In The News

Money-Laundering by Video Games: Financial Times

Tim Bradshaw January 13, 2020
Valve, the developer of the popular video game “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” announced that players wouldn’t be allowed to trade the in-game currency that could be used for buying virtual knives, guns and skins. That was an abrupt action against the rising trend of money laundering by video games, in which criminals could cash in stolen credit cards or use the proceeds of crime for in-game...

The President’s Men Must Testify: New York Times

Harold Hongju Koh January 7, 2020
The US House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump after compiling evidence about blocked military aid for Ukraine. The White House ordered staff not to testify, and most complied. The two articles of impeachment “should overrule any ethical or legal objection these witnesses now have to testifying before the Senate,” argues Harold Hongju Koh,...

Accelerationism Inspires White Supremacism: Vox

Zack Beauchamp December 1, 2019
Due to their own failures and insecurities, white supremacists emphasize otherness, resenting minorities and trends toward greater equality. While some of the most extreme have views that overlap with the alt-right movement, they express impatience and embrace an ideology of accelerationism, which “rests on the idea that Western governments are irreparably corrupt,” explains Zack Beauchamp. The...

Netanyahu Indicted: Times of Israel

Raoul Wootliff November 21, 2019
Israel’s attorney general announced that charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust will be filed against Benjamin Netanyahu. This comes as both Netanyahu and opponent Benny Gantz failed to form a coalition government. Netanyahu describes the charges as false, calling for an independent commission to investigate the investigators. “He brushed off calls for him to resign so he can deal with his...

Quid Pro Quo on Ukraine Aid: Washington Post

Aaron C. Davis November 20, 2019
President Trump is described as “the boss,” who issued orders and demands, at times vague and other times specific, with little interest in details or how his cowed staff carried out the orders. That was according to congressional testimony by US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland for the presidential impeachment inquiry. Official US policy supports Ukraine in its war with Russia....

Lawful Settlements in West Bank? New York Times

Lara Jakes and David M. Halbfinger November 19, 2019
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reversed 40 years of US policy by suggesting Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law. The move dashes Palestinian hopes for a peace settlement providing land for their own state. The New York Times suggests the internet is to influence politics in Israel, lending support to Benjamin Netanyahu and prompting need for a third election....

Fake Media Outlets on India Topics: EU DisinfoLab

EU DisinfoLab November 18, 2019
A EU Disinformation Task Force exposed a publication that purports to cover the European Parliament, eptoday.com, and is managed by Indian interests. The magazine has “ties to a large network of think tanks, NGOs, and companies from the Srivastava Group.” The task force quickly figured out the network produced a number of odd publications, hosted by the same server and sharing staff. A tip by an...