• 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.

  • Where the Public and Private Sectors Converge

    DHS S&T recently hosted its annual Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) Demo Week, bringing together federal government and startup communities to exhibit new technologies, talk through ideas and identify opportunities for future collaboration.

  • White House Summit on Standards for Critical and Emerging Technology

    In a White House summit, representatives of government agencies, industry and standards development organizations discussed the U.S. Government National Standards Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technology (USG NSSCET). This strategy promotes technologically sound standards that help American industry compete internationally on a level playing field and is intended to support and complement existing private sector-led standards activities.

  • Despite Security Concerns, TikTok Still Plays Key Role in 2024 Race

    Despite national security concerns about TikTok – and its ties to China – the popular short-form video app is playing an important role on the campaign trail for both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. The reason, experts say, is because the platform remains a crucial tool for candidates to reach young voters.

  • How Deepfakes Are Being Used

    Digital tools can alter images of ourselves and others in ways that are more convincing and harder to detect than ever before. They can create spectacular special effects in movies. But they also are used with the images or voices of people without their consent, or to create propaganda with the intent to fool people.

  • AI-Powered Massive Deepfake Detector to Safeguard Elections from Deepfake Threats

    Israeli startup Revealense has introduced its illuminator Massive Deepfake Detector, an AI-powered solution designed to combat the growing threat of deepfakes in electoral processes. Dov Donin, CEO of Revealense, said: “Our system is already used by several governments globally.”

  • 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.

  • Can Florida’s Orange Growers Survive Another Hurricane Season?

    Oranges are synonymous with Florida, but a perfect storm of hurricanes, diseases, and water scarcity threatens to wipe out the state’s famed citrus industry.

  • Reviving the Los Angeles River: Engineering Alongside Nature and Society

    Reviving the LA River is a prime example of a large-scale infrastructure project that requires engineers to work alongside nature and society. A revived LA River can again serve as habitat for native vegetation and wildlife, improve water quality, aid water management, and contribute to cultural renewal.

  • Biden Administration Gives Up on Texas Border Suit, Ordered to Finish Wall

    Texas has won another lawsuit against the Biden administration, this time one that requires it to finish building the border wall.  The ruling was issued May 29, with a 60-day window for appeal. Because the Biden administration didn’t appeal by July 29, the court’s order remains in full effect.

  • China’s High Stakes and Deepfakes in the Philippines

    A covert social media campaign operated by the Chinese government appears to be spreading a deepfake video seeking to undermine support for Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. China is conducting the campaign amid a high-stakes standoff with the Philippines over claims in the South China Sea.

  • Worried About Violence, Threats as Election Nears? Just Say No.

    Political violence has been increasing in the U.S. from the recent attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump to the 10-fold surge in threats against members of Congress in the past decade. And experts see serious risk of more incidents as the election nears. Key is for leaders, voters to stand in solidarity against it, political scientists say.

  • 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.

  • Venezuela: The Rise and Fall of a Petrostate

    Venezuela’s ongoing descent into economic and political chaos is a cautionary tale of the dangerous influence that resource wealth can have on developing countries.