Critics see dismal Afghanistan prospects as DoD defends troop buildup

Nearly 17 years into America's involvement in Afghanistan, key observers see little hope for a clear U.S. military victory in the central Asian nation, with news emerging from the country painting an increasingly dire picture, even as America once again builds up its presence there. In a recent interview with Defense News, Chuck Hagel, the … Continue reading Critics see dismal Afghanistan prospects as DoD defends troop buildup

Trump Jr. emails breathe new life into Russia collusion investigation

Last week, I deigned to cite a hidden-camera hit job on my one-time employer CNN by conservative activist James O'Keefe when I quoted John Bonifield, a medical unit producer for the network, saying that based on his conversations with others at the company, including high-level executives, that it was his opinion that allegations of Donald … Continue reading Trump Jr. emails breathe new life into Russia collusion investigation

‘Performance artist’ Alex Jones ‘playing a character,’ his lawyer says

Alex Jones, radio show host and founder of the popular fringe news site InfoWars.com, has long been a controversial figure -- for everything from his outspoken support for President Donald Trump to his promotion of outlandish conspiracy theories such as the idea that extraterrestrial reptilian shapeshifters secretly rule the world. Jones has not only stoked … Continue reading ‘Performance artist’ Alex Jones ‘playing a character,’ his lawyer says

Wikileaks a ‘non-state hostile intelligence service,’ says Wikileaks-tweeting CIA boss

Mike Pompeo, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, made some interesting comments Thursday about Wikileaks, calling the anti-secrecy organization a "non-state hostile intelligence service" -- despite his own past public support for the group as a congressman during last year's presidential race. Pompeo, who said Thursday that "WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service, and … Continue reading Wikileaks a ‘non-state hostile intelligence service,’ says Wikileaks-tweeting CIA boss

UKUSA surveillance ‘special relationship’ likely to survive, expand in Trump era

Amidst ongoing criticism of President Donald Trump's attitude towards Russia, a fear has reportedly emerged in some segments of the US intelligence community that America's longstanding intelligence sharing relationships with other countries could suffer. Recent events seem to indicate, however, that this is unlikely. Historically, America has had its strongest intelligence sharing relationships with its … Continue reading UKUSA surveillance ‘special relationship’ likely to survive, expand in Trump era

Outgoing Obama administration gives Trump’s intelligence community expanded data sharing powers

On Jan. 3, just weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, outgoing Attorney General Loretta Lynch signed off on an expansion of inter-agency intelligence sharing, allowing the National Security Agency to share raw "signals intelligence" data with other intelligence community members without "scrubbing" it first. A fact sheet released by the Office of the Director … Continue reading Outgoing Obama administration gives Trump’s intelligence community expanded data sharing powers

Trump promises more for less military spending, experts expect budget hikes

The U.S. reached some new military milestones last year. America dropped at least 26,171 bombs in 2016, for example -- over 3,000 more than the year before, averaging about one bomb every 20 minutes. And that number includes only bombs dropped in some of the better known conflict areas where the U.S. is involved -- … Continue reading Trump promises more for less military spending, experts expect budget hikes

Silicon Valley warms up to Trump

During the election campaign, nearly all of Silicon Valley's biggest tech executives backed Hillary Clinton. But following Donald Trump's victory in November and a meeting last month between the president-elect and tech leaders, Silicon Valley appears to be largely embracing the incoming administration as the political landscape shifts. Eric Schmidt, chairman of Alphabet, parent company … Continue reading Silicon Valley warms up to Trump

Trump administration to have expanded control over propaganda agencies

A major restructuring is coming to to U.S. propaganda efforts, "and it looks like one that Vladi­mir Putin and Qatar’s emir might well admire," writes the Washington Post's editorial board. A CEO position, to be filled by a presidential appointee, will essentially replace the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors -- effectively consolidating the president's control … Continue reading Trump administration to have expanded control over propaganda agencies