BIG PICTURE: “A grasp of history”Afghanistan Always Defeats the West Published 2 September 2021 William Dalrymple, a Scottish historian and author of Return of a King: the Battle for Afghanistan 1839-42, writes that the West’s 20-year failed effort in Afghanistan was as inevitable as it was predictable for anyone with “a grasp of history”: In

FloodsAt Least 9 Killed in Flooding in New York City, New Jersey Published 2 September 2021 At least eight people have died across New York City and New Jersey as a result of the historic flash flooding caused by the weather system formerly known as Hurricane Ida. The storm dumped so much rain in New

Cybersecurity educationCybersecurity education Help Communities Become More Cyber Secure Published 2 September 2021 The NSA helps fund programs aiming to develop a community-wide K-12 cybersecurity program, support local industry and government to be more cyber resilient, and help local academic institutions to develop cybersecurity programs for students. The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, as

Cybersecurity educationHardware-Cybersecurity Education Program Published 2 September 2021 Many commonly reported cyberattacks focus on computer software vulnerabilities. But what about computer hardware? As complex global supply chains are stressed by the pandemic, risks increase of corporate or state espionage via hardware, such as malicious “trojan” circuits hidden on a motherboard by a shady third-party vendor. Phishing

Infrastructure protectionWhy Building Fall — Over Time Published 2 September 2021 The recent collapse of the condo building in Florida served as a dire warning for the nation’s aging infrastructure problem and the deadly consequences that can result. Researchers explore how time can factor in a building collapse. The recent collapse of the condo building in

DisastersNew Orleans Residents Have Decisions to Make as Long Recovery from Hurricane Ida Begins By Matt Haines Published 31 August 2021 New Orleans and utility officials spent Monday assessing the severity of the damage, but private energy provider Entergy Corporation confirmed that 216 substations and 2,000 miles of transmission lines — including a tower that

Search & rescueAutonomous Drones Could Speed Up Search and Rescue after Flash Floods, Hurricanes and Other Disasters By Vijayan Asari Published 31 August 2021 Rescuers already use drones in some cases, but most require individual pilots who fly the unmanned aircraft by remote control. That limits how quickly rescuers can view an entire affected area,

AfghanistanCalculating the Costs of the Afghanistan War in Lives, Dollars and Years By Neta Crawford Published 1 September 2021 The war in Afghanistan, like many other wars before it, began with optimistic assessments of a quick victory and the promise to rebuild at war’s end. President George W. Bush warned of a lengthy campaign, but

DisastersNew Orleans Residents Have Decisions to Make as Long Recovery from Hurricane Ida Begins By Matt Haines Published 31 August 2021 New Orleans and utility officials spent Monday assessing the severity of the damage, but private energy provider Entergy Corporation confirmed that 216 substations and 2,000 miles of transmission lines — including a tower that

Search & rescueAutonomous Drones Could Speed Up Search and Rescue after Flash Floods, Hurricanes and Other Disasters By Vijayan Asari Published 31 August 2021 Rescuers already use drones in some cases, but most require individual pilots who fly the unmanned aircraft by remote control. That limits how quickly rescuers can view an entire affected area,