"Procurement is not the only metric that counts, but perhaps this looming milestone explains recent warnings from civilian and military experts. Michèle Flournoy, former undersecretary of Defense, says that the U.S. military is at an 'inflection point' and 'risks losing … [its] edge within a decade…'" Read the full article here: Full Article
"Joe Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, says that even though tariffs can drive up some prices, they have little to do with widespread inflation. "'The economy basically wants to keep the same trade balance, which is driven by other forces,' he said. 'Tariffs tend to make the dollar go up, and what that does is lower other import prices…'" Read the full article here: Full Article
"On Jan. 11, 2020, Chinese authorities shared the genetic sequence of the virus that causes COVID-19 for the first time. By Jan. 13, the biotechnology firm Moderna had used this information to finalize the design of its vaccine. "This miracle of modern science — shortening to a matter of hours a process that had previously taken months or years — was not a stroke of luck. It was enabled by significant advancements in AI and machine learning, investments in these technologies [...]
"Andrea Kendall-Taylor, director of the transatlantic security program at the Center for a New American Security, said she expected the administration to continue to toe a firm line with Moscow. 'I don’t think they’re going to back down just because of an upcoming meeting,' said Kendall-Taylor, who briefly served as senior director for Russia and Central Asia on Biden’s National Security Council. "'I think it is a tight spot, but it’s not the administration’s doing. It’s a result of Russia’s actions,' [...]
"United States troops and their NATO allies intend to be out of Afghanistan by early to mid-July, well ahead of President Biden’s Sept. 11 withdrawal deadline, military officials said, in what has turned into an accelerated ending to America’s longest war… "'Withdrawing forces is actually a really delicate kind of operation that has risks associated with it,' said Michèle A. Flournoy, a former under secretary for defense under President Barack Obama. 'There’s a lot they have to work through before the [...]
"Bob Work, former deputy secretary of defense and the current co-chair of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, said the United States currently has a two-generation lead on China in advanced hardware such as semiconductors. "However, 'we’re 110 miles away from going two generations ahead to maybe two generations behind,' he said during the unveiling of the commission’s final report in March. 'If China absorbed Taiwan — which is the source of many of the world’s hardware — that would [...]
"President Biden has now said he would welcome a cease fire in this week-long war. But for the moment, there appears no clear path to a pause in the violence, and the long-term outlook for the region may be even murkier. "'Right now, the sense of possibility on both sides is probably at its low point,' according to Ambassador Dennis Ross…" Read the full article here: Full Article
"Dennis Ross, a veteran Middle East peace negotiator who served on the National Security Council during the Obama administration, said the developments 'no doubt' add to pressure on Israel. "But he said the decision to greenlight the strike likely represented a calculated Israeli message to Hamas and other terror groups 'that Israel will do what it thinks it must and will not be constrained by criticism…'" Read the full article here: Full Article
"This pre-recorded event commemorates the launching of the Joint Report by the Commission on Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula…" Watch the full event here: Full Event
"Michael Singh, a former George W. Bush administration now with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Biden may sympathize with Israel’s goal of degrading Hamas. He noted, however, that every few years, Israel engages in a violent showdown with the Palestinian militant group. "'Generally, part of U.S. policy has been to help Israel pursue its objectives as quickly and with as few civilian casualties as possible,' Singh said. 'The big question is, "Can Israel do this in a way [...]