In a new study (pdf), the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government says that federal agencies have made little progress in improving their Freedom of Information Act programs, despite a year-old executive order directing them to become more requester friendly.
The JASON defense science advisory panel released a slightly revised unclassified summary (pdf) of its classified study on nuclear weapon pit lifetimes which concluded that most nuclear weapons primaries have “credible minimum lifetimes in excess of 100 years as regards aging of plutonium.” See Pit Lifetime, January 11, 2007.
In a careful review of the Zapruder film of the assassination of President Kennedy, Max Holland and Johann Rush propose a new way of understanding what the film does and does not reveal. See “1963: 11 Seconds in Dallas.”
PBS Frontline has been running an exceptionally interesting series called “Newswar” on current conflicts between government and the press, with an episode this week that focused on government secrecy. A website associated with the series includes transcribed interviews with dozens of national security and journalistic luminaries, and with me.
Let’s see what rules we can rewrite and beliefs we can reset: a few digital service sacred cows are long overdue to be put out to pasture.
Nestled in the cuts and investments of interest to the S&T community is a more complex story of how the administration is approaching the practice of science diplomacy.
Surprise! It’s a double album drop with the release of both the President’s Budget Request (PBR to us, not Pabst Blue Ribbon) and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Budget Justification for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) last Friday.
If properly implemented, a comprehensive reform program to accomplish regulatory democracy that is people-centered and power-conscious could be essential for addressing complex policy changes such as the climate challenge.