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Daily Archives: January 12, 2015

DOJ IG Report on FBI Access to NSA Surveillance Data

U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation access to overseas surveillance collected by sister organization the National Security Agency has expanded in recent years, with the law enforcement agency gaining access to collected but unprocessed data in 2009, according to a report released by the government. The FBI’s access to email and other data collected from overseas targets in the NSA’s Prism program has been growing since 2008, according to a 2012 U.S. Department of Justice inspector general’s report declassified last Friday by the DOJ. The agency made the highly redacted inspector general’s report public in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by the New York Times. In 2008, the FBI began reviewing email accounts targeted by the NSA through the Prism program, according to the report and a New York Times story. Then, in October 2009, the FBI requested that information collected under the Prism program be “dual routed” to both the NSA and the FBI so that the FBI “could retain this data for analysis and dissemination in intelligence reports,” according to the IG’s report. And in April 2012, the FBI began nominating email addresses and phone numbers that the NSA should target in it surveillance program, according to the document. The IG’s report, however, concluded that the FBI took a responsible approach toward the surveillance program. The FBI’s Prism team “implemented its targeting procedures with commendable deliberation, thoroughness and professionalism,” the report said.”

The Changing Face of America’s Electorate

Center for American Progress – Patrick Oakford – January 6, 2015: “In the wake of the 2012 presidential election, Republican elected officials and conservative political pundits publicly bemoaned the party’s failure to connect with and win over voters of color. Furthermore, they conceded that a failure to fare better with this demographic in future elections… Continue Reading

GAO Report – Federal Facility Cybersecurity

Federal Facility Cybersecurity: DHS and GSA Should Address Cyber Risk to Building and Access Control Systems, GAO-15-6: Published: Dec 12, 2014. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 2015: “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken preliminary steps to begin to understand the cyber risk to building and access controls systems in federal facilities. For example, in 2013,… Continue Reading

The Growth of Incarceration in the United States

Jeremy Travis, Bruce Western, and Steve Redburn, Editors; Committee on Causes and Consequences of High Rates of Incarceration; Committee on Law and Justice; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Research Council. 2014. “After decades of stability from the 1920s to the early 1970s, the rate of imprisonment in the United States more… Continue Reading

The Board Should Enhance Its Supervisory Processes as a Result of Lessons Learned From Federal Reserve’s Supervision of JPMorgan Chase Chief Investment Office

Summary – The Board Should Enhance Its Supervisory Processes as a Result of Lessons Learned From the Federal Reserve’s Supervision of JPMorgan Chase & Company’s Chief Investment Office: “In May 2012, media outlets reported that JPMorgan Chase & Company’s (JPMC) Chief Investment Office (CIO) incurred approximately $2 billion in losses due to a complex trading… Continue Reading

Definitions of “Inherently Governmental Function” in Federal Procurement Law and Guidance

Definitions of “Inherently Governmental Function” in Federal Procurement Law and Guidance. Kate M. Manuel, Legislative Attorney. December 23, 2014. “Functions that federal law and policy require to be performed by government personnel, not contractor employees, are known as “inherently governmental functions.” Such functions have been a topic of interest in recent Congresses, in part, because of questions about sourcing policy (i.e., whether specific… Continue Reading

Congressional Careers: Service Tenure and Patterns of Member Service, 1789-2015

CRS – Congressional Careers: Service Tenure and Patterns of Member Service, 1789-2015. Matthew Eric Glassman, Analyst on the Congress; Amber Hope Wilhelm, Graphics Specialist. January 3, 2015 The average service tenure of Members of the Senate and House of Representatives has varied substantially since 1789. This report presents data on Member tenure and a historical analysis of tenure trends. During the… Continue Reading

Final Sequestration Report for Fiscal Year 2015

“The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is required by law to issue a report within 10 days of the end of a session of Congress that provides estimates of the limits (often called “caps”) on discretionary budget authority in effect for each fiscal year through 2021. CBO is also required to report whether, according to its estimates, enacted legislation for the current fiscal… Continue Reading

New GAO Reports – Commercial Aviation, Nutrition Assistance

Commercial Aviation: Raising Passenger Facility Charges Would Increase Airport Funding, but Other Effects Less Certain, GAO-15-107: Published: Dec 11, 2014. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 2015. Nutrition Assistance: Additional Guidance Could Assist States in Reducing Risk of Online Sale of Infant Formula, GAO-15-94: Published: Dec 11, 2014. Publicly Released: Jan 12, 2015. Continue Reading