California May Go Dark This Summer, and Most Aren’t Ready
When the wind blows this summer, the financially troubled power company PG&E plans to cut power to key lines in an effort meant to prevent forest fires. The plan was devised after the company identified that a power line snapped by high wind likely started last year’s Camp Fire which
Osama bin Laden’s son is taking over as al Qaeda leader, US says
The US State Department is offering a $1 million reward for information that may enable it to track down Hamza bin Laden, the son of Osama bin Laden, the notorious al Qaeda leader who was assassinated in his hiding place in Pakistan as part of a top secret 2011 US
Iran indictments show even U.S. intelligence officials are vulnerable to basic hacking schemes
As the story broke about the charges against former U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist who defected to Iran and support targeted hacking against some of her former colleagues, one clear takeaway stood out: even U.S. intelligence officers can fall victim to basic, directed hacking campaigns. The process was simple; the
DoD Releases New Strategy Report Outlining Path Forward for Artificial Intelligence
The DoD released a new summary of its AI strategy this Tuesday (February 12) titled “Harnessing AI to Advance Our Security and Prosperity” and outlining its future plans for AI development and integration. “AI is poised to transform every industry and is expected to impact every corner of the Department,
Report: North Korea may have made more nuclear bombs, but threat reduced
While the country has suspended nuclear and missile testing since 2017, it has continued to produce bomb fuel, expanding its number of nuclear weapons by between 5-7 and bringing the total to as many as 37. These numbers come from a report out of the Stanford University’s Center for International
The military wants many information systems to share one language
The U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force have signed a memorandum for the establishment of common standards across future weapon information systems. The purpose of such common standards is to improve battlefield coordination through streamlined information flow. “Victory in future conflict will in part be determined by our ability to
Is China about to abandon its ‘no first use’ nuclear weapons policy?
As China advances its nuclear weapons programs and works to close some of the major nuclear gaps between it and other major powers, some controversy is developing over whether these developments will lead to changes in its “no first strike” nuclear policy. With a kind of naval arms race and
Understanding China’s AI Strategy
China’s views, strategies, and prospects for A.I. in the areas of economics and national security will play a significant role in world politics and U.S. foreign relations. It is important, therefore, to work to understand them, without overgeneralizing, to the greatest extent possible, as these understands are essential for informing
Coast Guard seizes 17 tons of cocaine in eastern Pacific over 3 months
The U.S. Coast Guard seized around 35,000 pounds of cocaine during operations in the eastern Pacific Ocean over a three month period. The drugs, confiscated from 21 different fishing and speed boats off the coasts of South America, Central America, and Mexico, originated mostly in Colombia and were destined for
President Trump’s State of the Union transcript, annotated
Postponed a week due to the shutdown, President Trump delivered his second State of the Union address, evaluating, analyzing, and claiming progress across several fronts while highlighting ongoing crises on others. The Washington Post hosts a transcript of the address here, annotated with comments and supplementary information. Source: President Trump’s