The Latest: Ex-Homeland Security official fights back against Trump's investigation order
A former Homeland Security official during President Donald Trump's first administration, who authored an anonymous op-ed sharply critical of the president, is calling on independent government watchdogs to investigate after Trump ordered the department to look into his government service.
Miles Taylor was once chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security and warned in an interview with The Associated Press of the far-reaching implications of Trump's April 9 memorandum.
Here's the latest:
Trump wants to double the amount of oil coursing through Alaska's vast pipeline system and build a massive natural gas project as its 'big, beautiful twin,' a top administration official said Monday while touring a prolific oil field near the Arctic Ocean.
The remarks by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright came as he and two other Trump Cabinet members — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin — visited Prudhoe Bay as part of a multiday trip aimed at highlighting Trump's push to expand oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in the state that drew criticism from environmentalists.
During the trip, Burgum's agency announced plans to repeal Biden-era restrictions on future leasing and industrial development in portions of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that are designated as special for their wildlife, subsistence or other values.
▶ Read more about the trip
A Wisconsin man is facing charges accusing him of forging a letter threatening Trump's life in an effort to get another man who was a potential witness against him in a criminal case deported.
Prosecutors said in a criminal complaint that Demetric D. Scott was behind a letter sent to state and federal officials with the return address and name of Ramón Morales Reyes.
Scott was charged Monday with felony witness intimidation, identity theft and two counts of bail jumping.
Immigration agents arrested Morales Reyes after he dropped his child off at school in Milwaukee. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the arrest, saying he had written a letter threatening to kill Trump and would 'self-deport' to Mexico.
But the claim started to unravel as investigators talked to Morales Reyes.
Morales Reyes is listed as a victim in the case involving Scott, who is awaiting trial in Milwaukee County Jail on armed robbery and aggravated battery charges. The trial is scheduled for July.
▶ Read more about the case
A former Homeland Security official during Trump's first administration who authored an anonymous op-ed sharply critical of the president is calling on independent government watchdogs to investigate after Trump ordered the department to look into his government service.
Miles Taylor, once chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, warned in an interview with The Associated Press of the far-reaching implications of Trump's April 9 memorandum, 'Addressing Risks Associated with an Egregious Leaker and Disseminator of Falsehoods,' when it comes to suppressing criticism of the president. That memo accused Taylor of concocting stories to sell his book and directed the secretary of Homeland Security and other government agencies to look into Taylor and strip him of any security clearances.
Taylor sent a letter via email to the inspectors general at the Department of Justice and Homeland Security on Tuesday.
'I didn't commit any crime, and that's what's extraordinary about this. I can't think of any case where someone knows they're being investigated but has absolutely no idea what crime they allegedly committed. And it's because I didn't,' Taylor said.
▶ Read more about Taylor's letter
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Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Why did Trump exclude terror-hub Pakistan from travel ban: Brahma Chellaney hints at US' Deep State's anti-India stance
— Chellaney (@Chellaney) Myanmar blacklisted despite US rebel ties; Pakistan untouched Live Events Trump defends decision citing terror threats at home The 'Deep State' debate: Why it matters India's war on foreign influence: A backdrop to the ban Young minds, long games: How influence takes root Why this matters to India—and the world (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation reviving his earlier travel ban, this time targeting 12 countries including Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iran, Chad, Somalia, and Yemen. The stated reason: national security and the inability to vet migrants from these regions. However, what's been left out has drawn more attention than what's on the accused by Indian analysts of sheltering terrorist networks—has been spared. This, according to Indian geostrategist Brahma Chellaney , isn't a coincidence.'Trump's entry ban on visitors from 12 countries includes Myanmar (where the US is aiding anti-junta rebels), but excludes terrorism-hub Pakistan, indicating his embrace of the Deep State approach to India's neighbourhood,' Chellaney posted on was included in the ban despite its ongoing civil war and the US's reported backing of anti-junta rebel factions. The exclusion of Pakistan, meanwhile, appears to run counter to the public American stance on terror financing . This contradiction, Chellaney argues, exposes a deeper pattern of American double Pakistan's exemption lies a financial angle. Trump-linked interests reportedly have a stake in World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency firm that has signed a deal with Pakistan. The company's website openly displays, 'Inspired by Donald J Trump,' and is said to be co-owned by his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., along with Jared Kushner, who collectively hold a 60% Trump, in a post on Truth Social, justified the move by linking it to national security concerns. 'We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen,' he said. He referenced the recent Boulder terror attack to underscore what he sees as urgent restrictions have also been imposed on seven other countries including Cuba, Laos, Venezuela, and comment taps into a long-running and complex theory: the existence of a 'Deep State'—a shadow network of intelligence officers, officials, and financiers—who allegedly shape US policy regardless of the elected government's the idea is often dismissed as a conspiracy, it has gained traction in both right-wing American circles and among foreign governments, especially those at odds with Washington. The term broadly refers to entrenched institutions—like the CIA, FBI, Pentagon, and aligned media and NGOs—operating behind the scenes to sustain US global decades, these networks have been accused of backing coups, interfering in elections, and orchestrating regime change to suit American interests. In India, the theory has taken on more weight as the government cracks down on NGOs suspected of receiving funds from foreign entities pushing Western 2016, the Indian government has revoked licences of over 6,000 NGOs under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). More than 19,000 such organisations were deregistered between 2011 and 2019. Officials have raised red flags over entities funded by George Soros Open Society Foundation , Pierre Omidyar's Omidyar Network, and the Ford Foundation—all of which are now under tight these foundations continue to operate via intermediary organisations, channelling funds toward media groups and advocacy platforms critical of the Indian government.A representative of NGO Monitor, speaking anonymously, said, 'Soros has a very clear political philosophy—open society. He funds education and universities because he believes change must rise from the grassroots.'According to them, Soros-backed initiatives have influenced politics in Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, and attempted similar tactics during the Arab Spring. 'When you examine the work of Soros-funded organisations, their commitment to democracy rings hollow,' the source foundations offer fellowships to Indian students, shaping a future network of academics, journalists, and policymakers who echo liberal narratives critical of nationalist Soros has not hidden his views. At the Munich Security Conference in 2023, he declared, 'Adani is accused of stock manipulation and his stock collapsed like a house of cards. Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament. This will significantly weaken Modi's stranglehold on India's federal government and open the door to push for much-needed institutional reforms. I may be naive, but I expect a democratic revival in India.'External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar responded sharply, calling Soros 'an old, rich, opinionated, and dangerous billionaire.' Smriti Irani, then Minister for Women and Child Development, labelled the speech 'an attack on India.'Chellaney's critique, rooted in these long-running debates, suggests that the Trump administration's actions are shaped more by covert interests than by principled policy. The deliberate omission of Pakistan from the ban list, despite its terror links, highlights what he sees as a return to American strategic hypocrisy—one that India has been increasingly vocal the US doubles down on 'vetting' and migration control, critics warn that these decisions often mask more calculated moves. Ones that have little to do with security—and everything to do with influence.
Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
Defence alert: Crypto is turning into a geopolitical weapon
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Also Read: The triumph of crypto bros: Don't just shrug and move on What should India make of a superpower whose political leaders launch private currencies? Or of a country where former convicts are rehabilitated as strategic advisors to sovereign crypto councils? Are we witnessing a global power in search of infinite minting rights without democratic oversight but with the full cover of plausible deniability? Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, pleaded guilty to serious anti-money laundering failures, spent time in US custody and paid $4.3 billion for a settlement. His crypto exchange facilitated transactions for sanctioned groups like Hamas—flows that would never get past a regulated banking system. The Binance blow-up should have ended his financial career. Instead, he now advises Pakistan's official crypto task force. Justin Sun, whose firm invested $30 million in Trump-linked World Liberty Financial, was under investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for civil fraud. Today, he is a front-row guest at US political fund-raisers. Are crypto dealings the new way to buy influence in the US? This seems like a gateway through which otherwise ineligible actors—be it individuals, regimes or rogue states—are quietly admitted into the global financial order, now that the need for institutional legitimacy appears to be receding behind the opacity that once resulted in exclusion. Also Read: Mint Quick Edit | De-dollarization: Trump should target crypto, not Brics It's a return to Cold War-style shadow financing, but with the support of blockchains instead of banks. So much for the superpower that lectures the world on clean governance. When financial opacity is rebranded as innovation, geopolitics takes on a new form we should all be wary of. The IMF and World Bank have been vocal in their concerns. The IMF has warned that widespread adoption of private cryptocurrencies threatens monetary sovereignty, enables illicit flows and undermines capital controls, especially in emerging markets. We saw disruptions in El Salvador, Nigeria, and Lebanon, where crypto experiments coincided with capital volatility and institutional erosion. Terror finance remains an enduring threat to global security. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has repeatedly highlighted how terrorist groups exploit crypto to bypass formal banking oversight. Yet, Pakistan has FATF clearance. For a country like India—on the front-line of cross-border terrorism—this is a real risk. Crypto has operationalized what could be described as 'eHawala': borderless transfers in real time that can stay hidden. A sovereign nation should not let private entities mint currency, however trendy or popular it proves. To its credit, the Reserve Bank of India saw this coming. Its resistance to private cryptocurrency is neither timidity nor technophobia—it is an assertion of monetary sovereignty. In today's world, capital flows can be weaponized. It is therefore a matter of national security to ensure such weapons are not aimed at us. Also Read: Trump's crypto reserve: An odd idea with a silver lining for the world Yet, the pressure to capitulate is mounting. Global crypto platforms, freshly repackaged as fintech innovations, have been pushing for softer regulation. In India, domestic actors have lobbied against India's high tax on crypto gains by arguing that crypto capital must be stopped from fleeing offshore. In matters of financial security, arguing that crypto should remain unchecked because conventional checks aren't flawless is not just illogical, but dangerously juvenile. Even if the US exerts diplomatic pressure, India mustn't oblige. Instead, India should put systems in place for crypto deterrence. Cutting-edge surveillance tools, forensic finance capabilities and offensive digital arsenals could be deployed against adversarial scenarios of crypto being used as a Trojan horse to destabilize our financial system. Just as strategic weapons are kept discreet, so must this. The future of finance may well be digital. But that future must be guided by sovereign plans, not determined by offshore hype or patronage games. In the crypto age, our sovereignty must be defended with the same strategic intent that we apply to borders, seas, airspace and cyberspace. Crypto is now a geopolitical instrument and potentially a vector of strategic harm. It needs to be viewed as a weaponizable tool, even as we secure our financial architecture from any threat it may pose. This is no longer a matter for committees to discuss. It is a political decision—one that cannot be deferred without consequences. The author is a corporate advisor and author of 'Family and Dhanda'
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First Post
38 minutes ago
- First Post
US-China trade tensions threaten tech partnerships
As both the US and China accuse each other of violating the 90-day trade truce agreed upon in May, tech partnership between the world's top two economies is falling apart brick by brick read more Trade tensions between the US and China have escalated again as the world's two largest economies accuse each other of breaching the 90-day trade truce agreed upon in May. On Monday (June 2), Beijing accused the US of breaching the agreement after US President Donald Trump said China had ' totally violated ' it. The Chinese Commerce Ministry said that while China had upheld the deal, the US introduced 'discriminatory and restrictive measures' that 'severely undermine' the agreement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tech decoupling in full swing One of the many fallouts of this trade tussle is that the tech partnership between the two countries is falling apart. Last month, the Trump administration intensified its crackdown on Huawei , saying that the use of the Chinese technology giant's artificial intelligence (AI) chips could trigger criminal penalties under US export control laws. In a statement, the US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said, 'Using Huawei Ascend chips anywhere in the world violates US export controls.' The BIS maintains that the chips are 'likely to have been designed with certain US software or technology or produced with semiconductor manufacturing equipment that is the direct product of certain US-origin software or technology, or both.' Meanwhile, Reuters reported last month that Washington has ordered a broad swathe of companies to stop shipping goods to China without a license and revoked licenses already granted to certain suppliers. Several US firms have received letters from the Trump administration over the past few weeks, highlighting the new restrictions. The agency quoted sources as saying the letters were sent to firms shipping electronic design automation (EDA) software for semiconductors. China forcing Apple Intelligence rollout delays There are allegations that China might also be doubling down on punitive measures against US firms as trade war leverage. According to media reports, Apple's rollout of intelligence services in China is being held up by regulators. Apple is working with Alibaba to launch Apple Intelligence for Chinese users. The software would also be embedded in Alibaba devices. However, China's internet authority is sitting over approval requests. Experts are linking the approval delays to trade tensions between the two nations. Apple's business interests have been hit hard as these restrictions put local competitors Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo in an advantageous position. The firm's business is already shrinking in the world's second-largest economy. At the start of 2023, Apple dominated the Chinese smartphone market with a 70 per cent share, while Huawei languished at 13 per cent. However, by the first quarter of this year, Apple's share dropped to below 50 per cent while Huawei's rose to 35 per cent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump-Xi talks soon This tech decoupling is expected to continue as long as trade tensions simmer. Trump is expected to talk to China's Xi Jinping in the coming days, as confirmed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 'Maybe it's a glitch in the Chinese system; maybe it's intentional. We'll see after the president speaks with the party chairman,' Bessent said, referring to Xi. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, also hoped that the two leaders would have a 'wonderful conversation'. 'President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi,' he said on the ABC News program 'This Week.'
