Chemical Facility Security News: Short Takes

Monday, February 23, 2026

Short Takes – 2-22-26

Trump signals new tariffs plan. Here's how Section 122 works. Axios.com article. Pull quote: “The global break from President Trump's tariffs will only be temporary. For months, top Trump officials said they had a "Plan B" if the highest court blocked their signature economic policy — which could leave hefty import taxes on foreign consumer goods essentially intact.”

A high-stakes State of the Union just got harder for Trump. Politico.com article. Pull quote: “Economic growth is flagging. U.S. military assets are massing in the waters around Iran in anticipation of a potential strike that many in the president’s base find odious. A major government agency is shut down over an immigration standoff with Democrats sparked after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens. “Make America Healthy Again” activists are furious over Trump’s order boosting domestic production of the herbicide glyphosate. The scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, continues to swirl.”

ICS Cybersecurity in 2026: Vulnerabilities and the Path Forward. Forescout.com blog post. Pull quote: “The number of OT/ICS vulnerabilities isn’t the only thing growing. They are also becoming more severe. The average CVSS score of advisories has been trending upwards (see below). Back in 2010, the average was 6.44, classified as medium severity. In 2024, the average crossed 8.0 for the first time and it remained there in 2025.”

Campus vaccine strategies put to test by rising measles cases. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““Academic institutions tend to be environments where infectious diseases can quickly spread. In one large classroom, many dozens of students can be confined in close spaces for prolonged periods of time. Under those conditions, even a single measles case is highly likely to spread widely across the campus, as students also live in close proximity with roommates in dorms and apartments,” Gostin said.”

How uncrewed narco subs could transform the Colombian drug trade. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “Analysts don’t think uncrewed narco subs will reshape the global drug trade, despite the technological leap. Trafficking organizations will still hedge their bets across those three variables, hiding cocaine in shipping containers, dissolving it into liquids and paints, racing it north in fast boats. “I don’t think this is revolutionary,” Shuldiner says. “But it’s a great example of how resilient cocaine traffickers are, and how they’re continuously one step ahead of authorities.”” What about narco terrorists shipping IED semisubmersibles?

Chemical Weapons by Violent Non-State Actors in Combat. SmallWarsJournal.com commentary. Pull quote: “While the use of chemical weapons by non-state actors in combat is a relatively new phenomenon, the examples of the LTTE and IS display several commonalities that may occur in future conflicts. Modern militaries should recognize and prepare for these risks, particularly in counterinsurgency operations. Chemical weapons deployed by similar organizations are likely to be crude and small-scale, deployed through explosives, primitive projectiles, or even wind dispersal, although there is a possibility of future drone use. Ultimately, it is likely that the psychological impact of these weapons will far outweigh any tactical advantage that they may confer.”

The scientist using AI to hunt for antibiotics just about everywhere. TechnologyReview.com article. Pull quote: “But de la Fuente is using artificial intelligence to bring about a different future. His team at the University of Pennsylvania is training AI tools to search genomes far and deep for peptides with antibiotic properties. His vision is to assemble those peptides—molecules made of up to 50 amino acids linked together—into various configurations, including some never seen in nature. The results, he hopes, could defend the body against microbes that withstand traditional treatments.”