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CHINA WATCHChinese Government Poses 'Bold and Unrelenting' Threat to U.S. Critical Infrastructure: FBI
FBI Director Christopher Wray on 18 April warned that risks the government of China poses to U.S. national and economic security are “upon us now”—and that U.S. critical infrastructure is a prime target. He said that partnerships, joint operations, and private sector vigilance can help us fight back.
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CHINA WATCHSpyware as Service: What the i-Soon Files Reveal About China’s Targeting of the Tibetan Diaspora
Governments are increasingly incorporating cyber operations into the arsenal of statecraft. This sophisticated integration combines open-source intelligence, geospatial intelligence, human intelligence, and cyber espionage with artificial intelligence, allowing for the gathering and analysis of ever-expanding data sets. Increasingly, such operations are being outsourced.
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IRAN’S THREATIran versus Israel: Who Has the Military Edge?
In the event of a direct conflict with Iran, Israel would have the military superiority, both offensively and defensively, experts say. But they say the threat posed by Iran’s arsenal of drones and missiles should not be dismissed. Even so, Israel maintains military supremacy.
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IRAN’S THREATVitriolic Reactions to Arouri's Killing Highlight His Importance to the Iranian Regime’s “Axis of Resistance”
The death on 2 January 2024 of Saleh Al-Arouri, a leading Hamas financier and military leader, resulted in threats of retribution against Israel by Hamas, Hezbollah and other regional proxies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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CYBERSECURITYIsrael’s Cybersecurity Market is Maturing, and Just in Time
As tensions around the world rise and cyber threats multiply like digital rabbits, the Israeli cyber scene’s maturation seems like a saving grace.
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SCHOOL SAFETYTennessee Is Ramping Up Penalties for Student Threats. Research Shows That’s Not the Best Way to Keep Schools Safe.
After a former student killed six people last year at the private Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, state leaders have been looking for ways to make schools safer. Their focus so far has been to ramp up penalties against current students who make mass threats against schools. Months after the killings, legislators passed a law requiring students who make such threats to be expelled for a year. But a large body of research shows these zero-tolerance measures are not the most effective way to prevent violence in schools.
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WATER SECURITYIn a First, California Cracks Down on Farms Guzzling Groundwater
In much of the United States, groundwater extraction is unregulated and unlimited. This lack of regulation has allowed farmers nationwide to empty aquifers of trillions of gallons of water for irrigation and livestock. In many places, such as California’s Central Valley, the results have been devastating. California has just imposed a first-of-its-kind mandatory fee on water pumping by farmers in the Tulare Lake subbasin, one of the state’s largest farming areas.
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OUR PICKSIs the U.S. Ready for Extraterrestrials? Not If They’re Microbes | Outdated ridge Safety Standards | Cyberattacks Caused One Texas Water System to Overflow, and more
· Is the U.S. Ready for Extraterrestrials? Not If They’re Microbes.
As fantastical as it may sound, astrobiodefense is neither hypothetical nor fictional· The Next Pandemic Threat Demands Action Now
Governments should act now to deploy the capacities at their disposal to guard against the uncontrolled spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus· H5N1 Bird Flu in U.S. Cattle: A Wake-Up Call to Action
This evolutionary leap, if confirmed, underscores the adaptability of the H5N1 virus and raises concerns about the next step required for a pandemic· Baltimore Bridge Collapse Highlights Outdated Safety Standards, Experts Say
Engineers say the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge shows how U.S. system hasn’t evolved to keep up with modern challenges· A Toxic Grass That Threatens a Quarter of U.S. Cows Is Spreading Because of Climate Change
Fescue toxicosis costs the livestock industry up to $2 billion a year in lost production· Rural Texas Towns Report Cyberattacks That Caused One Water System to Overflow
Local officials said the public was not put in any danger and the attempts were reported to federal authorities -
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WORLD ROUNDUPThe Growing Incentive to Go Nuclear | Paris Tests AI Surveillance Ahead of Olympics | Forget About Chips—China Is Coming for Ships, and more
· Hindu Nationalism Now Mainstream, Thanks to Modi’s Decade in Power
Modi has achieved staying power by making Hindu nationalism acceptable — desirable, even — to a nation of 1.4 billion that for decades prided itself on pluralism and secularism· The Growing Incentive to Go Nuclear
Biden has inadvertently encouraged vulnerable nations to seek the ultimate shield· Have Israel and the United States Done Enough to Deter Iran?
U.S. allies intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles, and then Israeli forces counterattacked in a limited strike—but the threat of regional war remains· Forget About Chips—China Is Coming for Ships
Beijing’s grab for hegemony in a critical sector follows a familiar playbook· How Nongovernmental Entities Are Tailoring Their Outreach to Address Nuclear Escalation
Analysis shows there is little consensus in systematically categorizing and assessing the impact of nongovernmental entities on nuclear weapons issues· Paris Tests AI Surveillance Ahead of Olympics
French police will test AI-supported surveillance at events in the capital to prepare for this summer’s Olympics. Weekend tests will cover two large events and nearby public transport sites· U.S. to Withdraw Troops from Niger: Officials
More than 1,000 U.S. troops stationed in Niger will leave soon. Niger’s military leaders have been growing closer to Russia since seizing power in a coup last year· Tajikistan Striving to Convince the World That It Can Contain Terrorism
Dushanbe’s strategy ignores underlying sources of radicalization· Miscalculation Led to Escalation in Clash Between Israel and Iran
Israeli officials say they didn’t see a strike on a high-level Iranian target in Syria as a provocation, and did not give Washington a heads-up about it until right before it happened· Switzerland’s Lower House Moves to Ban Use of Nazi and Extremist Symbols That Could Stir Violence
The proposal goes beyond a simple ban on Nazi memorabilia, which had failed in the past in parliament, to include other forms of extremist symbols -
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ELECTION SECURITYSecurity Agencies Warn Election Officials to Brace for Attacks on U.S. Presidential Race
U.S. intelligence and security agencies are trying to prepare election officials across the United States for a wave of new attacks aiming to destroy voter confidence in November’s presidential election, just as a series of reports warn that familiar adversaries – Russia, China, and Iran — are starting to ramp up their efforts.
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CHINA WATCHSuozzi, Smith Relaunch the Congressional Uyghur Caucus
In July 2021, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) launched the bipartisan Congressional Uyghur Caucus to raise awareness of China’s systemic human rights violations against the Uyghur people and to support legislation aimed at addressing this coordinated human rights abuse. Suozzi decided not to run in 2022 for another term – but won the seat (NY-3) again in a special election in February this year. One of his first acts in Congress: Relaunching, with Smith, the Uyghur Caucus.
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NUCLEAR WEAPONSKey Weapons Component Development Milestone
Sandia and the Kansas City National Security Campus completed a crucial weapons component development milestone, prior to full rate production. The Mark 21 Replacement Fuze interfaces with the W87-0 warhead for deployment onto the Minuteman III and, eventually, the Sentinel ICBM.
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CRITICAL MINERALSAustralia’s Leadership Imperatives in Critical Minerals
Australia, like Canada, is well placed to be a global leader in the critical minerals sector. The country has the natural endowment, technical expertise and experience, global mining footprint, and mining capital base to back a claim to worldwide leadership.
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COASTAL CHALLENGESSinking Land Increases Risk for Thousands of Coastal Residents
One in 50 people living in two dozen coastal cities in the United States could experience significant flooding by 2050, according to new research. The study projects that in the next three decades as many as 500,000 people could be affected as well as a potential 1 in 35 privately owned properties damaged by flooding.
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WATER SECURITYProblems with Glen Canyon Dam Could Jeopardize Water Flowing to Western States
Without upgrades to the Glen Canyon dam’s infrastructure, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s ability to get water downstream to the lower Colorado River basin as required by the Colorado River Compact could be in jeopardy. This may be, in the words of concerned groups, “the most urgent water problem” for the Colorado River and the 40 million people who rely on it.
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OUR PICKSUnpacking the FISA Section 702 Reauthorization Bill | There’s No Easy Answer to Chinese EVs | Google’s Location History Program & Digital Surveillance Law, and more
· Trump’s Challenge to Democracy through the Lens of Transitional Justice
Viewed comparatively, the events surrounding the January 6 U.S. Capitol Attack reflect a larger erosion of democratic norms and setbacks to liberal constitutionalism across western countries· How Google’s Location History Program Could Upend Digital Surveillance Law
Federal courts may eliminate Fourth Amendment protections for cell phone data based on dubious claims about Google’s Location History· Unpacking the FISA Section 702 Reauthorization Bill
The FISA reauthorization bill has something to interest everyone from addressing the use of U.S. person query terms to formalizing oversight· Far-Right Sheriffs Want a Citizen Army to Stop ‘Illegal Immigrant’ Voters
Speakers at a conference for Constitutional Sheriffs claimed that militias need to patrol polling stations to stop the “expected flood” of immigrant voters· There’s No Easy Answer to Chinese EVs
Supercheap electric cars or an American industrial renaissance: Pick one -
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WORLD ROUNDUPThe Terrorist Threat the West Still Ignores | Iran’s Nuclear Crisis Has No Military Solution | An ISIS Terror Group Draws Half Its Recruits from Tiny Tajikistan, and more
· The Terrorist Threat the West Still Ignores
Domestic far-right terrorism has been increasingly internationalized—and requires a coordinated response· Is the EU’s Image Failing in Southeast Asia?
A new survey shows the EU is losing face with business and government “elites” of Southeast Asia. Respondents showed less confidence in Brussels on issues like upholding free trade and global order· China is Battening down for the Gathering Storm Over Taiwan
There is no apparent countdown to D-day for initiating a blockade or invasion, but major strategic indicators clearly show that General Secretary Xi Jinping is still preparing his country for a showdown· Iran’s Nuclear Crisis Has No Military Solution
Whether Tehran weaponizes its program remains tied to threat perceptions by political leadership· An ISIS Terror Group Draws Half Its Recruits from Tiny Tajikistan
Young migrants from the former Soviet republic were accused of an attack on a concert hall in Moscow that killed 145 people -
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IMMIGRANTS & CRIMECrime Rates, Not the Number of Crimes, Are a Better Way to Judge Immigrant Criminality
Focusing on crime rates rather than the number of crimes is essential to compare criminality between populations such as immigrants and native‐born Americans. Otherwise, there is no basis for arguing that one or the other is more criminally inclined, which really matters when discussing public safety.
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EXTREMISMFar-Right Extremism in Europe: From Margins to Mainstream
The influx of migrants over the decades has festered resentment within the local European population, who fear the undermining of ethno-national identities and access to adequate social and economic opportunities.
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CRITICAL MINERALSA More Efficient Way to Extract Lithium from Mining Sites, Oil Fields, Used Batteries
Lithium is a lightweight metal commonly used in energy-dense and rechargeable batteries. Electric vehicles, which are needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, rely on lithium-ion batteries. Chemists have invented a more efficient way to extract lithium from waste liquids leached from mining sites, oil fields and used batteries.
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FLOODS & BATTERIESFrom Florida Floods to Idaho Desert: Understanding Impacts of Flood Damage on Vehicle Batteries
Electric vehicles offer some clear advantages over gasoline-power cars including zero emissions and lower operation and maintenance costs. But they also present some new challenges. Recent storms have revealed that seawater-flooded EVs can pose safety concerns for passengers, emergency responders and recovery personnel.
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ENERGY SECURITYSubterranean Storage of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is an important clean fuel: It can be made by splitting water using solar or wind power, it can be used to generate electricity and to power heavy industry, and it could be used to energize fuel-cell-based vehicles. Sandia scientists are using computer simulations and laboratory experiments to see if depleted oil and natural gas reservoirs can be used for storing this carbon-free fuel.
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The long view
DEMOCRACY WATCHPreventing Another 'Jan. 6' Starts by Changing How Elections Are Certified, Experts Say
By Sara Savat
The 2024 presidential election may be a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, but preventing a repeat of Jan. 6, 2021 — when false claims of a stolen election promoted by Donald Trump and his allies led to an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol —will be top of mind this election year. Research finds broad support among public for nonpartisan certification commissions.
ELECTION SECURITYStates Rush to Combat AI Threat to Elections
By Zachary Roth
This year’s presidential election will be the first since generative AI became widely available. That’s raising fears that millions of voters could be deceived by a barrage of political deepfakes. Congress has done little to address the issue, but states are moving aggressively to respond — though questions remain about how effective any new measures to combat AI-created disinformation will be.
RANSOMWARERansomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
By Dino Jahic
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.
CHINA WATCHChinese Government Hackers Targeted Critics of China, U.S. Businesses and Politicians
An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLESAutonomous Vehicle Technology Vulnerable to Road Object Spoofing and Vanishing Attacks
Researchers have demonstrated the potentially hazardous vulnerabilities associated with the technology called LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, many autonomous vehicles use to navigate streets, roads and highways. The researchers have shown how to use lasers to fool LiDAR into “seeing” objects that are not present and missing those that are – deficiencies that can cause unwarranted and unsafe braking or collisions.
CYBERDETERRENCETantalizing Method to Study Cyberdeterrence
By Trina West
Tantalus is unlike most war games because it is experimental instead of experiential — the immersive game differs by overlapping scientific rigor and quantitative assessment methods with the experimental sciences, and experimental war gaming provides insightful data for real-world cyberattacks.
AIRPORT SECURITYPrototype Self-Service Screening System Unveiled
TSA and DHS S&T unveiled a prototype checkpoint technology, the self-service screening system, at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas, NV. The aim is to provide a near self-sufficient passenger screening process while enabling passengers to directly receive on-person alarm information and allow for the passenger self-resolution of those alarms.
SPACE DEBRISFalling Space Debris: How High Is the Risk I'll Get Hit?
By Zulfikar Abbany, Julia Vergin, and Katja Sterzik
An International Space Station battery fell back to Earth and, luckily, splashed down harmlessly in the Atlantic. Should we have worried? Space debris reenters our atmosphere every week.
WILDFIRESUsing Drone Swarms to Fight Forest Fires
Forest fires are becoming increasingly catastrophic across the world, accelerated by climate change. Researchers are using multiple swarms of drones to tackle natural disasters like forest fires.
DRONESTesting Cutting-Edge Counter-Drone Technology
Drones have many positive applications, bad actors can use them for nefarious purposes. Two recent field demonstrations brought government, academia, and industry together to evaluate innovative counter-unmanned aircraft systems.
IMMIGRATIONSocial Acceptance of Immigrants Working as Politicians or Judges Is Low
Often, the dominant society develops negative attitudes towards immigrants and their descendants because their integration is too successful – and not because they are unwilling to integrate. A possible explanation for negative attitudes towards successful immigrants could be the dominant society’s fear of immigrants occupying influential and value-based occupations. This applies, for example, for immigrants working in local politics or law.
ENERGY SECURITYStrengthening the Grid’s ‘Backbone’ with Hydropower
By Michael Matz
Argonne-led studies investigate how hydropower could help add more clean energy to the grid, how it generates value as grids add more renewable energy, and how liner technology can improve hydropower efficiency.
ARMS TRADEEuropean Arms Imports Nearly Double, U.S. and French Exports Rise, and Russian Exports Fall Sharply
States in Europe almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 per cent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. The United States increased its arms exports by 17 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while Russia’s arms exports halved. Russia was for the first time the third largest arms exporter, falling just behind France.
ENERGY SECURITYLNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.
CLIMATE CHANGE & NATIONAL SECURITYHow Climate Change Will Affect Conflict and U.S. Military Operations
By Doug Irving
“People talk about climate change as a threat multiplier,” said Karen Sudkamp, an associate director of the Infrastructure, Immigration, and Security Operations Program within the RAND Homeland Security Research Division. “But at what point do we need to start talking about the threat multiplier actually becoming a significant threat all its own?”
TECH APOCALYPSEThe Tech Apocalypse Panic is Driven by AI Boosters, Military Tacticians, and Movies
By Matthew Guariglia
From popular films like a War Games or The Terminator to a U.S. State Department-commissioned report on the security risk of weaponized AI, there has been a tremendous amount of hand wringing and nervousness about how so-called artificial intelligence might end up destroying the world. There is one easy way to avoid a lot of this and prevent a self-inflicted doomsday: don’t give computers the capability to launch devastating weapons.