EPIC – “The Department of Homeland Security Quarterly Report to Congress details programs and databases affecting privacy. According to the agency, DHS received 964 privacy complaints between September 1, 2013 and November 30, 2013. By contrast, DHS received 295 privacy complaints during the same period in 2011. According to the report, most DHS systems complies with Privacy Act notice… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Defense
Crisis Standards of Care – Institute of Medicine
“Catastrophic disasters occurring in 2011 in the United States and worldwide–from the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, to the earthquake in New Zealand–have demonstrated that even prepared communities can be overwhelmed. In 2009, at the height of the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response… Continue Reading
VA National Gravesite Locator Tool
“The database of burial information is updated each day. Search for burial locations of veterans and their family members in VA National Cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, various other military and Department of Interior cemeteries, and for veterans buried in private cemeteries when the grave is marked with a government grave marker. The Nationwide Gravesite Locator includes burial… Continue Reading
Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy – CRS
Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy. Christopher M. Blanchard, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, May 19, 2014. “More than three years after the start of the 2011 anti-Qadhafi uprising in Libya and more than 18months after the September 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities and personnel in Benghazi, Libya’s security situation is dire and the direction of its political transition… Continue Reading
UK CCTV code of practice – revised
“This revised code of practice on CCTV is intended to replace the last revision which was published in 2008. The aim of this revision is to reflect the developments in existing technologies that have taken place since the last revision, to discuss the emergence of new surveillance technologies and the issues they present, to reflect… Continue Reading
National Foundation for Credit Counseling Survey – Financial Weaknesses Among Military Servicemembers
News release: ” In recognition of Military Appreciation Month, a new financial survey of military personnel was released today. Commissioned by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC®) and sponsored by Pioneer Services, a division of MidCountry Bank, the survey revealed some troubling financial behaviors among servicemembers. Consider the following survey findings: Seventy-seven percent of servicemembers have… Continue Reading
WaPo – How a backlogged VA determines the true cost of war
Greg Jaffe – “The longest stretch of fighting in American history is producing disability claims at rates that surpass those of any of the country’s previous wars. Nearly half of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are filing for these benefits when they leave the military — a flood of claims that has overwhelmed the VA and generated a… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – U.S. Arctic Council Participation, DOD Common Contractor Manpower Data System
Better Direction and Management of Voluntary Recommendations Could Enhance U.S. Arctic Council Participation, GAO-14-435: Published: May 16, 2014. Publicly Released: May 19, 2014: “Six key federal agencies hold leadership roles in the Arctic Council and other agencies participate through the Council’s working groups and task forces. The U.S. Department of State (State) leads this participation and collaborates… Continue Reading
Council on Foreign Relations Cybersecurity Policy Research Links
“How can the United States protect cyberspace “control system of our country,” without restricting the open “flow of information on the Internet“? What should countries consider when developing international cybersecurity standards and protocol? What should their citizens know to protect their information and their rights? Cybersecurity Policy Research Links provide news, background information, legislation, analysis,… Continue Reading
Climate Change, Migration, and Nontraditional Security Threats in China
Complex Crisis Scenarios and Policy Options for China and the World, By Michael Werz and Lauren Reed | May 16, 2014 “Climate change, migration, and sociopolitical conflicts associated with China’s epic economic transformation over the past 35 years are coming to a head in this second decade of the 21st century. These interlaced dynamics are causing internal upheaval and… Continue Reading
CRS – Afghanistan: Drug Trafficking and the 2014 Transition
Afghanistan: Drug Trafficking and the 2014 Transition, Liana Rosen, Specialist in International Crime and Narcotics; Kenneth Katzman; Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. May 9, 2014, “Experts widely assess that Afghanistan will remain the world’s primary source of opium poppy cultivation and opium and heroin production, as well as a major global source of cannabis resin, in the coming years. In… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports – Biological Defense, Export Controls, Int’l Labor Grants, National Nuclear Security, VA Health Care
BIOLOGICAL DEFENSE: DOD Has Strengthened Coordination on Medical Countermeasures but Can Improve Its Process for Threat Prioritization, GAO-14-442: Published: May 15, 2014. Publicly Released: May 15, 2014. EXPORT CONTROLS: NASA Management Action and Improved Oversight Needed to Reduce the Risk of Unauthorized Access to Its Technologies, GAO-14-315: Published: Apr 15, 2014. Publicly Released: May 15, 2014. FINANCIAL AUDIT: Congressional Award Foundation’s Fiscal… Continue Reading
