Why a State Department Office Battling Disinformation Abroad Is Facing Closure

WSJ Tech News Briefing

The Wall Street Journal

News, Tech News

4.6 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 November 2024

⏱️ 12 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

As U.S. officials warn that disinformation from Russia, China and Iran is reaching unprecedented levels, a key office in the State Department designed to counter these operations may shut its doors this year. WSJ’s national security correspondent, Michael Gordon, joins host James Rundle to talk about why the Global Engagement Center, which works with U.S. intelligence agencies to counter propaganda, is facing a difficult road to reauthorization. Plus, companies looking to make lithium-ion batteries safer are facing headwinds. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Courage. I learned it from my adoptive mom.
0:03.0	Hold my hand?
0:03.7	You hold my hand!
0:06.0	Learn about adopting a team from foster care at AdoptuSkids.org.
0:10.1	You can't imagine the reward.
0:11.5	Brought to you by Adop. US Kids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council.
0:19.1	Welcome to Tech News Briefing.
0:22.6	It's Friday, November the 15th. I'm James Rundle for the Wall Street Journal.
0:25.6	When lithium ion batteries explode, they can burn hotter than a blow torch.
0:29.6	Clusters of batteries can present a significant safety risk,
0:32.6	but some companies believe they have the problem cracked.
0:35.6	And then, US officials warn that disinformation
0:38.3	threats are more rampant and dangerous than ever before. So why is a State Department office
0:44.1	built to combat disinformation threats from Russia and China facing closure? Our national security
0:50.1	correspondent Michael Gordon joins us to discuss.
1:00.3	But first, lithium ion batteries are a mainstay of modern technology,
1:03.3	powering everything from laptops to industrial machinery.
1:06.5	But when they catch fire, it can become a huge problem,
1:08.7	especially when dozens are placed close together.
1:11.1	How are companies trying to prevent that from happening?
1:17.4	By adding water, millions of dollars have been poured into the problem, but solutions aren't as easy as it sounds. Here now to explain some of the challenges around the tech is WSJ reporter Stuart Condi.
1:23.9	Stuart, how common is it for lithium ion batteries to catch fire within these industrial settings,
	...

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