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GUNSChicago Economist Argues for Social Intervention on Gun Violence
In his new book, University of Chicago’s Jens Ludwig makes the case for a pragmatic approach. Instead of waiting for the U.S. to solve gun violence by addressing its social problems, incarcerating people, and reducing the number of guns in circulation, he argues for a short-term solution: social intervention in places most affected by interpersonal violence.
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FORENSICSStudy Opens the Door for Stronger Evidence in Bomb Handling Cases
Scientists have for the first time provided insight into how bomb residue transfers to the hands of suspects, which could lead to stronger evidence in court.
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VOCATIONAL TRAININGApprentices Needed: Construction Shortages Threaten American Growth
U.S. plans for new factories, new tech hubs—even new homes—are about to crash into one very inconvenient fact: Not enough people work in construction to turn those plans into actual, hammer-and-nail reality. Not even close.
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VOCATIONAL TRAININGVocational Training Can Play a Greater Role in National Security
We talk a lot about resilience and preparedness. But these goals aren’t met solely through top-down directives or university research hubs. They rely on a skilled workforce—one that’s ready to respond across sectors, jurisdictions and threat types. That workforce is increasingly trained not in lecture theatres, but in registered training organizations.
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PUBLIC HEALTHMass Layoffs, Sweeping Funding Cuts Threaten U.S. Public Health
The first 100 days of the Trump administration saw more than 20,000 jobs in the public health field terminated and billions of dollars in funding axed. The proposed 2026 budged calls for additional cuts of $40 billion to HHS budget.
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PUBLIC HEALTHTrump’s NIH Axed Research Grants Even After a Judge Blocked the Cuts, Internal Records Show
Many of the canceled grants appear to have focused on subjects that the administration claims are unscientific or that the agency should no longer focus on under new priorities, such as gender identity, vaccine hesitancy and diversity, equity and inclusion.
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CRITICAL MINERALSWhat Rare Earth Elements Are and Why They Matter
Rare 17 earth elements are critical to many industries—used in electric motors, medical imaging and diagnostics, oil and gas refining, and computer and phone screens. These elements have become a hot political issue, says an Earth Sciences professor.
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INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTIONMajor U.S. Cities Are Sinking
An analysis of 28 major U.S. cities revealed that all 28 are sinking, potentially affecting 34 million people, according to Virginia Tech research published in Nature Cities.
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RESILIENCESpain’s Recent Power Outage: What Happened and Why It Matters
On April 28, Spain experienced a widespread power outage that left millions without electricity for nearly a full 24 hours. While power has largely been restored, the cause of the failure is still under investigation.
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OUR PICKSU.S. AI Leadership Needs Smarter Controls | Are We Ready for the Next One? | As the US Cuts Scientific Talent, Europe Launches an Initiative to Attract It, and more
· As the US Cuts Scientific Talent, Europe Launches an Initiative to Attract It
· Are We Ready for the Next One?
· U.S. AI Leadership Needs Smarter Controls
· US Customs and Border Protection Quietly Revokes Protections for Pregnant Women and Infants
· Signal Clone Used by Mike Waltz Pauses Service After Reports It Got Hacked
· Customs and Border Protection Confirms Its Use of Hacked Signal Clone TeleMessage
· The Actual Math Behind DOGE’s Cuts
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WORLD ROUNDUPWhy This India-Pakistan Conflict Is Different | What Putin Wants—and How Europe Should Thwart Him | What Trump’s New Budget Says About U.S. Foreign Policy, and more
· Why This India-Pakistan Conflict Is Different
· The Threat of Inaction in Response to Violations of International Law: A Syrian Case Study
· What Putin Wants—and How Europe Should Thwart Him
· Nigeria Has More People without Electricity Than Any Other Country
· A Tale of Four Fighter Jets
· What Trump’s New Budget Says About U.S. Foreign Policy
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LAW ENFORCEMENTThe DEA Once Touted Body Cameras for Their “Enhanced Transparency.” Now the Agency Is Abandoning Them.
An internal email obtained by ProPublica said the agency made the change to be “consistent” with a Trump executive order. But at least two other federal law enforcement agencies are still requiring body cameras.
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PUBLIC HEALTHMeasles Could Again Become Widespread as Cases Surge Worldwide
By intervening early in an outbreak with local health department support, measles outbreaks can be contained as long as 85% of the population is vaccinated against the disease. That, of course, requires ensured ongoing access to free and accessible childhood vaccinations and restoration of the public’s trust in measles vaccines.
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LIGHTNING STRIKESAI Model Predicts Lightning Wildfires with 90% Accuracy
Israeli researchers use seven years of weather and satellite data to predict future wildfires caused by lightning strikes.
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DISASTERSComing This Summer: Record-Breaking Heat and Plenty of Hurricanes
Forecasters are predicting higher temperatures across the U.S. and up to 10 hurricanes. Cutting federal programs could leave people even more vulnerable.
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ENERGY SECURITYTexas May Put Restraints on New Big Businesses Hoping to Tap into the Energy Grid
Texas will need a lot more energy in the future. According to ERCOT, the state’s energy demand may double in six years.
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OUR PICKSSecurity Vendors Are Constantly Being Attacked | Watch Out for Physical Sabotage by Chinese Spies in the U.S. | The Pentagon Is Ignoring Its Own Strategy, and more
· Watch Out for Physical Sabotage by Chinese Spies in the U.S.
· NYPD Shared a Palestinian Protester’s Info with ICE. Now It’s Evidence in Her Deportation Case
· Jewish Faculty Decry Republican Panel Members Ahead of Antisemitism Hearing
· Trump Is Fighting Antisemitism the Wrong Way, a Jewish Group Argues
· Security Vendors Are Constantly Being Attacked
· How Congress Can Stop the Looming Crypto Disaster
· The Pentagon Is Ignoring Its Own Strategy
· American Cities Are Criminalizing Homelessness. Will That Help?
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WORLD ROUNDUPTrump’s Russia Strategy Is All Carrots, No Stick | Reshaping Turkish Politics | Israeli Attacks on Syria Risk Destabilizing Jordan, and more
· Reshaping Turkish Politics: Erdogan’s Bet on a Kurdish Opposition?
· What Is the Risk of a Conflict Spiral Between India and Pakistan?
· Trump’s Russia Strategy Is All Carrots, No Stick
· Israeli Attacks on Syria Risk Destabilizing Jordan
· Europeans Have Realized Their Error
· U.S. Pushes Nations Facing Tariffs to Approve Musk’s Starlink, Cables Show
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IRAN’S NUKESIranian Breakout Timelines Under JCPOA-Type Limits
The 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) made it impossible for Iran, if it withdrew from the deal, to produce enough weapon-grade uranium (WGU) for a nuclear weapon in less than 12 months. The U.S unilateral withdrawal from JCPOA in 2018 has changed the situation so fundamentally in favor of Iran and its nuclear weapons program, that new limits are needed, the most important of which is that Iran destroy centrifuges and related equipment, rather than store them. A focus on only limiting enriched uranium stocks will not provide sufficient breakout timelines.
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HUMAN TRAFFICKINGStates Push to Combat Human Trafficking Amid Federal Funding Cuts
States are moving to strengthen protections against human trafficking, but some advocates warn that some programs might not have the resources to help survivors.
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DEFENSE ACQUISITIONThe Battle for Pentagon Acquisition Policy: Tradition Versus New-and-Cheaper
The weapons that get bought in larger or smaller quantities, or are launched or cancelled, will indicate whether US President Donald Trump’s administration will strengthen long-range deterrent forces, order a retreat under his Golden Dome missile-defense system, or spend four years trying to blend incompatible visions of industrial and technological strategy.
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More headlines
The long view
CYBERESPIONAGEEconomic Cyberespionage: A Persistent and Invisible Threat
Economic cyber-espionage, state-sponsored theft of sensitive business information via cyber means for commercial gain, is an invisible yet persistent threat to national economies.
CYBERSECURITYResearchers Calculate Cyberattack Risk for All 50 States
Local governments are common victims of cyberattack, with economic damage often extending to the state and federal levels. Scholars aggregate threats to thousands of county governments to draw conclusions.
ARGUMENT: REINING IN DHS I&A How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse
I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.
NUCLEAR POWERNuclear Has Changed. Will the U.S. Change with It?
Fueled by artificial intelligence, cloud service providers, and ambitious new climate regulations, U.S. demand for carbon-free electricity is on the rise. In response, analysts and lawmakers are taking a fresh look at a controversial energy source: nuclear power.
VIOLENT ATTACKSSouthport Attacks: Why the U.K. Needs a Unified Approach to All Violent Attacks on the Public
The conviction of Axel Rudakubana for the murder of three young girls in Southport has prompted many questions about how the UK handles violence without a clear ideological motive. This case has also shown up the confusion in this area, and made clear the need for a basic reframing of how we understand murderous violence against the public today.
SCHOOL VIOLENCEStrengthening School Violence Prevention
Violence by K-12 students is disturbingly common. Ensuring that schools have effective ways to identify and prevent such incidents is becoming increasingly important. Expanding intervention options and supporting K-12 school efforts in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) would help.
WATER SECURITY Water Is the Other U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis, and the Supply Crunch Is Getting Worse
The United States and Mexico are aware of the political and economic importance of the border region. But if water scarcity worsens, it could supplant other border priorities. The two countries should recognize that conditions are deteriorating and update the existing cross-border governance regime so that it reflects today’s new water realities.
GUNSSweden’s Deadliest Mass Shooting Highlights Global Reality of Gun Violence, Criminologist Says
“We in the United States don’t have a monopoly on mass shootings,” James Alan Fox says, “though we certainly have more than our share.”
DISINFORMATIONMis- and Disinformation Trends and Tactics to Watch in 2025
Predicting how extremists may weaponize false narratives requires an understanding of the strategies that allow them to spread most effectively.
DEMOCRACY WATCHMemory-Holing Jan. 6: What Happens When You Try to Make History Vanish?
The Trump administration’s decision to delete a DOJ database of cases against Capitol riot defendants places those who seek to preserve the historical record in direct opposition to their own government.
CLIMATE-CHANGE CHALLENGESHuge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
CHINA WATCHCalls Grow for U.S. to Counter Chinese Control, Influence in Western Ports
Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.
MASS ATTACKSEvidence-Based Solutions to Protect Against Mass Attacks
Mass attacks like the New Year’s Day incident in New Orleans stir public emotion and have tragic consequences. While the investigations into this case will take time, we know from our work that there are things law enforcement and the public can do to mitigate and perhaps stop mass casualty events.
NUCLEAR ENERGYExploring the New Nuclear Energy Landscape
In the last few years, the U.S. has seen a resurgence of interest in nuclear energy and its potential for helping meet the nation’s growing demands for clean electricity and energy security. Meanwhile, nuclear energy technologies themselves have advanced, opening up new possibilities for their use.
WILRDFIRESTrump’s Cuts to Federal Wildfire Crews Could Have “Scary” Consequences
President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer. States, tribes and fire chiefs are preparing for a fire season with minimal federal support.
EURO-ATLANTIC SECURITYTime to Reassess the Costs of Euro-Atlantic Security
The undeniable truth is that security comes at a cost. If Europeans fail to invest more now to deter Russia and China, the alliance will face far greater expenses and risks. The problem is that Europeans, with few exceptions, fail to grasp the immense costs such a scenario would inflict on allied security.