NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG: Electromagnetic pulse attack on grid could ‘cripple’ society. “North Korea has threatened to launch an electromagnetic pulse attack that could shut down the United States’ power grid — causing months of blackouts that could bring society to a halt, with rampant crime and social chaos. Experts say the threat posed by an EMP — the side effect of an atmospheric nuclear detonation — is significant, and New England is particularly vulnerable.”