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☆ A Mysterious Plot Prompts a Rare Call From Russia to the Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III received an unusual request from an unlikely caller: His Russian counterpart wanted to talk. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Mr. Austin had spoken by phone with Russia’s defense minister only five other times, almost always at the Pentagon’s initiative and often in an effort to avoid miscalculations that could escalate the conflict. In fact, Mr. Austin had reached out to Russia’s new defense minister, Andrei Belousov, just a couple of weeks earlier, on June 25, in an effort to keep the “lines of communication open,” the Pentagon said. It was the first phone call between the two men since Mr. Belousov, an economist, replaced Sergei K. Shoigu, Russia’s long-running defense minister, in a Kremlin shake-up in May. Was the Pentagon aware of the plot, Mr. Belousov asked Mr. Austin, and its potential to ratchet up tensions between Moscow and Washington?

Persons: Lloyd J, Austin III, Austin, Andrei Belousov, Belousov, Sergei K Organizations: Russian, Mr, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington

☆ Why the 2024 Campaign Is Ripe for Conspiracy Theories - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Julia Angwin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It took minutes after the shooting at Donald Trump’s campaign rally on Saturday for misinformation to begin circulating on social media. Perhaps Mr. Trump was shot in the chest. The platform X, formerly known as Twitter, promoted conspiracy theories sporting hashtags like “#falseflag” and “#staged” (alleging that the shooting was staged to gain sympathy for Mr. Trump) among its trending topics. We’ve just experienced the first serious attempted assassination of a presidential candidate in the social media age. Mr. Trump’s surprise victory was attributed partly to his campaign’s strategy of flooding the social media airwaves — an effort supported by a covert Russian influence campaign and a trove of misused Facebook data.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, We’ve, Mark Scott, ”, Trump’s Organizations: Twitter, Big Tech Locations: Italian, U.S, Russian

☆ Russia plotted to assassinate the CEO of a German arms firm making weapons for Ukraine as the Kremlin ramps up its covert campaign against the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia plotted to assassinate an executive of a German armaments firm, CNN reported. The reported target was Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementUS intelligence helped thwart a Russian plot to kill the CEO of a German arms firm that has made munitions and military equipment for Ukraine, according to reports.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Dmitry Peskov, — Organizations: CNN, Rheinmetall, Service, Russian, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine

☆ Russia is already fighting NATO, just not with tanks and fighter jets, argues a former top US general
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Recent covert acts of sabotage are far from the level of aggression and brutality that Russia has put on display in Ukraine. But make no mistake, a former top US general argued this week, Moscow is already fighting NATO. "We face wider Russian aggression directed at our own democracies, from hybrid attacks to threats in the high north," he added. "We, ourselves, have been experiencing hybrid attacks from Russia for decades, so that's why the threat has been quite clear, what we're facing." The Russian hybrid attacks were a notable discussion point on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington this week.

Persons: —, Ben Hodges, Vladimir Putin's, Vladimir Putin, Pavel Byrkin, John Healey, We've, Andris Sprūds, Healey, Hodges, Antony Blinken, Blinken, It's Organizations: Service, NATO, Business, US Army, NATO Public Forum, Ukraine, Security, Sputnik, Public, Latvian Defense, Alliance Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, US Army Europe, Washington ,, Russian, Baltic, Washington

American intelligence agencies uncovered a Russian plot to kill the chief executive of a German weapons manufacturer, according to multiple Western officials, as Moscow steps up a campaign to undermine support for Ukraine’s war effort. The United States warned Germany about the plot, and German officials increased protection for Armin Papperger, who leads Rheinmetall, which makes artillery shells and tanks that Ukraine has used in its war against Russia. The assassination plot is a significant escalation, officials said, representing a more concerted covert effort to deter Western companies from producing supplies for Ukraine. A senior Western intelligence official said that the threats were flagged this past spring. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Russian operation.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Papperger Organizations: United, Rheinmetall, Russia, NATO Locations: Moscow, United States, Germany, Ukraine, Western

For more than six months, Russia has been carrying out a sabotage campaign across Europe, largely by proxy. “We’re seeing sabotage, we’re seeing assassination plots, we’re seeing arson. Russia’s sabotage campaign has, at times, smacked of a shotgun approach carried out by amateurs. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow.

Persons: Armin Papperger, Olaf Scholz, Boris Pistorius, Fabian Bimmer, “, ”, Adrienne Watson, “ Russia’s, Oliver Hoffman, ” Hoffman, Donald Tusk, Papperger, Dariusz Borowicz, Agencja Wyborcza.pl, Reuters “, ” CNN’s Zachary Cohen Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, Rheinmetall, NATO, National Security, NATO Allies, Embassy, intel, US, Reuters, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv, Germany, Berlin, Russia, West, Moscow, Papperger, Unterluess, United States, Washington, Russian, Polish, Lithuania, Poland, Ukrainian, London, Warsaw

☆ U.S. and Allies Target Russian Bots Working to Spread Propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Steven Lee Myers | Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Justice Department said on Tuesday that it had moved to disrupt a covert Russian influence operation that used artificial intelligence to spread propaganda in the United States, Europe and Israel with the goal of undermining support for Ukraine and stoking internal political divisions. In affidavits released with the announcement, officials with the Justice Department, the F.B.I. and the Pentagon’s Cyber National Mission Force linked the effort to Russia’s Federal Security Service and RT, the state television network that has channels in English and several other languages. The disclosure of such a large, global network of bots confirmed widespread warnings that the popularization of rapidly developing A.I. tools would make it easier to produce and spread dubious content.

Organizations: Ukraine, Elon, Justice Department, Force, Federal Security Service Locations: Russian, United States, Europe, Israel, Canada, Netherlands, Ukraine

☆ Intelligence on Russian sabotage threat prompted increase in security at US military bases in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

In April, two German-Russian nationals were arrested for allegedly plotting bomb and arson attacks on targets including US military facilities on behalf of Russia. In London in March, several men were charged with working with Russian intelligence services to set fire to a Ukrainian-linked warehouse. And French authorities last month detained a Russian-Ukrainian man who was allegedly building bombs as part of a sabotage campaign orchestrated by Moscow. But a senior NATO official said the sabotage campaign is getting increasingly brazen and aggressive. “We’re seeing sabotage, assassination plots, arson — real things that have cost human lives.”This story has been updated with additional information.

Persons: Dan Day, we’ve, “, Katie Bo Lillis Organizations: CNN, US, US Army, NATO, Command Locations: Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Riga, Latvia, London, Warsaw, Poland, Prague, Czech Republic, Paris, Ukrainian, Russian, Moscow

☆ Catalysts that could covert sticky mutual money
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The ETF industry is half way through what could be another record year of inflows. But there's still billions more dollars locked away in rival mutual funds. Here's a combination of things that could open that vault.

☆ 'Shadow Stand-Ins': How Workers Secretly Outsource Their Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Related storiesThough Remi recruited people she knew, shadow stand-ins are often sourced from a complex online web of faceless providers. Facebook Groups are a popular forum for recruiting shadow stand-ins, providing a two-sided marketplace where workers and providers can connect to one another. The dustup highlighted a key drawback to shadow stand-ins: While alluring, things can go horribly wrong. "It required a lot of micromanaging," said a backend engineer in Pennsylvania who hired shadow stand-ins to help him juggle multiple jobs. Pay rates for shadow stand-ins are "definitely more than what people earn in their regular payday, that's for sure," he said.

Persons: Remi, Zer, couldn't, — Remi, Walter Keane, Margaret, Tim Ferriss, Raj Kumar, isn't, Kevin, Andrew, it's, Lorenzo Matteucci, Brandon Nowak, —, Amber Clayton, Tim Woodruff, Woodruff, they're, Ranjan, Kiran, Rahul, Peter Steele, Michel Anteby, doesn't Organizations: Business, Labor, Verizon, Southwestern, Facebook, Amazon Web Services, BI, Companies, Corporations, Society for Human Resource Management, Secret Service, Department of, Treasury, FBI, LinkedIn, Boston University Locations: Chicago, India, Pakistan, China, Southwestern US, Atlanta, San Jose , California, Bengaluru, American Java, Southeast Asia, United States, Colorado, Southern California, Pennsylvania, Washington, Indian, Michigan, Oregon, England

☆ New Tactic in China’s Information War: Harassing a Critic’s Child in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Steven Lee Myers | Tiffany Hsu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Deng Yuwen, a prominent Chinese writer who now lives in exile in the suburbs of Philadelphia, has regularly criticized China and its authoritarian leader, Xi Jinping. China’s reaction of late has been severe, with crude and ominously personal attacks online. A covert propaganda network linked to the country’s security services has barraged not just Mr. Deng but also his teenage daughter with sexually suggestive and threatening posts on popular social media platforms, according to researchers at both Clemson University and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram. The content, posted by users with fake identities, has appeared in replies to Mr. Deng’s posts on X, the social platform, as well as the accounts of public schools in their community, where the daughter, who is 16, has been falsely portrayed as a drug user, an arsonist and a prostitute. “I tried to delete these posts,” Mr. Deng said of the attacks online, speaking in Mandarin Chinese in an interview, “but I didn’t succeed, because today you try to delete and tomorrow they just switch to new accounts to leave attacking text and language.”

Persons: Deng Yuwen, Xi, Deng, “, Mr, ” Organizations: Clemson University, Meta Locations: Philadelphia, China

☆ China's historic moon mission is just the start of its plans to dominate space
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Tuesday, its Chang'e-6 lunar probe successfully returned to Earth carrying the first-ever samples from the moon's far side. They signify China's growing prowess in orbit, as well as its potential to someday leapfrog the US in the race to dominate space. The moon's far sideThe moon's far side is considered particularly challenging to explore because of its craters and the difficulty of maintaining communications with vehicles landing there. The latest mission, which launched on May 3, is China's second successful landing on the moon's far side, with the first launched in 2019. The space race heats upChina is now rivaling the US and Russia as a leading space power.

Persons: —, Astrobiotic, Simone Dell'Agnello, Xi Jinping, Bill Nelson, it's Organizations: Service, Earth, Business, NASA, Wall Street, Analysts, Pentagon Locations: China, Mongolia, Russia

☆ Russian arms manufacturers are 'scrambling to expand their production capabilities using whatever they can get,' expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Rachel Hosie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRussia is rushing to expand its arms production by buying secondhand machine tools from China through covert networks to get around Western sanctions. A report from Washington-based nonprofit think-tank The Center for Advanced Defense Studies, or C4ADS, said that Russia's arms manufacturers were "scrambling to expand their production capabilities using whatever they can get." And Russian defense industry analyst and lead researcher Allen Maggard told the Financial Times that the decades-old machine tools Russia is importing are still effective. AdvertisementGlenn Gray, the president of Gray Machinery, told the FT he'd never heard of the company.

Persons: —, Allen Maggard, Andrey Mironov, Glenn Gray, Tsugami, hasn't, C4ADS, UMIC —, ELE Organizations: Service, Advanced Defense, Business, Financial Times, Kremlin, AMG, ELE Technology, Gray Machinery Locations: Russia, China, Washington, Ukraine, UAE, Russian

☆ A lack of representation, careless comments and ‘racial banter’ – how British rugby is facing up to its diversity issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Just ask Black rugby player and England international Sadia Kabeya, who says a lack of cultural and ethnic diversity in her sport took a toll on her identity. Representation mattersA 2020 report by Sport England showed that the participation share of White British adults in rugby union was more than 90%, 8.2% higher than the national population share. A lack of diversity in the sport in England is also reflected in the demographics of rugby audiences. Kabeya is particularly passionate about the topic of Black rugby players’ hair. Its significance runs deep, given the historical links between Black hair and identity and also resistance.

Persons: Kabeya, ”, “, ” Kabeya, Maud Muir, Lucy Packer, David Rogers, you’re, White, ” “, ” Jatin Patel, weren’t, Luther Burrell, Burrell, ” Patel, Ashton Hewitt –, –, ” Hewitt, Hewitt, Tyler Miller, Liam Scott, Scott, Mike Hewitt, Patel, George Floyd Organizations: CNN — Elite, England, CNN Sport, Rugby Football Union, RFU, Rugby, Rugby Players Association, Nations, Richmond Women, CNN, Six Nations, Getty, Loughborough Lightning, Sport England, Diversity, Daily Mail, Newcastle Falcons, Dragons, United Rugby, Leinster, rugby, Ireland, Twickenham, Pictures Locations: ”, England, London, Richmond, Wales, Dublin, Black

☆ How Israel is using AI to try to get Americans on its side
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewIsrael tried to drum up American support for its war in Gaza with a secret influence campaign targeting US lawmakers and civilians, according to The New York Times. AdvertisementMeta said in its report that it had identified the disinformation campaign, which it linked to Stoic, and removed the accounts. According to a Gallup poll conducted in March, 55% of Americans disapprove of Israel's war in Gaza — and just 36% approve, down from 50% in November. AdvertisementAnd Israel has said it isn't slowing down any time soon, despite a push by the Biden administration to reach a cease-fire.

Persons: —, Israel, Hakeem Jeffries, Raphael Warnock, Ritchie Torres —, Meta, OpenAI, hasn't, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: Service, The New York Times, Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Times, Business, Israel, Facebook, YouTube, Meta, New York, New York Times, Gallup, Reuters Locations: Gaza, Georgia, Israel

☆ Israel Secretly Targets U.S. Lawmakers With Influence Campaign on Gaza War
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Sheera Frenkel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israel organized and paid for an influence campaign last year targeting U.S. lawmakers and the American public with pro-Israel messaging, as it aimed to foster support for its actions in the war with Gaza, according to officials involved in the effort and documents related to the operation. The covert campaign was commissioned by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, a government body that connects Jews around the world with the State of Israel, four Israeli officials said. The campaign began in October and remains active on the platform X. At its peak, it used hundreds of fake accounts that posed as real Americans on X, Facebook and Instagram to post pro-Israel comments. The campaign also created three fake English-language news sites featuring pro-Israel articles.

Persons: Israel, Hakeem Jeffries, Raphael Warnock of Organizations: Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, State, Facebook, Black Locations: Israel, Gaza, Tel Aviv, New York, Raphael Warnock of Georgia

☆ The era of ChatGPT-powered propaganda is upon us
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Geoff Weiss | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

OpenAI said it disrupted five covert influence operations in the last three months. Groups in China, Russia, Iran, and Israel used its products, OpenAI said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementChina, Iran, Russia, and others are using OpenAI tools for covert influence operations, according to the company. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: OpenAI, —, it's Organizations: Service, Business Locations: China, Russia, Iran, Israel

☆ OpenAI Says Russia and China Used Its A.I. in Covert Campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Cade Metz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

OpenAI said on Thursday that it had identified and disrupted five online campaigns that used its generative artificial intelligence technologies to deceptively manipulate public opinion around the world and influence geopolitics. The efforts were run by state actors and private companies in Russia, China, Iran and Israel, OpenAI said in a report about covert influence campaigns. The recent rise of generative A.I. Ben Nimmo, a principal investigator for OpenAI, said that after all the speculation on the use of generative A.I. in such campaigns, the company aimed to show the realities of how the technology was changing online deception.

Persons: OpenAI, Ben Nimmo Locations: Russia, China, Iran, Israel

☆ 10 Smoking Guns in Trump Hush-Money Trial That Speak for Themselves
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Manhattan district attorney's office/BIWhy is this evidence — our third smoking gun — so important? AdvertisementEvidence People's 35 in the Trump hush-money trial. Robert Costello, a key defense witness in the Donald Trump hush-money trial in New York. Manhattan district attorney's office/BI"Rudy was thrilled and said this could not be a better situation for the President or you. From People's 374 Manhattan district attorney's office/BICohen testified that immediately after these calls with Trump, he took the elevator down from his Trump Organization offices at Trump Tower.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Michael Cohen Alex Brandon, Eduardo Munoz, " Cohen, Cohen, Karen McDougal's, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Daniels, Trump's, Allen Weisselberg, Jonathan Ernst, Jon Elswick, MARK PETERSON, Todd Blanche, Mamaroneck , New York —, Madeleine Westerhout, Westerhout, Cohen —, Weisselberg, Robert Costello, Jane Rosenberg, Rudy Giuliani, Costello, Bob Costello, Rudy, Jay Sekelow, Giuliani, It's Trump, Timothy A, Clary, Donald, he's, — Trump, reimbursing Cohen, Pecker —, Pecker, — that's, Cohen's, Melissa Duran, Duran, Susan Hoffinger Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, Trump, Prosecutors, National Enquirer, Trump Org, Manhattan Criminal, Getty, Defense, White House, —, Read, Wall Street Journal, FBI, Giuliani, CQ, Cohen's, AMI, Department of Justice, Federal, First Republic Bank, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Trump, New York City, Mamaroneck , New York, Republic, New York, United States

☆ How the US Navy's Virginia-class attack submarine gives the US an edge in global undersea superiority
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Kris Osborn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Navy's Virginia-Class: The best submarine of all timeThe Virginia-class attack submarine USS Virginia returns to Naval Submarine Base New London after her maiden six-month deployment. Given these and other variables, Virginia-class submarines are becoming increasingly critical to clandestine "intel" missions in high-risk areas. Virginia-class vs. Kilo-class submarinesFuture Virginia-class attack submarine PCU Idaho during a christening ceremony at General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Connecticut. Attack submarines as "intel spy" submarinesThe Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Indiana surfaces in the Beaufort Sea during Operation Ice Camp. This can increase the speed of maneuverability and an attack submarine's ability to quickly shift course, change speed, or alter depth positioning when faced with an attack.

Persons: —, Steven Myers, John Narewski Block, Foster, Alexander Yachanin Organizations: Service, Pentagon, US Navy, Business, Naval Submarine Base, intel, General Dynamics Electric, Intelligence, Camp, Stanford University, Nuclear, Electronics, Brandon Holland, United States Submarine Force, Special Operations Forces, Tomahawk, Forces Locations: Navy's Virginia, Virginia, London, South Dakota, Idaho, Groton , Connecticut, Indiana, Beaufort, Los Angeles, The Virginia, Mississippi, Yokosuka

☆ How Trump’s first term may have laid the groundwork to make his radical immigration agenda a reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Phil Mattingly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Trump’s advisers don’t see their agenda as aspirational political messaging. “Think about the first term, but on steroids,” a former senior Trump administration official who is working outside the campaign to draft immigration policy options for a second term. In closed-door fundraisers, Biden has also called attention to the radical nature of Trump’s immigration proposals – something his 2020 campaign used to its advantage. It shouldn’t.”The dramatic scale of Trump’s immigration agenda would have a sweeping effect across the US, Schulte said – one that shouldn’t get lost in debates over his rhetoric. Once viewed as radical and relegated to the fringes of the GOP, Trump’s immigration agenda is now an animating force for most, if not all, Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, don’t, ”, “, Todd Schulte, Joe Biden, Stephen Miller, ” Miller, Sebastian Gorka, Trump’s, Miller, ” Trump, Eisenhower, Clinton, Karoline Leavitt, Leavitt, Biden Biden, Biden, Biden’s, would’ve, ” There’s, SSRS, ” Biden, that’s, ” Schulte, Schulte, –, shouldn’t, “ He’s, Steve Vladeck, “ That’s, Neil Gorsuch, – Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett –, Vladeck Organizations: CNN, Republican, Supreme, National Guard, Trump, Democratic, Trump White House, Refugee, US Navy, Pentagon, White, Border Patrol, Department, Office, Senate Democratic, Democrats, Gallup, Biden, ” Trump, GOP, Republicans, Capitol, CNN Supreme, University of Texas Locations: United States, Panama, Mexico, torpedoing, California, America, Michigan, Ohio

☆ The US secretly sent communist-friendly Coca-Cola to a Soviet general in a bid to maintain good ties across the Iron Curtain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewAs World War II ended and the Iron Curtain fell over Eastern Europe, relations deteriorated between the Soviet Union and its Western allies. Zhukov had developed an intense liking for Coca-Cola, a drink now illegal in the Soviet Union. PH/Sherman Montrose ACMECoca-Cola's steadfast support for the Allied war effort helped make it both distinctly American and recognizable worldwide. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty ImagesAt Zhukov's request, the new beverage wasn't put in the usual Coke bottles but instead in unmarked, straight-edged bottles. Its rival Pepsi eventually gained a virtual monopoly in the Soviet Union, which the Soviets maintained — once trading several warships for $3 billion worth of Pepsi — until 1985.

Persons: —, Georgy Zhukov, Zhukov, Truman, Robert Woodruff, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Bong, Henry, Hap, Arnold, Coke, Eisenhower, Getty Images Zhukov, Mark W, Clark, Harry Truman, James Farley, It's Organizations: Service, Soviet Union, Business, Sherman, Sherman Montrose ACME, US, US Army, Army Air Forces, Allied, Keystone, Getty Images, Cola Export Corporation, Getty, Cola, Pepsi Locations: Eastern Europe, Soviet, Soviet Union, Cassino, Italy, Sherman Montrose, North Africa, Coke, Montgomery, Frankfurt, Germany, France, American, Austria, Dehradun, India, Vienna, East

☆ Australia and US unveil undersea drones Ghost Shark and Manta Ray
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Ghost Shark and Manta Ray protect the undersea realm. Ghost Shark and Manta Ray are the names of prototype uncrewed underwater vehicles – UUVs or drones – introduced recently by Australia and the United States respectively. But when Australia unveiled Ghost Shark last month, it called the prototypes “the most advanced undersea autonomous vehicles in the world.”The first Ghost Shark prototype, "Alpha," was co-developed by the Defence Science and Technology Group, Navy and Anduril Australia. Like the Orca, the Manta Ray hasn’t come together as quickly as Ghost Shark. Its program began in 2020 and DARPA didn’t give a goal for the Manta Ray – or some variant of it – to join the US fleet.

Persons: Ray, Manta Ray, Rodney Braithwaite, ” Shane Arnott, Anduril’s, ”, Tanya Monro, Emma Salisbury, “, ” Salisbury, Chris Brose, Northrop, Manta, Northrop Grumman, ” Kyle Woerner, Kyle Woerner, Manta Ray hasn’t, Manta Ray –, –, Salisbury, Sutton Organizations: South Korea CNN, Marvel, Defence Science, Technology Group, Navy, Anduril, Government Defence, Australian Defense Ministry, “, US Navy, Boeing, Pentagon, Advanced Research Products Agency, DARPA, Research Projects Agency, Northrop Grumman, Manta, Defense, Research, Agency, US, U.S . Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Australia, United States, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Kyiv, Swiss, Anduril Australia, Geostrategy, Southern California, Maryland, California, China, UUVs, Beijing, Canada, France, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Norway, Russia, United Kingdom, Sutton

☆ FBI watching if US support for Ukraine will spur Russian risk taking in 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US intelligence officials are watching closely to see if the United States’ support for Ukraine will lead the Russian government to take more risks in potentially interfering in the 2024 presidential election, a senior FBI official told reporters Thursday. “We’re certainly… keeping our eye out to make sure that that’s not increasing [their] risk taking.”The FBI briefed reporters on the condition that the senior FBI officials not be named. The FBI official’s comments on Thursday echo those made by a senior National Security Agency official in March. “Russia can use their access to those government networks to undermine confidence in the US election integrity and bolster influence operations,” the second FBI official said. The FBI officials also singled out China and Iran as other governments that could be willing to interfere in or influence the 2024 US election.

Persons: Joe, “ We’re, ”, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, denigrate Biden, Trump, weren’t, Hillary Clinton’s, “, ” Rob Joyce, Joyce, ” CNN’s Marshall Cohen Organizations: CNN, FBI, Ukraine, GOP, National Security Agency Locations: United States, Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine –, Kyiv, Russia, China, Iran

Washington CNN —The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC, cleared out a pro-Palestinian encampment on George Washington University’s campus early Wednesday and arrested 30 protesters there and three others in a separate altercation, Metro Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said. Yet after police cleared the encampment, House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, announced the hearing was canceled and took credit for spurring action. GW’s encampment was set up about two weeks ago in the University Yard, a grassy square on campus surrounded by a food hall and university buildings. Officers deployed pepper spray three timesPeople listen as activists and students protest near an encampment at University Yard, George Washington University on April 28, in Washington, DC. Ahmed El Masry, a demonstrator at the GW encampment, said he left the encampment at about 2 a.m. but rushed back about two hours later when he heard police were working to clear the space.

Persons: George Washington, Pamela A, Smith, Muriel Bowser, James Comer, Mayor Bowser, ” Comer, Ellen Granberg, “, Kent Nishimura, Jeffery Carroll, GW, ” GW, Ahmed El Masry, ”, …, “ I’m, we’ve, ” Dante O’Hara, ” O’Hara, –, Joyce F, Brown, spokespeople, ” Brown, Chancellor Javier Reyes, George Floyd, Pam Smith Organizations: Washington CNN, The Metropolitan Police Department, Metro Police, Washington, Republican, Police, University Yard, MPD, Yard, George Washington University, GW Police, ”, Police Department’s, DC, Coalition, UMass, Amherst, CNN, Fashion Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts, NYPD, Massachusetts Daily Collegian, University of Massachusetts Police Department, DC Metropolitan Police Locations: Washington , DC, Kentucky, Gaza, Israel, “, GWU, New York City, Amherst

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