CLIMATE CHALLENGESCities Boosted Rain, Sent Storms to the Suburbs During Europe’s Deadly Summer Floods Published 6 January 2022 When it comes to extreme weather, climate change usually gets all the attention. But according to a new study, the unique effects of cities – which can intensify storms and influence where rain falls – need to

RESILIENCECompound-Flood Modeling Tools Hel Build Community Climate Resilience Published 6 January 2022 In 2021, extreme flooding from rain affected residents across the United States, causing property damage and loss of life. These extreme weather events are becoming all too common. In fact, a recent United Nations report—Climate Change 2021—found that heavy rain events are likely

AVIATION SECURITYAT&T, Verizon Agree to Delay 5G Rollout Over Aircraft Safety Concerns Published 4 January 2022 AT&T and Verizon have agreed to hold off on their 5G rollout amid concerns of problems for aircraft. The move marks a change of heart a day after both companies rejected the government request. Two major US telecom operators, AT&T

VACCINESEarly Israeli Findings Show Fivefold Boost from Fourth COVID Vaccine Dose By Lisa Schnirring Published 4 January 2022 Researchers in Israel, who monitored the results of fourth COVID-1 vaccine shots, report that these second booster shots produce a fivefold increase in antibody levels. Researchers from Israel reported promising preliminary findings from a study on fourth COVID-19

ARGUMENT: CHINA’S NUKESChina’s Nuclear Buildup is About More Than Nukes Published 4 January 2022 U.S.-China nuclear and strategic stability will be tested in the coming year after a series of revelations in 2021 about Beijing’s nuclear program. Jacob Stokes writes that “The U.S.-China nuclear and strategic relationship has entered a new stage.” He adds: “Pursuing

VACCINESCOVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in the Military Is a Manageable Challenge By Douglas D. Jackson Published 4 January 2022 The military has vaccinated the vast majority of service members, but pockets of hesitancy remain. What’s driving the reluctance, and what should be done to overcome it? The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is in the final stages

INFRASTRUCTUREExamining Life-Cycle Bridge Performance and Cost Management Published 4 January 2022 A new book is an authoritative resource for “students, researchers, practitioners, infrastructure owners and managers, and transportation officials to build up their knowledge of life-cycle bridge performance and cost management at both project level and network level under various deteriorating mechanisms, hazards, and climate

ADVERSARIAL AIAiding Evaluation of Adversarial AI Defenses Published 4 January 2022 There are many inherent weaknesses that underlie existing machine learning (ML) models, opening the technology up to spoofing, corruption, and other forms of deception. Evaluation testbed, datasets, tools developed on GARD program were released to jump-start community and encourage creation of more robust defenses

CLIMATE CHALLENGESDecember in Texas Hottest on Record in More Than 130 Years Published 4 January 2022 The state climatologist says last month was the warmest December since 1889. From Dallas through Abilene to Del Rio, temperatures averaged 5 to 9 degrees above normal. Last month Texas experienced its warmest December on record since 1889, said John Nielsen-Gammon, a

OUR PICKSLog4j Flaw Attack Levels Remain High | Spotting Extremists | Spies & Actors, and more Published 4 January 2022 ·  Winnipeg Professor Developing Tool Kit to Help Teachers Spot Burgeoning Extremism in Students ·  Hate Crimes Are Soaring. Extremists Have a New Recruitment Tool: Video Games. ·  Hackers Breached Florida Health Care System, Potentially Exposing Data