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Liberal MP accuses opposition MPs of wasting time on another Boissonnault probe(The Center Square) – The U.S. Government Accountability Office says leadership is needed to fully define quantum threat mitigation strategy. A new report released by the agency emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive federal leadership to address the emerging cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing, warning that without prompt and coordinated action, adversarial nations might exploit quantum technology to undermine national security. "It is important for the Office of the National Cyber Director to act on our recommendation now for several reasons," Marisol Cruz Cain, director with GAO's Information Technology and Cybersecurity team, wrote in an email to The Center Square. "Adversaries could copy data protected by cryptography today and store it with the intention of accessing it later once a cryptographically relevant quantum computer is developed." The director is also the lead author of The Future of Cybersecurity. "The key to successful migrations is to start planning now and not wait until a CRQC is on the horizon," Cain wrote. "A fully comprehensive strategy will provide agencies with more clarity on their responsibilities and the common outcomes they are aiming to achieve. It will also provide the nation a better-defined roadmap for allocating and managing resources and holding participants accountable for achieving results." A cryptographically relevant quantum computer is a quantum computer that can run algorithms to crack or weaken existing cryptography. Quantum computing is a rapidly advancing technology that has the potential to solve complex problems at an unprecedented speed, which also poses significant risks in today's cybersecurity. The report says various documents have been developed over the past eight years that have contributed to an emerging U.S. national quantum computing cybersecurity strategy. The Government Accountability Office has identified three goals moving forward. The first goal is to standardize post-quantum cryptography, the second would be to migrate federal systems to that cryptography, and the third would encourage all sectors of the economy to prepare for the threat. The report identifies gaps in federal agency preparedness and a lack of clear leadership to oversee the transition to quantum-safe systems, as "No single federal organization is responsible for the U.S. strategy’s coordination." While agencies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology have taken necessary steps to develop quantum-resistant cryptographic standards, the report found inconsistencies in how federal agencies implement recommendations. The Government Accountability Office says national strategies should ideally contain six characteristics: • Purpose, scope, and methodology. • Problem definition and risk assessment. • Objectives, activities, milestones, and performance measures. • Resources, investments, and risk management. • Organizational roles, responsibilities, and coordination. • Implementation and integration. According to the report, the accountability office was asked to investigate the federal government's strategy for addressing threats posed by quantum computers to the nation's cryptography. The current encryption methods are designed to secure sensitive data, but unfortunately, could potentially become vulnerable to future efforts of quantum-enabled decryption in the future. The report also stresses that the federal government will need to act swiftly to implement quantum-resistant cryptography in order to ensure that those critical systems would remain secure. According to the report, "some experts predict that a quantum computer capable of breaking certain cryptography – referred to as a cryptographically relevant quantum computer – may be developed in the next 10 to 20 years." The agency also identified challenges in workforce development and noted a shortage of professionals with expertise in quantum computing and cybersecurity, suggesting federal agencies invest in training programs and collaborate with private sector leaders to ensure a skilled future workforce that is ready to tackle any quantum-related threats. The report serves as a roadmap for quantum threat mitigation and outlines ways the federal government could appoint a centralized leadership body to oversee the implementation of quantum-safe measures. The report also calls for increased funding for quantum research and development and stronger public-private partnerships to address other vulnerabilities while also emphasizing that proactive leadership is critical to ensuring the United States remains at the forefront of cybersecurity in the quantum era.

Taken seriously, Trump’s plans for deportation are ridiculousWatch Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard's best plays from 129-yard game vs. the Houston Texans from Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season.

House approves $895B defense bill with military pay raise, ban on transgender care for minorsST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — Maverick McNealy has learned in his five years on the PGA Tour that trying to win a tournament is “designed to make you feel as uncomfortable as you possibly can.” Standing in the 18th fairway Sunday in the RSM Classic, part of a four-way tie for the lead that included Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton, the 29-year-old McNealy had every reason to be uncomfortable. He had gone nine hole without a birdie. From 185 yards away he chose a 6-iron, a club that had gone anywhere from 120 yards to 240 yards during a week of big wind and cold weather, and at that moment as warm as it had been all tournament. The shot made it look like he had been there before, covering the flag and landing 5 feet away for a birdie and his first PGA Tour victory in his 134th start as a pro. It sends him to Maui to start next year and to the Masters in April for the first time. “A moment I'll never forget,” he said. Daniel Berger missed a 20-foot birdie attempt on the 18th that preceded McNealy's winner. He tied for second with Nico Echavarria and Clanton, both of whom missed par putts from inside 8 feet on the final hole that created the four-way tie. Berger got a small consolation prize, moving inside the top 125 to keep a full PGA Tour card for 2025 when the fields will be smaller and only the top 100 keep cards. Henrik Norlander, who was No. 126 in the FedEx Cup last year, had a 63-68 weekend and joined Berger as the two players who moved into the top 125. For Joel Dahmen, it was a matter of staying there. He was at No. 124 coming into the final tournament, had to make a 5-foot par putt just to make the cut on the number and then delivered a tee-to-green clinic — along with holing a 113-yard sand wedge for eagle early in his round — for a closing 64. It was enough to stay at No. 124 with nine points to spare. “Two of the biggest pressure moments of my career I showed up, and I can take that going forward,” Dahmen said. Clanton was a shot away from joining Nick Dunlap as amateur winners on the PGA Tour this year. Clanton, who has taken over as the top-ranked amateur in the world, now has two runner-up finishes and four top 10s in the seven PGA Tour starts the last five months. He had the look of a winner, especially with McNealy stuck in neutral, when he poured in birdie putts on the 14th and 16th holes to tie for the lead. But he tugged his approach to the 18th into bunker, blasted out to 7 feet and missed his par putt. He shot 66. “It’s going to be a tough one to definitely take, for sure, after bogeying the last,” Clanton said. “But I think it’s proven to me that out here I can win, so I’ll be training for that.” Echavarria, who won in Japan a month ago, had not made a bogey all day until going long on the 18th, chipping to 9 feet and catching the lip with his par putt. Michael Thorbjornsen was poised to move into the top 125 until he pulled his approach into the water on the par-5 15th hole and made bogey, closing with three pars for a 69. He tied for eighth and finished at No. 129. Thorbjornsen still has a full card next year from being No. 1 in PGA Tour University, but his status won't be as high. McNealy, son of Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy, had been doing some of his best work outside the ropes, particularly effecting a change in FedEx Cup points distribution to make it more equitable. Missing was a victory, and this one came down to the wire. He went out in 33 and led by two going to the back nine, and then it became a grind. He holed a 15-foot par putt from the fringe on the 11th to stay in the lead, and saved par after going bunker-to-bunker on the 13th. But he dropped a shot with an errant drive on the 14th, and when Echavarria birdied the 15th ahead of him, McNealy was out of the lead for the first time all day. He answered at just the right time, a 6-iron that covered the flag and settled just over 5 feet away. The victory gets him into three $20 million events over the first two months of the year starting with The Sentry at Kapalua, along with his first trip to Augusta National. AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The cable car system of San Francisco is the last manually operated cable car system in the world, with three of the original twenty-three lines still operating today. With these systems being installed between 1873 and 1890, they were due major maintenance and upgrades by the time the 1980s and with it their 100th year of operation rolled around. This rebuilding and upgrading process was by a local SF television station, which makes for some fascinating viewing. While the cars themselves were fairly straight-forward to restore, and the original grips that’d latch onto the cable didn’t need any changes. But there were upgrades to the lubrication used (originally pine tar), and the powerhouse (the ‘barn’) was completely gutted and rebuilt. As opposed to a funicular system where the cars are permanently attached to the cable, a cable car system features a constantly moving cable that the cars can grip onto at will, with most of the wear and tear on the grip dies. Despite researchers at San Francisco State University (SFSU) investigating alternatives, the original metal grip dies were left in place, despite their 4-day replacement schedule. Ultimately, the rails and related guides were all ripped out and replaced with new ones, with the rails thermite-welded in place, and the cars largely rebuilt from scratch. Although new technologies were used where available, the goal was to keep the look as close as possible to what it looked at the dawn of the 20th century. While more expensive than demolishing and scrapping the original buildings and rolling stock, this helped to keep the look that has made it a historical symbol when the upgraded system rolled back into action on June 21, 1984. Decades later, this rebuilt cable car system is still running as smoothly as ever, thanks to these efforts. Although SF’s cable car system is reportedly mostly used by tourists, the technology has seen somewhat of a resurgence. Amidst a number of funicular systems, a true new cable car system can be found in the form of e.g. the system which fills the automated people mover niche. Thanks to [JRD] for the tip.Carter, who died Sunday at the age of 100, defied the furor of US conservatives to negotiate the handover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, suspended aid to multiple authoritarian governments in the region, and even attempted to normalize relations with Cuba. Carter's resolve to chart a course toward democracy and diplomacy, however, was severely tested in Central America and Cuba, where he was forced to balance his human rights priorities with pressure from adversaries to combat the spread of communism amid the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union. "Latin America was fundamental and his global policy was oriented toward human rights, democratic values and multilateral cooperation," political analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think tank in Washington, told AFP. During his 1977-1981 administration, which was sandwiched between the Republican presidencies of Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, the Democrat sought to take a step back from US alignment with right-wing dictatorships in Latin America. An important symbol of Carter's approach was the signing of two treaties in 1977 to officially turn over the Panama Canal in 1999. "Jimmy Carter understood that if he did not return the canal to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford the luxury of instability," said Luis Guillermo Solis, a political scientist and former president of Costa Rica. Carter called the decision, which was wildly unpopular back home, "the most difficult political challenge I ever had," as he accepted Panama's highest honor in 2016. He also hailed the move as "a notable achievement of moving toward democracy and freedom." During his term, Carter opted not to support Nicaraguan strongman Anastasio Somoza, who was subsequently overthrown by the leftist Sandinista Front in 1979. But in El Salvador, the American president had to "make a very uncomfortable pact with the government," said Shifter. To prevent communists from taking power, Carter resumed US military assistance for a junta which then became more radical, engaging in civilian massacres and plunging El Salvador into a long civil war. Carter took a critical approach to South American dictatorships in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, suspending arms deliveries and imposing sanctions in some cases. But his efforts "did not achieve any progress in terms of democratization," said Argentine political scientist Rosendo Fraga. The American president also tried to normalize relations with Cuba 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed sanctions that had been in force since 1962, supported secret talks and enabled limited diplomatic representation in both countries. "With him, for the first time, the possibility of dialogue rather than confrontation as a framework for political relations opened up," Jesus Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP. But in 1980, a mass exodus of 125,000 Cubans to the United States, with Fidel Castro's blessing, created an unexpected crisis. It "hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants," said Jennifer McCoy, a professor of political science at Georgia State University. Castro continued to support Soviet-backed African governments and even deployed troops against Washington's wishes, finally putting an end to the normalization process. However, more than 20 years later, Carter made a historic visit to Havana as ex-president, at the time becoming the highest-profile American politician to set foot on Cuban soil since 1959. During the 2002 visit, "he made a bold call for the US to lift its embargo, but he also called on Castro to embrace democratic opening," said McCoy, who was part of the US delegation for the trip, during which Castro encouraged Carter to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Cuban All-Star baseball game. "Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would rise to give a long rebuttal to Carter's speech. But he didn't. He just said, 'Let's go to the ball game.'" In the years following Carter's presidency, Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) would go on to resume a full-frontal confrontation with Cuba. Decades later, Barack Obama (2009-2017) opened a new phase of measured normalization, which Donald Trump (2017-2021) brought to an end. US President Joe Biden promised to review US policy toward Cuba, but hardened his stance after Havana cracked down on anti-government protests in 2021. "Carter showed that engagement and diplomacy are more fruitful than isolation," McCoy said. bur-lp-rd-jb/lbc/mlr/bfm/sst/bbk