William Z. Slany, the former Historian of the Department of State and a champion of efforts to declassify the secret history of U.S. foreign policy, passed away earlier this month. Dr. Slany served in the State Department’s Office of the Historian for 42 years, and was The Historian for the last 18 of those years, […]
In a startling expansion of the Obama Administration’s war on leaks, a federal agent sought and received a warrant in 2010 to search the email account of Fox News correspondent James Rosen on grounds that there was probable cause the reporter had violated the Espionage Act by soliciting classified information from a State Department official. […]
The government seizure of Associated Press telephone records in the course of a leak investigation undermined freedom of the press in the United States, congressional critics said yesterday. “It seems to me the damage done to a free press is substantial,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren at a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee. Pursuant to […]
The Government Printing Office is blocking public access to some previously released records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, while the records are reviewed to see if they contain export-controlled information. The move follows the controversial disabling and partial restoration of the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) (NASA Technical Report Database Partly Back Online, […]
“In 2009, China overtook the United States to become both the world’s largest producer of and market for motor vehicles,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service notes. That is not altogether bad news. “Every year since 2010, General Motors has sold more cars in China (through exports and its joint ventures there) than […]
By Hans M. Kristensen Going, going, gone! In its latest annual report to Congress on the military and security developments of the People’s Republic of China, the Pentagon has removed the last public authoritative overview of Chinese nuclear forces. Until 2010, the annual reports included a table with a detailed breakdown of the different types […]
By Hans M. Kristensen Earlier this week I went to Barksdale AFB on an invitation from General Jim Kowalski at Air Force Global Strike Command to brief his Deterrence and Assurance Working Group. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is responsible for keeping U.S. strategic bombers (B-2 and B-52) and Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) combat […]
The latest reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following. The Chained Consumer Price Index: What Is It and Would It Be Appropriate for Cost-of-Living Adjustments?, May 8, 2013 Sequestration at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Air Traffic Controller Furloughs and Congressional Response, May 7, 2013 Proposed Cuts to Air Traffic Control Towers Under […]
Chief Justice John Roberts has appointed Judge Michael W. Mosman of the District of Oregon to serve as a judge on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The appointment was effective May 4, 2013, and will extend through May 3, 2020, said Mr. Sheldon Snook, a spokesman for the Court. Judge Mosman replaces Judge […]
The website of the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), a massive collection of aerospace-related records, was disabled in March due to congressional concerns that it had inadvertently disclosed export-controlled information. (“NASA Technical Reports Database Goes Dark,” Secrecy News, March 21; “Database Is Shut Down by NASA for a Review,” New York Times, March 22.) The […]
An executive order issued by President Obama today directs that “the default state of new and modernized Government information resources shall be open and machine readable.” “As one vital benefit of open government, making information resources easy to find, accessible, and usable can fuel entrepreneurship, innovation, and scientific discovery that improves Americans’ lives and contributes […]
Almost a year and a half after he was nominated by President Obama in December 2011, the Senate yesterday confirmed David Medine to be the chairman of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board by a vote of 53-45. Republicans, led by Sen. Charles Grassley, opposed the nominee and voted against him. “I was disappointed […]