Additional reports from the Congressional Research Service that are newly available online include these (all pdf):
“Department of Defense Fuel Costs in Iraq,” July 23, 2008.
“The Global Nuclear Detection Architecture: Issues for Congress,” July 16, 2008.
“Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force,” updated July 23, 2008.
“Intelligence Reform at the Department of Energy: Policy Issues and Organizational Alternatives,” July 28, 2008.
“Retroactive Immunity Provided by the FISA Amendments Act of 2008,” July 25, 2008.
As useful as some CRS reports are, they are rarely if ever the last word on any given subject. The new CRS report on retroactive immunity and the FISA Amendments Act, for example, does not encompass the challenging constitutional questions discussed by Glenn Greenwald in this ACLU blog entry.
DNA synthesis and export controls remain the primary regulatory safeguards against de novo production of harmful biological agents, yet governance frameworks lack the situational awareness and enforcement capacity to keep pace with rapidly falling technical barriers.
Called today to speak on behalf of U.S. science and technology, Dr. Jedidah Isler, astrophysicist, educator, strategist, policy-maker, and science communicator, will provide constructive, nonpartisan feedback to the House Committee’s hearing “American Global Competitiveness at 250: Legislative Proposals to Secure U.S. Technology Leadership.”
“Federal data and access to it is not a partisan issue. It is a people issue. Our country cannot achieve greatness without access to the data that measure what we value, who we are, and where we’re heading.”
The United States’ biosecurity governance system is structurally incapable of detecting and responding to certain classes of threats. U.S. biosecurity tools have not kept pace with technological advancements or a changing threat landscape.