• Operator of “Bulletproof Hosting” Service Which Distributed Destructive Malware Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

    A Romanian national who operated a “bulletproof hosting” service was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to forfeit $3,510,000. The bulletproof hosting was used to facilitate the distribution of the Gozi Virus, the Zeus Trojan, the SpyEye Trojan, and the BlackEnergy malware, all of which were designed to steal confidential financial information.

  • First New U.S. Nuclear Reactor in 40 Years is Up and Running

    After years of delays, Plant Vogtle project goes online in Georgia. The completion of the first of two new reactors at the plant is a major milestone not just for the long-delayed project but for nuclear energy in the United States. There are currently no other nuclear reactors being built in the United States.

  • China Extends Its Lead Over U.S. in Key Technologies

    Western democracies are losing the global technological competition, including the race for scientific and research breakthroughs, and the ability to retain global talent—crucial ingredients that underpin the development and control of the world’s most important technologies, including those that don’t yet exist.A new report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) finds that China’s global lead extends to 37 out of 44 technologies that ASPI is now tracking. These findings should be a wake-up call for democratic nations, who must rapidly pursue a strategic critical technology step-up.

  • The Executive Order on Commercial Spyware: Implications and Prospects

    The growing national security threat from misuse of commercial spyware is increasingly being recognized. The US has been taking the lead in addressing the growing menace of unregulated spyware companies and the proliferation of intrusive tools. The Biden administration’s latest Executive Order will ensure that commercial spyware firms will be subjected to unprecedented scrutiny.

  • Cost of Climate Change-Driven Natural Disasters Includes Losses of Learning, Earnings

    A new study finds that the human capital consequences of natural disasters, linked to climate change, are a significant factor contributing to economic inequality.

  • Amid Fears of Chinese Influence, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States Has Grown More Powerful

    The Committee on Foreign Investment, a U.S. government interagency committee established in 1975 by President Gerald Ford, is tasked with studying and coordinating the implementation of policy on foreign investment in America.The primary objective of the committee is to review selected foreign investments and some real estate transactions by foreigners in the U.S. for their national security implications.

  • Allowing Financial Trading in California's Wholesale Electricity Market Significantly Reduces Volatility: Study

    Allowing trading in California’s electricity market led to a reduction in the implicit cost of trading day-ahead/real-time price differences, the volatility of these price differences, and the volatility of real-time prices. In addition, operating costs and fuel use fell on days after the introduction of purely financial participation.

  • Global Flash Droughts Expected to Increase in a Warming Climate

    The rapid development of unexpected drought, called flash drought, can severely impact agricultural and ecological systems with ripple effects that extend even further. Researchers are assessing how our warming climate will affect the frequency of flash droughts and the risk to croplands globally.

  • U.S. Reliance on Chinese Drones: A Sector for the Next CHIPS Act?

    More and more lawmakers from both parties are beginning to pay attention to the issue of drones and national security. Different bills seek to regulate federal agency procurement and use of certain foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), or drones. Annie I. Antón and Olivia C. Mauger write that “Building on the bipartisan consensus to enact the 2022 Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science (CHIPS) Act, there is a compelling case that UASs should be a next sector for similar action.”

  • Chinese Citizens Sue Florida Over “Xenophobic” Law Restricting Property Purchase by Citizens of "Countries of Concern"

    Four Chinese citizens living in Florida and a real estate brokerage that operates in the state have joined together in a lawsuit challenging a new law which places severe restrictions on the ability of non-U.S. citizens from “countries of concern” to purchase property there.

  • Will the Charging Networks Arrive in Time?

    MIT Mobility Forum considers whether startups can provide the infrastructure for electric vehicles, or if more automakers must step in.

  • In Years After El Niño, Global Economy Loses Trillions

    In the years it strikes, the band of warm ocean water known as El Niño that spans from South America to Asia triggers far-reaching weather changes resulting in devastating floods, crop-killing droughts, plummeting fish populations, and an uptick in tropical diseases.

  • Montana first U.S. state to ban TikTok

    Starting next year, Montana will prohibit app stores from offering the video-sharing platform to users. The state’s governor said the ban protects people from Chinese surveillance.

  • Labor Trafficking in the United States

    In 2020, DHS developed a strategy to guide its efforts to curb trafficking worldwide. Principally, the strategy calls for improving the identification and reporting of suspected trafficking. Questions about the current state of research on U.S. labor trafficking and future research needs need to be answered as the initial step in building a research agenda focused on labor trafficking.

  • European Countries Would Be Wise to Assist Each Other with Regard to Energy

    If European countries collaborate, they can avoid severe energy scarcity due to a gas shortage. If the European countries act selfishly in times of gas shortage, Eastern Europe in particular will suffer. Eastern Europe is vulnerable because the entry points for natural gas are now in the west of the continent.