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Top 10 overseas security trends for the U.S. private sector in 2007
Advisory group says theft of trade secrets (did somebody say China?), cyber attacks, and home-grown radicalism were among the major 2007 threats to U.S. businesses operating abroad — and that 2008 will see intensification of these threats
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U.S., U.K., China, and Russia are "endemic surveillance societies"
Respected annual report ranking countries on privacy protection gave the four nations the lowest possible rating; concern over terrorism, immigration, and border control continue to erode privacy and increase surveillance
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Energy bill to save U.S. more than $400 billion between now and 2030
The energy efficiency portions of the energy bill which passed the Senate save U.S. consumers and businesses more than $400 billion between now and 2030; this is triple the savings from legislation passed by Congress in 2005
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Budget cuts threaten Fermilab's viability
Fermilab’s 2008 budget will be 17 percent smaller than the 2007 budget; 200 of its 1,900 scientists will be laid off next month; NOνA’s neutrino experiment, Tevatron collider, other programs to be halted; one scientist says: “Effectively, Fermilab is put on a glide-path to shut down after 2011”
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House backs TRIA version broader than one favored by Senate, White House
House backs a slimmer version of Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) — but this version is still broader than the one favored by the Senate and White House; TRIA will expire on 31 December unless renewed, and insurance companies, big cities are increasingly anxious
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U.K. government promotes commercialization of innovative technology
The U.K. government and a couple of research associations are seeking bids from universities interested in hosting new Innovation and Knowledge Centers (IKCs); each center will be funded with £9.5 million spread over five years
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Sale of controlled technology to China brings two years
China is engaging in a broad effort to obtain Western technology, and has instructed its intellignece agencies to engage in industrial espionage in the West; a California resident is sentenced to two years in prison for selling China night-vision cameras
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Foreign investment boosts U.S. economy
Last year the United States attracted $180 billion in foreign direct investment; U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies employ 5.1 million Americans with a payroll of $336 billion; this translates into annual average worker compensation of $66,042 — well above the national average; one analyst argues that we should not allow protectionist sentiments and misplaced security concerns disrupt this contribution to the U.S. economy
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U.S. teens lag behind in science and math
U.S. teenagers continue to fall behind students from other industrialized countries in science and math; tests conducted among students in the 30 industrialized OECD countries place U.S. students at 23rd in math and 17th in science; when compared to tests conducted among students from two dozen non-industrialized countries, U.S. students fell in the middle of the pack in science and did somewhat worse in math
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DHS's inspector general to take a close look at FEMA
IG predicts that the number of FEMA investigations outnumber those planned for any of the ten other DHS divisions; for 2008, the IG plans to produce 173 management reports — 53 on FEMA and 31 on the department’s management division
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Administration plans drastic cuts in antiterrorism funds to large cities
New York politicians slam administration’s plans to cut antiterrorism funds to New York and other large cities; if Bush includes the cuts in his annual funding request to Congress, “They’ll be dead on arrival,” Representative Peter King (R-New York) vowed
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U.K. government looks to private sector, academia for help on security
U.K. Home Office organize a meeting of 150 scientists, venture capitalists, chief executives, and academics to exchange ideas on new capabilities and future research priorities in the figh against terrorism
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Aussies debate creation of DHS-like super-department
Kevin Rudd, leader of Australia’s opposition Labor Party, has proposed the creation of a DHS-like agency to coordinate responses to terrorism and natural disasters; critics say that the current, decentralized Australian first-response system is better
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Main Northern Ireland's Protestant militant group declares "war is over"
The UDA specialized in revenge murders of innocent Catholics after IRA attacks; it killed hundreds of people and extorted vast sums from its own community; in the last decades, many of its members turned to drug dealing and other crimes; leaders say that, as of yesterday, the “war is over” and that the organization will stand down; UDA say it will purge criminals from its ranks
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Foreign students face tightened U.K. security checks
Foreign students applying for graduate study in the U.K. in 41 science and engineering subjects now must pass extra security screening
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More headlines
The long view
Improving the Security of Soft Targets and Crowded Places
Attacks on soft targets and crowded places (ST-CPs) represent a significant challenge. How can prevention, protection, and response and recovery investments reduce the risk of casualties from attacks on ST-CPs?
Canada’s Biosecurity Scandal: The Risks of Foreign Interference in Life Sciences
In July 2019, world-renowned biological researchers Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng were quietly walked out of the Canadian government’s National Microbiology Lab (NML). The original allegation against them was that Qiu had authorized a shipment to China of some of the deadliest viruses on the planet, including Ebola and Nipah. Then the story seemed to go away—until now.
Don’t Buy Moscow’s Shameless Campaign Tying Biden to Its Terrorist Attack
Russia has offered many different explanations to the ISIS-K’s 22 March 2024 terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow, but the most recent explanation offered by Russia is the most audacious yet: Russia now charges that the Ukrainian energy company Burisma financed the attack. Burisma is at the center of an effort by a congressional committee to impeach President Biden, but the case has all but collapsed. Hunter Stoll writes that Russia’s disinformation and propaganda apparatus appears to be searching for ways to keep Burisma in the news ahead of the U.S. presidential election.
West Reliant on Russian Nuclear Fuel Amid Decarbonization Push
A new report and research from a British defense research group has found that many Western nations are still reliant on Russian nuclear fuel to power their reactors, despite efforts to sever economic ties with the Kremlin following its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
‘Fake News’ Legislation Risks Doing More Harm Than Good Amid a Record Number of Elections in 2024
“Fake news” legislation that governments around the world have written in recent years to combat mis- and disinformation does little to protect journalistic freedom. Rather, it can create a greater risk of harm. That’s the main finding of a review I helped conduct of legislation either considered or passed over the past several years related to fake news and mis- and disinformation.