This Week in the World Affairs Brief

WALTZ HOLDS HIGH LEVEL MILITARY DISCUSSIONS ON SIGNAL

National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz held a “Team Update” discussion on the private encrypted app Signal this week with various high level Trump administration officials about an imminent attack on the Houthis in Yemen. A scandal erupted not because Signal’s encryption was compromised but because NSA Waltz, or someone on his staff, invited the anti-Trump editor of The Atlantic magazine to join the group, who then went public with what was said. DNI Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliff, who were both included in the group, claimed that no classified information was discussed. This is true, relative to the main session, but Goldberg did reveal that after the session, DOD Secretary Hegseth texted everyone, including himself, classified details about the strike targets, weapons and attack sequences to be deployed. Goldberg, who does not have a security clearance, did not reveal those details, but chose instead to start a firestorm of protest among Trump critics about Trump’s team being a bunch of “amateurs” relative to security. This week, I will discuss how phone and text security is never fool-proof even for government systems, and why good judgment is necessary regardless of the platform you are using. To receive a free one-time sample of the Brief, along with options on how to subscribe, click on Request a Sample on the left.

Also:
  • Putin Continues to Fool the Trump Team
  • The Legal Fight Against Judicial Overreach
  • Trump’s Tariffs will be Felt in April

Daily News

US–China Nuclear Fusion Race: The Battle for Energy and Military Dominance

The Epoch Times

The nation that first achieves commercial-scale fusion will control a critical pillar of the global economy. U.S. senators and fusion experts are calling for a $10 billion federal investment to maintain leadership, but with government downsizing under Trump’s second term, future funding remains uncertain. If China wins the fusion race, it could dominate the future energy market, much as it has with solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and rare earth minerals.

BlackRock's Panama Port Deal With CK Hutchison Won't Be Signed Next Week

ZeroHedge

A new report Saturday reveals that Hong Kong's CK Hutchison will not sign a deal next week to sell its two ports on either side of the canal to a BlackRock-led consortium. It's back to the drawing board for the Trump administration, which will now need to implement new tactics to pressure Panama to rid itself of Chinese Communist influence.

U.S. and Iran: Five Signs of Looming Conflict

NewsWeek

The growing tensions between the United States and Iran have sparked fears of a potential military conflict. Signs indicate that both nations are preparing for a major confrontation with military build-ups, strikes, economic sanctions, shows of military force and diplomatic breakdowns.

This Gov’t Agency Is Still Spending $1,000,000,000 on DEI Despite Trump’s Order to Cut It Out

The Daily Signal

While other agencies have moved to eliminate the “illegal and immoral programs” targeted in Trump’s day-one executive order, NIH is still funding over $1.3 billion in active grants that include DEI components—from race-based hiring schemes to “anti-racist” training initiatives and diversity-first faculty pipelines. At least $441 million of those grants explicitly cite DEI in their project descriptions, according to NIH data compiled by watchdog group Do No Harm.

Trump Signs Pardon for Former Hunter Biden Business Partner

The Epoch Times

Archer was involved in several companies with Hunter Biden before being charged in a fraud scheme that targeted Native Americans and pension funds. He was convicted in 2018. The conviction was thrown out after a federal judge found that Archer did not intend to commit fraud, but a federal appeals court overturned the dismissal. The court said evidence in the case, including emails, supported the jury’s conviction.

CDC Reschedules Postponed Vaccine Meeting

The Epoch Times

The draft agenda lists all of the same topics as the agenda for the meeting that had been slated to be held in mid-February. The only addition is a 30-minute session on the epidemiology of measles and measles outbreaks.

View More