Nuclear powerSmall Modular Reactors Competitive in Washington’s Clean Energy Future Published 15 June 2021 As the Clean Energy Transformation Act drives Washington state toward carbon-free electricity, a new energy landscape is taking shape. Alongside renewable energy sources, a new report finds small modular reactors are poised to play an integral role in the state’s emerging

Radiological threatsUse of Radioactive Materials in Commercial Applications Has Increased Published 15 June 2021 The use of high-risk radioactive materials in medical, research, and commercial applications has increased by about 30 percent in the U.S. in the last 12 years, and the government should improve security, tracking, and accountability to reduce health and security risks

Electric gridResearchers Study Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Grid-Tied System in Texas By Deana Totzke Published 15 June 2021 Scientists are continuously looking for alternatives to fossil fuel-based power plants to diminish the adverse effects of fossil energy sources on the environment and build reliability. Researchers are studying the viability of solar photovoltaic (PV) grid-tied systems on

GunsRising Trends in Suicide by Firearms in Young Americans Published 15 June 2021 Deaths from suicide are rising in the United States. These rising trends are especially alarming because global trends in suicide are on a downward trajectory. Moreover, in the U.S., the major mode of suicide among young Americans is by firearms. Deaths from suicide

Nuclear weaponsGlobal Nuclear Arsenals Grow as States Continue to Modernize Published 14 June 2021 A new report finds that despite an overall decrease in the number of nuclear warheads in 2020, more have been deployed with operational forces. The nine nuclear-armed states together possessed an estimated 13 080 nuclear weapons at the start of 2021,

CybersecurityCyber Regulation Could Be Coming Following Spate of Hacks, Ransomware Attacks By Jeff Seldin Published 11 June 2021 The United States may soon look to regulate private companies, mandating higher standards for cybersecurity following a series of damaging hacks and ransomware attacks against key firms and critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts say that malign actors are

BOOKSHELF: The Anthrax attackInvisible Scourge: The Investigation, Legacy, and Lessons of the 2001 Anthrax Attacks By Al Mauroni Published 11 June 2021 The anthrax incidents of 2001 represented a major milestone for the national security community, in that they highlighted the vulnerabilities of the United States to a very unique domestic threat. While the number

GunsWhat Are “Ghost Guns,” a Target of Biden’s Anti-Crime Effort? By Garen Wintemute Published 11 June 2021 It’s not expensive or difficult to produce large numbers of untraceable firearms in the United States. Whether for private use, sale on the criminal market or arming violent extremists, it’s actually startlingly cheap and easy to mass-produce firearms

RansomwareU.S. Attorney General Warns Ransomware “Getting Worse and Worse” By Masood Farivar Published 10 June 2021 U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland warned Wednesday that ransom-motivated cyberattacks are “getting worse and worse,” echoing other top Biden administration officials who have sounded the alarm about the problem in recent weeks.  “We have to do everything we possibly

Cloak & daggerPoisoning of Russian Writer Bykov Linked with FSB Agents Suspected in Navalny Case Published 10 June 2021 Investigative journalists say a detailed investigation shows Russian writer and poet Dmitry Bykov, a critic of the government, suffered a poisoning attack two years ago at the hands of the same agents suspected of being involved