"Researchers found 29 countries using social media to shape opinion domestically or with foreign audiences. The tactics are deployed by authoritarian regimes, but also democratically-elected governments, the authors said." Continue reading →
"A newly formed and, by all appearances, well-funded national security advocacy group, devoted to more hawkish U.S. policies toward Russia and other adversaries, provides the most vivid evidence yet of this alliance." Continue reading →
"It's not illegal to sell bitcoins per se, but at least four people across the US this year have been charged or pleaded guilty to the crime of exchanging the cryptocurrency for fiat as a business without a license—'business' being the keyword." Continue reading →
"According to a just released South Korean poll, 80 percent of South Koreans want inter-Korean dialogue with North Koreans. 60 percent of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, support direct negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang." Continue reading →
"Pompeo argued that the US needs to use the Espionage Act much more in going after leakers who aren’t actually foreign spies. President Trump had a positive attitude toward WikiLeaks during last year’s campaign, declaring 'I love WikiLeaks.'" Continue reading →
"Amnesty International just released a report that heavily implicates the United States in a number of criminal acts in Mosul, Iraq." Continue reading →
"U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has authorized a 'Geographical Travel Restriction' on Americans to forbid them from entering North Korea, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. 'Once in effect, U.S. passports will be invalid for travel to, through and in North Korea, and individuals will be required to obtain a passport with a special validation in order to travel to or within North Korea,' Nauert said. The move was due to 'mounting concerns over the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of law enforcement,' she said." Continue reading →
"'As for the regime, I am hopeful we will find a way to separate that regime from this system,' Pompeo said. 'The North Korean people I'm sure are lovely people and would love to see him go.'" Continue reading →
"U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Justice Department will issue new directives to increase the federal govenment's use of civil asset forfeiture, a controversial practice that allows law enforcement to seize property from suspected criminals without charging them with a crime. He has already dismantled Obama-era directives on drug sentencing guidelines and ordered a review of all of the existing consent agreements between the Justice Department and police departments that were found to be violating residents' constitutional rights." Continue reading →
"The elderly Thai immigrants sunk their life savings into designer wedding dresses and were left penniless when the IRS sold them all, according to the couple's attorney. The legal filing claims that the agent on the case originally recognized that the entire inventory would not need to be sold to satisfy the debt. However, Freeman obtained internal IRS communications through a Freedom of Information Act Request and found that IRS higher-ups decided that the agency should 'shut down this failing business.'" Continue reading →