Short Takes – 6-2-25

AI, drones, private radar fill gaps from National Weather Service cuts. SmartCitiesDive.com article. Pull quote: ““It’s not about replacing the public system, but backing it up and building around it,” Stauch said in an email. “The partnerships might look different from place to place, but the winning formula’s pretty consistent: real-time info, data you can actually act on, and tools that plug right into what local teams are already using. That’s what really counts when things get serious.””

China’s quantum satellite can be hacked, Singapore-based scientist warns. SCMP.com article. Pull quote: “After analysing data obtained during communication between a ground station and Micius, Miller found time delays between the lasers on the quantum transmitter on board, which showed that the “distribution of quantum keys from Micius was insecure”. And I say again (and again) that there is no such thing as an unhackable device.

DHS budget request would cut CISA staff by 1,000 positions. FederalNewsNetwork.com article. Pull quote: ““Due to the sunsetting of the CFATS program and the delay in implementing the Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate provisions of the Homeland Security Act, the Chemical Security Inspectors (CSIs) and other field-based staff, as well as voluntary programs and initiatives such as ChemLock [emphasis added], will be phased out,” the documents explain.”

Zelensky salutes drone attack on Russia: ‘Absolutely brilliant result’. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““Later, drones were hidden under the roofs of these [mobile] houses while already placed on trucks. At the right moment, the roofs of the houses were remotely opened, and the drones flew to hit Russian bombers,” the official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to disclose details of the military operation.”

Loomer, GOP senator push back on Trump NASA decision. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: ““Let me remind you who Jared Isaacman is. Yes, he has been a liberal in the past like @elonmusk, but as it relates to MERIT and his knowledge of Space, his credentials are unmatched,” Loomer said in her Saturday X post.”