Russiagate, shadow of the deep state

"The new thing is Russia, Russia, Russia, New Cold War. That means a few more trillions of dollars into the coffers. That's the big swindle," William Binney, former National Security Agency (NSA) official and whistleblower, said in a recent interview. "Behind the shadow government, which is what this is, all the agencies and so on … Continue reading Russiagate, shadow of the deep state

New report directs attention at directed energy weapons

Given the officially secretive nature of America's sprawling military presence around the world and its domestic support bureaucracy, the U.S. public is often left in the dark as to what kind of new weapons of war its tax dollars are paying to develop. In the case of things like "high powered microwave" weapons, this "makes … Continue reading New report directs attention at directed energy weapons

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

Army looks to further integrate psy-ops with electronic warfare

The term "information operations," interpreted broadly, could cover anything from old-school psychological warfare like the kind of leaflet bombing schemes that have gone on since the First World War, to blocking internet access or faking the origin of a cyber attack. Recognizing this, U.S. Army planners hope to further integrate all aspects of information operations … Continue reading Army looks to further integrate psy-ops with electronic warfare

U.S. tech giants come under increasing scrutiny abroad

It seems somewhat unlikely that Washington will muster the willpower to regulate "big tech" in any meaningful way any time soon, even as the industry becomes the focus of growing criticism in the United States. Yet increasingly, the American companies that dominate the digital world are finding themselves the target of foreign critics and regulators. … Continue reading U.S. tech giants come under increasing scrutiny abroad

Social media business models under fire

As controversy continues over investigations into Russian online disinformation programs, the business models of tech companies, and social media companies in particular, have become the target of a growing chorus of criticism. Last week, lawyers for Facebook, Google and Twitter testified on Capitol Hill about Russian purchases of political ads and manipulation of their platforms. … Continue reading Social media business models under fire

CIA, DoD eager to tap AI capabilities they don’t understand

An artificial intelligence arms race seems to be officially underway following Russian President Vladimir Putin's comment last week that whoever comes to dominate the field "will be the ruler of the world." This is one area, at least, where top U.S. policymakers can apparently agree with Putin. The military and the Central Intelligence Agency are … Continue reading CIA, DoD eager to tap AI capabilities they don’t understand

DoD officials offer conflicting hints on killer robot policy

It's been a busy year in the world of robotics and the politics surrounding it, the latest development coming in the form of potentially conflicting comments from two Pentagon officials hinting at what the future of an international killer robot ban -- or lack thereof -- might look like. Not only has the job-killing potential … Continue reading DoD officials offer conflicting hints on killer robot policy

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

More battles erupt in Trump-CNN war

It’s been a rough couple of weeks, to say the least, for CNN. Since June 26, the network has accepted resignations from three journalists over a story it had to retract regarding a Trump associate’s alleged ties to Russia, been the subject of a series of hidden-camera hit pieces by controversial conservative activist James O’Keefe’s … Continue reading More battles erupt in Trump-CNN war