Short Takes – 3-21-25

Former NASA astronauts endorse Isaacman as administrator. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““We believe that Jared Isaacman is uniquely qualified to lead NASA at this critical juncture. As an entrepreneur, pilot, and having commanded two groundbreaking space missions, he brings credibility and capability to make a difference now,” states the letter, signed by 28 former NASA astronauts and posted to social media March 21 by one of them, Garrett Reisman.”

Hair Loss: Another Wegovy Side Effect? MedPageToday.com article. Pull quote: “Hormonal changes driven by a rapid reduction in glucose and increase in insulin could also impact hair. Hair loss could also be caused by GLP-1 agents' appetite suppressing effects. "Patients have less food intake that can potentially cause nutrient deficiencies, and in particular, protein deficiencies which has been shown to be associated with hair loss," said Etminan's group.”

I Was Diagnosed With Autism at 53. I Know Why Rates Are Rising. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: “Other people, including some but by no means all family members of individuals with very high support needs (sometimes called profound autism), may be more likely to consider autism as a medical condition worthy of pharmaceutical intervention and research into treatment and prevention. Although I subscribe to the neurodiversity view for me, I oversee a scientific journal that publishes research from both perspectives, and I believe proponents of both ways of viewing it have a lot to learn from each other.”

Measles is surging in the US: how bad could it get? Nature.com article. A series of FAQ type questions and discussions. Pull quote: “Measles is the most contagious disease that is transmitted directly between people. Epidemiologists use a metric called R0 to indicate how many people, on average, one person with a given illness is expected to infect. The R0 for measles is a whopping 12–18. By comparison, the R0 for COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic was estimated to be about 1.4–2.5, and the R0 for influenza is about 1–2.”

Texas Measles Outbreak Expected to Last for Months, Though Vaccinations Are Rising. MedPageToday.com article. Pull quote: “"Within this community, it'd be perfectly reasonable to think probably another couple months before things die out," Lessler said. "But if it gets into another community, you just potentially start that clock over again."”

As Trump Broadens Crackdown, Focus Expands to Legal Immigrants and Tourists. NYTimes.com article. Pull quote: “To deport people living in the United States with green cards or valid visas, the Trump administration has invoked a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that gives the secretary of state sweeping power to expel foreigners who are seen as a threat to the country’s foreign policy interests.”

Low-Cost Drone Add-Ons From China Let Anyone With a Credit Card Turn Toys Into Weapons of War. Wired.com article. Pull quote: ““Somebody who designs a plan and puts it into action could do some sophisticated damage for really, really cheap,” Red Ballon's Torres says. "I wonder if the US military can even get defense contractors to build these devices for them for the price they're selling online.””

Review – HR 1766 Introduced – NTIA Cybersecurity

Earlier this month Rep Obernolte (R,CA) introduced HR 1766, the NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act. The bill would transform the current NTIA Office of Policy Analysis and Development (OPAD) into the Office of Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination. No new funding is authorized by this legislation.

The bill would amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act by adding a new §106, Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity.

The bill is essentially the same as the version of HR 1345 that was passed in the House in July 2023 by a voice vote. No action was taken in the Senate. A substantially similar bill (S 1526) was introduced last session by Sen Hickenlooper (D,CO), but no action was taken on that bill in the Senate either.

Moving Forward

On March 4^th, 2025 the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a business meeting to consider twelve pieces of legislation, including HR 1766. The Committee agreed to final passage of the bill by a voice vote. Once the report is published, the bill will be cleared for consideration by the full House, probably under the suspension of the rules process. I would expect the bill to pass with substantial bipartisan support.

Commentary

What is not clear currently is how this proposed reorganization within the NTIA would fit into the Trump reorganization effort. As described in this bill, the OPCD would have no specific regulatory responsibilities, but there are two provisions within the proposed language for §106(c)(2) {see subparagraphs (E) and (I)} that could see the reorganized Office being assigned such responsibilities.

 

For more information on the provisions of this bill, including some additional commentary, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-1766-introduced - subscription required.

Transportation Chemical Incidents – Week of 2-15-25

Reporting Background

See this post for explanation, with the most recent update here (removed from paywall).

Data from PHMSA’s online database of transportation related chemical incidents that have been reported to the agency.

Incidents Summary

• Number of incidents – 415 (387 highway, 24 air, 4 rail, 0 water)

• Serious incidents – 4 (4 Bulk release, 0 evacuation, 0 injury, 0 death, 0 major artery closed, 0 fire/explosion, 33 no release)

• Largest container involved – 26,512-gal GATX 53808 Railcar {Terpene Hydrocarbons, N.O.S.} Manway gasket improperly installed.

• Largest amount spilled – 8,798-gal IBC {Gasoline Includes Gasoline Mixed With Ethyl Alcohol, With Not More Than 10% Alcohol} Rollover accident. No link to report (E-2025030046).

NOTE: Links above are to Form 5800.1 for the described incidents.

Most Interesting Chemical: Propanethiols – PROPANETHIOLS are flammable, moderately toxic liquid, stench. Explosive in the form of vapor when exposed to heat, flame or sparks. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of oxides of sulfur. Violent reaction and flash fire on contact with calcium hypochlorite. (Source: CameoChemicals.NOAA.gov).

 

INSERT UN 2402 Placard

Short Takes – 3-20-25

NASA examining options for another Starliner test flight. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Boeing, all the way up to their new CEO, Kelly [Ortberg], has been committed to Starliner,” he said, citing as evidence the level of effort the company is putting in to test new seals to eliminate helium leaks and “multifaceted” tests of thrusters. “I see a commitment from Boeing to continue the program. They realized that that they have an important vehicle, and we were very close to having the capability that we would like to field.””

3 people face federal charges for Tesla attacks. Are such acts domestic terrorism? NPR.org article. Pull quote: “Hoffman believes it's "a huge problem" that the U.S. has no domestic terrorism statute. But Patel, whose Brennan Center has long opposed such a law, says this would only be weaponized by the federal government and would make it too easy for "an administration to label unpopular groups or political enemies as a domestic terrorist outfit."”

NIST’s vulnerability database logjam is still growing despite attempts to clear it. NextGov.com article. Pull quote: ““They’ve gotten better by over 100% but the bad news is that their workload has been increasing,” said Bryan Cowan, a product owner and security researcher at Fortress Information Security who has been tracking NIST’s rate of vulnerability enrichments.”

A huge iceberg broke off Antarctica. What scientists found under it startled them. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: “Off Antarctica, the biggest mystery isn’t centered on any particular creature but on the entire ecosystem: How exactly does that much life thrive under so much ice?”

Trump ends program millions in China use for internet, worrying Congress. WashingtonPost.com article. Pull quote: ““The Open Technology Fund provides a lifeline for people living under oppressive regimes, including citizens of China, Hong Kong, and Iran, by allowing them to safely communicate with the outside world and each other,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said in a 2020 statement. “Every once in a while a government program acts exactly as intended,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) said in a 2021 video post on X, referring to the OTF’s internet security tools that helped Cubans access the internet amid government-sanctioned shutdowns.”

Review - Siemens Publishes Out-of-Zone Update – 3-20-25

Today Siemens published an update for an advisory nine days after they published their monthly tranche of 11 new advisories and 16 updates.

Teamcenter Update - This update provides additional information on Open Redirect advisory that was originally published on February 11^th, 2025, and most recently updated on February 25^th, 2025.

 

For more information on this update, including a discussion about the failure of CISA to keep their respective advisory up to date on the changing status of this vulnerability, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/siemens-publishes-out-of-zone-update-964 - subscription required.

Review – 5 Advisories Published – 3-20-25

Today CISA published four control systems security advisories for products from SMA Solar Technology, Siemens, and Schneider Electric (2). The also published a medical device security advisory for products from Santesoft.

Advisories

SMA Advisory - This advisory describes an unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type vulnerability in the SMA Sunny Portal.

Siemens Advisory - This advisory describes an improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer vulnerability in the Siemens Simcenter Femap product.

Schneider Advisory #1 - This advisory describes three improper input validation vulnerabilities in the Schneider Enerlin’X IFE and eIFE products.

Schneider Advisory #2 - This advisory describes an improper privilege management vulnerability in the Schneider EcoStruxure Process Expert products.

Santesoft Advisory - This advisory describes an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the Santesoft Sante DICOM Viewer Pro.

 

For more information on these advisories, including links to researcher reports, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/5-advisories-published-3-20-25 - subscription required.

Short Takes – 3-20-25 – Federal Register Edition

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Chemical Manufacturing Area Sources Technology Review; Comment Period Extension. Federal Register EPA comment extension. Summary: “On January 22, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule titled “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Chemical Manufacturing Area Sources Technology Review.” The EPA is extending the comment period on this proposed rule, which was scheduled to close on March 24, 2025. The comment period will now remain open until April 14, 2025, to allow additional time for stakeholders to review and comment on the proposal.”

EO 14236 - Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions. Federal Register.

EO 14237 - Addressing Risks From Paul Weiss. Federal Register.

EO 14238 - Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. Federal Register.