got geoint?

Welcome all to the delayed-by-a-day “Monday Morning News Kick Off” post exclusively from got geoint? Yesterday, most of us were milking the last day of the holiday weekend and probably did not have IC, GEOINT and GIS news on the top of your mind. But alas, it is Tuesday and we are back to work. So, we have done you a favor. We have complied all the actionable news you need to have a productive and professionally fulfilling week. What more could you ask for? Perhaps an extra shot in your Latte, but even that will wear off and perhaps give you the jitters. Not got geoint? We offer no crash and no jitters. Scroll down to see for yourselves.

Howard University and Va. Tech Join U.S. Intelligence Program
Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that Howard University and Virginia Tech have joined forces in a $2.5 million academic program funded by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence designed to teach undergraduates skills that are critically needed by the nation’s intelligence agencies. The aim of the program receiving the five-year grant is to develop a pipeline of graduates who will work in the intelligence community. Read more here.

Dick Cheney Should Stay Under His Bunker
The Newark Star Ledger’s editorial board just came out with an Op-Ed that makes the case that Dick Cheney was more effective during the Bush administration when he was often hiding in an undisclosed location. During those 8 years, he made few public appearances or press interviews outside ultra-conservative cocoons like the Heritage Foundation, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News or perhaps a military base. So, the argument is that Cheney is causing more problems by standing against Holder’s CIA investigations. Also, the article notes that the Bush Justice Department could not be trusted and that “neither can Cheney, whose own reputation could be at stake in Holder’s probe, depending on how far it goes.” Read the entire article here.

U.S. Tried to Soften Treaty on Detainees
According to today’s Washington Post, From 2003 to 2006, the Bush administration quietly tried to relax the draft language of a treaty meant to bar and punish “enforced disappearances” so that those overseeing the CIA’s secret prison system would not be criminally prosecuted under its provisions, according to former officials and hundreds of pages of documents recently declassified by the State Department. Read more here.

Officials: CIA Chief Panetta Staying Put
CIA Director Leon Panetta has had a rough few months – making some question his future at the helm of the agency. He recently lost battles with Attorney General Eric Holder, first over the release of long-classified interrogation records and, then late last month, over Holder’s decision to investigate some agency officials involved in Bush-era interrogations of terror detainees. So, is he going anywhere? The word is “no.” Read more here.

Atlas V Ready to Launch a Top Secret Spy PAN Spacecraft Today
Many of our readers may have seen our coverage of the NRO not being involved with the PAN satellite launch last week. Well, today is the big day for the launch in Cape Canareval. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying a super secret government satellite sits on a launch pad and is ready for blast off. Read more here.

ESRI President Jack Dangermond to Speak at Gov 2.0 Summit
Tomorrow, ESRI president Jack Dangermond will speak at the inaugural Gov 2.0 Summit in Washington, D.C. Dangermond, a pioneer in geographic information system (GIS) software development, will discuss
GeoEnabling Gov 2.0. Additionally, ESRI is a platinum sponsor of the event. Read the full press release here.

We hope you have a productive (and short) work week!

Tags: Cape Canareval, Department of Justice, Eric Holder, ERSI, GEO, GEOINT, geospatial intelligence, GIS, got geoint?, Jack Dangermond, PAN Spy Satellite, Panetta and CIA, USGIF