ResilienceCommunity-Based Solutions to Enhance Disaster Resilience Published 9 December 2021 The NSF announced a $15.9 million in awards to teams to conduct and evaluate ready-to-implement pilot projects that address community-identified challenges. A significant portion of the funds was awarded to projects focusing on resilience to natural disasters in the context of equipping communities for greater

High-Risk DisastersHelping Calculate Likelihood of Worst-Case Scenarios Published 9 December 2021 If you had to guess, what would you think is most likely to end all life on Earth: a meteor strike, climate change, or a solar flare? New statistical method could help accurately analyze low-probability, high-risk events such as earthquakes, pandemics, or meteor strikes. Quick—if

Our picksFighting Ransomware | Fewer Americans Are Trying to Buy Guns | Rohingya Refugees Sue Facebook, and more Published 9 December 2021 ·  “A Free Pass to Seize and Sift”: Federal Court Upholds Terrorism Conviction in Controversial Mass Surveillance Case ·  Instagram (Still) Has a Big Problem with Nazis and White Supremacists ·  Rohingya Refugees Sue Facebook

Climate ChallengesFeasibility, Cost, and Potential Impacts of Ocean-Based Carbon Dioxide Removal Approaches Published 9 December 2021 To better understand the potential risks and benefits of removing or sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide using ocean-based interventions — for example, by cultivating seaweed on a large scale or manipulating nutrients in seawater — the U.S. should undertake a

China WatchCompetition Between U.S., China Continues in Africa By Kang-Chun Cheng Published 8 December 2021 Annual U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) flows have been declining since 2010. Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) flow to Africa grew significantly, exceeding that of the United States since 2013. Tyson Nuthu works in the outdoors industry in Nairobi and sees

China WatchChina Expands Military-Political Education Programs In Developing Countries Published 8 December 2021 China has vastly expanded its military training programs for military officers from developing countries. In these programs, in which military officers from more than 100 countries have participated, Beijing combines military training with ideological education to promote authoritarian governance, especially its “Party-Army

Border WallIsrael Completes Wall along Gaza Border Published 8 December 2021 Israel says the new barrier extends underground and uses high-tech sensors to prevent Hamas fighters from using tunnels to enter Israeli territory. Israel on Tuesday announced the completion of an enhanced security barrier along its border with the besieged Gaza Strip. The structure includes and underground wall

Online ThreatsMichigan School Shooting Shows How Violence Can Transition from Online Threats to Real-World Tragedy By Mia Bloom and Volkan Topalli Published 7 December 2021 It is, perhaps, easy to look back at the postings of a mass shooter after the event and highlight the red flags that were potentially missed. But how do you

ARGUMENT: China’s Telecom RisksWhy the FCC Expelled a Chinese Telecom for National Security Risks Published 7 December 2021 After months of investigating Chinese state-owned telecommunications companies for national security risks, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Oct. 26 issued an order on one, China Telecom: It can no longer provide telecommunications services in the United

CybersecurityDetecting Malicious Broadcast Receivers Published 7 December 2021 The Android operating system has a large share of the mobile market and as such is a target for malware creators and other third parties who would manipulate the system for personal gain. So how might we enhance the detection of malware on the Android operating system