Short Takes – 1-3-24

Five major threats to US national security in 2024. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Those include terrorism, both foreign and domestic, adversaries targeting critical infrastructure, an aggressive China, and an election cycle that “will be a key event for possible violence and foreign influence targeting our election infrastructure, processes, and personnel.””

IDF’s Subterranean Challenge: Profiling Gaza Metro, Hamas’s Center of Gravity. HomelandSecurityNewswire.com article. Interesting look at the Hamas tunnel system from the outside. Pull quote: “The system is designed to withstand IDF’s aerial and ground bombardment. The design and construction enable Hamas to locate its leadership, combat units, headquarters, command and control centers, weapons and supplies inside the complex. It also enables various military echelons to move freely between various prepared contingency positions. Hamas has located power generation and air-conditioning systems, plumbing and sewage disposal arrangements and food supplies within the infrastructure. This is helping its fighters to better withstand the siege laid by the IDF in the ongoing war. The tunnels also allow the fighters to escape the combat zone when they are decisively surrounded by the IDF, as was the case in battle near the al-Shifa Hospital.”

The Link Between Climate Change and a Spate of Rare Disease Outbreaks in 2023. Grist.org article. Pull quote: “Scientists have warned that climate change would alter the prevalence and spread of disease in the U.S., particularly those caused by pathogens that are sensitive to temperature. This year’s spate of rare illnesses may have come as a surprise to the uninitiated, but researchers who have been following the way climate change influences disease say 2023 represents the continuation of a trend they expect will become more pronounced over time: The geographic distribution of pathogens and the timing of their emergence are undergoing a shift.”

Starship, Starlink and more: SpaceX poised for huge 2024. Space.com article. Pull quote: “SpaceX will send five astronaut missions skyward this year, if all goes according to plan. The Crew-8 and Crew-9 flights for NASA are scheduled to lift off in February and August, respectively. Axiom's Ax-3 mission will launch on Jan. 17, and Ax-4 is targeted for no earlier than October. And, in April, SpaceX plans to launch Polaris Dawn, a free-flying mission to LEO that will feature the first-ever spacewalk by a private astronaut.”

Ukraine’s Drone Boats Are Now Firing Rockets At Russian Ships. TheDrive.com article. Pull quote: “"We want to decompose a large warship into its functions - air defense, weapons, protection - and put these weapons on several drones," an SBU brigadier general with the call sign "Hunter" told the publication. “Ukraine does not have the time or money to build large warships, but a swarm of drones, which will include anti-aircraft drones, kamikaze drones, drones with guns, and so on, can solve the issue of the fleet in a completely different way.””

Scoop: House members to receive classified UFO briefing. Axios.com article. Pull quote: “Why it matters: Congressional interest in the issue has grown in recent years, with a small but vocal group of lawmakers in both parties pushing for greater transparency from the government on the issue.”