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FINANCIAL-SYSTEMS SECURITYEmerging Threats to the U.S. Financial System
In early 2021, a freewheeling, freethinking group of investors on Reddit plowed their money into GameStop, a video game retailer that several big hedge funds had bet against. The stock price shot up, some people made millions—and, to the delight of those on Reddit, the hedge funds had some very bad days. Researchers saw the GameStop story as a cautionary tale. If investors on Reddit could work together to move the markets like that, what could an adversary like China do?
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CHINA WATCHChinese Military Drills Test Taiwan’s Defense Readiness, Analysts Say
China wrapped up a two-day, large-scale military exercise Friday after its forces deployed 111 aircraft and 46 naval vessels to areas around Taiwan. Experts say the Chinese military simulated some scenarios that would be involved in a potential invasion of Taiwan during the exercise.
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NUCLEAR WARIs Putin Preparing for Nuclear War?
On 6 May, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had authorized a military exercise involving the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in southern Russia. This is the first time such an announcement has been made since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Putin needs to understand that even use of tactical nuclear weapons by him may risk total war and the end of Russia as a functioning state.
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DISINFORMATIONEuropean Tech Law Faces Test to Address Interference, Threats, and Disinformation in 2024 Elections
The European Union (EU) began implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA) this year, just in time to combat online disinformation and other electoral interference in the dozens of elections taking place in Europe’s twenty-seven member countries and the European Parliament elections taking place June 6 through June 9.
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Venezuela Travel Advisory
With the security situation in Venezuela continuing to deteriorate, the U.S. Department of State has issued a travel advisory which urges would be travelers to note Venezuela’s “to crime, civil unrest, kidnapping, and the arbitrary enforcement of local laws.” The advisory further urges people to “Reconsider travel due to wrongful detentions, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure” in Venezuela.
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IMMIGRATIONACT OF 1924America’s Third Founding: May 24, 1924, the Immigration Act of 1924
On May 24, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the National Origins Quota Act, which imposed the first permanent cap on legal immigration. No law has so radically altered the demographics, economy, politics, and liberty of the United States and the world. It has massively reduced American population growth from immigrants and their descendants by hundreds of millions, diminishing economic growth and limiting the power and influence of this country.
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IMMIGRATIONACT OF 1924A Century Ago, Anti-Immigrant Backlash Almost Closed America’s Doors
Torn between “the American dream” and fears of an ungovernable “melting pot,” Americans have always viewed immigrants ambivalently. In 1924, as is true today, many citizens thought in terms of “good” immigration versus “bad” immigration. The Immigration Act of 1924 dramatically reduced immigration from eastern and southern Europe and practically barred it from Asia.
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TECHNOLOGYShotSpotter Improves Detection and Response to Gunfire, but Doesn't Reduce Crime, Research Finds
ShotSpotter gunfire detection technology has delivered as promised in terms of enabling police to quickly detect and respond to gunshots in two American cities, but the controversial technology has not translated into public safety gains.
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OUR PICKSA Leak of Biometric Police Data Is a Sign of Things to Come | Inside the Reluctant Fight to Ban Deepfake Ads | When Knowledge Stops at the Water’s Edge, and more
· Attempts to Regulate AI’s Hidden Hand in Americans’ Lives Flounder
The first attempts to regulate artificial intelligence programs that play a hidden role in hiring, housing and medical decisions for millions of Americans are floundering in statehouses nationwide· Inside the Reluctant Fight to Ban Deepfake Ads
Without new rules, campaigns could hoodwink voters with AI-generated ads. And no one really seems to be taking the threat seriously· GOP Challengers Make Gains but Lose Bid to Oust Hard Right in North Idaho
In an area with a history of white-power militancy, candidates who branded themselves “traditional” Republicans mounted a campaign against extremism· When Knowledge Stops at the Water’s Edge
Fears about foreign contacts and security clearances are making America’s future diplomats and policymakers less worldly and more insular· A Leak of Biometric Police Data Is a Sign of Things to Come
Thousands of fingerprints and facial images linked to police in India have been exposed online. Researchers say it’s a warning of what will happen as the collection of biometric data increases· Special Counsel Seeks Court Order Limiting Trump’s False Claims about FBI
Request to the court comes after Trump suggested standard FBI policy somehow meant he was targeted for deadly force· Why Congress Should Pay Attention to Mexico’s Presidential Election
Seven numbers to know ahead of Mexico’s critical June election· Our Chemical Facilities Are Vulnerable to Attack
A growing concern that AI will empower attacks on our water, transportation, financial systems, and other critical infrastructure -
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WORLD ROUNDUPEurope Is Walking the Terror Tightrope | Britain's Unprepared’ for ISIS Drone Attack | Some U.S. Weapons Stymied by Russian Jamming in Ukraine, and more
· Is the European Union Too Big for Further Enlargement?
One key challenge today, which has undermined the old EU enlargement narrative, is democratic backsliding in some member countries· Far-Right Minister Who Visited Contested Jerusalem Site Has Long History of Controversy
Itamar Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization. His views were so extreme that the army banned him from compulsory military service· Terrifying Warning Issued That Britain’s ‘Unprepared’ for ISIS ‘Drone Attack Plot on UK’
“It’s not that British air defenses couldn’t handle drone attacks,” an expert explained. “It’s that they’re not prepared for these types of drone attacks [on crowds at events]”· Europe Is Walking the Terror Tightrope
“The terrorist threat to Europe right now is actually quite high because you have an intersection of a range of disconnected but unfortunately mutually reinforcing events”: experts· Nine in Germany, Accused of ‘Reichsbuerger’ Coup Plot, Go on Trial
A would-be prince, a former judge and parliamentarian, and retired military officers were among nine conspirators who plotted to overthrow Germany’s democracy· What Hamas Called Its Female Captives, and Why It Matters
Reading too much into the language seems, at this point, to be less of a danger than reading too little into it· Why the U.S. Should Recognize Palestinian Statehood
Sovereignty would serve America’s interests—and Israel’s· How Germany Lost the Middle East
Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region· Some U.S. Weapons Stymied by Russian Jamming in Ukraine
Two classified Ukrainian reports show that some U.S. precision-guided weapons are vulnerable to electronic warfare, an element in Ukraine’s recent battlefield setbacks· Can the U.S. Defend South Korea and Taiwan Simultaneously?
To ensure security in Northeast Asia, the U.S. needs to increase its military investments and enhance allied cooperation -
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CHINA WATCHChina Conducts Military Drills Around Taiwan as “Punishment” for New Leader
China kicked off a two-day large-scale military exercise in the water and airspace around Taiwan on Thursday, emphasizing that it is “a strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence forces’” and “a stern warning” against provocation by external forces.
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CHINA WATCHCan Taiwan Defend Itself Against China?
Large-scale Chinese military drills near Taiwan are taking place just days after William Lai Ching-te, of Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was sworn in as president of the island nation. Taiwan has expanded its asymmetric warfare capacity, which involves using smaller but highly effective weapons to make an invasion by a larger force prohibitively costly.
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EXTREMISMMilitia Extremists, Kicked Off Facebook Again, Are Regaining Comfort in Public View
When journalists sounded alarm bells in early May 2024 that more than 100 extremist militia groups had been organizing and communicating on Facebook, it wasn’t the first time militias had garnered attention for their online activities. As a scholar of militias, I’ve seen extremists get kicked off Facebook before.
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STEEL DILEMMAWhy Biden Wants to Block the Nippon-U.S. Steel Deal
A proposed Japanese takeover of U.S. Steel, a century-old icon of American industry, is facing domestic political pushback that could challenge the Biden administration’s foreign policy aims. Biden’s opposition to the deal risks undercutting his administration’s efforts to strengthen U.S. alliances and supply chains, experts say.
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WATER SECURITYPeak Water: Do We Have Enough Groundwater to Meet Future Need?
Though vast stores of groundwater persist below Earth’s surface, the climbing cost of accessing it is on track to significantly reshape the geography of trade and drive users toward alternative water sources.
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MANAGED RETREATThe Government Wants to Buy Their Flood-Prone Homes. But These Texans Aren’t Moving.
The recent floods in Harris County, Texas, show why home buyout programs can be important. These programs involve the government buying, and demolishing, houses in flood-prone zones, that is, areas which typically flood first and worse. The Harris County flood control district wants to buy properties along the San Jacinto River that have flooded repeatedly. Some residents aren’t leaving.
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OUR PICKSVictims of U.S. Nuclear Testing Deserve More Than This | Emerging Threats to the U.S. Financial System | Inside the Reluctant Fight to Ban Deepfake Ads, and more
· The Victims of U.S. Nuclear Testing Deserve More Than This
More than 100 nuclear devices were exploded in aboveground tests in New Mexico and Nevada from 1945 to 1962· Long Before Key Bridge Collapse, Baltimore Mariners Warned of ‘Ship Strikes’
Members of a Baltimore harbor safety committee repeatedly raised the possibility that an out-of-control vessel could imperil the bridge, records show· Biden Takes Another Step to Fast-Track Asylum Process for Border Crossers
A new expedited docket for people who have recently crossed the border, which could allow officials to more quickly reject and deport some people· Emerging Threats to the U.S. Financial System
Experts warn that the greatest danger to U.S. financial system is not a single, sudden attack, a financial 9/11. It’s the constant assault on reality—the deepfake videos and manipulated AI· The U.S. Has Spent $5bn on Electronic Warfare in 2024 Alone
China, Russia and India are projected to eat into the US’ outsized share of global electronic warfare spending in the coming years· Teslas Can Still Be Stolen with a Cheap Radio Hack—Despite New Keyless Tech
Ultra-wideband radio has been heralded as the solution for “relay attacks” that are used to steal cars in seconds. But researchers found Teslas equipped with it are as vulnerable as ever· Inside the Reluctant Fight to Ban Deepfake Ads
Without new rules, campaigns could hoodwink voters with AI-generated ads. And no one really seems to be taking the threat seriously -
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WORLD ROUNDUPRussia Launched Research Spacecraft for Antisatellite Nuclear Weapon | EU Wants Spies on University Campuses to Fight Chinese Tech Espionage | Democracy Needs an Economic NATO, and more
· Western Europe Is Starting to Send a Vital Warning to Israel
These kinds of diplomatic shocks could lead Israelis to finally escape from the gravitational pull of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and start calling for two states on terms Israel can live with· Bibi Blocks Israeli Intel Chiefs’ Meetings with U.S. Officials
A sign of Bibi’s growing suspicion about Israel’s intelligence, military and security establishment, which hold divergent views about how the prime minister is carrying out the war· Russia Launched Research Spacecraft for Antisatellite Nuclear Weapon Two Years Ago, U.S. Officials Say
Cosmos-2553 went into orbit in February 2022 just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine· Russia Mysteriously Deletes Threat to Redraw Baltic Sea Border
Defense ministry plan had sparked alarm among NATO allies· EU Wants Spies on University Campuses to Fight Chinese Tech Espionage
The bloc is urging researchers to take steps to secure their work against foreign interference· The Blood Equation: Hamas’ Strategy to Radicalize Youth Through Emotional Narratives
This approach leverages images of casualties from the October 7 conflict, particularly women and children, to create a powerful emotional impact aimed at radicalizing new groups on a transnational scale· US Removes Cuba from List of Countries Not Fully Cooperating on Counterterrorism Efforts
Cuba called for the U.S. to also remove the country from another list that designates it as a sponsor of terrorism· Democracy Needs an Economic NATO
Fighting Chinese coercion requires new alliances -
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STUDENT UNRESTStudent Anger Over the Vietnam War Erupted into Violence in the ’60s − a Terrorism Expert Explores Whether the Same Could Happen Today
I am a former senior U.S. government counterterrorism official and scholar of national security and terrorism. The wave of recent pro-Palestinian, student-led protests reminds me of another tense era in the U.S. that was also prompted by U.S. engagement in a foreign war – the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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EXTREMISMExtremist Communities Continue to Rely on YouTube for Hosting, but Most Videos Are Viewed Off-Site, Research Finds
After the 2016 U.S. presidential election, YouTube was so criticized for radicalizing users by recommending increasingly extremist and fringe content that it changed its recommendation algorithm. Research four years later found that while extremist content remained on YouTube, subscriptions and external referrals drove disaffected users to extremist content rather than the recommendation algorithm.
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NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATIONNuclear Expertise Guides Global Nonproliferation Innovation
Researchers tackling national security challenges at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are upholding an 80-year legacy of leadership in all things nuclear. Today, they’re developing the next generation of technologies that will help reduce global nuclear risk and enable safe, secure, peaceful use of nuclear materials worldwide.
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ENHANCED SECURITY Focused and Fast
In response to an urgent DOD request, multidisciplinary teams across Sandia delivered in a big way for international security: Enhanced surety program meets urgent request.
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The long view
GUNSStudy Quantifies Dramatic Rise in School Shootings and Related Fatalities Since 1970
Incidence of school shootings increasing dramatically: In the 53 years leading up to May 2022, the number of school shootings annually increased more than 12 times. Children more likely to be victims. The likelihood of children being school shooting victims has increased more than fourfold, and the rate of death from school shootings has risen more than sixfold. A total of 2,056 school shooting incidents were analyzed: The incidents involved 3,083 victims, including 2,033 children ages 5-17 years, and 1,050 adults ages 18-74 years.
PROTECTING SOFT TARGETSImproving 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?
BIOSECURITYCanada’s Biosecurity Scandal: The Risks of Foreign Interference in Life Sciences
By Brendan Walker-Munro
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.
ARGUMENT: RUSSIAN DISINFORMATIONDon’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.
MILITARY STRATEGYA Return to U.S. Casualty Aversion
By John Mueller
The 9/11 Wars as aberrations: After the extended, tragically costly, and fundamentally absurd aberrations caused by the overreaction to 9/11, a more limited American military approach appears to be back—and perhaps is even more embraced than in the post‐Vietnam decades.
RADIATION DETECTIONA New Way to Detect Radiation Involving Cheap Ceramics
By Elizabeth A. Thomson
The radiation detectors used today for applications like inspecting cargo ships for smuggled nuclear materials are expensive and cannot operate in harsh environments, among other disadvantages. Work by MIT engineers could lead to plethora of new applications, including better detectors for nuclear materials at ports.
PUBLIC HEALTHAction Needed to Improve U.S. Smallpox Readiness and Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Therapeutics: Report
A new report says that action is needed to enhance U.S. readiness for smallpox and related diseases, as well as to improve diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics that could be used in case of an outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed weaknesses in the ability of U.S. public health and health care systems to adapt and respond to an unfamiliar pathogen, as did challenges during the recent mpox outbreak to rapidly making diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics available at scale.
CYBERDETERRENCETantalizing Method to Study Cyberdeterrence
By Trina West
Tantalus is unlike most war games because it is experimental instead of experiential — the immersive game differs by overlapping scientific rigor and quantitative assessment methods with the experimental sciences, and experimental war gaming provides insightful data for real-world cyberattacks.
ENERGY SECURITYWest Reliant on Russian Nuclear Fuel Amid Decarbonization Push
By Henry Ridgwell
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.
NUCLEAR POWERGeorgia’s Vogtle Plant Could Herald the Beginning — or End — of a New Nuclear Era
By Gautama Mehta
Few issues are as divisive among American environmentalists as nuclear energy. Concerns about nuclear waste storage and safety, particularly in the wake of the 1979 Three Mile Island reactor meltdown in Pennsylvania, helped spur the retirement of nuclear power plants across the country. Nuclear energy’s proponents, however, counter that nuclear power has historically been among the safest forms of power generation, and that the consistent carbon-free energy it generates makes it an essential tool in the fight against global warming. The $35 billion Vogtle nuclear project is an investment in the future or a cautionary tale, depending whom you ask.
PUBLIC HEALTHExperts Warn Climate Change Will Fuel Spread of Infectious Diseases
A team of infectious diseases experts is calling for more awareness and preparedness in the medical field to deal with the impact of climate change on the spread of diseases. They raise the alarm about the emergence and spread of harmful pathogens.
CLIMATE MIGRATIONThe Flooding Will Come “No Matter What”
By Abrahm Lustgarten
Another great American migration is now underway, this time forced by the warming that is altering how and where people can live. For now, it’s just a trickle. But in the corners of the country’s most vulnerable landscapes —on the shores of its sinking bayous and on the eroding bluffs of its coastal defenses —populations are already in disarray. The complex, contradictory, and heartbreaking process of American climate migration is underway.
TRUTH DECAY‘Fake News’ Legislation Risks Doing More Harm Than Good Amid a Record Number of Elections in 2024
By Samuel Jens
“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.
CLIMATE CHANGE & BUSINESSCompanies Ignoring Climate Risks Get Punished by Markets: Study
By Allison Alsup
Companies that proactively manage climate risks boost their valuations, while those with a passive stance are discounted in the equity market, according to new research.
PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTUREPlan B: Keeping Nuclear Power Plants Cool in a Warmer, Drier Climate
By Kristen Mally Dean
Waterways — tried and true cooling sources for nuclear power plants — could get warmer due to global climate change. Climate scientists and nuclear science and engineering experts are joining forces to develop a plan B for nuclear power.