Revoking security clearances for access to classified information in order to punish critics, as the White House proposed to do yesterday, is probably within the President’s authority. But it shouldn’t be. And there is, in principle, a way to prevent it. “Not only is the President looking to take away [former CIA director John] Brennan’s […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following. Flying Cars and Drones Pose Policy Challenges for Managing and Regulating Low-Altitude Airspace, CRS Insight, July 23, 2018 “Duck Boat” Accident Highlights Gap in Regulation, CRS Insight, July 20, 2018 Emergency Department Boarding of Behavioral Health Patients, CRS In Focus, July 19, 2018 […]
Does the President have the authority to unilaterally amend the Code of Federal Regulations by executive order? The question arises because executive order 13843 issued by President Trump on July 10 to modify the way administrative law judges are appointed also purports to directly amend three provisions of the CFR. Ordinarily, such regulations can only be amended by […]
Military cyber operations have been normalized to the point that there is now a defined career path for would-be cyber warriors in the U.S. Air Force and a formal curriculum for training them. The role of a cyber war specialist, which includes defense as well as offense, is “to develop, sustain, and enhance cyberspace capabilities […]
In its new report on the FY 18-19 Intelligence Authorization bill, published today, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence would require the Director of National Intelligence “to develop a whole-of-government strategy for countering Russian cyber threats against United States electoral systems and processes.” As if to underscore the gulf in the perception of the Russian […]
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service include the following. Tit-for-Tat Tariff Measures and U.S. Trade Policy, CRS Insight, July 11, 2018 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Incentives: A Summary of Federal Programs, updated July 11, 2018 Military Transition Assistance Program (TAP): An Overview, CRS In Focus, updated July 12, 2018 Risk and […]
Today’s national security classification system is unsustainable, says a new annual report to the President from the government’s Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO). It is “hamstrung by old practices and outdated technology” and a new, government-wide technology strategy will be required “to combat inaccurate classification and promote more timely declassification.” The secrecy system has expanded […]
What is the role of ethics in intelligence and at the CIA in particular? “Some former employees and others with experience at the agency have been critical of CIA’s ethics program as focusing too much on legal compliance in a reactive, ad hoc manner that falls short of a comprehensive approach to ethics education at […]
For the first time in its history, the Department of Defense is now undergoing a financial audit. The audit, announced last December, is itself a major undertaking that is expected to cost $367 million and to involve some 1200 auditors. The results are to be reported in November 2018. “Until this year, DoD was the […]
With the announcement of Justice Kennedy’s retirement from the US Supreme Court, the Congressional Research Service issued several new and updated reports on the nomination process and related issues. Justice Kennedy Retires: Initial Considerations for Congress, CRS Legal Sidebar, January 28, 2018 President’s Selection of a Nominee for a Supreme Court Vacancy: Overview, CRS Insight, […]
Government prosecutors have been aggressively pursuing suspected leakers of classified information: Reality Winner, accused of disclosing a document “information relating to the national defense” to a news outlet, changed her plea this week from “not guilty” to “guilty.” Former FBI agent Terry J. Albury likewise pleaded guilty last April to unauthorized retention and disclosure of […]
Many executive branch agencies have significant backlogs of Freedom of Information Act requests that could be reduced by adopting procedural improvements. And some agencies have made such improvements, a new report from the Government Accountability Office says. Yet substantial backlogs remain. See Freedom of Information Act: Agencies Are Implementing Requirements but Additional Actions Are Needed, […]