Background In 2016, the MEGABYTE Act of 2016 was passed. This law requires agencies to get a better handle on their software licenses, simply due to the extreme financial waste when it comes to software purchases. This law requires that: … each CIO establish a comprehensive inventory of software licenses, track and maintain such licenses, analyze software usage to make cost-effective decisions, provide software license management training, establish goals and objectives of the agency’s software license management program, and consider the software license management life cycle phases to implement effective decision-making and incorporate existing standards, processes, and metrics. Under the…
Author: John Greenewald
In 2019, documents were released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to The Black Vault, shedding light on communications between Seed Global Health and the Peace Corps. Seed Global Health, initially known as the Global Health Service Corps, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening health education and delivery in places with dire shortages of healthcare professionals. The documents reveal extensive interactions between Seed Global Health and the Peace Corps, particularly regarding the Global Health Service Partnership (GHSP) program. This initiative aimed to send U.S. doctors, nurses, and midwives to serve as faculty in training schools in countries facing…
In the aftermath of the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a perplexing episode unfolded as numerous Saudi Arabian nationals, including members of the elite, were allowed to leave the United States on flights despite a nationwide grounding of air traffic. This enigmatic episode has sparked curiosity and debate over the years. According to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), several flights chartered by the Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., facilitated the expedited departure of various Saudi students and elites from the U.S. The most notable among these was Ryan International Airlines flight 441, which made…
Significant Information Reports (SIRs) are a specific type of reporting mechanism used by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to document and disseminate information about events, incidents, or activities that have substantial implications for law enforcement operations, public safety, or national security. These reports are intended to provide timely and relevant information to assist in decision-making, strategic planning, and operational responses. Below, you will find an archived of these report listings, as released by the ATF to The Black Vault via the FOIA. Document Archive Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and…
The following memo was first released in 1978 by the CIA, but much of it was redacted. In January of 2019, The Black Vault filed a Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request to get the document further declassified, and many of the redactions were lifted. The final response was sent in November of 2021, and the document is available below. Key points from the memo include: Aeroflot’s Medical Research: Aeroflot officials were involved in aerospace medical research, focusing on crewmember performance, physical conditioning, and the development of devices to test pilot biological functioning and motor response ability. Cosmic Ray Particles: Soviet…