While reporting this, I had something happen that's never happened. A comms rep for one of the co's disputed my reporting and said what I was telling them was untrue because it was not in Grok, xAI's chatbot. I was looking directly at the files. And this person was using AI to challenge the truth.

Seeing posts saying FBI could not get into WaPo reporter's phone because she had it in Lockdown Mode. This isn't true. They couldn't use forensic tool to capture full-disk image, but they could still access contents. They had to take photos of it, though, which is still a gain for privacy.

For those looking for freelance work in the wake of WaPo layoffs: I'm an editor at large overseeing Ideas & Culture at Bloomberg, including our Books coverage. Find me at [email protected]

As Bezos's Washington Post announces sweeping layoffs this morning ...

"The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over,'" Trump told Bongino. "We should take over the voting ... in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. We have states that are so crooked and they're counting votes." www.foxnews.com/politics/tru...

I've read some pretty direct and outspoken court orders from judges before, but none as withering toward the government as this one

NEWS: A whistleblower complaint filed 8 months ago alleges wrongdoing about Tulsi Gabbard but has been stalled within her own agency from reaching Congress. The complaint is extremely classified, may involve "executive privilege" and is currently locked in a safe, sources say.

Polish grid systems targeted last month were wide open to attack, a new technical report from Polish gov says. Systems used default passwords and no multifactor authentication. Also used outdated/unpatched software. Investigators also found no connection to Sandworm, disputing security researchers

FBI executed a search warrant at the election office of Fulton County in Georgia, a Democratic stronghold and the main focus of right-wing conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was rigged in Biden's favor. Trump has also indicated there will be prosecutions related to the election

"Tarbell is committed to supporting independent journalism that demystifies the debates around this technology, holds the companies and people building it to account, and fosters the discourse necessary to chart a path that benefits society"

*This one* was opportunistic. What happens when they start being fully planned?

Hackers behind cyberattack against Poland electric grid in Dec disabled communication devices for at least 30 sites across a number of energy facilities in country. They rendered the devices - known as remote terminal units or RTUs - not only inoperable but also unrecoverable

WhatsApp unveils high-security mode, latest tech firm to offer users stronger protection www.reuters.com/business/med...

Booz Allen tech contractor behind Treasury Department's unprecedented decision yesterday to cancel all 31 of its contracts with the consulting firm, took the job with Booz Allen - much like Edward Snowden before him - specifically to get access to IRS tax records of President Trump and leak them.

This is directly related to the case of Charles Edward Littlejohn who stole the tax records of Trump, Bezos and other billionaires and leaked them to ProPublica, which published a series of stories in 2021 about them

Dept of Treasury has cancelled all 31 contracts it has with Booz Allen because BA "failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect sensitive data, including the confidential taxpayer information it had access to through its contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.” (h/t @metacurity.com)

Exclusive: A cyberattack targeting Poland's energy infrastructure in December used wiper malware that would have erased grid computers and rendered them inoperable had it not been thwarted, a researcher at @ESET told me. The researcher calls the attack "unprecedented" for Poland and "substantial"

"A superpower is choosing to self-immolate and torch its remaining global trust and friendships, including and especially NATO...at the precise moment when it had been reinvigorated and renewed...in the wake of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022" - by @vermontgmg.bsky.social

Wright was IT Specialist in DHS’s CIO office when he went on date with woman who contacted him via Bumble. She falsely presented herself as liberal and during date repeatedly steered him to talk politics. She secretly recorded him, then published the vid. DHS fired him for his comments. He's suing

BREAKING: A full-scale airlift is running around the clock, transporting troops and military equipment to Greenland. The operation is extensive, “beyond anything we’ve tried before,” a source tells DR. Danish F-35 fighter planes and warships from European allies involved. www.dr.dk/nyheder/indl...

LTG Joshua Rudd, nominee to be head of NSA/CyberCom, asked in hearing if US should have a policy of responding to attacks like Sony/Salt/Volt Typhoon breaches with a cyber offensive operation. Lawmaker was asking about a CyCom offensive response not an NSA offensive response. Rudd deflected question

A new Trump program “will fast-track construction of new & untested reactor designs built by private firms, with an explicit goal of having at least 3 nuclear test reactors up & running by…July 4.” Critics worry that the tight deadline & “lack of transparency” are “compromising safety.” 12/17/25…1/

Exclusive: Beijing tells Chinese firms to stop using US and Israeli cybersecurity software, sources say - www.reuters.com/world/china/...

And so it begins

🤔

A WSJ investigation found that ICE agents have fired at or into civilian vehicles at least 13 times since last July, leaving 8 people shot and 2 dead.

Australia should reconsider alliance with ‘fiercely unpredictable’ US, former foreign ministers say

FBI issues alert about North Korean actors using malicious QR codes to lure targets in phishing emails. TIL today -- QR codes used in phishing emails are called "quishing" (smdh).

Wait, what?

This simple piece is so well written -- great turns of phrase, good humor, full of personality www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/s...

So a CBS Evening News reporter actually did a pretty solid breakdown of the ICE murder video, talking to a former agent who details all the ways Ross messed up. Then Bari Weiss spiked it. But she did allow CBS did post it to YouTube—and it has nearly 800k views already youtu.be/6ywLEESFDu0?...

Q: Is this ICE officer immune to charges? HENNEPIN COUNTY ATTORNEY MORIARTY: I can't speak to why the Trump administration says what it says. I can say the ICE officer does not have complete immunity here.

Officer 1: “Get out of the car!” <simultaneously> Officer 2: “Get out of here!” The confusion is not surprising. The shooting officer had his phone out too. This deserves a clear and fair investigation

At the start of this week, US officials were saying they didn't think the protests in Iran were sufficient to tumble the regime. But others are saying they've noticed a shift in events there: x.com/Nadav_Eyal/s...

The Atlantic reported last year that ICE agents used to receive about five months of federal law-enforcement training, but under the Trump administration this had been cut to just 47 days. The cut was achieved in part by eliminating Spanish-language training. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

ICE agent who killed woman identified as Jonathan Ross. Was reportedly involved in incident last June when immigration suspect tried to flee in vehicle; Ross broke rear window and reached inside to open door; suspect drove to shake him off car while Ross held on and fired Taser. Ross was injured

Not only this, but the videos appear to show her trying to comply with their order to move her car when they opened fire at her multiple times. Even if she was trying to get away from them, as the gov claims, they could have simply shot her tires to halt her or blocked her path with their vehicle.

Rubio on Venezuela: They are not generating any revenue from their oil right now. They can’t move it unless we allow it to move. This is tremendous leverage.

Q: Trump has been adamant that he's in charge of Venezuela, but Delcy Rodríguez says she's running the country. So which is it? LEAVITT: We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities. Their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America.

Camera records police arresting protester after she gives interview to news media - arrested for "obstructing a roadway and failing to obey a lawful command from police"

@apnews.com: Finnish Children Learn Media Literacy at 3 years old. It’s Protection Against Russian Propaganda

If the US uses military force "to invade and capture foreign leaders it accuses of criminal conduct, what prevents China from claiming the same authority over Taiwan’s leadership? What stops Vladimir Putin from asserting similar justification to abduct Ukraine’s president?” - Sen. Mark Warner

"An actual cyber effects operation against our critical infrastructure could be considered an act of war," says former US cyber official about chance Russia/China will attack US grid/CI in response to Caracas attack. What he doesn't say is the Caracas attack could also be considered an act of war.

It's really hard these days not to be a conspiracy theorist no matter how hard you fight against it

WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize. “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

Didn't Trump say the US would now run Venezuela and that he might put boots on the ground?

I drove by Arlington cemetery a few weeks ago and saw the wreaths and wondered about the story behind them. Turns out the founders of the charity that places the wreaths on tombstones also own the wreath farm from which the charity purchases the wreaths - using millions of dollars from donations

Hearing about US domestic flights being messed up yesterday and today due to the strike on Venezuela and cancellation of flights to/from the Caribbean because of restriction on airspace there. So many knock-on effects -- though the big effects are still to come.

Managed one more before deluge of new podcast episodes recommences. Very accessible and enjoyable account by @kimzetter.bsky.social of an early attempt to use cyberware. Has aged well - though the final section on risk of setting bad examples to others reads differently after the news this week.