• CHINA WATCHHistory Says Tariffs Rarely Work, but Biden’s 100% Tariffs on Chinese EVs Could Defy the Trend

    By Tinglong Dai

    Earlier this month, President Biden announced a hike in tariffs on a variety of Chinese imports, including a 100% tariff that would significantly increase the price of Chinese-made electric vehicles. Tariffs have a troubled history, but Biden’s move might defy historical precedent and succeed where other tariffs have failed. The Biden tariffs can succeed in giving the U.S. EV industry room to grow, and encourage similar protective actions elsewhere, reinforcing the global shift toward securing supply chains and promoting domestic manufacturing.

  • CHINA WATCHChina's Growing Threat to U.S. National Security in the Crosshairs of Congress

    By Casey Harper, The Center Square

    While the Chinese Communist Party’s possibly imminent invasion of Taiwan could spark a war in the region, experts and lawmakers in Congress on Thursday said that the Taiwan issue is just one part of a broader Chinese strategy countering the U.S.

  • CYERSECURITYUniversity Students Tackle Adventure in CyberForce — Conquer the Hill Competition

    University of Central Florida’s Cameron Whitehead wins CyberForce Conquer the Hill: Adventure Competition 2024. Whitehead was one of 112 students from 71 accredited U.S. colleges and universities who competed virtually to complete work-based cybersecurity tasks and challenges during a full day of energy sector-related adventure.

  • GUNSThe Supreme Court’s Ghost Gun Case Could Jeopardize Other Firearm Regulations

    By Alain Stephens

    Legal experts say the ruling could expand Second Amendment protections to the gun industry, imperiling a host of laws governing the manufacture and sale of firearms.

  • COVID VACCINEGround-Breaking Study Reveals How COVID-19 Vaccines Prevent Severe Disease

    A landmark study by scientists at the University of Oxford, has unveiled crucial insights into the way that COVID-19 vaccines mitigate severe illness in those who have been vaccinated.

  • HURRICANESResearchers Predicting Well Above-Average 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season

    By Josh Rhoten

    Hurricane researchers are predicting an extremely active Atlantic hurricane season in their initial 2024 forecast. The researchers cite record warm tropical and eastern subtropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures as a primary factor for their prediction of 11 hurricanes this year.

  • CLIMATE CHALLENGESExtreme Weather is Battering the World. What's the Cause?

    By Alistair Walsh

    Floods and heatwaves across Africa, deluges in southern Brazil, drought in the Amazon, and extreme heat across Asia, including India: the news has been full of alarming weather disaster stories this year, and for good reason. Climate change is likely fueling a surge in extreme weather events across the planet. It could be a troubling sign of things to come.

  • OUR PICKSNew Immigration Court Plan | Humanity Has No Strong Protection Against AI | The U.S. Navy Can’t Build Ships, and more

    ·  Humanity Has No Strong Protection Against AI, Experts warn
    Ahead of second safety summit, tech companies accused of having little understanding of how their systems actually work

    ·  At Justice Alito’s House, a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol on Display
    An upside-down flag, adopted by Trump supporters contesting the Biden victory, flew over the justice’s front lawn as the Supreme Court was considering an election case

    ·  The U.S. Navy Can’t Build Ships
    Decades of deindustrialization and downsizing have left America without shipyards to build and maintain a fleet

    ·  The Authoritarians Have the Momentum
    The central struggle in the world right now is between liberalism and authoritarianism – the latter represented by pseudo-authoritarian populists like Trump, Orban, Modi or Erdogan or straight-up dictators like Putin and Xi

    ·  New Immigration Court Plan Aims to Speed Removal of Some New Migrants
    Cases will be overseen by a select group of judges with the aim of having them decided within 180 days

    ·US Arrests American and Ukrainian in North Korea-Linked IT Infiltration Scheme
    An elaborate scheme aimed at generating revenue for North Korea in contravention of international sanctions

    ·  From Panic to Policy: The Limits of Foreign Propaganda and the Foundations of an Effective Response
    American leaders and scholars have long feared the prospect that hostile foreign powers could subvert democracy by spreading false, misleading, and inflammatory information by using various media

    ·  ‘Heightened Threat’ of Terrorism During Pride Month 2024, FBI and DHS Warn
    Federal intelligence agencies are warning that this year’s Pride Month may be targets for terrorist organizations

    ·  White Supremacist Admits Plot to Destroy Baltimore Power Grid, Cause Mayhem
    Extremists inadvertently exposed their operation to federal agents after colluding with an FBI informant, who recorded conversations detailing the plot

    ·  The U.S. Must Offer a Substantive 5G Alternative to China’s Huawei
    The West cannot stem Huawei’s appeal to 5G-hungry developing countries by simply citing national security concerns. It needs to provide a competitive alternative

  • WORLD ROUNDUPU.S. Officials See Strategic Failure in Israel’s Rafah Invasion | The Time for Europe to Step Up Is Now | A Would-be Assassin Stirs Europe’s Violent Ghosts, and more

    ·  The ‘America First’ Chaos Caucus Is Forcing a Moment of Truth
    Does the Republican Party still believe in American leadership abroad?

    ·  A Would-be Assassin Stirs Europe’s Violent Ghosts
    Political violence and polarization stalk Europe today, with ominous echoes of the past

    ·  Palestinian Student ‘Full of Joy’ After Oct 7 Attack Upset She Faces Deportation
    Dana Abuqamar says she will appeal the Home Office’s decision because she believes her comments on the massacre have been misrepresented

    ·  China Develops Revolutionary Electric Car Battery That Can Charge in 10 Minutes
    ‘Remarkable’ developments in chemistry allow vehicles to travel 600 miles between charges

    ·  Israel Resists Grand Bargain as U.S. and Saudis Work on Security Pact
    President Biden is pushing for a broad deal that would get Israel to approve a Palestinian nation in return for Saudi recognition of Israel. But officials need to overcome Israeli opposition

    ·  Taiwan, on China’s Doorstep, Is Dealing with TikTok Its Own Way
    The island democracy was early to ban TikTok on government phones, and the ruling party refuses to use it. But a U.S.-style ban is not under consideration

    ·  U.S. Officials See Strategic Failure in Israel’s Rafah Invasion
    White House and U.S. intelligence officials doubt that Hamas can be fully defeated and worry the widening invasion will frustrate attempts at a peace deal

    ·  The Time for Europe to Step Up Is Now
    The era when allies could obfuscate unequal burden-sharing by claiming that increasing defense spending is “useless” to address capability shortfalls or contributions to NATO missions is over

    ·  Hezbollah Introduces New Weapons and Tactics Against Israel as War in Gaza Drags On
    Hezbollah this week struck a military post in northern Israel using a drone that fired two missiles

  • BORDER SECURITYLack of Operational Control at Northern Border Poses National Security Threats

    By Bethany Blankley, The Center Square

    The northern border largely has been unmanned and understaffed for decades as federal reports issue conflicting conclusions about how much, or how little, operational control exists. All this while a greatest number of terrorist watch list individuals being apprehended at northern border.

  • GAZA WARIsrael’s Invasion of Rafah Will Not Eliminate Hamas or End the War. So, What Is Benjamin Netanyahu’s Plan?

    By Ian Parmeter

    The longer the war has dragged on, the more it has highlighted that Israel, which has been under Netanyahu’s almost continuous rule since 2009, has no long-term strategy for living side-by-side with its Palestinian neighbors. Even if a ceasefire could be agreed to, Netanyahu’s government hasn’t articulated a plan for the “day after”. Already, this lack of a plan is creating a dangerous power vacuum in northern Gaza that has been filled by gangs, clans and criminals.

  • DEEPFAKESBeyond Watermarks: Content Integrity Through Tiered Defense

    By Kevin Klyman and Renée DiResta

    Watermarking is often discussed as a solution to the problems posed by AI-generated content. However, watermarking is inadequate without other methods of detecting and sorting out AI-generated content.

  • PUBLIC HEALTHAs States Loosen Childhood Vaccine Requirements, Health Experts’ Worries Grow

    By Shalina Chatlani

    Vaccines protect not only the patient, but also those around them. Science has shown that a population can reach community immunity, also known as herd immunity, once a certain percentage of the group is vaccinated. That herd immunity can protect people who can’t get vaccinated, such as those with weakened immune systems or serious allergies, by reducing their chances of infection. But vaccine mandate opponents say it is not about science, but about their individual freedoms.

  • POWER-GRID RESILIENCEAmerica’s Grid Isn’t Ready for a Renewable Future. A New Federal Rule Could Change That.

    By Syris Valentine

    America’s energy system has a problem: Solar and wind developers want to build renewable energy at a breakneck pace, but too often the power that these projects can produce has nowhere to go. That’s because the high-voltage lines that move energy across the country don’t have the capacity to handle what these panels and turbines generate. At the same time, electric vehicles, data centers, and new factories are pushing electricity demand well beyond what was expected just a few years ago.

  • POWER-GRID RESILIENCEElaine Liu: Charging Ahead

    By Deborah Halber

    The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the number of public and private EV charging ports nearly doubled in the past three years, and many more are in the works. Users expect to plug in at their convenience, charge up, and drive away. But what if the grid can’t handle it? An MIT senior calculates how renewables and EVs impact the grid.

  • GEOENGINEERINGSolar Geoengineering to Cool the Planet: Is It Worth the Risks?

    By Renée Cho

    There is no international, national or state framework that currently governs geoengineering. As a result, one worrisome future scenario is that climate impacts in a particularly vulnerable country will be so severe that it resorts to deploying stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI, also called solar radiation management or SRM) on its own before the world is ready for it. This could cause political instability or provoke retribution from other countries that suffer its effects.

  • OUR PICKSThe US Election Threats Are Clear. What to Do About Them Is Not | Keeping Federal Data Secure | U.S. Intelligence Is Facing a Crisis of Legitimacy, and more

    ·  The US Election Threats Are Clear. What to Do About Them Is Anything But
    A Senate Intelligence Committee hearing today saw broad agreement on how AI and other threats loom ahead of the US election—and uncertainty about how to respond

    ·  RFK Jr. Is Priming His Audience for Election Denialism
    Robert F. Kennedy’s campaign—and his life’s work—have laid the groundwork for supporters to blame his inevitable loss on an elite conspiracy

    •  Trump Blasts His Trial Judges. Then His Fans Call for Violence.
    Experts on extremism say the constant repetition of threatening or menacing language can normalize the idea of violence – and increase the risk of someone carrying it out

    ·  Violent Threats Surge After Donald Trump’s Attacks on Trial Judge
    Online posts call for physical violence — including death threats — against Juan Merchan after the former president called him corrupt

    ·  Trump’s Attacks on Justice System Are Causing Real Damage, Experts Say
    Prosecutors, witnesses and jurors in ex-president’s sights, and it could lead to violence, former federal prosecutors and judges say

    ·  UK to Deploy New Radio-Wave Weapon Which Can Blast Swarms of Drones Out of the Sky
    At 10p a shot, military technology is a cost-effective alternative to traditional missiles, say experts

    ·  How to Regulate Artificial Intelligence
    To everyone from academics and journalists to policymakers and AI researchers themselves, the imperative for regulation seems obvious

    ·  Keeping Federal Data Secure
    Leaks, hacks, and simple mistakes have exposed Americans’ data, in some cases widely to the public, in others to malicious actors and enemies abroad

    ·  U.S. Intelligence Is Facing a Crisis of Legitimacy
    Bad-faith attacks are putting U.S. security in danger

  • WORLD ROUNDUPHow Extremists Took Over Israel | Argentina’s Extreme Experiment in Austrian Economics Is Sailing Dangerously Close to the Wind | China Has Gotten the Trade War It Deserves, and more

    ·  The Unpunished: How Extremists Took Over Israel
    How did a young nation turn so quickly on its own democratic ideals, and at what price?

    ·  The Israeli Defense Establishment Revolts Against Netanyahu
    To appease his far-right flank, the prime minister has refused to commit to Palestinian governance of Gaza. Israel’s security figures are calling his bluff

    ·  US Imposes Sanctions on Nicaragua Over Repression, Migrant Smuggling
    Three Nicaraguan entities sanctioned in retaliation for “repressive actions” and a failure to stem migrant smuggling through the Central American country

    ·  A Growing Number of Chinese Indonesians Are Winning Political Offices
    According to the last census in 2010, 1.2% of Indonesia’s total population is of Chinese ethnicity, at over 2.8 million people

    ·  Iran Threatens Britain for Defending Israel in April Attack
    Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps becomes first Iranian official to directly hit out at UK for supporting Israel

    ·  Javier Milei’s Extreme Experiment in Austrian Economics Is Sailing Dangerously Close to the Wind
    The president’s revolution is less Thatcherite than his rhetoric would suggest

    ·  China Has Gotten the Trade War It Deserves
    The Biden administration’s steep new tariffs are a rational response to Xi Jinping’s aggressive economic policies

    ·  Irrefutable Evidence for Unspeakable Crimes? The Role of the Written Order in Proving and Denying Genocide
    The concept and role of a “written order” has a long history in proving, prosecuting, and denying genocidal intent

    ·  As EU and Local Elections Approach, Hungary’s Civil Society Braces for Renewed Government Assault
    Far-right leaders like Viktor Orbán embrace illiberal policies and oppose key values of liberal democracy, such as an independent judiciary and media, minority rights, and space for dissent

  • EXTREMISMBipartisan Members of Congress, Jewish Professors Oppose Antisemitism Bill

    By Bethany Blankley, The Center Square

    A coalition of Republican and Democratic lawmakers, nearly 700 Jewish professors, and others oppose an antisemitism bill sent to the U.S. Senate arguing it’s unconstitutional and doesn’t adequately address antisemitism. Opponents argue it would criminalize Christian beliefs about Jesus.

  • CHINA WATCHU.S.-China Trade War: Why Joe Biden Has Raised the Stakes

    By Uwe Hessler

    In a move to safeguard domestic industries and address unfair trade practices, the US president has quadrupled tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and raised levies on other green tech.

  • CHINA WATCHChinese Nationalist Groups Are Launching Cyber-Attacks – Often Against the Wishes of the Government

    By Lewis Eves

    China is often presented as a monolithic entity, entirely at the whim of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, the reality is more complex. Many Chinese cyber-attacks and other kinds of digital interference are conducted by Chinese nationalist groups.

  • GUNSEven When a Cop Is Killed with an Illegally Purchased Weapon, the Gun Store’s Name Is Kept Secret

    By Vernal Coleman

    A 2003 law pushed by the gun industry limits the information shared by federal agents and shields gun shops from public scrutiny, but ProPublica was able to identify the store that sold the gun used in the shooting of a Chicago police officer.