Search

The article discusses the origin and other topics about the COVID-19 pandemic. Also cited are the works of Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) lead scientist Shi Zhengli on bat-borne diseases and viruses, how the COVID-19 virus caused a pandemic from a bat colony in Wuhan, China, and the challenges faced by scientists and governments in finding the true source of the virus, like partisan bickering and nationalism.

The article examines why Hong Kong could be the first victim in the power struggle between the U.S. and China. Also cited are the implementation by China of a national security law in Hong Kong to prevent terrorism, foreign interference, and secession, the U.S. and China's disputes on trade, intellectual property, and espionage, and the violent protests in Hong Kong to denounce the law.

The article provides an overview of the condition in China as it tries to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic by gradually reopening its closed structures as of May 25, 2020. Topics discussed include the reopening of Shanghai Disneyland theme park on May 11, impact of the epidemic on the country's economic condition, and the comparison of policy between China and the U.S.

The article offers information on the impeachment enquiry of president Donald Trump. Topics discussed include analyst's report alleging that Trump had solicited Russian interference in 2016 presidential elections, noting that analyst believed that Trump was using the sovereign power of the American presidency in an attempt to stay in office.

The article focuses on the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump to discredit Robert Mueller's probe by casting the Ukraine conspiracy theory as a plot against his presidency. Topics covered include how the Ukraine conspiracy theory which alleges that Ukraine and others tried to sabotage the 2016 presidential campaign of Trump, affects Trump and his administration, whistleblower complaint against Trump and possibility of a repeat of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.

The article discusses the impeachment inquiry against U.S. President Donald Trump based on a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during which Trump alleged pressured Zelensky to investigate accusations of corruption against former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

The article focuses on the domestic terrorism problem in the U.S. in line with the back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio in August 2019 attributed to white-supremacists and other far-right extremists. Topics covered include lack of federal resources to address domestic terrorism, overview of right-wing terrorism as a global problem, impact of the rhetoric of President Donald Trump which inspires far-right extremists and response of Democratic presidential candidates.

The article discusses the relation of the telecommunications equipment firm Huawei to 5G wireless networks in relation to U.S. government actions against the Chinese firm. Topics include competition between U.S. and Chinese technology firms, purported security concerns related to Huawei's 5G equipment, and the role of Huawei official Ren Zhengfei in public relations efforts.

The article discusses airplane safety in the wake of two fatal crashes involving Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in 2019, and it mentions the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) role in ensuring the safety of America's aviation industry. According to the article, 346 people were killed in two airplane accidents in Ethiopia and Indonesia. The FAA's oversight strategy is addressed, along with aerospace company Boeing Co.'s handling of the production of the Max 8 airplanes.

The article examines the impact of the death of Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who was killed in a raid conducted by the U.S. military in northwest Syria. Topics covered include collaboration of U.S. forces with the Iraqi government for the special operations that led to the demise of al-Baghdadi, features of the mission that killed al-Baghdadi and effect of the betrayal of the Kurds by the U.S. with the decision of President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.

The article focuses on U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Topics include a meeting Kushner had with Russian banker Sergey Gorkov on December 13, 2016, his failure to report this meeting before applying for a White House security clearance, and the probe into security clearances being led by the House Oversight chair, Elijah Cummings.

The article discusses political issues surrounding the dismissal of U.S. State Department Inspector General Steve Linick by U.S. President Donald Trump on May 15, 2020. Topics explored include the confirmation that said dismissal was recommended by U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo, the investigation being conducted by Linick into the alleged misuse of department staff by Pompeo, and the possible link between Linick's removal from office and the decision of Trump to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia.

The author points out that the efforts to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and its early spread have been clouded by inaction, politics and self-interest from both China and the U.S. Topics covered include the tweet of Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton regarding several hypotheses on how the virus might have originated, how China blamed the U.S. for the disease and the U.S. intelligence officials' dismissal that the virus was manmade or genetically modified.

US investigators have warned that hackers based in China allegedly infiltrated more than 700 companies, universities, government agencies and more. The hackers 'specialize in infiltrating networks using phishing e-mails laden [...]

The article presents the pubic servants who are being acknowledged as the 2019 Guardians of the Year for their bravery in testifying against U.S. President Donald Trump during his impeachment trials in 2019. These include Jennifer Williams, a special advisor to the U.S. vice president on European and Russian affairs, U.S. Army lieutenant colonel Alexander Vindman, and Fiona Hill, the former Russia adviser on the National Security Council.

The article reports on the massive protests in Hong Kong, China which started as an uprising against an extradition bill and escalated into a rebellion on the issue of democracy and the Chinese sovereignty. Topics discussed include the heightened conflict which temporarily closed the operation of Hong Kong International Airport, the impact of Hong Kong's turnover to the Chinese sovereignty, and the history of Hong Kong's fight for democracy against the mainland China.

The article assesses the logical principle in the decision of U.S. President Donald Trump to meet with Iran President Hassan Rouhani following its alleged involvement in the missile attack of Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on September 14, 2019. Topics discussed include options presented to Trump including a plan to bomb Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran's move to increase its uranium enrichment program, and its alleged involvement in the stoppage of a Global Hawk surveillance drone.

The article deals with the decision of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to revoke the autonomy for the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir and its impact on the tension between Pakistan and India. Topics covered include suicide bombing by Pakistani-backed militants in Kashmir and the bombing made by India into Pakistani airspace in response, impact on the attempts of Pakistan to repair relations with the West and how the revocation of autonomy will affect Kashmiris.

The article explores American President Donald Trump and his use of economic and trade sanctions, tariffs and consequences as a political tactic. Particular focus is given to how in May 2019 he vowed to impose tariffs on Mexican imports unless Mexico addressed the influx of undocumented immigrants to the U.S. The author refers to this tactic as dollar-driven diplomacy and cites U.S. relations with North Korea and China as well.

The article discusses how a China-U.S. trade war is impacting soybean farming and farmers in places such as Iowa, and it mentions tariffs implemented by China and the U.S. and the rules that are written to regulate topics such as trade, cyberspace, and outer space. American President Donald Trump's push for China to purchase additional U.S. agricultural products is examined, along with the views of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The article discusses how the coronavirus and the U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods affected Maine's lobster industry. In early 2020, lobster exports to China and Europe have declined by an estimated 50 percent. In June, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a new tariff on European cars if Europe do not remove tariffs on U.S. lobsters.

The article reports a significant increase in espionage activities on Americans' video chats during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to U.S. intelligence officials. Topics covered include Chinese spies' particular interest in the video chat tool called Zoom, a warning from federal experts for government and private officials not to use any videoconferencing tool, and Zoom's response to criticism of its security.

The article focuses on how U.S. intelligence is being impacted by the pandemic caused by the coronavirus known as COVID-19, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

The article discusses how several senior U.S. intelligence briefers claim that American President Donald Trump is endangering the security of the nation by willfully ignoring the assessments that he receives from U.S. intelligence agency professionals. Trump's anger towards information that he disagrees with is examined, along with Trump's decision to publicly criticize America's Directors of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

John Walcott's letter on Mark Danner's article The Secret Way to War, New York Review, June 9, 2005, is reproduced. Mark Danner offers a reply and expands on the topic of intelligence gathering prior Iraq War.