Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov pleaded guilty to lying about a fake bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, resulting in a recommended prison sentence of four to six years for a felony charge and tax evasion. Smirnov falsely claimed that Burisma executives paid the Bidens $5 million each in 2015, despite having only routine business dealings with the company since 2017. An FBI investigation found no evidence of corruption by Joe Biden, leading to the case being recommended for closure in August 2020.
Full Article
Taiwan’s Opportunities for Enhanced Defense – The Diplomat
Andrew Marshall emphasized the importance of net assessment in evaluating long-term state competition, focusing on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and vulnerabilities to achieve national security goals. The 2025 Annual Threat Assessment highlights China's "uneven progress" in military capabilities, creating strategic openings for Taiwan to exploit key vulnerabilities in areas like command and control, electronic warfare, and cyber warfare. By targeting PLA weaknesses in communication infrastructure and coordination, Taiwan can enhance deterrence and defense against a potential...
Read more