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Israelis marching toward Jerusalem on Saturday in protest of plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system. Adding to the uncertainty Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu was taken to the hospital to have a pacemaker implanted during a procedure in which he would be placed under sedation, his office said. “The proper balance between the authorities has been disturbed over the past decades,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a speech Thursday. “The fear is that our country won’t look like it looks today,” Ms. Holzman said of the judicial overhaul plan. Similar mass protests in March prompted the government to suspend, at least for now, other planned judicial changes.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Ilana Holzman, “, Holzman, Menahem Kahana, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shin, Netanyahu, ” Mr, Gil Cohen, Navot Silberstein, Silberstein, Ms Organizations: Agence France, Histadrut, Air Force Locations: Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israel, Shoresh .

☆ F.B.I. Botched Query on Senator Even as Its Adherence to Wiretap Program Rules Rose
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Charlie Savage | More About Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

analyst improperly used a high-profile warrantless surveillance program to conduct overly broad searches about two lawmakers, including a U.S. senator, last June, a newly declassified court ruling released on Friday shows, even as the bureau has overall improved compliance with limits on the program. But the queries were too wide-ranging, using only their last names without limiting terms to screen out irrelevant material, it said. A series of earlier disclosures about recent violations of querying standards by the F.B.I. — many of which took place before a series of internal changes in 2021 and 2022 — has given fodder to its skeptics. Known as Section 702, the law traces back to 2008 when Congress legalized a version of a warrantless surveillance program secretly created after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Persons: — Organizations: Google

☆ FBI searched for name of US senator facing foreign threat in latest improper use of intelligence database
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The database, which was created under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allows US intelligence agencies to conduct broad searches to identify threats and leads related to foreign intelligence missions. Analysts at multiple intelligence agencies can then search databases for leads related to foreign intelligence missions. Those instances, he wrote, include conducting improper searches for the names of a US senator, a state senator and a state judge. The filing revealed a US analyst had information last year that a “specific foreign intelligence service” was targeting the US senator as well as a state senator. This spring, US intelligence agencies released a report saying that the number of warrantless FBI searches of Americans’ electronic data under the intelligence program dropped sharply from millions of searches in 2021 to more than 100,000 last year.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Rudolph Contreras, “, Contreras didn’t, Paul Abbate, Contreras Organizations: CNN, FBI, Foreign Intelligence

The names of the U.S. senator, the state senator and the state judge targeted were not disclosed. The disclosure by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) followed a secret court order reauthorizing the use of Section 702 - the part of the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that allows the FBI to scour the vast troves of intelligence data for information that might be useful for its own investigations. Despite the missteps, the FBI was praised by the judge involved for doing "a better job" at curbing surveillance abuses. That skepticism only deepened when an earlier court order - declassified in May - revealed that the FBI had improperly searched for the foreign intelligence database more than a quarter million times over several years. Last year, an alleged Iranian agent was charged with trying to arrange the assassination of former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Chris Wray, John Bolton, Raphael Satter, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FBI, U.S, National Intelligence, U.S . Foreign Intelligence, Federal Bureau of, National Security Agency, U.S . House, Microsoft, U.S . National Security, Thomson Locations: U.S, Taiwan, United States, Asia, Washington

☆ MI6 chief makes open plea to Russians to spy for UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Prague CNN —The head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service used a rare speech Wednesday to issue a plea to disaffected Russians to spy for the UK. They know in their hearts that Putin’s case for attacking a fellow Slavic nation is fraudulent,” he added. The MI6 chief told CNN that Prighozin is alive and at liberty following the group’s 24-hour mutiny against the Kremlin, and that Putin is clearly under pressure. Over the years they have developed a particularly gruesome reputation and have been linked to various human rights abuses. A CNN investigation in April found that Wagner has been supplying Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces with missiles to aid their fight against the country’s army.

Persons: Richard Moore, ”, Vladimir Putin’s, ” Moore, Moore, “, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prighozin, Belarus –, Prighozin, Putin “ didn’t, –, ” Putin Organizations: Prague CNN, Kyiv, Russian, CNN, Kremlin, Prighozhin, Wagner Group, Central African, Rapid Support Forces Locations: Prague, Ukraine, Russian, Odesa, Belarus, Moscow, Denmark, Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Syria

☆ How Trump turned the ‘law and order party’ into an enemy of the FBI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Trump has pleaded not guilty in the classified documents case and in another prosecution in New York related to a hush money payment to an adult film star. “President Trump endured an unprecedented raid at his home in Mar-a-Lago. (A special counsel is still investigating classified documents found in Biden’s possession, while the Justice Department closed a case on the possible mishandling of documents found at Pence’s Indiana home.) Ron DeSantis and other Republicans have promised a comprehensive gutting of the FBI, Justice Department and other government agencies in response to what they claim is a wholesale effort to stop Trump winning the 2024 election. Some independent investigations looking at the Trump era have found wrongdoing or mistakes in the FBI.

Persons: Donald Trump pulsated, Christopher Wray, –, Wray, Biden, that’s, Wray’s, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, ”, George W, Harriet Hageman, Liz Cheney, Cheney, Jerrold Nadler, Justice Department –, Trump, Hunter Biden, Wesley Hunt, Biden didn’t, Biden’s, ” Hunt, Mike Pence, “, ” Wray, Jim Jordan –, Trump –, ” Jordan, Ron DeSantis, Richard Nixon, Comey, Matt Gaetz, DeSantis, Chris Wray, There’ll, ” DeSantis, Trey Gowdy, J, Edgar Hoover –, John Durham, William Barr, ’, Barr, David Weiss –, “ Weiss, COWARD, Bill Barr, ” Trump, didn’t Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Democrats, FBI, Judiciary, Bush’s, Department, Wyoming Rep, Rep, Justice Department, GOP, Biden, Texas Republican, Pence’s Indiana, The Biden, Florida Gov, Justice, White, NBC, Fox News, DOJ, Committee, Foreign Intelligence, Delaware US Locations: Wyoming, York, New York, Moscow, Florida, Mar, Pence’s, Delaware, Ohio, Rehoboth , Delaware, Trump, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Durham

The Polish diplomat, who declined to be identified citing security concerns, confirmed the role of his advertisement in the digital intrusion. In 2021, U.S. and British intelligence agencies identified APT29 as an arm of Russia's foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR. "Diplomatic missions will always be a high-value espionage target," the Unit 42 report said. That software, Unit 42 said, was disguised as an album of photographs of the used BMW. As for the car, it was still available, the Polish diplomat told Reuters:"I'll try to sell it in Poland, probably," he said.

Persons: James Pearson, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters, Palo Alto Networks, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BMW, Intelligence Service, SVR, NATO, European Union, Unit, U.S . State Department, Technology, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine's, Kyiv, Polish, Africa, U.S, Poland

☆ FBI director boasts that applications are 'up over 100%' in Florida after Matt Gaetz says people trusted the FBI 'more when J. Edgar Hoover was running the place'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

FBI Director Christopher Wray bragged about the agency's recruitment when informed of its low popularity. Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz claimed the bureau was trusted more under the notorious leadership of J. Edgar Hoover. Gaetz grew agitated with Wray after a series of aggressive questions about Hunter Biden and the FBI's January 6 investigation. "People trusted the FBI more when J. Edgar Hoover was running the place than when you are. "I certainly didn't perjure myself," Wray shot back Gaetz, who had accused him of lying to lawmakers.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Matt Gaetz, J, Edgar Hoover, Wray, Gaetz, Hunter Biden, it's, Hoover, Martin Luther King Jr, Wray volleyed, Hunter, Biden, Donald Trump, James Comey Organizations: Republican, Service, FBI, Florida Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Intelligence, Committee Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon

But he said that for most of the call, lasting about an hour, "we considered and discussed what to do with Ukraine". Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February 2022, says other countries should not negotiate its future on its behalf, and the United States has repeatedly backed this principle, described as "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine". TALKS 'SOONER OR LATER'Naryshkin told TASS that negotiations on the war would become possible at some point. Podolyak said Russia was losing the war and there could be no negotiations with people like Naryshkin. "This Russian elite perceives events completely inadequately, so there is nothing to talk about with them."

Persons: Wagner, Naryshkin, Sergei Naryshkin, William Burns, Burns, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mykhailo Podolyak, Podolyak, Anna Dabrowska, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: CIA, TASS, The New York Times, Wall Street, Moscow, Kremlin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, United States, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Washington

Persons: James Pearson, Conor Humphries Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, Reuters, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BMW, Intelligence Service, SVR, NATO, European Union, Unit, U.S . State Department, Technology, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Ukraine's, Kyiv, Polish, Africa, U.S, Poland

CNN —House Republicans unloaded a barrage of criticism directed toward FBI Director Christopher Wray Wednesday, outlining a litany of complaints while Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee. Chairman Jim Jordan opened the hearing launching into a wide array of attacks on the FBI. “House Republicans will attack the FBI for having had the audacity to treat Donald Trump like any other citizen. FBI Director Christopher Wray is sworn in prior to testifying before a House Judiciary Committee hearing. “We did stand up a whole dedicated unit to focus on threats to FBI, individuals, FBI employees and FBI facilities because of the uptick that we saw over that time period,” Wray said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, Jim Jordan, Hunter Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “, ”, Matt Gaetz, ” Wray, ” Gaetz, Edgar Hoover, Gaetz, Jonathan Ernst, ’ Wray, Trump . Jordan, Jordan, Jerry Nadler, ” Nadler, Saul Loeb, –, John Durham, Biden, Hunter, ” that’s, ” Jordan, Thomas Massie, Massie, Nadler, Jack Smith’s, – Wray Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, FBI, Catholic Church, Florida Republican, Reuters, GOP, Foreign Intelligence, Republican, Trump ., Ohio Republican, Republicans, Trump, DOJ, FISA, “, White, ” New York Rep, ”, Committee, Getty, CNN, US State Department, Biden, White House, Democratic National Committee, Capitol, Trump’s Locations: Richmond, Florida, Washington , DC, Ohio, United States, Russia, Durham, Ukrainian, Louisiana, Kentucky, Lago, Mar

MOSCOW, July 10 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin has held Kremlin talks with Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and his commanders to discuss the armed mutiny Wagner attempted to mount against the army's top brass, Putin's spokesman said on Monday. The meeting was first reported by French newspaper Liberation, which said Prigozhin had met Putin and the head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, and SVR Foreign Intelligence boss Sergei Naryshkin. Peskov told reporters that Putin had invited 35 people to the meeting, including Prigozhin and Wagner unit commanders, and that the meeting had lasted three hours. The brief mutiny led by Prigozhin, in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and a military headquarters building, was defused in a deal brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Prigozhin was meant to leave for Belarus under the terms of the deal that ended the mutiny.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Putin, Viktor Zolotov, Sergei Naryshkin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Alexander Lukashenko, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Lukashenko, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Caleb Davis Organizations: French, Liberation, National Guard, SVR Foreign Intelligence, Staff, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Rostov, Russia, Belarus, Moscow, London, Gdansk

☆ SPECIAL REPORT-Inside the subsea cable firm secretly helping America take on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Joe Brock | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Reuters is revealing details of the Diego Garcia project and SubCom’s deepening ties with the Pentagon. SubCom’s loyalty is especially important because it is the only major U.S. subsea cable company. Rather, they carefully obscured the U.S. military component within a larger private-sector cable project, according to four subsea cable industry sources with knowledge of the arrangement. That project, known as the Oman Australia Cable, was spearheaded by SUBCO, a Brisbane-based subsea cable investment company owned by Australian entrepreneur Bevan Slattery. Once the Navy project was complete, AT&T’s submarine cable project morphed into a commercial business, the former employees said.

Persons: Diego Garcia, SubCom, Cerberus, Stephen Feinberg, Donald Trump, Feinberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Eckhard Bruckschen, They’ve, ” Bruckschen, Trump, Brad Smith, –, Mao Ning, ”, Jacob Helberg, Bevan Slattery, SUBCO’s, Richard Payne, Payne, “ We’re, ” Payne, Alex Kerska, Catherine Creese, Creese, David Coughlan, Coughlan, Slattery, SubCom’s Coughlan, Rich, Australia West Express –, John Mariano, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Caesar, Kellee Wicker, ” Wicker Organizations: CS, SubCom, Google, Microsoft, Meta, ., U.S, Navy, Cerberus Capital Management, U.S . Navy, President’s Intelligence, Board, U.S . Navy’s Pacific Fleet, U.S . Pacific Fleet, U.S ., Pentagon, America Inc, Cable Consultancy, Reuters, Japan’s NEC Corporation, France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks, China’s HMN, U.S . Department of Defense, White, U.S . Department of Justice, Foreign, Oracle, China Economic, Security, Commission, U.S . Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, government’s, Cable Security Fleet, Oman Australia Cable, SUBCO, The, The U.S . Pacific Fleet, SUBCO’s Oman Australia Cable, Facebook, Defense, Intelligence, SubCom’s, London Stock Exchange Group, U.S . Coast Guard, Naval, Cable, Office, Tyco Telecommunications, Australian, Financial, Australia West Express, GoTo Networks, couldn’t, Netflix, AT, Tyco International, Tyco, New, Washington, Science, Technology, Wilson, “ Cables Locations: Diego, Indian, China, New Jersey, United States, U.S, Soviet, Washington, New York, Philippine, South China, Beijing, America, American, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Eatontown , New Jersey, British, Britain, Australian, Australia, Oman, Brisbane, Southeast Asia, The U.S, SUBCO’s Oman, Perth, SubCom, Guam, U.S . Pacific, Republic of Djibouti, of Africa, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Newfoundland

☆ Inside the subsea cable firm secretly helping American take on China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +24 min

Persons: Diego Garcia, SubCom, Cerberus, Stephen Feinberg, Donald Trump, Feinberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Eckhard Bruckschen, They’ve, ” Bruckschen, Trump, Brad Smith, –, Mao Ning, ”, Jacob Helberg, Bevan Slattery, SUBCO’s, Richard Payne, Payne, “ We're, ” Payne, Alex Kerska, Catherine Creese, Creese, David Coughlan, Coughlan, Slattery, SubCom’s Coughlan, Rich, Australia West Express –, John Mariano, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Caesar, Kellee Wicker, ” Wicker, Joe Brock, Mohammad Kawoosa, Edgar Su, Catherine Tai Design, Eve Watling, Marla Dickerson Organizations: CS, SubCom, Google, Microsoft, Meta, ., U.S, Navy, Cerberus Capital Management, U.S . Navy, President’s Intelligence, Board, U.S . Navy’s Pacific Fleet, U.S . Pacific Fleet, U.S ., Pentagon, America Inc, Cable Consultancy, Reuters, Japan’s NEC Corporation, France’s Alcatel Submarine Networks, China’s HMN, U.S . Department of Defense, White, U.S . Department of Justice, Foreign, Oracle, China Economic, Security, Commission, U.S . Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, government’s, Cable Security Fleet, Oman Australia Cable, SUBCO, The, The U.S . Pacific Fleet, SUBCO’s Oman Australia Cable, Facebook, Defense, Intelligence, SubCom’s, London Stock Exchange Group, U.S . Coast Guard, Naval, Cable, Office, Tyco Telecommunications, Australian, Financial, Australia West Express, GoTo Networks, couldn’t, Netflix, AT, Tyco International, Tyco, New, Washington, Science, Technology, Wilson, “ Cables Locations: Diego, Indian, China, New Jersey, United States, U.S, Soviet, Washington, New York, Philippine, South China, Beijing, America, American, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Eatontown , New Jersey, British, Britain, Australian, Australia, Oman, Brisbane, Southeast Asia, The U.S, SUBCO’s Oman, Perth, SubCom, Guam, U.S . Pacific, Republic of Djibouti, of Africa, Djibouti, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Newfoundland

☆ CIA director called Kremlin to assure US had no role in aborted mutiny, US media reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - CIA Director William Burns called Russian spy chief Sergei Naryshkin after last week's aborted mutiny in Russia to assure the Kremlin that the United States had no role in it, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Burns' phone call with Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, took place this week and was the highest-level contact between the two governments since the attempted mutiny, the Wall Street Journal said. The boss of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, shocked the world by leading last week's armed revolt, only to abruptly call it off as his fighters approached Moscow. President Joe Biden said on Monday the brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin was part of a struggle within the Russian system and that the United States and its allies were not involved in it. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Jasper WardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: William Burns, Sergei Naryshkin, Burns, Russia's Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Joe Biden, Kanishka Singh, Jasper Ward Organizations: CIA, New York Times, Wall Street, Wall Street Journal, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russia, United States, Moscow, Russian, Washington

☆ How mercenary revolt has gathered pace in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

- In a series of subsequent audio recordings posted on Telegram, Prigozhin says the "evil" of Russia's military leadership "must be stopped" and his Wagner mercenary force will lead a "march for justice" against the Russian military. SATURDAY- Prigozhin says his men have crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia and are ready to go "all the way" against the Russian military. - Wagner fighters have entered the southern Russian city of Rostov, Prigozhin says in an audio recording posted on Telegram. - Russian's Defence Ministry issues a statement appealing to Wagner fighters to abandon Prigozhin, saying they have been "deceived and dragged into a criminal adventure". - Russian military helicopters open fire on a convoy of rebel mercenaries already more than half way towards Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing Rostov overnight.

Persons: Wagner, Stringer, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin's, Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Reuters Wagner, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Sergei Naryshkin, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Antony Blinken, Pavel Krasheninnikov, Gavin Jones, Giles Elgood, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Moscow, Russian's Defence Ministry, Reuters, TASS, Kremlin, European Union, Ministry, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia's, Voronezh, Russia, Russian, Ukraine, Rostov, Russia's Rostov, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Belarus

CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing the greatest threat to his authority in two decades after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group and Putin’s former ally, launched an apparent insurrection. Prigozhin has been highly critical of Russia’s military leadership and their handling of the war in Ukraine, but he had always stopped short of criticizing Putin directly. Wagner group also claimed to have seized Russian facilities in a second city, Voronezh, some 600 kilometers (372 miles) to the north of Rostov-on-Don. Alexander Gusev, the governor of the Voronezh region, said the Russian military was engaging in “combat measures” in the area. Stunning escalationSaturday’s dramatic events come off the back of Prigozhin’s very public and months-long feud with Russia’s military leadership.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin, Putin, ” Putin, Igor Artamonov, Sergei Sobyanin, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “, ”, Don “, ” “, ” Prigozhin, Rostov, Don, Alexander Gusev, Shoigu, –, Gen, Vladimir Alekseev, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Vladimir Rogov, Rogov saif, ” Wagner, Stringer, Dmytro Kuleba, Serhii Cherevatyi Organizations: CNN, Prigozhin, Moscow, Terrorism, Security, Russian, RIA Novosti, Kremlin, Russian Southern Military Headquarters, Ministry of Defense, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foreign Intelligence Service, Russian Historical Society, Telegram, Southern Military District, Reuters, Russian Foreign, European Union, US State Department, Britain’s Ministry of Defense, Russian National Guard, Ukrainian, Twitter, Ukrainian Armed Forces Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Russia, St . Petersburg, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Prigozhin’s, Prigozhin, Don, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, EU

☆ SolarWinds chief vows to fight any legal action from US regulators over alleged Russian hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has informed current and former SolarWinds executives that it intends to recommend “civil enforcement action” alleging the company broke federal securities laws in its public statements and “internal controls” related to the hack, SolarWinds said in a filing with regulators on Friday. The SEC notice is an indication that US regulators are moving closer to bringing a civil lawsuit against SolarWinds that could result in fines or other penalties. For several months in 2020, hackers used software made by SolarWinds and other technology firms to burrow into US government agencies and corporate victims in an apparent spying campaign. After the hack became public, US lawmakers demanded answers from federal cybersecurity officials on why the hackers were undetected for so long, as well as criticized SolarWinds for its security practices prior to the hack. But SolarWinds says it has instituted numerous security reforms in the years since the hack, and has pushed that message of reform in public appearance with federal officials.

Persons: SolarWinds, –, Biden, “, ”, Sudhakar Ramakrishna, SolarWinds “, ” Ramakrishna Organizations: CNN, US Securities and Exchange, Justice, Homeland Security, SEC Locations: Russian, ” Austin , Texas, Moscow

☆ Russian spy chief flags 'suspicious' Ukrainian nuclear activity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 19 (Reuters) - One of Russia's top spymasters said on Monday he hoped that the U.N. nuclear watchdog and the European Union would look into Ukrainian nuclear activity that he said might signal Kyiv was working on a "dirty bomb". Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, did not provide documentary evidence to back his assertions. The Ukrainian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kyiv has in the past said it takes its responsibilities for nuclear power very seriously while accusing Russia of recklessness when it comes to its control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Kevin LiffeyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: spymasters, Sergei Naryshkin, Naryshkin, Andrew Osborn, Kevin Liffey Organizations: European, Reuters, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Rivne, Chornobyl, Moscow

The target was Aleksandr Poteyev, a former Russian intelligence officer who disclosed information that led to a yearslong F.B.I. investigation that in 2010 ensnared 11 spies living under deep cover in suburbs and cities along the East Coast. In keeping with an Obama administration effort to reset relations, a deal was reached that sought to ease tensions: Ten of the 11 spies were arrested and expelled to Russia. According to Mr. Walton’s book, a Kremlin official asserted that a hit man, or a Mercader, would almost certainly hunt down Mr. Poteyev. Based on interviews with two American intelligence officials, Mr. Walton concluded the operation was the beginning of “a modern-day Mercader” sent to assassinate Mr. Poteyev.

Persons: Aleksandr Poteyev, Obama, Sergei V, Mr, Poteyev, Brown, Calder Walton, Walton’s, Ramón, Joseph Stalin’s, Leon Trotsky’s, Walton, Mercader ”, Grigory Mairanovsky Organizations: Intelligence, Harvard, The New York Times, Kremlin Locations: Russian, East Coast, Russia, Moscow, Britain, Mexico City, S.V.R

☆ Opinion | The Genius of Leaving Trump’s Fate Up to 12 Ordinary Floridians
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Deborah Pearlstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

After the Sept. 11 attacks, courts became especially adept at protecting sensitive information even while sharing access to it with the defense and the jury. Juries still found enough information to assess the charges, and in many of those cases, they voted to convict. Despite all the challenges, the framers of the Constitution never doubted that national security crimes belonged in front of juries. The British government had used national security charges to silence its political opponents throughout the Colonies. They matter because the justice system cannot function unless most Americans view it as a legitimate arbiter of social disputes.

Persons: Trump, overreach, Trump’s, vociferously Locations: U.S, Africa

☆ New bipartisan bill in Senate could address TikTok security concerns without a ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Much of the existing legislation addressing TikTok at the federal and state level has focused on bans of the app. Wednesday’s legislation, known as the Protecting Americans’ Data From Foreign Surveillance Act, does not identify TikTok by name. TikTok has faced criticism from US officials who say the company’s links to China pose a national security risk. Congress has made several attempts in recent months to address data transfers to foreign adversaries. In February, House lawmakers advanced a bill that would all but require the Biden administration to ban TikTok over national security concerns about the app.

Persons: Oregon Democratic Sen, Ron Wyden, Wyoming Republican Sen, Cynthia Lummis, —, ” Wyden, Wyden, TikTok, ByteDance, Biden, Justin Sherman, ” Sherman, Rhode Island Democratic Sen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Sheldon Whitehouse , Tennessee Republican Sen, Bill Hagerty, New Mexico Democratic Sen, Martin Heinrich, Florida Republican Sen, Marco Rubio, Warren Davidson, Anna Eshoo Organizations: CNN, Oregon Democratic, Wyoming Republican, ByteDance, Commerce Department, Oracle, Texas, Commerce, Duke University’s Sanford School of Public, Rhode, Rhode Island Democratic, Sheldon Whitehouse , Tennessee Republican, New Mexico Democratic, Florida Republican, Ohio Republican, California Democratic Locations: China, United States, Russia, Rhode Island, Sheldon Whitehouse , Tennessee, New Mexico, Florida

☆ U.S. officials call spy program key to big cases, but give few details
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Zeba Siddiqui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SAN FRANCISCO, June 12 (Reuters) - Senior U.S. government officials warned on Tuesday of serious national security risks if a key surveillance program set to expire this year isn't renewed, but declined to share specifics of cases in which it had been useful. But the agency has misused the program to spy on Americans numerous times, because the program also allows access to information of Americans in communication with foreigners. "It's not just useful or important or helpful, but at this point, it is vital to addressing a wide array of national security challenges." Among other reforms, the groups have called for requiring a warrant for searches of Americans’ information on the database. Requiring a warrant would be "profoundly harmful" to the country's national security, one U.S. official said.

Persons: isn't, It's, Zeba Siddiqui, Gerry Doyle Organizations: FRANCISCO, Senior U.S, Foreign Intelligence, U.S, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Colonial Pipeline, U.S ., Center for Democracy & Technology, Monday, National Intelligence, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, San Francisco

☆ Former AG Bill Barr said Trump is 'toast' if 'even half' of the charges in his classified documents case are true
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Jennifer Cunningham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former AG Bill Barr appeared on Fox News Sunday to discuss his former boss' indictment. "If even half of it is true, then he's toast," Barr said on Fox News Sunday. Trump is facing 37 federal charges that he illegally took classified info from the White House. I do think we have to wait and see what the defense says and what proves to be true, but I do think … if even half of it is true, then he's toast. "This idea of presenting Trump as a victim here, a victim of a witch hunt, is ridiculous," Barr said.

Persons: Bill Barr, Barr, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Shannon Bream, –, Ron DeSantis –, I've, Aileen Cannon, Nich Carlson Organizations: Fox News, Fox News Sunday, Service, Department, GOP, Trump, Gov Locations: Miami

☆ Justice Department will likely try to have Trump incarcerated if he's convicted in Mar-a-Lago case, national security lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Insider Staff | Sarah Gray | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

DOJ will seek incarceration for Trump, a national security attorney and former US prosecutor say. McClanahan said evidence in the indictment was laid out to show "that this is a kingpin who knowingly broke the law, endangered national security, endangered nuclear weapon security, endangered other countries' national security." In this case, that looks likely to be US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who Trump appointed. It's more likely that, if convicted, he'd be sentenced to house arrest with an ankle monitor, McClanahan said. "Trump can share that information that is in his head whether he is incarcerated or not incarcerated," she said.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Kel McClanahan, Jack Smith's, McClanahan, Jonathan Turley, Chris Christie, Trump, Sarah Krissoff, Pitney, Krissoff, Aileen Cannon, there's, It's, he'd Organizations: Trump, Service, Department, Justice, George Washington University, Fox News, New, New Jersey Gov, Politico, Pitney LLP, of, DOJ, Department of Justice Locations: New Jersey, Southern, of New York, Bedminster , New Jersey

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