Julian E. Barnes

Venezuela Doesn’t Produce Fentanyl. Trump Is Targeting It Anyway.

Is there fentanyl on the boats from Venezuela the Trump administration is blowing up? No. I explain and discuss @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/u...

Gabbard Plan Would Shrink Intelligence Center Focused on Election Threats

Gabbard reorganizes ODNI, shrinking election defense office and eliminating the national intelligence university. In the name of money savings and crushing the "deep state." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...

N.S.A.’s Acting Director Tried to Save Top Scientist From Purge

NEW: Acting NSA director intervened to try and save job of chief data scientist and government AI expert but was rebuffed by Tulsi Gabbard. More: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/u...

U.S. Spy Agencies Assess Iran Remains Undecided on Building a Bomb

American intel agencies have assessed that, despite Israel's attack, Iran has not decided to move to a nuclear weapon. That could change, officials said, if the US attacks Fordo or Israel kills the Supreme leader. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/u...

China’s Spy Agencies Are Investing Heavily in A.I., Researchers Say

Will China's spy agencies adopt A.I. tools faster than the west? New report by Recorded Future on Chinese intelligence agencies investments in A.I. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/17/u...

Trump Appointee Pressed Analyst to Redo Intelligence on Venezuelan Gang

New from Julian Barnes, Maggie Haberman and me:

Trump Appointee Pressed Analyst to Redo Intelligence on Venezuelan Gang

The move followed a disclosure that intelligence agencies disagree with a key factual claim Trump made to invoke a wartime deportation law.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/u...

Signal Clone Used by Waltz Suspends Service After ‘Security Incident’ (Gift Article) The clone, TeleMessage, was the subject of a reported hack in which the contents of some direct messages and group chats were stolen.

Signal clone used by the NSC and US government shut down temporarily after hack exposes security flaws. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/u...

Spy Agencies Do Not Think Venezuela Directs Gang, Declassified Memo Shows (Gift Article) The release of the memo further undercuts the Trump administration’s rationale for using the Alien Enemies Act to deport scores of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador.

ODNI releases the "sense of the community" memo on the intelligence assessments around TdA's ties to the Maduro government. @charliesavage.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/u...

Firing of National Security Agency Chief Rattles Lawmakers (Gift Article) Gen. Timothy D. Haugh, who was also the head of U.S. Cyber Command, was one of several national security officials fired on the advice of a conspiracy theorist.

Senator King: “Our country is under attack right now in cyberspace, and the president has just removed our top general from the field for no reason at the recommendation of someone who knows nothing about national security or even the job this general does.” www.nytimes.com/2025/04/05/u...

Gen. Timothy Haugh Ousted as Head of NSA and Cyber Command No reason was given for the removal of Gen. Timothy D. Haugh. The far-right activist Laura Loomer had called for his ouster in a meeting with President Trump, an official said.

Loomer has posted on social media why she wanted Haugh and Noble fired. She claims Gen Haugh was tapped by Mark Milley and Wendy Noble is a protege of Jim Clapper. These are not reasons Presidents typically oust intelligence chiefs. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/u...

NSA director Gen. Haugh fired after far right activist Laura Loomer demanded his removal in her Oval Office meeting with Trump. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/u...

Musk Visits C.I.A. to Discuss Downsizing Efforts A federal judge ordered the agency to reconsider its firings of employees who had been assigned to diversity recruiting.

Judge orders CIA to
hear appeals of officers working diversity issues and consider allowing them to take other positions. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/u...

Topographical map of the City of New York : showing original water courses and made land Relief shown by hachures. "Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1865 by Egbert L. Viele in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New Yo...

Specifically the Viele map. www.loc.gov/item/2006629...

Manhattan!

Trump Administration Opens Leak Investigations (Gift Article) Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said she intended to hold officials who released information “accountable.”

Matt Murray, Washington Post editor, on Gabbard leak investigations: "The Washington Post takes seriously its responsibility to seek and report the facts without fear or favor on behalf of the American people, regardless of the administration."
www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/u...

Gabbard Considers Critic of Israel’s War in Gaza for Intel Post (Gift Article) The potential appointment has highlighted an emerging foreign policy fault line in the new Trump administration.

Critic of Israel’s war in Gaza out of consideration for top intelligence post. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/u...

Critic of Israel’s War in Gaza Considered for a Top Intelligence Post

Critic of Israel's war in Gaza considered for key intelligence post, upsetting Republicans. Will Gabbard and the White House reconsider appointing Daniel Davis for the job overseeing the President's Daily Brief? www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/u...

Intelligence Officials Continue Chat Messages Inquiry Officials confirmed that the N.S.A. managed a system that had been used for sexually explicit chats and L.G.B.T.Q. discussions. An order to fire dozens after the chats were revealed drew scrutiny amid a military purge of transgender soldiers.

NSA and intel agencies continuing to investigate explicit chats. Critics say expulsions are an anti-trans purge, pointing to Pentagon efforts. Officials push back. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/u...

Tulsi Gabbard says more than 100 intelligence officers were fired for explicit chat messages.

Gabbard fires more than 100 intelligence officers who participated in a sexually explicit chat on a secret government network. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02...

The C.I.A. Is Planning Its Largest Mass Firing in Nearly 50 Years (Gift Article) The possible purge of officers working on recruiting and diversity comes as the agency moves to comply with the spirit of an executive order banning efforts to diversify the federal work force.

CIA prepares for biggest mass firing since 1977. Few got fired for torture/enhanced interrogation. Many will be fired for recruiting efforts. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/u...

Four Takeaways From Tulsi Gabbard’s Road to Confirmation It turns out it is very difficult to vote down a president’s choice for a top post.

It turns out it is very hard to block a president’s choice for a cabinet post. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...

Tulsi Gabbard Confirmed by Senate for Top Intelligence Post The success of one of President Trump’s more divisive cabinet candidates shows his domination over the Republican Senate.

The Senate confirms Gabbard 52-48. Mitch McConnell is the only Republican dissenting vote. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...

Who Is Marc Fogel? The American Teacher Caught in a Global Power Struggle. (Gift Article) Mr. Fogel, who had lived and taught in many countries, including Russia for nine years, spent 3 ½ years in Russian custody for having cannabis for medical use, and is in poor health.

"This was definitely a setup." The story of Marc Fogel and his imprisonment in Russia. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/w...

Russia Releases U.S. Prisoner After Talks With Trump Envoy The Kremlin freed Marc Fogel, a teacher held for more than three years on drug charges, in a deal negotiated by Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East envoy.

New: Trump and Witkoff secure the release of Marc Fogel, an American held in Russia. An opening move in a larger Ukraine negotiation? Swan, Haberman and team: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/11/u...

C.I.A. Sends White House an Unclassified Email With Names of Some Employees (Gift Article) The list of partial names was provided in an effort to comply with an executive order to trim the federal work force.

NEW: White House requested a list of CIA employees as part of efforts to shrink the federal government. The list, which included partial names, was sent in an unclassified email. David Sanger and I report: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/u...

Senate Panel Approves Gabbard’s Nomination The full Senate will vote on President Trump’s pick to be the director of national intelligence. She was one of the most contentious cabinet choices.

Tulsi Gabbard clears the Senate Intelligence Committee making her confirmation on the floor seem very likely. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/u...

Trump Names Michael Ellis to Be C.I.A. Deputy Director

Insiders say Ellis was up to be CIA general counsel, only to emerge as the consensus pick when other candidates (Amaryllis Fox Kennedy!) turned out to be too divisive in Trumpworld. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02...

Iran Is Developing Plans for Faster, Cruder Weapon, U.S. Concludes (Gift Article) As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel prepares to meet with President Trump, the question of whether to strike Iran’s facilities or negotiate with Tehran appears certain to be under debate.

New: Iran considering if it should make a cruder nuclear weapon, something it could build more swiftly. For now, no decision to pursue a bomb. David Sanger and I report: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/u...

Senate Committee Will Vote on Tulsi Gabbard’s Nomination on Tuesday, Officials Say Democrats are united in opposition to her serving as the director of national intelligence. A single Republican no vote would complicate her confirmation by the full Senate.

Senate Intel will vote Tuesday on Gabbard. More: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/u...

4 Takeaways From Tulsi Gabbard’s Confirmation Hearing President Trump’s choice to serve as the director of national intelligence faced tough questions from senators in both parties.

Takeaways from the Gabbard hearing. Edward Snowden is a traitor is the only idea that still unites Democrats and Republicans in DC. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/u...