Author: Michael

The REAL ID Act of 2005 requires state-issued ID cards to comply with federal security regulations for the holders to access federal facilities and board flights within the United States. Twenty years after the law’s passage, its enforcement is scheduled to begin on May 7, 2025. For people who do not have a state-issued ID like a driver’s license that complies with REAL ID, the deadline prompted a rush to their state’s department of motor vehicles; facilities across the country report challenges to service last-minute residents scrambling to obtain a REAL ID.

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Image by Ted Eylan

The Trump administration’s ban on transgender troops in the military can go into effect after the Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled enforcement could start, reported Axios.
The big picture: The emergency ruling green lights the ban, which is part of President Trump’s wider attacks on transgender people, while challenges move forward in courts.

The court’s three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented.

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An Army infantry officer has made a series of criticisms of the Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle, which is meant to replace the M4A1 carbine.
The Army introduced the XM7 rifle and XM250 light machine gun — both of which chamber a 6.8mm round — partly due to concerns that modern body armor could stop the 5.56mm rounds fired by the M4A1 and M249. The bigger round is also meant to give the XM7 an increased range based on lessons from Afghanistan.
But Army Capt. Braden Trent presented his research into the XM7 at the Modern Day Marine exhibition in Washington, D.C.

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A panel of private sector quantum executives are set to testify Wednesday before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, where they’ll spotlight intensifying challenges associated with China’s leadership in the emerging field and urge lawmakers to prioritize new investments to ensure America is well-equipped for the future.
“The purpose of the hearing is to evaluate the state of U.S. quantum research, development and technology and the current position of the U.S. quantum industry,” Executive Director of the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), Dr.

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