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☆ The Russian Army may have defeated Ukraine — if it had followed its own manual
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It is also evidence of a major reason why Russian troops have often fought poorly in the Ukraine war: they are not following their own playbook. Artem Priakhin/Getty ImagesAssessing current Russian doctrine is difficult. However, the problem may not have been Russian doctrine as much as the overall strategy of the Ukraine war. "There are plenty of aspects to their defense that are entirely consistent with their historical practice and doctrine," Boston said. If the Russian military was that bad, then maybe the Ukrainian military wasn't that good?

Persons: Scott Boston, Artem Priakhin, wouldn't, Ukraine's, Michael Peck Organizations: US, RAND Corp, Kyiv, Russian Army, Aerospace Forces, Warsaw, Kyiv —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Boston, St . Petersburg, Soviet, Western Europe, Iraq, Forbes

☆ Armies need their own drone air force flown by specialist soldiers, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The air war in Ukraine has become a cat-and-mouse game where drones must constantly evolve. AdvertisementRUSI envisions each drone battalion being equipped with everything needed to conduct a variety of UAV operations. This would include "situational awareness UAVs optimized for tactical reconnaissance; tactical strike UAVs; ISR [reconnaissance] UAVs able to penetrate into operational depth; operational strike UAVs; and platform-launched effects designed specifically to synchronize with and enable other weapons systems." To support friendly ground troops in contact with the enemy, flocks of expendable reconnaissance drones would operate up to 5 miles beyond the enemy front line. AdvertisementA Ukrainian serviceman launches a drone during a press tour in the Zhytomyr Region, northern Ukraine on September 20, 2023.

Persons: —, Jack Watling, Justin Bronk, Kirill Chubotin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Ukrainian, Staff, Publishing, Getty, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, British, Zhytomyr Region, Forbes

☆ Campus Protests After Day of Arrests, Demonstrations Appear More Muted
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Image Students at Rutgers University’s campus in New Brunswick, N.J., dismantled their tents on Thursday. But he also indicated that talks the administration had begun holding with student protesters on Wednesday had been fruitful. The move at Rutgers follows similar deals that Brown University and Northwestern University struck earlier this week to end encampments there. Some Jewish groups voiced outrage about those agreements, calling them a capitulation to demonstrators who had created a hostile environment on campus. She noted that the deal had been reached without any arrests on campus, unlike at some other universities across the country where violence has erupted.

Persons: Mary Ann Koruth, Jonathan Holloway, Dr, Holloway, kaffiyehs, Hana Hassan, Hassan, “, ”, Todd Wolfson, Mr, Wolfson Organizations: Rutgers University’s, ., Content Services, Palestinian, Rutgers University, Rutgers, Brown University, Northwestern University, University of Florida, Hillel International, Jewish, University, New, Tel Aviv University, New Brunswick campus’s, Justice, U.S . Education Department, university’s Center, Islamic Locations: New Brunswick, N.J, Israel, Middle, Voorhees, Palestine, New Jersey

Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 0:44 - 0:00 transcript Columbia Protesters Occupy Building on Campus People inside barricaded the doors of Hamilton Hall with furniture. “Palestine will live forever.” “Go away, yo.” “Free, free Palestine.” “Free, free, free Palestine.” “Shut it down.” “Palestine will be free.” “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest.” People inside barricaded the doors of Hamilton Hall with furniture. Credit Credit... Bing Guan for The New York TimesOutside the neoclassical building, protesters, many wearing helmets, safety glasses, gloves and masks, barricaded the entrance. Image Student protesters marching around the encampment on campus at Columbia University on Tuesday. So far, at least, a core of student protesters has vowed to stay put.

Persons: Columbia wasn’t, “, ”, Bing Guan, Alexander Hamilton, Bob Day, Columbia’s, ” Ben Chang, Sueda, ” “ We’ve, Leanne Abraham, Bing Guan Elga Castro, Castro, Chris Eisgruber, Nemat, Anna Betts, Eryn Davis, Tracey Tully, Karla Marie Sanford, John Yoon, Mike Baker Organizations: Police, California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Portland State University, Hamilton Hall, Columbia, Columbia Protesters, People, Hall, ”, New York Times, Treasury, Boeing, Portland Police Bureau, Columbia University, ., New York Times Columbia, Police Department, Columbia University Faculty, Broadway Low Library Columbia University, West, St . Columbia University New York, Butler Library Amsterdam, 114th, 114th St . Columbia University New York, Barnard College, New York University, Princeton University, Clio Hall, Princeton, Rutgers University’s Locations: Hamilton, Columbia, California, Oregon, Manhattan, Palestine, ”, Portland, Gaza . Columbia, St, St . Columbia University New York City, Butler, 114th St, Spanish, Gaza, New Jersey, Brunswick

☆ India is drawing lessons from Ukraine to counter China's military might
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

India is trying to modernize its military of 1.5 million people with lessons from Ukraine. AdvertisementAs India boosts defense spending amid tensions with China and Pakistan, it is closely studying the Ukraine conflict for clues to the future of warfare and how to thwart its neighbors. Some lessons that Indian experts have already drawn: India needs lots of artillery, drones and cyberwarfare capabilities. Drones have become the stars and workhorses of the air war, with both sides deploying — and losing — drones in the hundreds of thousands. AdvertisementThere are lessons here for Indian airpower, according to Arjun Subramaniam, a retired Indian Air Force air vice marshal who helped write the ORF report.

Persons: —, Amrita Jash, Wolfgang Schwan, Arjun Subramaniam, Subramaniam, Cyberwarfare, Shimona Mohan, Mohan, Michael Peck Organizations: NATO, Service, Artillery, Indian Army, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Observer Research Foundation, Getty, Russian, Indian Air Force, Air Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: India, Ukraine, Russia, China, Pakistan, Eastern, Western, Indian, Siversk, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, cyberwarfare, Forbes

☆ China's submarine force is stressed by their more realistic training for combat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Chinese submarine crews are training to operate farther into the Western Pacific. AdvertisementChina is forcing its submarine crews to endure more intensive and realistic training exercises. Ironically, while rigorous training is intended to create a more skilled and aggressive submarine force, these changes could backfire. "What the literature does suggest is that the PLAN submarine force is simultaneously incorporating a wide range of new operational guidance, platforms, and technologies that are pushing the crews and equipment of the PLAN submarine force in ways they have not been stressed before." "But it still must improve further to be capable of supporting what is expected of the submarine force."

Persons: —, Christopher Sharman, Terry Hess, evaluators, VCG, Crews, submariners, Sharman, Michael Peck Organizations: Pacific, Service, Training, China Maritime Studies, US Naval War, People's Liberation Army Navy, PLA, PLAN, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: China, Pacific, Western, Soviet, Russia, Ukraine, Forbes

☆ Russia's military is allergic to the deep reforms it needs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Can the Russian military can be reformed to better achieve Putin's revanchist aims? Yes, but the drastic changes will not be easy, an expert on Russia's military says. AdvertisementWhatever the outcome of the Ukraine war, one thing seems certain: the Russian military needs drastic changes. Indeed, Russia's tendency to seek top-down structural reforms matched with enduring characteristics of the Russian military suggest that a transformation of the Russian military will be difficult." Given that observers so misjudged Russian military capabilities prior to the Ukraine war, how can the West accurately determine whether reforms are occurring?

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Katherine Kjellström Elgin, Putin, Elgin, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Center for Strategic, National Guard Service, Nazi, NATO, Elgin, Business, Russo, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Washington ,, Elgin, Moscow, Russia, Crimean, Soviet, Nazi German, Turkish, Forbes

Within days, millions of TikTok videos using music from Universal artists went mute, and since then guessing which side would blink first has become a media-business parlor game. Backing this up, one study found that TikTok users reported experiencing higher levels of flow than Instagram users. Corey Basch, who analyzed 100 popular TikTok videos with the hashtag mentalhealth for a 2022 study, emerged concerned about the looping effect of the algorithm. Cerave Sales increased by more than 60 percent in 2020 after skin care became a lockdown pastime and TikTok users discovered the drugstore mainstay. Cat Crack Catnip It briefly sold out in 2021 after TikTok users posted videos of their cats going crazy for it.

Persons: randos, TikTok, you’ve, Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, ”, “ Wonka, Barbie, “ Oppenheimer, —, goofing, cavorting, Sue Fleishman, Z’s Walter Cronkite, Spehar, Donald J, Trump, he’s, Caitlin Clark’s, Joe Biden, Justin Bieber, Abbie Richards, Richards, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, Fleetwood Mac, Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Drake, Swift, ByteDance, can’t, Mark Warner, hasn’t, Al, ear on, Li Organizations: Fleetwood Mac, Facebook, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, White, Pew Research Center, YouTube, The New York Times, Kansas City Chiefs, Media, Colgate, Universal Music Group, ByteDance, Intelligence Committee, e Locations: United States, Beijing, Biden’s, TikTok, Singapore, View, Calif, China, American

☆ How the US Army botched a $1 billion upgrade of the Stryker armored vehicle's gun
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fearing that its Stryker armored vehicles were outgunned by Russian and Chinese designs, the US Army had an idea for a quick fix: Develop an unmanned Stryker turret with a 30-mm autocannon. The Army obliged in 2018 with the Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon, which added a remote-controlled 30-mm gun turret — manufactured by Norwegian firm Kongsberg — to 91 flat-bottom-hull versions of the Strykers. This would be enough to upgrade Strykers in three brigades of 83 vehicles each, plus an additional 20 for testing. Instead of a Kongsberg MCT-30 turret, the vehicles would receive a Samson turret made by Israeli firm Rafael. A big red flag should have been the glitches in the turret software that degraded the 30-mm cannon's accuracy.

Persons: Germany —, Rafael, Stryker, Kevin Payne, Mona Sehgal, Sehgal, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Stryker, US Army, Business, Army, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, General Dynamics Land Systems, VN, Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Dynamics, The Army, Systems, Oshkosh Systems, Northrop, Hull, GAO, Oshkosh, Department of Defense, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Europe, Asia, Germany, Russia, Norwegian, Kongsberg, Oshkosh, Forbes

☆ China picks its lowest-scoring officers to command nuclear submarines
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The job of commanding a nuclear submarine should go to smart and well-qualified officers. Chinese submarine officers — except for engineers — tend to come from candidates with the lowest college entrance test scores, according to a US analyst. "Life in the PLAN submarine service is difficult," Christopher Sharman, director of the China Maritime Studies Institute, told Business Insider. By stressing Chinese submarine commanders, such as confronting them with multiple or unexpected challenges, they could be goaded into making a mistake. On the other hand, a Chinese submarine captain will have had years of experience and additional training before assuming command.

Persons: Roderick Lee, Lee, they've, George McClellan, —, George Patton, Christopher Sharman, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, Business, Gaokao, PLA, People's, Army, PLAN Engineering University, China Maritime Studies, US Naval War, Submarine Academy, China Daily, Reuters, China's, Military Medical University, China Sea, China Maritime Studies Institute, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Japan, Taiwan, West, China, Russia, South China, Chinese, Forbes

☆ The US Army's power to rapidly defeat enemies may be a thing of the past
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementModern weapons have become so accurate and lethal that soon armies will not be able to maneuver rapidly on the battlefield. This would require multiple jammers to disrupt enemy drones, guided rockets, and communication systems. Without maneuver, war becomes a battle of attrition, like the First World War, or siege warfare as with the Union and Confederate armies in front of Richmond in 1864. Advertisement"The West is not prepared for this kind of war," Vershinin said. AdvertisementMichael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications.

Persons: —, Alex Vershinin, Vershinin, Anthony Sweeney, jammers, Vladimir Putin, Michael Peck Organizations: US Army, Army, Service, Storm, US, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Patriot, Engineers, West, Union, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Greece, lockstep, Russia, Confederate, Richmond, Stalingrad, Normandy, Forbes

☆ Ukraine must win back the battlefield initiative to have a chance to stop Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Victory in the Ukraine war may come down to a simple question: which side has the initiative? If Russia can retain the initiative, it can launch constant offensives with its larger forces that will drive Ukrainian defenders to the breaking point. For Ukraine, gaining the initiative has become existential: it has to keep Russia off balance, or its forces will be worn down responding to Russian offensives. Ukraine simply cannot afford to go on the defensive and expect this will stop Russia, Barros said. To seize the initiative, Ukraine needs to know that it will receive a steady and reliable stream of Western aid, rather than sporadic deliveries.

Persons: We've, George Barros, Napoleon, Barros, they're, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Ukraine, U.S, Staff, NATO, British Challenger, Ukrainian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Israel, Russian, Nazi Germany, Soviet, Ukrainian, Forbes

☆ The US Army isn't ready to attack across rivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Yet if the US Army went to war tomorrow, it would lack the equipment, doctrine and experience to launch an attack across a defended river, according to one Army engineer. "The Army has not conducted such an operation since World War II," wrote Maj. Aditya Iyer, an Army engineer, in an essay for the Association of the United States Army. "The current wet-gap crossing doctrine, organization, materiel and leadership are ineffective for division-level wet-gap crossing operations independent from the corps," Iyer warned. "In contrast, the Ukrainian forces had accurate intelligence that showed the Russian troops massing along the river," Iyer said. Related storiesIndeed, the Army was unprepared for river crossings at the start of World War II.

Persons: —, Aditya Iyer, Iyer, Napoleon, Kevin Larson, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, Army, Association of, United States Army, Business, 74th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, Union Army, US 36th Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry, Company, 92nd Engineer Battalion, US, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukrainian, Russian, Fredericksburg, Italy, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, Forbes

☆ Ukraine isn't the only country Russia is trying to topple
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even as Russian bombs pound Ukraine, Moscow's mercenaries and spies are busy trying to set much of the rest of the world afire. To Russia, the conventional warfare waged in Ukraine, and unconventional "gray zone" warfare waged around the world, are two sides of the same coin. Human intelligence operations are used to attempt elite capture through the offer of assistance to politicians who support Russian interests. "As the war in Ukraine protracts, Russia has an interest in creating crises further afield," said RUSI. "As a lot of Russia's unconventional operations are self-defeating, countering Russian unconventional warfare must be premised on careful, selective, and intelligence- driven targeting," the study emphasized.

Persons: —, RUSI, Vladimir Putin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds, Britain —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Business, Kremlin, Soviet Union, NATO, Directorate, Staff of, Armed Forces, Getty, Russian, Central African, Wagner, GRU Expeditionary Corps, Convoy, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Africa, Central Asia, Soviet, Montenegro, Moscow, Moldova, Russian, Britain, Ukraine protracts, Balkans, Russia's, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chechnya, Forbes

☆ The History Behind Arizona’s 160-Year-Old Abortion Ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Pam Belluck | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The 160-year-old Arizona abortion ban that was upheld on Tuesday by the state’s highest court was among a wave of anti-abortion laws propelled by some historical twists and turns that might seem surprising. For decades after the United States became a nation, abortion was legal until fetal movement could be felt, usually well into the second trimester. Before that point, “women could try to obtain an abortion without having to fear that it was illegal,” said Johanna Schoen, a professor of history at Rutgers University. After quickening, abortion providers could be charged with a misdemeanor. “I think what was stigmatized was maybe this idea that you were having sex outside of marriage, but of course, married women also ended their pregnancies.”

Persons: ”, Johanna Schoen, “, Dr, Schoen Organizations: Rutgers University Locations: Arizona, United States

☆ New Jersey Ballot Ruling Applies Only to Democratic Race, Judge Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Stefanos Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New Jersey moved a step closer last week toward overhauling its unique-in-the-nation election ballots, in a decision that could reshape party politics in the state for years to come. On Saturday, the federal judge who ordered the redesign, in response to a lawsuit filed in February by three Democratic candidates, said in a statement that only the Democratic primary, which includes the race to replace Senator Robert Menendez, would have to use the new ballot. The Republican ballot, he wrote, can stay the same, though he said his order did not prohibit Republican leaders from choosing to alter their party’s ballot. The clarification is the latest twist in a long legal battle in New Jersey to shift the balance of electoral power away from party-backed candidates and open the door for newcomers in both parties. “If this decision holds, it will completely upend New Jersey politics.”

Persons: Robert Menendez, Julia Sass Rubin, “ It’s, Dr, Rubin, ” Organizations: Democratic, Republican, Rutgers University Locations: Jersey, New Jersey, upend New Jersey

A group of Democrats walked into a New Jersey state office last week carrying boxes filled with signed election petitions. Their goal was to get onto ballots in the state’s Democratic primary, on June 4, and to be elected as delegates to the Democratic National Convention. “Justice for Palestine, permanent cease-fire now.”One of the four dozen would-be delegates had gathered 220 signatures; another had gotten 157. Each will appear on the Democratic primary ballot and compete against candidates committed to President Biden. “There is no way that we will make a difference here in New Jersey,” Ms. Dorigo, who is originally from Argentina, acknowledged.

Persons: “, Maria Eva Dorigo, Biden, Dorigo, ” Ms, Donald J, ” Organizations: Democratic, Democratic National Convention, Palestine, Democratic Party, Rutgers University, Republicans, Mr, Trump Locations: New Jersey, Montclair , N.J, Chicago, Israel, Gaza ., Michigan , Minnesota , Massachusetts, North Carolina, Gaza, “, Argentina, Palestine

☆ What the US Army should learn from Ukraine's hasty retreat from a Russian assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And it should be a wake-up call for the US Army, which could find itself in the same situation, according to a US Army intelligence officer. With the potential for large-scale ground operations against well-armed Chinese or Russian forces, it's a topic that the US military cannot afford to neglect. The Ukrainian retreat suffered from poor coordination between the 110th Mechanized Brigade that had been defending the city, and the newly arrived 3rd Assault Brigade that was supposed to cover the 110th's withdrawal. The other lesson of Avdiivka is ensuring adequate support for a retreat, especially for the covering force that screens the withdrawal of the rest of the army. AdvertisementTo their credit, and despite a lack of ammunition, Ukrainian commanders were able to provide some fire support for the retreat.

Persons: It's, Ryan Forte, —, Forte, Corbis, Avdiivka wasn't, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Army, Business, Modern, Institute, 3rd Assault Brigade, Zenit, US, Union Army, Army, Marine Corps, 110th Mechanized Brigade, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Avdiivka, West, Donetsk, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Tunisia, Bull, Korean, America, Korea, Ukrainian, Forbes

☆ An MIT professor devised a 'Fortress Ukraine' plan in 1994 that proved remarkably right about the Russian invasion
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

An MIT professor envisioned a defensive strategy in 1994 for Ukraine to survive a Russian attack. AdvertisementIn 1994, an American professor came up with a plan for Ukraine to defend against Russian invasion. Rather than seizing all of eastern Ukraine, Russia currently occupies about 18 percent of Ukrainian territory, mainly in the southeast and along the Black Sea coast. AdvertisementA member of 120th Independent Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine takes part in training exercises on March 16. "The Ukrainian force can cover about 60 percent of the front with no reserves.

Persons: Barry Posen, —, Posen's, Posen, Vladimir Putin, Gian Marco Benedetto, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, envelopments, didn't, Ukraine hadn't, George Barros, Barros, Michael Peck Organizations: MIT, Service, Russia —, NATO, Ukraine —, 120th Independent Brigade, Territorial Defense Forces, Russia, Mechanized, Russian, Institute for, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, American, Russia, Ukrainian, Russian, Dnipro, Posen, Soviet Union, Soviet, Moscow, America, Britain, Crimea, Donetsk, Nazi Germany, Washington ,, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Forbes

18-22 View All 11 ImagesMeanwhile, Trump's campaign – and the national Republican Party – are having cash problems of their own. President Joe Biden's campaign raised $21.3 million in February – almost twice the $10.9 million Trump's campaign raised during the same period, according to filing with the Federal Election Commission. The Democratic National Committee also outraised its counterpart, with the Democratic group pulling in $16.6 million in February, compared to the $10.7 million the Republican National Committee raised in the same period. The amounts for both parties and candidates do not include money raised by outside groups or coordinated committees on behalf of each candidate. Big donors might be reluctant to contribute money to a Trump or GOP committee if they think it will go to pay Trump's private legal bills.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, boastful Trump, Letitia James, –, Republican Party –, Joe Biden's, Richard Lau, Lau, Biden, “, I’m, ” Biden, Donald, ’, it's, Sarah Bryner, Bryner, Donald Trump Jr Organizations: Republican National Committee, Republicans, Republican Party, Federal, Commission, Democrat, Trump, Democratic National Committee, Democratic, Save America PAC, RNC, Republican, GOP, Rutgers University, Biden –, Responsive, Trump Media, Acquisition Corporation Locations: New York, Dallas

☆ Swarms of drones are a rising threat to the US homeland, and law enforcement isn't ready
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

RAND focused on various ways that terrorists inside the US could wreak havoc with drone swarms. Current technology allows unmanned aircraft to be employed in what RAND terms "surrogate swarm technology," in which formations are only loosely coordinated. James Newsome/US ArmyNations such as America and China are busy developing military drone swarms. Such technology is becoming available to the public: the FAA has already allowed limited use of drone swarms to spray crops. Thus the question isn't if intelligent drone swarms become a domestic security threat, but when.

Persons: —, What's, Alfred Hitchcock's, James Newsome, Daniel Gerstein, Gerstein, isn't, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, RAND Corp, Business, RAND's Homeland, Analysis, Department of Homeland Security, RAND, Kremlin, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Threat Systems Management Office, US Army Nations, FAA, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, America, China, North Carolina, Forbes

☆ The cost of key US weapons like artillery shells for Ukraine is soaring
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The cost to maintain a weapon is more than twice the cost to build it, a GAO official said. Related storiesThe Army estimated that O&S costs for the Excalibur — first deployed in 2007 — had soared 183% since a baseline estimate in 2011. Still, all this does raise the question of whether higher maintenance costs for US military equipment at least partially result from problems with design and manufacturing. "We don't know the specific extent of O&S cost growth due to design problems or poor sustainment management," Maurer said. "In some respects, those problems could lower O&S costs because systems cannot fly, operate, or sail as often as planned.

Persons: —, Ukraine —, Diana Maurer, Maurer, Michael Peck Organizations: US Army, Service, GAO, DOD, Department of Defense, Army, Navy, Air Force, US Navy, Raytheon, YouTube, US, EA, Hornet, Navy Multiband, Tactical Mission, Warfighter, Pentagon, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, China, Forbes

☆ Opinion: The dangers in leaving TikTok at Beijing’s disposal
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —For many of the 170 million TikTok users in the United States, Wednesday’s vote in the House of Representatives to effectively ban the social media platform is worrisome. That’s just one reason why it’s laughable to hear China’s foreign ministry claim that the TikTok bill would disrupt market operations and undermine investor confidence. Most of the world’s most popular social media apps, incidentally, are banned in China unless they — or their user data — are locally based and thus easily overseen by the government. She has had multiple meetings with legislators and has spoken with Trump about protecting TikTok, according to the Washington Post. The government needs to develop oversight rules for all social media.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Donald Trump, TikTok, Shou Chew, “, Jack Ma —, Xiao Jianhua, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Trump, ” Trump, ”, Jeff Yass, Kellyanne Conway, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, ByteDance, Frida Ghitis CNN, Pew Research, Facebook, Oracle, National Intelligence, Rutgers University, Air Force One, Microsoft, Trump, Citizens United Locations: United States, Washington, Russia, TikTok, Beijing, That’s, China, Israel, Tibet, Hong Kong, USSR

☆ Democratic senators have privately warned White House that votes aren’t there to confirm Biden’s Muslim judicial nominee
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But some allies of the White House on Capitol Hill have made clear that there is not enough support – including among Democrats – to confirm Mangi in the full Senate, those sources said. The controversy surrounding Mangi’s nomination comes at a moment of heightened political tensions across the country since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. The White House and Democratic lawmakers have pushed back, accusing Republicans of Islamophobic attacks that are based on Mangi’s ethnic background and touting support from Jewish groups. The White House has also called on senators such as Cruz to apologize to Mangi. “Treatment of this highly qualified nominee has sometimes reached an all-time low.”CNN has reached out to Durbin’s office for additional comment.

Persons: Adeel Mangi, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Mangi, –, Texas Republican Sen, Ted Cruz, Rutgers University –, Cruz, ” Cruz, ” Mangi, “, ”, Jeff Zientz, Shuwanza Goff, White, Ed Siskel, Andrew Bates, ’ ” Bates, “ Mr, Dick Durbin, ” Durbin Organizations: Washington CNN —, Democratic, CNN, US, Appeals, White, Capitol, Texas Republican, Center for Security, Rights, Rutgers University, White House, Defamation League, Senate, Committee, House Locations: New York, Israel

☆ Should China Own TikTok?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

After Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack, TikTok flooded users with videos expressing extreme positions from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, tilted toward the Palestinian side, a Wall Street Journal analysis found. On Monday, the top U.S. intelligence official released a report saying that the Chinese government had used TikTok to promote its propaganda to Americans and to influence the 2022 midterm elections. TikTok is also owned by a company, ByteDance, that’s based in a country that is America’s biggest rival for global power: China. ByteDance executives say that they operate separately from China’s government and that they regularly remove misleading content from TikTok. The most likely scenario, experts say, is that officials aligned with the Chinese government shape TikTok’s algorithm to influence what content Americans see.

Persons: Jeanna Smialek, Jim Tankersley, “, Sapna Maheshwari, China’s, Xi Jinping, Xi Organizations: Rutgers University, Rutgers, Communist Party, Soviet NBC Locations: U.S, Tibet, Hong Kong, United States, China, Soviet

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