CHINA WATCHWhat Will Taiwan Do If China Invades? By Ralph Jennings Published 22 December 2021 China claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island 160 kilometers away and has not dropped the threat of force, if needed, to capture it. The two sides have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s. The specter

CYBERSECURITYWhat Is Log4j? A Cybersecurity Expert Explains the Latest Internet Vulnerability, How Bad It Is and What’s at Stake By Santiago Torres-Arias Published 23 December 2021 Log4Shell, an internet vulnerability that affects millions of computers, involves an obscure but nearly ubiquitous piece of software, Log4j. So what is this humble piece of internet infrastructure, how

COASTAL CHALLENGESImproving Estimates of Population Exposed to Sea Level Rise: Not as Straightforward as It May Seem Published 23 December 2021 An analysis of data from 2015 finds that between 750 million and more than a billion people globally resided in the ≤ 10 meters low elevation coastal zone (LECZ), up from 521 million and 745

NUCLEAR POWERBelgium to Shut Down All Existing Nuclear Power Plants Published 23 December 2021 The Belgian government has said all of the country’s existing nuclear energy plants will close by 2025. However, Belgium will invest in future nuclear technology. Belgium’s government on Thursday said it would shut all of the country’s nuclear power plants over the next three years.

CHINA WATCHWhat Will Taiwan Do If China Invades? By Ralph Jennings Published 22 December 2021 China claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island 160 kilometers away and has not dropped the threat of force, if needed, to capture it. The two sides have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s. The specter

ELECTION SECURITYCISA Hosts Cybersecurity Navigators Forum for Election Officials Published 22 December 2021 CISA recently concluded a forum for state and local election officials to discuss cyber navigator programs. Cyber navigators are state liaisons that can help under-resourced local jurisdictions manage their cyber risks, help sort through the onslaught of risk information, advice, and available

EXTREMISMMoral Echo Chambers on Social Media May Boost Radicalization: Study Published 22 December 2021 As Congress continues to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, psychologists are examining how online communities can foster radical thoughts and intentions. A new study finds that that social media echo chambers can create a strong bond

GUNSU.S. Guns Sales Have Been Surging: Study Published 22 December 2021 An estimated 7.5 million U.S. adults became new gun owners over a recent 28-month span, sharply increasing the prospects for home accidents or people taking their own lives, according to new research. An estimated 7.5 million U.S. adults became new gun owners over a recent

IT SECURITYComputer Attacks with Laser Light Published 22 December 2021 Computer systems that are physically isolated from the outside world (air-gapped) can still be attacked. This is demonstrated by IT security experts in the LaserShark project. The researchers demonstrate hidden communication into air-gapped computer systems: Data transmitted to light-emitting diodes of regular office devices. Computer systems

OUR PICKSOmicron Is the Beginning of the End | Anthrax Attack Fantasies | Big Border Wall Is Now a Pile of Rusting Steel, and more Published 22 December 2021 ·  Omicron Is the Beginning of the End ·  Trump’s Big Border Wall Is Now a Pile of Rusting Steel ·  Anti-Vaxxer Crowds Are Now Attacking Cheesecake Factories,