A Dartmouth research institute urged Washington to authorize private companies for limited cyberattacks against cryptocurrency scammers and ransomware networks. The report argued that American intelligence agencies focus on targeted operations while Chinese counterparts conduct widespread opportunistic hacking across global systems. Experts recommended pilot programs allowing vetted private operators to seize stolen funds and disrupt criminal…

Legal commentator Benjamin Wittes advocates using humor to challenge authoritarian power after former hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov shared how mockery helped her survive torture in Iraq. Tsurkov recalled captors attempting intimidation by blowing strawberry-scented electronic cigarette vapor at her face, which she found absurd rather than frightening. Wittes argues that protesters wearing inflatable dinosaur costumes at…

China dominates international technical standards organizations that govern global infrastructure systems ranging from ports to power grids. Beijing increased its leadership positions in the International Organization for Standardization by seventeen times since 1998, while American representation declined. Chinese officials coordinate positions across government agencies and deploy engineers to shape protocols affecting wireless networks and industrial…

Zimbabwean attorney Tawanda Nyambirai claims the national constitution contains a gap allowing President Emmerson Mnangagwa to extend his tenure beyond the 2028 limit without voter approval. The ruling Zanu PF party adopted a resolution at its recent Mutare conference seeking to keep Mnangagwa in office until 2030 despite constitutional term restrictions. Professor Jonathan Moyo previously…

Anthropic settled a class-action lawsuit for $1.5 billion after publishers and authors claimed the company trained artificial intelligence models on millions of unauthorized books. Courts permitted training on purchased materials while blocking the use of pirated content, leaving unresolved questions about the use of public website data. The settlement sparked debate over whether the payment…

Chinese government hackers penetrated major American telecommunications companies through a campaign affecting nearly 400 million subscribers at Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The multiyear operation targeted political candidates’ phones, law enforcement wiretapping systems, and military networks while stealing call records, geolocation data, and classified information. Senator Mark Warner called the breach the worst telecommunications hack in…

Advanced artificial intelligence companies face mounting pressure to increase safety investments amid experts’ warnings of catastrophic risks from emerging technology. Legal scholar proposes a joint liability framework requiring leading firms to share financial responsibility when individual companies cannot cover disaster-related damages. The system would calculate each organization’s contribution based on risk factors such as computing…

Legal commentator Benjamin Wittes advocated for measured responses to rapid political developments rather than immediate reactions to each controversy. He postponed analysis of former FBI Director James Comey’s dismissal motions and declined to address President Donald Trump’s demand for $230 million from the Justice Department until he had reviewed the complete facts. Wittes argued that…

Northern Ireland’s legal professionals demanded the creation of a surveillance oversight position after police admitted improper monitoring of attorneys. The Police Service of Northern Ireland released findings from Angus McCullough’s independent examination last month, revealing that officers conducted illegal surveillance of solicitors and violated attorney-client confidentiality protections. The Law Society pressed authorities to appoint a…

An International Criminal Court judge warned that sanctions and arrest warrants against the tribunal threaten judicial independence worldwide. Judge Beti Hohler addressed attendees at an Irish Rule of Law International event in Belfast, describing attacks on the court as severe and unprecedented. Both the United States and Russia have targeted ICC officials through economic penalties…