Pompeo at his confirmation hearing April 12. Photo: Xinhua/Ting Shen via Getty Images
Mike Pompeo will inherit a State Department where only three of the 10 highest-ranking jobs are filled, and two of those jobs are being performed by people in "acting" roles, per Bloomberg.
Why it matters: If Pompeo is confirmed as the new secretary of state, he'll have a lot of work to do to raise morale at the department — an urgent task when a new international crisis could erupt at any moment.
The backstory: As Bloomberg pointed out, the vacancies are "either because staff have left, been fired or the posts were never filled. Those vacant assignments include positions overseeing the agency’s role in U.S. trade policy, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons, refugee issues and efforts to counter human trafficking."
Where it stands
Secretary of State-designate — Mike Pompeo (awaiting confirmation)
Secretary of State — John Sullivan (acting)
Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy & Public Affairs — Heather Nauert (acting)
Under Secretary for Political Affairs — Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. (retiring)
Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources — Vacant
Under Secretary for Management — Vacant
Under Secretary for Arms Control & International Security — Vacant
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy & Human Rights — Vacant
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy & the Environment — Vacant
The E.U. and U.K. want to be front and center on AI research
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May visits an engineering training facility in Birmingham. Photo: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images
The E.U. and U.K. both announced major investments in artificial intelligence research this week, with more than 50 tech companies contributing to a £1 billion deal in the U.K., and the European Commission announcing it would be allocating €1.5 billion to AI research until 2020.
The big picture: The U.K.'s deal, as detailed in a government press release, will include funding for "8,000 specialist computer science teachers, 1,000 government-funded AI PhDs by 2025," and development for a "prestigious global Turing Fellowship" program to attract top talent. Per the release, the U.K. will also be developing "a world-leading Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation," to emphasize ethical standards with AI research. The E.U.'s deal also includes laying out clear ethical guidelines by the end of 2018.
CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifies on worldwide threats. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
If he is confirmed as Secretary of State tomorrow, Mike Pompeo will embark on his first foreign trip as secretary to Brussels for the NATO Summit, Axios has learned. Bloomberg first reported the contingency planning for the potential trip.
The details: “The acting secretary John Sullivan is ready to go to the NATO summit in Brussels Thursday,” a senior administration official told Axios. “The secretary-designate Mike Pompeo is prepared to travel to the meeting of foreign ministers to reaffirm our commitment to NATO and coordinate the alliance’s response to Russian aggression.”
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest developments.
