Replacing DHS with Something Better? | Should Ransomware Payments Be Banned? | Treating Wildfires as Hurricanes, and more

·  The National Science and Technology Strategy Act proposes a “whole-of-government planning process for research and development” that would require the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a national science and technology strategy and conduct a quadrennial assessment of U.S. science and technology.

·  The Regional Innovation Act would, among other provisions, require the Commerce Department to create no fewer than 10 regional technology innovation hubs and recommend nearly $7 billion for the program spanning fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 

·  The Energizing Technology Transfer Act would support the commercialization of clean energy technologies and research supported by the Department of Energy. A previous version of the bill was incorporated into the House’s Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which was adapted into Congress’ fiscal year 2021 spending legislation. 

·  The Steel Upgrading Partnerships and Emissions Reduction Act proposes measures to support R&D on reducing the carbon footprint of steel manufacturing. 

Biden Pushes Cybersecurity Upgrades for Critical Infrastructure After Recent Hacks  (Rachel Treisman, NPR)

President Biden just signed a national security directive aimed at boosting defenses against ransomware attacks and the hacking of critical infrastructure like energy, food, water and power systems. A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the new standards will be voluntary, though the Biden administration may pursue legislative options, with help from Congress, to require the kind of technological improvements that would defend against such cyberattacks.

How AI Is Revealing the Secrets of Iran’s Nascent Centrifuge Factory  (Patrick Tucker, Defense One)
Satellites can’t directly observe the underground facility, but analysis of its surroundings yields a progress report.

Analysis: Biden’s COVID-19 Strategy Thwarted by Anti-Vaxxers, Delta Variant  (Jeff Mason and Julie Steenhuysen, Reuters)
Biden’s team pushed a major vaccine rollout and incentive campaign involving 42,000 pharmacies, dozens of mass vaccination sites, ride-share companies, a beer maker, and 5,100 active duty troops. Top officials fanned out across the country to preach a well-honed message: getting vaccinated means a return to normal.
In many parts of the United States, it worked. Millions lined up for shots and, as the vaccination rate increased nationwide, daily COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths dropped.
But the focus on vaccines accompanied a decline in COVID-19 testing, mixed messages on masking, and a failure to anticipate potent anti-vaccination sentiment, misinformation and the virus’ own ability to mutate rapidly into more formidable variants, some critics said.

Hold the UAE Accountable for Meddling in US Politics  (Ben Freeman, Defense One)
Letting the Emirates go unpunished sends the wrong signal to perpetrators of foreign influence operations.

Should Ransomware Payments Be Banned?  (Tarah Wheeler and Ciaran Martin, Brookings)
In recent years, ransomware has gone from major nuisance to international crisis. As that crisis has proliferated and victims are increasingly paying ransoms to regain access to their systems, calls are growing to make ransomware payments illegal. But there is little reason to believe this will shift the fundamental dynamics of the ransomware economy. Tarah Wheeler and Ciaran Martin examine the vexing issue of whether or not to ban ransom payments and wider ideas about how to disrupt the flow of money to the criminals and use their differing perspectives to offer some solutions.

Police Are Telling ShotSpotter to Alter Evidence from Gunshot-Detecting AI  (Todd Feathers, Vice)
Prosecutors in Chicago are being forced to withdraw evidence generated by the technology, which led to the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo earlier this year.