Tennessee | June 21, 2021
Mark Green Proposal Would Stop Foreign Adversaries from Buying Land Near U.S. Military Bases
Tennessee | June 21, 2021
U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) has introduced a bill that would, if enacted into law, direct the U.S. Secretary of Defense to produce ongoing reports about foreign land purchases around U.S. military bases.
This, according to a press release that Green and members of his staff published on his website this week.
Green titled the bill the Military Perimeter Transparency Act.
“It’s critically important for the Department of Defense to identify when foreign adversaries like China or Russia acquire land near American military bases. America’s adversaries, especially those with a history of cyberattacks, espionage, and disinformation warfare, should never be allowed within reach of a U.S. military installation. Doing so would be a risk to our security and a major strategic mistake,” Green said in the press release.
“The Secretary of Defense and the heads of our Armed Forces must have full visibility when foreign governments attempt to acquire and use land in close proximity to our military bases. My bill is a commonsense measure that will strengthen our defense and ensure transparency when it comes to securing the perimeter of our military bases.”
According to Green’s bill, the U.S. Secretary of Defense would coordinate with the secretaries of the various military departments. The U.S. defense secretary would submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives a report that identifies land that a foreign adversary owns or seeks to own or occupy. The report would also recommend the appropriate response or responses to a foreign adversary’s ownership or occupancy of real property in the vicinity of military installations, according to the bill.
Green introduced a bill last month that would, if enacted into law, fight back against Critical Race Theory (CRT) training in the U.S. Military Service Academies. Green’s press release defined CRT as a school of thought that teaches America–and every American institution..
(Excerpts from Tennessee Star)
Tennessee | June 8, 2021
Trial Begins for University of Tennessee, Knoxville Science Professor Allegedly Hiding Chinese Research Affiliations
Tennessee | June 8, 2021
A previously tenured science professor from University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) faced trial Monday for allegedly covering up his research affiliations with China. The professor, Anming Hu, was first indicted last February by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). His trial is a part of the DOJ’s “China Initiative,” an investigative effort by the DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD) to identify and prosecute individuals engaged in trade secret theft, hacking, economic espionage, foreign direct investment threats, and supply chain compromises to benefit the Chinese government.
The trial, United States v. Anming Hu, began Monday at 9 a.m. EST in the Eastern. According to court documents, the hearing is scheduled to continue Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. In addition to facing charges for false statements about his affiliations with the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT), Hu is facing charges of wire fraud.
According to the DOJ press release, Hu was arrested because he didn’t disclose his relationship to BJUT while receiving NASA funding. The press release also noted that UTK cooperated with the investigation.
“This is just the latest case involving professors or researchers concealing their affiliations with China from their American employers and the U.S. government,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “We will not tolerate it.”
If Hu is found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison with five additional years for each count of false statements and $250,000 for each count of wire fraud…
(Excerpts from the Tennessee Star)
Tennessee | May 12, 2021
Senator Marsha Blackburn Calls for New Cybersecurity Measures
Tennessee | May 12, 2021
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) called for increased cybersecurity measures in a recent interview with Fox News.
Senator Blackburn’s remarks come in response to the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline, which has greatly impacted gas prices and accessibility levels across several states.
“One of the things that is disappointing to me, whether it is a hack on a federal agency, or this attack on our critical infrastructure— we still have individuals who have thought, well this doesn’t happen that often so we don’t need to be that worried about it,” Blackburn expressed in the interview.
A ransomware gang known as “Darkside” targeted the pipeline, which brings oil from Texas to northeastern locations throughout the United States. The group has carried out multiple attacks across the United States and Europe. The attack has shut down production completely. In response, gas prices have risen across the southern and eastern parts of the country. Further, officials say the attack could lead to shortages of gas in multiple states.
“Because when a cyberattack happens, what we know is you cannot lose time. Time is precious when it comes to assessing the situation, getting your arms around it, and being able to remediate that situation,” Blackburn added…
(Excerpts from the Tennessee Star)