Defense Systems
National Guard helps states recover from ransomware attacks
The National Guard is contemplating an expansion of its cybersecurity vulnerability assessment pilot following recent ransomware attacks in Texas and Louisiana.
Policy
Lawmakers Expect a Stopgap Spending Measure to Avoid an October Shutdown
For the first time in decades, the Senate hasn’t marked up a single appropriations bill in subcommittee, a Democratic aide said.
Ideas
Is This Space’s ‘Billy Mitchell Moment’? Let’s Hope Not
Enflaming service rivalries will not help the U.S. military develop the joint spacepower it needs.
Ideas
Challenges Pile up on US-South Korea Alliance Agenda
Summer 2019 has been a watershed moment for trends that threaten to compromise South Korea’s position in Northeast Asia.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon Wants to Bolster DIU’s Cyber Defenses
The department is looking for penetration testers, red teams, and cyber training to protect its startup incubator from online attacks.
Ideas
America’s Allies Seem to Be Moving On Without Trump
At the G7 meeting, leaders seemed to have given up on an agreement with him on trade, climate, and even whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is friend or foe.
Ideas
Arab Women are Turning up the Volume Against Regimes, Stereotypes
A new anthology of Arab women journalists' essays highlights how more and more females are offering an alternative to the typically male, often autocratic voice that dominates the Middle East.
Business
Pentagon Sees ‘No Major Concerns’ With Raytheon-United Technologies Merger
The Defense Department’s top weapons buyer, Ellen Lord, gives stamp of approval to what would be the second-largest defense and aerospace company ever.
Defense Systems
DOD looks to expand drone industrial base amid supply chain concerns
Ellen Lord, DOD’s undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment, told reporters that it couldn’t use commercially available and popular drones made by DJI, a China-based firm.
Threats
China’s Spies Are on the Offensive. Can the US Fend Them Off?
Recent events suggest Beijing has increased both the scope and the sophistication of its efforts to steal American secrets.
Defense Systems
The semantics of disinformation
DARPA thinks it can detect automated disinformation campaigns across a range of media by focusing on common machine-generated errors.
Ideas
The Amazon Fires Reveal the Dysfunction of the Global Community
The case for territorial incursion in the Amazon is far stronger than the justifications for most war.
Threats
Brazil's Bolsonaro Is Endangering the World
As a store of carbon, the Amazon is fundamental to the survival of every person. If destroyed or degraded, the giant rain forest is simply beyond humanity’s ability to get back.
Ideas
A Defining Moment for Trump’s Foreign Policy
A nation that itself broke free from colonial control has, under Trump, struggled to come up with a clear, consistent position on a massive demonstration from people in Hong Kong chafing at Chinese rule.
Policy
Trump Told the VA to Order ‘a Lot’ of Ketamine for Vets
The president wants to make a controversial new nasal spray available to depressed veterans. The agency says it will consider incorporating the drug after it has more data.
Threats