Technology Report: “Spycraft” – July 6, 2024

Technology Quarterly: Watching the watchers

The Economist SPECIAL REPORTS (July 2, 2024): The ‘Watching The Watchers’ issue features Tools of the spy trade have changed and so has the world in which they are used, says Shashank Joshi

The tools of global spycraft have changed

Illustration of two magnifying glasses with eyes inside on a background of digital files and pointing cursors.
illustration: claire merchlinsky

And so has the world in which they are used, says Shashank Joshi

Afew years ago intelligence analysts observed that internet-connected cctv cameras in Taiwan and South Korea were inexplicably talking to vital parts of the Indian power grid. The strange connection turned out to be a deliberately circuitous route by which Chinese spies were communicating with malware they had previously buried deep inside crucial parts of the Indian grid (presumably to enable future sabotage). The analysts spotted it because they were scanning the internet to look for “command and control” (c2) nodes—such as cameras—that hackers use as stepping stones to their victims.

Ubiquitous technical surveillance has made spying more difficult

Signals intelligence has become a cyber-activity

Sometimes the old ways of espionage are the best

Artificial intelligence can speed-sort satellite photos

Private firms and open sources are giving spies a run for their money

News: Israel Frees Dozens Of Palestinian Prisoners, Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

The Globalist Podcast (July 2, 2024): We discuss the latest on the Hamas-Israel war following the release of dozens of Palestinian prisoners and the UN Security Council’s special session on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Meanwhile, a new European far-right alliance led by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is announced in Vienna. Plus, a flick through the papers, South Africa’s new government and a round-up of fashion and retail news.

The New York Times — Tuesday, July 2, 2024

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Supreme Court Says Trump Has Some Immunity in Election Case

The ruling makes a distinction between official actions of a president, which have immunity, and those of a private citizen. In dissent, the court’s liberals lament a vast expansion of presidential power.

Ruling Further Slows Trump Election Case but Opens Door to Airing of Evidence

The Supreme Court’s immunity decision directed the trial court to hold hearings on what portions of the indictment can survive — a possible chance for prosecutors to set out their case in public before Election Day.

The Road to a Crisis: How Democrats Let Biden Glide to Renomination

An 81-year-old candidate and no Plan B. “How did we get here?” one leading Democrat asks. The answer is complicated.

The Center Collapses in France, Leaving Macron Marooned

Squeezed by the far-right National Rally party and the left, President Emmanuel Macron faces a country that may prove ungovernable.

Preview: Foreign Policy Magazine – Summer 2024

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Foreign Policy Magazine – July 1, 2024: The new issue features ‘Europe Alone’ – Ten thinkers on a future without America’s embrace….

Europe Alone

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Nine thinkers on the continent’s future without America’s embrace.

By Mark LeonardConstanze StelzenmüllerNathalie TocciCarl BildtRobin NiblettRadoslaw SikorskiGuntram WolffBilahari KausikanIvan Krastev, and Stefan Theil

No bloc of countries has, for the past 75 years, been as umbilically tied to the United States as Europe. First, its western half and, since the end of the Cold War, much of its eastern half have prospered under the world’s most extensive bonds in trade, finance, and investment. Europe could also depend on the U.S. military’s iron commitment—enshrined in the 75-year-old NATO alliance—to come to its defense. Together with a few other nations, the United States and Europe defined many of the institutions that comprise what we call the Western-led order. The U.S.-European alliance has arguably been the bedrock of the global system as we know it today.

Trump’s Return Would Transform Europe

Illustration of a torn map of Europe revealing Donald Trump

Without Washington’s embrace, the continent could revert to an anarchic and illiberal past. By HAL BRANDS

Which is the real Europe? The mostly peaceful, democratic, and united continent of the past few decades? Or the fragmented, volatile, and conflict-ridden Europe that existed for centuries before that? If Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election in November, we may soon find out.

Previews: The New Yorker Magazine – July 8 & 15, 2024

A woman holds an ice cream cone at Coney Island.

The New Yorker (July 1, 2024): The new issue‘s cover features Kadir Nelson’s “Soft-Serve” – Keeping it cool while keeping cool…

Finally, a Leap Forward on Immigration Policy

President Biden has offered help to undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, in the most consequential act of immigration relief in more than a decade. By Jonathan Blitzer

High-Roller Presidential Donor Perks

Give now to get your name on the wing of a fighter jet!

Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s Scabrous Satire of the Super-Rich

In “Long Island Compromise,” wealth is a curse. Or is that just what we’d like to think?

News: Far-Right’s Big Gains In French Elections, China Travel Alert For Taiwan

The Globalist Podcast (July 1, 2024): Florence Biedermann and Alexandre Kouchner give us the latest on the first round of France’s legislative elections as the results come in.

Also in the programme: William Yang on Taiwan’s decision to raise its travel alert for China to orange – the second-highest level – and why Busan’s population might be entering a ‘phase of extinction’.

The New York Times — Monday, July 1, 2024

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48 Hours to Fix a 90-Minute Mess: Inside the Biden Camp’s Post-Debate Frenzy

With countless calls and a rush of campaign events, the president’s team began a damage-control effort to pressure and plead with anxious Democratic lawmakers, surrogates, activists and donors.

How the N.Y.P.D. Quietly Shuts Down Discipline Cases Against Officers

Police Commissioner Edward Caban has often relied on an obscure authority to intervene when officers are accused of serious wrongdoing, often handing out little to no punishment.

French Far Right Wins Big in First Round of Voting

A surprise decision by President Emmanuel Macron to hold a snap election appears to have backfired badly, giving the National Rally a decisive victory.

Travel Guide: What NOT To Do In Paris, France (2024)

DW Travel (June 30, 2024): A tour of Paris with tips on ‘what not to do’…

CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 01:02 Don’t visit Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre after 9 a.m. 02:10 Don’t buy your Ticket for the Eiffel Tower directly on site 03:50 Don’t think Paris is dangerous 04:15 Don’t bother with cars or taxis 04:33 Don’t expect everyone to speak English 05:50 Don’t rush through the Louvre just to take a selfie with the Mona Lisa 06:49 Don’t rush from landmark to landmark 07:21 Don’t put lovelocks on bridges 07:54 Don’t be afraid to try typical French dishes 🐌

SCIENCE & TECH: DISCOVER MAGAZINE – JULY/AUG 2024

Discover Magazine Subscription [6 issues]

Discover Magazine (June 30, 2024): The latest issue features ‘Next-Gen Medicine’ – Recreating human organs on microchips; Inside the new Opioid Crisis; History’s strangest sleep study and Prehistoric Family Secrets…

The Future of Organ-Chip Technology Is Bright

From rendering animal testing obsolete to reducing HIV and preterm birth, Donald Ingber is making the future a reality.

The Opioid Crisis Is Not Over

Organizations Work to Reduce Animal Deaths With Relegated Passageways

Man Experiences His Own Spine-Tingling Tale

Mapping the Darkness Excerpt: Sleep Spelunking

Sunday Morning: Stories From Zürich And Paris

Monocle on Sunday, June 30, 2024: Juliet Linley and Gorana Grgic join Monocle’s editorial director, Tyler Brûlé, to discuss the weekend’s hottest topics.

We also speak to political analyst Alexandre Kouchner and the host of The Bold Way podcast and friend of the programme, Adrien Garcia, on the mood in France and the first round of their elections. Plus: Emily Rookwood, editor in chief of the Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report, joins to give us all the details on global luxury spending in 2024.

News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious