Warwick Beacon: CCRI to host symposium on opioid alternatives

Warwick Beacon: CCRI to host symposium on opioid alternatives

SOURCE: Warwick Beacon

WARWICK, R.I. – The Community College of Rhode Island’s health sciences departments will host the second in a series of awareness events about the pre-eminent public health crisis of our time – opioid addiction.

The Non-Opioid Pain Treatment Symposium will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, in Room 4080 at the college’s Knight Campus, 400 East Ave., Warwick. The event is free of charge and open to all.

The symposium will present data the Rhode Island Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force has collected about the crisis. Two panel discussions will follow. The first includes Rhode Island public officials charged with action steps to reduce drug-related dependency and deaths. During the second panel, medical professionals will present data about the success of non-opioid pain treatment therapies.

The symposium will encourage discussion about changing the culture of pain management and promote evidence-based non-opioid therapies for chronic pain, such as clinical massage therapy, acupuncture, physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic care, neuropathic medicine and behavioral therapy.

“The goal of the symposium is share the size and impact of the crisis in Rhode Island and what we are doing about it,” said Regina Cobb, director of CCRI’s Therapeutic Massage program. “Health professionals who attend will better understand their role and the evidence-based interventions they can use for pain management.”

Dr. James McDonald, chief administrative officer, Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline at the Rhode Island Department of Health, will moderate the panels.

The first panel on understanding the crisis will include Peter Neronha, candidate for Rhode Island attorney general; Tom Coderre, senior adviser to the governor and co-chair of the Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force; Linda Hurley, CODAC Behavioral Healthcare; Joee Lindbeck, assistant attorney general; and Lt. Cmdr. Kasim Yarn, director of veterans affairs in Rhode Island.

Panel two, featuring pain management practitioners speaking about non-opioid pain treatment approaches, includes Victoria Moutahir, massage therapist; Charlotte King, acupuncturist; Chrysanthi Kazantzis, naturopathic doctor; Jason Harvey, physical therapist; Nancy Dooley, occupational therapist; Alan Post, chiropractic services; and Dr. Ellen Flynn, Brown’s Mindfulness Center.

U.S. Rep. James Langevin, who has supported and co-sponsored multiple pieces of legislation aimed at ending the opioid crisis, will provide closing remarks.

“Rhode Island is among the states hardest hit by the opioid overdose epidemic. We need federal resources for treatment and recovery to help families struggling on the front lines of this public health crisis,” Langevin said. “But we must also work to halt addiction before it takes root. I look forward to this symposium to learn more about evidence-based non-opioid treatment alternatives and their use in managing pain.”

All participants who complete the session will receive a certificate of completion that can be used to apply for CEUs for various disciplines such as social work, peer certification and more. Learn more about the symposium and register online at www.ccri.edu/rehabhealth/opioidsymposium.

ProJo: Rep. Langevin, seeking to restrain Trump, faces Caiozzo, GOP moderate and veteran

ProJo: Rep. Langevin, seeking to restrain Trump, faces Caiozzo, GOP moderate and veteran

By Mark Reynolds

PROVIDENCE, R.I. –

A 57-year-old West Greenwich man who served in the Army before he ran a plumbing business is the Republican candidate who hopes to unseat U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin next month.

To continue his run in Rhode Island’s 2nd Congressional District, which started in 2000, Langevin must vanquish Salvatore G. Caiozzo on Nov. 6.

Langevin has done this before. But the political landscape has changed since the 54-year-old Democrat beat Caiozzo in 2016.

This is not to say that Caiozzo, who ran as an independent that year, now represents himself as Rhode Island’s version of President Donald Trump.

“I am Sal,” Caiozzo says in the early moments of his interview. “Sal is a guy who has been out here with everybody else and knows exactly what everyone is going through. I have my own platform.”

“Yes, I am a Republican, because I stand by certain Republican values, but it doesn’t mean I stand by all of them,” adds Caiozzo, who describes his politics as moderate and not unlike those of a John F. Kennedy Democrat.

That said, here are a few things that Caiozzo and Trump agree on:

Like Trump, Caiozzo supports members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization spending more money on their own defense.

“I think we’ve been used long enough by NATO,” says the candidate, who won endorsement from the Republican Liberty Caucus, an association of the GOP’s libertarian-leaning activists.

But if the U.S. spends less money on its NATO commitments, Caiozzo says, the savings should benefit veterans.

Caiozzo, who says he was disabled by exposure to chemicals on an Alabama Army base in the 1980s, talks quite a bit about supporting veterans.

Like Trump, Caiozzo wants to change the nation’s health-care policy. But he says he would not abandon parts of the Affordable Care Act that provide coverage for preexisting conditions.

Schools and education decentralization are central to the Taunton, Massachusetts, native’s platform. He says he wants to improve education across the country and he believes education should be governed at the state and local levels, not by the federal government.

Neither Caiozzo nor Langevin brought up the probe being conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.

When prompted, Caiozzo says, “I haven’t really seen the Mueller investigation come up with anything.” He adds that he regards the probe as a “waste of money.”

Langevin said if he and other Democrats can control the House after the election, they can provide stronger checks and balances on Trump generally.

He is hopeful, he says, that even with the current Republican majority in the House, Congress will keep Trump from shutting down the investigation.

“I’m determined to let the truth come out and let the facts lead where they will,” Langevin says.

But taking control of the House would “certainly allow us to advocate for and put forth policies that are important to building a strong middle class in this country,” he says.

“We would end attempts to try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act,” he says. “And we would hopefully work on ways to strengthen and improve health care, quality health care, in the country, and also work on growing good-paying jobs to further grow a strong middle class.”

The experienced politician has lots to say about how he would proceed if given the chance.

Langevin’s focus is on the middle class, improving the health-care system, launching infrastructure projects, protecting the country from cyberattacks and reducing gun violence.

“The country is at its best when we have a very strong middle class,” says the Warwick resident, who also says political leaders must do what’s possible to help Rhode Islanders gain the skills they need to find good-paying jobs.

Langevin, the first quadriplegic elected to Congress, was paralyzed when he was accidentally shot as a 16-year-old. He says he’s captivated by research that shows that a large proportion of all guns tied to crimes are funneled through a very small proportion of companies that supply guns.

“There is something wrong with that,” he says.

 

Salvatore G. Caiozzo

Age: 57

Residence: West Greenwich

Occupation: Retired from plumbing business, disabled veteran

Affiliation: Republican Party

Education: Monsignor Coyle & Cassidy High School, attended Labore Junior College and the University of Palermo

Previous elected office: None

Family: Single with two grown sons and one daughter

 

JAMES R. LANGEVIN

Age: 54

Residence: Warwick

Occupation: U.S. representative

Affiliation: Democrat

Education: Rhode Island College, Harvard University

Previous elected office: Rhode Island secretary of state, 1995-2000; state representative, 1989-1994

Family: Single

WPRO: RIPTA unveil 3 new zero-emissions buses

WPRO: RIPTA unveil 3 new zero-emissions buses

By The Associated Press and Tessa Roy, WPRO News

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Rhode Island’s public transportation agency has its first electric buses.

Gov. Gina Raimondo joined federal and state officials Monday to unveil the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s three new zero-emissions, electric buses. She called it a “major step toward a cleaner and greener future.”

“We bought three buses now, like the ones we just rode on, and over the next four years, we’re going to be replacing about one third of our fleet. So four years from now, we think we’ll have a third of our fleet to be electric,” she said.

A number of officials, including Rhode Island’s whole congressional delegation [including Congressman Langevin], took rides on the new buses on Monday. Senator Jack Reed said they will benefit not just the environment, but also public health.

“We have, particularly in urban areas, significant outbreaks of of asthma, chronic lung problems. One of the major contributing factors is transportation, cars, buses. Once we get those under control,  we’re going to have a situation with better health outcome,” he said.

The leased buses will be tested and staff will be trained in the maintenance and charging of the vehicles before they are put in service.

The $14.4 million plan includes replacement of aging diesel buses with the purchase of 16 to 20 electric buses starting in 2021, as well as installation of a charging infrastructure in the state for private electric vehicles.

The state’s portion of the settlement with Volkswagen over its emissions testing scandal will help pay for the program.

PBN: URI receives $746K for aquaculture worker training

PBN: URI receives $746K for aquaculture worker training

By Chris Bergenheim

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – The University of Rhode Island received $745,815 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Rhode Island Sea Grant program, the R.I congressional delegation [including Rep. Jim Langevin] announced Thursday evening.

The funds will be used to strengthen training programs for entry-level aquaculture workers in Rhode Island and support the development of an online training curriculum that could be deployed nationally.

The in-person training will include initiatives to improve aquaculture worker safety, promote critical skills and boost employee recruitment and retention.

The URI Rhode Island Sea Grant Extension supports the commercial fishing and aquaculture industries by providing scientific and research-based data to public- and private-sector entities.

The grant will also support a pilot program to train both in-person and online instructors in select states.

“Year after year, Rhode Island’s aquaculture industry continues to grow, producing jobs as well as high-value seafood that’s enjoyed up and down the East Coast. This new federal grant will expand job-training opportunities and help Rhode Island continue to cultivate homegrown businesses,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement.

The state’s 73 shellfish farms sold more than 8.4 million oysters in 2017, accounting for the bulk of Rhode Island’s aquaculture exports, according to the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council. Aquaculture farms in the state also grow clams, scallops and mussels.

ProJo: Expert tells URI crowd that climate-change research may mean ‘our survival’

ProJo: Expert tells URI crowd that climate-change research may mean ‘our survival’

By Alex Kuffner

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — The former head of oceanography and meteorology for the Navy argued for more funding for research to understand the impact of climate change while delivering the keynote speech at a science symposium at the University of Rhode Island on Tuesday.

“It’s not just science at stake. It’s our survival,” Rear Admiral (Ret.) Jonathan White said to hundreds of people at the event at the Graduate School of Oceanography campus in Narragansett.

White is president and CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for ocean research, education and policy. His name was mentioned last year in connection with the top position at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but President Donald Trump instead nominated Accuweather CEO Barry Myers.

Standing in front of images of the destruction wrought last week by Hurricane Michael at Tyndall Air Force Base, in Florida, and flooding around Naval Station Norfolk, in Virginia, he said that climate change is a threat to coastal military installations and, in a larger sense, to national security overall.

“Our military, the more and more they have to deal with infrastructure and the effects of climate change, whether it’s helping others or trying to get in and out of our bases, the less ready they are going to be to go on missions … all over the world,” he said.

It was a point that was also raised by U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, who has pushed for an assessment of the military’s vulnerabilities to climate change.

“The dangers to national security are real and we must support the researchers who improve our understanding of the threat and ways to mitigate it,” he said.

The symposium’s focus was not just on security issues but on the effects of sea-level rise, more powerful storms and increased rainfall on coastal communities in general.

Washington Post: The Cybersecurity 202: The U.S. needs a law that requires companies to disclose data breaches quickly, cybersecurity experts say

Washington Post: The Cybersecurity 202: The U.S. needs a law that requires companies to disclose data breaches quickly, cybersecurity experts say

By Derek Hawkins

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A slight majority of digital security experts surveyed by The Cybersecurity 202 say the United States should follow in the European Union’s footsteps and pass a law that requires companies to disclose data breaches quickly.

Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation requires companies with customers in the E.U. to notify regulators of a breach within 72 hours or face a severe penalty. Fifty-four percent of experts we surveyed supported a similar law in the U.S.  The Network is our panel of more than 100 cybersecurity leaders from government, academia and the private sector who vote in our ongoing, informal survey on cybersecurity issues. (You can see the full list of experts here. Some were granted anonymity in exchange for their participation.)

Some experts said they favored federal legislation because it would help replace the patchwork of state laws that govern data breach notification in the United States. “Today, companies in the United States are required to comply with 50 different state laws when they suffer a data breach affecting personally identifiable information they control,” said Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), who has introduced legislation to create a national breach notification standard. “This is bad for business and bad for consumers, who are treated differently depending on where they live.”

“Europe now plays by one set of rules, while the United States plays by over 40,” added Jeff Moss, who founded the Def Con and Black Hat hacking conferences. “This is a costly, confusing and at times contradictory mess that only a national breach notification law can resolve.”

The issue has been in the spotlight in recent weeks. In late September, Facebook reported that hackers stole information that could have allowed them to take over of tens of millions of accounts. After learning of the breach, Facebook disclosed it within 72 hours even though the company did not have all the information about the breach. Google took a different approach. The search giant learned that a software bug exposed data on half a million accounts on its social media service Google in March but did not disclose it until this month — and was criticized for not being transparent.

Survey respondents disagreed on how much time companies should be given to disclose their breaches. Langevin’s bill, for instance, would offer companies more leeway than GDPR. Instead of three days, they’d have 10 days to notify regulators after discovering a breach, and 30 days to notify consumers. “These timelines allow flexibility for companies to determine the scope of a breach while ensuring prompt notification so people can protect themselves,” he said.

There are competing bills on Capitol Hill, though: Legislation introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) would mirror GDPR, requiring companies to disclose a breach within 72 hours of discovering it.

And other experts said 72 hours would be the right time frame. Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer at the cybersecurity firm CA Veracode, said that window would help the victims of a data breach take quick action to protect themselves from attackers who seek to misuse their information. “Attackers want to monetize the private data the companies store,” he said. “People have a right to know and protect themselves from subsequent attacks using this data, whether it is phishing or fraud. Having a standard like 72 hours will help all companies being on a level playing field and build processes to respond in a timely way.”

Harley Geiger, director of public policy at the cybersecurity firm Rapid7, agreed — provided that the countdown begins “when the company concludes a breach has occurred, not on discovery that an incident or attack occurred.”

“The company will need time to identify and investigate the incident, determine whether data was accessed or exfiltrated, and conclude based on the evidence that a breach has actually occurred,” Geiger said. “Reporting ‘a breach’ to regulators or the public prior to that process can be counterproductive for all sides, including consumers.”

The hack disclosed by Facebook late last month illustrates the complications of reporting a breach early. While Facebook took just three days to notify privacy regulators and the public that hackers may have compromised up to 50 million user accounts, the social media giant had only just begun to investigate the incident at the time of the announcement, and Facebook officials weren’t able to offer users a clear picture of the risks. In an update Friday, Facebook revealed that the hack affected about 20 million fewer users than it previously estimated — but that hackers had stolen more sensitive information than the company initially indicated, including search histories and location data.

Mark Weatherford, a former cybersecurity official in the Department of Homeland Security, supports a breach notification law but cautioned that figuring out the scope of an incident is complex and time-consuming work. “While there needs to be a trigger that starts the process, reporting too soon leads to mistakes, revisions and recriminations that might be avoided by waiting until enough information is gathered,” he said.

Jamie Winterton, director of strategy for Arizona State University’s Global Security Initiative, said a U.S. breach notification law should be coupled with measures that provide recourse to breach victims and impose consequences on companies. “Timely notification is important. But without some guidance on what regulators — and victims — should do, it feels somewhat toothless,” she said. “They should specifically address the needs of breach victims and establish some sense of corporate responsibility.”

Yet 46 percent of respondents said the United States shouldn’t impose a breach notification standard similar to the one in Europe.

“Unfortunately, GDPR does not take into account the reality of incident response and will lead to multinational companies disclosing breaches before they can provide accurate information or even be sure their attacker has been flushed from their network,” said Alex Stamos, Facebook’s former chief security officer who is now an adjunct professor at Stanford University. “Any U.S. law should balance promoting speedy disclosure with accurate disclosure.”

Jessy Irwin, head of security at Tendermint, agreed. “Being required to report a breach so early in the investigative process, when new facts emerge and information changes rapidly, will cause much more harm than it prevents on all fronts, especially if reporting has the potential to compromise an organization’s ability to effectively coordinate with law enforcement,” she said. “This kind of instant-gratification breach reporting legislation sets up smaller teams with fewer resources for major, major failure.”

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, some experts argued. “Timing isn’t always the most important part of transparency,” said Steve Weber, founder and director of the Center for Long Term Cybersecurity at the University of California at Berkeley. “And — as most people in the business know — 72 hours isn’t enough time to unravel what has really happened in even a moderately complex breach. The intention behind the law may be good, but this provision is just not sensible.”

Giving companies flexibility is reasonable, as long as they’re acting in the interest of the breach victims, said Cindy Cohn, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. “While we have been concerned about companies sitting on this bad news, there are also legitimate reasons for delay, like when either the company or law enforcement is trying to identify and catch the perpetrators or when important facts about the situation (how many people are impacted) are still unclear,” she said. “Fiduciary responsibility framing can help give some clarity here; the company must act in the interest of those whose data is impacted, not its own here.”

There could be risks to consumers, too. Some experts worried that a 72-hour timeline could wind up overwhelming users with unnecessary notifications that their information was compromised just to meet the standard. “The deadline is going to produce a lot of half-baked breach reports and lead to ‘breach notice fatigue,’ ” said Stewart Baker, former general counsel of the National Security Agency.

ProJo Editorial: For U.S. House: Cicilline, Langevin

ProJo Editorial: For U.S. House: Cicilline, Langevin

SOURCE: Providence Journal Editorial

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Rhode Island benefits from experienced, hardworking leadership in Washington. For that reason, we encourage our readers to vote to re-elect U.S. Representatives David Cicilline and James Langevin. As Democrats, they could become more powerful after January, if pollsters’ predictions hold true and control of the U.S. House flips to their party.

Representative Langevin, who serves Rhode Island’s Second District, sits on the House’s Homeland Security and Armed Services committees. Far from being content to serve as a partisan back-bencher, he has been a been a strong and assertive voice on defense and security matters. He supports internet privacy protections and wants to harden cyberprotections for the critical infrastructure of Rhode Island and the country.

He has correctly identified diagnosed weaknesses in America’s cyberdefenses, even as cyberspace is increasingly a battlefield for nation-states, terrorists and criminals. He has demonstrated a grasp of the havoc that could follow a widespread, malicious attack, and consistently advocated for greater cooperation among the interdependent public and private sectors.

Mr. Langevin also has advocated for broader and deeper health care services for all, especially the disabled. As a paraplegic, he provides a unique and personal perspective on issues ranging from stem-cell research to study of the most effective ways for people to undergo rehabilitation after becoming paralyzed.

He is popular, too, with Rhode Islanders, enjoying sizable electoral majorities after successful stints as a state representative and Secretary of State.

Representative Langevin is opposed by military veteran and Republican Sal Caiozzo, who is an advocate for veterans harmed by toxins while serving. Mr. Langevin’s experience and willingness to reach across the aisle suggest he is the better choice.

In the First Congressional District, which includes Providence and Newport, former Providence Mayor Cicilline enjoys a huge party registration advantage over Republican challenger Patrick Donovan and should coast to victory.

Mr. Cicilline has been an advocate for trying to limit the spread of guns in America. He has aggressively pushed for expanded background checks for gun purchasers and a ban on assault weapons.

In Washington, Mr. Cicilline’s articulate tongue has served him well. He has been willing to appear on conservative TV programs, making the case for his party’s values and helping to bridge the yawning partisan chasm in the nation’s capital. He has also spoken out for manufacturing in America. And he has been a champion of newspapers and a free press.

Mr. Cicilline could well be leadership material. A respected member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, he is competing for the new elected position of assistant majority leader. Little Rhode Island can use all the power it can get in Washington.

We believe Rhode Island voters would be well-served by returning its incumbent U.S. House members to office.

Brady Campaign: Brady Campaign Endorses Gun Safety Champions from Coast to Coast

Brady Campaign: Brady Campaign Endorses Gun Safety Champions from Coast to Coast

SOURCE: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence (Bradycampaign.org)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With just one month remaining until the 2018 midterm elections, voters across the country are ready to make their voices heard in support of gun safety champions in their communities. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence announced its latest round of endorsements for Senate, the House of Representatives, state office, and state ballot initiatives.

For the Senate, the Brady Campaign endorsed Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

  • Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is a gun owner who believes the Second Amendment is consistent with stronger safety regulations. She supports a ban on rapid fire “bump stocks” and universal background checks.
  • Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has demanded accountability for firearms dealers and manufacturers, voting against exempting them from lawsuits in cases of gun violence. He supports raising the minimum age to purchase firearms from 18 to 21, as well as a ban on assault weapons.
  • Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) has called for background checks on private gun sales and transfers, and has sought to ban assault weapons and 3D-printed guns. He recently condemned a plan by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to use federal funds to arm school teachers and staff.
  • Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is one of the leading gun violence prevention champions in the country, having been elected to the Senate just one month before the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012. His 2016 filibuster in the wake of the Pulse shooting was one of the longest in Senate history, reaching nearly 15 hours. He helped pass the bipartisan Fix NICS Act that strengthened our current background system, and he has fought to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers and for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has made clear that when it comes to gun violence, thoughts and prayers are not enough – we need action. She will commit herself to taking dangerous weapons of war off of our streets, passing a universal background check bill, and fighting gun trafficking resulting from states with weak gun laws.

The Brady Campaign endorsed the following 11 candidates for Congress: Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01), Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22), Rep. Jim Langevin (RI-02), Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10), Rep. Dina Titus (NV-01), Colin Allred (TX-32), Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (TX-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Dean Phillips (MN-03), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07).

  • Rep. David Cicilline (RI-01) has been a champion for gun safety while in Congress. He has sponsored bills to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, as well as downloadable 3D-printed guns that enable anyone – even domestic abusers, terrorists, and convicted felons – to create an untraceable, undetectable firearm.
  • Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) knows the pain of gun violence firsthand, with his own family being touched by a gun suicide. He has introduced legislation to implement extreme risk protection orders, which would allow family members or law enforcement officials to petition a judge to temporarily remove guns from those who may pose a threat to themselves or others.
  • Rep. Ted Deutch (FL-22) has represented the community of Parkland, FL with grace and compassion over the past year following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He supports a comprehensive, common-sense approach to gun safety, including raising the minimum age to buy guns to 21, banning assault weapons, and increasing funding for mental health services in schools.
  • Rep. Jim Langevin (RI-02) has led the fight in Congress to protect children from unsecured firearms, and to hold gun owners criminally liable if their firearms are used by children. He also worked to strengthen federal oversight of gun dealers and to increase penalties for straw purchases.
  • Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10) has been a gun violence prevention champion in Congress, having introduced legislation to keep guns from misdemeanor sex offenders who prey on children and co-sponsored a bill to ban 3D-printed guns. Should the Democratic Party take control of Congress, he would be in line to chair the House Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over gun laws.
  • Rep. Dina Titus (NV-01) is a member of the House Gun Violence Task Force, where she has fought for federal action to ban bump stocks and assault weapons, establish universal background checks, and to allow CDC researchers to properly study gun violence. As the Congressional representative for Las Vegas, she has seen firsthand the devastating impact that gun violence can have on a community.
  • Colin Allred (TX-32), has pledged to protect the rights of responsible gun owners while pushing for common sense reforms. He will fight in Congress for background checks on all gun sales, keeping guns away from domestic abusers, and allowing courts to temporarily block access to guns from those who may be a danger to themselves.
  • Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (TX-07) knows that gun violence in America is preventable, not inevitable. She will fight for common-sense gun safety measures, including a ban on assault weapons, raising the age to buy guns to 21, and requiring universal background checks on gun sales.
  • Jahana Hayes (CT-05), seeking to represent the families of the children murdered at Sandy Hook in 2012, knows that the issue of gun safety isn’t being for or against guns – it’s about being anti-gun violence. She has called for universal background checks, banning gun sales to those on the terror watch and no-fly lists, and banning assault weapons.
  • Dean Phillips (MN-03) will stand with the students in his district and across the country fighting for change, rather than the gun lobby. He is calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, reinstitute a ban on assault weapons, and fund CDC research on gun violence.
  • Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) knows, as a former federal law enforcement officer, how important it is to take action against gun violence. She supports Gun Violence Restraining Orders, universal background checks on gun sales, banning assault weapons, and other common sense measures.

In Nevada, a week after the one year anniversary of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, the Brady Campaign joined with its local chapters to endorse Steve Sisolak for Governor, Kate Marshall for Lieutenant Governor, Aaron Ford for Attorney General, Marylin Dondero Loop for Senate District 8, Melanie Schiebel for Senate District 9, Jason Frierson for Assembly District 8, Michelle Gorelow for Assembly District 35, Sandra Jauregui for Assembly District 41, and Justin Jones for County Commission.

  • Steve Sisolak is committed to taking action against gun violence as Nevada’s next governor. A year after the Route 91 shooting in Las Vegas, he will move to ban assault weapons, bump stocks, high capacity magazines, and silencers. He also is committed to lobbying for funding to research gun violence as a public health crisis, removing restrictions preventing local governments from enacting gun safety measures, and fighting against efforts to arm teachers.
  • Kate Marshall immediately got to work in the days after the Las Vegas to work with and help survivors and victims in any way she can. She will continue to be an advocate for all victims of gun violence as she fights to end the epidemic in her state.
  • Aaron Ford sponsored a bipartisan bill in the Nevada state senate to ban people convicted of stalking or are subject to a domestic violence-related protective order, which was signed into law under the state’s Republican governor. As attorney general, he will continue his efforts to expand background checks and implement and enforce other common sense gun safety measures in his state.

In Florida, the Brady Campaign and its Florida Executive Council endorsed Nikki Fried for Commissioner of Agriculture, Olivia Babis for Florida Senate District 23, Annette Taddeo for Florida Senate District 40, and Debbie Katt for Florida State House District 57.

  • Nikki Fried will, upon taking office as Commissioner of Agriculture, immediately investigate her predecessor’s failure to properly monitor concealed carry permitting in Florida. She has made clear that she will not be beholden to the NRA, but will put the people of her state first and foremost. She knows that background checks save lives while remaining consistent with the Second Amendment, and will govern as such.

In California, the Brady Campaign and the California Executive Council endorsed Buffy Wicks for State Assembly District 15.

The Brady Campaign also endorsed two statewide initiative campaigns; Ban Assault Weapons NOW in Florida, and Washington State Ballot Initiative I-1639.

  • Ban Assault Weapons NOW seeks to place an amendment on the 2020 ballot in Florida to ban assault weapons in the state. Led by a combination of family members of murdered Parkland students, survivors of the Pulse nightclub massacre, and elected officials, the committee seeks to take the question of whether or not weapons of war belong in places of peace directly to the people of Florida, who have borne witness to a number of high-profile mass shootings in recent years. More information can be found at bawnfl.org.
  • Washington State Ballot Initiative I-1639 would, among other measures, raise the minimum purchase age for semiautomatic rifles, establish new safe-storage rules, and require safety training before the purchase of any gun. This would be one of the strongest improvements to Washington state law on gun safety, and will save lives.

“We are constantly amazed by the sheer number of remarkable candidates who are putting gun safety at the top of their agendas in 2018,” stated Avery Gardiner, co-president of the Brady Campaign. “No matter how ‘blue’ or ‘red’ a district might be, we all stand in agreement that gun violence in America needs to come to an end. Soon, we will have a Congress that stands with us in that belief.”

This election cycle, the Brady Campaign is focused on working with and supporting candidates throughout the country who are committed to preventing gun violence. A heavy focus is on whether candidates support Brady’s three-point plan, including expanding Brady background checks, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and passing extreme risk laws. A recent battleground poll commissioned by Brady clearly demonstrated the popularity of this plan throughout the country.

A resurgent Brady PAC is supporting candidates who commit to making gun violence prevention a top priority and is working to replace candidates who refuse to prioritize the safety of the American public. Brady is doing so through the candidate endorsement process and holding candidates accountable to their questionnaire answers. Brady PAC will target races across the country in support of such candidates, especially in those races targeting candidates who put gun industry profits before the safety of their constituents.

Brady is also focusing heavily on voter registration, particularly of young voters through its student initiative, Team ENOUGH. In addition to its Congressional report cards released this summer on gun safety issues, the student-led group will be holding voter registration events throughout the summer and will work to educate and mobilize high school and university students from now until November. The group is also inviting students across the country to form their own Team ENOUGH groups and host nonpartisan candidate forums.

Last November’s elections in Virginia and New Jersey, where multiple Brady-backed candidates won on a clear platform of gun safety, demonstrated that voters are engaging on the issue and are rejecting those supported by the NRA. And with recent polling showing that half of Americans want gun safety to be Congress’s top priority, it’s clear that this issue will be a leading one throughout the 2018 campaign.

Further endorsements will be announced in the weeks to come.

CyberScoop: Leet List- Jim Langevin

CyberScoop: Leet List- Jim Langevin

SOURCE: CyberScoop 2018 Leet List

As a co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, Rep. Jim Langevin has helped shaped the policy debate on Capitol Hill on issues ranging from federal bug bounty programs to information sharing. The Rhode Island Democrat talks about what galvanized his interest in cybersecurity and his hopes for bipartisanship on the issue, among other topics.


CyberScoopWhat sparked your sustained focus on cybersecurity?

Rep. Jim Langevin:  A lot changed for me the day a couple of scientists from Idaho National Lab came and gave me a briefing on the Aurora threat [in 2007].

In the SCIF, we saw the video of the generator blowing itself up. They described to me how it could be done. It’s, at first, hard to get your arms around, but then as they further explained, this could affect not only just one generator but several, and not only just one power generation facility, [but] potentially it could shut down a whole sector of the country’s electric grid as a result of a SCADA attack. And that was very alarming.

CSThat was 2007. More than 10 years later, we hear the word “cyber” more on Capitol Hill, for better or for worse. How have your fellow lawmakers improved in paying attention to and talking about cybersecurity, and how do they still need to get better?

JL: Members of Congress have become more aware of the problem in the same way that the American people have become more aware of the problem, in many cases because of the high-profile cyber-intrusions or events that have occurred.

We’ve been at this for a long time. I’d love to say that it is because of the work that I did, or that we did together, to raise awareness. That was a part of it, of course, but unfortunately, most of it is because of the large number of cyber-intrusions and threats that the country has faced, the personal and private information that’s been stolen and compromised, the theft of intellectual property, and the list goes on and on.

CS: Do you find yourself being an educator with fellow lawmakers on cybersecurity? Do other members heed the advice of colleagues who have been paying attention to the subject longer?

JL: There are different times that a bill that I have sponsored or co-sponsored, and it’s come up for a vote, that I have members say they voted for the measure because they have a lot of respect for me on this topic and they know that I spend a lot of time on this issue.

Each member of Congress specializes in a different topic. We’re not all experts on every topic. Certain people are go-to people on any range of issues, and cyber happens to be something that I spend a lot of time on.

CS: Have we had a galvanizing moment that generates widespread momentum to drive better cybersecurity policy — the proverbial “Cyber 9/11,” to use a tortured metaphor? Was the 2016 election that moment?

JL: It was a moment, and certainly one of those things that has gotten people’s attention. But it wasn’t a Cyber 9/11, per se. I am still worried about that type of event occurring. It’s still possible, even though it may be remote at this point. It’s still a possibility. … It’s one of those things that keeps me up late at night — you wonder when or if that date will ever come. It’s probably more of a “when” not “if.”

I’ve often said that you will never have modern warfare again without some type of a cyber component to it.

The United States continues to get better at being better organized and defended against a Cyber 9/11. But you can never say never, that it won’t happen. But between the work that the Department of Homeland Security is doing, the work that U.S. Cyber Command is doing, [and] NSA, we have nation-state capabilities to defend the country. But there’s still more work to do. Remember, most of critical infrastructure is still in private hands and we haven’t completely figured that piece out yet as to how we [might] adequately defend the country if there were a Cyber 9/11.

CS: Cybersecurity has often been described as a bipartisan issue. But with all of the politicization of the aftermath of Russian hacking and information operations during the 2016 election, is cybersecurity still a bipartisan issue in 2018?  

JL: I believe it is. … Some make it a partisan issue, but I don’t see it that way. Case in point: I have a bipartisan election security bill, the Paper Act, with Congressman Mark Meadows [a Republican from North Carolina].

We both see this as an American issue — not a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s an American issue – that we need to do a better job with, securing our elections infrastructure.

CSCongress has recently moved to set up bug bounty and vulnerability disclosure programs at multiple federal agencies. What have you learned from talking to experts on what works in setting up these types of programs at agencies?

JL: What I’ve learned over the years in working on the cybersecurity issue and [from] meeting with cybersecurity researchers is that they want to help … they want to help make the internet more secure and function the way it’s intended to.

Bug bounty programs are a great way to leverage that private sector talent, as we saw with the Pentagon’s bug bounty program. It was set up the right way. You get trusted researchers who want to do the right thing, provide them a vehicle where they can lend their talents, I think [it] is a good model. I’d like to see other government departments and agencies do a similar bug bounty program.

We also need to have a vulnerability disclosure program at each of the departments and agencies so that when cybersecurity researchers do find a vulnerability they’ve got somebody they can report it to – and they know that it’s going to be acted upon.