-
Gun Violence Legislation Would Expand Research, Collaborations
Federal legislation to establish a gun violence research program, with funds for projects, is being sought by Democratic North Carolina U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee. If successful getting through the Republican majority chamber, the projects would examine the nature, root causes, consequences and prevention of gun violence.
-
-
‘Killer Robots’ Are Becoming a Real Threat in Africa
The use of drones in the Sahel, a region of Africa that has been plagued by violence driven by jihadist insurgency for much of the past decade, has become a real problem. But even more concerning is the fact that their AI-powered variants, which are known as lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), have been deployed in Africa in recent years.
-
-
Terrorists Target Music Venues
Taylor Swift fans are disappointed after three Vienna concerts were canceled due to a possible terror threat. Europe has seen several deadly attacks on music venues in recent years, raising security concerns.
-
-
U.K. Riots Blamed on Israel by Conspiracy Theorists
Riots across the United Kingdom involving far-right elements broke out after the murder of three young girls at a dance class in the Southport knife attack was falsely attributed to a recently arrived Muslim migrant. It is predictable but still problematic to see Israel scapegoated as the cause of the riots.
-
-
Federal Jury Convicts New York Resident of Acting as a Covert Chinese Agent
Defendant Pretended to Be Opposed to the Chinese Government So He Could Get Close to Prominent Activists Seeking to Bring Democracy, Reform and Human Rights to China
-
-
The National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research: Five Years On
What are the effects of red flag laws? What risks do people face when living with gun owners? What influences young people to carry guns? Just five years ago, little scientific evidence existed to answer to these questions because Congress barred federal funding of for research to find answers to these and other questions.
-
-
Implementing Secure Firearm Storage Program for Illinois Parents
Firearm injury and mortality are the leading cause of death among youth in the U.S. From 2013-2020, firearms contributed to a staggering cumulative loss of 1.3 million years of life for young people.
-
-
Iranian Plot to Kill U.S. Officials, Politicians
A Pakistani man with ties to Iran was charged with murder-for-hire plot as part of an alleged scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil. Law enforcement foiled the charged plot before any attack could be carried out.
-
-
Insights on Valuable Byproduct Minerals
Byproduct minerals are not the main target of the mining operation but are obtained as a result of processing the primary ore. Many critical minerals are byproducts of mining other minerals like copper, gold, and zinc.
-
-
Potential Terrorists Can Be Identified from Social Media Posts
Researchers have identified signals in social media posts that can predict when someone posting on far-right forums is likely to go on to commit a terrorist act.
-
-
Mass Shooters Are Often ‘Socially Stunted’ with ‘Zero Coping Skills’
“The fact that a grown man who lives with his mom and dad still enjoys playing dress-up like a preschooler is strange and yet a frequent occurrence among mass shooters,” said an expert on mass shooters. “There is a subtype of mass shooters that dress up in pseudo‐commando attire brandishing assault weapons.”
-
-
How America's Elites May Hold the Key to Lowering Murder Rates
New crime laws, police funding and similar efforts may have some effect on homicide rates in the United States – but the biggest impact will come from the actions of our political and economic elites, historian and author of American Homicide writes in new report.
-
-
Alarmism about Terrorism Is Risky and Unjustified
The annual chance of being murdered in an attack committed by a foreign-born terrorist is about one in 4.5 million—about 323 times lower than the chance of being murdered in a normal homicide during that 1975–2023 timeframe. The U.S. ought to be more realistic about the foreign-born terrorist threat. Alarmism in the face of small and manageable risks that probably haven’t arisen is a tremendous vice that policymakers should avoid.
-
-
Engineers Debut New Drone ID Tech After Yemen Strikes Israel
Tel Aviv University researchers unveil an AI-powered drone ID radar system that enhances detection in challenging urban environments.
-
-
Resourcing the Ramp-Up: NATO and the Challenge of a Coherent Industrial Response to Russia's War in Ukraine
Near the top of the new NATO Secretary-General’s in-tray will be an urgent question: why are efforts to mobilize the alliance’s industrial base and ramp up production still yielding underwhelming results, over two years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine?
-
The long view
AI-Controlled Fighter Jets May Be Closer Than We Think — and Would Change the Face of Warfare
Could we be on the verge of an era where fighter jets take flight without pilots – and are controlled by artificial intelligence (AI)? US R Adm Michael Donnelly recently said that an upcoming combat jet could be the navy’s last one with a pilot in the cockpit.
What We’ve Learned from Survivors of the Atomic Bombs
Q&A with Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, New Vice Chair for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
Need for National Information Clearinghouse for Cybercrime Data, Categorization of Cybercrimes: Report
There is an acute need for the U.S. to address its lack of overall governance and coordination of cybercrime statistics. A new report recommends that relevant federal agencies create or designate a national information clearinghouse to draw information from multiple sources of cybercrime data and establish connections to assist in criminal investigations.
Autonomous Weapon Systems: No Human-in-the-Loop Required, and Other Myths Dispelled
“The United States has a strong policy on autonomy in weapon systems that simultaneously enables their development and deployment and ensures they could be used in an effective manner, meaning the systems work as intended, with the same minimal risk of accidents or errors that all weapon systems have,” Michael Horowitz writes.
Twenty-One Things That Are True in Los Angeles
To understand the dangers inherent in deploying the California National Guard – over the strenuous objections of the California governor – and active-duty Marines to deal with anti-ICE protesters, we should remind ourselves of a few elementary truths, writes Benjamin Wittes. Among these truths: “Not all lawful exercises of authority are wise, prudent, or smart”; “Not all crimes require a federal response”; “Avoiding tragic and unnecessary confrontations is generally desirable”; and “It is thus unwise, imprudent, and stupid to take actions for performative reasons that one might reasonably anticipate would increase the risks of such confrontations.”
Luigi Mangione and the Making of a ‘Terrorist’
Discretion is crucial to the American tradition of criminal law, Jacob Ware and Ania Zolyniak write, noting that “lawmakers enact broader statutes to empower prosecutors to pursue justice while entrusting that they will stay within the confines of their authority and screen out the inevitable “absurd” cases that may arise.” Discretion is also vital to maintaining the legitimacy of the legal system. In the prosecution’s case against Luigi Mangione, they charge, “That discretion was abused.”