Loose lips sink ships ... whose ships exactly?
April 7 to April 13: Pentagon Intelligence Leaks + Taiwan China + more
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Here’s what we’ve got in store:
Get the facts about:
Pentagon Intelligence Leaks
Taiwan China
Clarence Thomas and GOP Donor
Bias bites: What the left and right are ignoring and obsessing over
Pentagon Intelligence Leaks
In a nutshell: Several US intelligence documents have been leaked, revealing information about military bases, Western special forces in Ukraine, and scenarios in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, leading to an investigation focused on insiders, with the Secret Service tracking websites and Schumer calling for a classified briefing.
Who is being investigated in relation to these leaks?
The person behind the leak of classified US military documents is being investigated. The leaker is described as a lonely young man and gun enthusiast who works on a military base and posted sensitive national security secrets in an online group of acquaintances on the social media platform Discord. The Pentagon and the Justice Department have launched investigations into the leaks. The leaker goes by the name "OG."
Sources: 1. New York Post, 2. CNN
What are the implications of the leaked information in terms of national security?
The leaked information includes highly classified US military documents, including some that paint a pessimistic US view of the war in Ukraine.
The Pentagon and Justice Department have launched investigations into the leaks.
The leak has rocked Washington in recent days, and US officials became aware of the leak on April 5 when classified documents related to the war in Ukraine were posted on Russian Telegram channels, message board platform 4chan, and Twitter.
The implications of the leaked information in terms of national security are still being investigated.
Sources: 1. New York Post, 2. CNN
What were the leaked documents about Ukraine's war strength?
The leaked Pentagon documents offer an unvarnished look at high-level U.S. assessments of the war in Ukraine, including tactical information about Ukrainian forces ahead of an expected spring offensive. The documents also show how depleted Ukrainian forces have become after more than a year at war. Some of the leaked documents also reveal details of U.S. spying on Russia’s war machine in Ukraine and secret assessments of Ukraine’s combat power, as well as intelligence gathering on America’s allies, including South Korea and Israel.
Sources: 1. Washington Post, 2. Washington Post, 3. NBC News, 4. Washington Examiner
Here's the most relevant prediction market I could find: Will the Russia-Ukraine War End by June 30th, 2023?
It has been sliding down steadily over time - unsure how much the leaks have played into it.
What is Discord and how was it used in the leak?
Discord is a chat platform that was used by the person behind the leaked Pentagon documents to post the classified materials on a server controlled by "OG." The server was described as a "pandemic refuge" for teen gamers. The leaked documents were then spread to other Discord servers and eventually to Russian Telegram channels, message board platform 4chan, and Twitter. Discord is currently cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation.
Sources: 1. CNN, 2. New York Post
Tensions between China and Taiwan
In a nutshell: China is conducting military drills around Taiwan amid tensions with the US and France, while Taiwan's president meets with US lawmakers and invokes Reagan's legacy, and McCarthy downplays the meeting's impact on US-China relations.
What is the current situation between China and Taiwan?
China has been increasing its military pressure against Taiwan over the past three years, with regular missions around Taiwan.
Taiwan's defense ministry reported that in the previous 24 hours, it had spotted 71 Chinese air force aircraft and nine navy vessels around Taiwan.
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control and considers Tsai a separatist.
Taiwan's President Tsai has vowed that the country has the will to fight China.
The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and President Biden has said publicly that US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from mainland China.
The situation has sparked debate within the Biden administration about the long-held US policy of "strategic ambiguity" of what exactly the US military would do to protect the island democracy from an invasion.
Life in Taiwan has continued as normal despite the tensions, with no signs of panic or disruption.
Sources: 1. Reuters, 2. Washington Times, 3. Reuters, 4. Washington Examiner
Why is China conducting military drills around Taiwan?
China is conducting military drills around Taiwan as a warning to those advocating for Taiwanese independence after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California last week. Chinese leaders have fumed over the visit. The drills suggest a China willing to take more provocative actions. Some key U.S. lawmakers believe Beijing may be carrying out rehearsals for even more drastic steps. China has simulated striking Taiwan on the second day of the drills, and Zhao Xiaozhuo of China's Academy of Military Sciences told the Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper this was the first time China had openly talked of simulated attacks on targets in Taiwan.
Sources: 1. Reuters, 2. Washington Times, 3. New York Post, 4. Reuters
How is the US involved in this situation?
The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. President Biden has publicly stated that US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an attack from mainland China. However, the US also maintains the "One China" policy, acknowledging Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China, while still maintaining informal diplomatic relations and substantial defense ties with Taipei. US military officials are bracing for retaliation from China due to high-level visits by US representatives to Taiwan.
Sources: 1. Reuters, 2. Washington Times, 3. Washington Times
How are these questions and answers generated? Learn more about Clarity’s AI:
Clarence Thomas and GOP Donor
In a nutshell: Justice Clarence Thomas is defending himself against accusations that he violated ethics rules by accepting lavish gifts and vacations from a GOP megadonor, claiming that the trips were cleared by judicial advisers and were "personal hospitality" rather than business.
Who is Clarence Thomas and what did he do?
Clarence Thomas is a Supreme Court Justice who has recently come under fire for accepting luxury trips from a GOP donor and friend, Harlan Crow, over the past 25 years. Thomas confirmed that he and his wife have taken trips with Crow, but did not report them on annual financial disclosure forms. Liberals have renewed calls for his resignation over the issue.
Source: 1. Washington Post, 2. New York Post, 3. Washington Post, 4. Washington Times
Who is the GOP megadonor?
The GOP megadonor is Harlan Crow, a Dallas business executive who has donated to several Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, including Clarence Thomas.
Source: 1. Washington Post, 2. Washington Examiner, 3. Washington Times
What is the controversy surrounding the trips?
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been under fire for accepting luxury trips financed by a billionaire friend and conservative activist, Harlan Crow, for more than two decades, including travel on a superyacht and private jet, which would have cost more than $500,000 if he and his wife had paid for themselves. Thomas confirmed that he had repeatedly accepted travel from Crow over more than two decades of friendship, but added that he did not have to report the gifts on annual financial disclosure forms. Thomas said he had been advised “by colleagues and others in the judiciary” that the trips were “personal hospitality” that did not have to be disclosed. However, after a Los Angeles Times report in 2004 on how Thomas was the court’s leader in reporting gifts, there was a drastic change in the justice’s reporting. During the past 18 years, Thomas has reported receiving just two gifts, according to a Washington Post review of his financial disclosure forms.
Sources: 1. Washington Post, 2. Washington Post, 3. New York Post
Bias Bites
The Right is ignoring:
The Right is obsessing over:
The Left is ignoring
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