Current Issues
Africa
U.S.-Africa Summit - US Commitments
President Biden announced (December 15) at its “African Summit” that the United States will make ...
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Artificial Intelligence & Quantum Computing
Bias-related AI Oversight by Federal Agencies
Officials from four Federal agencies pledged (April 25) in a joint statement to use their authorities to protect the public against unlawful bias and discrimination ...
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National Defense/U.S. Military
Finland, Sweden, and NATO
Turkey and Hungary ratified NATO membership for Finland (March 30), the final countries needing to do so. Findland subsequently entered NATO on April 4, 2023 ...
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Space Defense, Safety, & Security
US Policy on Anti-Satellite Testing
The United States committed (April 18, 2020) to no longer conduct direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile testing, and asked that the international community also make a similar commitment. The Administration stated that such tests ...
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Unidentified Flying Objects/UAPs
Aerial Objects Task Force
The White House stated (February 13) that it is forming an interagency task force to "study the broader policy implications for detection, analysis and disposition ...
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China
Dueling Restrictions on Technology
Politico is reporting (April 18) that the Biden Administration is nearing completion of a new Executive Order (EO) intended to further restrict China’s access to US technology ...
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Taiwan
US to Taiwan Arms Sale
The Biden Administration has notified the Congress (March 2) of its plan to move forward with its latest ...
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North Korea
US Nuclear Presence in the Korean Peninsula
The United States and South Korea agreed (April 26) to a US nuclear presence in South Korea, generally through the periodic presence of US nuclear submarines in South Korean ...
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Iran
Nuclear Weapons Development Capability
News reporting from various sources indicates that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear inspectors have detected Iranian enrichment levels reaching an 84% purity ...
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Israel
Israel and a UN Resolution on Settlements
Politico and other news outlets are reporting that the US avoided having to veto a resolution at the UN Security Council that would have condemned Israel ...
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Europe
EU Pollution Tax
The European Union formally approved (April 18) a plan to impose a “Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism” (CBAM) on certain imports, as part of a broader plan of measures ...
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Russia & Ukraine
US Military Assistance to Ukraine
The US Defense Department announced (June 13) its latest military support package. The package is valued at $325 million, and comes just four days after the release ...
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Havana Syndrome
Latest Havana Syndrome Report
The Office of the Director for National Intelligence (ONDI) issued its latest report on health incidents overseas that have become known collectively as “Havana ...
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International & Domestic Terrorism
Domestic Terrorism Analysis and the Military
The House of Representative version of the 2023 Defense Authorization bill includes a provision directing the FBI, Department of Homeland Security ...
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Research & Analysis
U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan
The White House
This paper (April 6) provides the Biden Administration's views on the decisions and challenges surrounding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives
Congressional Budget Office
This report (January 2023) analyzes hypersonic missile programs under development by the US and compares them with less expensive existing or potential weapons that might fill similar roles, such as cruise missiles or ballistic missiles.
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Standing Up for Our Afghan Allies
Senator Jean Shaheen
This report issued by Senator Shaheen (September 2022) examines and past and present condition of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program and offers recommendations for improving the program.
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The Los Alamos Club
Strider Technologies
This private sector study (September 2022) claims it has documented China’s ongoing efforts to send promising scientists to U.S. national laboratories for training at the same time recruiting scientists back to China to advance the country’s military programs. The study says that many of the scientists are making “considerable” contributions to hypersonic, missile, and submarine programs that present an array of security risks for the United States and the free world.
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Organizational Assessment: the National Counterterrorism and Security Center
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
This report (September 2022) provides the results of a review by the staff of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on foreign intelligence threats. Among the findings: foreign intelligence entities are targeting the public and private sectors alike, including the financial sector, the U.S. industrial base, academic entities, U.S. government departments and agencies that are not part of the intelligence community, and national laboratories; and that today’s adversaries have access to a much wider variety of tools for stealing information, influencing U.S. officials or inflaming social and political tensions than in the past, including nontraditional human, cyber, advanced technical, and open source intelligence operations to collect against U.S. plans and policies, sensitive technology, personally identifiable information, and intellectual property, as well as to influence U.S. decision-making and public opinion.
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FY 2021 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military
DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office
This report (September 2022) provides data on reported sexual assault cases in the military during FY 2021. DoD received a total of 8,866 reports of sexual assault, an increase of 1,050 reports from the 7,816 reports received in FY 2020, driven in large part from a 25.6% increase in the Army and a 9.2% increase in the Navy.
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Mar-a-Largo Redacted Affadavit
District Court - Florida
This redacted affadavit (August 26) provides the basis for the FBI's justification to search the Mar-a-Largo residence of former President Trump.
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National Emergency Powers
Congressional Research Service
This CRS report (February 2021) summarizes the basis for, and specifics of, Presidential emergency powers.
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Evaluation of the Screening of Displaced Persons from Afghanistan
DOD Inspector General
This report (February 2022) provides the results of a review conducted by the DOD Inspector General of the security screening of evacuated Afghans after the United States left Afghanistan. The report found that some Afghans permitted to enter the United States were found, after the fact, to have derogatory background security information. And, only some of those persons have subsequently been located.
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Legal Framework for Protecting Classified Information
Congressional Research Service
This report (May 2017) provides detail on the legal framework guiding the protection and management of classified information in the Federal Government.
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A Plan to Reform U.S. Security Assistance
Center for American Progress
This article outlines a proposal for reforming U.S. security assistance (i.e., military assistance) to other countries that centers on consolidating assistance into the diplomatic realm of the State Department and out of DOD.
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Counter Terrorism Guide - Terrorist Groups
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
This website provides current information on the background and current status of international terrorist groups.
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Alternatives to Radioactive Materials
General Accountability Officer (GAO)
This GAO report (October 2021) describes the potential of alternatives to certain radioactive materials common in medical and industrial applications that could help reduce the risk of "dirty bombs".
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Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
This ODNI report (June 2021) provides a comprehensive assessment of "unidentified aerial phenomena" (UAP) covering data that crosses roughly a 17-year period (2004-2021). The report concludes that based on available data, UAPs largely cannot be explained and also that the Federal Government has no data to indicate "any UAP are part of a foreign collection program or indicative of a major technological advancement by a potential adversary."
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Understanding Hypersonic Weapons: Managing the Allure and the Risks
Arms Control Association
This report (September 2021) provides detail on the status and background of hypersonic weapons including the challenges and risks associated with their development, and includes recommendations for Congress.
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Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
This CRS Report (October 2021) provides unclassified detail on the status and background of hypersonic weapons development, and identifies key policy questions for the U.S. Congress.
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Iran Sanctions
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
This CRS report provides background and the current status of sanctions on Iran.
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Key Federal Programs
Nuclear Security Administration [DOE]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$20,656,000,000
$21,410,400,000
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---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Office of Terrorism & Financial Intelligence [Treasury]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$195,192,000
$212,059,000
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---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Intelligence, Analysis, and Operations Coordination [DHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$298,171,000
$341,159,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
U.S. Coast Guard [DHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$10,964,273,000
$11,535,242,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$434,000,000
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office [DHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$452,011,000
$428,972,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Foreign Military Financing [State]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$6,040,424,000
$6,057,049,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Federal Maritime Administration [DOT]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$1,250,814,000
$906,700,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$475,000,000
