If you're looking for the latest water cooler buzz in the national security community, look no further. Here's what we're whispering about in the break room:
ANALYST-WRITER-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER – Maybe not exactly Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but it still sounds like a pretty exciting career path. Just ask David McCloskey, who Deadline says just signed a deal with Prologue Entertainment for a ‘first look’ at his future work. That means we should be looking for future film and television shows based on his best-selling novels. The State Secrets Podcast talked with McCloskey after his latest book, The Persian was published - and found out a few of the analyst-turned-novelist’s secrets for writing page-turning spy thrillers.
SHIN BETTING SCANDAL: Remember when we speculated in the Dead Drop that someone might make a killing on a prediction platform like Polymarket by wagering that the U.S. would strike Iran in the middle of Bad Bunny’s halftime show? Okay, we didn’t nail the timing... but the concept was on target. This week, an Israeli civilian and an IDF reservist were indicted in Tel Aviv for allegedly using classified insider information to make “informed wagers” on Polymarket. According to The Jerusalem Post and other Israeli media, the duo are accused of placing tens of thousands of dollars in bets in June on hyper-specific outcomes, including: “Israel will strike Iran on Friday,” and “Israel will end its war by July.” The bettor allegedly walked away with over $152,000. Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, says the wins weren't luck but that they were fueled by classified intel obtained during military service. All that cash may come in handy paying legal bills.
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