Claims by US over central Pacific now rival those of Beijing in South China Sea

Washington’s new pacts with three island states will establish a second island chain of attack as a complete sphere of influence in breach of international law and its own interpretation of freedom of navigation

Claims by US over central Pacific now rival those of Beijing in South China Sea

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Joe Manchin Leads Senate Energy Committee Hearing On Compact Of Free Association Amendments Act (49:30)

U.S. Claims to Central Pacific Flout International Law

Senator Warren accuses Pentagon appointees of using position for “personal profit”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to the Pentagon Wednesday with ethics concerns with the office dedicated to private funding defense technology.

The OSC’s two special government employees work at WestExec Advisors* and New Vista Capital — two firms that work on defense and technology consulting.

Senator Warren accuses Pentagon appointees of using position for “personal profit”

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WestExec Advisors LLC is a consulting firm founded in 2017 by Antony Blinken [State Department], Michèle Flournoy, Sergio Aguirre, and Nitin Chadda, all former Obama administration officials. Lisa Monaco, Robert O. Work, Avril Haines [DNI], David S. Cohen [CIA], and Jen Psaki have also been WestExec employees.

Wikipedia

How Biden’s Foreign-Policy Team Got Rich

‘Hunt Forward’ cyber teams have deployed to 24 countries, including Ukraine

The cyber defense teams monito crucial networks in allied countries. US cyber chief Gen. Paul Nakasone also said the NSA is centralizing AI-related missions.

‘Hunt Forward’ cyber teams have deployed to 24 countries, including Ukraine

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NSA to stand up AI security center

Securing artificial intelligence entails “protecting AI systems from learning, doing, and revealing the wrong thing,” he said. “We must build a robust understanding of AI vulnerabilities, foreign intelligence threats to these AI systems, and ways to encounter the threat in order to have AI security. We must also ensure that malicious foreign actors can’t steal America’s innovative AI capabilities.”

Asked about AI—including deepfakes—influencing voting in the upcoming 2024 U.S. general election, Nakasone said people need to practice vigilance, and that his team is making sure they “understand the threat techniques of our adversaries”—which the center will help them do

Cyber War and Ukraine

What State Action Doctrine? Biden Administration Renews Push For Deal With TikTok, Where US Government Would Oversee Content Moderation On TikTok

What State Action Doctrine? Biden Administration Renews Push For Deal With TikTok, Where US Government Would Oversee Content Moderation On TikTok

For all the (mostly misleading) talk of the US government having too much say in content moderation decisions, this move would literally put US government officials effectively in control of content moderation decisions for TikTok. Apparently the thinking is “welp, it’s better than the Chinese government.” But… that doesn’t mean it’s good. Or constitutional.

Honestly, what this reads as is the moral panic over China and TikTok so eating the brains of US officials that rather than saying “hey, we should have privacy laws that block this,” they thought instead “hey, that would be cool if we could just do all the things we accuse China of doing, but where we pull the strings.”

So, look, if we’re going to talk about US government influence over content moderation choices, why aren’t we talking much more about this?

Related:

TikTok and U.S. rekindle negotiations, boosting app’s hopes for survival

CFIUS monitoring agencies, including the departments of Justice, Treasury and Defense, would have the right to access TikTok facilities at any time and overrule its policies or contracting decisions. CFIUS would also set the rules for all new company hires, including that they must be U.S. citizens, must consent to additional background checks and could be denied the job at any time.

A Draft Of TikTok’s Plan To Avoid A Ban Gives The U.S. Government Unprecedented Oversight Power

U.S. Government Seeks Extensive Oversight over TikTok

Biden Gives Ukraine More Cluster Bombs And Ukraine Operations Will Be Exempt From Potential Government Shutdown

President Biden on Thursday met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced a new tranche of US military aid for Ukraine that includes more cluster bombs, which are notorious for killing and maiming civilians.

Biden Gives Ukraine More Cluster Bombs During Zelensky Visit

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Pentagon Exempts Ukraine Operations from Potential Government Shutdown

Zelensky to Beg House Speaker McCarthy for More Taxpayer Money, While Biden Bullies Developing Countries to Betray Russia and China

Zelensky arrived in New York on Monday and will head to Washington after the UN General Assembly

House Speaker McCarthy to Meet With Zelensky This Week

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Biden urges UN to not abandon Ukraine

Biden’s call was part of his long-running theme to rally democracies against the globe’s rising autocracies. On Tuesday, he went further, implicitly urging developing nations to turn their backs on Russia and China’s autocracies and join an inter-connected, rules-based order promoted by the U.S. and its allies.

Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, skipped the general assembly, as did China’s Xi Jinping, but Beijing’s presence loomed large on the east side of Manhattan. While much of Biden’s speech read as a pitch to the developing world, its true subject was China, although the president tried to publicly downplay tensions with Beijing, as he did just weeks ago at the G20.

Military Personnel Seen Wandering Forest Pressing Button On F-35 Key Fob

HUGER, SC — A team of Marines was seen trudging through the woods, stopping every 30 feet to wave a key fob around in a 90° arc, say campers at Francis Marion National Forest. The Marines, who traveled in a tactical column, were allegedly on a mission to locate, close with, and recover the F-35 fighter jet that went missing Sunday evening.

Military Personnel Seen Wandering Forest Pressing Button On F-35 Key Fob

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A missing F-35 fighter jet highlights the tragicomedy of military spending

That jet the Marines lost? Taxpayers will pay $1.7 trillion for the F-35 program