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More questions than answers in South Africa's nuclear facility attack
What was the purpose of the two coordinated, “military-style” attacks on South Africa’s Pelindaba nuclear facility last week? The answer may lie in the facility’s history: Two decades ago the apartheid regime used it to produce six operational nuclear bombs; were the intruders after bomb-making records, blueprints, and computer files?
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Britain launches broad homeland defense plan
Gordon Brown offers details of new homeland defense initiative, increasing the security budget from £2.5 billion to £3.5 billion by 2011, placing emphasis on protecting venues where crowds gather; budget includes £400 million for fighting radicalization abroad
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Major conference on illicit nuclear trafficking to open next week
The IAEA next week will hold a major conference on illegal possession and illicit trafficking of nuclear materials; in 1995 the IAEA established the Illicit Trafficking Database; to date, it has received reports on approximately 1,250 incidents
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Teenager drills a hole in ammonia pipeline, forcing evacuation
Three teenagers believed money was hidden in 6-inch-diameter ammonia pipeline, so they drilled a hole in it; cloud of amonia forces evacuation, road closure
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White House plans to weaken CFIUS security review powers
DHS, Justice, the Pentagon, and the U.S. intelligence community oppose the merger of 3Com and Huawei Technology, arguing it will bolster Chinese military computer network attack operations; the White House plans to issue presidential order which would undermine the law designed to tighten security review of foreign companies, thus allowing the merger to go through
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North Korea argues it had no plan to enrich uranium for weapons
Another potential embarrassment for U.S. intelligence: North Korea says it will prove that it never had the plans or the means to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons
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FLIR expanding Gulf presence
FLIR’s sensor technology, used in border protection and perimeter defense, among other applications, has won the company several hefty contracts in the Gulf region; company eager to build on its success
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New York contests power transmission corridor ruling
In April the Department of Energy designated a large swath of New York State part of a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor; the state government challenges the designation
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Book shows importance of geospatial technology in homeland security
Geographic information system (GIS) technology proves to be of growing importance in protecting the nation from natural disasters, diseases, and terrorist threats
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More tools for preplanning, premapping emergency response
Emergency preparedness software gives first responders a better view of the rescue scene with new mapping technologies
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FitzPatrick nuclear power station
Upstate New York nuclear power plant shut down for the third time in two months owing to wind blowing debris into the plant’s water intake
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DHS relaxes chemical plant reporting rules
In April DHS issues a list of 344 hazardous chemicals which businesses would have to track and disclose to the department through an online reporting system; under pressure from several industries, the list is reduced to 300, and reporting threshold of many chemicals of highest security concern raised
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North Korea to dismantle nuclear weapon capability
U.S. nuclear experts today begin supervising the North’s main nuclear complex at Yongbyon
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Bush administration's nuclear waste reprocessing plan criticized
Reprocessing spent nuclear fuel creates more fuel for nuclear plants, and reduces the need for nuclear waste storage; trouble is, reprocessing also creates weapons-grade plutonium; Bush administration believes there is a new, safer reprocessing method, but a panel of scientists says there is not, and until there is, the U.S. should continue to oppose reprocessing
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DARPA-funded UCSD research yields world's most complex phased array
Tritons researchers develop world’s most complex phased array; the 16-element chip is just 3.2 by 2.6 square millimeters, can send at 30-50 GHz
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The long view
Training Students to Succeed in the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”
Transformational changes are already underway in the manufacturing industry as technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart devices from the “fourth industrial revolution” or Industry 4.0., inspire a digital-first approach to engineering. University of Missouri researchers are using a $1 million grant to support the development of an Industry 4.0 lab, training engineering students for the future of digitization in manufacturing.
Climate Change and U.S. Property Insurance: A Stormy Mix
Accelerating risks and damage from climate change are spurring private insurers in the United States to limit coverage in a growing number of areas, thus imposing mounting stress on local communities and straining the country’s overall economic health.
Sediment Movement During Hurricane Harvey Could Negatively Impact Future Flooding
Enormous amounts of sediment, or sand and mud, flowed through Houston waterways during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, due in part to modifications made by humans to bayous, rivers and streams over the past century. Harvey was the largest rainfall event in U.S. history, and it moved 27 million cubic meters of sediment, or 16 Astrodomes, through Houston waterways and reservoirs. This could seriously impact future flooding events and be costly to the City of Houston.