On November 9, 2012, FAS hosted the Symposium on Preventing Catastrophic Threats at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The symposium consisted of three panels that explored catastrophic threats to national and international security, including those posed by nuclear and radiological weapons; biological, chemical, cyber, and advanced conventional weapons; and threats to energy supply and infrastructure. […]
FAS supplied the data for a new interactive web site published by CNN. The site enables you to get a quick overlook of the nuclear arsenals of the world’s nine nuclear weapon states. Check it out here. Update (April 17, 2013): CNN told me that the site had just under 2 million page views, with average […]
This week NASA abruptly took the massive NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) offline. Though no explanation for the removal was offered, it appeared to be in response to concerns that export controlled information was contained in the collection. “Until further notice, the NTRS system will be unavailable for public access. We apologize for any inconvenience […]
Over the past thirty years, dozens of indiscriminate mass shootings in America have resulted in 547 deaths and an additional 476 injured victims, according to a new tabulation by the Congressional Research Service. The new CRS report examines the phenomenon of mass shootings, like the December 2012 incident in Newtown, CT, and considers potential policy […]
FAS hosted its 2012 Awards Ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on November 9. The awards ceremony recognizes outstanding individuals who have made a distinctive contribution to national security and science policy. Mr. Joe Cirincione, President of the Ploughshares Fund, served as Master of Ceremonies. Dr. John Ahearne, former Chairman of the […]
Dr. Yousaf Butt, a nuclear physicist, is professor and scientist-in-residence at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies. The views expressed are his own. Dr. George N. Lewis is a senior research associate at the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Cornell University. Researchers from […]
In July 2011, J. William Leonard, a former director of the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), took the extraordinary step of filing a formal complaint with the Office he once led charging that a document used to indict former NSA official Thomas Drake under the Espionage Act had been wrongly classified in violation of the […]
The latest updates from the Congressional Research Service obtained by the Federation of American Scientists include these reports. Secret Sessions of the House and Senate: Authority, Confidentiality, and Frequency, March 15, 2013 Europe’s Energy Security: Options and Challenges to Natural Gas Supply Diversification, March 15, 2013 The Amending Process in the Senate, March 15, 2013 […]
In the wake of recent gun-related violence, and in anticipation of potential new restrictions on gun ownership, there has been a sharp increase in sales of guns and ammunition. That is bad news for gun control advocates, but it turns out to be good news for wildlife, at least in the short term. “Through an […]
By Hans M. Kristensen Although the U.S. Navy has yet to make a formal announcement that the nuclear Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile (TLAM/N) has been retired, a new updated navy instruction shows that the weapon is gone. The evidence comes not in the form of an explicit statement, but from what has been deleted from […]
Judge Rosemary M. Collyer of the D.C. District Court was appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to a seven year term on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. The Court provides a measure of judicial oversight over surveillance activities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as amended. Judge Collyer’s term on the FIS […]
Newly updated reports from the Congressional Research Service on various U.S. Navy programs include the following. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, March 14, 2013 Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues and Options for Congress, March 14, 2013 Navy Ohio Replacement (SSBN[X]) Ballistic Missile Submarine Program: Background […]