Drought – and neighbors – press Las Vegas to conserve water
John M. Glionna / Los Angeles Times
An ongoing drought and the Colorado River’s stunted flow have shrunk Lake Mead to its lowest level in generations. The reservoir, which supplies 90% of Las Vegas’ water, is ebbing as though a plug had been pulled from a bathtub drain. By mid-April, Lake Mead’s water level measured just 48 feet above the system’s topmost intake straw.
What Putin Is Costing Russia
Ilan Berman / The Wall Street Journal
Just how much is Vladimir Putin‘s Ukrainian adventure actually costing Russia? Quite a lot, it turns out. New statistics from the Central Bank of Russia indicate that almost $51 billion in capital exited the country in the first quarter of 2014. The exodus, says financial website Quartz.com, is largely the result of investor jitters over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and subsequent annexation of Crimea
Putin signs decree to rehabilitate Crimea Tatars
Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday to rehabilitate Crimea’s Tatars and other minorities who suffered under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, courting a group that largely opposed Moscow’s annexation of the region from Ukraine.
Ukraine crisis: Russia plans Crimea casino boom
BBC News
Russian President Vladimir Putin has presented a draft law to create a gambling zone in Crimea, now that the Kremlin has declared the Ukrainian territory part of Russia.By law casinos are restricted to four special areas in Russia, all a long way from Moscow. Now Crimea will become the fifth area, under Mr Putin’s plan.
Photos Link Masked Men in East Ukraine to Russia
Andrew Higgins, Michael Gordon, & Andrew E. Kramer / The New York Times
For two weeks, the mysteriously well-armed, professional gunmen known as “green men” have seized Ukrainian government sites in town after town, igniting a brush fire of separatist unrest across eastern Ukraine. Strenuous denials from the Kremlin have closely followed each accusation by Ukrainian officials that the world was witnessing a stealthy invasion by Russian forces.
Egypt intelligence officer, policeman killed in firefight
Oman Tribune
Gunmen killed an Egyptian intelligence officer and a policeman on a road outside Cairo in a late-night firefight, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday, even as an Egyptian court sentenced 30 people to more than three years in prison for violent protests in support of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Mursi, judicial officials said.
California’s Thirsting Farmland
Stephanie Strom / The New York Times
Heading into the third year of a prolonged drought, the Allens are among the many California farmers forced to make dire choices that could leave as much as 800,000 acres, or about 7 percent of the state’s cropland, fallow.
ASP Recent Publications
WHITE PAPER – National Security and Space – The Next Space Race: Competition
August Cole
This paper goes into detail on the next steps the United States should be considering to enhance our national security, secure our access to space, as well as to gain value for money from taxpayers.
Tennessee and Climate Change
Andrew Holland and Nathan Daniels
As members of the American Security Project prepared to visit Tennessee to discuss the threats of climate change, ASP published a short document detailing some of the threats that climate change poses to the state. Tennessee is justifiably proud of its agriculture and forestry products – and these industries are directly threatened by climate change. However, with prudent planning and risk analysis, Tennessee could become a leader in building a climate-resilient state
National Security and America’s Space Challenge
August Cole
The U.S. military and intelligence community is increasingly dependent on its satellite capabilities to do everything from communicating securely to targeting precision weapons. Billions of taxpayer dollars are spent trying to expand and protect this strategic edge.
On Our Flashpoint Blog
Secured Space Access is Needed Now – Time to look at the Commercial Market
August Cole
Attention is focusing on how intertwined Russia is with the U.S. space program. What has caught the wary eye of lawmakers and Defense Department officials is the use of Russian rocket engines to power America’s heavy rockets, which frequently carry secret, and expensive, military and intelligence payloads.
Event Recap: Fusion Power: The Answer to an Uncertain Energy Future – A Discussion with Dan Clery
Kathy Duong
On Tuesday, April 15th, the American Security Project hosted a discussion about fusion power with Dan Clery, moderated by Andrew Holland, ASP’s Senior Fellow for Energy and Climate.
What’s a Degree Here or There Really Matter?
William Fassuliotis
In ASP’s “10 Facts About Climate Change” (to be released on the 22nd), we list some of the harmful effects from a change of just a few degrees. Many people find this hard to understand. How would an increase of a few degrees have such radical effects? We help you understand here.
In Wielding Natural Gas Price Against Ukraine, Putin May Have Miscalculated
Special Guest/American Security Project
Russian natural gas producer Gazprom announced last week a more than 40 percent increase in the price Ukraine must pay for its energy. The announcement ratchets up pressure on Ukraine’s new government, which imports 60 percent of its natural gas from Russia and is teetering on the brink of financial crisis.
Upcoming Events:
Weather, Climate, & National Security
April 23, 12:30-1:30 PM
Join ASP as Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret)., of American Security Project, and Mr. Bryan Norcross, of the Weather Channel, discuss changes in climate and weather and the relationship they have with our national security.
CHICAGO EVENT – The Multiplication of Threats: Climate Change & the Risks to National Security
April 30, 6:00-8:00 PM
Join Brigadier General Stephen A Cheney, USMC (Ret.) and Senior Fellow Andrew Holland to discuss how climate change is creating new threats to America’s National Security.
May 13, 8:00-9:30 AM
Join ASP Tuesday, May 13th as we host Bob Pozen for an informative discussion about corporate tax reform, as well as the many fiscal and political obstacles facing it. Mr. Pozen will present his unique strategy for a new corporate tax regime that could end up benefiting governments and US corporations alike. Much of the discussion will revolve around Bob Pozen’s February article in The Wall Street Journal, “A Better Path to Corporate Tax Reform.”
European Union Election Results: Implications for the United States
May 28, 8:30-9:30 AM
This May, the European Union will hold parliamentary elections to determine their parliamentary representatives for the next 5 years. The outcome of these elections will have a resounding economic, social, and political impact on the international community – including the TTIP negotiations.
We will be joined by Paul Adamson, Philippe Maze-Sencier, and Geoffrey Harris who will be contributing their years of experience to the discussion. Join the American Security Project for a conversation about the affects these elections will have on the United States.
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