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RANSOMWAREU.S. Dismantles Ransomware Network Responsible for More Than $100 Million in Extortion
An international ransomware network that extorted more than $100 million from hundreds of victims around the world has been brought down following a monthslong infiltration by the FBI. The group known as Hive targeted more than 1,500 victims, including hospitals, school districts and financial firms in more than 80 countries.
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MASS SHOOTINGSU.S. Secret Service Report Examines Five Years of Mass Violence Data
The U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) the other day released a comprehensive report examining 173 incidents of targeted violence and highlighting the observable commonalities among the attackers.
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GUNSWhat Is Microstamping, and Can It Help Solve Shootings?
Laws to expand the technology’s use have passed in three states and the District of Columbia. But some are questioning its effectiveness.
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SPACE WARAces-High Frontier: Space War in 2053
There are good reasons why the best science and speculative fiction ranks high on the reading lists of many military scholars and leaders. Done well, speculative military fiction projects thoughtfully beyond the here and now, and renders real operational and strategic concepts in terms of plausible future technologies.
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MISINFORMATIONLots of People Believe in Bigfoot and Other Pseudoscience Claims – This Course Examines Why
In an effort to combat misinformation, a new course looks at some of the common scientific reasoning failures which pseudoscience exploits. These include hand-picking anecdotes to support a belief, developing a set of beliefs which explain every possible outcome, promoting irrelevant research, ignoring contradictory information, and believing in unsubstantiated conspiracies. The course particularly highlights motivated reasoning, that is, the tendency for people to process information in a way that helps them confirm what they already want to believe.
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MISINFORMATIONWhy Did So Many Buy COVID Misinformation? It Works Like Magic.
Misinformation and disinformation about COVID and government-led health measures to combat the pandemic hampered efforts to form a unified national response to the disease. Public health officials, who struggled to convince doubters and skeptics, are still working through how and why it happened. Harvard Law panelists say both misinformation and magic exploit how brains process information.
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ARGUMENT: BATTERIES WARBatteries Are the Battlefield
The United States is one of many countries pursuing the clean energy revolution, and which have ramped up investment in electric vehicles manufacturing and renewable energy sources to power the shift away from fossil fuels. Christina Lu and Liam Scott write that this is an industry that has already been staked out by another power: China.
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OUR PICKS50 Years of Mass Shootings | 2023 Will Be a Huge Year for the War on Big Tech | Protecting Undocumented Whistleblowers, and more
·· We Profiled the ‘Signs of Crisis’ in 50 Years of Mass Shootings. This Is What We Found.
Mass shootings are increasingly symptom of a deep societal problem: the rise of “deaths of despair”·· Southwest Border Migration Rises as DHS Hopes Expanded Parole Measures Will Turn Tide
The number of Venezuelans encountered continued its downward trend·· Chinese Engineer Gets 8 Years in US for Spying
Chinese engineer provided Beijing with information on possible recruitment targets·· 2023 Will Be a Huge Year for the War on Big Tech
2023 could be a watershed year for public policy regarding Big Tech·· New DHS Policy Protects Undocumented Whistleblowers
New policy grants temporary legal status to workers who cooperate with investigators -
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WORLD ROUNDUPWho May Challenge Putin for Power | U.K. as a Cyber Target | Turkey’s Coming Election, and more
·· The Man Who May Challenge Putin for Power
Putin knows that the war in Ukraine created a dangerous competitor to his power·· As Tough Elections Loom in Turkey, Erdogan Is Spending for Victory
The coming vote that could reshape his country·· Turkey’s Problem Isn’t Sweden. It’s the United States.
Sweden has severed ties with Kurdish militants, but not the U.S. and other Western countries·· What Makes Germany’s Leopard 2 Tank the Best Fit for Ukraine?
It is easier to run than America’s Abrams—and in plentiful supply in Europe·· UK Cyber Experts Warn of Targeted Phishing Attacks from Actors Based in Russia and Iran
Advisory highlights techniques used by attackers in spear-phishing campaigns -
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DOOMSDAYDoomsday Clock Set at 90 Seconds to Midnight
The Doomsday Clock was set at 90 seconds to midnight, due largely but not exclusively to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation. The new Clock time was also influenced by continuing threats posed by the climate crisis and the breakdown of global norms and institutions needed to mitigate risks associated with advancing technologies and biological threats.
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DOOMSDAYThe Last of Us: Fungal Infections Really Can Kill – and They’re Getting More Dangerous
Millions have been tuning in every week to watch the highly anticipated TV adaptation of “The Last of Us.” The show depicts a post-apocalyptic world where society has collapsed due to the outbreak of a dangerous, brain-controlling fungal infection that turns humans into hostile, cannibalistic “zombies.” Fortunately for us, a fast-spreading fungal pandemic is pretty unlikely – but this doesn’t mean fungi aren’t still a concern.
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CHINA WATCH8 Lessons for Taiwan from Russia’s War in Ukraine
While the fighting in Ukraine is on land, and thus very different from the maritime battlefield that would surround Taiwan, there are still many things Taiwan can learn from Ukraine’s defensive operations.
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GUNSGun Control Measures Associated with Reduced Police Use of Force
As police departments and activists look for strategies to reduce excessive use of force by police, new research shows limited data, lack of transparency and irregular implementation of reforms make it difficult to determine which approaches are effective.
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CONSPIRACY THEORIESCOVID-19 Conspiracy Theories That Spread Fastest Focused on Evil, Secrecy
In the early pandemic, conspiracy theories that were shared the most on Twitter highlighted malicious purposes and secretive actions of supposed bad actors behind the crisis, according to an analysis of nearly 400,000 posts.
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COASTAL CHALLENGESHalf of U.S. Coastal Communities Underestimate Sea Level Risks
Many communities in the United States underestimate how much sea level will rise in their area, according to a new study. In many cases, especially in Southern states, local policymakers rely on one average estimate of sea level rise for their area rather than accounting for more extreme scenarios.
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COASTAL CHALLENGESSea Change for Hull
With a changing climate and rising sea levels putting cities at risk of flooding, it’s crucial for planners to increase their cities’ resilience. A new tool has been developed to help them – and it started with the throwing of a thousand virtual hexagons over Hull.
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OUR PICKSA Smarter Way to Reduce Gun Deaths | States Trying to Generate a Whole New Water Supply | Expanding Paroles at the Border, and more
·· The U.S. Has Had at Least 39 Mass Shootings in Just 24 Days So Far This Year, Data Shows
Number of mass shootings nationwide so far this year already outpacing the number of calendar days·· Typical Mass Shooters Are in Their 20s and 30s – Suspects in California’s Latest Killings Are Far from That Average
Regardless of age, all mass shooters intends their mass shooting to be their final act·· A Smarter Way to Reduce Gun Deaths
In 2021 a record 48,000 Americans were killed by firearms, including suicides, homicides and accidents·· How Arizona, California and Other States Are Trying to Generate a Whole New Water Supply
Underground storage may be a key for Western states navigating water shortages and extreme weather·· Former Senior FBI Official Accused of Working for Russian He Investigated
Accusation shocked the cloistered world of his fellow high-ranking intelligence officials·· Southwest Border Migration Rises as DHS Hopes Expanded Parole Measures Will Turn Tide
Expanded parole reduces number of encounters at the order·· Earth’s Inner Core May Be Reversing Its Rotation, Study Finds
The change may shave the length of the day by a fraction of a millisecond over the course of a year -
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WORLD ROUNDUPWill South Korea Go Nuclear? | Can Lula Remake Brazil? | Interpol Is Doing Russia’s Dirty Work, and more
·· Will South Korea Go Nuclear?
As Pyongyang grows its nuclear arsenal, Seoul considers its atomic options·· Cold War Nuclear Bunker Lures Tourists Worried About New Threats
Nuclear past as prologue·· Climate Change May Usher in a New Era of Trade Wars
Efforts to mitigate climate change are bringing governments into conflict·· Has a Quran-Burning Protest Ended Sweden’s NATO Dream?
A Scandinavian far-right party has given Erdogan the opportunity to show he is standing up for Islamic values·· Sweden’s Right-Wing Government Struggles to Tackle Gang Violence
There’s a new government in Sweden, but many of the same problems remain, particularly when it comes to gang violence·· The Chinese Communist Party Is Trying to Rewrite History. It Will Fail
An old communist joke goes: Under communism, the future is certain; it is the past that is unpredictable·· After Bolsonaro, Can Lula Remake Brazil?
Governing after four years of divisive rule will be a profound challenge·· Interpol Is Doing Russia’s Dirty Work
While trying to remain neutral, the global law enforcement organization is helping Putin -
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CHINA WATCHProtecting U.S. Overseas Air Bases
In January 2022, U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall warned that the U.S. Air and Space Forces must move quickly to offset actions—mostly by China, but also by Russia—which have eroded the U.S. military advantage: “We cannot go forward with a presumption of superiority that our military dominance demonstrated in the first Gulf War… . A lot of things can change in 30 years and they have.”
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BOOK REVIEW: CHINA IN DECLINEChina Is a Threat Not Because It is Ascendant, but Because It Is on a Downward Trajectory
The prevailing consensus for the past few years has been that an ascendant China is threatening to overtake a slumping America. Because research suggests that a geopolitical power transition is most likely to take place when a surging challenger overtakes an exhausted hegemon, many believe that a turbo-charged China has increased the likelihood of conflict with America. In their book Danger Zone: The Coming Conflict with China, Hal Brands and Michael Beckley challenge this notion and offer a more nuanced view.
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ARGUMENT: MISUSING HISTORYThe Triumphs and Tribulations of Peter the Great: What Putin’s View of 18th-Century Warfare Can Tell Us About Ukraine
As is the case with most heads of state, Putin is fairly upbeat when discussing his country’s heroes in public. In his speeches, Putin primarily focuses on two eras: the portion of the reign of Peter the Great that lasted from 1700 to 1721 and Catherine the Great’s reign between 1768 and 1783. “In the long arc of 18th-century Russian history, this would be a bit like talking about the American Revolutionary War by mentioning Lexington and Concord and then skipping to Yorktown,” Alexander Burns writes. “The progression may be correct, but a lot of the nuances and complexities are lost.”
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ELECTIONS INTEGRITYBrazil, U.S. Show That Secure Elections Require Agreement – Not Just Cybersecurity and Clear Ballot Records
The source of the violent disputes which followed the 2020 U.S. election and the 2022 election in Brazil were not the result of procedural or technical flaws in the voting systems, but rather a failure of certain individuals living in democratic society to uphold the fundamental principles of democracy. True democracies require candidates who agree on election rules and processes in advance and agree to abide by the outcome of elections, even when they wish the results were otherwise. The alternative is continuing instability and doubt in the electorate – an outcome that serves no citizen’s interests.
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The long view
ARGUMENT: EXTREMIST THREATJanuary 6th Report Summarizes Extremist Threat – But Leaves Key Gaps
The House Jan. 6 committee’s 845-page report is unquestionably valuable, but significant questions remain largely unanswered around two interrelated components of the committee’s investigation: the scope of law enforcement and intelligence failures preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and what concrete steps should be taken to combat both those failures and the rising threat of domestic violent extremism in the aftermath of January 6th.
DEMOCRACY WATCHProtecting Democracy: Jan. 6 Panel’s Recommendations, Proposed Reforms
On Thursday, 22 December, the House committee examining last year’s attack on the U.S. Capitol issued its long-awaited final report. The final report also proposes eleven reforms aiming to ensure that Trump’s attempt to subvert the will of the voters and prevent the peaceful transition of power from one president to the next would not be repeated.
EXTREMISTSFar-Left Extremist Groups in the United States
Far-left extremism in the United States was most active during the period between the 1960s and 1980s. In the 1990s, a new type of left-extremism began to emerge – what the FBI calls “special-interest extremism,” as expressed by groups such as the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and Earth Liberation Front (ELF). The far left encompasses multiple ideologies, but security experts believe that a large percentage of far-left radicals subscribe to at least one of three main classifications: anarchism, communism/socialism/Marxism, and autonomous radicals.
DOMESTIC TERRORISMConcerns About Extremists Targeting U.S. Power Stations
Attacks on four power stations in Washington State over the weekend added to concerns of a possible nationwide campaign by far-right extremists to stir fears and spark civil conflict. Violent extremists “have developed credible, specific plans to attack electricity infrastructure since at least 2020, identifying the electric grid as a particularly attractive target given its interdependency with other infrastructure sectors,” the DHS said in a January.
ARGUMENT: CHINA WATCHNew Bill Proposes Banning TikTok in the U.S.
Both the administration and Congress have moved to limit, or even ban, TikTok in the United States because of worries about China using the Chinese-owned platform to gather personal data on millions of Americans. Justin Sherman writes that “all told, it is a noteworthy piece of legislation, and it delineates between the risk of data access and the risk of content manipulation better than then-President Trump’s executive order on TikTok.”
THE RUSSIA CONNECTIONWas George Santos Groomed to be a Russian Agent?
By Ben Frankel
Among the multitude of lies and falsehoods newly elected Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has concocted, the most intriguing item – and likely the source of Santos’s most serious potential legal trouble – are his campaign finances. What is especially noticeable, and disturbing, are the generous contributions Santos has received from Viktor Vekselberg, one of Vladimir Putin’s wealthiest and most influential courtiers. “For all we know,” writes one commentator, “some foreign power may have bought itself a congressman. This isn’t outlandish speculation.”
PUBLIC HEALTHTackling Crowd Management in Subways During Pandemics
Mass transit, and subways in particular, are essential to the economic viability and environmental sustainability of cities across the globe. Researchers are working with NYC’s MTA to develop machine learning and traffic models to optimize traffic flow during pandemics.
BLACK SWANSMachine Learning Could Predict Rare Disastrous Events Like Earthquakes or Pandemics
Researchers suggest how scientists can circumvent the need for massive data sets to forecast extreme events with the combination of an advanced machine learning system and sequential sampling techniques.
Quick Takes // By Ben FrankelBrazil: "The Content of the Three Powers Is Preserved"
People who watched an unruly mob — supporters of the candidate who had lost the 31 October 2022 election in Brazil — break into the presidential building in Brasilia on Sunday, would be forgiven for thinking that they have seen this movie before. The similarities between what happened in the U.S. before and after the November 2020 election, and what happened in Brazil before and after the October 2022 election, are unmistaken.
DIGITAL WORKFORCE$4.8M to Address National Cybersecurity Workforce Shortage
Oregon State University has received $4.8 million from the National Science Foundation to help the United States close a big gap between the number of cybersecurity job openings and the number of qualified applicants for those positions.
ARGUMENT: INDUSTRIAL NETWORKLeveraging U.S. Capital Markets to Support the Future Industrial Network
$56 trillion is nearly three times the size of the U.S. economy. This vast pool of capital in U.S. capital markets — $46 trillion in public capitalization and another $10 trillion in private money – dwarfs that of China. Tapping U.S. equity and debt markets would enable the Department of Defense to remedy current capability shortfalls, fund technological advances from leading private-sector innovators, invest in generational transformation efforts across the military services, and upgrade antiquated global infrastructure to sustain U.S. forces.
BLOCKCHAIN & ELECTRIC-GRID RESILIENCEUsing Blockchain to Increase Electric Grid Resiliency
Blockchain is best known for securing digital currency payments, but researchers are using it to track a different kind of exchange: It’s the first time blockchain has ever been used to validate communication among devices on the electric grid.
ENERGY SECURITYHydrogen Changing Power Dynamics in Energy Sector
By Sergio Matalucci
As the EU tries to finalize its hydrogen rules, Asian countries are moving fast to secure deliveries and the US is committing money to set up local supply chains. Can the Middle East collaborate with both continents?
WATER SECURITYThe Cold War Legacy Lurking in U.S. Groundwater
By Mark Olalde, Mollie Simon and Alex Mierjeski
In America’s rush to build the nuclear arsenal that won the Cold War, safety was sacrificed for speed. ProPublica has cataloged cleanup efforts at the 50-plus sites where uranium was processed to fuel the nation’s nuclear arsenal. Even after regulators say cleanup is complete, polluted water and sickness are often left behind.
WILDFFIRESAmericans Are Flocking to Wildfire
People are trading hurricane zones for wildfire areas, says national study of migration, natural disasters, and climate change.
CLIMATE & DISASTER INSURANCEInsurance for a Changing Climate
By Sara Frueh
Among the many facets of the economy being challenged and changed by warming global temperatures is the insurance industry. Damaging extreme events such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods are happening with greater frequency and intensity, which leaves insurance companies facing larger financial risks and paying out more in claims — and it also leaves policy holders paying higher prices to insure their homes and businesses.