Climate change challengesDrought and Record Heat in the West: The Climate Change Connection By Megan Lowry Published 18 June 2021 As intense drought and record heat make their way across the Western U.S., the deep and devastating impacts of this extreme weather are clear — electric utilities are asking consumers to ration power and water,

Pandemic preparednessThe Future of U.S. Pandemic Preparedness By Michelle Grundahl Published 18 June 2021 On May 26, 2021, the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) held a (virtual) public meeting that discussed actions that the United States needs to take to be better prepared for the challenges posed by public health emergencies such as pandemics, “Disease

Domestic terrorismForeign Disinformation Feeds U.S. Domestic Terrorism, Official Warns By Jeff Seldin Published 17 June 2021 Newly unveiled efforts to combat a growing domestic terrorism threat in the United States will have to find a way to overcome a major obstacle: carefully crafted campaigns by foreign countries and terrorist groups to incite violence. Newly unveiled efforts

Rare Earth elements (REEs)The Geopolitics of Rare Earth Elements Published 16 June 2021 The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed fragility in the global supply chains for not only pharmaceuticals and crucial medical supplies but also some critical minerals. Chief among them are rare Earth elements (REEs), which are necessary for clean energy equipment, advanced military gear,

ARGUMENT: Rare Earths rivalryRare Earth Metals at the Heart of China’s Rivalry with U.S., Europe Published 16 June 2021 What if China were to cut off the United States and Europe from access to Rare Earth Elements (REEs), 17 minerals with unique characteristics which are essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines, drones, batteries, sophisticated military

ARGUMENT: Think smallThink Small: Why the Intelligence Community Should Do Less about New Threats Published 16 June 2021 A week into his administration, President Joe Biden announced that he was “putting the climate crisis at the center of United States foreign policy and national security. Joshua Rovner writes that, in so doing, the president injected

Solar geoengineeringExploring the Possible Risks, Benefits of Geoengineering Published 16 June 2021 Climate change is creating impacts that are widespread and severe — and in many cases irreversible — for individuals, communities, economies, and ecosystems around the world. 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record, bringing with it a number of costly

ExtremismAdministration Strategy Seeks to Confront Domestic Terrorism By Masood Farivar Published 15 June 2021 The administration on Tuesday released its long-awaited strategy for countering domestic terrorism, a comprehensive plan that calls for both short- and long-term measures to confront the growing threat of attacks from militant violent extremists. The strategy focuses on enhancing and sharing

Pandemic & extremismCOVID Gives Rise to Extremism and Violence By Ben Knight Published 15 June 2021 Both right- and left-wing extremism flourished during the pandemic year, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency said in its latest report. Most alarmingly, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said that 40 percent of the 33,300 far-right extremists in the country were

ARGUMENT: 6 January & prosecutorial discretionDrop the Charges Against Minor Capitol Hill Defendants Published 15 June 2021 Rioter who assaulted police or vandalized the Capitol should be prosecuted. But the majority of those who came to the Capitol on 6 January were “gawkers” who just wanted to see the spectacle, or to non-violently express their