security policy issues. He is now the Senior Director for Records Access and Information Security Management.
A new director of the Information Security Oversight Office has not yet been named.
The bootcamp brought together more than two dozen next-generation open-source practitioners from across the world.
Occupations with skills essential to making and managing awards were among the hardest hit. As a result, many energy innovation programs ground to a halt in 2025.
The Federation of American Scientists supports the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (WEPA). The Act would amend Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act so that it addresses prescribed burns as a standalone activity. If passed, this bill would support wildfire resilience by reducing administrative barriers to getting needed prescribed burns on the ground. […]
As Congress considers broader packages to advance critical minerals production and supply chain resilience, science diplomacy vehicles must be part of that conversation, not as an afterthought, but as an intentional and foundational pillar of any strategy.