Moniz backs natural gas ‘revolution’
Matthew Daly/AP
President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Energy Department pledged to increase use of natural gas Tuesday as a way to combat climate change even as the nation seeks to boost domestic energy production.
Ex-Regulator Says Reactors are Flawed
Matthew Wald/The New York Times
All 104 nuclear power reactors now in operation in the United States have a safety problem that cannot be fixed and they should be replaced with newer technology, the former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on Monday.
Climate Change: Is Fusion Power Our Last Hope to Avoid Disaster
Franklin Taylor/Policymic.com
Alongside carbon taxes and cap-and-trade schemes to address climate change, the best chance for optimism may be nuclear fusion. America would be wise to invest in the technology before it is too late.
Shale-rich Spanish region vote to ban fracking
Reuters
Lawmakers in Spain’s northern Cantabria region unanimously voted on Monday to ban hydraulic fracturing on environmental concerns, shooting down the central government’s hopes for a project to boost jobs in a region believed to be rich in shale gas.
Defiant Iran unveils new uranium sites
Al Jazeera
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hails advances only days after nuclear talks with world powers ended in deadlock.
Iran says 32 killed in earthquake in south
Nasser Karimi/AP
A 6.1 magnitude earthquake killed 32 and injured hundreds more in a sparsely populated area in southern Iran on Tuesday, Iranian officials said. Authorities said it did not damage a nuclear plant in the region.
Kerry hints he is hoping for a broad Israeli-Palestinian peace deal
Anne Gearan/The Washington Post
Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed progress Tuesday in preparing for possible new peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, with Kerry suggesting he favors a broad, omnibus peace deal.
North Korea warns foreigners to leave South amid new threats of war
Christine Kim and Joyce Lee/Reuters
North Korea intensified threats of an imminent conflict against the United States and the South on Tuesday, warning foreigners to evacuate South Korea to avoid being dragged into “thermonuclear war”.
Mali crisis: French troops ‘begin withdrawal’
BBC
France has begun to withdraw troops from Mali where they have battling Islamist militants, the French defence ministry has said.
Kenya Celebrates New President; Daggers for West
The New York Times/AP
Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding president, ascended to the country’s top office Tuesday during a jubilant celebration that began a new era in Kenyan politics, one that forces the U.S. and Europe into a diplomatic balancing act.
Navy to deploy laser to destroy drones, small boats
Chris Lawrence and Lindy Royce-Bartlett/CNN – Security Clearance
The U.S. Navy plans to deploy a laser weapon aboard a warship for the first time, Navy leaders said on Monday.
China reports another bird flu death, total now 8
Ben Blanchard/Reuters
Another person died in China from a new strain of bird flu on Tuesday, state media said, bringing to eight the number of deaths from the H7N9 virus since it was confirmed in humans for the first time last month.
ASP Recently Published
PERSPECTIVE – The Defense Industrial Base
The defense industrial base is tied to American competitiveness in the 21st Century. For that reason, leaders in the private and public sector must take steps to thrive during a drawn out period of changing expectations while also remaining committed to keeping the country strong through innovation, long-term investment and disciplined management.
Read our latest collection of our writings in this edition of American Security Quarterly – with special lead of American Competitiveness
On Our Flashpoint Blog
“Connecting the Drops” – New Report Highlights the Challenges in the Indus Basin
Kaitlyn Huppmann
The Indus Basin is an indispensable water source for hundreds of millions of people. A new report discusses the region’s challenges and possible road-maps
U.S. Exporting More Coal as Domestic Decline Continues
Nicholas Cunningham
With declining demand for coal within the U.S., the coal industry exports more abroad. It also hopes to build new export facilities, but faces opposition.
Interview – Norm Augustine: Willpower, patience needed to improve American competitiveness
August Cole
There are times when the best policy solution should be the easiest to achieve, but remains stubbornly out of reach. Nowhere is this more evident than in the challenges with improving American competitiveness.
Removal of Highly Enriched Uranium from the Czech Republic
Katharyn Nicolle
The United States has successfully secured 68 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enough to make two nuclear weapons, from the Czech Republic.
Interview – Debt ceiling again looms large for states, city government
August Cole
America’s competitive position has state and local roots, even if most of the policies that impact our standing are decided inside the Beltway.
America’s National Labs Critical to Energy Security
BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret.)
America’s national labs are critical to driving innovation in the years to come, which will help solve many of the most vexing problems facing our country today such as threats from climate change and energy insecurity.
Upcoming Events
EVENT: The Geopolitical Implications of U.S. Natural Gas Exports
Tues., April 16 12:30 PM – Join us for a discussion on how U.S. natural gas exports can achieve geopolitical goals by enhancing the energy security of America’s closest allies.
EVENT: The UK in the EU and the future of Transatlantic Cooperation
Wed., April 10 0830 AM – The European Union (EU) is going through major political and economic changes. There is much debate on the future of the United Kingdom within the institutions of the EU. Where does Britain see it self within the EU? What does that mean for the US-EU trade talks? Join us to discuss these issues and many more with Tobias Ellwood MP.
EVENT: The Future of the U.S. Nuclear Deterrent: A Conversation with Amb. Linton Brooks
Mon., April 15 1230 PM – Join us for a conversation with Linton Brooks, Ambassador and former Administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), on the future of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
