Category «Defense»

A whole mess of TikTok trial briefs

The Verge: “The Supreme Court will consider TikTok’s case against a divest-or-ban law early next year, and a wave of filings has hit the docket this afternoon — from the parties involved as well as numerous institutions and public figures, including President-elect Donald Trump. If you want a firsthand look, the full list is linked …

Subjects: Courts, Defense, Government Documents, Internet, Legal Research, Privacy, Social Media

Mass Hysteria Over Drones Flying in the Night Sky? It Didn’t Have to Be This Way

EPIC: “Recent nighttime drone sightings in New Jersey and other places have gained national attention because of the mystery that surrounds the drones—Who is flying them? What are the drones doing? Why are the drones appearing now? Numerous theories popped up to fill the void left by the lack of information—from alien invasion to foreign …

Subjects: Defense, Government Documents, Privacy, Transportation

The Crumbling Foundation of America’s Military

The Atlantic [gift article]: “The U.S. failed to produce weapons and ammunition fast enough to supply Ukraine. Could it equip its own armed forces in the event of war?…”America itself lacks stockpiles of the necessary components. A massive rebuilding effort is now under way, the largest in almost a century, but it will not—cannot—happen fast. …

Subjects: Congress, Defense

Location data firm helps police find out when suspects visited their doctor

Ars Technica: “A location-tracking company that sells its services to police departments is apparently using addresses and coordinates of doctors’ and lawyers’ offices and other types of locations to help cops compile lists of places visited by suspects, according to a 404 Media report published today. Fog Data Science, which says it “harness[es] the power …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Defense, Health Care, Legal Research, Medicine, Privacy, Search Engines

America’s Phone Networks Could Soon Face Financial and Criminal Penalties for Insecure Networks

The head of America’s FCC “has drafted plans to regulate the cybersecurity of telecommunications companies,” reports the Washington Post [via MSN]and the plans could include financial penalties phone network operators with insufficient security — “the first time the agency has asserted such powers under federal wiretapping law.” Rosenworcel said the FCC’s authority in this matter …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, Legal Research

Misinformation exploits outrage to spread online

Science. 28 Nov 2024. Vol 386, Issue 6725. pp. 991-996. DOI: 10.1126/science.adl2829 – “Misinformation remains a major threat to US democratic integrity, national security, and public health. However, social media platforms struggle to curtail the spread of the harmful but engaging content. Across platforms, McLoughlin et al. examined the role of emotions, specifically moral outrage (a …

Subjects: Defense, Health Care, Internet, Legal Research, Social Media

Water Conflict Chronology

Citation: Pacific Institute (2024) Water Conflict Chronology. Pacific Institute, Oakland, CA. https://www.worldwater.org/water-conflict/ – “In an ongoing effort to understand the connections between water resources, water systems, and international security and conflict, the Pacific Institute initiated a project in the late 1980s to track and categorize events related to water and conflict, which has been continuously …

Subjects: Climate Change, Defense, Economy, Energy, Environmental Law, Legal Research

Craigslist founder is giving away $200 million to prevent cybercrimes against the US

Yahoo Finance: “Craig Newmark, the 71-year-old founder and former CEO of classifieds site Craigslist, is alarmed about potential cybersecurity risks in the US. “The deal is our country is under attack now,” he told Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sozzi on the Opening Bid podcast (video above; listen in below). “It’s not like I’m in …

Subjects: Cybersecurity, Defense

Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president

Via LLRX – Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president – Law professor Dakota Rudesill explains that because Trump was elected to a second term, he will again have expansive access to classified information and control over it as of noon on Jan. 20, 2025, when his term begins. He will also …

Subjects: Defense, Government Documents, Legal Research

GAO Congressional and Presidential Transition Resources

[On November 5, 2024] Americans voted for members of the 119th Congress and a new president. Representatives and senators will be sworn in on Friday, January 3. As they take office, our nation faces many significant challenges—including those that threaten national security, financial stability, public health, and more. Our work here at GAO highlights some …

Subjects: Congress, Defense, Economy, Financial System, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation