Foreign investment in the United States “dropped sharply in 2012,” according to a newly updated report from the Congressional Research Service, and in 2013 it could fall by another 10%. See Foreign Direct Investment in the United States: An Economic Analysis, December 11, 2013. Other new and updated CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Child Labor in America: History, Policy, and Legislative Issues, November 18, 2013 Internet Domain Names: Background and Policy Issues, December 5, 2013 Federal Research and Development Funding: FY2013, December 5, 2013 The Corporation for Public […]
The National Reconnaissance Office, which builds and operates U.S. intelligence satellites, has just released the unclassified portions of its FY 2014 Congressional Budget Justification, a detailed account of its budget request for the current year. Although more than 90% of the 534-page document (dated April 2013) was withheld from public release under the Freedom of […]
U.S. military doctrine extends to religious aspects of combat operations and the role of chaplains as spiritual advisers. A new update to that doctrine “clarifies the chaplain’s advisement role in the targeting process to ensure the focus is on the ethical, moral, and religious dimensions.” As noncombatants and “ministers of religion,” chaplains have protected status […]
In a new Open Government National Action Plan that was released today, the White House affirmed its support for open government values, and set an agenda for the remainder of the current Administration. “The new plan includes a wide range of actions the Administration will take over the next two years, including commitments that build […]
In a new report to Congress, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence identified the seven external advisory committees that currently support and advise the DNI. Ordinarily, government advisory committees that include non-governmental members are subject to open meeting requirements under the Federal Advisory Committee Act. It mandates that “the Congress and the public […]
New or updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Keystone XL Pipeline Project: Key Issues, December 2, 2013 Mountaintop Mining: Background on Current Controversies, December 2, 2013 Burma’s Political Prisoners and U.S. Sanctions, December 2, 2013 Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on […]
The structure and functions of the Defense Warning Network were outlined in a new directive issued yesterday by the Department of Defense. The mission of the Defense Warning Network is to provide notice “of potential threats posed by adversaries, political and economic instability, failed or failing states, and any other emerging challenges that could affect […]
While the theft of a truck carrying radioactive cobalt made international headlines, this was unfortunately not the first time thieves or scavengers have exposed themselves or others to lethal radiation. Probably the most infamous case was on September 13, 1987 in Goiania, Brazil. Scavengers broke into an abandoned medical clinic and stole a disused teletherapy […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that Congress has withheld from online public distribution include the following. Veterans and Homelessness, November 29, 2013 Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda): U.S. and International Response to Philippines Disaster, November 25, 2013 Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance, November 22, 2013 Legislative Actions to Repeal, Defund, or Delay […]
The President would have to prepare a written plan for responding to the possibility of an unauthorized disclosure of any CIA covert action program, according to a provision adopted last month by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The requirement was introduced by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and was adopted by voice vote in […]
The U.S. intelligence community should continue to provide intelligence support to national leaders even in the event of a catastrophic emergency, according to a new Intelligence Community Directive. “IC elements shall develop and maintain COOP [continuity of operations] capabilities to ensure the uninterrupted flow of national intelligence and, through the support of COG [continuity of […]