In The News

Reuters: Ramaphosa Elected President of South Africa

Wendell Roelf February 15, 2018
Jacob Zuma, in power since May of 2009, resigned as South Africa's president on orders from the African National Congress, the ruling party. Cyril Ramaphosa, a lawyer, former trade unionist and businessman, was nominated to become next president by the National Assembly. He will serve as president until elections in 2019. Ramaphosa’s “stated commitment to boosting growth and stamping out...

The Toronto Star: Trump Is Showdown With His FBI

Daniel Dale February 2, 2018
US intelligence agencies report that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and warn about similar interference in November’s congressional elections. Key Republicans and US President Donald Trump lash out at the investigators, with attacks that could undermine trust in the nation’s Federal Bureau of Investigation and other institutions. “The until-recently-unusual spectre of the ‘...

McClatchy: FBI Checks If Russian Money Went to NRA

Peter Stone and Greg Gordon January 19, 2018
A counterintelligence investigation is underway by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation on whether a banker – Alexander Torshin, deputy governor for the Russian central bank – secretly transferred funds to the National Rifle Association to help the Donald Trump presidential election campaign. “It is illegal to use foreign money to influence federal elections,” reports Peter Stone and Gregg...

CNET: Details on Big Chip Flaws Spectre and Meltdown

Laura Hautala January 4, 2018
Silicon processing chips are reported to have security flaws known as Spectre and Meltdown that could expose computer to hacking attacks. Skilled hackers could view passwords, encryption keys and other secret data on those chips. “To make computer processes run faster, a chip will essentially guess what information the computer needs to perform its next function,” explains Laura Hautala for CNET...

Politico: How Facebook Changed the Spy Game

Asha Rangappa December 19, 2017
Law enforcement agencies strive to thwart propaganda and disinformation campaigns, but social media has opened up a new frontier in shaping public opinion. Facebook reported deleting hundreds of accounts based in Russia and paid to promote polarizing material during the 2016 US presidential campaign. “The rise of social media platforms makes the pervasiveness and impact of these operations today...

Reuters: Source Claims Deutsche Bank Gets Mueller Subpoena

Arno Schuetze and Nathan Layne December 5, 2017
The US rule of law has a long reach. US federal investigators looking into Russian interference of the 2016 presidential election are reported to have asked Deutsche bank for data on accounts held by associates of Donald Trump and his family. “Germany’s largest bank received a subpoena from Special Counsel Robert Mueller several weeks ago to provide information on certain money and credit...

Bloomberg: Former US National Security Advisor Pleads Guilty

David Kocieniewski and Greg Farrell December 1, 2017
The retired US general who campaigned for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and served as the administration’s first national security adviser is pleading guilty to a single charge of lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation about communications with the Russian ambassador. Lying to the FBI is a federal felony with a five-year prison term. “The charge against [Michael] Flynn, 58, adds...