Water securityRoad Salts Are Threatening World’s Freshwater Supplies Published 21 April 2021 When winter storms threaten to make travel dangerous, people often turn to salt, spreading it liberally over highways, streets and sidewalks to melt snow and ice. A new study warns that introducing salt into the environment — whether it’s for de-icing roads, fertilizing

Deepfake geographyA Growing Problem of “Deepfake Geography”: How AI Falsifies Satellite Images Published 21 April 2021 There is a growing problem with “location spoofing” – the manipulation of satellite images so that fake images look like genuine images of real places. With the more sophisticated AI technologies available today, researchers warn that such “deepfake geography”

China watchChina: Crimes Against Humanity in Xinjiang Published 20 April 2021 The Chinese government is committing crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the northwest region of Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Monday. The Chinese leadership is responsible for widespread and systematic policies of mass detention, torture, and

China watchLegislation Introduced to Ban TikTok from Government Devices Published 20 April 2021 U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Rick Scott (R-FL) have introduced legislation that would ban all federal employees from using TikTok on government devices. The U.S. State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and TSA

Extremism“I Felt Hate More Than Anything”: How an Active Duty Airman Tried to Start a Civil War By Gisela Pérez de Acha, Kathryn Hurd, and Ellie Lightfoot Published 20 April 2021 Steven Carrillo, a 32-year-old Air Force sergeant, wanted to incite a second Civil War in the United States by killing police officers he viewed

ARGUMENT: The Troubles reduxBelfast Tinderbox: Why Loyalists Are in the Streets This Spring Published 20 April 2021 The violence that broke out in Northern Ireland earlier this month raised fears that sectarian conflict would return after decades of uneasy peace. Carolyn Gallaher and Kimberly Cowell-Meyers write that the latest unrest draws on many of the

InfrastructureA More Robust Model for Assessing Bridge Repairs Published 20 April 2021 As President Biden’s $2 trillion American Jobs Plan places the nation’s infrastructure in the spotlight, new research from the University of Georgia suggests states can save money and extend the life of their bridges by taking a fresh approach to how they prioritize maintenance.

Power gridTexas House Targets Power Grid Flaw that Cut Electricity to Natural Gas Facilities and Worsened February Blackouts By Sami Sparber Published 20 April 2021 The lower chamber gave initial approval Monday to a series of bill responding to this year’s catastrophic power outages during a deadly winter storm. The Texas House on Monday gave initial

Water securityInterstate Water Wars Are Heating Up Along with the Climate By Robert Glennon Published 20 April 2021 Interstate water disputes are as American as apple pie. States often think a neighboring state is using more than its fair share from a river, lake or aquifer that crosses borders. Climate stresses are raising the stakes. Interstate

Iran’s nukesIran Says 60 Percent Enrichment “Under Way” at Natanz Site Published 16 April 2021 Iranian officials say the country has begun enriching uranium up to 60 percent purity, higher than it has ever done before, despite ongoing talks between Tehran and world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. Under the 2015 nuclear deal,