🔥 Kangaroo Court

Good Morning. Hopes of harvesting a massive crop of marijuana from the Wisconsin capitol’s tulip garden were dashed late last week, and yet the world has kept on flowing at a steady pace.

That doesn’t mean there has been any better luck for weed traders. In Holden, Maine, police raided a home to suss out the weed flourishing under an illegal Chinese-owned grower.

Also in Indiana, 500 pounds of marijuana were busted, leading the police to believe that organized crime was behind the stockpile.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

THE BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT

Biden Rejects ICC Call for Arrests of Israeli, Hamas Officials

United States President Joe Biden expressed his disagreement with the International Criminal Court's request for the arrest of top Israeli and Hamas officials over alleged war crimes during the ongoing conflict in Gaza, in an official White House statement, posted on May 20. Biden called the arrest warrant “outrageous,” and emphasized that there was “no equivalence” between Israel and Hamas in the current war between Israel and Gaza, which has drawn international ire for claiming large numbers of civilian lives. 

Biden in a Building Bind 

While Biden's stance solidifies his position on Israeli alliance and stability in the Middle East, it comes with the force of major protest at home. Biden, bracing for a difficult path to the election forward, has been in a “bind” for some time over the Israel-Gaza conflict, as The New York Times called it in February. 

As the election looms closer, the president’s moral dilemma is intensified by building tensions in both the American public for action taken in support of Israel, and conversely, in Congress, for the lack of action taken to forward a defense sale to Israeli forces, leaving billions in weapons in the limbo of symbolic House votes, and pressures for response to the warrants from political commentators, who have called out the ICC as a “kangaroo court” and “practicing lawfare” among other criticisms.

Democrats Join Biden in a Political Hell 

When it comes to Biden’s dilemma, the House Democrats have also joined Biden in a political hell of sorts, themselves reportedly placed in a bind over the conflict’s dilemma of both the arrest warrant the ICC has produced, and the defense bill, Axios reported. The House Republicans have expressed the will to draft a bipartisan sanctions bill that Democrats would also vote on to sanction ICC officials responsible for the warrant. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Congress was working to address an appropriate response to the ICC. 

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY & DIPLOMACY

Counterterrorism

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken received scathing criticism from Geoffrey Corn and Orde Kittrie in The Hill on May 22. In the authors’ opinions, Secretary of State Antony Blinken's actions are encouraging terrorists to endanger more civilians by allegedly sending mixed signals on U.S. policy regarding hostages. They argue that this approach could potentially incentivize terrorist groups to take more hostages, believing they might achieve their objectives. The critical remarks come as the Biden administration heads towards a difficult election year overshadowed by world conflicts.

• Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has demanded answers after two Jordanian nationals, suspected to be illegal immigrants, used a box truck to breach the main gate at Quantico Marine Corps Base. The incident, which occurred on May 3, 2024, has led to federal immigration authorities taking custody of the individuals involved.

• The 2024 Paris Olympics face heightened security concerns due to threats from terrorism, particularly from resurgent jihadist groups. The opening ceremony, featuring a four-mile river procession, poses significant challenges for law enforcement amid ongoing global tensions.

Military & Defense

• The United States declared Kenya its first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa during President Joe Biden's state visit with Kenyan President William Ruto, enhancing security ties. The move is strategic, as U.S. troops are leaving Niger while Russian forces increase presence there.

• Russian military leadership is changing significantly, signaling a purge on corruption. Notable arrests and replacements at high levels in the defense sector showcase a shift initiated by President Vladimir Putin to address inefficiency and wrongdoing.

• The Army is shifting towards digital engineering to replace traditional manual processes with computer-based designs for faster, more cost-effective outcomes. This transformation aims to enhance capabilities in ground vehicles, aviation, and sensors by using digital twins and initiating the change through key programs.

Cybersecurity

• A recent Microsoft outage has affected various services like Bing.com, Copilot for web and mobile, ChatGPT internet search, and DuckDuckGo. The outage started in the early hours primarily impacting users in Asia and Europe.

• Cybersecurity professionals face a burnout crisis, driven by relentless work demands and the ever-evolving threat landscape. This chronic stress is leading to high attrition rates and decreased performance, as many in the industry struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

• Tech giants launch the Cyber Trust Mark to enhance consumer confidence in the security of smart home devices. This initiative, backed by the Biden administration, will reportedly address buyer concerns over unprecedented cybersecurity threats with a sense of quality control measures over vulnerabilities.

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• The eviction of a Chinese-owned crypto mining facility near a U.S. Air Force base in Wyoming has sparked speculation about China's motives, with experts suggesting it might be linked to monitoring the upcoming modernization of America's land-based strategic nuclear weapons.

• Hong Kong has “demanded the receipts” from Britain, asking the United Kingdom to provide detailed information regarding the death of a man who was charged with spying for China. This follows the recent charges against three men, including the deceased, accused of gathering intelligence and conducting surveillance for the Hong Kong intelligence service in the UK.

• The European Union is urging universities to collaborate with intelligence agencies to safeguard sensitive technology research from foreign espionage, particularly from China. This initiative includes setting up liaison officers and regular briefings to protect research in fields like microchips, quantum computing, and biotech.

Transnational Organized Crime

• Car thieves are still able to steal modern vehicles, including Teslas, using a technique called relay attacks despite security upgrades like ultra-wideband communication. Enabling the PIN safeguard can help prevent these attacks.

• Mexican cartels are infiltrating the tortilla industry, extorting small businesses and threatening violence against those who refuse to pay. The expansion of cartel influence into legitimate businesses highlights the growing power and economic reach of organized crime in Mexico.

• A fire severely damaged Skinny Joey's Cheesesteaks in South Philadelphia, causing significant disruption to the popular eatery, co-owned by former, famous mob boss Joey Merlino. The blaze, which erupted early Wednesday, resulted in no injuries but left extensive property damage .

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Howard Bloom has a world-saving proposition: Space-Based Solar Power. 

Simply put, Space-Based Solar Power, or SSPS uses satellites to center a power plant in Space to reflect solar-harvested energy down to the ground stations on Earth, consistently providing solar-based energy to regions where consistent Earth-based solar energy constant generation, or firming, is a challenge.

Pop Culture Icon’s View on Climate

A renowned author and former music publicist Bloom, who helped bring names such as Prince, Billy Joel, and Joan Jett to fame, has his roots in science. On May 23, Bloom, who is on the Board of Governors for the National Space Society gave a climate stabilization technologies presentation to the NSS’s No Limits conference at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel in Los Angeles. 

Solar Power To Save the Earth

Bloom focuses his theory on the earth-saving adoption of Space-Based Solar Power on the concept that nature itself invites innovation. He noted that rainforests create their water canopy of preservation and that bacteria in the Arctic create their clouds. Bloom calls this a deviation of nature, and an example of nature adapting the use of its atmosphere for survival. 

In this same vein, solar power is not a new concept, he noted. Only the use of satellite systems and reflectors to beam down solar power is an emerging field of research. 

The Pecos Bill Mandate

In the academic community, Bloom notes that discussions have existed for a long time to use Space Based Solar Energy to regulate weather on Earth. Like the American fable of Pecos Bill, high-powered lasers beamed down from the sky and directed into the body of a hurricane, could even theoretically guide storms away from cities, much the way that Pecos Bill rode a tornado. Bloom calls this a mandate to modern climate scientists. 

In other news…

🤬 The gathering of great Space minds at the No Limits Conference also challenged the views, and numbers, of a NASA report that decried Space-Based Solar Energy. John C. Mankins, who said that the numbers were poorly chosen as representatives of the case for Space-based solar, joked that one would even need a gin-and-tonic before reading the report. So irked by the concept of dismissal were the present NSS scientists, that the society has commissioned a study, due to be completed by September, among peers, to find a usable terrestrial-powering Space Solar Energy case, The commissioning scientists argued that reusable rocketry and rapid Space innovation development makes the case for permanent and viable Space Based Solar Energy more economically feasible than NASA says.

🤔 Not all of the No Limits conference was centered on far-future actualizing big ideas. Gary Barnhard, National Space Society Board of Directors, chose to present on what he felt to be a potentially divisive conversation where he questioned what was being done to move the needle on Space-Based Solar Power. Barnhard noted that, when it came to funding, the long-standing joke is: “Where are the billionaires when they are needed?” Unless a billionaire came riding in on a white horse, Barnhard reasoned that hard questions needed to be asked of bureaucracy in finance and licensing. “There be dragons there, folks,” Barnhard quipped to the seminar room meeting to discuss Solar-based energies.

🚀 The Space Force is implementing a new model, Integrated Mission Deltas (IMDs), that combines operations and sustainment into one unit for missile warning and Space domain awareness missions. This approach has shown success in boosting readiness.

DEALS & FUNDING

SOCRadar has secured $25.2 million in funding to bolster its efforts against the increasing threat of cyberattacks. The new funding round was led by investors recognizing to meet the demand of the rapidly escalating pressure for advanced cybersecurity measures, brought on by the conditions of post-pandemic digital threats and their accelerated evolution and global expansion.

With this significant investment, SOCRadar aims to enhance its platform capabilities, providing better protection and response tools for organizations facing multibillion-dollar cyber risks. The company plans to use the funds to innovate and scale its solutions to meet the growing demands of cybersecurity in various sectors.

In other news…

🧧  Iran is actively working with Russia within the BRICS association to establish a unified currency. The dynamic of Russia and Iran's cooperation to create this single currency is expected to have significant implications for global economics and geopolitics, at a time when both states are embroiled in both massive political restructuring and both states have stakes in polarizing conflicts. 

🖥️ China's largest chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. (SMIC), has climbed to the third position globally in terms of sales, behind Taiwan's TSMC and South Korea's Samsung Foundry. SMIC saw a market share increase to 6% from 5% last year. 

📲 Chinese smartphone brands are experiencing a decline in shipments due to weak consumer demand and intensified competition. Major brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo are struggling to maintain their market share as global economic uncertainties impact consumer spending.