148937 stories
·
0 followers

Putin, Trump, NATO, and perspectives for Russia - Europe full scale war

1 Share

AI Mode reply for Putin, Trump, NATO, and perspectives for Russia - Europe full scale war

A full-scale conventional war between Russia and Europe remains unlikely in the near term, but an escalating campaign of Russian sabotage and hybrid warfare is actively testing NATO's resolve.

📊 Current Threat and Hybrid War

  • Intelligence agencies report a low risk of an immediate full invasion.
  • Russia is waging a shadow war across European countries.
  • Attacks include cyber operations, cutting undersea cables, and explosive drones.
  • Moscow aims to intimidate Kyiv's supporters without triggering Article 5.

📌 Vladimir Putin's Strategy

  • Putin maintains maximalist goals to control Ukraine and weaken Western unity.
  • The Kremlin has increased military spending and planned a larger army for 2027.
  • Sabotage inside Europe tries to stop Western financial and military aid.
  • Analysts note Putin is testing where Western "red lines" actually begin.

⚠️ Donald Trump's Approach

  • The U.S. administration under President Donald Trump is pushing for direct peace negotiations.
  • Trump has proposed or explored multi-party talks to end the fighting.
  • At the same time, Trump has expressed skepticism that Putin plans to directly attack NATO territory.
  • Critics argue mixed U.S. signals may inadvertently embolden Moscow.

✅ NATO's Response and Readiness

  • NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warns that Russia is a serious long-term threat.
  • Rutte states that the Western military alliance would crush any direct attack on member states.
  • European nations are boosting domestic defense and anti-drone security measures.
  • Transatlantic leaders are debating how to counter gray-zone aggression without starting a broader war.
  • Russia’s Real Strategy in Europe - The Atlantic

    Strategy: Russia avoids conventional war with NATO, waging a hybrid campaign of sabotage (cyberattacks, arson, cable ruptures, exp...

  • US, Europe worry Russia is testing NATO with hybrid attacks and ...

    Sep 26, 2026 — US, Europe worry Russia is testing NATO with hybrid attacks and sabotage “No matter what the provocation, we have been more worrie...

  • Russia intensifies hybrid war beyond Ukraine, rattling Europe

    Sep 27, 2026 — The Trump administration is preparing for a three-way meeting between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia for negotiations to end the war...

Read the whole story
Michael_Novakhov
26 minutes ago
reply
http://michael_novakhov.newsblur.com/
Share this story
Delete

Stephen Miller and the FBI

1 Share

AI Mode Conversation: Stephen Miller and the FBI

Stephen Miller and the FBI

AI Mode reply for Stephen Miller and the FBI

Two senior FBI counterterrorism officials were demoted and reassigned on Friday, September 25, 2026, following a dispute over an investigation into harassing phone calls made to Katie Miller, a conservative podcaster and the wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

The Demotions and Disagreement

Michael Burgwald, the special agent in charge of counterterrorism at the FBI's Washington Field Office, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were ousted from their positions by bureau leadership. The field office team had reviewed the reported harassing calls and determined they did not meet the threshold required for a federal investigation, finding no nexus to terrorism.

According to reports from MS NOW, Stephen Miller and FBI Director Kash Patel were displeased after the agents questioned the legality and legitimacy of utilizing specialized counterterrorism resources for the matter. Darren Cox, the assistant director-in-charge of the Washington Field Office, subsequently ordered their removal, though he stated that Patel did not personally make the final decision.

White House and FBI Response

A senior White House official issued a statement asserting that the Miller family had never met or interacted with the demoted officials, adding that "senior leadership at the FBI determined they were stifling investigations into very serious threats and made a unilateral decision to remove them".

However, sources noted a history of tension regarding the use of bureau assets for the couple's personal incidents. For instance, the Millers had previously grown irate with career agents who pushed back against using FBI resources to investigate critical paper flyers posted in their neighborhood.

Fallout and Broader Context

  • Justice Department Action: Career prosecutors in Massachusetts and the Department of Justice are reportedly moving close to charging a Boston-area man traced to the phone calls, despite ongoing skepticism from some prosecutors and agents regarding the strength and federal scope of the case.
  • Leadership Resignation: Following the demotions, FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey resigned on Monday, September 28, 2026. While public reports indicated he was frustrated by the forced transfers, the FBI issued a statement claiming he supported the reassignments and left to spend time with his family.

Reports from MS NOW highlight internal friction and the sudden leadership shuffle following the reassignment of the veteran counterterrorism agents:

FBI agents DEMOTED, Deputy Director RESIGNS amid ...

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

Copied to clipboardFailed to copy to clipboard. Try again later.

  • FBI agents probing threats against Stephen Miller’s wife demoted

    Sep 26, 2026 — Two veteran FBI counterterrorism supervisors have been removed from their jobs after a disagreement over an investigation involvin...

  • FBI agents DEMOTED, Deputy Director RESIGNS amid ...

    Sep 28, 2026 — Stephen Miller. The FBI's Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey resigned Monday, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, b...

  • Stephen Miller - Wikipedia

    Stephen N. Miller (born August 23, 1985) is an American political advisor serving as White House deputy chief of staff for policy ...

Read the whole story
Michael_Novakhov
20 hours ago
reply
http://michael_novakhov.newsblur.com/
Share this story
Delete

A man accused of making the threatening calls to Katie Miller

1 Share

AI Mode reply for A man accused of making the threatening calls to Katie Miller

Federal prosecutors in Boston are preparing to charge an un-named military veteran from the Boston area for allegedly making harassing and threatening phone calls to Katie Miller and other administration officials.

According to reports from Bloomberg Law and MS NOW, the specific identity of the Boston-area man has not yet been publicly released by the Justice Department as of late September 2026.

  • The Accused: Described as a Boston-area military veteran, but his name is being withheld pending an official indictment or criminal complaint.
  • The Target: Investigators traced phone numbers to the suspect who allegedly called Katie Miller—a prominent podcaster and wife of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller—as well as other officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
  • Internal Conflict: The case has sparked friction within the Justice Department and the FBI. Career prosecutors in Massachusetts and initial investigators in the FBI’s Washington field office expressed skepticism over whether the conduct met the strict standard for a federal threats crime rather than local harassment.
  • Fallout: The initial reluctance of Washington counterterrorism officials Michael Burgwald and Courtland Rae to escalate the probe led to their demotion and reassignment, which subsequently fueled a broader leadership shakeup inside the bureau.
  • DOJ Prepares to Charge Veteran for Calling Stephen Miller's ...

    Related Stories Agents traced the phone number to a Boston-area man who'd been calling Katie Miller, a prominent MAGA-aligned podc...

  • Bombshell Drops in FBI's Stephen Miller Phone Call Meltdown

    Bombshell Drops in FBI's Stephen Miller Phone Call Meltdown William Vaillancourt Mon, September 28, 2026 at 9:42 p.m. PDT 3 min re...

  • Two senior FBI counterterrorism officials demoted after handling ...

    Sep 27, 2026 — WASHINGTON (TNND) — Two senior FBI officials in Washington were demoted and reassigned to FBI headquarters Friday after concerns t...

Read the whole story
Michael_Novakhov
23 hours ago
reply
http://michael_novakhov.newsblur.com/
Share this story
Delete

Bombshell Drops in FBI’s Stephen Miller Phone Call Meltdown

1 Share

Prosecutors are expected to charge a man soon for allegedly threatening Katie Miller, the wife of top White House official Stephen Miller, despite FBI fears that no federal crime was committed, according to a report.

Justice Department prosecutors in Boston are being encouraged to bring charges even though there are internal concerns about the strength of the evidence, Bloomberg reported Monday.

The news comes after the resignation of FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, who reportedly disagreed with how the bureau demoted two counterterrorism agents who pushed back on the probe into Miller's caller.

The Justice Department is preparing to file an indictment or a criminal complaint potentially this week, people familiar with the matter told the publication. The specific charge hasn't been decided upon. Yet prosecutors in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's office, like some in the FBI, are wary about whether they have enough proof to secure a conviction, they added.

Former Justice Department officials familiar with the case told Bloomberg that the criteria for a federal threats case don't appear to have been met. Instead, they said, the case was more of a matter for local police.

MAGA podcaster Katie Miller doesn't think

MAGA podcaster Katie Miller doesn't think

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast, nor did the FBI. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston declined to comment to Bloomberg.

Last Friday, Michael Burgwald, the FBI's Washington Field Office counterterrorism chief, and his deputy, Courtland Rae, were removed from their positions and transferred to FBI headquarters.

The decision came amid the Millers' frustration that investigators were moving too slowly, Bloomberg Law reported.

"Senior leadership at the FBI determined they were stifling investigations into very serious threats and made a unilateral decision to remove them," White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the outlet last week.

Miller is an architect of the Trump administration's immigration policy. / Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS

Miller is an architect of the Trump administration's immigration policy. / Evelyn Hockstein / REUTERS

Burgwald and Rae led the FBI Washington field office's counterterrorism division. They reportedly questioned the directive to look into Miller's allegations.

"Harassing phone calls aren't even in the ballpark of terrorism unless an actual terrorist is doing the dialing," as one ex-FBI official briefed on the matter told MS NOW.

The FBI said the two agents were demoted by Washington bureau chief Darren Cox, not FBI Director Kash Patel, though MS NOW reported Patel was displeased with them regarding the Miller matter.

More to explore

"This was a personnel decision made at the Washington field office level alone based on our constant evaluation of mission needs. Any suggestion otherwise is false," Cox said. "Director Patel did not order this decision."

Katie Miller, 34, was an assistant press secretary in the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration. She later joined then-Vice President Mike Pence's communications staff. For the first half of 2025, she was the communications director for the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

Miller is now a podcast host, and occasionally appears on Fox News. In May, she said on that network that a viral post by the Democrats' official X account telling her husband to "shut up" was "violent."

Read the whole story
Michael_Novakhov
1 day ago
reply
http://michael_novakhov.newsblur.com/
Share this story
Delete

Dutch 'reformed hacker' arrested in ShinyHunters investigation, police and ex-boss say

1 Share

Man types on a computer keyboard in front of the displayed cyber code in this illustration picture

A man types on a computer keyboard in front of the displayed cyber code in this illustration picture taken on March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

  • Summary
  • Dutch police say suspect, 24, to appear in Rotterdam court
  • Former boss identifies suspect as ex-hacker Pepijn van der Stap
  • Memo says FBI presumes hackers have stolen data on all employees

AMSTERDAM, Sept 28 (Reuters) - A Dutch man ​whose journey from cybercriminal to reformed security professional was widely covered in the international media has been arrested as part ‌of an investigation into the hacker group ShinyHunters, Dutch police and the man's boss said on Monday.

In a statement, opens new tab

posted to social media site X, Dutch police said a 24-year-old man had been arrested in connection with the inquiry and would appear in court in Rotterdam on Tuesday.

The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a "Real or Fake?" quiz in every edition. Sign up here.

The statement did not name the man. But ​Benjamin Korper of Amsterdam-based cybersecurity company Neo Security said it was Pepijn van der Stap, the company's offensive security lead.

In a ​telephone interview with Reuters, Korper said Dutch forensic investigators visited his office on September 15, the night Van der ⁠Stap was arrested in a dramatic police raid that

involved flash bang grenades, opens new tab

.

The arrest comes amid escalating concern over ShinyHunters, a hacking group known ​for large-scale data breaches and extortion, and its recent theft of what it said was terabytes of sensitive personnel data from US FBI servers. ​At least some of the data includes employees' intelligence assignments and medical records, Reuters has reported. Some compared this to the disastrous 2015 hack of the US Office of Personnel Management.

An internal memo circulated to staffers said the FBI was operating under the presumption that hackers stole data pertaining to all bureau employees, according to a person briefed on ​the matter. In a statement, the FBI said it was "working around the clock" to investigate the hack and was "in regular communication with anyone ​who may be impacted." The memo's existence was earlier reported by MS Now.

In a statement, ShinyHunters said Van der Stap had "no association" with the group and that ‌Dutch police ⁠were incompetent. The hackers said that now they were not setting a deadline for the FBI to rescind

an advisory about ShinyHunters, opens new tab

, softening their initial statement which gave the FBI a week.

"This was not a threat," they said. "Nothing will happen."

News of Van der Stap's arrest,

first reported, opens new tab

by independent journalist Brian Krebs, caused a stir in the cybersecurity community.

Van der Stap's 2023 convictions of data theft and extortion had already received widespread publicity, as did ​his subsequent public disavowal of cybercrime. ​On his personal website, Van ⁠der Stap acknowledged that his journey "hasn't been a straight line" but said his experience had taught him that "knowledge is for building and protecting, not breaking."

Korper said he had carefully vetted Van der Stap before hiring him, ​monitored him during his employment, and was shocked by the arrest.

"I truly believe that people deserve a ​second chance, but in ⁠this case I was not thanked for it," Korper said. "Absolutely everybody I talked to is flabbergasted."

The executive said he had hired an outside firm to investigate whether Van der Stap had hacked Neo Security or its customers, but so far investigators have found no evidence that he acted against his ⁠employer or ​its clients.

Korper and Van der Stap have not been in touch since the arrest, Korper ​said. Attempts by Reuters to reach Van der Stap or identify a lawyer or representative were not successful.

Adds comment from FBI in paragraph 6

Reporting by Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam, and Raphael Satter and Andrew Goudsward ​in Washington; Additional reporting by AJ Vicens in Detroit. Writing by Makini Brice and Raphael Satter; Editing by Andrew Heavens, David Gaffen and David Gregorio

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Read the whole story
Michael_Novakhov
1 day ago
reply
http://michael_novakhov.newsblur.com/
Share this story
Delete

Top Trump FBI Chief Quits After Katie Miller Meltdown

1 Share

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

The departure is the latest shakeup during the tumultuous tenure of FBI director Kash Patel.

Andrew Bailey, Katie Miller photo illustrationi

Photo Illustration by Eric Faison/The Daily Beast/Getty

Donald Trump has lost another senior official, with the FBI’s deputy director leaving days after two veteran counterterrorism chiefs were abruptly reassigned over their handling of an investigation involving Stephen Miller’s wife.

FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey announced on Monday that he was stepping down to return to his family in Missouri, just one year after taking on the job as the bureau’s second highest ranking official following the departure of MAGA podcaster Dan Bongino.

Read the whole story
Michael_Novakhov
1 day ago
reply
http://michael_novakhov.newsblur.com/
Share this story
Delete
Next Page of Stories