Doing the Math on the Dangers of AI | The Next US President Will Have Troubling New Surveillance Powers | Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer, and more

A National Security Insider Does the Math on the Dangers of AI  (Lauren Goode, Wired)
Jason Matheny is a delight to speak with, provided you’re up for a lengthy conversation about potential technological and biomedical catastrophe.

One Problem for Renewables: Not Enough Rare Earths. One Solution: Recycling. But There’s a Hitch.  (Maddie Stone, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists)
To build all of the solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries, and other technologies necessary to fight climate change, we’re going to need a lot more metals. Mining those metals from the Earth creates damage and pollution that threaten ecosystems and communities. 

Zumwalt-Class Stealth Destroyer: Hypersonic Missile Truck or Giant Failure?  (James Holmes, National Interest)
Zumwalt-Class: Will it be a success or failure in the long run? It is neither fast nor cheap nor easy to swap out a warship’s major armament for something completely different. Nor is success foreordained.

Extreme Right-Wing Terrorist Group Terrorgram to Be Banned in UK  (The Telegraph)
Terrorgram, an extreme Right-wing terrorist group, is set to become the first online organization to be banned in the UK. The move would mean support for the group would be illegal, with punishments of up to 14 years in prison or an unlimited fine. 

German Culture Scene Unites Against Far-Right AfD Party  (Stuart Braun, DW)
As the populist, anti-immigrant AfD (Alternative for Germany) party were rising fast in the German polls in 2023, national culture collective Die Vielen (The Many) decided to act. 

The Next US President Will Have Troubling New Surveillance Powers  (Dell Cameron, Wired)
The ability of the United States to intercept and store Americans’ text messages, calls, and emails in pursuit of foreign intelligence was not only extended but enhanced over the weekend in ways likely to remain enigmatic to the public for years to come.