Our picksFlint’s water crisis & kids’ brains; National Guard & election security; Chinese telecoms ban, and more

What fate for captured Islamic State terrorists? (Robert Chesney, Lawfare)

The war with the Islamic State has been underway in Syria and Iraq for many years, and during this time large numbers of Islamic State members have been captured by Iraqi, Kurdish, and allied Syrian forces. The United States almost never takes custody of these captives. This is not surprising.

Counter-terrorism: The reality check comes due (Strategy Page)
European nations have a problem with the many widows and children of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) fighters now under arrest in Syria and Iraq. Many of these widows are asking to be returned to their European homelands and raise their children in the place denounced as the women left to join ISIL in Syria or Iraq. This is most frequently a problem in Iraq where the government there wants to prosecute some of the widows who were known to have worked for ISIL, usually by making videos urging other European Moslems to join ISIL.

Did Flint’s water crisis damage kids’ brains? (Emily Atkin, New Republic)

Third-grade reading proficiency has plunged in the lead-poisoned city, setting off a debate about the possible causes.

Why North Korea and Iran get accused of nuclear collusion (Jim Walsh)
Iran and North Korea are often rhetorically linked, most famously in President George W. Bush’s 2002 speech in which he labeled them part of an “axis of evil.” In practice, however, they have been largely treated as separate challenges for American foreign policy. There are good reasons for this. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are in different regions, have different economies and political systems, and affect different sets of U.S. allies.

Could a cyber national guard have a role in safeguarding elections? (Lawrence C. Williams, FCW)
With midterm elections this year, some members of Congress are wondering what the Defense Department can do to guard against foreign meddling. At a Feb. 13 Senate Armed Services cybersecurity subcommittee hearing, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) suggested that the National Guard should step in.

How to keep U.S. missile defense on the right track (Ian Williams, Defense One)
Use the coming funding boost to smooth the development of a new kill vehicle and increase GMD testing in general.

Bill would allow university faculty to carry guns (AP)
Supporters of the bill argue that a designated shooter could help stop a possible shooting.

Chinese telecoms could join Kaspersky on governmentwide banned list (Joseph Marks, Nextgov)
The Homeland Security Department banned the Russian antivirus company Kaspersky from government networks last year. Huawei and ZTE may be next.

Caribbean residents see climate change as a severe threat but most in U.S. don’t — here’s why (Elizabeth J. Zechmeister and Claire Q. Evans, The Conversation)
Though people in the U.S. and the Caribbean share this increasing vulnerability to hurricanes, they hold very different opinions about the severity of climate change. Why the difference of opinion? Our research identifies two key factors: politics and risk perception.