FAS Roundup: May 13, 2013 Subpoena of AP phone records, China's nuclear arsenal and much more.

FAS Roundup: May 13, 2013 Subpoena of AP phone records, China's nuclear arsenal and much more.

From the Blogs Subpoena of AP Phone Records Said to Damage Press Freedom: Congressional critics said that the government seizure of Associated Press telephone records in the course of a leak investigation undermined freedom of the press in the U.S., yet the Justice Department denied that the action deviated from established policy. Last year, congressional leaders harshly criticized the Obama Administration for supposedly failing to aggressively combat leaks of classified information. Chinese Nuclear Developments Described (and Omitted) By DoD Report: In the Pentagon's latest annual report to Congress on the military and security developments of the People's Republic of China, information providing an overview of Chinese nuclear forces was removed. The tidbits of information left in the report indicate an ICBM force that is modernizing but leveling out and an SSBN force that is approaching functional capability. U.S.-China Motor Vehicle Traffic and More from CRS: Secrecy News has obtained recently released CRS reports on topics such as women in combat, U.S.-China motor vehicle trade and FY14 budget issues. GPO Suspends Public Access to Some NASA Records: The Government Printing Office is blocking public access to some previously released records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, while the records are reviewed to see if they contain export-controlled information.  The move follows the controversial disabling and partial restoration of the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS).

Inaugural Class of Pacific Young Leaders on Disarmament FAS and the Pacific Islands Society (PacSoc) are pleased to announce the selection of three scholars for the inaugural class of Pacific Young Leaders on Disarmament: Mr. Calvin Ziru, Ms. Charity Porotesano and Ms. Keiko Ono. Over the next six months, these young leaders will draft a short series of blog posts on contemporary counter-proliferation and disarmament issues. These will be designed to better familiarize the young leaders with opportunities and challenges currently facing the Conference on Disarmament (CD). Click here for more information on the scholars and the Pacific Young Leaders on Disarmament Project.

Countering Nuclear and Radiological Threats Symposium FAS President Dr. Charles Ferguson was the keynote speaker at the "Countering Nuclear and Radiological Threats" symposium on May 15, 2013 at the Mason Inn at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Dr. Ferguson presented on understanding and countering nuclear and radiological terrorism; presentation slides are available here. FAS Adjunct Senior Fellow for Nonproliferation Law and Policy Mr. Chris Bidwell, JD spoke about technology and policy; presentation slides are available here.

FAS in the News May 16: Breaking Defense, "Navy Sub Chief Rebuts Critics Claims On SSBN-X; Don't Cut Our Boats" May 16: The Orlando Sentinel, "Already, Some Whistle-Blowers Have Lost Their Nerve" May 16: Solomon Times Online, "Solomon Islander Joins Pacific Young Leaders On Disarmament" May 15: The World, "US Attorney General Holder Grilled In Congress Over Justice Dept. Swoop On AP Phone Records" May 15: The Mercury, "Cokie & Steve Roberts: Obama Justice Dept. Assaults Our Core Values" May 15: The Buffalo News, "Federal Sweep Of AP Telephone Records Is An Appalling Attempt At Intimidation" May 15: IHS Jane's, "Russia, US SSBN Patrol Figures Revealed" May 14: NPR, "DOJ Seizure Of AP Call Logs Unusual In Its Broad Scope" May 14: Washington Post, "Eric Holder Says He Recused Himself From Leak Probe That Obtained AP Phone Records" May 14: NPR, "Holder Defends Subpoena Of Journalists' Phone Logs" May 14: Washington Post, "Media Snooping, An Administration Out Of Control" May 13: Washington Post, "Under Sweeping Subpoenas, Justice Department Obtained AP Phone Records In Leak Investigation" May 13: The National Interest, "The AP Scandal Shows That The Obama Administration Is Going Rogue" May 13: NBC News, "Justic