Publication Archive

Back
FAS
Blog
Leaks and the Law, & More from CRS

There is no law that categorically prohibits all leaks of classified (or unclassified) information. Instead, there is a patchwork of statutes that outlaw some unauthorized disclosures under some circumstances. The various statutes that have been used to punish leaks of classified information are surveyed in a new publication from the Congressional Research Service. See The […]

02.27.17 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Geospatial Engineering in the US Army

The discipline of geospatial engineering and its role in U.S. military operations are described in a newly updated U.S. Army publication. “Geospatial engineering is an art and a science that pertains to the generation, management, analysis, and dissemination of geospatial information that is accurately referenced to a precise location on the earth and is used […]

02.27.17 | 1 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
In Reuters Interview President Trump Flunks Nuclear 101

President Donald Trump in an interview with Reuters today demonstrated an astounding lack of knowledge about basic nuclear weapons issues. According to Reuters Trump said he wanted to build up the US nuclear arsenal to ensure it is at the “top of the pack.” He said the United States has “fallen behind on nuclear weapons capacity.” […]

02.23.17 | 3 min read
read more
Global Risk
Blog
In Reuters Interview President Trump Flunks Nuclear 101

President Donald Trump in an interview with Reuters today demonstrated an astounding lack of knowledge about basic nuclear weapons issues. According to Reuters Trump said he wanted to build up the US nuclear arsenal to ensure it is at the “top of the pack.” He said the United States has “fallen behind on nuclear weapons capacity.” […]

02.23.17 | 3 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Two Views of the Open Skies Treaty

Russian surveillance of military facilities under the Open Skies Treaty is problematic for the security of U.S. nuclear forces, a U.S. Air Force general told Congress last year. No, it is not, a U.S. Navy admiral said. Those two disparate views were offered in response to a question for the record from Rep. Mike Coffman […]

02.22.17 | 2 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
A Primer on the European Union, and More from CRS

How does the European Union work? Does the EU Have a foreign policy? What is the Schengen Area? I don’t know, but Kristin Archick of the Congressional Research Service does. See her newly updated report on The European Union: Questions and Answers, updated February 21, 2017. Other noteworthy new or updated publications from the Congressional […]

02.22.17 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
The Essential Judge Gorsuch, & More from CRS

U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch is the author of more than 800 legal opinions. “This provides an enormous–and perhaps unwieldy–body of law for those interested in learning about Judge Gorsuch’s approach to judging,” the Congressional Research Service says. To make it easier to assess that record, CRS has produced a listing of notable […]

02.15.17 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Withdrawal from International Agreements, & More from CRS

Withdrawing from international agreements, as President Trump has proposed to do in certain cases, can be a complicated as well as a controversial step, a new report from the Congressional Research Service indicates. Aside from the wisdom of any such move, withdrawal raises distinct legal issues under both national and international law. “The legal regime governing […]

02.13.17 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
What is Manufacturing?, and More from CRS

“What is Manufacturing?” is not the title of a lost work of Heidegger, but of a new report from the Congressional Research Service. The CRS report delves into the shifting meaning of “manufacturing” and the implications for economic analysis. “Changes in the structure of manufacturing make it difficult to design government policies that support manufacturing-related […]

02.07.17 | 2 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Spy Satellite Agency: Winter is Here

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has modified its classification policies in favor of heightened secrecy, withholding budget records that were previously considered releasable and redesignating certain unclassified budget information as classified. NRO is the U.S. intelligence agency that builds and operates the nation’s intelligence satellites. Since 2006, and for most of the past decade, the […]

02.02.17 | 2 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
The Gorsuch Nomination, and More from CRS

“Predicting how a nominee to the Supreme Court could affect the Court’s jurisprudence is notably difficult,” according to the Congressional Research Service. But see Neil Gorsuch’s Nomination to the Supreme Court: Initial Observations, CRS Legal Sidebar, February 1, 2017. Other new and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following. Supreme Court Appointment […]

02.02.17 | 1 min read
read more
FAS
Blog
Under Pressure: Long Duration Undersea Research

“The Office of Naval Research is conducting groundbreaking research into the dangers of working for prolonged periods of time in extreme high and low pressure environments.” Why? In part, it reflects “the increased operational focus being placed on undersea clandestine operations,” said Rear Adm. Mathias W. Winter in newly published answers to questions for the […]

02.02.17 | 1 min read
read more