OUR PICKSQuantum Technology and Homeland Security | Bunkers Where American Preppers Brace for the Election | Unprecedented Number of Flood Emergencies, and more

Biological Research Is Keeping Us Safer from Climate Threats  (Steven Ashby, Tri-City Herald / PNNL)
The key to staying safe is to identify risks, mitigate them and prepare—just in case.  This is true for all sorts of hazards, including the threat of biological pathogens, whether naturally occurring or deliberately engineered.

Elon Musk Is the October Surprise of the 2024 Election (Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey, Washington Post)
The billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO, and owner of X, has interjected himself into a presidential race like no other titan before him.

Inside the $35k Bunkers Where American Preppers Brace for the Election  (Charlotte McDonald-Gibson, The Times)
Sales of underground boltholes are booming as Americans increasingly fear political violence — and geopolitical threats rise too.

An Unprecedented Number of Flood Emergencies Have Ravaged the US. It’s a Warning of What’s to Come  (Mary Gilbert, CNN)
Extreme weather has thrashed the United States this year with more flood emergencies than any other year — a deadly, sobering statistic that scientists say paints a picture of the future as the planet warms.

Elon Musk Says X Users Fight Falsehoods. The Falsehoods Are Winning.  (Will Oremus, Trisha Thadani and Jeremy B. Merrill, Washington Post)
X’s crowdsourced fact-checking program has been hailed as a bold idea for social media. Research shows it’s failing at a critical moment.

When Maximizing Food Production Manufactures Disaster Risk  (Charlie Mather and Gerald Singh, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists)
Quantum Technology and Homeland Security  (Michael J. Keegan and Paula Ganga, HSToday)
The development of quantum technology has the potential to reshape the world’s economic and social landscape. The U.S. government understands the national security importance of developing this field and has already invested significant resources in developing quantum information science. Quantum technology holds significant promise for enhancing the homeland security sector through improved cybersecurity, threat detection, disaster response, and infrastructure resilience. 

The Enduring Mystery of Trump’s Relationship with Russia (Michael Hirsh, Foreign Policy)
After years of government investigations, we still don’t know if the former president is actually in Putin’s pocket.