The Cipher Brief

The Bear and the Dragon: The Threat of Sino-Russian Opportunism and Intelligence Miscalculation

Russia and China don’t need a secret war plan to overwhelm U.S. strategy — they may only need to reach the same dangerous conclusion at the same time.

KREMLIN FILES/COLUMN: As Washington's attention continues to be diverted with an Iran unwilling to come to a comprehensive peace, a more dangerous [...] More

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From Socialist Surge to Regional Realignment- Latin America’s Pink Tide Is Receding

Latin America’s Pink Tide Recedes as Economic Reality Fractures Socialist AllianceLatin America’s leftist front is hitting a wall. The momentum that [...] More

Man in a fur hat speaks at a podium with microphones, North Korean flag in the background.

That Other Nuclear Nightmare: North Korea Sounds New Alarms

DEEP DIVE – As the U.S. grapples with the still-unsolved problem of Iran’s nuclear program, another American adversary is expanding its nuclear [...] More

Woman speaking at podium with Mexican seal, flag, and artwork in background.

CIA Deaths Expose Fragile U.S.-Mexico Security Ties

Around two o’clock in the morning of April 19, an SUV veered off a twisting dirt road in a remote corner of the Sierra Madre, plunged into a ravine [...] More

The Pakistani General Running Washington’s Backchannel to Tehran

The Pakistani General Running Washington’s Backchannel to Tehran

OPINION -- As Washington and Tehran edge closer to escalation, the most critical line of communication keeping the crisis from spiraling is being run [...] More

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MANHOLE COVER STORY: A Russian cargo ship called the Ursa Major sank off the coast of Spain in December 2024 under circumstances that were, until recently, as murky as the 8,000 feet of Mediterranean water now covering it. A just published CNN investigation has filled in some of the blanks. The ship's official paperwork claimed it was carrying industrial equipment and two manhole covers. According to CNN, Spanish authorities learned, however, from the ship's captain that the vessel may have been carrying components for two nuclear submarine reactors - possibly destined for North Korea. The story is especially sensitive [...] More

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State Secrets

Jennifer Ewbank dives deep into how algorithmic manipulation and AI are reshaping the battlefield of information.

As threats evolve, our understanding of them must too. The convergence of technology and tactics is unprecedented, and it's vital to recognize the implications of this industrialized production of misinformation.

The developments in AI could be a game-changer, enabling us to identify synthetic media at scale, offering a way to counter this threat without censorship.

Is this the moment we redefine our approach to misinformation?