Historian Paul Quigley looks at international perspectives on the Civil War. He argues that the South's separatist movement aligned with other European movements for independence. And he examines how slavery was integral the world economy. The Smithsonian Associates in Washington, DC hosted this event.
NYU Washington, DC and the American Association of University Women held a panel discussion examining sexism and challenges women face in the workplace. Panelists included women bloggers, entrepreneurs, feminists and journalists who talked about their subtle and not so subtle paths women must navigate to succeed. Some of their examples included having their knowledge be challenged by male colleagues, inappropriate jokes, subtle put downs and for black women unconscious bias about hair.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue spoke to a group of agriculture and farm industry reporters gathered at his agency's headquarters in Washington, DC. It was one of his first public appearances as the agriculture secretary, and he thanked the event's sponsor, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, for its role in helping communicate his agency's message, and took a number of questions from reporters. He talked about several agriculture issues, including his recent decision to delay the implementation of the Obama administration's toughened school lunch nutrition regulations, and an ongoing trade dispute with Canada over some dairy products.
The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). General Raymond Thomas, the SOCOM commander, and Theresa Whelan, who is an acting assistant secretary for special operations, talked about several issues affecting the unified command including resource and budget challenges, readiness, training and cooperation with international partners, ongoing counter-ISIS operations, and the threats posed by Russian and North Korean aggression.
The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing on U.S. military strategy in the Asia-Pacific region. Admiral Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, testified primarily on the escalating situation with North Korea and offered his assessment of where the U.S. stands militarily.
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism holds a hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testify.
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism holds a hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections. Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testify.
The Heritage Foundation hosted a discussion about the fight against ISIS and whether Congress should pass an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) specific to those efforts. Freshman Senator Todd Young (R-Indiana) talked about a bill he introduced in March 2017 that includes that authorization language, and explained why he thinks it is necessary to pass new legislation distinct from the AUMF bill passed in 2001 after the September 11th terror attacks. Following the senator's remarks, a panel discussed the laws of war and legal merits for and against a new AUMF.
A Senate committee examined the security of the nation's energy infrastructure including the threats posed by electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). These are natural or man-made bursts of energy that can potentially disable the electrical power grid. Panelists included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the acting chair of the federal Energy Regulatory Commission and former defense and security officials of past presidential administrations. This hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was chaired by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Federal official testified before the House Oversight Committee on the data breach to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website and the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. According to the IRS, an estimated 100,000 taxpayers may have had their information stolen allowing hackers to file fraudulent tax refunds totaling $30 million dollars. Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer James Runcie said there is no evidence that any personal info was accessed from the Education Department systems. Several committee members criticized the federal officials for failing to notify Congress sooner about the data breach.
A Senate committee examined the security of the nation's energy infrastructure including the threats posed by electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). These are natural or man-made bursts of energy that can potentially disable the electrical power grid. Panelists included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the acting chair of the federal Energy Regulatory Commission and former defense and security officials of past presidential administrations. This hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee was chaired by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Federal official testified before the House Oversight Committee on the data breach to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website and the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. According to the IRS, an estimated 100,000 taxpayers may have had their information stolen allowing hackers to file fraudulent tax refunds totaling $30 million dollars. Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer James Runcie said there is no evidence that any personal info was accessed from the Education Department systems. Several committee members criticized the federal officials for failing to notify Congress sooner about the data breach.