• THE AMERICASU.S. Announces Measures to Help Over 11,000 Cuban Small Businesses

    By Nike Ching

    The administration unveiled regulatory changes to increase support for the Cuban people and independent private sector entrepreneurs. The changes will enable more U.S. financial support for small private businesses in Cuba, enhance internet-based services on the island and broaden access to financial services.

  • NUCLEAR WARCould a U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal Spark Middle East Arms Race?

    By Cathrin Schaer

    One part of a predicted, closer US-Saudi relationship is particularly controversial. Experts fear Saudi Arabia may use a civilian nuclear energy program, supported by the US, to develop their own atomic bombs.

  • NUCLEAR WARModeling the Threat of Nuclear War

    By Poornima Apte

    It’s a question that occupies significant bandwidth in the world of nuclear arms security: Could hypersonic missiles, which fly at speeds of least five times the speed of sound, increase the likelihood of nuclear war? As part of his MIT doctoral studies in nuclear science and engineering, Eli Sanchez investigated whether hypersonic missiles threaten global security.

  • CHINA WATCHO-RAN Is Overhyped as Avoiding Chinese 5G Influence

    By Manoj Harjani

    In recent years, countries have faced a stark choice between Chinese and Western suppliers to develop their 5G cellular network infrastructure. While Chinese suppliers such as Huawei and ZTE are not trusted because of their ties and legal obligations to China’s party-state, Western suppliers have struggled to compete on cost. The emergence of Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) technology has some promised, but the idea that O-RAN is a viable alternative to Chinese suppliers seems hollow.

  • DEEPFAKES & ELECTIONSColorado Law Will Require Disclosure of AI-generated Content in Political Ads

    By Joe Mueller, The Center Square

    A law going into effect in July in Colorado will place new regulations and penalties on using artificial intelligence to manipulate video or images and using them in political campaigns. The new law will require disclaimers on communications generated or substantially altered by AI which falsely depict what a candidate or elected official has said or done.

  • CYBERSECURITYStudy Sheds Light on Shady World of Text Message Phishing Scams

    By Matt Shipman

    Researchers have collected and analyzed an unprecedented amount of data on SMS phishing attacks, shedding light on both the scope and nature of SMS phishing operations.

  • RADARRadar Is Advancing at Historic Speed. How Engineers Are Setting the Pace.

    In a whirling geopolitical landscape of new nuclear weapons, hypersonic weapons, drones and satellites, the U.S. is hustling to test new kinds of radars aimed at detecting evolving threats.

  • OUR PICKSTo Win the Chip War, the U.S. Must Prioritize Revolutionary Research | You Think You Know How Misinformation Spreads? | How Safe Is America's Drinking Water Supply?, and more

    ·  You Think You Know How Misinformation Spreads? Welcome to the Hellhole of Programmatic Advertising
    The internet is a cesspool of misinformation, and the biggest blue-chip brands and their ad agencies are the ones funding it—by stuffing money into a Rube Goldberg machine no one really understand

    ·  Once a Sheriff’s Deputy in Florida, Now a Source of Disinformation from Russia
    In 2016, Russia used an army of trolls to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. This year, an American given asylum in Moscow may be accomplishing much the same thing all by himself

    ·  To Win the Chip War, the U.S. Must Prioritize Revolutionary Research
    Success against China requires that America maintain a technological edge

    ·  Anduril Is Building Out the Pentagon’s Dream of Deadly Drone Swarms
    The US military aims to maintain its dominance by building autonomous attack drones that collaborate with humans and overwhelm defenses in swarms

    ·  How Safe Is America’s Drinking Water Supply?
    U.S. issued a stark warning this week warning that the threat to the United States’ supply of drinking water is increasing

    ·  Billionaire Gets 7 Months in Prison, Expulsion from U.S. After HSI New York Probe
    Chinese billionaire was sentenced to seven months in prison for making political contributions in the names of other

  • WORLD ROUNDUPUS Concerned Over Iran's Enriched Uranium Stockpile | North Korea Sends Poop-Filled Balloons South | ‘Wall of Drones’ to Monitor NATO Border with Russia, and more

    ·  Germany: Far-Right AfD Stumbles Ahead of EU Election
    The Alternative for Germany has seen turbulent weeks: Top candidates caused outrage by trivializing Nazi crimes and are being investigated for links to China and Russia

    ·  Germany’s Far-Right Party Is Running Hateful Ads on Facebook and Instagram
    Published ahead of the EU elections, the ads blame immigrants for crime and sexual violence

    ·  Is China building a strategic foothold in Cambodia? 
    Joint military drills this month suggest the ties between China and Cambodia are growing stronger. Experts argue Beijing will use Cambodia as a conduit to further its strategic interests in the South China Sea

    ·  North Korea Sends Poop-Filled Balloons South
    North Korean balloons dropped feces and other garbage on busy streets, in front of residences, and in other public areas across South Korea on Wednesday

    ·  US Concerned Over Iran’s Enriched Uranium Stockpile
    Iran has increased its quantity of enriched uranium that is near weapons-grade levels

    ·  China Is Testing the U.S.-Philippines Alliance
    Here’s how Washington and Manila can respond to Beijing’s gray-zone tactics in the South China Sea

    ·  ‘Wall of Drones’ to Monitor NATO Border with Russia
    Latvian president says they will guard against migration being used as a ‘weapon’ by Putin as well as other possible provocations

    ·  Pushing the Boundaries
    The map of the world is likely to be redrawn, thanks to the decline of post war Pax Americana, an expansionist Russia and China, and the push for ethnic sovereignty

    ·  Quarter of Political Donations in EU Go to Extremist and Populist Parties, Data Reveals
    Figures from 200 parties in 25 countries suggest hardline groups have had rise in donations in recent years, increasing war chests before European parliament elections

    ·  Italy’s PM Says Fascism Is ‘Consigned to History’. Not Everyone Is So Sure
    They line up in military-like formation: a thousand strong, most dressed in black, some with tattoos on shaved scalps

  • CHINA WATCHChina's Digital Silk Road Exports Internet Technology, Controls

    By Lin Yang

    A Chinese initiative known as the “Digital Silk Road” is helping Southeast Asian nations modernize their digital landscapes. But rights groups say Beijing is also exporting its model of authoritarian governance of the internet through censorship, surveillance and controls.

  • DEEPFAKESAnalyzing the Characteristics of AI-generated Deepfakes

    Most of the deepfakes generated by artificial intelligence (AI) that spread through social media feature political representatives and artists and are often linked to current news cycles. The findings of a new research are applicable to different fields, from national security to the integrity of election campaigns.

  • PROTEST MOVEMENTSPolitical Elites Take Advantage of Anti-Partisan Protests to Disrupt Politics

    By Josh Stowe

    Protest movements that reject political parties have an unintended consequence: They empower savvy politicians, who channel them to shake up the status quo. The findings provide a framework for understanding recent global political realignments.

  • CYERSECURITYMajor Gaps in Cybersecurity at Auto Workshops

    Many auto workshops do not know enough about how to keep our cars safe from cyberattacks, a new study reveals. “A large proportion of the vehicle fleet could practically be entirely open to attacks or already breached,” says a cybersecurity expert.

  • HYDROGEN HAZARDSWhat Are the Risks of Hydrogen Vehicles in Tunnels?

    By Falko Schoklitsch

    In addition to electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles are also seen as an alternative to conventionally powered vehicles. Scientists have analyzed the risk and damage potential of hydrogen vehicles in tunnels and derived recommendations. Their conclusion? Any damage would be extensive, but its occurrence is unlikely.

  • POWER-GRID RESILIENCERevolutionizing Energy Grid Maintenance: How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming the Future

    By Liz Thompson

    Scientists are leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to transform energy grid asset maintenance, helping U.S. power companies identify and address problems before they even occur, helping to ensure the security and reliability of America’s energy infrastructure.

  • FLOODSTexas’ First-Ever Statewide Flood Plan Estimates 5 Million Live in Flood-Prone Areas

    By Alejandra Martinez

    The state’s flood plan shows which Texans are most at risk of flooding and suggests billions of dollars more are needed for flood mitigation projects. Texas plans to reduce the risk for those people by recommending solutions to harden Texas against floods and rising sea levels.

  • CLIMATE CHALLENGES2023 Was the Hottest Summer in Two Thousand Years

    Researchers have found that 2023 was the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere in the past two thousand years, almost four degrees warmer than the coldest summer during the same period. Even allowing for natural climate variations over hundreds of years, 2023 was still the hottest summer since the height of the Roman Empire, exceeding the extremes of natural climate variability by half a degree Celsius.

  • OUR PICKSNuclear Energy’s Bottom Line | Seawater: Untapped Bounty of Critical Metals | A Guide to Content Moderation for Policymakers, and more

    ·  Russian Disinformation in Europe Sounds an Alarm for U.S. Elections
    With European parliamentary elections coming in June, Moscow has jumped into action

    ·  Nuclear Energy’s Bottom Line
    The United States used to build nuclear-power plants affordably. To meet our climate goals, we’ll need to learn how to do it again

    ·  Elon Musk Dominates Space Launch. Rivals Are Calling Foul.
    Musk is increasingly using his vast power and influence to try to keep emerging rivals at bay

    ·  How Many EV Charging Stations Does the US Need to Totally Replace Gas Stations?
    The United States could fully transition to electric vehicles in about 20 years. When that happens, we’re going to need a lot of chargers

    ·  In Seawater, Researchers See an Untapped Bounty of Critical Metals
    Can metals that naturally occur in seawater be mined, and can they be mined sustainably?

    ·  Arizona Secretary of State Calls Threats to Election Officials ‘Domestic Terrorism’
    Adrian Fontes made comments on NBC panel of elections officials from states whose voters could decide 2024 presidential election

    ·  A Guide to Content Moderation for Policymakers
    While prominent social media platforms may be biased and imperfect, the government cannot solve these problems and will only make them worse

  • WORLD ROUNDUPWhat If Iran Already Has the Bomb? | Can a U.S.-China Military Hotline Stop the Downward Spiral? | Islamic Terrorism Is About to Return to Europe, and more

    ·  Can a U.S.-China Military Hotline Stop the Downward Spiral?
    New communications channels between the superpowers are a hopeful sign

    ·  What If Iran Already Has the Bomb?
    For the first time, Iranian officials are openly threatening to build a nuclear weapon—and even intimating that they already have

    ·  Democracies Aren’t the Peacemakers Anymore
    How Washington can reclaim its diplomatic primacy in an authoritarian age

    ·  The Inevitable Role of Clans in Post-Conflict Stabilization in Gaza
    The question of clans’ role in post-conflict Gaza has yet to gain any significant attention among policymakers outside of Israel and Palestine

    ·  Iran’s Near-Bomb-Grade Uranium Stock Grows, Talks Stall, IAEA Reports Say
    Iran is enriching uranium to close to weapons-grade at a steady pace

    ·  Islamic Terrorism Is About to Return to Europe, the Possible Targets: the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024
    The threat of terrorism has been there all along, but because of the attacks on October 7, 2023, it has taken off the media’s attention

    ·  The United States Is Expected to Lift Its Ban on the Sale of Offensive Weapons to Saudi Arabia
    Lifting the ban would represent Washington’s latest move to improve U.S.-Saudi relations

  • FINANCIAL-SYSTEMS SECURITYEmerging Threats to the U.S. Financial System

    By Doug Irvin

    In early 2021, a freewheeling, freethinking group of investors on Reddit plowed their money into GameStop, a video game retailer that several big hedge funds had bet against. The stock price shot up, some people made millions—and, to the delight of those on Reddit, the hedge funds had some very bad days. Researchers saw the GameStop story as a cautionary tale. If investors on Reddit could work together to move the markets like that, what could an adversary like China do?

  • CHINA WATCHChinese Military Drills Test Taiwan’s Defense Readiness, Analysts Say

    By William Yang

    China wrapped up a two-day, large-scale military exercise Friday after its forces deployed 111 aircraft and 46 naval vessels to areas around Taiwan. Experts say the Chinese military simulated some scenarios that would be involved in a potential invasion of Taiwan during the exercise.

  • NUCLEAR WARIs Putin Preparing for Nuclear War?

    By Paul Dibb

    On 6 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had authorized a military exercise involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in southern Russia. This is the first time such an announcement has been made since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Putin needs to understand that even use of tactical nuclear weapons by him may risk total war and the end of Russia as a functioning state.