The next administration should better protect children’s privacy by supporting privacy laws and providing resources to federal agencies.
In a bureaucratic bombshell, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has asked the White House to rescind a ten-year-old executive order that required a uniform policy for marking and handling “controlled unclassified information” (CUI). CUI refers to information that while unclassified is nevertheless restricted by law or policy from broad distribution. It includes more than 100 distinct categories of unclassified information […]
The procedural steps leading up to inauguration of the next President on January 20, 2021 are described in a recent Congressional Research Service publication. See The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline, CRS In Focus, October 22, 2020. An updated CRS report describes the joint session of Congress at which electoral votes are certified and […]
Key Highlights Malware hosted within popular news stories about COVID-19 vaccine trials On September 18, 2020, FAS released a report locating a network of malware files related to the COVID-19 vaccine development on the Spanish-language Sputnik News link mundo.sputniknews.com. The report uncovered 53 websites infected with malware that were spread throughout Twitter, after allegations of adverse reactions […]
The next administration should form a Convergence Directorate at the National Science Foundation to accelerate research and innovation.
The next administration should create a U.S. Entrepreneurial Corps to invest in the next generation of small business leaders.
Having survived a Pentagon attempt to terminate it, the JASON panel that performs independent technical assessments for government agencies now seems set for a period of relative stability. Last year Mike Griffin, then-Under Secretary of Defense (Research and Engineering), abruptly refused to renew his Office’s sponsorship of the JASONs, and the panel was temporarily taken over by […]
After failing to publicly disclose its proposed legislative agenda, the Department of Defense will soon be required to do so. Each year DoD generates proposals for legislative actions that it would like to see incorporated in the coming year’s national defense authorization act. These may include tweaks to existing statutes, requests for relief from reporting requirements, […]
The next administration should launch a Presidential Advisory Commission to improve transparency among beneficial investment organizations.
The Federal Government should launch a task force to promote and achieve U.S. private space exploration on the Moon and on asteroids.
The Federal Government should establish a national equitable transit-oriented development policy.
Classified records that turn 25 years old this year will be automatically declassified on December 31 — despite requests from agencies to extend the deadline due to the pandemic — unless the records are reviewed and specifically found to be subject to an authorized exemption. Mark A. Bradley, the director of the Information Security Oversight […]