HurricanesU.S. Doubles Funding to Prepare for Hurricane Damage   By Steve Herman Published 25 May 2021 Ahead of what is forecast to be an above-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin, the U.S. government is doubling funding to prepare communities for such storms or other extreme weather events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is

ExtremismProminent Voices Demonize Israel Regarding the Conflict Published 24 May 2021 In response to the recent conflict in Israel and Gaza, prominent voices, including among NGOs and activists, have engaged in problematic rhetoric about Israel. Such harsh criticism, especially when it goes beyond criticizing Israel’s policies to a denunciation of the entire entity of Israel

Iran’s nukesIran Nuclear Inspection Deal with UN Watchdog Extended by One Month Published 24 May 2021 Iran and the UN’s nuclear watchdog say they have agreed to extend by one month an agreement to monitor Tehran’s nuclear activities, a move that will give more time for ongoing diplomatic efforts to salvage the country’s tattered nuclear

ARGUMENT: Fighting ransomwareIt’s Time to Surge Resources into Prosecuting Ransomware Gangs Published 24 May 2021 In the popular imagination, hacking is committed by lone wolves with exceptional computer skills. But in reality, the vast majority of hackers do not have the technical sophistication to create the malicious tools that are essential to their trade. Kellen

ARGUMENT: Extremism onlineOn Christchurch Call Anniversary, a Step Closer to Eradicating Terrorism Online? Published 24 May 2021 Is it possible to eradicate terrorism and violent extremism from the internet? To prevent videos and livestreams of terrorist attacks from going viral, and maybe even prevent them from being shared or uploaded in the first place? Courtney

Truth decayNew Replication Crisis: Research Which Is Less Likely to Be True Is Cited More Published 24 May 2021 Papers in leading psychology, economic and science journals that fail to replicate and therefore are less likely to be true are often the most cited papers in academic research, according to a new study. The study

Nuclear powerImproving the Safety of Next-Generation Reactors Published 24 May 2021 On 11 March 2011, in response to a massive earthquake, the nuclear reactors at Fukushima-Daiichi automatically shut down, as designed. The emergency systems, which would have helped maintain the necessary cooling of the core, were destroyed by the subsequent tsunami. Because the reactor could

PandemicTotal Deaths Due to COVID-19 Underestimated by 20% in U.S. Counties Published 24 May 2021 More than 15 months into the pandemic, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is nearing 600,000. But COVID-19 deaths may be underestimated by 20 percent, according to a new study. The study uses data from the National Center for Health

TsunamisPreviously Unrecognized Tsunami Hazard to Coastal Cities Identified Published 24 May 2021 A new study found overlooked tsunami hazards related to undersea, near-shore strike-slip faults, especially for coastal cities adjacent to faults that traverse inland bays. Several areas around the world may fall into this category, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Izmit Bay in

Pandemic preparations What Do We Need to Do to Get Ready for the Next Global Pandemic?What Do We Need to Do to Get Ready for the Next Global Pandemic? Published 21 May 2021 “Pandemics are going to happen, but we can absolutely prevent the devastation that occurs from a pandemic. We can act now to