Science & Tech

Special Operators Are Using Rapid DNA Readers

Conducting a midnight SEAL raid on a terrorist compound? Positive DNA identification is just 90 minutes away.

Policy

NSA Domestic Spying Will Start Stopping This Week

Lawmakers only have until Friday—not June 1—to resolve their standoff over the NSA's domestic surveillance, according to a new memo from the Obama administration.

Threats

Is US Foreign Policy Ignoring Homegrown Terrorists?

U.S. intelligence officials say the most likely terror threats facing American citizens come from 'home-grown' extremists. So why is it largely absent from debate in Washington?

Policy

NSA Spying Heads to Critical Senate Showdown

After the House voted to end bulk collection of phone data, Sen. Mitch McConnell promised to force a vote next week to reauthorize it.

Science & Tech

What the End of Bulk Metadata Collection Would Mean for Intelligence Collection

Americans may not trust spies with their data. Will they trust spy machines?

Policy

Sen. Corker: NSA Should Do Far More with Your Phone Data

The NSA's bulk-data collection program is so scaled down that it's not nearly as effective as it should be, the Senate Foreign Relations chairman says.

Science & Tech

China Warns Its Soldiers: Wearable Tech Could Leak Secrets

The Chinese military said fitness trackers and watches could send private and strategic data to hackers who've gained access to the vulnerable devices.

Policy

While Ruling NSA Program Illegal, Appeals Court Suggests Path Forward

A recent federal appeals court ruling on the NSA's domestic surveillance program seems to be sending the political branches constitutional messages about how to proceed next.

Policy

Republicans Come Out In Force To Keep NSA's Domestic Surveillance Alive

Sen. Mitch McConnell and his fellow GOP security hawks are working hard to keep the spy agency’s phone dragnet. But they’re making some dubious claims in its defense.

Policy

Federal Appeals Court Rules NSA Spying Illegal

The phone data collection program 'exceeds the scope of what Congress has authorized,' a federal judge ruled Thursday in New York.

Business

Number of Security Clearance Holders Drops 12 Percent

Federal agencies have trimmed the ranks of employees and contractors with access to classified information.

Threats

Warren Weinstein's Death Should Help End US 'Signature' Drone Strikes

The civilian casualties from this botched operation lay bare the immense cost of failure.

Policy

Rand Paul Is Suddenly Quiet About Ending the NSA's Domestic Surveillance

Sen. Rand Paul hates the Patriot Act and NSA mass surveillance, but remains tight-lipped about majority leader Mitch McConnell's plan to keep both alive.

Ideas

The United States Needs a Drone Board

If we’re going to keep killing citizens by drone, we need a better form of due process for it.

Threats

White House: Three Americans Killed in Counterterrorism Operations

Administration officials said Thursday that one American hostage and two American al-Qaida operatives were killed during U.S. military operations.

Policy

New McConnell Bill Would Extend NSA's Domestic Surveillance Through 2020

The measure aims to restore a core provision of the USA Patriot Act that would permit the bulk collection of U.S. phone records beyond the next presidential term.

Policy

The Senator Who Might Scuttle NSA Reform

Without the backing of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, the USA Freedom Act will likely stall in the Senate, where last year it fell two votes short.

Ideas

Intelligence Reform 2.0

Here are six ways to make sure America’s leaders and troops get the intel they need.

Science & Tech

NSA Chief: Rules of War Apply to Cyberwar, Too

In the tightly controlled discussion about cyber weapons, this counts as a step toward transparency.