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GOP Leans on Lieberman in Boston Probe

Stacy Kaper | May 9, 2013

Putting the former independent senator in an attack-dog role gives Republicans political cover to keep pressing for answers on intelligence and law enforcement failures ahead of the Boston bombings.

House Homeland Security Committee Plans Hearing on Boston Attack for Next Week

Stacy Kaper | April 30, 2013

The House Homeland Security Committee plans to hold the first congressional hearing next week examining the Boston Marathon terrorist attack and what it says about the state of the nation’s post-Sept. 11 security infrastructure.

Mich. GOP Establishment Hopes for Rogers, Frets Over Amash

Alex Brown | April 24, 2013

Longtime Michigan Republican operatives are open about their desire to see Rep. Mike Rogers run in the state's open-seat Senate race, but they're worried Rep. Justin Amash -- who possesses little regard for the GOP establishment -- won't let the possibility of a damaging primary derail his ambition...

4 Things To Know About Boston Bombings Prosecutor Carmen Ortiz

Matt Vasilogambros | April 22, 2013

Once a rising political star, the U.S. Attorney heading the Boston Marathon case could use the spotlight to regain her luster.

There Aren't Easy Policy Prescriptions After Boston Bombing

Naureen Khan | April 19, 2013

How do you prevent self-styled terrorists who appear to be acting alone?

Karen Christian, Majority Chief Counsel, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee

Amy Harder | April 17, 2013

Karen Christian, chief counsel for the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, is best known for her lead role in the Solyndra investigation, which dominated much of the GOP agenda on the committee during the last Congress.

John Gibson Mullan, Chief Majority Counsel, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade

Catherine Hollander | April 17, 2013

John Gibson Mullan’s broad experience serves him well as chief counsel for Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, which has jurisdiction so far-ranging it covers everything from sports to time zones.

Ricin Letter Adds To Anxiety on the Hill

Billy House and Stacy Kaper | April 16, 2013

Amid an already edgy state of alert in Washington following Monday’s bombings at the Boston Marathon, law enforcement officials confirmed on Tuesday that they were also investigating whether an envelope containing the poison ricin was intended to harm Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Slow-Motion Gun Battle Plays Out in Senate

Billy House | April 14, 2013

Lawmakers will stage some slow-going drama this week as the Senate proceeds in its deliberations on gun-control legislation with a series of votes on amendments—many of them likely to usher in their own mini-floor fights, or even filibusters.

What Drones Can Do for You

Sara Sorcher | April 11, 2013

Prescription drugs, fast-food delivery, disaster relief—unmanned aerial vehicles can be handy in all sorts of ways.

For Congress, A Rare Break From Fiscal Crises

Chris Frates | April 8, 2013

Though the delivery of the president’s budget will keep numbers in the news this week, lawmakers return to Washington from a recess for the first time this year without a fiscal crisis bearing down on them.

When Corporations Are Hacked, Who Should Know?

Brian Fung | April 4, 2013

Companies hurt themselves—but help the rest of us—when they disclose cyberattacks.

Which North Korea Did Anonymous Really Hack?

Brian Fung | April 4, 2013

The intrusion was relatively minor in that it didn't involve a penentration of North Korea's domestic Internet.

This Defense Contractor Is Repeatedly Spear-Phishing 68,000 Innocent People

Brian Fung | April 3, 2013

One company with deep Washington connections is running a huge online scam. It involves tens of thousands of victims. And it's completely legal.

Will Businesses Be Forced to Say If They've Been Hacked?

Brian Fung | March 26, 2013

The idea is still a long way from reality, but Congress has taken the first step toward requiring companies to admit when they've been hacked.

Yes, Cyberattacks Are Perfectly Legal Under the Laws of War

Brian Fung | March 21, 2013

A recent study from a group of NATO experts seeks to adapt the existing laws of war to cyberspace, laying down 95 new ideas over 282 pages.

National Security Insiders: Obama Can't Bring Israelis and Palestinians to Negotiating Table

Sara Sorcher | March 18, 2013

President Obama is headed to the Holy Land this week, but 72 percent of National Journal's National Security Insiders are not optimistic he can bring Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table anytime soon.

Who's Going to Blink First on Cyber — Obama, or the House?

Brian Fung | March 13, 2013

The Obama administration will now have to weigh in sooner rather than later on a highly contentious cybersecurity bill moving through the House.

America's 3 Biggest Cybersecurity Vunerabilities

Matt Vasilogambros | March 13, 2013

The Obama administration has put cyberattacks at the top of the list of global threats, and concerns are rising about at-risk infrastructure.

Electromagnetic Pulse Caucus Battles Skeptics in Push to Protect the Planet

Billy House | March 10, 2013

A small but growing cadre of House members is set to relaunch efforts to protect the nation against what they say is a very real threat: the unleashing of an electromagnetic pulse either by a solar storm or a nuclear-armed foe that could cripple much of the nation’s electrical infrastructure.

A Look Inside Interpol in Washington

Christopher Snow Hopkins | March 6, 2013

Shawn Bray, the new head of Interpol in Washington, unlocks some of the mystery surrounding the global intelligence agency.

Is the United States Hacking China Back?

Brian Fung | February 28, 2013

Experts warn that Chinese digital spies have managed to thoroughly infiltrate U.S. computer networks. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Washington isn’t snooping back.

Previewing the Sunday Shows

Christopher Peleo-Lazar | February 22, 2013

With one week before budget sequestration takes effect, the nation's governors are converging on D.C. for the winter meetings of the National Governors Association, and several of them will be on the Sunday shows. Meet the Press will have Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Pat...

Play of the Day: Smell Like a Mail Carrier

Ross Gianfortune and Government Executive | February 21, 2013

With the news that Mississippi finally ratified the 13th amendment due to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, The Daily Show went back to 19th Century News for the story. On NBC, Jay Leno compared the Senate to a certain famous ex-daytime television show and Jimmy Fallon noted the Chinese hacking attacks on American companies. Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel both had made good fun of the United States Postal Service’s new plan to sell postal clothing.

One if By Land, Two if By Sea, 10101101 if By Cyberspace

Brian Fung | February 20, 2013

How the world decides to use the battlefield of cyberspace will go a long way toward determining how disruptive—or destructive—war in this domain will become.

Rockefeller, Lead Senate Player on Cyber, Seeks To Win Over Business

Brian Fung | February 15, 2013

A week after President Obama's groundbreaking executive order on cybersecurity, attention is turning to Congress, where Sen. Jay Rockefeller is reviving stalled legislation on the issue.

Why Some Privacy Advocates Are Grinning Over Obama's Cybersecurity Order

Brian Fung | February 13, 2013

The five principles in the presidential directive that uphold civil liberties.

The Most Important Policies In President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address

National Journal Staff and Nancy Cook and Coral Davenport and Brian Fung and Catherine Hollander and Fawn Johnson and Margot Sanger-Katz and Sara Sorcher and and Matt Vasilogam | February 12, 2013

Everything you need to know from 2013's State of the Union address, from health care and the budget to immigration and guns.

How Fear of a Cyber Pearl Harbor Is Uniting Washington

Brian Fung | February 12, 2013

It’s been a long time coming -- and implementing it will take longer still -- but President Obama has finally signed a long-awaited executive order that promises to protect the nation’s railways, electrical grids, and other infrastructure from catastrophic cyberattack. Now comes the hard part.

Could a White House Order on Cybersecurity Drop This Week?

Brian Fung | February 11, 2013

In the wake of recent high-profile hacking incidents at The New York Times and The Washington Post, the Obama administration has been speeding toward a long-anticipated executive order that would create ways for the federal government to share information with the private sector about potential cyberthreats.

Bush's Paintings and the Art of Projecting Guilt

Jill Lawrence | February 8, 2013

Bush's art reveals a man we didn't know, and one reviewers speculate is trying for absolution through painting.

How a Martyr Makes a Law

Brian Resnick | February 6, 2013

The death of Internet activist Aaron Swartz is propelling a change to a computer law written before there was an Internet.

Insiders: White House Should Develop Rules for Drone Program

Sara Sorcher | February 4, 2013

A strong 87 percent majority of National Journal's National Security Insiders say that the White House should develop formal rules for the drone program targeting terrorists overseas.

Insiders: Immigration Reform Likely to Pass Congress

Michael Catalini and Naureen Khan and Peter Bell | January 31, 2013

They’re divided over what the Republican Party needs to do to improve its standing.

The Year in Media

Sarah Mimms and Christopher Peleo-Lazar | December 26, 2012

Any election year is going to bring its share of surprises, but 2012 was a change year across the board in the media world. Print journalism continued to find ways to adapt to the rise of digital and the decline of print advertising, with some of the country's biggest outlets erecting paywalls for t...

NJ Topics Cybersecurity