-
TARRIFSTrump’s National Security Tariffs
Without exemptions, the tariffs President Trump imposed on steel and aluminum imports are likely to negatively impact the U.S. defense sector, critical infrastructure, and U.S. allies. How these trade-offs are weighed hinges on how national security is defined.
-
-
CHINA WATCHCalls Grow for U.S. to Counter Chinese Control, Influence in Western Ports
Experts say Washington should consider buying back some ports, offer incentives to allies to decouple from China.
-
-
GUNSSome Chicago Gunshot Victims Don’t Trust Ambulances
Survivors are choosing to transport themselves to the hospital instead of waiting for emergency services. Experts say the Chicago Fire Department isn’t doing everything it can to improve slow response times.
-
-
EXTREMISMTrump’s Pardons and Purges Revive Old Question: Who Counts as a Terrorist?
The president’s sweeping clemency for Capitol rioters and his administration’s ongoing removal of career national security specialists foretell a permissive new climate for extremist movements, say current and former officials and researchers.
-
-
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITYMcConnell’s Comments on Gabbard Nomination
“The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a Director of National Intelligence with a history of alarming lapses in judgment,” Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said. “Tulsi Gabbard failed to demonstrate that she is prepared to assume this tremendous national trust.”
-
-
CRITICAL MATERIALSCleaning Up Critical Minerals and Materials Production, Using Microwave Plasma
With technology developed at MIT, 6K is helping to bring critical materials production back to the U.S. without toxic byproducts.
-
-
DISASTERSPerfect Storm: Megafires Set the Stage for Debris Flows
Storms now pounding Southern California are raising the specter of more danger for residents — debris flows in areas already reeling from devastating fires. Flows pose bigger threat than typical mudslides.
-
-
OUR PICKSDOGE Is Hacking America | NATO Can Help Tackle the U.S. Border Crisis | How Edward Snowden’s Leaks Benefited China, and more
· DOGE Is Hacking America
· Assessing Claims That the CIA Supports the Lab-Leak Hypothesis for COVID
· How Edward Snowden’s Leaks Benefited China
· Extremists Who Were Targeted by FBI Cheer Trump MAGA Pick to Head Agency
· Senate Confirms Gabbard as Top Intelligence Official
· Trump’ W.H.O. Exit Throws Smallpox Defenses into Upheaval
· Ukraine Will Give U.S. Rare Earth Minerals in Exchange for “Security Shield”
· California’s Insurer of Last Resort Runs Out of Money to Pay L.A. Fire Claims
· At Daily Threats Meeting for Justice and FBI, Veteran Staff Are Absent
· The Trump Administration’s Most Dangerous Misstep
· Why the COVID Deniers Won
· NATO Can Help Tackle the U.S. Border Crisis
· When “Just Asking Questions” About Science Turns Into 300,000 Dead
-
-
OUR PICKS: DEMOCRACY WATCHThere Are Two Checks on a President’s Power. One Is Missing. | A New Threat to the Freedom of the Press | Elon Musk and the Decline of Western Civilization, and more
· There’s a Term for What Trump and Musk Are Doing
· Elon Musk and the Decline of Western Civilization
· One Agency Tried to Regulate SpaceX. Now Its Fate Could Be in Elon Musk’s Hands.
· With Attack on Consumer Bureau, Musk Removes Obstacle to His “X Money” Vision
· The DOGE Hoax
· There Are Two Checks on a President’s Power. One Is Missing.
· Foreign Autocrats Are Exploiting Trump’s Chaos
· A New Threat to the Freedom of the Press
-
-
WORLD ROUNDUPCan Europe Defend Itself from Russia? | Germany Has Lost Count of Migrant Terrorist Attacks – the AfD Hasn’t | Italy Is Trump’s New Bridge to Europe, and more
· Ben Wallace: Trump’s Ukraine Peace Talks Have Echoes of Nazi Appeasement
· Why Is Trump Trying to Lose Our New Cold War with China?
· Donald Trump’s Super Bowl Tariffs Are an Act of Self-Harm
· Europe Cannot Rely on U.S. Protection, Pentagon Chief Tells NATO Allies
· How Venezuela Helps Fuel the Violence in Colombia
· Starmer’s Security Excuse for Chagos Deal “Blown Out the Water” –by His Own Science Minister
· Trump’s Trade Wars Are Self-Defeating
· Can Europe Defend Itself from Russia?
· Germany Has Lost Count of Migrant Terrorist Attacks –the AfD Hasn’t
· Italy Is Trump’s New Bridge to Europe
-
-
TARRIFSThe Costs of Tariffs
The tariffs announced by President Donld Trump should come as no surprise: Trump was acting on a deeply held belief and fulfilling a key campaign promise. But what’s less clear is what Trump was hoping to get out of this tariff play. The president seems to have multiple goals in mind. Whether he will succeed depends on which he prioritizes.
-
-
DOJFrom Oligarchs to Cartels: The U.S. Reshapes Global Law Enforcement
DOJ shuts down a special unit focusing on seizing Russian oligarchs’ assets reflects unit. Attorney General Bondi also ended the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was established in Trump’s first administration to police disinformation campaigns by Russia and other state, aiming to sow discord and undermining democracy.
-
-
SURVEILANCESpyware Is Spreading Far Beyond Its National-Security Role
Spyware is increasingly exploited by criminals or used to suppress civil liberties, and this proliferation is in part due to weak regulation.
-
-
SURVEILANCEThe U.K. Demands for Apple to Break Encryption Is an Emergency for Us All
The United Kingdom is demanding that Apple create an encryption backdoor to give the government access to end-to-end encrypted data in iCloud. Encryption is one of the best ways we have to reclaim our privacy and security in a digital world filled with cyberattacks and security breaches, and there’s no way to weaken it in order to only provide access to the “good guys.”
-
-
CYBERSECURITYIs DOGE a Cybersecurity Threat? Explaining the Dangers of Violating Protocols and Regulations That Protect Government Computer Systems
Teams from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are dropping into federal agencies with a practically unlimited mandate to reform the federal government in accordance with recent executive orders. As a 30-year cybersecurity veteran, I find the activities of DOGE thus far concerning. Its broad mandate across government, seemingly nonexistent oversight, and the apparent lack of operational competence of its employees have demonstrated that DOGE could create conditions that are ideal for cybersecurity or data privacy incidents that affect the entire nation.
-
-
VACCINATIONTexas Reports New Measles Outbreak in West Texas
The outbreak in Gaines County, with a population of about 22,000, has grown since two cases were reported in January. All those who contracted measles were unvaccinated, health officials said.
-
-
DISASTER RESPONSETrump Wants States to Handle Disasters without FEMA. They Say They Can’t.
Trump has called the FEMA a “disaster” and suggested it might “go away.” He said states would best take care of hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires on their own, with the federal government reimbursing some of the costs. But emergency managers say the federal agency’s role is irreplaceable.
-
-
OUR PICKSAmerica’s Most Unconventional Counterterror Squad | Kristi Noem Wants to “Get Rid” of FEMA | The Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth, and more
· Kristi Noem Says She Would Recommend Trump “Get Rid” of FEMA
· Inside America’s Most Unconventional Counterterror Squad
· Rebooting the Pentagon
· Ban on D.E.I. Language Sweeps Through the Sciences
· Why the Odds of an Asteroid Striking Earth in 2032 Keep Going Up (and Down)
· Venezuelans Backed Trump. Now Some Worry He’ll Deport Them.
· Attacks on Catholics, Lutherans Suggest New Trump Approach on Religion
· Trump’s NIH Challenges the Model That Underlies U.S. Scientific Dominance
· RFK Jr. says vaccines Aren’t Tested Enough. Experts say That’s Baseless.
· Springfield, Ohio, Sues Neo-Nazi Group, Saying It Intimidated Haitians
-
-
OUR PICKS: DEMOCRACY WATCHBlame Gerald Ford for Trump’s Unaccountability | Vance Says “Judges Aren’t Allowed to Control” Trump’s “Legitimate Power” | Feeding Time at the Trough, and more
· U.S. Intelligence, Law Enforcement Candidates Face Trump Loyalty Test
· Feeding Time at the Trough
· Elon Musk’s Revolutionary Terror
· Why Federal Courts May Be the Last Bulwark Against Trump
· Vance Says “Judges Aren’t Allowed to Control” Trump’s “Legitimate Power”
· Trump’s Blueprint for Bending the Media Has Nixon Written All Over It
· As the Trump Upheaval Continues, Are There Restraints That Could Slow Him Down?
· Trump Administration Cuts Teams That Fight Foreign Election Interference
· Why Musk and Vance Went to Bat for a Self-Described Racist
· Defying court orders? Trump, Musk, Vance Appear to Lay the Groundwork.
· Blame Gerald Ford for Trump’s Unaccountability
-
-
WORLD ROUNDUPAmerica’s Soft-Power Retreat | The Islamic State Has Regrouped in Somalia — and Has Global Ambitions | Illusions of Containment, and more
· Brazil: The Threat from the Right
· Illusions of Containment
· America’s Soft-Power Retreat
· The Madness of Donald Trump
· Jordan, Home to Millions of Palestinians, Fears Trump’s Gaza Proposal
· “Riviera of the Middle East”: How Trump Sees Gaza as a Real Estate Deal
· Trump’s Tariff Tactics Are an Unpromising Foreign Policy Anomaly
· Trump Says He May Cut Aid to Jordan and Egypt if They Don’t Take Gazans
· The Islamic State Has Regrouped in Somalia —and Has Global Ambitions
· China’s Stunning New Campaign to Turn the World Against Taiwan
· Kurdish Officials Fear Islamic State Revival as U.S. Aid Cuts Loom
-
-
FOREIGN ELECTION INTEEFERENCEU.S. Justice Department Disbands Team Investigating Foreign Election Interference
DOJ is disbanding the Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), established in 2017 to investigate efforts by state actors, such as Russia and China, to influence U.S. public opinion, particularly around elections. Trump has been highly critical of efforts by law enforcement to identify and root out foreign interference in U.S. elections, especially after a report by special counsel Robert Mueller and a bipartisan report of the Senate Intelligence Committee found extensive evidence that Russian influence operations had been mounted to benefit Trump’s candidacy during the 2016 presidential election.
-
-
DEPORTATIONSBlue States Fear Invasion by Red-State National Guard Troops for Deportations
There’s an emerging blue-state nightmare: Inspired by President Donald Trump’s call to round up immigrants who are in the country illegally, Republican governors would send their National Guard troops into Democratic-led states without those leaders’ permission.
-
The long view
AIU.S. Should Build Capacity to Rapidly Detect and Respond to AI Developments
It is imperative to improve near real-time observation and tracking of progress in artificial intelligence (AI), its adoption, and its impacts on the workforce, and to widely share this information to better inform and equip workers and policymakers.
PERSUASIVE TECHNOLOGIESIt’s Not Too Late to Regulate Persuasive Technologies
By Daria Impiombato
Prominent Chinese tech companies are developing and deploying powerful persuasive tools to work for the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda, military and public security services—and many of them have already become global leaders in their fields. TikTok is only the tip of the iceberg.
CRITICAL MINERALSChina’s Critical Mineral Strategy Goes Beyond Geopolitics
By Weihuan Zhou
China dominates critical mineral refining but faces its own supply vulnerabilities, highlighting the complexity of global dependencies. A national strategy seeks to balance a focus of robust industrial policy on critical minerals while fostering international cooperation. A balanced approach involving China in global frameworks can reduce geopolitical tensions and foster sustainable supply chain solutions.
WILDFIRESSounding the Alarm: Fire's Speed Is More Threatening Than Its Size
Most news reports about wildfires include the number of acres a given fire has burned, but according to a new study, these reports should also note how fast the fire is moving.
GUNSThe Ghost Gun Surge Is Abating. This Is How It Happened.
By Chip Brownlee
Ghost guns went from being relatively rare to ubiquitous in a short time span. Regulating them appears to be fueling a reversal.
EPIDEMICSMathematical Models Tackle Covid Infection Dynamics
Even years after the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the workings of SARS-CoV-2 infection inside the human body, including the early activity of the virus and the role of the body’s immune response, has proved difficult to precisely ascertain.
WATER SECURITYCalls Grow for Sustainable Governance as Groundwater Resources Become Scarce
The depletion of groundwater resources, driven by unsustainable agricultural practices and increasing demands for food production, is a pressing issue, and it underscores the urgent need for sustainable groundwater governance.
SUPPLY CHAINSModel Reveals Supply Chain Risks Pose Major Threat to Financial Stability
Supply chain disruptions can magnify financial risks. A new model shows how risks spread from the real economy to the financial sector.
WATER SECURITYTwo-Way Water Transfers Can Ensure Reliability, Save Money for Urban and Agricultural Users During Drought in Western U.S.
Researchers offer a solution — two-way leasing contracts — to water scarcity during droughts amid the tug of economic development, population growth and climate uncertainty for water users in Western U.S. states.
TRUTH DECAYAI Fact Checks Can Increase Belief in False Headlines
Many tech companies and start-ups have touted the potential of automated fact-checking services powered by artificial intelligence to stem the rising tide of online misinformation, but a new study has found that AI-fact checking can, in some cases, actually increase belief in false headlines.
CRITICAL MINERALSRecovering Rare Earth Metals from Waste Permanent Magnets
Rare earths, in particular, are characterized by chemical, electrical, magnetic, and luminescent properties that can be achieved by adding only a small amount, and their use has recently increased significantly as core materials in the eco-friendly automobile and renewable energy industries.
EXTREMISMThe Chilling Crime Spree of The Order – and Its Lasting Effect on Today’s White Supremacists
By Matthew Valasik and Shannon Reid
The new historical crime drama, “The Order,” starring Jude Law and Nicholas Holt, is being described as a riveting “cat-and-mouse thriller.” But for criminologists like us, the white supremacist extremism that takes place in the film is not a nod to a distant past, but a reflection of beliefs and rhetoric that still percolate on social media and inspire acts of terror.
EXTREMISMIslamist Terror Incidents Targeting U.S. Increase in 2024
Islamist terror incidents targeting the United States increased in 2024 after several years of reduced activity, with federal and state authorities arresting individuals in seven different incidents on charges related to five unsuccessful plots and two actual attacks.
CYBERCRIMEPolice 'Need to Play a Larger Role' in Recovering Cybercrime Money
Police must become more involved in reimbursing money to victims of cybercrime, according to new research. The study also recommends that, as a priority, the police should make clear to communities that it can be relied upon in cases of economic cybercrime.
POLITICAL VIOLENCEOn Reducing Public Fears and Threats of Political Violence
By John S. Hollywood
The 2024 election is over, with no substantial violence, but that does not mean the risks of political violence and unrest are off the table. A likely key driver: fears of what the other political side will have America become.
DRONESBackgrounder: Drone Operations in the U.S.
More than 1.7 million drones are registered for commercial and recreational use in the United States, and it is safe to assume that there are many additional unregistered drones out there.