National Security and Foreign Affairs

Ever since Harry Truman ordered the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II, the president of the United States has controlled the most lethal arsenal in history — a major reason the position is considered the most powerful on Earth.

In recent months, remarks by President Trump threatening North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen" have raised new questions about the concentration of power in one person, though Trump has not explicitly said he might use nuclear weapons.

The congressman representing the district that includes UCLA said at an event Monday he is working to prevent the president from being able to unilaterally authorize a nuclear strike.

Congressman Ted Lieu proposed House Resolution 669 – "Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017" – in January to prohibit the president from conducting a nuclear attack without determining the enemy has launched an attack. The resolution also requires that the president secure congressional approval before launching a nuclear strike.

In a major development, the first charges were reportedly filed in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe investigation.

Congressman Ted Lieu believes these charges are just the tip of the iceberg.

"I'm not surprised. When Robert Mueller was brought in and he looked at the evidence, the first thing he did was hire a bunch of prosecutors. You would do that if you want to prosecute," he said.

Sen Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) have teamed up to introduce a bill to boost IoT cybersecurity by creating a voluntary self-certification program under the Department of Commerce.

Democrats are introducing legislation directing the Department of Commerce to set up a voluntary program to certify internet-connected devices with strong cybersecurity.

The bill, backed by Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in the Senate and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) in the House, would set up a voluntary program in which device manufacturers can choose to have their products evaluated and certified for meeting set benchmarks on cyber and data security.

While at one time the very idea seemed to promise the possibility of a digitally connected utopia, these days the Internet of Things is mostly notable for simultaneously being both a punchline and a threat to the very core of the internet. However, at least part of that may change — maybe — if two U.S.

The United States nuclear arsenal consists of 4,000 warheads, plus more than 2,000 warheads awaiting dismantlement. This number came into focus recently after a report that President Trump said in July that he wanted a huge increase in the country's nuclear capability.

So, are 4,000 nuclear warheads enough?