text: Good morning. Here’s your Early Warning for Monday, 18 April 2022.TODAY’S BRIEFING:Congress wants crackdown on gun partsNew Israeli laser-based air defense systemGreen advocates prep for energy droughtsEarly Warning Intelligence SummaryFar Left Activity Rollup & OutlookSITUATIONAL AWARENESSCONGRESS WANTS CRACKDOWN ON GUN PARTS: Congressman Carbajal (D-CA) and other lawmakers are pushing for expanded gun control by banning tools or components perceived to bypass the National Firearms Act. They want updated and explicit guidance on “illegal machine gun conversion devices” from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and claim their intention is to “reduce gun violence and protect communities.” Auto sears fall among pistol brace, bump stock, 3D printed modifications, and aftermarket triggers that innovate past the legal restrictions placed by the ATF. (Analyst Comment: The link between banning auto sears leading to a reduction of gun violence is undetermined. Expect gun control initiatives to be back in the narrative cycle after multiple shootings over the Easter weekend. The administration is expected to take executive action on pistol braces at a minimum. – D.F.)NEW ISRAELI LASER-BASED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM: Israel has developed a novel air-defense system capable of shooting down aircraft, including drones and missiles, with a laser. The system, named Iron Beam, uses lasers to super-heat and destroy its airborne targets. The Iron Beam is able to shoot down airborne targets at a cost of $3.50 per shot as opposed to the current Iron Dome cost of $150,000 per interception. (AC: This system is truly a game-changer in air defense technology. The ability to use a direct line-of-sight laser munition that travels at the speed of light makes intercepting high-speed maneuvering targets easier with a higher probability of success. – M.M.)GREEN ADVOCATES PREP FOR ENERGY DROUGHTS: Columbia University researchers believe wind and solar patterns will shift in the coming years, reducing the viability of renewable energy systems like wind turbines and solar panels. Dr. Upmanu Lall said, “You won’t be able to manage variability like this with batteries. You’ll need more capacity.” In his study, Lall found that states like Texas could face daily energy “droughts” up to four months or more. (AC: Traditional power sources are also facing shortages, particularly along the Colorado River, which is unlikely to provide power the entire year due to droughts. – D.M.)EARLY WARNINGUS GOVERNMENTNSA WANTS ‘UNITY’ IN PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS: General Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, emphasized the need to strengthen public-private partnerships since most of the cyber domain is controlled by private industry. Partner agreements, such as the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), allow collaboration between government agencies and the largest U.S. technology companies. These relationships are reciprocal with threat intelligence sharing and defensive guidance. (AC: The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is currently outlining the list of critical companies to be designated as “Systemically Important Entities.” These companies will be connected to the government and provided with updated foreign threat intelligence, but they will also have “obligations” to the government from mandatory exploitation reporting and maintaining cybersecurity standards. – D.F.)POLITICS