• Iran Now Has Enough Enriched Uranium for “Several” Nuclear Bombs: IAEA

    In 2015, the world powers reached an agreement with Iran which severely restricted its nuclear weapons-related activities. In 2018, then-President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled the United States out of the accord without replacing it with any alternative mechanism to constrain Iran’s nuclear weapons-related activities. Trump’s decision allowed Iran to relaunch its nuclear weapons program, and the IAEA’s director-general has just warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear bombs if it made the decision to build them.

  • Detecting Nuclear Materials Using Light

    Sandia materials scientist developed the state of the art technology known as Organic Glass Scintillators for radiation detection. Organic Glass Scintillators emit light in the presence of radiation.

  • Fewer U.S. College Students Are Studying a Foreign Language − and That Spells Trouble for National Security

    In 1958, following the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, the National Defense Education Act authorized funding to strengthen U.S. education in language instruction, in addition to math and science. More than six decades later, a new Modern Language Association report is raising concerns about America’s foreign language capabilities anew. Having fewer U.S. college students who learn a foreign language creates greater risks for national security.

  • More Asian Americans Are Buying Guns. Why?

    Asian Americans traditionally have the lowest rates of ownership than any other measured demographic in the US, but saw a 43% rise in ownership between 2019 and 2020, starting with the pandemic. A rise in racist attacks and crimes is diminishing Asian Americans’ trust in the US justice system.

  • Responsible Reporting: Citing the Gaza Health Ministry

    Hamas, the terrorist organization, which has provided misleading or false information to reporters, distorts information about the casualties in Gaza. Hamas controls the Gaza Health Ministry, which is the predominant source of information on casualties in Gaza. While some media outlets have recently begun to identify the Gaza Health Ministry as a Hamas-controlled entity, many do not, which constitutes an omission of a source’s clear bias.

  • Mass Shootings Often Put a Spotlight on Mental Illness, but Figuring Out Which Conditions Should Keep Someone from Having a Gun Is Not Easy

    Mental illness again became a central theme after the mass shooting in Maine on Oct. 25, 2023, in which records suggest that the shooter had a history of serious mental health issues. The relationship between mental illness and guns, and risk mitigation, is complicated, and the majority of people with mental illness do not seek treatment.

  • Minnesotans Will Soon Be Able to Disarm Dangerous People. Will it Save Lives?

    Lawmakers and advocates say the efficacy of the state’s new red flag law, set to take effect in 2024, will depend on implementation and enforcement. Minnesota and Michigan are the latest of 21 states to enact Extreme Risk Protection Order laws.

  • Money Helps States Identify Critical Mineral Potential in Mine Waste

    Funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow 14 states to study the potential for critical mineral resources in mine waste. This funding will allow the USGS and these states to better map locations of mine waste and measure the potential for critical minerals that might exist there.

  • New survey: 70% of Americans Agree Jew-Hatred Is a Serious and Growing Problem in the U.S.

    In the month following Hamas’s terror attack on Israel, antisemitic incidents in the U.S. increased by 316 percent compared to the same time period last year. At the same time, Americans are growing increasingly concerned about antisemitism, with more than 70 percent agreeing in a new survey that Jew-hatred is a serious problem.

  • Democracy Teetering on the Brink

    In a time of polarization and tribalism, when only 30 percent of millennials see democracy as “essential,” the need to protect and renovate our system of government is now more urgent than ever, said political scientist Danielle Allen. She says ordinary citizens need to step up, calls for formation of cross-ideological supermajority committed to revitalizing system.

  • Self-Deception May Seed “Hubris Balancing,” Leading to Putin’s War Against Ukraine

    A new study suggests that self-deception is the key to understanding irrational actions of national leaders in war, as exemplified by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

  • Abuse-Resistant Digital Surveillance

    Digital surveillance of suspects must be silent so as not to alert them. However, systems currently in use lack stringent technical mechanisms to ensure the legality of these measures. Security protocols to make legally required monitoring of digital communications more resistant to misuse and mass surveillance.

  • Worrying Trends Highlight Need for Vigilance Against Homegrown Terrorism

    Despite intense efforts to counter violent extremism over the past two decades, the threat of domestic terrorism still endangers Australians. The focus has shifted from primarily transnational jihadists to violent homegrown ideologues with a range of motivations. As violent extremism evolves, Australia must adapt its strategy to confront this persistent challenge and protect social cohesion and national security.

  • Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and the Israel-Hamas War

    Promoters of conspiracy theories and hate are using generative artificial intelligence (GAI) to create misleading content about the Israel-Hamas war. This not only amplifies confusion and hate on social media; it can also cause some to doubt the validity of actual war images, creating unnecessary suspicion at a time of deeply polarized public opinion.

  • Fact Check: AI Fakes in Israel's War Against Hamas

    Real or fake? Images generated by artificial intelligence have become a disinformation tool in the war between Israel and Hamas. DW’s fact-checking team shows you how to spot them.