Critical MineralsUSGS Seeks Public Comment on Draft List of 50 Critical Minerals Published 9 November 2021 The U.S. defines a “critical mineral” as a non-fuel mineral or mineral material essential to the economic or national security of the U.S. At least every three years, the Department of the Interior is required to review and update

CrimeOne and Done: Experts Urge Testing Eyewitness Memory Only Once Published 9 November 2021 If a witness was confident the very first time their memory was tested, there’s too high a chance that a contaminated, it is likely that their identification is correct. But if they are not confident the first time their memory was

First RespondersCritical Interoperable Messaging Capability for First Responders Published 9 November 2021 “With no dedicated public safety messaging and collaboration platform, many public safety and emergency response officials are leveraging non-secure, consumer-grade messaging tools,” says DHS’s Kathryn Coulter Mitchell. The address this problem, DHS ST has awarded more than $1.5 million to advance the development

CrimeOne and Done: Experts Urge Testing Eyewitness Memory Only Once Published 9 November 2021 If a witness was confident the very first time their memory was tested, there’s too high a chance that a contaminated, it is likely that their identification is correct. But if they are not confident the first time their memory was

Infrastructure ProtectionStalling Shifting Sand Dunes, Protecting Infrastructure and Ecosystems Published 9 November 2021 As deserts continue to expand, sand dunes pose an increasing risk to the built environment: swallowing up roads and houses whole as they engulf the land. In a similar way, dunes on the seabed can block shipping routes and even compromise the

Volcanic EruptionsThe 1,800-Plus “Young” Volcanoes in the U.S. Southwest Published 9 November 2021 The landscape of the southwestern U.S. is heavily scarred by past eruptions of monogenetic volcano, a type of volcanic hazard that can pose important dangers despite an ephemeral existence. A new study marks a step toward understanding future risks for the region. They’re

Grid SecurityImportant Breakthrough to Help Secure Electrical Grid Published 9 November 2021 As the electrical grid is modernized, it requires new safeguards to keep it safe from cyberattackers. Researchers have developed a novel security approach to find and stop cyberthreats that penetrate the IT layer, preserving grid stability. As the electrical grid is modernized, it requires

SurveillanceU.S. Supreme Court Hears Case of Surveillance of Muslims By Ken Bredemeier Published 8 November 2021 A decade ago, three Muslim men filed suit against the FBI, alleging the Bureau deployed a confidential informant who claimed to be a convert to Islam to spy on them based solely on their religious identity. On Monday, the

China WatchGerman Engine Technology Used in Chinese Warships: Report By Amanda Rivkin Published 8 November 2021 Engines developed in Germany can evade export control bans due to their status as a so-called dual-use technology, a German media investigation has revealed. Several types of Chinese navy warships are powered by engines that were either developed or built by

Soft TargetsProtecting Soft Targets Published 8 November 2021 There is a need to construct a versatile system designed to protect the vast array of so-called soft targets such as stadiums, schools, and places of worship. After an eight-month competition among the nation’s biggest universities, DHS awarded Northeastern University a $36 million, ten-year contract to develop