Policy
Here’s How That $380 Million in Election Security Funding Is Being Spent
State election officials are mostly using new election security money to shore up the basics.
Business
Two Companies Picked To Protect Nation’s 600 Dams from Cyberattacks
The Interior Department awarded spots on a five-year, $45 million contract to manage IT risk for more than 600 dams nationwide.
Science & Tech
Drone Cops Take Flight in Los Angeles
The L.A. County Sheriff has deployed a quadcopter drone for rescue and reconnaissance. But will the public accept that these aerial officers come in peace?
Ideas
This Is the Week that the Drone Surveillance State Became Real
Not only do local police now have access to drones, but footage from those flying cameras will be automatically analyzed by AI systems not disclosed to the public.
Threats
After a Major Cyber Attack, Does the Public Deserve an Explanation?
The ransomware that crippled Atlanta raises unanswered questions about how to communicate with citizens after a cyber-attack.
Ideas
Let’s Talk about Food — and What Happens In a Crisis
Sweden is telling its citizens to be ready to feed themselves for a week. Other nations should follow suit.
Science & Tech
Homeland Security Unveils New Cyber Strategy
It envisions clearer consequences for agencies that don’t meet their cyber responsibilities.
Threats
The Border Patrol’s ‘Constitution-Free’ Zone Is Probably Larger Than You Think
All of Michigan, D.C., and a large chunk of Pennsylvania are part of the area where Border Patrol has expanded search and seizure rights. Here’s what it means to live or travel there.
Threats
Why Cities Are So Bad at Cybersecurity
Government systems are under near-constant attack from hackers, surveys show, but officials don’t know who’s attacking them or how to respond.
Ideas
Two Decades of War Have Eroded the Morale of America’s Troops
If the courage of young men and women in battle truly does depend on the nature and quality of our civic society, we should be very worried.
Ideas
I Ran US Border Patrol — And I Support Trump's Call to Deploy the National Guard
Critics have assailed the president’s decision to send troops to the border. But they can provide additional assistance and resources to agents in times of need.
Threats
Trump's Militarization of the US-Mexico Border Won't Come Cheap
Both presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush tried it. And both times it was deemed an expensive failure.
Threats
Denied Wall Funding, Trump Sends National Guard to Southern Border
Details are still being hashed out, but previous presidents’ decisions to do the same offer clues about what’s to come.
Policy
Could Trump Actually Use Military Funding for His Border Wall?
The president would have to overcome legal and Congressional obstacles to use Department of Defense resources on construction.
Threats
In the Era of Fake News, VOA Is Fact-Checking Russia’s Messages
The agency’s Polygraph.info is desk expanding its “disinformation news” coverage.
Policy
What's Next for Trump's Border Wall?
This week, the president inspected eight prototypes, but his administration still has a long way to go before bringing his campaign pledge to fruition.
Ideas
There Are More and More Threats that Militaries Can't Stop. People's Forces Can Help
Populations are not fragile flowers – far from it. Treating them as a national-security resource can boost a society's resiliency, and even its deterrence.
Threats
As Clearance Backlog Soars Past 710,000, Senators Want to Know Why
A nearly four-fold increase has people waiting more than a year for top-secret clearance.
Ideas
Talk About Extremists, But Don't Politicize the Debate
Singer's call to focus on right-wing extremists is dangerous to a profession that needs to remain above partisan politics.
Ideas