DROUGHTSFor Advance Drought Warning, Look to the Plants Published 5 August 2022 Among the extreme weather impacts resulting from climate change, drought is a growing problem around the globe, leading to frequent wildfires, threats to water resources, and greater food insecurity. Researchers find signals in vegetation can help forecast devastating ‘flash’ droughts. Among the extreme weather

NUCLEAR THREATSSituation at Europe’s Largest Nuclear Plant “Out of Control” By Stuart Braun Published 4 August 2022 After Russian forces occupied a Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in March, the situation has deteriorated, experts say. The IAEA said that the reactor — Europe’s biggest — is “extremely vulnerable” to meltdown after all safety measures had

CYBERSECURITYWhen the Hardware Traps Criminals Published 4 August 2022 Up to now, protecting hardware against manipulation has been a laborious business: expensive, and only possible on a small scale. And yet, two simple antennas might do the trick. Payment transactions, business secrets, documents that are important for national security: today, the world’s most valuable secrets are

SURVEILLANCEHow Daycare Apps Can Spy on Parents and Children Published 4 August 2022 Daycare apps are designed to make everyday life in daycare centers easier. Parents can use them, for example, to access reports on their children’s development and to communicate with teachers. However, some of these applications have serious security flaws. Researchers reviewed 42 apps

DETECTIONMaking Muons for Scientific Discovery, National Security Published 4 August 2022 The Pentagon and other agencies have sought advanced sources that generate gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons, protons, and electrons to enable a variety of scientific, commercial, and defense applications – from medical diagnostics, to scans of cargo containers for dangerous materials, to non-destructive testing of

ENERGY SECURITYThe Facts Behind Hydropower Published 4 August 2022 Hydropower accounts for nearly 7% of all electricity generated in the United States and provides quick-start capabilities during blackouts and the ability to store power for high-demand periods. ORNL’s HydroSource provides updated information on hydropower facilities and infrastructure, models and visualizations for future development, and analytical

ENERGY SECURITYDrones Approved for Aerial Inspections of Power Facilities Published 4 August 2022 Drones have allowed companies new ways to stretch the boundaries of current regulations. One of the latest wins for drone technology is a waiver from the FAA that gives Dominion Energy, one of the U.S. largest energy companies, permission to use drones

OUR PICKSDomestic Extremists & Cryptocurrency | The FBI’s List of Most Wanted Extremists | Targeting Election Officials, and more Published 4 August 2022 ·  Profit of Hate: How Domestic Extremists Are Embracing Cryptocurrency ·  How Interactions with Antifa Can Fuel White Supremacist Groups ·  After the Killing of Al-Zawahri, Here Is the FBI’s List of Most Wanted Extremists

TERRORISMWhat Zawahiri’s Killing Means for al-Qaeda By Bruce Hoffman Published 3 August 2022 Ayman al-Zawahiri leaves behind a robust network of strategically aligned but tactically independent al-Qaeda affiliates operating in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. President Joe Biden revealed that a U.S. drone strike killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri over the weekend. How much of a

TERRORISMAyman al-Zawahri’s Killing, Kits Impact on al-Qaida, and U.S. Counterterrorism? By Haroro J. Ingram, Andrew Mines, and Daniel Milto Published 3 August 2022 The American withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 prompted questions over whether the U.S. could keep pressure on al-Qaida, ISIS-K and other militants in the country. U.S. officials explained that an “over-the-horizon”