The Trump administration announced today that it will begin collecting social media information on individuals applying for visas to the United States. The new policy is expected to affect roughly 14 million visitors per year. Visitors will be asked to …
Continue ReadingDemocrats on the House Oversight Committee have written a letter to the White House and the State Department requesting documents they say relate to a concerted effort to rid the Department of career officials deemed to be insufficiently supportive of …
Continue ReadingThe Department of Justice has announced the first ever Freedom of Information Act portal where Americans can submit a FOIA request to any federal agency from one place. The FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 ordered the Department of Justice, along …
Continue ReadingThe Department of State has spent virtually none of almost a $120 million budget to combat Russian propaganda efforts over the last two fiscal years, it’s been found. Sixty million dollars were allocated by the Obama administration at the end …
Continue ReadingThe U.S. State Department has formed a new partnership with the Defense Department to counter propaganda and disinformation from foreign nations, it was announced today. The partnership will initially be funded with $40 million, transferred from the Pentagon to the …
Continue ReadingThe House of Representatives passed legislation that bolsters cybersecurity cooperation between the U.S. and Ukraine. The bill compels the State Department to provide support to Ukraine in fortifying its government networks and critical infrastructure.
The bill passed with an overwhelming …
Continue ReadingSecretary of State Rex Tillerson is proposing combining two separate cyber security offices at the State Department into a single group that will focus on a range of cyber-related issues. The Office of the Cybersecurity Coordinator and the Bureau of …
Continue ReadingA top diplomat has announced his retirement in what is being described as a heavy blow to the Department of State. Tom Shannon, the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, is the department’s third-highest ranking official. His rank is …
Continue ReadingThe Trump administration has declined to impose new sanctions against Russia, saying that a bill passed by Congress last year authorizing new sanctions is itself working adequately.
“Given the long time frames generally associated with major defense deals, the …
Continue ReadingA tanker full of Russian natural gas reached New England this weekend in defiance of U.S. sanctions. It arrived just after the U.S. announced increased penalties on Russia-linked individuals and businesses, and just days before a deadline in which …
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