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Satellite images show early stages of Syrian nuclear reactor
On 6 September Israel stealthily destroyed a target deep inside Syria; examination of satellite images taken of the site before it was destroyed leads independent experts to conclude that Syria might have been building a gas-graphite reactor of about 20 to 25 megawatts, similar to the reactor North Korea built at Yongbyon
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Innovative self-contained water recycling system for megacities
German researchers develop a self-contained water treatment system which purifies waste water and collects rain to help cities with inadequate water supplies
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Massive sensor network to monitor Hudson River
The Hudson to become the world’s largest environmental-monitoring system; system may be used to monitor cities’ water systems
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DPW IPO could kickstart new Dubai bourse
Dubai Ports World made news last year when it became the operator of several major U.S. ports; DPW is floating $20 billion on fledgling Dubai stock exchange
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U.S. power grid is increasingly vulnerable to attack
U.S. power system is worth more than $1 trillion, comprising more than 200,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 800,000 megawatts of generating capability; it serves more than 300 million; Congressional panel, describing industry-developed security standards as “woefully inadequate, “examines how well operators have implemented security measures developed by DHS, DOE
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Manhole security and U.S. critical infrastructure
Manholes are small, inconspicuous, and unattended; they offer easy access to vital underground infrastructure, so we had better think of ways to make them more secure, and do so quickly
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Topoff 4 Exercise underway
DHS-coordinated excercise involves 22,000 participants in Guam, Oregon, and Arizona from all levels of government, nationally and internationally, as well as the private sector in a full-scale simulated response to radiological dispersal device
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Michigan neighborhood, schools evacuated in wake of chmeical spill
About 500 gallons of hydrochloric acid leaked into a containment area at a metal finishing services plant; 3,000 residents, two schools, trailer park evacuated; rain could complicate clean-up efforts
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U.S. worried about proposed Yemen-Djibouti bridge
An engineering company owned by Osama bin-Laden’s half-brother announced it was planning to build the world’s longest bridge: A 17-mile span connecting Yemen and Djibouti; U.S. worries it will faciliate terrorist activity in the Horn of Africa
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SCADA protection should remain in private hands
Critics say that DHS’s plan to join with NSA to take the lead in protecting SCADA not only raises privacy concerns, but would be ineffective
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DHS bulletin delivery mishap causes consternation
A DHS contractor pushes “Reply All” button and flood government and business mail servers with more than two million messages; personal information compromised
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Australia launches ambitious critical infrastructure protection plan
The Australian government joins with industry to launch a comprehensive program to improve national responsiveness to major critical infrastructure disruption
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Rio Grande levees offered as alternative to border fence
Rebuilding the Rio Grande levee system would cost about $200 million; building a 700-mile fence on parts of the U.S.-Mexico border would cost from $3 billion to $30 billion; Texans say restoring the levees would be more effective, too
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U.S. government to scrutinize 3Com deal
Bain Capital and Chinese company Huawei Technologies are set to acquire 3Com for $2.2 billion; Huawei is close to the Chinese government, and Chinese military hackers broke into Pentagon computers this summer; mitigation clauses may be imposed
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Bain's 3Com deal: More questions than answers
Bain is paying a premium for 3Com, hoping that its Chinese acquisition partner would help the 3Com make money in the Chinese market; here we hope that Huaweis’ 20% stake would give it enough of an incentive to help Bain do so — provided the U.S. government approves the deal
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The long view
Boosting Efforts to Predict Harmful Solar Weather Events
When big blasts of energy from the sun envelop the Earth, they can very strong: a 2015 event so weakened Earth’s protective magnetic field that it penetrated to the atmosphere, posing a threat to everything from circling space station astronauts to delicate electronics and communication systems.
Challenges to Tidal Flats Pose Risks to 41M Americans Living in Coastal Counties
About 29 percent of the United States’ population live in coastline counties – more than 41 million are in Atlantic counties. This high population density poses a critical challenge to sustainable developments in coastal areas.
Mitigating Flood Disasters
Engineers have proposed a flood control measure which recommends designing permeable pavements to specifically suit local rainfall and soil conditions and reduce flood impacts.
Developing Novel Hybrid Reef-Mimicking Structures
Despite previous efforts to implement storm mitigation solutions — including concrete breakwaters — damage due to storm surge and flooding continues to devastate coastal areas around the world. In response to these threats, DARPA has launched the Reefense program to develop self-healing, hybrid biological, and engineered reef-mimicking structures to protect civilian and DoD infrastructure, personnel by mitigating damage related to coastal flooding, erosion and storm surge.