U.S. arms sales ‘busier than ever,’ oversight of military ‘a joke’

It is no secret that the United States spends lavishly on its military, far more than any other country in the world. The reason U.S. politicians often give for this is that America faces unparalleled threats, largely from rogue non-state terrorist groups waging unconventional, asymmetric warfare against it. Yet while such groups, almost by definition, … Continue reading U.S. arms sales ‘busier than ever,’ oversight of military ‘a joke’

Despite Google record fine, ‘super-monopolies’ unlikely to change much

Silicon Valley behemoth Google was hit with a record €2.4 billion ($2.7 billion) fine Tuesday from the European Union for improperly promoting its own services in search results, and ordered to change its practices within 90 days or face further penalties. "We respectfully disagree with the conclusions announced today," Google's general counsel reportedly said, adding … Continue reading Despite Google record fine, ‘super-monopolies’ unlikely to change much

AI rivals nukes, DoD algorithmic warfare team leader says

As the U.S. military pushes forward with ambitious artificial intelligence initiatives, those responsible can't seem to resist describing them in unsettling terms. Col. Drew Cukor, a project manager for the new "Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team" (AWCFT) established in April, this week enthusiastically compared recent AI developments to the advent of the atomic bomb during a … Continue reading AI rivals nukes, DoD algorithmic warfare team leader says

Trump admin to sell $12b in arms to ‘funder of terrorism’ Qatar

"The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," U.S. President Donald Trump said last week, after several countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar over alleged connections to extremist groups. Announcements of decisions to cut diplomatic ties … Continue reading Trump admin to sell $12b in arms to ‘funder of terrorism’ Qatar

The ‘virtual battle space’ and the ‘system of opposition’

  In the wake of recent terrorist attacks in England, many in Western policy-making circles appear to be grasping desperately for ways to prevent similar violence. One proposed solution, according to retired U.S. Army Col. Stefan Banach, lies in the ability to out-maneuver the enemy in the "Virtual Battle Space." As the United States and … Continue reading The ‘virtual battle space’ and the ‘system of opposition’

Truth, lies and Reality Winner

The day after NBC News aired an exclusive interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and just days before former FBI Director James Comey's highly anticipated testimony on his investigation into potential Trump administration collusion with Russia, another sensational storyline related to Russian meddling in the U.S. election emerged June 5 -- this one threatening to … Continue reading Truth, lies and Reality Winner

Key federal jobs vacant under chaotic Trump administration

As tweet-storm controversies and allegations and investigations of Russian meddling in the U.S. election continue, President Donald Trump is having trouble -- for reasons both self-made and external -- filling vacancies in top jobs throughout the federal government. Trump has recently announced a few nominations. These include Richard V. Spencer (not to be confused with … Continue reading Key federal jobs vacant under chaotic Trump administration

Govt. wants face recognition for ‘non-cooperative’ subjects ‘in the wild’

The U.S. spy world's high tech research agency, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity or IARPA, has launched a new face-recognition challenge, as Atlantic Media's government tech news site NextGov reports this week. Unlike the procession of so-called "artificial intelligence" algorithms that have emerged in recent years for the purpose of identifying faces in photos … Continue reading Govt. wants face recognition for ‘non-cooperative’ subjects ‘in the wild’