Our picksISIS’ last stand; Portland earthquake warnings; countering drone swarm attacks, and more

U.S. lawyers don’t buy Huawei’s argument on Chinese hacking (Tom Simonite, Wired)
Over the past year, telecoms manufacturer Huawei has become a pariah outside its native China.
The company grew rapidly in recent years as its low-cost telecom equipment and smartphones won favor with telcos and consumers. It is the world’s largest maker of telecom gear, and a leading vendor of the technology needed to build next-generation 5G mobile networks.
But the Federal Communications Commission warned last year that use of Huawei’s equipment in US telecom networks might weaken US national security due to the company’s close ties to China’s government, which has been implicated in hacking campaigns against US companies and government agencies. President Trump later signed a bill banning US government purchases of Huawei equipment. And the company faces similar accusations or bans in Australia, Germany, Poland, and the UK, as well as US indictments alleging the company breached sanctions on Iran and stole secrets from T-Mobile. (On Friday, Canada said it would allow an extradition hearing against Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, who is accused in relation to the Iran case, to proceed.)

Islamic State fighters make last stand (AP)

Islamic State militants are desperately fighting to hang on to the last tiny piece of territory they hold on the riverside in eastern Syria, deploying snipers, guided missiles and surprise tunnel attacks. The resistance prompted a fierce pounding Sunday by the U.S-led coalition and its ground allies in their final push to end the extremist group’s territorial hold.

Portland delays earthquake warning sign ordinance (Elliot Njus, The Oregonian)
The policy was set to take effect March 1, but a judge had already ordered a temporary injunction prohibiting its enforcement until after he heard a lawsuit filed by owners of affected buildings.

The Pentagon’s technology chief is an utter f*cking fool (Spencer Ackerman, Daily Beast)
If you spout the right shibboleths, you can rise high in the ranks of the defense establishment despite being dangerously ignorant. Michael Griffin, case study.

Should California insure against spending too much on fighting wildfires? (George Skelton, Los Angeles Times)
One bill would establish a state catastrophe fund to provide extra liability insurance for utilities. It would provide the utilities financial stability to keep the lights on in California.

DOD looks to counter drone swarm strikes (Adam Mazmanian, FCW)
The Department of Defense is in the market for a system using existing technology to counter possible drone swarm attacks against military bases and installations. A March 1 solicitation from the Defense Innovation Unit notes that, “it has proven difficult to identify and mitigate threats using currently fielded technologies.” DIU is seeking a solution that can comport with requirements of U.S. law to protect homeland bases, but can also function abroad in a variety of environments.

How the appropriations bill can strengthen “Remain in Mexico” (Stewart Baker, Lawfare)
While Congress and cable news chatter emergency powers and President Trump’s wall, there’s a far more important immigration fight under way on the southwest border. At a time when judicial deference to the executive on immigration law has nearly vanished, the country is one court ruling away from a disastrous immigration outcome. It was summarized this way by one Honduran caravan member, who traveled to the border because: “she had heard … that bringing her daughter would guarantee them admission into the United States.”
She got it right—with one caveat. To avoid this outcome, the Trump administration is now telling applicants to wait for their asylum hearings in Mexico instead of the United States. That “remain in Mexico” policy, however, is fiercely contested and could be set aside by the courts tomorrow. If it is, anyone who crosses the border with a son or daughter will be more or less guaranteed admission, plus a work permit for some years, plus a realistic shot at staying in the country illegally for a lifetime.