• Iranian Breakout Timelines Under JCPOA-Type Limits

    The 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) made it impossible for Iran, if it withdrew from the deal, to produce enough weapon-grade uranium (WGU) for a nuclear weapon in less than 12 months. The U.S unilateral withdrawal from JCPOA in 2018 has changed the situation so fundamentally in favor of Iran and its nuclear weapons program, that new limits are needed, the most important of which is that Iran destroy centrifuges and related equipment, rather than store them. A focus on only limiting enriched uranium stocks will not provide sufficient breakout timelines.

  • States Push to Combat Human Trafficking Amid Federal Funding Cuts

    States are moving to strengthen protections against human trafficking, but some advocates warn that some programs might not have the resources to help survivors.

  • The Battle for Pentagon Acquisition Policy: Tradition Versus New-and-Cheaper

    The weapons that get bought in larger or smaller quantities, or are launched or cancelled, will indicate whether US President Donald Trump’s administration will strengthen long-range deterrent forces, order a retreat under his Golden Dome missile-defense system, or spend four years trying to blend incompatible visions of industrial and technological strategy.

  • U.S. Senate Committee Advances Kelly's Critical Minerals Bill

    A bill seeking to improve America’s mineral supply chain is heading to the U.S. Senate floor. The Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2025, introduced by Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, would remove disparities between separate critical materials lists from the Department of Energy and Department of Interior. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill last week.

  • How California’s Farmers Can Recharge the Aquifers They’ve Drained

    Agriculture requires a lot of water. In the drought-stricken Central Valley, researchers have found a win-win for growers.

  • U.S. declares military zone around El Paso, allowing soldiers to arrest migrants

    It’s the second military zone the Trump administration has created at the border, following one on the New Mexico-Mexico border, where a group of migrants were arrested on Monday.

  • Trump Pick to Run DEA Could Challenge America’s Already Tense Relations with Mexico

    In 22 years at the agency, Terry Cole never rose to its top ranks, but he is a vocal supporter of the president’s goal of going after Mexican officials who are complicit with drug cartels.

  • Washington Silences Its Own Voice

    The Trump administration’s decision to close the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s (USAGM) aids authoritarian propaganda and interference efforts. In many countries, USAGM outlets are among the few sources presenting uncensored, fact-based reporting hampered neither by authoritarian government nor oligarchic censorship or influence. They serve US interests by challenging authoritarians and by giving the people these leaders seek to oppress or influence access to unbiased news and other information.

  • Why Do People Continue to Support Politicians Who Attack Their Democracies? Expert Q&A

    Most people in most countries say it is important to them that they live in a democracy. Yet, many people who claim to care about democracy also support political leaders and movements that have attacked democratic institutions and values. Even when people agree about the fundamental definition of democracy, they may disagree over how democracy is implemented in practice. Anti-democratic political leaders can take advantage of these disagreements to argue that their actions defend rather than disrupt democracy.

  • As Measles Outbreaks Grow, Trump Cuts Hinder Vaccination Efforts

    935 cases have been reported across 29 states, including 3 deaths. DOGE-driven $11 billion in cuts of federal funding for states’ health efforts forced states to cancel vaccination clinics needed to combat this year’s measles outbreak.

  • Administration Promotes Speculative Lab Leak SARS-CoV-2 Origin Theory

    Visitors to the Covid.gov and Covidtests.gov websites are now being were websites directed to White House webpage dedicated to promoting the lab-leak theory of the origins of SAR-CoV-2. There is no direct scientific evidence to support this speculative theory, or any other Covid-origin theory.

  • Terrorists Weigh Risks to Their Reputation When Deciding Which Crises to Exploit − New Research

    Terrorist attacks are more common during security and economic crises, but they decrease during humanitarian disasters. Perpetrators focus on what we call “ripe moments” – circumstances that present unique opportunities for terrorist groups to attack when the state is distracted or weakened. But the reason why a state may be vulnerable matters to terrorists.

  • Low-Power Sensors Could Last 10 Years, Providing Surveillance, Security

    Researchers at Sandia have spent the last three years developing an ultra-low-power chemical sensor to detect sarin and other chemical warfare agents or gaseous industrial toxins, aiming to protect the public and warfighters.

  • Deep Sea Mining is the New Front in Pacific Competition

    Recent developments reflect the rise of renewed great-power resource rivalry and the race for critical minerals, which underpin digital infrastructure and green energy.

  • Exploring New Frontiers in Mineral Extraction

    The minerals found in the deep ocean are used to manufacture products like the lithium-ion batteries used to power electric vehicles, cell phones, or solar cells. In some cases, the estimated resources of critical mineral deposits in parts of the abyssal ocean exceed global land-based reserves severalfold. Professor Thomas Peacock’s research aims to better understand the impact of deep-sea mining.