Defense
West Point center cites dangers of ‘far right’ in U.S.
A West Point think tank has issued a paper warning America about “far right” groups such as the “anti-federalist” movement, which supports “civil activism, individual freedoms and self-government.”
Space
Fermi telescope may change to dark matter hunting
The Universe’s highest-energy light could finally yield clues to the nature of the “dark matter” that makes up some 85 percent of the Universe’s mass. The Fermi space telescope, designed to catch gamma rays, has seen hints of evidence for dark matter in high-energy gamma rays seen at the galaxy’s center,’’
Europe, U.S. agree details for Orion astronaut spacecraft
The U.S. and Europe have cemented their plan to work together on the Americans’ next-generation capsule system to take humans beyond Earth. The Orion vehicle is being built to carry astronauts to the Moon, asteroids and Mars, but it will need a means to propel itself through space.
International
U.S. general says Britain risks ‘special relationship’ if it cuts military
Britain will be shut out of key decisions in the ‘Special Relationship’ with the U.S. if it does not maintain credible military capabilities, Stanley McChrystal, America’s former top commander in Afghanistan has warned.
Without America’s help, Europe’s defenders can’t get off the ground
The armed forces of France and Britain are woefully ill-prepared for the new age of self-sufficiency.
U.S. paid to maintain inoperable Afghan police vehicles, audit finds
The U.S. government paid $6.8 million for maintenance of more than 7,000 Afghan police vehicles that had been destroyed or were out of commission, according to an inspector general report released Thursday.
Technology
Model plane hobbyists know the risks of lithium-ion batteries
A scale model of a Reaper drone rumbled down the runway and lifted into the gray Canadian sky, powered by a plastic propeller and a lithium-ion battery. When the tiny plane crashed back to earth a few seconds later, white smoke began rising from the wreckage.
Viewpoint
The Truth About Obama’s Drone Campaign: It’s About Attrition, Not Decapitation
By Alexander B. Downes
Associate professor of political science and international affairs, George Washington University
