House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., denied on Thursday that the U.S. has launched an offensive attacks in cyberspace, putting him in direct conflict with recent reports on the government's classified cyberweapons program. Rogers said the U.S. hasn't used any offensive capability in cyberspace and said he would be cautious about doing so, of out of fear of the conflict that could ensue. He also suggested recent reports ascribing the creation of the Stuxnet computer worm to the U.S. and Israel were inaccurate, and he refused to comment on the origin of the malware.

As Rogers noted, his committee is briefed on all covert actions, and he said he wasn't aware of any covert actions that hadn't been raised in those briefs. Whether or not Rogers was briefed on the classified "Olympic Games" program, his denial complicates things for Republicans that have accused the administration of leaking the details for political gain. By calling the accuracy of the stories into doubt, it reduces the perception the reporters involved were given privileged access by the White House in exchange for favorable coverage. Of course, Rogers could simply be fulfilling what he views as his duty to protect classified information. Expect more nuance to be injected into this issue as the FBI's probe of the leaks moves forward.

Supreme Court Ruling Leaves Future of Network Indecency Uncertain: The Supreme Court overturned indecency fines against two of the broadcast networks on technical grounds Thursday, but declined to address the underlying constitutionality of FCC's indecency policy itself. As a result, it remains uncertain whether the commission will continue to enforce its policy of punishing networks for brief or fleeting instances of nudity or obscenity. That uncertainty was on full display yesterday, as stakeholders across the political spectrum declared victory for their position following the court's ruling.

The ruling vacates a lower-court order that struck down the FCC's indecency policy, leaving the door open for the commission to begin enforcing the rule again. Whether it will do so remains very much in doubt. The policy in question was implemented during the George W. Bush administration and has at best lukewarm support from the current members. FCC Chairman Genachowski issued a vague statement promising to protect young viewers, and new Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel was similarly cagey about her stance on the issue. Democrat Mignon Clyburn appears to favor the policy, while Republican Robert McDowell's statement indicates he's strongly against it. Republican Ajit Pai said the decision highlights the need for the FCC to clarify its policy and address the backlog of 1.5 million indecency complaints.

Once again, it looks like Genachowski will be able to take the lead on a divisive political issue. No one knows where he stands at present, but our prediction is that the commission will back off of enforcement without revoking the policy outright.

House Appropriators Concerned About Reprogramming: The recent scandal involving the unauthorized shifting of funds at the National Weather Service has House appropriators worried that similar actions may be under way at other agencies. National Weather Service officials shifted funds meant for equipment and technology upgrades in an apparent attempt to save jobs, prompting the head of that agency to resign. The agency has since requested permission to reprogram $35 million in fiscal 2012 funds to keep its Local Forecasts and Warnings unit at full strength. Appropriators are concerned the request is the latest in a growing trend of agencies seeking to reprogram large portions of their budgets. Appropriations Committee ranking member Norm Dicks, D-Wash., said he may suggest an independent review by the Government Accountability Office to see whether agencies are following their budget order from Congress. Experts Back Drone Strikes: A 14-page brief (PDF) from homeland security experts at George Washington University said the Obama administration must do a better job of explaining its policies for drone strikes against terrorists, but warned against stopping the strikes altogether. The Obama administration's process for identifying targets for drone attacks, called at times the "kill list", has drawn increasing media scrutiny about due process and civilian casualties. But the experts note the strikes have been effective tools against al Qaeda, and say more oversight is needed. Bill Would Seek to Block Flow of Counterfeit Microchips: Republican Reps. Buck McKeon of California and Michael McCaul of Texas introduced a bill on Wednesday aimed at stopping the flow of counterfeit microchips into the U.S. from China. The release notes the U.S. received more than 2 million counterfeit and mislabeled microchips in 2010 alone, many from China. Previously Customs and Border Protection provided pictures of the chips seized by DHS to chip companies to help identify counterfeits, but that stopped in 2008 after a policy change. The legislation would reverse the policy change and allow CPB to once again work with semiconductor companies to determine whether chips are counterfeit. Shareholders Urge Google to Leave U.S. Chamber: A group of Google shareholders urged the search giant to drop its membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, according to a report from Roll Call's Kate Ackley. The group of shareholders is also planning to probe Google over its policy of using corporate funds for independent campaign expenditures. One of the investors involved said the calls to leave the Chamber had to do with strengthening democracy and avoiding a return to an era with fewer employee protections and more skepticism of science.