Podcasts about technology policy ostp

In this episode, we are joined by Alondra Nelson, the Harold F. Linder Chair in the School of Social Science at the Institute of Advanced Study, and the former acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). We discuss her background in AI policy (1:30), the Blueprint for the AI Bill of Rights (9:43), its relationship to the White House Executive Order on AI (23:47), the Senate AI Insight Forums (29:55), the European approach to AI governance (29:55), state-level AI regulation (41:20), and how the incoming administration should approach AI policy (47:04).

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Alondra Nelson, the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Per her website: Dr. Nelson was formerly deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). In this role, she was the first African American and first woman of color to lead US science and technology policy. At OSTP, she spearheaded the development of the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, issued guidance to expand tax-payer access to federally-funded research, served as an inaugural member of the Biden Cancer Cabinet, strengthened evidence-based policymaking, and galvanized a multisector strategy to advance equity and excellence in STEM, among other accomplishments. Including her on the global list of "Ten People Who Shaped Science," Nature said of Nelson's OSTP tenure, “this social scientist made strides for equity, integrity and open access.” In 2023, she was named to the inaugural TIME100 list of the most influential people in the field of AI. In 2024, Nelson was appointed by President Biden to the National Science Board, the body that establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation and advises Congress and the President. Alondra was also nominated by the White House, and appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, to serve on the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence. She also helped lead academic and research strategy at Columbia University, where she was the inaugural Dean of Social Science and professor of sociology and gender studies. Dr. Nelson began her academic career on the faculty of Yale University, and there was recognized with the Poorvu Prize for interdisciplinary teaching excellence.Dr. Nelson has held visiting professorships and fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, the BIOS Centre at the London School of Economics, the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies, and the Bavarian American Academy. Her research has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.Nelson has contributed to national policy discussions on inequality and on the social implications of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data, and human gene-editing in journals like Science. Her essays, reviews, and commentary have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Nature, Foreign Policy, CNN, NPR, BBC Radio, and PBS Newshour, among other venues.She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Council on Foreign Relations, and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Nelson was co-chair of the NAM Committee on Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation and served as a member of the National Academies of Sciences Committee on Responsible Computing Research. She is the recipient of honorary degrees from Northeastern University, Rutgers University, and the City University of New York. Her honors also include the Stanford University Sage-CASBS Award, the MIT Morison Prize, the inaugural TUM Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology, the EPIC Champion of Freedom Award, the Federation of American Scientists Public Service Award, and the Morals & Machines Prize.Raised in Southern California, Dr. Nelson is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of California at San Diego, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her PhD from New York University in 2003.

Online behavioral advertising has raised privacy concerns due to its dependence on extensive tracking of individuals' behaviors and its potential to influence them. Those concerns have been often juxtaposed with the economic value consumers are expected to gain from receiving behaviorally targeted ads. Those purported economic benefits, however, have been more frequently hypothesized than empirically demonstrated. We present the results of two online experiments designed to assess some of the consumer welfare implications of behaviorally targeted advertising using a counterfactual approach. Study 1 finds that products in ads targeted to a sample of online participants were more relevant to them than randomly picked products but were also more likely to be associated with lower quality vendors and higher product prices compared to competing alternatives found among search results. Study 2 replicates the results of Study 1. Additionally, Study 2 finds the higher product relevance of products in targeted ads relative to randomly picked products to be driven by participants having previously searched for the advertised products. The results help evaluate claims about the direct economic benefits consumers may gain from behavioral advertising. About the speaker: Alessandro Acquisti is the Trustees Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College. His research combines economics, behavioral research, and data mining to investigate the role of privacy in a digital society. His studies have promoted the revival of the economics of privacy, advanced the application of behavioral economics to the understanding of consumer privacy valuations and decision-making, and spearheaded the investigation of privacy and disclosures in social media.Alessandro has been the recipient of the PET Award for Outstanding Research in Privacy Enhancing Technologies, the IBM Best Academic Privacy Faculty Award, the IEEE Cybersecurity Award for Innovation, the Heinz College School of Information's Teaching Excellence Award, and numerous Best Paper awards. His studies have been published in journals across multiple disciplines, including Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Journal of Economic Literature, Management Science, Marketing Science, and Journal of Consumer Research. His research has been featured in global media outlets including the Economist, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, CNN, and 60 Minutes. His TED talks on privacy and human behaviour have been viewed over 1.5 million times.Alessandro is the director of the Privacy Economics Experiments (PeeX) Lab, the Chair of CMU Institutional Review Board (IRB), and the former faculty director of the CMU Digital Transformation and Innovation Center. He is an Andrew Carnegie Fellow (inaugural class), and has been a member of the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine and a member of the National Academies' Committee on public response to alerts and warnings using social media and associated privacy considerations. He has testified before the U.S. Senate and House committees and has consulted on issues related to privacy policy and consumer behavior with numerous agencies and organizations, including the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the European Commission.He has received a PhD from UC Berkeley and Master degrees from UC Berkeley, the London School of Economics, and Trinity College Dublin. He has held visiting positions at the Universities of Rome, Paris, and Freiburg (visiting professor); Harvard University (visiting scholar); University of Chicago (visiting fellow); Microsoft Research (visiting researcher); and Google (visiting scientist).His research interests include privacy, artificial intelligence, and Nutella. In a previous life, he has been a soundtrack composer and a motorcycle racer (USGPRU).

In this episode of Talking Technicians, you'll meet Emily, a facilities engineer at Intel. Emily shares her journey from community college to a full-time engineering role, discussing her experiences in the clean room, the challenges she faced as a woman in engineering, and the importance of soft skills and networking in her career. She emphasizes the diverse opportunities available in the semiconductor industry and offers valuable advice for aspiring technicians.The Talking Technicians podcast is produced by MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center, through financial support from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education grant program.Opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the National Science Foundation.Join the conversation. If you are a working technician or know someone who is, reach out to us at info@talkingtechnicians.org.Links from the show:Episode Web Page: https://micronanoeducation.org/students-parents/talking-technicians-podcast/Careers at Intel: https://jobs.intel.com/enLorain Community College Microelectronic Manufacturing Program: http://catalog.lorainccc.edu/academic-programs/engineering-business-information-technologies/microelectronic-manufacturing-bas/The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/

Marietje Schaake is the author of The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley. Dr. Alondra Nelson, a Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, who served as deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), calls Schaake “a twenty-first century Tocqueville” who “looks at Silicon Valley and its impact on democratic society with an outsider's gimlet eye.” Nobel prize winner Maria Ressa says Schaake's new book “exposes the unchecked, corrosive power that is undermining democracy, human rights, and our global order.” And author and activist Cory Doctorow says the book offers “A thorough and necessary explanation of the parade of policy failures that enshittified the internet—and a sound prescription for its disenshittification.” Justin Hendrix spoke to Schaake just before the book's publication on September 24, 2024.

Send us a Text Message.Episode Disclaimer - The views presented in this episode are those of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) or its components. Dr. Diane DiEuliis, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Research Fellow at National Defense University ( NDU - https://www.ndu.edu/ ), an institution of higher education, funded by the United States Department of Defense, aimed at facilitating high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. Her research areas focus on emerging biological technologies, biodefense, and preparedness for biothreats. Specific topic areas under this broad research portfolio include dual-use life sciences research, synthetic biology, the U.S. bioeconomy, disaster recovery, and behavioral, cognitive, and social science as it relates to important aspects of deterrence. Dr. DiEuliis currently has several research grants in progress, and teaches in foundational professional military education. Prior to joining NDU, Dr. DiEuliis was Deputy Director for Policy, and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Department of Health and Human Services. She coordinated policy and research in support of domestic and international health emergencies, such as Hurricane Sandy, and Ebola outbreaks. She was responsible for implementation of the Pandemic All-Hazards Preparedness Act, the National Health Security Strategy, and supported the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE). From to 2007 to 2011, Dr. DiEuliis was the Assistant Director for Life Sciences and Behavioral and Social Sciences in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President. During her tenure at the White House, she was responsible for developing policy in areas such as biosecurity and biodefense, synthetic biology, social and behavioral science, scientific collections, and biotechnology. Dr. DiEuliis also worked to help coordinate agency response to public health issues such as the H1N1 flu. Prior to working at OSTP, Dr. DiEuliis was a program director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she managed a diverse portfolio of neuroscience research in neurodegenerative diseases. She completed a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and completed her postdoctoral research in the NIH Intramural research program, where she focused on cellular and molecular neuroscience. Dr. DiEuliis is a National Merit Scholar, and has a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. She is the author of over 70 publications. Important Episode Link - The Unique Role of Federal Scientific Collections: Infrastructure Generating Benefits, Serving Diverse Agency, published by Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press on behalf of the Interagency Working Group on Scientific Collections - https://doi.org/10.5479/si.24559996 Support the Show.

For many mothers, the immediate postnatal period is a vulnerable one, often filled with financial, social, physical, and mental challenges while caring for a young child. Our federal government is working to provide better resources and services to support women through early motherhood, and U.S. Digital Service (USDS) is stepping up with solutions to make it easier, equitable, and more effective. Our guest, Birth of a Child Portfolio Lead Maya Mechenbier, became a mother shortly before leading these efforts at USDS, grounding the work USDS does for federal agencies with her own journey raising two daughters. Learn how she and her team are helping agencies provide supply kits for mothers, peer navigation resources, and text-based notifications to help mothers apply for federal aid. All of this comes together with technology, UX design, rigorous evaluation, and the personal touch of lived experience.Maya Mechenbier is a project lead and product counsel at USDS and Birth of a Child portfolio lead at the Office of Management and Budget, leading projects including the Peer Navigator Service, Newborn Supply Kit, and Notify for Families. Maya is in her second tour with USDS after serving with USDS's Quality Payment Program team at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in 2016 and with the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) at the White House in 2015. She has also served in career roles at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).More Links and InformationCheck out more Fors Marsh MediaConnect or partner with Fors MarshRead up on our government's progress supporting mothers through early childhoodGet a deeper dive on the Newborn Supply KitLearn more about USDS's work

In the first episode of 2024, Shobita and Jack reflect on the first CRISPR therapy approved by drug regulators around the world, for sickle cell disease. We also talk about the safety issues plaguing Boeing, and the Post Office scandal roiling the UK and why it matters for regulating AI. And, we reconnect with Alondra Nelson, one of The Received Wisdom's first guests! Alondra Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and previously as deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy(OSTP). References:- Elish, M. (2019, March 23). Moral Crumple Zones: Cautionary Tales in Human-Robot Interaction. Engaging Science, Technology, and Society. - Lazar, S and A. Nelson (2023, July 13). "AI safety on whose terms?" Science. 381 (6654): 138- Zook, M, S. Barocas, d. boyd, K. Crawford, E. Keller, S. P. Gangadharan, A. Goodman, R. Hollander, B.A. Koenig, J. Metcalf, A. Narayanan, A. Nelson, and F. Pasquale (2017, March 30). "Ten simple rules for responsible big data research." PLOS Computational Biology. - Nelson, A. (2016). The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome. Beacon Press.- Nelson, A, C. Marcum, J. Isler (2022, Fall). "Public Access to Advance Equity." Issues in Science and Technology. - White House (2022, Oct 4). Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.

Mr. Ian Watson currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense (DASD/CBD) at the U.S. Department of Defense ( https://www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/leadership/bio-Watson.html ). In this capacity he is the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs (NCB) and conducts Department level research, development, and acquisition (RDA) activities from concept and requirements development, through early science and technology, to advanced development, testing and evaluation, and procurement. These efforts focus on reducing risk from emerging threats and fielding sustainable capabilities to all Services in accordance with Department, Service and Combatant Command priorities for chemical, biological, and ensure our warfighters can fight and win in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) contested environments. Previously, Mr. Ian Watson served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary, and Director of the Office of Strategy, Policy, Planning, and Requirements (SPPR), and for Industrial Base Expansion in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this position, Mr. Watson was responsible for leading the policy planning life-cycle, to ensure that ASPR's preparedness and emergency response capabilities align with the ASPR's mission, as well as broader policy and planning considerations to support the ASPR in protecting Americans from 21st Century health security threats. Mr. Watson was also responsible for the Department's Industrial Base Expansion, supply chain management, industrial policy, and Defense Production Act (DPA) program for the pandemic response. Mr. Watson previously served as the Assistant Director for Biotechnology and Biosecurity within the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) whose mission is to ensure America is the world leader in science and technology. While at OSTP Mr. Watson worked national security and S&T policy initiatives pertaining to the Bioeconomy, biodefense, planetary protection, scientific collections, biological sciences, etc. Prior to being detailed to OSTP, Mr. Watson was in the Department of Defense, where he has previously served in multiple positions as a leader for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction research, development, implementation, policy; systems integration for missile defense; Countering Threat Networks and Counter Proliferation initiatives; and managing and developing interagency and international relationships under Cooperative Threat Reduction, foreign military sales, and international armaments cooperation. Mr. Watson's graduate background includes degrees in international relations, biodefense, and public health. Support the show

On the Constellations podcast, hear how the White House wants to impact the next generation of space exploration.  During this episode, Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okoro, Assistant Director for Space Policy at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) talks about space weather, Earth observation, and space data. There are several areas that require attention from the White House, either in providing a presidential vision or an executable strategy that the entire Federal Government can implement. Hear Dr. Uzo-Okoro discuss the White House's mission to create and leverage innovation to advance America's goals. 

This week, we're airing a recent discussion from the Women in National Security Law Webinar Program featuring Lala Qadir, incoming Chair of the Advisory Committee of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security and Principal Assistant Director and Chief of Staff of the National Security Division at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Together with Moderator Margret Hu, they discuss Lala's impressive career path, the role of emerging technologies in national security, and the development of long-term science and technology strategies to strengthen our national security and competitiveness. Lala Qadir is the incoming Chair of the Advisory Committee of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security and the Principal Assistant Director and Chief of Staff of the National Security Division at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TQjisEDseJq07O9MYx2tSqGOg4MHsLHF/view?usp=share_link Moderated by Margaret Hu, Advisory Committee Member with the Standing Committee on Law and National Security, and Professor of Law at William & Mary Law School: https://law2.wm.edu/faculty/bios/fulltime/mhu05.php Opening remarks by Jennifer O'Connor, Chair of the Women in National Security Law: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_national_security/women-in-national-security-law/ Nominate National Security Law Today on People's Choice Podcast Awards through this link: https://www.podcastawards.com 1. Click the blue “Click Here to Vote” button 2. On the sign up site, check the box that says “Please consider me as one of the listeners that will be randomly selected to vote on the final slate in August” and enter “National Security Law Today” in the Biggest Podcast Influencer box 3. On the nomination site, nominate “National Security Law Today” for The Adam Curry People's Choice Award, Government & Organizations, and The Majority Report Politics & News Category

Clean energy technology deployment will play a major role in meeting the Biden administration's “net zero by 2050” goal. To stay on target, America will need to shore up clean energy supply chains, reduce the cost of existing technologies, and fund innovation for up and coming solutions – like carbon capture and storage and fusion energy.  The Energy Team at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a driving force behind these efforts. With its expertise in policy and science, the team helps develop innovation priorities that facilitate a swift, equitable energy transition.  So what is the strategy for deploying the clean energy technology needed to meet net zero goals? What is the timeline for emerging technologies? And how does the OSTP's Energy Team plan to make the transition equitable?  This week host Bill Loveless talks with Sally Benson about the OSTP's history as an innovation engine, and its current role in meeting net zero by 2050 goals. Sally is the deputy director for energy and the chief strategist for the energy transition at OSTP. She helps oversee the Net Zero Game Changers Initiative, which funds innovation in clean energy technologies for building heating and cooling, aviation, nuclear fusion, and other areas. Sally joined the Biden administration as the Precourt Family Professor of Energy Resources Engineering at Stanford University. She has also held various positions at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The Capitol Beach explores the Biden Administration's recently released Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP). Host Derek Brockbank is joined by Scott Doney with the Office for Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Libby Jewett with NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program, who were instrumental in drafting the plan and will be key agency leaders in the plan's implementation. Building off existing Administration policies together with new proposals, the OCAP sets forth a comprehensive set of actions for how the ocean and coasts can mitigate and adapt to climate change. The OCAP includes proposals for creating a carbon-neutral future, such as offshore wind and marine carbon dioxide removal, accelerate nature-based solutions, such as advancing blue carbon, as well as enhancing community resilience to ocean change and addressing ocean acidification.  The OCAP will direct federal agency actions and funding (including new climate and resilience funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act) but takes a “whole of the nation” approach to ocean climate response, attempting to inspire state and private sector actions. As Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2023 - “Ocean x Climate” – wraps up, dive into OCAP on this episode of The Capitol Beach!

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) released a “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” last year, which requires agencies to responsibly develop and implement automated systems, guided by five core protections. In this exclusive GovFocus preview, federal leaders discuss how they are tackling the challenges around AI to meet mission needs in health care. To watch the GovFocus and explore our archives, visit govciomedia.com.

In this episode Peter Garretson meets with Dr. Ezinne Uzo-Okoro of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). They discuss the White House space policies in the context of the Administration Priorities, including climate, economy and jobs, restoring US global leadership, COVID and infrastructure, and the intention to lead by example. They delve into the broad context of the White House Space Priorities Framework and its emphasis on sustainability, norms and behaviors, earth observation for climate change. They examine the plethora of policy documents and the 'nuts and bolts' of what is involved in originating and coordinating such documents, including aligning with presidential intent, 'reading the room,' bringing together and educating stakeholders, and soliciting feedback including from industry and academia, making a case for guidance, always with the intent to maintain US preeminence at least 10-20 years down the road. They address how such documents are used by federal agencies, allies, and industry, and the relationship of OSTP to the National Space Council (NSpC), National Security Council (NSC), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and sometimes the National Economic Council (NEC) and Climate office...as well as the need for patience and grace throughout the 6-12 month coordination process. They explore the historic nature of the National Cislunar Science and Technology Strategy and the deliberate choice of the language of 'settlement' in the new National Low Earth Orbit Research and Development Strategy, and the consistent industry-friendly themes across documents of new products and scalable infrastructure, and economic growth. They touch on In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing National Strategy and National In-Space Servicing Assembly, and Manufacturing Implementation Plan, as well as the National Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing and Interagency Roadmap to Support Space-Related STEM Education and Workforce. They also cover the James Webb Telescope and exciting DART mission, the recently updated National Preparedness Strategy & Action Plan for Near-Earth Object Hazards and Planetary Defense—"what's cooler than planetary defense." Along the way they discuss Space-Based Solar Power, Exoplanets, Settlement, Space Weather, regulating novel space activities. They review Ezinne's own career and journey, and her reasons for optimism and philosophy of hard work. They conclude talking about how easy it is to become involved in space, because it is a small community where anyone can play, and secrets of success such as: if you want to go far, go together; that success comes from putting one foot in front of the other; the utility of patience and grace, and that there is plenty of work, so grab an oar!    

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a former official at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and CS professor at Brown, to discuss his work in the White House developing policy, including the AI Bill of Rights Blueprint. Suresh also posits on the basis for current AI challenges as failure of imagination, the need to engage diverse voices in AI development, and the evolution of safety regulations for new technologies. —Materials mentioned in this episode:Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights (The White House)

Nic Carter is a Partner at Castle Island Ventures and co-founder and Chairman of Coin Metrics. In this interview, we discuss the White House bitcoin mining research paper, regulation and the role of renewables in the energy mix. - - - - In September, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a study which looked into the climate impacts of bitcoin mining. The report successfully acknowledged the differences between PoS and PoW, the contribution of bitcoin mining to grid flexibility & demand response and the potential to unlock stranded renewables, but the rest of the report offers little, if any merit. Overall, the findings in this report were quite damning. The report relies on non-peer-reviewed and often totally flawed data from the likes of De Vries and Digiconomist and even cites the absurd 2018 Mora et al paper. As Nic says in his article, "The Mora reference is shocking. It's a bit like reading a scientific government report on the history of the moon landing and finding a reference to a conspiracy website claiming that the entire thing was faked." With papers like this from the White House, the New York Mining Moratorium Bill and general growing disdain for Bitcoin mining, the US risks giving up its headstart. It is the country with the most to lose, and as we saw when China banned mining, Bitcoin is totally agnostic, and by banning, or overregulating, America won't hurt bitcoin, only itself. "If you ban it, you empower your enemies, like Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea. If you embrace it, you directly hurt them, and give their citizens tools to free themselves from those oppressive regimes."

“My whole objective here was just to really meticulously go through their document and show that they don't have a better command of the facts then we do, they're relying on bad data, they're relying on bad sources and academics, and they should do better.”— Nic CarterNic Carter is a Partner at Castle Island Ventures and co-founder and Chairman of Coin Metrics. In this interview, we discuss the White House bitcoin mining research paper, regulation and the role of renewables in the energy mix.- - - - In September, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a study which looked into the climate impacts of bitcoin mining. The report successfully acknowledged the differences between PoS and PoW, the contribution of bitcoin mining to grid flexibility & demand response and the potential to unlock stranded renewables, but the rest of the report offers little, if any merit.Overall, the findings in this report were quite damning. The report relies on non-peer-reviewed and often totally flawed data from the likes of De Vries and Digiconomist and even cites the absurd 2018 Mora et al paper. As Nic says in his article, "The Mora reference is shocking. It's a bit like reading a scientific government report on the history of the moon landing and finding a reference to a conspiracy website claiming that the entire thing was faked."With papers like this from the White House, the New York Mining Moratorium Bill and general growing disdain for Bitcoin mining, the US risks giving up its headstart. It is the country with the most to lose, and as we saw when China banned mining, Bitcoin is totally agnostic, and by banning, or overregulating, America won't hurt bitcoin, only itself. "If you ban it, you empower your enemies, like Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea. If you embrace it, you directly hurt them, and give their citizens tools to free themselves from those oppressive regimes."- - - - This episode's sponsors:Gemini - Buy Bitcoin instantlyLedn - Financial services for Bitcoin hodlersBitcasino - The Future of Gaming is herePacific Bitcoin - Bitcoin‑only event, Nov 10 & 11, 2022Ledger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultTexas Blockchain Summit - Nov 17-18, 2022 | Austin, TexasBCB Group - Global digital financial Services-----WBD571 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.

Dans cet épisodes, 4 actualités sont abordées. La première concerne Elon Musk, qui veut de nouveau racheter Twitter alors que son procès contre le réseau social aura lieu dans 2 semaines. La seconde actualité porte sur Apple, qui relocalise de plus en plus en Californie. Sans oublier : L'Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), un service rattaché à la Maison-Blanche, propose des règles pour encadrer les IA, et Google Cloud propose une suite destinée à l'imagerie médicale. Écouter les autres épisodes sur Siècle Digital. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Hey everybody, I'm Joe Miller and here's what's going on in the world of tech law & policy.    ADL Report: Spotify has a white supremacist problem References to Hitler, Pepe the Frog, Tucker Carlson talking about the “great replacement” anti-immigration theory — it looks like songs that contain them are totally fine for Spotify, which the Anti Defamation League finds in a new report has verified at least 40 bands and musicians with hateful lyrics and imagery on their album covers. Also, it's super-easy to get verified on Spotify, even though the company claims to have a handle on this stuff. The Washington Post has the full report.   Trump appears to nod to QAnon The Washington Post's Technology 202 newsletter reports that Donald Trump appears to be showing increased support for QAnon, the conspiracy theory movement that accuses high profile democrats are running some kind of a pedophilia ring in which they drink the blood of children. The Post notes that this conspiracy theory has moved from the fringes to the mainstream political discourse and underscores the inefficacy of social media platforms to catch subtle references to disinformation campaigns. At an Ohio rally on Saturday, Trump took the stage to music that sounded a lot like music associated with QAnon, which many see as a “wink and a nod” to QAnon supporters. Trump has subtly endorsed QAnon on social media, but took a more explicit approach on his own social media platform – Truth Social – by including an image of himself wearing a QAnon lapel pin.   Center for Countering Digital Hate: Incel movement is growing online Another movement that appears to be becoming more mainstream is the so-called incel, or “involuntary celibate” movement is growing online according to a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate , which also names Google, YouTube and Cloudflare for facilitating the channel, which has 2.6 million monthly site visits and over a million posts. Lots of conversations going on there about mass murder and sexually assaulting pre-pubescent girls.  And the Washington Post also reports that a cop was convicted in Indiana for texting with, what he thought, was a 14-year-old girl, and attempting to meet her at an Olive Garden for sex. It turns out it wasn't a 14-year old girl at all – it was one of a growing number of vigilantes who bait guys like this and then record themselves shaming them, sharing it on the internet. According to the Post, the police had been reluctant to work with these citizen vigilantes to bring alleged pedophiles to trial. But the police are showing increased interest in working with these groups, according to the Post.   BSR: Facebook suppressed Palestian posts during last year's Gaza war Consulting firm Business for Social Responsibility published a report demonstrating how Facebook suppressed posts made by Palestinians during last year's war between Israel and Hamas – it did so by unfairly removing posts in Arabic at a disproportionate rate – posts that had no apparent connection to Hamas at all – compared to those made in Hebrew.    Florida takes anti-content moderation case to Supreme Court The state of Florida wants the Supreme Court to decide whether states can pass laws that prevent social media companies from blocking or limiting certain types of speech – such as some of the speech I just mentioned - hate speech, disinformation – you know, things like that. Florida's petition comes on the heels of the Fifth Circuit upholding a similar law in Texas last week. Florida wants to ban companies from doing this. We published a report in late 2020 on the pattern of conservatives, throughout history, seeking to ban liberal speech, starting almost as soon as European immigrants landed in the new world and wanted to control Native Americans, not to mention slaves. America's entire history is one of suppressing the voices of people of color – not the other way around.   Meanwhile, Microsoft has decided it won't flag disinformation and TikTok apparently enforces its content moderation policies more leniently in favor of users with millions of followers.   Senate confirms new OSTP director, Arati Prabhakar In a 56-40 vote with 10 Republicans on board, the Senate has for the first time confirmed a woman, immigrant, and person of color to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Previously, Arati Prabhakar led the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.  Dr. Alondra Nelson, a prominent scholar who appeared on this podcast back on Episode 70, had been performing the duties of the OSTP Director role since previous diretor Eric Lander stepped down in February amid accusations that he mistreated subordinates. Dr. Nelson will continue in her role as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director for Science and Society. More News Virginia's Spanish-language election site is out-of-date   Mozilla report on potential anticompetitive behavior by leading browsers   Washington Post: Health Apps sharing data with advertisers   City of New York to provide free internet/cable for 300K public housing residents   To go deeper, you can find links to all of these stories, plus additional ones, in the show notes. Stay safe, stay informed, have a great week. Ciao.

Dr. Andrew Hebbeler, Ph.D., is Principal Assistant Director for Health and Life Sciences, Office of Science and Technology Policy at The White House (https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ostps-teams/health-and-life-sciences/), and has extensive foreign affairs, national security, global health, and science and technology (S&T) policy experience. Most recently, Dr. Hebbeler was Senior Director and Lead Scientist for Global Biological Policy and Programs at the non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative and previous to that served in leadership positions at the State Department's offices of Science and Technology Cooperation (OES/STC), the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State (E/STAS), and Cooperative Threat Reduction (ISN/CTR). From 2013-2015, Dr. Hebbeler was Assistant Director for Biological and Chemical Threats at the Obama White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he oversaw American S&T efforts to combat infectious disease and chemical weapon threats. Prior to his White House position, Dr. Hebbeler led the State Department's Biosecurity Engagement Program, a $40M program that prevents terrorist access to potentially dangerous biological materials and dual-use infrastructure and expertise, while supporting efforts to combat infectious disease and enhance public and animal health worldwide. Dr. Hebbeler received his Bachelor's degree in biology and philosophy from Thomas More College, and completed his doctoral work in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology in the laboratory of C. David Pauza at the University of Maryland, Baltimore where he focused on understanding an unconventional lymphocyte population that is important during immune responses to infectious disease and cancer. Before joining the State Department, Dr. Hebbeler was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Warner C. Greene at The J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California.ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol ProbioticBreaks down the byproduct of alcohol responsible for rough mornings after drinking.Brand Dev InterruptedWhat the smartest minds in engineering are thinking about, working on and investing in.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Holistic Life NavigationThis podcast explores how to heal stress & trauma holistically. I am your host, Luis...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support Us Here! --> https://anchor.fm/politicana/support Hello and welcome to the Politicana Podcast, where Tyler, Prateek, and Nick discuss all things Politics! We hope you enjoy the episode. New episodes will be uploaded at the beginning of every week (Typically Monday), so stay tuned and follow on your favorite podcasting platform to be notified when new episodes are available. Please email Backofthemob@gmail.com with any comments, questions, or inquiries. -- Topics And Timestamps -- 1:35 - Mikhail Gorbachev Dies At 91 8:15 - Liz Truss has become the United Kingdom's new prime minister, succeeding Boris Johnson, who resigned in July after a series of scandals. 14:35 - The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) updated U.S. policy guidance to make the results of taxpayer-supported research immediately available to the American public at no cost. All publications and research funded by taxpayers will be made publicly accessible. 19:20 - President Joe Biden lashed out Thursday night at Republicans who have embraced the MAGA Philosophy calling them extremists during his fiery speech. 39:00 - Joe Biden said that you should not vote for anyone who does not support banning assault weapons. 42:00 - California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a law to make the state minimum wage $22/hr for all fast food employees in California. 53:30 - Donald Trump was mocked after he asked his followers on Truth Social “Why are people so mean?” --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/politicana/support

US President Joe Biden yesterday announced his intent to nominate Indian American engineer, Dr Arati Prabhakar, to serve as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and once confirmed to this position, also as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. Google ended a two-year fight against France, agreeing to a fine and stipulations over deals with news publishers. Notes: US President Joe Biden yesterday announced his intent to nominate Indian American engineer Dr Arati Prabhakar to serve as Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). And once confirmed to this position, also as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, according to a statement by the White House. In this capacity, Dr Prabhakar will be the President's Chief Advisor for Science and Technology, a co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and a member of the President's Cabinet. Google agreed to negotiate license deals fairly with a broader array of news publishers in France, to end a dispute with French regulators and avoid further fines, Wall Street Journal reports. The deal comes after the French regulator fined Google 500 million euros, equivalent to about $525 million, last year, for not negotiating deals with publishers in good faith. As part of the deal, Google has dropped its appeal against the fine. DocuSign CEO Dan Springer is stepping down effective immediately, the company announced on Tuesday, CNBC reports. The decision comes after the e-signature software maker lost more than 60 percent of its value year to date, CNBC reports. Springer became CEO in 2017 and took the company public in 2018. Ericsson, a leading telecom equipment maker, said on Tuesday, it expects global 5G mobile subscriptions to surpass 1 billion in 2022, helped by higher adoption in China and North America, Reuters reports. A weaker global economy and the uncertainties caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine lowered its estimate for 2022 by around 100 million, the Swedish company said in its biannual Mobility Report. Stashfin, a Singapore-based fintech startup that offers credit cards to lower-income users in India, has raised $270 million in new funding round, to expand to Southeast Asia and other South Asian markets, TechCrunch reports. The startup has raised $70 million against equity and $200 million as debt as part of its Series C funding round, Stashfin said. Matrix Partners India, a US VC firm that has invested in several Indian startups, is looking to raise $450 million for its fourth India fund, according to an SEC filing. It is joining several other VC investors who have recently announced large India-focused funds. Theme music courtesy Free Music & Sounds: https://soundcloud.com/freemusicandsounds

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr Arun Seraphin discusses his 20+ years as a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. He describes differences between the US Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the way Congress thinks about and evaluates national security emerging tech. Arun shares he communicates as a “connector” between emerging technology thought leaders in industry and academia and Congressional leaders. Finally, he describes NDIA's Emerging Technologies Institute and how he continues connecting people and technology. Resources: NDIA Emerging Technologies Institute  Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-98 Guest Bio:  Dr. Arun Seraphin is the Deputy Director of Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI) at National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA). Before joining the ETI team, a Professional Staff Member on the staff of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services. His areas of responsibility include acquisition policy, Pentagon management issues, Department of Defense's science and technology programs, information technology systems, technology transition issues, defense laboratories, Small Business Innovation Research program, manufacturing programs, and test and evaluation programs. As such he assists Senators in their oversight of DOD policies and programs, including in the authorization of budgets, civilian nominations, legislative initiatives, and hearings. He rejoined the committee staff in 2014, after previously serving there between 2001 and 2010. In 2009, he was named one of ten Defense “Staffers to Know” by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper. From 2010 to 2014, Dr. Seraphin served as the Principal Assistant Director for National Security and International Affairs at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). During this time, he both led (in an Acting capacity) and served as the deputy director of the OSTP National Security and International Affairs division. His areas of responsibility included developing and implementing White House initiatives and policies in areas including defense research and engineering; weapons of mass destruction; defense manufacturing and industrial base; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; cybersecurity; and promoting innovation in government research and engineering organizations. He also led interagency groups on small business programs and on improving the quality of the Federal STEM workforce. He was on detail to OSTP from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he was the Special Assistant for Policy Initiatives to the Director of DARPA. Dr. Seraphin has also worked on the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Research as a professional staff member. He began his work in Congress in the Office of Senator Joseph Lieberman as the 1999-2000 Materials Research Society – Optical Society of America Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. In these positions, he covered both civilian and defense research and development programs. Between 1996 and 2000, Dr. Seraphin worked in the Science and Technology Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, where his research included work on defense technology transition, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), export controls, technology forecasting, and international research cooperation. His work included detailed technical analyses supporting the DARPA MEMS program, the Army Science and Technology Master Plan, and the Military Critical Technologies Program. In 1996, Dr. Seraphin earned a Ph.D. in Electronic Materials from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he performed research on silicon nanotechnology. His research focused on the development of novel silicon nanostructures and tailoring their optical properties. He also holds bachelor's degrees in Political Science with a concentration in American Government and Engineering Science with a concentration in Materials Science from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Ellory Monks, co-founder of The Atlas, speaks with Troy Mix, Associate Director at the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration, about major opportunities and challenges the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) presents for state and local governments. Topics covered in this March 10, 2022 interview include how Ellory and her team at The Atlas aim to spur transformative policy change and infrastructure investments; what is known about IIJA funding, timelines, and priorities; and how state and local governments can best organize to maximize the impact of infrastructure funds in their communities. The Atlas is a free online community for state and local government leaders to browse case studies, follow trending topics, and crowdsource ideas. Before founding The Atlas, Ellory was a consultant funded by philanthropies like the Rockefeller Foundation. She gained extensive experience working directly with local government officials to identify and implement strategies that solve complex infrastructure problems. Ellory also served in the Obama Administration, where she provided analytical and technical support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on a wide range of infrastructure, energy, and environmental issues. She frequently contributes to the ongoing conversation about cities, infrastructure, and innovation in outlets like The Brookings Institution and The New York Times. For more information on The Atlas, visit https://the-atlas.com/. To learn more about the Institute for Public Administration, visit ipa.udel.edu. Opening and closing music: "I Dunno" by Grapes, used under Creative Commons 3.0 License.

In this episode, we will be interviewing Dr. Jennifer Shieh, Chief Scientist and Program Manager Office of Innovation and Technology Office of Investment and Innovation U.S. Small Business Administration. She advances technology commercialization through the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, building partnerships and coordinating policy across the 11 participating Federal agencies. She served as the Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she led national efforts to improve the transfer of federally-funded technologies from lab-to-market, advance Federal agency coordination on R&D infrastructure, and champion open innovation through prizes and citizen science. Previously, she managed the Small Business Program for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and served as a Program Director at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) SBIR Development Center, having joined NCI as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. She was involved in product and customer development at Syapse, a precision medicine-focused startup, and mobile games startup Subversus Interactive. Dr. Shieh studied the brain and cognitive sciences at MIT then earned her Ph.D. in neurosciences at Stanford University. She is co-author of the textbook Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience. Visit the page: https://www.sbir.gov/about/leadership --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/governmentcoins/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/governmentcoins/support

In this episode, we will be interviewing Dr. Jennifer Shieh, Chief Scientist and Program Manager Office of Innovation and Technology Office of Investment and Innovation U.S. Small Business Administration. She advances technology commercialization through the Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs, building partnerships and coordinating policy across the 11 participating Federal agencies. She served as the Assistant Director for Entrepreneurship at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she led national efforts to improve the transfer of federally-funded technologies from lab-to-market, advance Federal agency coordination on R&D infrastructure, and champion open innovation through prizes and citizen science. Previously, she managed the Small Business Program for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and served as a Program Director at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) SBIR Development Center, having joined NCI as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow. She was involved in product and customer development at Syapse, a precision medicine-focused startup, and mobile games startup Subversus Interactive. Dr. Shieh studied the brain and cognitive sciences at MIT then earned her Ph.D. in neurosciences at Stanford University. She is co-author of the textbook Guide to Research Techniques in Neuroscience. Visit the page: https://www.sbir.gov/about/leadership --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/governmentcoins/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/governmentcoins/support

Dr. Hepburn currently serves within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)    In this episode Dr. Hepburn shares stories and insights from his decades of experience as an Army Infectious Disease Physician.  He talks about leading domestic and international clinical research efforts on biodefense products while at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) and his role in the Cooperative Threat Reduction program in the republics of the former Soviet Union.  He shares his experiences from providing detainee care at a Level 2 Treatment Facility in Iraq.    He provides many lessons learned from his time as a Program Manager at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) which prepared him for his critical role in Operation Warp Speed in responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic.  He gives us a fascinating behind the scenes look into the partnerships between the DoD, HHS and private industry that shattered the normal timelines for vaccine development, testing and implementation.  You will be amazed at the Herculean efforts that took place and hear about some of the amazing heroes that made it happen.  You don't want to miss this episode!   Find out more about Dr. Hepburn at wardocspodcast.com/guest-bios and visit our webpage and become part of Team WarDocs at wardocspodcast.com.   Please take a moment to follow/subscribe, rate and review WarDocs on your preferred Podcast venue.

The session from the BioHealth Capital Region Forum focuses on a vision for a new science entity, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This new NIH Institute would accelerate biomedical innovation and adoption of technologies and approaches to revolutionize healthcare and medicine. Tara A. Schwetz, Ph.D. is the Assistant Director for Biomedical Science Initiatives in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She is currently on detail to OSTP from her role as Associate Deputy Director (ADEPD), National Institutes of Health (NIH). During her tenure as ADEPD, Dr. Schwetz also served as the acting Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). Prior to assuming these roles, she was the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch in the Office of the Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Dr. Schwetz led several efforts while at NIAID, including conducting an evaluation of the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance to facilitate evidence-based decision-making and developing the NIAID Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research. Previously, Dr. Schwetz served as the Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Director of NIH (DEPD), where she coordinated efforts such as Reimagine HHS, the NIH rigor and reproducibility activities, and the first NIH-Wide Strategic Plan. Dr. Schwetz also served in the dual role of the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Interim Associate Program Director and the Special Assistant to the DEPD. Prior to these roles, she was a Health Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, where she helped develop the National Pain Strategy. Dr. Schwetz started her career at NIH as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NINR. She received a BS in biochemistry with honors from Florida State University and a PhD in biophysics from the University of South Florida, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University.

The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Coronabus both enacted laws aiming to stop China from advancing their Belt and Road economic system that may soon be able to compete with the "rules based international order", which the United States has been leading the implementation of since the end of WWII. In this episode, learn about the NDAA's most significant changes, including a new U.S. military build up in China's neighborhood: The Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Episodes CD218: Minerals are the New Oil CD187: Combating China Bills National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 Bill Text Sec. 158: Expansion of Economic Order Quantity Contracting Authority for F-35 Aircraft Program Doubles the amount of money allowed to be spent on longer term contracts from $574 million to over $1 billion TITLE VII - ACQUISITION POLICY, ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT, AND RELATED MATTERS Subtitle D - Industrial Base Matters Sec. 841: Additional Requirements Pertaining to Printed Circuit Boards Beginning January 1, 2023, the Defense Department will be prohibited from buying printed circuit boards that are either fully or partially manufactured in North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran. The Defense Secretary has the ability to waive these restrictions TITLE X - GENERAL PROVISIONS Subtitle E - Miscellaneous Authorities and Limitations Sec. 1052: Expenditure of Funds for Department of Defense Clandestine Activities that Support Operational Preparation of the Environment Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to spend up to $15 million from the Operations and Maintenance account "in any fiscal year for clandestine activities for any purpose the Secretary determines to be proper for preparation of the environment for operations of a confidential nature." Intelligence activities are excluded. This authority can be delegated for expenses up to $250,000. The Defense Secretary has to tell Congress about these expenditures in a report due once per year at the end of the year. Sec. 1053: Sale or Donation of Excess Department of Defense Personal Property for Law Enforcement Activities Prohibits the military from transferring free bayonets, grenades (but they can still transfer stun and flash bang grenades), weaponized tanks, and weaponized drones to domestic law enforcement. Sec. 1062: Limitation on Provision of Funds to Institutions of Higher Education Hosting Confucius Institutes Beginning in 2023, Defense Department funding - except for funding given directly to students - can be given to an college or university that hosts a Confucius Institute. "Confucius Institute" is defined as "a cultural institute directly or indirectly funded" by the Chinese government. The Defense Secretary has the ability to waive this prohibition. This was based on a bill co-authored by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio and Rep. Donna Shalala of Fl Sec. 1064: Requirements for Use of Federal Law Enforcement Personnel, Active Duty Members of the Armed Forces, and National Guard Personnel in Support of Federal Authorities to Respond to Civil Disturbances Whenever a member of the armed forces, including the National Guard, respond to a civil disturbance, each individual has to display their name and the name of the Federal entity they are representing. This won't apply to individuals who don't wear uniforms when performing their regular duties or who are performing undercover operations. TITLE XII - MATTERS RELATING TO FOREIGN NATIONS Subtitle B - Matters Relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan Sec. 1215: Limitation on Use of Funds to Reduce Deployment to Afghanistan Prohibits troop levels in Afghanistan from being reduced below 2,000 until the Defense Secretary submits a report Subtitle C - Matters Relating to Syria, Iraq, and Iran Sec. 1221: Extension and Modification of Authority to Provide Assistance to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Reauthorizes the Department of Defense military assistance for training, equipment, supplies, and support for the Government of Iraq and "other local security forces" for combatting ISIL and security the territory of Iraq until December 31, 2021 but cuts the funding to $322.5 million, down from $645 million. The original funding amount t was over $1.6 billion in 2016. Sec. 1222: Extension and Modification of Authority to Provide Assistance to Vetted Syrian Groups and Individuals Reauthorizes the Department of Defense assistance for training, equipment, supplies, support, stipends, and facilities for "vetted elements of the Syrian opposition and other appropriately vetted Syrian groups and individuals" until December 31, 2021 Subtitle E - Matters Relating to Europe and NATO Sec. 1241: Determination and Imposition of Sanctions with Respect to Turkey's Acquisition of the S-400 Air Defense System In response to Turkey's decision to buy an air defense system from Russia on July 12, 2019, the President "shall" impose five or more sanctions on each person who participated in buying that system. The sanctions were required to be implemented by the end of January 2021. The sanctions are allowed to be removed after one year if the S-400 air defense system has been removed from Turkey Sec. 1246: Report on United States Military Force Posture in Southeastern Europe By the end of 2021, the Secretary of Defense has to submit a classified report with an unclassified summary describing the military postures of Russia and China in southeastern Europe and assess the cost, feasibility, and infrastructure requirements of increasing US Armed Forces in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and other locations. Subtitle F - Matters Relating to the Indo-Pacific Region Sec. 1251: Pacific Deterrence initiative Requires the Secretary of Defense to create a Pacific Deterrence Initiative to improve the force posture in the Indo-Pacific region, primarily west of the International Date Line The purpose is to... Strengthen the presence of the US Armed Forces in the region Pre-position equipment, weapons, and fuel. Perform exercises, training, and experiments Build the militaries of allies and partners and enhance cooperation with them Authorizes over $2.2 billion Sec. 1252: Extension and Modification of Prohibition on Commercial Export of Certain Covered Munitions Items to the Hong Kong Police Force Extends the prohibition on export licenses being issued to send weapons to the Hong Kong police force that was enacted on November 27, 2019 until December 31, 2021 and expands the prohibition on exports to include "crime control items". Sec. 1260: Statement of Policy and Sense of Congress on the Taiwan Relations Act 'The Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances provided by the United States to Taiwan in July 1982 are the foundation for United States-Taiwan relations" "Any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including boycotts and embargoes, is a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States." We will "resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan" It is US policy to continue selling weapons to Taiwan, including weapons for air defense, undersea warfare, intelligence, surveillance, anti-armor, anti-ship, and coastal defense systems. US policy is to perform joint military exercises with Taiwan. Sec. 1260E: Sense of Congress on the Aggression of the Government of China Along the Border with India and its Growing Territorial Claims Congress says that... "continued military aggression by the Government of China along the border with India is a significant concern" "attempts by the Government of China to advance baseless territorial claims, including those in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and with respect to Bhutan, are destabilizing and inconsistent with international law." Subtitle G: Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Fiscal Transparency Act of 2020 Sec. 1263: Statement of Policy It is United States policy to... "support a civilian-led political transition in Sudan that results in a democratic government..." "support the implementation of Sudan's constitutional charter for the transitional period" (which began on August 17, 2019 and is effective for 39 months, which would be November 17, 2022) Part of our strategy is "promoting economic reform, private sector engagement, and inclusive economic development..." and "supporting improved development outcomes, domestic resource mobilization, and catalyzing market-based solutions to improve access to health, education, water and sanitations, and livelihoods..." Sec. 1264: Support for Democratic Governance, Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Fundamental Freedoms Authorizes the President to "provide assistance" authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which allows him to use money from the State Department's Economic Support Fund, and development assistance in agriculture, health, education, housing, counter-drug operations, disaster relief, energy, technology, natural resources, and technical assistance for the government and/or central bank. Authorizes $20 million per year in 2021 and 2022 Sec. 1265: Support for Development Programs Authorizes the President to "provide assistance" using the same authorities from Section 1264 and the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development Act of 2018 (BUILD Act) ,which created the United States International Development Finance Corporation, to "promote economic growth, increase private sector productivity and advance market-based solutions to address development challenges" Authorizes $80 million per year for 2021 and 2022 Sec. 1266: Support for Conflict Mitigation Authorizes the President to "provide assistance" using the same authorities from Section 1264 and money for international military education and training and money for peacekeeping operations to "support civil society and other organizations", for "professional training of security force personnel", and to support provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 and Abyei protocol. Authorizes $20 million per year for 2021 and 2022 Sec. 1267: Support for Accountability for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide in Sudan Authorizes the President to "provide assistance" using the same authorities from Section 1264 to assist investigators to document violations of human rights committed by the former President Omar al-Bashir and the Transitional Military Council since June 30, 1989. Authorizes $10 million per year for 2021 and 2022. Sec. 1270E: Repeal of Sudan Peace Act and the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act Effective January 1, 2020 (backdated), repeals the Sudan Peace Act and the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act Subtitle H - United States Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020 Sec. 1273: Security Assistance for Israel The United States will give Israel at least $3.3 billion per year from the Foreign Military Financing Program from 2021 through 2028 (at least $26.4 billion). The amount used to be capped; this law changed it so that is a minimum payment. Sec. 1275: Rules Governing the Transfer of Precision-Guided Munitions to Israel Above the Annual Restriction Authorizes the President to transfer precision-guided missiles from our reserves to Israel The authority to transfer our missiles to Israel will expire at the beginning of 2024 TITLE LVXXXIV - MISCELLANEOUS Subtitle C - Arctic Sec. 8421: Coast Guard Arctic Prioritization Congress is concerned that "Russia and China have conducted military exercises together in the Arctic, have agreed to connect the Northern Sea Route, claimed by Russia, with China's Maritime Silk Road, and are working together in developing natural gas resources in the Arctic." TITLE XCIV - SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY MATTERS Subtitle B - Other Matters Sec. 9414: Study on Chinese Policies and Influence in the Development of International Standards for Emerging Technologies The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology will conduct a study that can include... How China's role in international standards setting organizations has grown over the last 10 years China's standardization strategy outlined in "Chinese Standard 2035" An examination of whether international standards for technology are being designed to promote Chinese interests outlined in the "Made in China 2025" plan Recommendations on how the United States can "mitigate" China's influence in setting standards and increase the United States public and private sector participation in the standards setting institutions TITLE XCVII - FINANCIAL SERVICES MATTERS Subtitle C - Other Matters Sec. 9723: Accountability for World Bank Loans to China Makes it the policy of the United States to disqualify China from receiving World Bank loans designed for low and middle income countries. This was a bill written by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio TITLE XCIX - CREATING HELPFUL INCENTIVES TO PRODUCE SEMICONDUCTORS FOR AMERICA Sec. 9902: Semiconductor Incentives The Secretary of Commerce has to create a program that provides tax money to "a private entity, a consortium of private entities,, or a consortium of public and private entities..." to incentivize them to invest in creating, assembling, testing, packaging, or researching semiconductors in the United States. The money can not be given to "a foreign entity of concern" Tax money for any individual project is capped at $3 billion, but that limit can be waived with the recommendation of the Defense Secretary, the Director of National Intelligence, and the President. Sec. 9905: Funding for Development and Adoption of Measurably Secure Semiconductors and Measurably Secure Semiconductors Supply Chains Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to create a "Multilateral Semiconductors Security Fund" The fund would be used to create "measurably secure semiconductor supply chains" The Secretary of State can use money in the fund to give to foreign governments on the condition that those countries enact restrictions on exports to China. The Secretary of State is encouraged, but not required, to establish transparency requirements for subsidies or other financial benefits given to semiconductors inside or outside the participating countries and "promote harmonized treatment and verification processes for items being exported to a country considered a national security risk by a country participating". Coronabus Outline Bill Text DIVISION B - COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021 TITLE V - GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec. 526: Prohibits NASA, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), or the National Space Council (NSC) from working with, contracting from, or coordinating "in any way with China or any Chinese-owned company" unless the activities are "specifically authorized" by a law enacted after the Coronabus. This can be waived if NASA, the OSTP, or NSC consults with the FBI and finds that the cooperation would "pose no risk of resulting in the transfer of technology, data, or other information with national security or economic security implications to China or a Chinese-owned company." DIVISION K - DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT TITLE VII: GENERAL PROVISIONS Insecure Communications Networks Sec. 7030: State Department funds must be used to advance the adoption of 5G in countries receiving our tax money and prevent the creation of communications networks, including 5G, promoted by China "and other state-backed enterprises that are subject to undue or extrajudicial control by their country of origin." East Asia and the Pacific $1.482 billion must be spent implementing the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the Asia Reassurance Initiative of 2018. Requires at least $300 million in additional money to be spent on a new Countering Chinese Influence Fund Sec. 7043: Funding for China's neighbors... Almost $135 million was appropriated for the government of Burma before the military coup. At least $85 million is appropriated for the government of Cambodia, conditioned on Cambodia "verifiably maintaining the neutrality of Ream Naval Base, other military installations in Cambodia, and dual use facilities such as the Dara Sakor development project. There is no certification required for "democracy, health, education, and environment programs, programs to strengthen the sovereignty of Cambodia, and programs to educate and inform the people of Cambodia of the influence activities of the People's Republic of China in Cambodia." At least $80 million will be given to Laos At least $3 million from the "Democracy Fund" will be given to Hong Kong for "democracy and internet freedom programs for Hong Kong, including legal and other support for democracy activists" as long as none of this money goes to the Chinese government. Prohibits counter-drug money for the Philippines, "except for drug demand reduction, maritime law enforcement, or transnational interdiction." At least $170 million will be given to Vietnam Europe and Eurasia Requires at least $290 million to be spent on the Countering Russian Influence Fund Latin America and the Caribbean Sec. 7045: Requires over $500 million to be available for "assistance" for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, which can be spent on the Central America Regional Security Initiative. Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras can only get 50% of their allotted funding unless the Secretary of State certifies that the governments are taking actions against corruption, enacting reforms, informing their citizens that it’s dangerous to come to the United States, enhancing border security, and “resolving disputes involving the confiscation of real property of United States entities.” Those three countries are also ineligible for foreign military financing. The Caribbean Requires at least $74.8 million to be spent on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Venezuela Requires at least $33 million to be spent on "democracy programs" in Venezuela Bilateral Economic Assistance Adds an additional $700 million to the Economic Support Fund, available until September 30, 2022 for Sudan. DIVISION Z - ENERGY ACT OF 2020 Sec. 7003: Monitoring Mineral Investments Under Belt and Road Initiative of People's Republic of China The Director of National Intelligence, starting in the beginning of 2022 and every year after, will have to conduct a detailed report on China's investments in minerals and if their investments have increased their control over the global supply of those minerals. DIVISION FF - OTHER MATTER TITLE III - FOREIGN RELATIONS AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE PROVISIONS Subtitle B - Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 Sec. 314: Taiwan's Inclusion in International Organizations Congress finds that... "China's attempts to dictate the terms of Taiwan's participation in international organizations has, in many cases, resulted in Taiwan's exclusion from such organizations even when statehood is not a requirement..." Makes it US policy to advocate for Taiwans inclusion in international organizations that do not require statehood, including the United Nations, World Health Assembly, and others. Subtitle F - The United States Northern Triangle Enhanced Engagement Act Sec. 352: By the beginning of July, the Secretary of State has to submit a five year strategy to Congress for changing the governing, economic, and security structures of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Economically, the priorities must include: "Supporting market-based solutions to eliminate constraints to inclusive economic growth" "Identifying... a role for relevant United States agencies and United States private sector in supporting efforts to increase private sector investment..." Security priorities must include: "Implementing the Central America Regional Security Initiative" The strategy can be created in partnership with "civil society and the private sector in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras." The strategy will have to be posed on the State Department's website, but it is allowed to be partially classified. Sec. 353: By the beginning of July, President Biden has to submit a list of people who will be sanctioned for their actions in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Sanctions will prohibit the targets from traveling to the United States. The authority to impose these sanctions will expire at the beginning of 2024. https://www.congress.gov/116/cprt/HPRT42770/CPRT-116HPRT42770.pdf#page= National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 Bill Text Sec. 1251: Authorized the “Indo-Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative” to “increase the presence and capabilities” of the United States Armed Forces in the region by building new infrastructure, “enhance the storage and pre-positioning in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region of equipment of the United States Forces”, and with military training and exercises with allies. John S. McCain National Defense Authorization for Fiscal Year 2019 Bill Text Sec. 1252: Amends the NDAA for 2016, which authorized the South China Sea Initiative providing military equipment and training to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, to change the name of the program to the “Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative” and expands the authorization to include the Indian Ocean in addition to the South China Sea and the countries of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Adds India to the list of countries allowed to be paid for expenses, along with Brunei, Singapore, and Taiwan. Extends the expiration date from September 30, 2020 to December 31, 2025. Sec. 1253: Changes the name of the military build-up authorized in NDAA 2018 from the “Indo-Asia-Pacific Stability Initiative” to the “Indo-Pacific Stability Initiative”. Changes the activities authorized to include an increase in “rotational and forward presence” of the US Armed Forces and adds the prepositioning of “munitions” in addition to equipment. Expands the options for funding by removing the requirement that funding come “only” from a section 1001 transfer authority. Section 1001 transfer authority allows the shifting of up to $4.5 billion. Requires a 5 year plan be submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Defense by March 1, 2019. Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 Outline [Bill Text](https://www.congress.gov/115/plaws/publ409/PLAW-115publ409.pdf Sec. 2: Findings The "United States-backed international system" is being challenged by: China constructing islands in the South China Sea and challenging US economic interests North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities ISIS "Without strong leadership from the United States, the international system, fundamentally rooted in the rule of law, may wither, to the detriment of the United States, regional, and global interests." TITLE I: UNITED STATES POLICY AND DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION Sec. 101: Policy The United States policy for the region... "Promotes American prosperity and economic interests by advancing economic growth and development of a rules-based Indo-Pacific economic community" Sec. 102: Diplomatic Strategy We will support... The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation East Asia Summit We want... Freedom of navigation under international law Expansions of security and defense cooperation with allies and partners Denuclearization of North Korea "To develop and grow the economy through private sector partnerships between the United States and Indo-Pacific partners" To pursue trade agreements and "build a network of partners in the Indo-Pacific committed to free markets" TITLE II - PROMOTING UNITED STATES SECURITY INTERESTS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION Sec 201: Authorization of Appropriations $1.5 billion per year from 2019 through 2023 ($7.5 billion total) The money can be used for... Foreign military financing Foreign military education and training Counterterrorism partnership programs "To encourage responsible natural resource management in partner countries, which is closely associated with economic growth" Military and Coast Guard training exercises Expanding cooperation with Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka "Multilateral engagements" with Japan, Australia, and India Intelligence The goal is to counter "China's influence to undermine the international system" Sec. 205: United States-ASEAN Strategic Partnership The goal of our commitment to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is to "build a strong, stable politically cohesive, economically integrated, and socially responsible community of nations that has common rules, norms, procedures, and standards which are consistent with international law and the principles of a rules-based Indo-Pacific community." Sec. 209: Commitment to Taiwan To enforce all existing commitments to Taiwan made by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 and the 3 joint communiques and the Six Assurances agreed to by President Reagan in July 1982 The United States "should" regularly transfer weapons to Taiwan "that are tailored to meet the existing and likely future threats from the People's Republic of China." TITLE III: PROMOTING UNITED STATES ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION Sec. 301: Findings By 2030, 66% of the global middle class will be living in Asia and 59% of middle class consumption will take place in Asia The United States has free trade agreements in effect with Australia, Singapore, and Korea The member states of ASEAN represent the fifth largest economy in the world Sec. 302: Indo-Pacific Trade Negotiations, Multilateral Agreements, and Regional Economic Summits Congress supports "full implementation of the World Trade Organization's Trade Facilitation Agreement by Indo-Pacific countries" Sec. 304: Trade Capacity Building and Trade Facilitation Authorizes "such sums as may be necessary" for the President to produce a trade facilitation strategy that levels the playing field for American companies competing in the Indo-Pacific region. TITLE IV - PROMOTING UNITED STATES VALUES IN THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION Sec. 409: Authorization of Appropriations Authorizes $210 million per year from 2019 through 2025 (over $1 billion total) to "promote democracy, strengthen civil society... etc" in the Indo-Pacific region. This money can be used to promote democracy and the "rule of law" inside of China. Articles/Documents Article: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—Hard Reality Greets BRI’s Signature Initiative, By David Sacks, Council on Foreign Relations, March 30, 2021 Article: An Alliance of Autocracies? China Wants to Lead a New World Order., By Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times, March 29, 2021 Article: China and Russia Agree to Explore the Moon Together, By Steven Lee Myers, The New York Times, March 10, 2021 Article: Russia, Belarus ink five-year strategic military partnership plan for first time, By Tass, March 2, 2021 Article: The U.S. Air Force Just Admitted The F-35 Stealth Fighter Has Failed, By David Axe, Forbes, February 23, 2021 Article: Chip Crisis Flummoxes Congress in a World Where U.S. Output Lags, By Laura Davison and Jarrell Dillard, MSN, Bloomberg, February 21, 2021 Article: Cambodia-China Golden Dragon Military Exercise postponed, By Chea Vanyuth, Khmer Times, February 2, 2021 Document: China’s “One Belt, One Road” Initiative: Economic Issues, By Karen M. Sutter, Andres B. Schwarzenberg, and Michael D. Sutherland, The Congressional Research Service, January 21, 2021 Article: Defense Bill Includes Two Landmark Transparency Provisions, By Tim Stretton, POGO, January 21, 2021 Article: NicaNotes: Unelectable coup mongers, By Fabrizio Casari, Alliance for Global Justice, January 14, 2021 Document: Taiwan: Political and Security Issues, By Susan V. Lawrence, The Congressional Research Service, January 4, 2021 News Release: Cambodia: Hun Sen and His Abusive Generals, Human Rights Watch, October 22, 2020 Article: Cambodian PM Says Ream Naval Base Not Just for China, By The Defense Spot, October 7, 2020 Article: The Real F-35 Problem We Need to Solve, By Scott Cooper, Defense One, September 29, 2020 Article: Russia, China launch massive 'Caucasus 2020' military exercises, By Jan van der Made, Rfi, September 21, 2020 Article: China says it will join Russian military exercises this month along with Iran, Belarus and others, By CBS News, September 10, 2020 Document: China’s National Security Law for Hong Kong: Issues for Congress, By Susan V. Lawrence and Michael F. Martin, The Congressional Research Service, August 3, 2020 Article: India-China border standoff turns deadly for first time in decades, By Arshad R. Zargar, CBS News, June 16, 2020 Article: Chinese troops challenge India at multiple locations in eastern Ladakh, standoff continues, By Snehesh Alex Philip, The Print, May 24, 2020 Article: When It Comes to Supersonic Flight, the F-35’s Wings Are Clipped, By Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, April 29, 2020 Article: Cambodia, China kick off Golden Dragon exercise despite coronavirus, Vietnam News, March 15, 2020 Article: Joint Cambodia-China ‘Golden Dragon’ Military Drills to Proceed, Despite Threat of Coronavirus, Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service, Translated by Sovannarith Keo, Written in English by Joshua Lipes, Radio Free Asia, March, 2020 Press Release: Gonzalez introduces new bill to curb World Bank funding to China, Anthony Gonzalez, November 13, 2019 Article: Deal for Naval Outpost in Cambodia Furthers China’s Quest for Military Network, By Jeremy Page, Gordon Lubold and Rob Taylor, The Wall Street Journal, July 22, 2019 Document: Cambodia: Background and U.S. Relations, By Thomas Lum, The Congressional Research Service, January 28, 2019 Document: Taiwan: Issues for Congress, By Susan V. Lawrence and Wayne M. Morrison, The Congressional Research Service, October 30, 2017 Additional Resources Hun Sen, Britannica Aegis Ashore Lockheed Martin Sound Clip Sources Hearing: Secretary Blinken: The Biden Administration’s Priorities for U.S. Foreign Policy, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 10, 2021 Watch on YouTube Watch on C-SPAN Transcript: 40:53 Antony Blinken: So on Nord Stream II, a couple of things at the outset, just to be very, very clear, President Biden thinks it's a bad idea. He said so repeatedly, I share his his view. It violates the European Union's own energy security principles. It jeopardizes the economic and strategic situation for Ukraine, for Poland as well. And so he opposes it. We oppose it will continue to do so. I've been on the job, I think, five weeks. The pipeline is 95% complete. It started construction started in 2018. So I wish we didn't find ourselves in a situation with a pipeline that's virtually complete. 1:06:17 Antony Blinken: We have to deal with the drivers of migration, to your point. And I think there is real opportunity there to do that. When President Biden was Vice President, as you may remember, he led an effort, very successful effort, a bipartisan effort with Congress to secure significantly more resources to help Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador deal with some of these drivers, whether it came to security, whether it came to corruption, whether it came to economic opportunity, and we did this in a way that was simply not simply throwing money at the problem, but demanding concrete reforms from these countries, that actually materially improved the situation for people there and took away some of the incentives for them to come to the United States. We now have a proposal with additional resources over four years to do that, and to do that in a, I think, potentially effective way. 1:10:35 Antony Blinken: First we have in President Biden, as you know, someone who believes strongly in NATO, in the Alliance, the most successful alliance in history and something as he see that he sees as the glue that joins us to to Europe and so this is something as you know, he spent a lot of time on himself in the past and he's doing so now as well. 1:12:37 Antony Blinken: When we see democracy being challenged by China or by Russia, one of the things that they're trying to do constantly, is not just to divide us from other democracies, but of course, to divide us from ourselves, and in particular, to try to make the case that the system that we all believe in and are dedicating our lives to professionally doesn't work and that their systems are better. 1:13:09 Antony Blinken: Demonstrate together, that democracy actually delivers for our people and for other democracies. That is the single best answer and response to this effort by autocratic countries around the world to try to make the case that democracy doesn't deliver an autocracy does. So I hope we can work on that together because that's the path to success. 1:13:43 Rep. Joe Wilson (SC): The International Criminal Court has taken actions leading to the unjustified prosecution of American Israeli nationals despite neither country being a member of the court. Most recently, the ICC issued a ruling that had jurisdiction to try Israelis for alleged war crimes in Palestine. I appreciate your statement opposing the recent moves by the ICC. What are the steps the State Department are taking to counter these recent actions? And how will you work to prevent ICC prosecutions of Americans or Israelis?Antony Blinken: Thank you for the question. I appreciate it. We of course share the goal, the broad goal of accountability for international atrocity crimes. That's not the issue. In the case that you raise, as well as the attempt to assert jurisdiction over American troops in Afghanistan, we have strongly opposed those assertions of jurisdiction. It's been our view, it remains our view that jurisdiction is reserved when a state consents to it or if there's a referral by the United Nations Security Council. Neither is true in the case of of Israel and the Palestinian matter that you just mentioned, or is it true in the case of Afghanistan, we have the capacity ourselves to provide accountability when those issues arise. And so we will continue to make clear our opposition, I think the question for us, and it's an appropriate one is how can we most effectively do that and that's something that we're looking at right now. 1:15:37 Rep. Joe Wilson (SC): My youngest son served in Afghanistan. So identify as a family member of the threats of ICC what they could mean to the American people. 1:16:30 Antony Blinken: We applaud the steps that have been taken toward normalization with Israel by a number of countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco. These are very important and we want to build on them. 1:16:50 Rep. Joe Wilson (SC): But unfortunately then we go to Nordstrom, too. And that is a Do you agree that Nord Stream II pipeline is a Russian malign influence project, if completed, that would threaten European and US security? Antony Blinken: Yes, I think as we've we were discussing a little bit earlier, we we oppose the president opposes Nordstrom, who has been clear about this for some time. So have I, and unfortunately, the pipeline is, you know, is 95% complete. But we are making clear that we, we stand against its completion. We issued an initial report and sanctioned the the leading pipeline, ship, and we continue to review other possibilities for sanctions going forward.Rep. Joe Wilson (SC): And I appreciate you actually referenced the threat to Poland. What about threat is already on with the aggression in Ukraine.Antony Blinken: There are two and this is something that I worked on a lot when I was last in, in the Obama administration. We strongly stand against Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea, we stand strongly against its aggression in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine, and we are strongly in support of Ukraine, we intend to strengthen that support, whether its security, economic, or its efforts to strengthen its own democracy, which are vitally important because one of the challenges as you know, for Ukraine is it has to face aggression from the outside from from Russia, but it also has to deal on the inside with its own challenges, including the problem of corruption. We're determined to work on all of that.Rep. Joe Wilson (SC): Another alternative would be as Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, the Black Sea with pipelines that I urge you to make every effort on that. I yield back. 2:54:30 Antony Blinken: First when it comes to the the Houthis, just to be very clear, we we see them as a bad actor that has tried to overrun Yemen, interrupted a peace, effort and led by the United Nations, committed acts of aggression against Saudi Arabia, as well as atrocities of one kind or another, in Yemen itself, and of course, have helped create an environment where we have the worst humanitarian crisis in the world right now. And that's precisely why we took the action we did in terms of lifting the designation on the entity itself. We continue to have designations against individual who the leaders, including some that we've imposed recently, but we wanted to make sure that nothing that the United States was doing, made the provision of humanitarian assistance to Yemen even more difficult than it already is. And it was our judgment, that was those designations, that designation of the group was having that effect, but we stand strongly for the proposition that we have to deal with the Houthis and also try to advance current efforts to end the war. Hearing: The State of Democracy Around the World, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, March 10, 2021 Watch on YouTube Speakers: Madeleine K. Albright, former Secretary of State Paula J. Dobriansky, former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Peter Biar Ajak, National Endowment for Democracy, all of Washington, D.C.; Wai Hnin Pwint Thon, Burma Campaign UK, Geneva, Switzerland Nathan Law, former Hong Kong Legislative Council Member, London, United Kingdom. Transcript: 35:54 Ambassador Paula J Dobriansky: Venezuela is a flashpoint for Chinese and Russian investment and malign influence. both nations have invested billions into Venezuela taking advantage of its economic and political weakness, its vast petroleum resources and their close relationships with a corrupt Maduro regime. Russian arms manufacturers sold $4 billion worth of weapons to Venezuela over the last 10 years, and China has invested some 67 billion in Venezuela since 2007. These instruments have propped up an illegitimate government and have undermined prospects for democracy. 37:07 Ambassador Paula J Dobriansky: Russia and China have expanded investments in Africa as well. In 2003, annual Chinese direct investment in Africa was just 75 million, but by 2009, it reached 2.7 billion. Through its One Belt One Road Initiative. China is offering fragile democracies in Africa, new rail lines, highways and other infrastructure projects. African nations are finding that these projects have left them with massive debt and a lack of control. Russia is also increasing its investments in Africa to especially its military presence. It's striving to create a Red Sea naval logistics facility in Sudan. 40:49 Madeleine Albright: And I do think that there's no question that China is our biggest problem, and that they are out there, hustling in every single way. And I have made very clear that with the Belt and Road policies that they are undertaking, the Chinese must be getting very fat because the belt keeps getting larger and larger. And some of it does have to do with the fact that we have been absent and they are filling a vacuum and so we need to make clear that we need to be back and really do need to make clear in so many ways that we are a leader in restoring and building democracy in other countries. 1:13:46 Sen. Chris Coons (DE): Senator Cornyn and I have a bipartisan bill about strengthening civics education within the United States. In recent surveys, there's as many young Americans who support and believe in socialism as believe in capitalism. There's profound doubts about democracy, particularly after the events of January 6th, and the disinformation, about the value and legitimacy of free and open societies that we've lived through. It's my hope that on a bipartisan basis, we can move a renewed investment in civics education to strengthen our own democracies, you've both spoken to. 1:48:30 Peter Biar Ajak: The United States need to send a clear message to here, there is repression of our people will no longer be tolerated, nor any further delay of elections. We should sanction perpetrators of gross human rights violations like which, while urging the African Union to urgently set up the hybrid court on South Sudan to end impunity. If Kiran doesn't hold the election on time, he's already illegitimate regime will have expired since he was never elected by our people. This will necessitate a new political paradigm to ensure a successful transition to democracy. Despite severe depression, our people made it clear in the recently concluded national dialogue that Kiran Machar must exit the political scene. I hope the United States, this committee will stand with our people. Hearing: National Security Challenges and U.S. Military Activities in the Indo-Pacific, House Committee on Armed Services, March 10, 2021 Watch on YouTube Speakers: David F. Helvey, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs, Department of Defense Admiral Philip S. Davidson, U.S. Navy, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command General Robert B. Abrams, U.S. Army, Commander, United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea Transcript: 31:54 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: The threat as it's developed in the western Pacific has moved in a way in which we need to have better integrated air and missile defense capability on Guam in order to defend it. What you have in place right now is fad radar, which only has 120 degree wide look at threats in the region and in fact, it's oriented on North Korea. And it's meant to defend against rogue shot of intermediate range from North Korea. We supplement that with an Aegis destroyer. As we look at the expanse of Chinese weapon systems, and their employment of air and maritime forces in the region. We need a 360 degree defense now of Guam, and must be able to meet the ballistic missile threat that can come from PRC land as well as PRC ships. But it also should meet the 360 degree threat around Guam that comes from circumnavigations of Guam by PRC naval assets, including submarines that could shoot land attack cruise missiles, for example. As well as bomber approaches, and its ability to shoot land attack cruise missiles as well. We have to be able to defend against all those threats. Aegis Ashore is a proven technology that you have today at sea and you have it ashore in Romania and Poland to help in the defense of Europe. That system would enable all the capabilities that you have today and begin to meet the threats in the future. As China develops hypersonic weapons during the course of this decade., clearly there's going to be a need to have space sensing associated with that. You're still gonna have to have an interceptor to meet the threat. In my view, that's going to rectify that by bridging Aegis Ashore with our space capability that is to come. 49:14 David F. Helvey: And the reality is that we're not asking nations to choose between the United States or China. In fact, we welcome and encourage all nations across the Indo Pacific to maintain peaceful, productive relations with all of their neighbors, China included. Framing the strategic competition that we find ourselves in with China, as a choice between us or China, or as a choice between nations is really a false choice. The choice that our allies and our partners and everyone in the region faces is between supporting the existing international order, the existing system that's free and open. It's the system that we helped to create that we've supported, and that we believe has benefited everybody in the region, including in particular, including China. And the alternative now that China is presenting, which is a closed system in a more authoritarian governance model. So it's a competition between systems, that's a choice between systems. Do you want to choose a free and open system? Or do you want to choose a closed and authoritarian one? And so we're only asking countries to do their part to uphold the international laws, rules and norms, which support their interests, which they've benefited from, and helped to provide for security and prosperity for all of us. And so that's that's the ask that we've got our allies and our partners. 57:27 Rep. Joe Courtney (CT): Admiral Davidson on page 35 of your testimony you set forth China's sort of brazen, repeated violations of the Law of the Sea treaty. And mentioned the fact that at South China Sea geographic features were renamed with, I guess, Chinese names. Can you flesh that out a little bit what that means in terms of, you know, maritime territorial claims, and the impact in terms of freedom of navigation? Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Well, the Chinese are trying to basically impose Chinese national law on the international regime that provides for the freedom of navigation and freedom of the seas. We've spoken quite a bit about the Chinese use of lawfare. This is, one of the methodologies in which they do it. It's not just the naming, or renaming of features that have had long standing names in the region. It's the redefinition of what they might be. Because, rocks, is slits, islands all have very specific navigational rights associated with them, as well as their continued militarization of the features that they built out early in the last decade. Their continued militarization is to frankly, deter not only the United States, but truly cow, all of our allies and partners in the region, and certainly the South China Sea claimants from their absolute rights to operate and those rights that they enjoy for economic resource extraction of freedom of the seas, freedom of the airways, etc.Rep. Joe Courtney (CT): Well, thank you for that answer. Because, again, as you point out, this isn't just about sort of names. It's also about sort of territorial claims and what that means to the rules based system that has been so successful over the last 75 years. 1:29:46 Rep. Scott DesJarlais (IA): Admiral Davidson What do you consider the most likely potential target of Chinese aggression or military action in the next five to 10 years? Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Given what they've said both publicly and over time, and certainly during the tenure of Chairman Xi Jinping. I would say Taiwan is the first. Hearing: United States Indo-Pacific Command, Senate Committee on Armed Services, March 9, 2021 Transcript: 4:23 Sen. Jack Reed (RI): At his confirmation hearing Secretary Austin accurately described china as the pacing threat for the department of defense under president Xi Jinping china has moved away from greater integration with the liberal world order and instead created a style of authoritarian capitalism that it now seeks to explore throughout the region and the world additionally China seeks to co op international institutions or create parallel organization to support its strategic interest. 8:23 Sen. Roger Wicker (MS): China invested in military capabilities many americans naively assumed that China's entry into the WTO and the global integration of its economy would somehow make the Chinese communist party more friendly and open to the west. The result now is america's military advantage and the credibility of our deterrent is eroding that is why the 2021 NDAA was the toughest bill on china ever with several national security committees involved and that is specifically why this committee put the Pacific Deterrence Initiative or PDI into last year's NDAA to stop aggression from the Chinese Communist Party. 18:50 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: I think the Pacific deterrence initiative funded in FY21 for about $2.2 billion was a good first start. I recognize that the committee has put a cap of $5.5 billion on the fund going forward. 22:45 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: i'm quite encouraged by the potential power of an organization like the quad my brain in my view India Japan Australia in the United States that's a diamond of democracies that could bring so much more not only to the region but to the globe not not in terms of security alone, but in terms of how we might approach you know the global economy, critical technologies like telecommunications and 5G, collaboration on the international order, just much to be done diplomatically and economically and I have great hope that our ministerial level meetings with the clot as it's known and returned we'll build into something much bigger for the sake of the globe. 24:24 Sen. Roger Wicker (MS): With regard to the projected 2025. It shows that at that point, China will have three aircraft carriers to our one in the region. Is that correct? Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Yes, sir. Sen. Roger Wicker (MS): And then with regard to amphibious assault ships, it's projected in 2025, that we'll have six to our two. Admiral Philip S. Davidson:* Yes, sir. **Sen. Roger Wicker (MS): And then with regard to modern multi warfare, combatant ships 50 for two hours, six, is that correct? Admiral Philip S. Davidson:* Yes, sir. **Sen. Roger Wicker (MS): And what is the significance of that last figure Admiral? Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Really, the three charts work together, Senator, one to show the change in capability and capacity that the Chinese have undertaken during the course of the 21st century. And the relatively static nature of our own forward positioned forces. As I described, our effort to do a deterrence to sustain a deterrence posture and the reason it's so important on our ability to respond in time and without question, you know, is this an old novel in the 70s is to say, the importance of us presence forward is incredibly important, perfect speed is being there. And it's to show that if we don't make changes in our posture forward, that that it will demonstrate that the Chinese have much greater capacity than we have. 26:42 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: But the important factor here is time. It takes almost three weeks to respond from the west coast of the United States and 17 days to respond from Alaska to get all the way to the first island chain and to conduct operations within the second islands. 28:26 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Certainly advocating for Aegis Ashore and Guam the mission partner environment as well as the Pentek. That the Pacific Range Improvements that I seek for our structure in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and so forth. 35:43 Sen. Deb Fisher (NE): Last year, the strategic forces subcommittee authorized and additional $77 million to begin fielding a persistent air and missile defense system on Guam. Unfortunately, this funding was removed in conference and replaced with language requiring the department to study the issue. Can you walk us through the need for this system? 38:24 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: In partnership with the Missile Defense Agency we believe that the aegis assures system as is being put to sea right now and has been constructed previously in Romania and Poland delivers the kind of capabilities that would meet the threat that's excellent here by mid decade and we'll help us pace the threat into the future. 1:03:35 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: I worry that they're accelerating their ambitions to supplant the United States and our leadership role in the rules based international order which they've long said that they want to do that by 2050, I'm worried about them moving that target closer. Taiwan is clearly one of their ambitions before then and i think the threat is manifest during this decade in fact in the next six years. 1:05:58 Sen. Maizie Hirono (HI): I noticed that you significantly increased the requested amount from last year's PDI report to this year's report to strengthen our allies and partners over the next five years in the region from over $300 million to about $2.8 billion, can you discuss your rationale for the significant increase and what that additional funding is intended to do or where will it go?Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Well you hope you highlighted the key aspects ma'am it's to enhance and make improvements in our joint exercise program and that's principally because not only the united states but our key allies and partners Japan, Korea, Australia is just three examples are buying important capabilities that match ours integrated air missile defense for example fifth generation fighters like the F35 they're being actually delivered in the theater we've got to advance our exercise capabilities or excuse me our exercise program in a way that allows us to exercise those capabilities deliberately. 1:34:07 Sen. Tim Scott (SC): My first question is about Taiwan. I think you agree that it we've got to prevent Communist China from Controlling taiwan is a strategic necessity for the united states and the loss would devastate our ability and and the ability of japan to counter china's aggression does you agree with that and rightAdmiral Philip S. Davidson: As a combatant commander out there in the Indo-Pacific I have an obligation to you know support the Taiwan Relations Act and and in a geostrategic sense i think it's critically important to the united states global status, yes. 1:44:04 Admiral Philip S. Davidson: The Aegis Ashore is a system that's in fact already been developed we we have built and are employing one actually already in Romania and there's one building and imminently operational in Poland as well and it's to help nato with the defense of Europe it is essentially a radar the command and control the information technology communications conductivity and the interceptors missiles that are capable of defeating ballistic missile cruise missile threats in and around today you know an aegis ashore system on Guam fixed site on Guam would enable 360 degree defense of Guam from any military attacks from china whether they come by sea by air or by ballistic missile in the future it is technology that is available today we've built it ashore we've built it at sea and it's our you know it's our number one priority for funding in Guam. 2:13:13 Sen. Mark Kelly (NJ): You know a couple of questions here about command and control, communications. And we rely heavily on satellites to do that. And in in January of 2007, China conducted an anti anti satellite test against one of their own non operational weather satellites, with a kinetic Kill vehicle. And it's been reported that in the year since China has an operational capability that can attack satellites in low Earth orbit and that they're developing the capability that goes all the way out to geosynchronous orbit. So how does this affect the strategic balance of power in the region from your perspective?Admiral Philip S. Davidson: Thanks for that, Senator. Yes, both China and Russia have demonstrated capability to disrupt satellites, testing capabilities on their own assets in the past, as you've articulated, it clearly, I think demonstrates that space which we've long considered a domain and which would be unthreatened for the United States. The potential is there actually, for it to be threatened. We have to build resiliency into our space apparatus that happens with other space assets. It happens with creating airborne and other terrestrial alternatives to fulfill that. And it changes the calculus in space as well. We have to recognize that again, this goes back to some earlier comments I made about to turn theory we were not going to be able to play defense alone, in this particular regard. If we can't demonstrate to others, that their capabilities and space might be at risk, then, you know, we run the risk of a deterrence failure. That's that the space layer is critically important to how we sense in the strategic nuclear deterrent, how we communicate across the Joint Force, and even how we sense and distribute information to the conventional forces as well. Its resiliency is incredibly important to us. Hearing: Global Security Challenges and Strategy, Senate Committee on Armed Services, March 2, 2021 Speakers: Thomas Wright, The Brookings Institution Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, USA (Ret.), former United States National Security Advisor, Stanford University Hoover Institution, both of Washington, D.C. Transcript: Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster: The most significant flashpoint now that that could lead to a large scale war is Taiwan. And I think that has to do with really Xi Jinping's belief that he has a fleeting window of opportunity that's closing. And he wants to his view, make China whole again, you see this with the extension of the party's repressive arm into Hong Kong. And this horrible genocidal campaign in Shinjang, Taiwan is the next big prize. And so I think what we have to be able to do is have four position capable forces. Because what Xi Jinping wants to do with what would be the largest land grabs, so to speak in history, if he succeeds in the South China Sea, is to weaponize the South China Sea and just make it too difficult for us to be able to employ forces inside of that inner island chain. So you know, if you have four position forces there, that automatically transforms denied space with China with the PLA, The People's Liberation Army when it comes to deny space. Twitter Update: Ned Price rattle off a regime change rant revamping Trump's policy on Venezuela, Anya Parampil February 3, 2021 Hearing: Secretary of State Confirmation Hearing, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, January 19, 2021 Watch on C-SPAN Transcript: 24:50 Sen. Jim Risch (OH): After our conversations earlier today and after hearing our opening statements, Senator Menendez's input net regard, as you can see here and a whole lot of daylight between us on most of these issues, certainly, almost none whatsoever when it comes to objectives, strategy and how to get there. 34:06 Antony Blinken: Both the President Elect and I believe that we have to restore Congress's traditional role as a partner in our foreign policy making, in recent years, across administration's of both parties, Congress's voice and foreign policy has been diluted and diminished. That doesn't make the executive branch stronger. It makes our country weaker. President Elect Biden believes and I share his conviction that no foreign policy can be sustained without the informed consent of the American people. You are the representatives of the American people. You provide that advice and consent. 39:20 Antony Blinken: First President Elect Biden is committed to the proposition that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon. And we share I know that goal across this committee. An Iran with a nuclear weapon, or on the threshold of having one with the capacity to build one on short order would be in Iran that is even more dangerous than it already is, when it comes to all of the other malicious activities that's engaged in, whether it is support for terrorism, whether it is fueling and feeding it's proxies, whether it is destabilizing the region. An Iran with a nuclear weapon, or with a threshold capacity to build one is in Iran that would act potentially with even greater impunity than it already is. So I think we have an urgent responsibility to do whatever we can to prevent Iran from acquiring or getting a weapon or getting close to the capacity to having the fissile material to break out on short notice. In my judgment, the JCPOA, for whatever its limitations, was succeeding on its own terms in blocking Iran's pathways to producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon on short order. It also featured and a feature that continues the most intrusive inspections and monitoring regime in the history of arms control. The challenge we face now is that we pulled out of the agreement, Iran is now taking steps to undo the various constraints that were imposed on it by the agreement. And so it has increased his stockpile of low enriched uranium, it is now enriching at a higher level. It is deploying centrifuges in ways that were prohibited under the agreement. The result is based on public reporting. The breakout time, the time it would take Iran to produce enough fissile material for one weapon has gone from beyond a year as it was under the JCPOA to about three or four months based at least on public reporting. And that potentially brings us right back to the crisis point that we were reaching before the deal was negotiated. And so the President Elect believes that if Iran comes back into compliance, we would too. But we would use that as a platform with our allies and partners who would once again be on the same side with us to seek a longer and stronger agreement. And also, as you and the chairman have rightly pointed out, to capture these other issues, particularly with regard to missiles and Iran's destabilizing activities. That would be the objective. 53:46 Sen. Ron Johnson (WI): Okay, one of the things that Congress did unanimously is we approved $300 million of lethal defensive weaponry for Ukraine. The Obama administration never implemented, the Trump administration did. Do you still disagree with providing that lethal defensive weaponry or do you think and, over time now, that's been proven to be the correct decision by Congress and the Trump administration? Antony Blinken: Senator, I support providing that lethal defensive assistance to Ukraine. In fact, I had the opportunity to write exactly that in the New York Times about three years ago. 1:14:09 Antony Blinken: There's been a strong and long bipartisan commitment to Taiwan. Taiwan Relations Act, also that communicates with China, and part of that commitment is making sure that Taiwan has the ability to defend itself against aggression. And that is a commitment that will absolutely endure. In a Biden administration, we will make sure that Taiwan has the ability to do that. I would also like to see Taiwan playing a greater role around the world, including in international organizations. When those organizations don't require the status of a country to be a member, they should become members. When it does, there are other ways that they can participate. 1:35:15 Sen. Marco Rubio (FL): Is it your view that our stance towards Venezuela should change in essence, that we should no longer recognize Juan Guido and an intern in negotiations with Maduro? Antony Blinken: No, it does not. I very much agree with you, Senator, first of all, with regard to a number of the steps that were taken toward Venezuela in recent years, including recognizing Mr. Guido, recognizing the National Assembly as the only democratically elected institution in Venezuela, seeking to increase pressure on the regime, led by a brutal dictator in Maduro. 1:46:21 Antony Blinken: First senator, we need to be clear eyed about the Houthis. They overthrew a government in Yemen. They engaged in a path of aggression through the country. They directed aggression toward Saudi Arabia, they've committed atrocities and human rights abuses. And that is a fact. What's also a fact though is that the the Saudi led campaign in Yemen, pushback against the Houthi aggression, has contributed to what is by most accounts, the worst humanitarian situation that we face, anywhere in the world. And one aspect of that situation is that about 80% of the Yemeni population right now is in areas controlled by the Houthis. And whether we like it or not, we have to find ways to get assistance to them, if we're going to do anything about addressing this situation. And so my concern, deep concern about the the designation that was made is that, at least on its surface, it seems to achieve nothing particularly practical in advancing the efforts against the Houthis. And to bring them back to the negotiating table, while making it even more difficult than it already is to provide humanitarian assistance to people who desperately need it. So I think we would propose to review that immediately, to make sure that what we are doing is not impeding the provision of humanitarian assistance, even under these difficult circumstances, I recognize that some have talked about carve outs for American providers of humanitarian assistance. The problem there is that if the ca

This week we present two stories from our back catalog of people having to handle previous epidemics. Part 1: As a pediatrician in the 1980s, Ken Haller comes across a disturbing X-ray. Part 2: On her first day working in the White House under President Obama, microbiologist Jo Handelsman receives some bad news. Ken is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. He serves on the boards of the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the Saint Louis University Library Associates, and the Gateway Media Literacy Project. He has also served on the board of the Missouri Foundation for Health and as President of the St. Louis Pediatric Society; the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; PROMO, Missouri’s statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization; the Gateway Men’s Chorus, St. Louis’s gay men’s chorus: and GLMA, the national organization of LGBT health care professionals. He is a frequent spokesperson in local and national media on the health care needs of children and adolescents. Ken is also an accomplished actor, produced playwright, and acclaimed cabaret performer. In 2015 he was named Best St. Louis Cabaret Performer by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and he has taken his one-person shows to New York, Chicago, Denver, and San Francisco. His special interests include cultural competency, health literacy, the relationship of medicine to the arts, the effects of media on children, and the special health needs of LGBT youth. His personal mission is Healing. Dr. Jo Handelsman is currently the Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a Vilas Research Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Previously, she served President Obama for three years as the Associate Director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She received her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Molecular Biology and has served on the faculties of UW-Madison and Yale University. Dr. Handelsman has authored over 200 papers, 30 editorials and 5 books. She is responsible for groundbreaking studies in microbiology and gender in science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I get to have a great conversation with Ian Simon, a virologist turned science policy guru who has worked around the world to improve the way policymakers think about science and technology. Right after finishing grad school, Ian found himself plunging feet first into the world of Korean science, but he approached it with full force. A whirlwind of time on the Hill and working to support the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) later, we sit down to talk about always taking the opportunity to say yes, and how he ended up an elected official representing 2,000 citizens of Washington, DC. Ian is a great example of the joys of unexpected opportunities, and he lives a life of saying yes to new experiences. When it comes to science policy, I'm glad we have people like Ian in the mix. And, fun fact, he used to work with Sara Carioscia! I hope you enjoy the conversation! Cheers, -Titus ------------------ — About Ian — Ian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/IanSimonPhD/ Ian on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IanSimonANC — Let's Chat — THE BLOG: https://alexandertitus.com/ YOUTUBE: https://alexandertitus.com/youtube PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/1alexandertitus NEWSLETTER: https://alexandertitus.com/newsletter — The Social Life — LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/AlexanderTitus INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/1AlexanderTitus FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/1AlexanderTitus TWITTER: https://twitter.com/1AlexanderTitus

Welcome to our bonus episode with Scott Turnbull. In it, Scott speaks with a few college interns, and we end up discussing something kind of crazy that happened in 1988. It’s an episode about how to build a community, and in many ways it’s a discussion about the impact of diversity. It’s a lot you don’t want to miss. Scott Turnbull is an information technology leader with 25 years in academic, government, and non-profit IT leadership. He has helped lead the Smart Gigabit Communities effort under US Ignite, initiating and growing the program in each of the 27+ partner communities across the US and in Australia. He co-authored several of the US Ignite Smart City Guides and Playbooks, and runs numerous national technology challenges and reverse pitch events. Prior to coming to US Ignite, he served as the Technical Section Chief for regional joint response teams in Public Safety. He has led efforts to build several national digital repositories for University consortiums and been the head of academic software engineering at Emory University under their libraries system. He is also a veteran of the US Army Intelligence Corps.US Ignite is a national effort to promote US leadership in the development and deployment of next-generation applications on ultra-fast, programmable networks with the potential for significant societal impact. Originated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with other federal agencies, US Ignite leverages NSF investments in the Global Environment for Networking Innovation (GENI) by integrating academic campuses that have GENI technology with research backbone networks and numerous broadband cities across the United States. Through the US Ignite effort, NSF and other federal agencies will bring together science and innovation to explore next-generation internets at scale and create a national innovation ecosystem that will have profound, long-term social and economic impacts.Support the show (http://www.ncriot.org)

Our second episode in RIoT Underground's three-part series with Scott Turnbull - we focus specifically on internet connectivity and the growing rural/urban divide - plus some exciting things municipalities are doing to fight back. Don’t miss it!Scott Turnbull is an information technology leader with 25 years in academic, government, and non-profit IT leadership. He has helped lead the Smart Gigabit Communities effort under US Ignite, initiating and growing the program in each of the 27+ partner communities across the US and in Australia. He co-authored several of the US Ignite Smart City Guides and Playbooks, and runs numerous national technology challenges and reverse pitch events. Prior to coming to US Ignite, he served as the Technical Section Chief for regional joint response teams in Public Safety. He has led efforts to build several national digital repositories for University consortiums and been the head of academic software engineering at Emory University under their libraries system. He is also a veteran of the US Army Intelligence Corps.US Ignite is a national effort to promote US leadership in the development and deployment of next-generation applications on ultra-fast, programmable networks with the potential for significant societal impact. Originated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with other federal agencies, US Ignite leverages NSF investments in the Global Environment for Networking Innovation (GENI) by integrating academic campuses that have GENI technology with research backbone networks and numerous broadband cities across the United States. Through the US Ignite effort, NSF and other federal agencies will bring together science and innovation to explore next-generation internets at scale and create a national innovation ecosystem that will have profound, long-term social and economic impacts.Support the show (http://www.ncriot.org)

In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Turnbull, Director of Technology at US Ignite. Scott travels the globe working with cities on smart innovation projects. In this episode, he talks innovation - and the keys to making it happen. Scott Turnbull is an information technology leader with 25 years in academic, government, and non-profit IT leadership. He has helped lead the Smart Gigabit Communities effort under US Ignite, initiating and growing the program in each of the 27+ partner communities across the US and in Australia. He co-authored several of the US Ignite Smart City Guides and Playbooks, and runs numerous national technology challenges and reverse pitch events. Prior to coming to US Ignite, he served as the Technical Section Chief for regional joint response teams in Public Safety. He has led efforts to build several national digital repositories for University consortiums and been the head of academic software engineering at Emory University under their libraries system. He is also a veteran of the US Army Intelligence Corps.US Ignite is a national effort to promote US leadership in the development and deployment of next-generation applications on ultra-fast, programmable networks with the potential for significant societal impact. Originated by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and led by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in partnership with other federal agencies, US Ignite leverages NSF investments in the Global Environment for Networking Innovation (GENI) by integrating academic campuses that have GENI technology with research backbone networks and numerous broadband cities across the United States. Through the US Ignite effort, NSF and other federal agencies will bring together science and innovation to explore next-generation internets at scale and create a national innovation ecosystem that will have profound, long-term social and economic impacts.Support the show (http://www.ncriot.org)

Kumar Garg on whether America can maintain its leading edge in scientific discovery if it routinely bucks the very investments & truths that have been core to American discovery… For nineteen months, The White House has not appointed a science advisor, has dismissed third party research outlining shifts in our climate, and has even entered into nuclear arms negotiations with North Korea without a physicists in the room. Former White House science advisor Kumar Garg joins the podcast to discuss how science & tech policy can shape the American identity, and what Trump’s new nominee to head the Office of Science & Technology Policy means for respecting science in the face of politics.Bio: Kumar Garg helped shape science and technology policy for the Obama Administration for nearly eight years, serving in a variety of roles in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). He led the Obama Administration’s efforts to bolster science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, including the Educate to Innovate campaign with over $1 billion in in-kind and philanthropic investment, development of major State of the Union initiatives to train 100,000 excellent STEM teachers and bring computer science to all K-12 students, and creation of iconic events such as the White House Science Fair. Working with OSTP Deputy Director, Kumar supervised a team of twenty staff with portfolios ranging from biotechnology, entrepreneurship, space, advanced manufacturing, broadband, nanotechnology, behavioral sciences, the Maker Movement, digital media, prizes and broader innovation policy. As a senior leader at OSTP, Kumar was involved in policy-development, implementation and communication of a wide range of science and technology issues, including more than twenty-five Presidential events. Prior to his time in government, Kumar worked on behalf of parents and children seeking educational reform as an education lawyer and advocate. Kumar received a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Topic:Adaptation and Livable Communities Series – getting adaptation and resilience projects to move forward Guest & Organization: Ellory Monks is co-founder of The Atlas Marketplace, a free online community for public officials upgrading their systems to be stronger, smarter and more sustainable. The Atlas is a hassle-free space where cities come to learn, share, and connect about what’s working in their communities. As co-founder, Ellory works with 70+ partner cities to help them scale and replicate proven urban innovations – and the benefits they generate – in their own communities. Prior to co-founding The Atlas, Ellory was Partner at re:focus partners, a firm dedicated to the design & financing of resilient infrastructure, and before that, held a fellowship in Washington D.C., where she acted as the executive secretary of the Obama Administration’s Climate Data and Tools Initiative, and more broadly, provided analytical and technical support to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She has a B.A. in Civil & Environmental Engineering and Public Policy from Rice University. Resources: https://www.the-atlas.com/ (Atlas Marketplace) – access is free! https://medium.com/cityspeak/miami-dade-walking-the-walk-on-resilience-7bc05628e11a (Miami-Dade $13B CIP plan that prioritizes resilience) https://medium.com/cityspeak/cities-to-participate-in-procuring-resilience-workshop-final-list-announced-d2451d7ae3bd (Upcoming workshop at Kresge Foundation: “Procuring Resilience” Workshop) https://the-atlas.com/project?id=358 (Retain Your Rain, Norfolk VA) https://the-atlas.com/project?id=337 (Citizen Science for King Tide Flooding, Broward County) http://www.californiaadaptationforum.org/ (California Adaptation Forum) – the 3rd California Adaptation Forum will be held in Sacramento, CA from August 27-29, 2018 https://www.lgc.org/ (Local Government Commission ) http://infiniteearthacademy.com/podcast/radical-innovation-and-resilient-infrastructure-climate-adaptation/ (Infinite Earth Radio Episode 45: Radical Innovation and Resilient Infrastructure—Climate Adaptation) http://infiniteearthacademy.com/podcast/coastal-adaptation-in-louisiana/ (Infinite Earth Radio Episode 117: Coastal Adaptation in Louisiana)

This week, we're presenting two stories about responsibility in science. Whether we're working in a classroom or the White House, we all have some level of responsibility for others. And sometimes we have to ask ourselves -- are we doing enough to live up to those responsibilities? Both of our stories today explore this idea. Part 1: On her first day working in the White House under President Obama, microbiologist Jo Handelsman receives some bad news. Dr. Jo Handelsman is currently the Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a Vilas Research Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. Previously, she served President Obama for three years as the Associate Director for Science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). She received her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Molecular Biology and has served on the faculties of UW-Madison and Yale University. Dr. Handelsman has authored over 100 papers, 30 editorials and 5 books. She is responsible for groundbreaking studies in microbiology and gender in science. Part 2: After a confrontation with a student, math teacher Sage begins to question whether she's the ally she thought she was. Sage Forbes-Gray has been an educator for 15 years teaching middle school pre-algebra, high school algebra and English as a second language in Spain to a variety of ages. Sage is the Restorative Justice Coordinator at her school, supporting students and staff in resolving conflict and building community. She is currently in her third fellowship as a Math for America Master Teacher and has been an active community member for the past 9 years. In her free time, she and her spouse, Amber, can be found running, biking, or exploring the world near and far with their kids, Dante, 6, and Elio, 3. Note: This June, The Story Collider is celebrating Pride Month by highlighting stories about the intersection of science and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues. Each of our five weekly episodes this month will include one of these stories, and you can follow us on Twitter and Instagram this month as we also share highlights from our back catalog as well.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we chat with Tammy Taylor, the Chief Operating Officer at PNNL. We talk about mentors she had, ideas on integrity, listening and so much more!  BIO: Tammy P. Taylor is the Chief Operating Officer of the National Security Directorate at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Tammy leads the mission execution, capability development, and project management of the directorate of three divisions and four project management offices representing 1,200 staff. Prior to joining PNNL in the summer of 2013, Tammy served in a number of positions over fourteen years at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). She served in positions as the Deputy Associate Director of Chemistry, Life and Earth Sciences, the Division Leader of Nuclear Engineering and Nonproliferation, a group leader, project leader, staff member and Director’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow. From early 2007 to mid 2010 she was an Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignee from LANL in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President. She managed the national science and technology portfolio on nuclear defense issues within the National Security and International Affairs Directorate of OSTP for Dr. John Holdren and Dr. Jack Marburger, Science Advisors to President Obama and President Bush, respectively.  Tammy has a Master’s of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering is from New Mexico State University.

Former President Barack Obama was one of the most science and technology oriented presidents, and took a personal interest in the work around Artificial Intelligence, according to Terah Lyons, former policy adviser to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Lyons, now the Executive Director at the Partnership on AI, sat down with EY Global Tax Innovation Leader Jeff Saviano and discussed AI / data privacy policy, and the government's role in developing leading technology.

In President Obama’s first Inaugural Address, he pledged to “restore science to its rightful place.” Integral to that promise was Dr. John Holdren, President Obama’s Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP). The Science Soapbox team has long been eager to chat with Dr. Holdren about the role he played in the Obama administration, so we were thrilled to travel up to the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy, where Dr. Holdren is now a professor. In this interview, Dr. Holdren shares his early inspiration for working at the intersection of science and society, his experiences serving President Obama, and his concerns around the current administration’s treatment of science. For show notes, visit sciencesoapbox.org/podcast and subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. And while you're there, leave us a rating or review! Twitter: twitter.com/science_soapbox Facebook: facebook.com/sciencesoapbox

Yosef Getachew (@getachew2) is a Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge where he works on a variety of technology and communications issues. Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Yosef worked as a law clerk for several technology and communications organizations including the Federal Communications Commission, Comcast, Facebook, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Yosef has also served as a Project Coordinator and Research Assistant for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Yosef received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. In law school, he was an Articles Editor for the Federal Communications Law Journal. Yosef was born and raised in Washington D.C. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, watching basketball, and spending time with friends. In this episode, we discussed: what 5G is and what it will mean for consumers. the potential of 5G for job creation, particularly for communities with disproportionately high unemployment rates. how to ensure underserved communities have access to 5G technology when it is deployed. Resources Public Knowledge Federal Trade Commission Privacy Law & Policy by Chris Jay Hoofnagle NEWS ROUNDUP The Republican-controlled FCC -- which is, by the way, still sitting with only 3 of its 5 Commission seats filled -- moved to roll back the Obama-era net neutrality rules last week. The new NPRM released Thursday is ostensibly designed to solicit comments it will actually be considering. But policy experts see this as just an administrative formality FCC Chair Ajit Pai needs to adhere to before doing what he has already made clear he is going to do anyway: eviscerate the net neutrality rules. FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, a Democrat, called the NPRM a "political rush job". Mariam Baksh has additional coverage in Morning Consult.  The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that plaintiffs can no longer "forum shop" -- a practice by which plaintiffs look to pursue their case in a venue that will be most favorable to them -- which, for patent trolls, is a jurisdiction like the Eastern District of Texas which often rules in favor of patent trolls. In TC Heartland v. Kraft, the decision the Supreme Court reversed on Monday, the lower court had ruled that plaintiffs could bring a lawsuit anywhere the companies conduct business. Now, as a result of the Supreme Court's reversal of the lower court's decision, the standard will now limit plaintiffs to bringing suit where the company is incorporated. The outcome of this case has significant implications for so-called patent trolls that bring often frivolous lawsuits against companies for violating patents they hold but don't use to produce anything--they just profit from suing companies that violate them. Ali Breland covers this for the Hill. Tennessee Republican Representative Marsha Blackburn introduced a bill Friday that would require both broadband providers as well as internet companies to obtain consent from consumers before selling their internet data. In a set of FCC privacy rules President Trump nullified last month, only broadband providers were required to obtain such consent. Ali Breland has this story as well in the Hill. Last week, Democratic members of the House Science committee wrote a letter to president Trump urging him to appoint a Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). The lawmakers weighted in after Politico published an article revealing the fact that Trump's staffers occasionally pass fake science news to the president to sway him on certain issues -- it's all part of these little games they like to play jockeying for position within the White House. "We are concerned about the process by which you receive information," the letter begins. "Disseminating stories from dubious sources has been a recurring issue with your administration ... Until the OSTP is adequately staffed and the director position filled by a qualified, objective scientist who understands the difference between alternative news peddled on alt-right websites and legitimate well-vetted scientific facts, we fear that you will continue to be vulnerable to misinformation and fake news." Next.gov has the full story. Congress has responded to the recent ransomware attack that affected computers around the world with a new bill that would require the federal government to report security flaws much sooner so that companies like Microsoft will have a chance to fix them before they are exploited.  Jeremy Kirk outlines the the bipartisan PATCH Act at Bankinfosecurity.com. Finally, The European Union has slapped Facebook with a $122 million fine over the social media company's purchase of WhatsApp. Back in 2014, Facebook indicated  in its filing that it wouldn't be able to reliably link WhatsApp and Facebook accounts--and then last year it did just that. So the European Commission cried foul. Ali Breland reports in the Hill.

On May the Fourth, the Science Soapbox team sat down with appropriations expert Kei Koizumi to demystify the federal budget process. Kei served as the former assistant director for federal research and development at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) during the Obama administration. He is now a Visiting Scholar at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In this episode, we wind our way through the appropriations process, the importance of science for America's health and wealth, and the prospects of R&D in a galaxy far, far away.

Dr. Knatokie Ford is the founder and CEO of Fly Sci Enterprise, LLC, an innovative consulting organization that delivers science to people through creative content, focusing on presenting the “cool” and relatable aspects of STEM. In this episode, Jess and Knatokie discuss how she found her path in STEM that ultimately led her to the position of Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) during the Obama Administration. Today, Knatokie is focused on leading an extremely important conversation about how our media and entertainment represent diversity in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. 

Jane Taylor is the Founder and President of Bot Shop LLC. Bot Shop is an innovative one-stop shop specializing in integrating Robotics and Energy Education into K-12 public schools, informal education, non-profits and outreach programs. As a full-service consulting firm, Bot Shop provides turnkey solutions for effectively engaging youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through making. BotShop supports robots in education from the classroom to competition. Jane Taylor began teaching middle school science in HISD in 2000 after graduating from Lamar University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and joining Teach for America-Houston. She used robotics as an instructional tool in her science class in 2001 after securing a community grant which purchased LEGO Mindstorms RCX robots and registration fees for First LEGO League. In response to the amazing reaction from students to this new technology, Jane created a course called Project Based: STEM in 2004 and established one of the first robotics elective courses in the Houston Independent School Districts. She went on to successfully design, develop, and implement grassroots robotics competitions, after school programs, and course curricula throughout Greater Houston. Jane currently chairs the SHEbot Initiative for Girls in STEM, is an advisor to the 4H SET AgriBotics Robotics Challenge, and has been recognized by Teach for America for her “Energy in Education” and numerous "National Teacher of the Year" awards. She earned her Bachelor's in Biology from Lamar University and studied educational robotics at the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy. In this episodes we discussed: how to talk to kids about STEM subjects to help them see their relevance. which toys and activities teach STEM skills and which are a waste of money. how parents can help foster a home environment that is conducive to STEM achievement. Resources Botshoprocks.com Arduino Leg WeDo 2.0 Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy Code.org Boss Women Pray by Kachelle Kelly   NEWS ROUNDUP Republicans are bracing for a backlash from Democrats over Congress' repeal of the FCC Privacy Rules, which the President signed on Monday night. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has already been running attack ads against members who are up for re-electiom next year and who supported the repeal of the privacy rules. These members include Jeff Flake of Arizona and Dean Heller of Nevada. Daniel Strauss, Zack Kopplin, John Farrell, Jeff Greenfield, David Sliders, Alex Byers, Austin Wright, and Martin Matishak cover this in Politico.   At least one state, however, is developing its own set of privacy rules. The state of Minnesota passed its own privacy bill last week. The FCC's net neutrality rules are expected to be on the chopping block next. -- Wikileaks has struck again, this time releasing details about the CIA's Marble Framework, which shows how the CIA obfuscates itself when it is surveilling targets. This leak is considered to be especially damaging because it demonstrates how the CIA is able to mask its identity and cover its tracks when it conducts online surveillance. Ellen Nakishima reports in The Washington Post. -- Federal Law enforcement officials now say terrorists have figured out how to hide bombs in laptops and other devices in a way that evades airport screeners. So authorities are now considering expanding the device ban the White House began implementing a couple of weeks ago. Evan Perez reports for CNN. -- The once-thriving White House Office of Science and Technology Policy--OSTP--which was active under the Obama administration and staffed with elite Silicon Valley insiders and technologists, is now a ghost town. Michael Shear and Cecilia Kang report for The New York Times that the office is down from 24 to just 1 staffer. -- In another blow to the affordable internet access program known as Lifeline, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said last week that he would allow states to decide which companies can participate to dole out discounts to help low-income people afford broadband. The decision came a few months after Pai announced he'd cut 9 companies from the program. Now, in a shift, he doesn't think the federal government should be involved in providing broadband to the poor at all via the Lifeline program. Ali Breland reports in the Hill. -- Finally, Rebecca Ballhaus at the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House has stopped keeping visitor logs. Under the Obama administration, the log was freely shared with the public online.

Roger travels to Washington, DC to talk with Daniel Morgan, Chief Data Officer for the U.S. Department of Transportation and Terah Lyons, Policy Advisor to the Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. The discussion covered open data, the process of making data available, standards for data formats (and their relation to toothbrushes), and of course—automated vehicles. Show Notes: Data about Pavement: https://infopave.fhwa.dot.gov National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Federal Automated Vehicles Policy: https://one.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/av/av-policy.html Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP): https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp U.S. Digital Service: https://www.whitehouse.gov/participate/united-states-digital-service

  Today we have a lengthy discussion on Artificial Intelligence. The show notes provide some more background on the topics discussed in today's episode. Please Subscribe to The Show in iTunes, Stitcher, or your Podcast App. Be sure to visit http://www.groundedreason.com/ for more tech tips and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite player using the links below. Subscribe Free on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded-reason-podcast/id1140661229?mt=2 Subscribe Free on Android - http://subscribeonandroid.com/groundedreason.libsyn.com/rss Subscribe Free on Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/grounded-reason-podcast Subscribe Free on Google Play - https://play.google.com/music/m/Ijyw42al3inofdsxd3s44v6rxny?t%3DGrounded_Reason_Podcast   Please rate and review the show in iTunes. If you want to send us questions or comments please use any of the methods below. For more information on cutting the cord visit - https://www.groundedreason.com Call and leave a question or comment for the show: 650-TALK-GRP Grounded Reason FaceBook Page Email us at podcast@groundedreason.com Tweet us @GroundedReason Show Notes What is AI?     Term coined in 1956 at a conference at Dartmouth College John McCarthy (Co-founder of MIT AI Lab) in attendance   Types:  http://alternativemindsets.co.uk/ Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) AKA Weak AI:  Specializes in one area Think of Deep Blue beating Garry Kasparov in chess in 1996 Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) AKA Strong AI: refers to a computer that is as smart as a human across the board—a machine that can perform any intellectual task that a human being can. Creating an AGI is a much harder task than creating an ANI, and despite the many different teams, companies and corporations working on it, we are yet to complete it.    Turing test:  Alan Turing in 1950, of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. Turing originally suggested that the machine would convince a human 70% of the time after five minutes of conversation), the machine is said to have passed the test. Artificial Superintelligence (ASI): Oxford philosopher and a current leading AI thinker Nick Bostrom defines superintelligence as “an intellect that is much smarter than the best human brains in practically every field, including scientific creativity, general wisdom and social skills.”  The “singularity” or “technological singularity.” This term has been used in math to describe an asymptote-like situation where normal rules no longer apply.  In 1993, Vernor Vinge wrote a famous essay in which he applied the term to the moment in the future when our technology’s intelligence exceeds our own—a moment for him when life as we know it will be forever changed and normal rules will no longer apply.  Ray Kurzweil The Singularity is Near as the time when the Law of Accelerating Returns has reached such an extreme pace that technological progress is happening at a seemingly-infinite pace, and after which we’ll be living in a whole new world.   What is happening in AI right now Last month, the White House announced a series of actions as part of a new White House Future of Artificial Intelligence initiative, designed to learn more about the benefits and risks of AI.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/06/27/how-prepare-future-artificial-intelligence White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has co-hosted two public workshops on opposite ends of the country—the first in Seattle at the University of Washington, focused on the legal and governance implications of AI, and the second here recently in Washington, DC, where we heard about AI for public good. This month and next, we will be in Pittsburgh on June 28 to discuss safety and control for AI, and New York City on July 7 to explore AI’s social and economic implications. You can join these events in person (subject to venue constraints) by registering via the event websites, or you can follow the discussion via livestream and social media, where we will be using the hashtag #FutureofAI.   global economy are being profoundly re-shaped by software technology. Human jobs are being eaten by software, specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms able to ingest and analyze massive volumes of data to inform and remotely control better process management decisions, more efficient outcomes. The Bank of England estimates that 48% of human workers will eventually be replaced by robotics and software automation,  Examples: uses drones to replace costly work teams driving around in trucks to monitor perimeter security or operations at large worksites like office campuses, mine sites, wind and solar power farms.  this company flies drones autonomously with computer vision — algorithms that gather and analyze such detailed data on the specific site environments that the drones will be able to fly themselves around obstacles.  Visual Deep Learning technology will save lives, by precisely identifying suspected terrorists and hidden ordinance in remotely-recorded video feed  Another of our A-AIaaS companies gathers, analyzes and reports air quality conditions local to the user’s hand-held device, navigating people toward a healthier life. can tell merchandizers what brands of clothing teenage concert-goers are wearing at Coachella; what is it that viewers don’t like about TV ads that causes them to change the channel.  http://fortune.com/2016/06/15/bank-of-america-job-cuts/ But AI still has many limitations, with AI scientists still not able to "solve the problem of common sense, of endowing a computer with the knowledge that every 5-year-old has," said Paul Cohen, program manager in the Information Innovation Office at the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and founding director of the University of Arizona School of Information's science, technology and arts program. There is, however, a class of problems where AI will do "magnificent things," by pulling information out of huge data sets to make increasingly specific distinctions, he added. IBM's recent decision to focus its Watson AI computer on medical diagnostics is a potential "game changer," he said.  "Medical diagnosis is about making finer and finer distinctions," he said. "Online marketing is about making finer and finer distinctions. If you think about it, much of the technology humans interact with is about putting you in a particular bucket." http://www.computerworld.com/article/2692377/enterprise-software/the-future-of-artificial-intelligence-will-computers-take-your-job.html DARPA now has a project that focuses on using software to assemble code, by pulling from code that someone has already written, Cohen said. Many programmers today focus more on assembling code from resources such as StackOverflow.com, instead of re-creating code that already exists, he said, and DARPA has automated that process. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2986396/this-is-how-the-future-looks-with-ibm-watson-and-perfect-data.html Industry   AI in Pop culture In the 1921 play R.U.R. by Karel Čapek, a race of self-replicating robot slaves revolt against their human masters. In the film Master of the World the War-Robot kills its own inventor. Skynet in the Terminator series decides that all humans are a threat to its existence. "The Second Renaissance", a short story in The Animatrix, provides a history of the cybernetic revolt within the Matrix series. In the Mega Man X series of video games, robots conclude that humans are inferior and decide to go Maverick. In the Halo universe,  In System Shock In the 2007 video game Mass Effect, the Reapers, also known as the "Old Machines," are a highly advanced race of synthetic organisms that harvest all sentient life in the galaxy by their own agenda.  The film 9, by Shane Acker, features an AI called B.R.A.I.N., which In Marvel Comics' universe, an AI named Ultron  Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still, a movie of 1951, belonged to a robot police force that was given ultimate and irreversible authority to destroy any aggressors, thus making interplanetary war unthinkable. However, in all other matters, each planet is free to govern itself. Though still under human authority, Isaac Asimov's Zeroth Law of the Three Laws of Robotics implied a benevolent guidance by robots.     Please Subscribe to The Show in iTunes, Stitcher, or your Podcast App. Please rate and review the show in iTunes. If you want to send us questions or comments please use any of the methods below. For more information on cutting the cord visit - https://www.groundedreason.com Call and leave a question or comment for the show: 650-TALK-GRP Grounded Reason FaceBook Page Email us at podcast@groundedreason.com Tweet us @GroundedReason

A chat with friend Jenn Gustetic from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration ) headquarters. Jenn, who has an aerospace engineering degree and a master's in technology policy from MIT, is currently in NASA's Space Technology Directorate where she is focused on public sector innovation--connecting NASA with entrepreneurs as the Program Executive for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR). She was the first-ever Challenges and Prizes program executive at NASA before being detailed to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the White House where she served as Assistant Director for Open Innovation. More about OSTP: https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostpMore about CitizenScience.gov: https://www.citizenscience.govMore about NASA: http://www.nasa.govMore about XPRIZE: http://www.xprize.orgWatch NASA JPL's 7 minutes of Terror here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki_Af_o9Q9sJenn and Jonathan having some fun at NASA Ames: https://vimeo.com/182807638http://www.explorers.institute/podcast/Jenn.mp3

UFOs and HOLLYWOODRichard and Victor Viggiani, the director of Zland News Network welcome Robbie Graham, a freelance writer and lecturer to discuss the history of government management of UFO perceptions through film and television.Specifically they'll discuss how certain intelligence use Hollywood films about UFOs and ETs to deliberately blur the lines between fact and fiction.Part II - WHITE HOUSE ENDS 64 YEAR SILENCE ON UFOsRichard and Victor speak to Stephen Bassett, Executive director of The Paradigm Research Group, about the White House dismissal of PRG's Disclosure Petition. In December 2011, Phil Larson of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) said"The U.S. government has no evidence that any life exists outside our planet, or that an extraterrestrial presence has contacted or engaged any member of the human race. In addition, there is no credible information to suggest that any evidence is being hidden from the public's eye."In response Bassett has filed Disclosure Petition II demanding that the Obama administration investigate UFO Disclosure efforts during the Clinton administration between the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and billionaire and Clinton friend, Laurance S. Rockefeller.

This workshop was the last in a series of three events co-hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and academic institutions across the country in response to President Obama’s call for a review of privacy issues in the context of increased digital information and the computing power to process it. --- Hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the UC Berkeley School of Information, and the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology. --- The closing keynote was delivered by John Podesta. John Podesta is currently counselor to the president. In 2008, he served as co-chair of President Obama’s transition team. Previously, Podesta served as White House chief of staff to President William J. Clinton. --- Video of all of the day's sessions are available at http://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/newsandevents/events/2014bigdataworkshop