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U.S. files trade charges against China over rare minerals
China mines and sells about 97 percent of the world’s rare Earth elements – seventeen metals used in cell phones, advanced batteries, wind turbines, and more; the Chinese, in violation of WTO rules, have manipulated the export of these minerals in order to weaken the techno logy sectors of other countries, and punish countries over political disputes
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CDC: outbreaks linked to imported foods increasing
U.S. food imports grew from $41 billion in 1998 to $78 billion in 2007; as much as 85 percent of the seafood eaten in the United States is imported, and depending on the time of the year, up to 60 percent of fresh produce is imported; the increase in imported food has been accompanied by an increase in foodborne illnesses, with fish and spices the most common sources
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Japanese military buys biowarfare detectors
The U.S. military deploy the Joint Biological Point Detection System (JBPDS), and the Japanese military want to do the same, awarding a North Carolina company a $9 million contract
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Rethinking the toilet model in developing countries
More than 2.6 billion people around the world lack access to basic sanitation, and more than 40 percent of the world’s population lack access to even the simplest latrine; the lack of sanitation creates serious problems, including environmental pollution, unsafe surroundings, and increasing the outbreak of lethal epidemic diseases such as cholera; Swedish company offers a solution
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PG&E pays additional $70 million for San Bruno natural gas explosion
On Monday, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) announced that it will pay $70 million to residents of San Bruno, California after one of the utility’s natural gas pipelines erupted killing eight people and destroying nearly forty homes
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Innovative CCTV protects copper cables
The theft of copper cables has cost the British economy an estimated £770 million a year over the last few years; British company which rely on copper cables to deliver their services are deploying an innovative CCTV to combat the thieves
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ATK awarded contract to supply ammo to DHS
ATK scored a major win on Monday with the announcement that it had secured a contract to supply DHS with .40 caliber ammunition
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NCAA tournament math: an alternative selection method
Researchers propose a math-based method for placing teams in the NCAA March Madness tournament – a method which will reduce team-travel distances in early rounds and which could reduce travel costs by $1 million while increasing attendance in the games
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ZK Technology enters U.S. biometrics market
ZK Technology announced yesterday that it was officially entering the biometric access control solution market starting with its new inBio and C3 series of network-based biometric and RFID control panels, which also include fingerprint scanners
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Saratoga Hospitals deploy biometrics to increase security and improve efficiency
To improve privacy and security measures, Saratoga Hospital in New York recently announced that it would be partnering with DigitalPersona Inc. to install biometric access controls to verify medical personnel’s identities and increase efficiency
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Researcher develops highly sensitive, nanomaterial gas detector
A doctoral student at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has developed a new sensor to detect extremely small quantities of hazardous gas
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Universal Detection unveils radiation detection smartphone app
Last week Universal Detection Technology unveiled its first generation smartphone app designed to detect nuclear radiation levels on a variety of surfaces including food
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New paper gas detectors developed
Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, have developed a quick and simple way to detect the presence of nerve gases
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Shift to green energy could mean crunch in rare Earth metals supply
A large-scale shift from coal-fired electric power plants and gasoline-fueled cars to wind turbines and electric vehicles could increase demand for two already-scarce metals — available almost exclusively in China — by 600-2,600 percent over the next twenty-five years
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Verifying passengers’ identity
The cruise industry has been expanding at a rate of more than 7 percent annually in the past few years, resulting in bigger ships, more destinations, more on-board/on-shore activities, and more passengers – making it more difficult to keep track of passengers
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More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.
Chinese Government Hackers Targeted Critics of China, U.S. Businesses and Politicians
An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
European Arms Imports Nearly Double, U.S. and French Exports Rise, and Russian Exports Fall Sharply
States in Europe almost doubled their imports of major arms (+94 per cent) between 2014–18 and 2019–23. The United States increased its arms exports by 17 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while Russia’s arms exports halved. Russia was for the first time the third largest arms exporter, falling just behind France.
LNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.