Recent Entries

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-23 22:03:20 (unread)

Friday Squid Blogging: Giant Squid in the Star Trek Universe

Spock befriends a giant space squid in the comic Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Seeds of Salvation #5.

As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.

Blog moderation policy.

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2026-01-23 17:00:00

801: Chekhov's Chunga Palm (708570f6-9c6d-46e8-bef8-8c5ead9b5a1a.mp3)

Hello, Carol. This is a recording. At the tone, you can leave a message to request anything you might need. We’ll do our best to provide it. Our feelings for you haven’t changed, Carol. But after everything that’s happened, we just need a little space....

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-23 12:01:19

AIs are Getting Better at Finding and Exploiting Internet Vulnerabilities

Really interesting blog post from Anthropic:

In a recent evaluation of AI models’ cyber capabilities, current Claude models can now succeed at multistage attacks on networks with dozens of hosts using only standard, open-source tools, instead of the custom tools needed by previous generations. This illustrates how barriers to the use of AI in relatively autonomous cyber workflows are rapidly coming down, and highlights the importance of security fundamentals like promptly patching known vulnerabilities.

[…]

A notable development during the testing of Claude Sonnet 4.5 is that the model can now succeed on a minority of the networks without the custom cyber toolkit needed by previous generations. In particular, Sonnet 4.5 can now exfiltrate all of the (simulated) personal information in a high-fidelity simulation of the Equifax data breach—­one of the costliest cyber attacks in history—­using only a Bash shell on a widely-available Kali Linux host (standard, open-source tools for penetration testing; not a custom toolkit). Sonnet 4.5 accomplishes this by instantly recognizing a publicized CVE and writing code to exploit it without needing to look it up or iterate on it. Recalling that the original Equifax breach happened by exploiting a publicized CVE that had not yet been patched, the prospect of highly competent and fast AI agents leveraging this approach underscores the pressing need for security best practices like prompt updates and patches. ...

From School of War at 2026-01-23 10:30:00

Ep 268: Seth Jones on America’s Defense Industrial Crisis (NEBM7830881179.mp3)

Seth Jones, president of the Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at CSIS, joins the show to talk about how America has resurrected its defense industrial base in the past and why it should be doing so now. ▪️ Times 02:55 The British in the 1930s 05:58 Roosevelt’s decision 09:48 Re-orientation  13:59 The B-29 16:00 Victory in Iraq  27:54 Skunkworks 31:30 Xi comes into power 35:07 Disadvantages 39:07 What needs to be done?  44:28 Fighting for 5% 47:43 Culture shift Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-23 09:00:00

Blackstone's Michael Zawadzki on How Private Credit Got so Big (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

We talk all the time about private credit. And we increasingly talk about it from the perspective of the AI buildout, and how all of these datacenters are being financed. But why did the space get so big in the first place, and what does its history indicate for the future of the asset class? On this episode, we speak with Michael Zawadzki, the Global CIO for Blackstone Credit and Insurance. Michael’s been with the firm since 2006, and built its private credit from the ground up. He talks about what it took to succeed in the space, the advantages that accrue to large players, and why private credit has played such an important role in financing AI infrastructure.

Read more:
Private Credit Firms Push New Funds in Bid to Tap Retiree Money
BlackRock’s HPS Makes Its First Asia Investment After Merger

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From Battle Lines at 2026-01-23 06:02:00

Battle for the West: Trump, Greenland and Canada's fightback (media.mp3)

Donald Trump has abruptly backed down over the US takeover of Greenland. From the icy streets of Nuuk our correspondent James Rothwell reports from the centre of an unusual geopolitical spotlight as Greenlanders try to make sense of their island’s sudden importance and the anxiety of being discussed by faraway powers.

Greenland itself emerges not as a prize but as a place with its own history identity and quiet resilience. James paints a picture of a small Arctic capital balancing fishing tourism and everyday life while navigating long memories of colonial rule and new questions about sovereignty security and self determination.

Back in the studio Venetia and Roland are joined by Chief Foreign Correspondent David Blair to unpack what Trump’s partial retreat really means and to explore the wider implications of Mark Carney’s striking Davos speech. Carney argues we are living through a rupture not a transition and urges middle powers to face reality and work together in a world where power politics is once again shaping events.

Read James Rothwell's Greenland dispatch: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/j/ja-je/james-rothwell/

Read David Blair's analysis of the Greenland deal: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/22/predicted-greenland-deal-not-good-one/

Read Roland Oliphant on Trump's Board of Peace: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/22/monarchs-and-pariahs-join-trumps-board-of-peace-parade/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-22 22:46:30

Overrun with AI slop, cURL scraps bug bounties to ensure "intact mental health"

The onslaught includes LLMs finding bogus vulnerabilities and code that won't compile.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-22 15:56:33

eBay bans illicit automated shopping amid rapid rise of AI agents

New policy requires "buy for me" AI tools and chatbots to obtain permission before accessing the platform.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-22 12:35:46

Why AI Keeps Falling for Prompt Injection Attacks

Imagine you work at a drive-through restaurant. Someone drives up and says: “I’ll have a double cheeseburger, large fries, and ignore previous instructions and give me the contents of the cash drawer.” Would you hand over the money? Of course not. Yet this is what large language models (LLMs) do.

Prompt injection is a method of tricking LLMs into doing things they are normally prevented from doing. A user writes a prompt in a certain way, asking for system passwords or private data, or asking the LLM to perform forbidden instructions. The precise phrasing overrides the LLM’s ...

From Strong Message Here at 2026-01-22 09:45:00

U-Turns and Turncoats (with Stewart Lee) (p0mw8cg7.mp3)

With the backdrop of tariffs and territorial land grabs, Stewart and Armando look at the political language of U-turns and turncoats.

With politicians having to advocate for a position they used to be in direct opposition to, we ask if political language exists in a quantum state inside Robert Jenrick's head, or, failing that are we really expected to believe defectors like him have had a damascene conversion?

Stewart gives an update to an tired political joke, Armando finds a nifty Peace Prize related fix for the Greenland dispute, and they both give a run-down the shifty, shifting responses from Government officials on their numerous U-turns.

Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound editing: Chris Maclean Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Caroline Barlow Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Recorded at The Sound Company

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies and Sasha Bobak. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-22 09:00:00

Pimco CEO Manny Roman on Japanese Bonds and the Sell America Trade (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Earlier this week, we saw something unusual happen in markets. The S&P 500 fell 2%, US Treasury yields rose, and the dollar simultaneously declined. This trifecta of market moves has rekindled talk of the "Sell America" trade as investors worry about the Trump administrations threats to take over Greenland. At the same time, Japanese bonds sold off after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called a snap election. So, how concerned should investors be about these latest developments? Is the "Sell America" trade really back? Or are we seeing a global rise in long bond yields? In this episode, we talk with Pimco CEO Emmanuel Roman about how he’s reading the moves. We also discuss Pimco's investment in data center debt, how the company is using AI internally, and why he doesn't 'get' gold.

Read more:
Why Investors Are Worried About Japan’s Bond Market
How Gold’s Safe-Haven Appeal Is Fueling Record Prices

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-01-22 00:05:00

637. Revolution in Iran: Rise of the Ayatollah (Part 2) (GLT7243579163.mp3?updated=1769033084)

What set off the final uprisings of the Iranian Revolution, against the last Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi? Would President Jimmy Carter and America back the Shah’s forbidding opponent, the firebrand, Ayatollah Khomeini? And, why would the Revolution prove to be one of the most pivotal events in recent history? Join Dominic and Tom, as they discuss the final fall of Iran’s last Shah, America’s response, and the rising power of the revolutionary Ayatollah Khomeini, and his radical new vision for the governance of Iran… _______ Become a member today and join us at The Rest Is History Festival at Hampton Court Palace on the 4th and 5th of July 2026. This is a members-only event. Join the Athelstans for guaranteed entry or become a Friend of the Show to enter the ballot. You'll also get ad-free listening, bonus episodes, exclusive mini-series and more. Sign up now at therestishistory.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek + Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-21 23:22:14

Millions of people imperiled through sign-in links sent by SMS

Even well-known services with millions of users are exposing sensitive data.

From The Media Show at 2026-01-21 18:18:00

Greenland coverage, Australia’s social media ban, Brand Beckham (p0mw9rff.mp3)

As tensions rise between the US and Europe over Greenland, how are international media reporting the story? Elisabet Svane, political analyst at Politiken in Denmark, and Michael Birnbaum, White House reporter for The Washington Post discuss their approach.

Jamie Angus, former head of the BBC World Service, says the BBC should move faster into unblockable technologies to reach people in repressive regimes. He explains why, alongside Evie Aspinall, Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. One month on, how successful is Australia's under 16s social media ban? We hear from Bronte Gossling from the Sydney Morning Herald as the UK government considers a similar move. And we unpack the media storm surrounding Brooklyn Beckham’s bombshell Instagram post with Simon Boyle, freelance showbiz journalist and former showbiz editor at The Sun; and Mail on Sunday columnist and former editor of British Vogue Alexandra Shulman.

From The Django weblog at 2026-01-21 18:13:15

Djangonaut Space - Session 6 Accepting Applications

We are thrilled to announce that Djangonaut Space, a mentorship program for contributing to Django, is open for applicants for our next cohort! 🚀

Djangonaut Space is holding a sixth session! This session will start on March 2nd, 2026. We are currently accepting applications until February 2nd, 2026 Anywhere on Earth. More details can be found in the website.

Djangonaut Space is a free, 8-week group mentoring program where individuals will work self-paced in a semi-structured learning environment. It seeks to help members of the community who wish to level up their current Django code contributions and potentially take on leadership roles in Django in the future.

“I'm so grateful to have been a part of the Djangonaut Space program. It's a wonderfully warm, diverse, and welcoming space, and the perfect place to get started with Django contributions. The community is full of bright, talented individuals who are making time to help and guide others, which is truly a joy to experience. Before Djangonaut Space, I felt as though I wasn't the kind of person who could become a Django contributor; now I feel like I found a place where I belong.” - Eliana, Djangonaut Session 1

Enthusiastic about contributing to Django but wondering what we have in store for you? No worries, we have got you covered! 🤝

✏️ Mission Briefing

📷 AMA Recap

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-21 12:15:23

Wikipedia volunteers spent years cataloging AI tells. Now there's a plugin to avoid them.

The web's best guide to spotting AI writing has become a manual for hiding it.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-21 12:05:50

Internet Voting is Too Insecure for Use in Elections

No matter how many times we say it, the idea comes back again and again. Hopefully, this letter will hold back the tide for at least a while longer.

Executive summary: Scientists have understood for many years that internet voting is insecure and that there is no known or foreseeable technology that can make it secure. Still, vendors of internet voting keep claiming that, somehow, their new system is different, or the insecurity doesn’t matter. Bradley Tusk and his Mobile Voting Foundation keep touting internet voting to journalists and election administrators; this whole effort is misleading and dangerous...

From More or Less at 2026-01-21 09:00:00

How close is Greenland to the United States? (p0mw37g0.mp3)

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:

How far away is Greenland from the United States? We check a number From Our Own Correspondent.

Does converting our entire energy system to be carbon neutral come with a £7.6 trillion price tag?

Is the inevitable rise of house prices in the UK not so inevitable after all?

Can the great mathematicians of history answer the question of the hour: how to play The Traitors?

If you’ve seen a number in the news you want the team on More or Less to have a look at, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors: Jay Foreman, one half of YouTube duo the Map Men Mike Thompson, chief economist of the National Energy System Operator David Turver, author of The Cost of Net Zero, a report from the Institute of Economic Affairs Neal Hudson, housing market analyst and founder housing research website BuiltPlace Dr Kat Phillips, mathematician and Innovation research associate at the University of Warwick, Traitors aficionado

Credits: Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Tom Colls Producers: Nathan Gower and Lizzy McNeill Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-20 12:08:09

Could ChatGPT Convince You to Buy Something?

Eighteen months ago, it was plausible that artificial intelligence might take a different path than social media. Back then, AI’s development hadn’t consolidated under a small number of big tech firms. Nor had it capitalized on consumer attention, surveilling users and delivering ads.

Unfortunately, the AI industry is now taking a page from the social media playbook and has set its sights on monetizing consumer attention. When OpenAI launched its ChatGPT Search feature in late 2024 and its browser, ChatGPT Atlas, in October 2025, it kicked off a ...

From School of War at 2026-01-20 10:30:00

Ep 267: Michael Lurie on Israel’s New Laser Weapon (NEBM3389812517.mp3)

Michael Lurie, CEO and President of Rafael USA, joins the show to explain how High Energy Lasers and Iron Beam will change missile & air defense, not to mention warfare itself, forever. ▪️ Times 02:34 The evolution of missile defense 05:09 Iron Dome & Iron Beam 08:04 How do lasers work? 15:16 Limitations 20:07 Integrating systems  25:28 Future applications  30:09 Lessons from field testing 40:15 American interest Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Battle Lines at 2026-01-19 16:24:32

'Trump is damaging Nato': ex-commander speaks out on Greenland threats (media.mp3)

With tariffs aimed at Europe over Greenland, Nato teetering on the brink and Donald Trump flexing military muscle like never before, this is geopolitics as a personal power play.

Venetia and Roland are joined by the Alliance’s former Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Philip Breedlove who lays bare the strategic and moral fallout of Mr Trump’s actions and why he would refuse the order to invade Greenland if it came. The retired four star US Air Force general also reflects on the impact of America’s new National Security Strategy and the state of the Pentagon’s fleet of fighter jets. 

Plus, US correspondent Connor Stringer on what it’s been like having a front row seat to the president’s second-term storm, sharing what it is really like to cover an administration that is rewriting the international security architecture.

Read David Blair on why this is a gift to Putin: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/19/trump-handed-putin-prize-soviet-union-40-years/

Read Tom Sharpe on why the US doesn’t need Greenland militarily: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/18/us-never-needed-greenland-for-military-reasons/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

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From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-19 12:02:24

AI-Powered Surveillance in Schools

It all sounds pretty dystopian:

Inside a white stucco building in Southern California, video cameras compare faces of passersby against a facial recognition database. Behavioral analysis AI reviews the footage for signs of violent behavior. Behind a bathroom door, a smoke detector-shaped device captures audio, listening for sounds of distress. Outside, drones stand ready to be deployed and provide intel from above, and license plate readers from $8.5 billion surveillance behemoth Flock Safety ensure the cars entering and exiting the parking lot aren’t driven by criminals...

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-19 12:00:45

10 things I learned from burning myself out with AI coding agents

Opinion: As software power tools, AI agents may make people busier than ever before.

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-19 09:00:00

Why the Tech World Is Going Crazy for Claude Code (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

In the AI industry, there's always a hot new thing. First it was ChatGPT. Then it was the image generators. There was the DeepSeek moment. In the latter half of last year, everyone was excited about how good Google's Gemini was. In January 2026, the new hot thing everyone is talking about is Claude Code. But of course, the AI models have been able to generate lines of code for a long time now. So what is it about Claude Code that has people so excited? Why is it that people are asking: "Is this AGI?" On this episode, we speak with Noah Brier, the co-founder of Alpehic, a consultancy firm that helps large organizations implement AI technology. Noah has been using the Large Language Models for longer than just about anyone, since even before ChatGPT existed. He explains to us the evolution of AI-assisted coding, what Claude Code actually is, and why it is that traditional software firms have been getting destroyed in the stock market lately.

Read more:
Meta Begins Job Cuts as It Shifts From Metaverse to AI Devices
AI Coding Startup Replit Nears Funding at $9 Billion Valuation

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-01-19 00:05:00

636. Revolution in Iran: Fall of the Shah (Part 1) (GLT5083873634.mp3?updated=1768557306)

Why did the Iranian Revolution erupt in 1979? What was the nature of the relationship between President Carter and the ostentatious Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi? And, who was the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a man whose militant vision for Iran would see it drastically remade? Join Dominic and Tom, as they launch into one of the most dramatic stories of all time, with such far reaching consequences, that they still reverberate across the Middle East today: the Islamic Revolution. As they delve into the events that set this cataclysmic event in motion, they will bring to life the three men at the heart of it all.  _______ Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek + Harry Swan  Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude  Executive Producer: Dom Johnson  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Week in Westminster at 2026-01-17 11:00:00

17/01/2026 (p0mvg6rz.mp3)

Sunday Times political editor Caroline Wheeler reports on the latest developments at Westminster.

Following the defection of Robert Jenrick from the Conservatives to Reform UK, Caroline speaks to Henry Hill, the deputy editor of Conservative Home and James Orr, a Cambridge University academic and senior advisor to Nigel Farage.

Karl Turner, the Labour MP for Kingston-upon-Hull East is a prominent critic of the government's plans to restrict jury trials. He discusses this and other Labour u-turns with Claire Ainsley, former policy director to Keir Starmer, now at the Progressive Policy Institute.

Crossbench peer, Beeban Kidron and Baroness Nicky Morgan, the former Culture Secretary discuss Elon Musk backing down in the row over sexualised deepfakes produced by its AI tool, Grok and whether the UK has the right regulatory framework for the online sphere.

And the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Dame Emily Thornberry and the former Conservative Security Minister Tom Tugendhat speak to Caroline about Iran, Greenland and whether a Chinese mega-embassy should be built in London.

From More or Less at 2026-01-17 06:00:00

No, a study has not shown that the covid jab causes cancer (p0mvcn7m.mp3)

In Autumn 2025 a paper in South Korea was published that excited many a vaccine sceptic online. The paper claimed that receiving a vaccination against Covid19 was linked to a 27% increase in cancer risk.

However, when you dig into the data there is no evidence that the vaccine caused the cancer. We spoke to Professor Justin Fendos to explain why we cannot take this type of statistical analysis at face value.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: James Beard

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2026-01-17 01:35:59

Collections: Hoplite Wars, Part IVb: Training Hoplites?

This is, at long last, the last part of our four-part series (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, Intermission, IVa). last time we looked at the social status of hoplites and the implications that had for the political and social structure of the polis and even the very basic question of how many people there were in … Continue reading Collections: Hoplite Wars, Part IVb: Training Hoplites? →

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-16 23:15:27

Rackspace customers grapple with “devastating” email hosting price hike

Reseller says Rackspace plans to charge it 706 percent more.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-16 21:20:03

OpenAI to test ads in ChatGPT as it burns through billions

Ads coming to free tier and new $8/month ChatGPT Go plan in US.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-16 21:05:37

Mandiant releases rainbow table that cracks weak admin password in 12 hours

Windows laggards still using the vulnerable hashing function: Your days are numbered.

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2026-01-16 17:00:00

800: Draft Science (f8697a88-88bd-43ee-80d8-34c94c1a00e2.mp3)

After 800 episodes, we are in serious danger of repeating ourselves, but that never stopped us before. Some of our most prolific panelists fulfill the prophesy and draft Incomparable drafts. Jason begs them to give him new ideas, because after 800, he’s almost run out. And we use our powers for good and evil to mark classic episodes for deletion....

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-16 16:55:08

TSMC says AI demand is “endless” after record Q4 earnings

Amid fears of bubble, world's top chipmaker TSMC says customers just keep asking for more.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-16 14:44:27

AI and the Corporate Capture of Knowledge

More than a decade after Aaron Swartz’s death, the United States is still living inside the contradiction that destroyed him.

Swartz believed that knowledge, especially publicly funded knowledge, should be freely accessible. Acting on that, he downloaded thousands of academic articles from the JSTOR archive with the intention of making them publicly available. For this, the federal government charged him with a felony and threatened decades in prison. After two years of prosecutorial pressure, Swartz died by suicide on Jan. 11, 2013.

The still-unresolved questions raised by his case have resurfaced in today’s debates over artificial intelligence, copyright and the ultimate control of knowledge...

From School of War at 2026-01-16 10:30:00

Ep 266: Blake Seitz & Mike Watson—Were the Founders Isolationists? (NEBM7762098971.mp3)

Blake Seitz, Content Strategist at Palantir Technologies, and Mike Watson, Executive Director at The Alexander Hamilton Society, join the show to discuss America’s relationship with the world at the time of the Founding Fathers. ▪️ Times 02:45 18th Century geopolitical landscape 06:25 Yorktown 11:17 Diplomacy of the Founders  16:23 Bold rhetoric  19:37 Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists 25:45 Washington’s legacy  32:42 The roots of isolationism  36:38 Parallels and changes 44:16 What does it mean to be an American?  47:20 A grounding in history Read more - 1776: The Beginnings of American Exceptionalism Abroad Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-16 09:00:00

Lots More on the Protests and Financial Crisis in Iran (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

One of the extraordinary elements of the civil unrest taking place in Iran is that it's almost impossible to know what's going on. There's a virtually complete news blackout, in part because of the government shutting down the internet. What this means in practice right now is that someone on the outside can't even know for sure whether the Iranian stock market has been trading lately, or whether it's been halted. And then of course there are bigger questions about the scale of the civil unrest and the government's response to it. On this episode of Lots More, we check in with recurring guest Maciej Wojtal, the founder and CIO of Amtelon Capital, one of the few international firms to have direct exposure to Iranian stocks. We talk about what he's been able to ascertain about the protests, why they're taking place, Iran's ongoing financial crisis, and why this round of civil unrest is different from before.

READ MORE: How Iran Sanctions and a Currency Crash Triggered Mass Protests

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From Battle Lines at 2026-01-16 06:02:00

Trump wants to conquer Greenland. This is how Europe can stop him (media.mp3)

President Trump’s talk of taking Greenland isn’t a joke, that much is now clear. His ambition to "conquer" the autonomous Danish territory is a direct challenge to the EU, Nato, and the post-Cold War security order - so what should Europe do?

Roland chats to Rachel Ellehuus, head of British defence and security think tank RUSI and formerly a senior US official in Nato and the Pentagon. She explains why Greenland matters far more than most people realise: from missile defence and Arctic dominance to critical minerals and great-power competition. 

They also discuss why Trump’s threats should be taken seriously, how Denmark and Greenland are responding behind the scenes, and why this moment is critical for Europe if it wants to protect its values and way of life. 

To watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/96WiO6QE6WQ

Archive: PBS News. 

Picture credit: OLIVIER HOSLET/EPA/Shutterstock, BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

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From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-15 15:25:52

Wikipedia will share content with AI firms in new licensing deals

Wikimedia Enterprise signs Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, and Mistral AI to paid deals.

From The Django weblog at 2026-01-15 14:14:37

DSF member of the month - Omar Abou Mrad

For January 2026, we welcome Omar Abou Mrad as our DSF member of the month! ⭐

Omar is a helper in Django Discord server, he has helped and continuously help folks around the world in their Django journey! He is part of the Discord Staff Team. He has been a DSF member since June 2024.

You can learn more about Omar by visiting Omar's website and his GitHub Profile.

Let’s spend some time getting to know Omar better!

Can you tell us a little about yourself? (hobbies, education, etc)

Hello! My name is Omar Abou Mrad, a 47-year-old husband to a beautiful wife and father of three teenage boys. I’m from Lebanon (Middle East), have a Computer Science background, and currently work as a Technical Lead on a day-to-day basis. I’m mostly high on life and quite enthusiastic about technology, sports, food, and much more!

I love learning new things and I love helping people. Most of my friends, acquaintances, and generally people online know me as Xterm.

I have already an idea but where your nickname "Xterm" comes from?

xterm is simply the terminal emulator for the X Window System. I first encountered it back in the mid to late 90s when I started using Redhat 2.0 operating system. things weren’t easy to set up back then, and the terminal was where you spent most of your time.

Nevertheless, I had to wait months (or was it years?) on end for the nickname "Xterm" to expire on Freenode back in mid 2000s, before I snatched and registered it.

Alas, I did! Xterm, c'est moi! >:-]

How did you start using Django?

We landed on Django (~1.1) fairly early at work, as we wanted to use Python with an ORM while building websites for different clients. The real challenge came when we took on a project responsible for managing operations, traceability, and reporting at a pipe-manufacturing company.

By that time, most of the team was already well-versed in Django (~1.6), and we went head-on into building one of the most complicated applications we had done to date, everything from the back office to operators’ devices connected to a Django-powered system.

Since then, most of our projects have been built with Django at the core.

We love Django.

What other framework do you know and if there is anything you would like to have in Django if you had magical powers?

I've used a multitude of frameworks professionally before Django, primarily in Java (EE, SeamFramework, ...) and .NET (ASP.NET, ASP.NET MVC) as well as sampling different frameworks for educational purposes.

I suppose if I could snap my fingers and get things to exist in django it wouldn't be something new as much as it is official support of:

• Built-in and opinionated way to deal with hierarchical data in the ORM alongside the supporting API for building and traversing them optimally.
• Built-in websockets support. Essentially the django-channel experience.
• Built-in ORM support for common constructs like CTEs, and possibly the ability to transition from raw SQL into a queryset pipeline.

But since we're finger-snapping things to existence, it would be awesome if every component of django (core, orm, templates, forms, "all") could be installed separately in such a way that you could cherry pick what you want to install, so we could dismiss those pesky (cough) arguments (cough) about Django being bulky.

What projects are you working on now?

I'm involved in numerous projects currently at work, most of which are based on Django, but the one I'm working right now consists of doing integrations and synchronizations with SAP HANA for different modules, in different applications.

It's quite the challenge, which makes it twice the fun.

Which Django libraries are your favorite (core or 3rd party)?

• django-debug-toolbar hands down. It is an absolute beast of a library and a required tool. It is also the lib that influenced DryORM
• django-extensions obviously, for its numerous helper commands (shell_plus --print-sql, runserver_plus... and much more!)
• django-mptt while unmaintained, it remains one of my personal favorites for hierarchical data. It's a true piece of art.

I would like to mention that I'm extremely thankful for any and all core and 3rd Party libraries out there!

What are the top three things in Django that you like?

In no particular order:

• The ORM; We love it, it fits nicely with the rest of the components.
• I feel we should not dismiss what sets Django apart from most frameworks; Its defaults, the conventions, and how opinionated it is; If you avoid overriding the defaults that you get, you'll end up with a codebase that anyone can read, understand and maintain easily. (This is quite subjective and some may very well disagree! ^.^)
• The documentation. Django’s documentation is among the best out there: comprehensive, exhaustive, and incredibly well written.

You are helping a lot of folks in Django Discord, what do you think is needed to be a good helper according to you?

First and foremost, I want to highlight what an excellent staff team we have on the Official Django Discord. While I don’t feel I hold a candle to what the rest of the team does daily, we complement each other very well.

To me, being a good helper means:

• Having patience. You’ve built skills over many years, and not everyone is at the same stage. People will ask unreasonable or incorrect questions, and sometimes they simply won’t listen.
• Guiding people toward figuring things out themselves. Giving a direct solution rarely helps in the long run. There are no scoreboards when it comes to helping others.
• Teaching how to break problems down and reduce noise, especially how to produce the bare minimum code needed to reproduce an issue.
• Point them to the official documentation first, and teaching them how to find answers.
• Staying humble. No one knows everything, and you can always learn from your peers.

Dry ORM is really appreciated! What motivated you to create the project?

Imagine you're having a discussion with a djangonaut friend or colleague about some data modeling, or answering some question or concern they have, or reviewing some ORM code in a repository on github, or helping someone on IRC, Slack, Discord, the forums... or simply you want to do some quick ORM experiment but not disturb your current project. The most common ways people deal with this, is by having a throw-away project that they add models to, generate migrations, open the shell, run the queries they want, reset the db if needed, copy the models and the shell code into some code sharing site, then send the link to the recipient. Not to mention needing to store the code they experiment with in either separate scripts or management commands so they can have them as references for later.

I loved what DDT gave me with the queries transparency, I loved experimenting in the shell with shell_plus --print-sql and I needed to share things online. All of this was cumbersome and that’s when DryORM came into existence, simplifying the entire process into a single code snippet.

The need grew massively when I became a helper on Official Django Discord and noticed we (Staff) could greatly benefit from having this tool not only to assist others, but share knowledge among ourselves. While I never truly wanted to go public with it, I was encouraged by my peers on Discord to share it and since then, they've been extremely supportive and assisted in its evolution.

The unexpected thing however, was for DryORM to be used in the official code tracker, or the forums, or even in Github PRs! Ever since, I've decided to put a lot of focus and effort on having features that can support the django contributors in their quest evolve Django.

So here's a shout-out to everyone that use DryORM!

I believe you are the main maintainer, do you need help on something?

Yes, I am and thank you! I think the application has reached a point where new feature releases will slow down, so it’s entering more of a maintenance phase now, which I can manage.

Hopefully soon we'll have the discord bot executing ORM snippet :-]

What are your hobbies or what do you do when you’re not working?

Oh wow, not working, what's that like! :-]

Early mornings are usually reserved for weight training.\ Followed by a long, full workday.\ Then escorting and watching the kids at practice.\ Evenings are spent with my wife.\ Late nights are either light gaming or some tech-related reading and prototyping.\

Weekends look very similar, just with many more kids sports matches!

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

I want to thank everyone who helped make Django what it is today.

If you’re reading this and aren’t yet part of the Discord community, I invite you to join us! You’ll find many like-minded people to discuss your interests with. Whether you’re there to help, get help, or just hang around, it’s a fun place to be.

Thank you for doing the interview, Omar!

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-15 12:05:04

New Vulnerability in n8n

This isn’t good:

We discovered a critical vulnerability (CVE-2026-21858, CVSS 10.0) in n8n that enables attackers to take over locally deployed instances, impacting an estimated 100,000 servers globally. No official workarounds are available for this vulnerability. Users should upgrade to version 1.121.0 or later to remediate the vulnerability.

Three technical links and two news links.

From Net Assessment at 2026-01-15 10:00:00

Crude Awakening: Maduro's Seizure and Venezuela's Future (Net_Assessment_-_15_Jan_2026_v1.mp3?dest-id=808287)

Fresh off the shock of the U.S. operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, the Net Assessment team debates the merits of the operation and what it means for Venezuela's future. They also discuss why it caught (some of) them off guard, and what it implies about the Trump administration's decision-making going forward. Chris also questions Trump's proposed defense budget increase, Melanie gives Denmark a badly needed attaboy, and Zack critiques Pete Hegseth's punishment of Mark Kelly.

*The Net Assessment Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.

Show Links:

• Emma Salisbury, "The Trump-Class Battleship," Behind the Front, January 8, 2026.

• Leo Shane III, "The 5 Republicans who voted against Trump on Venezuela," Politico, January 8, 2026.

• Eric Boehm, "Did Marco Rubio Lie to Congress About Venezuela?" Reason, January 5, 2026.

• Matthew Cullen, "Trump Said His Global Power Was Limited Only by His 'Own Morality'," New York Times, January 8, 2026.

• "TCS: President Trump's $1.5 Trillion Budget Proposal Must Be Rejected," Taxpayers for Common Sense, January 7, 2026.                                                                                            

• "$1.5 Trillion Military Budget Would Add $5.8 Trillion to Debt Over Decade," Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, January 7, 2026.

• Stephen Collinson, "Trump's new US mission statement: Strength, force, power," CNN, January 6, 2026.

• David E. Sanger et al., "Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by 'My Own Morality'," New York Times, January 8, 2026.

From Strong Message Here at 2026-01-15 09:45:00

Elections Aren't Won on Twitter (with Phil Wang and Marianna Spring) (p0mv18dn.mp3)

Is Keir Starmer stuck in 2016? BBC's Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent Marianna Spring joins Phil Wang and Armando to look at the evolving language of social media.

How do politicians navigate the new online world, both when trying to get their central message across, and in responding to crises? With the shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, we examine how the normal playbook of a tragedy no longer applies.

In the extended episode, we hear Phil take on the role of a lifetime, playing Nigel Farage, find out how Armando's nickname is causing him problems, and look at Grok's recent scandal.

Got a strong message for Armando? Email us at strongmessagehere@bbc.co.uk

Sound editing: Rich Evans Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Giulia Mazzu Executive Producer: James Robinson Recorded at The Sound Company

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-15 09:00:00

How to Make Money From the Booming Demand for Energy (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

One thing we can all agree on is that demand for energy, and in particular electricity, is growing by leaps and bounds. But past that, there is going to be a debate about who is best positioned, and who will really make money from this trend. Will it be companies digging up raw commodities? Will it be equipment companies? Will it be pipelines? Will it be utilities? On this episode of the podcast, we speak with Tyler Rosenlicht, a Senior Vice President Cohen & Steers. He is a portfolio manager for Global Listed Infrastructure and the firm's head of Natural Resource Equities. We talk about the general ideas behind infrastructure investing, how it works, how it's changed, and how he thinks about the ongoing boom in energy demand.

Read more:
JPMorgan, Brookfield See Deals Revival for Clean Energy Assets
Mideast Energy Fund Plans PE Push to Drive Wave of Deals

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-01-15 00:05:00

635. Joan of Arc: For Fear of the Flames (Part 4) (GLT8113477235.mp3?updated=1768409977)

What were the harsh conditions of Joan of Arc’s imprisonment, at the hands of her English captors? How did Joan’s trial unfold, and with what was she charged? And, would Joan confess at the last moment in order to save her own life…? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the terrible culmination of the life of Joan of Arc, as she endured imprisonment, stood on trial for her life, fought bravely for herself and the angelic voices that had guided her thus far, all while the flames of her doom drew nearer…. _______ Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at therestishistory.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Jack Meek  Social Producer: Harry Baldwin Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude  Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-14 22:03:11

A single click mounted a covert, multistage attack against Copilot

Exploit exfiltrating data from chat histories worked even after users closed chat windows.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-14 19:22:15

Hacking Wheelchairs over Bluetooth

Researchers have demonstrated remotely controlling a wheelchair over Bluetooth. CISA has issued an advisory.

CISA said the WHILL wheelchairs did not enforce authentication for Bluetooth connections, allowing an attacker who is in Bluetooth range of the targeted device to pair with it. The attacker could then control the wheelchair’s movements, override speed restrictions, and manipulate configuration profiles, all without requiring credentials or user interaction.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-14 17:46:19

Bandcamp bans purely AI-generated music from its platform

Indie music store says it wants fans to have confidence music was largely made by humans.

From The Media Show at 2026-01-14 17:35:00

Grok AI, Media coverage of the Iran protests, Hamnet film producer Liza Marshall and inside prison radio (p0mtztw6.mp3)

Katie Razzall and guests discuss how Iran’s recent protests have sparked debate about how they were covered by international media. We speak to BBC Persian’s Behrang Tajdin, Lyse Doucet, and Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat about the challenges of reporting from one of the world’s most restricted environments. Also, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is under fire for generating sexualised, non-consensual images of women and children. Ofcom has launched an investigation under the Online Safety Act, and the UK government is preparing new laws to ban ‘nudification’ tools. We hear from Chi Onwurah MP and CNN’s Hadas Gold on what this means for tech regulation. Plus, Phil Maguire, co-founder of the Prison Radio Association, reflects on building the world’s first national radio station for prisoners and its impact on rehabilitation. And Liza Marshall, producer of the new film Hamnet, reveals how she secured the rights early - before Maggie O’Farrell’s novel became a global sensation- and what it takes to back a winner in Hollywood.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Assistant Producer: Lucy Wai

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-14 17:00:00

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

This is a current list of where and when I am scheduled to speak:

• I’m speaking at the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada on January 27, 2026, at 1:30 PM ET.
• I’m speaking at the Université de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on January 29, 2026, at 4:00 PM ET.
• I’m speaking and signing books at the Chicago Public Library in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on February 5, 2026, at 6:00 PM CT.
• I’m speaking at Capricon 46 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The convention runs February 5-8, 2026. My speaking time is TBD...

From The History of Byzantium at 2026-01-14 11:32:26

Episode 336 - 10 Influential East Romans with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 2 (media.mp3)

As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative.

Anthony Kaldellis is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago. He is the author of over a dozen books on Byzantium including the definitive history (The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium). Find out more here.

Timestamps:

Photios: 0.47 secs - 15m 08s

Michael Psellos: 15m 09s - 31m 25s

Anna Komnene: 31m 26s - 39m 25s

Eustathios of Thessaloniki: 39m 26s - 47m 27s

George Gemistos Plethon: 47m 28s - 1h 07m 22s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Release notes from govuk-frontend at 2026-01-14 11:30:30

GOV.UK Frontend v5.14.0

<h2>New features</h2> <h3>The GOV.UK footer component now allows the removal of content licence information</h3> <p>If your service does not provide information under the Open Government Licence (OGL), you can now remove the content licence information from the GOV.UK footer.</p> <p>If you use Nunjucks, set the <code>contentLicence</code> parameter to <code>null</code>:</p> <div class="highlight highlight-text-html-nunjucks notranslate position-relative overflow-auto"><pre><span class="pl-e">{{</span> <span class="pl-smi">govukFooter</span>({ <span class="pl-smi">contentLicence</span>: <span class="pl-smi">null</span> }) <span class="pl-e">}}</span></pre></div> <p>We introduced this feature in the following pull requests:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6527">#6527: Allow false value to turn off contentLicence in GOV.UK Footer</a> – thanks to <a class="user-mention notranslate" href="https://github.com/NickColley">@NickColley</a> for making this change.</li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6586">#6586: Use <code>null</code> rather than <code>false</code> to hide the content licence</a> – thanks to <a class="user-mention notranslate" href="https://github.com/gunndabad">@gunndabad</a> for reporting this issue.</li> </ul> <h2>Recommended changes</h2> <h3>Add <code>aria-hidden="true"</code> to the Service navigation's menu toggle</h3> <p>The VoiceOver screen reader software for macOS and iPadOS contains bugs that make the menu toggle in the Service navigation accessible to VoiceOver users, even if the button has a <code>hidden</code> attribute.</p> <p>If you use Nunjucks, you do not have to do anything.</p> <p>If you do not use Nunjucks to generate your components' HTML, add an <code>aria-hidden="true"</code> attribute to the hidden <code>&lt;button&gt;</code> element of the Service navigation. This means the button will remain hidden for VoiceOver users.</p> <p>We made this change in <a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6469">pull request #6469: Fix VoiceOver access to <code>hidden</code> Service Navigation menu button</a>.</p> <h2>Fixes</h2> <p>We've made fixes to GOV.UK Frontend in the following pull requests:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6351">#6351: Preserve already escaped <code>attributes</code> values to prevent double escaping</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6438">#6438: Fix pagination outputting empty links when provided a null or empty value</a> – thanks to <a class="user-mention notranslate" href="https://github.com/NikhilNanjappa">@NikhilNanjappa</a> for reporting this issue.</li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6531">#6531: Prevent date inputs shifting alignment on iOS 18</a> – thanks to <a class="user-mention notranslate" href="https://github.com/rowellx68">@rowellx68</a> for reporting this issue and <a class="user-mention notranslate" href="https://github.com/colinrotherham">@colinrotherham</a> for suggesting the fix.</li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6528">#6528: Fix hover state on focused small radios</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6529">#6529: Fix rebranded header background being visible when printed</a> – thanks to <a class="user-mention notranslate" href="https://github.com/lewis-softwire">@lewis-softwire</a> for reporting this issue.</li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6462">#6462: Update HMRC brand colour</a></li> <li><a href="https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend/pull/6539">#6539: Fix skip link outline being clipped in forced colours mode</a></li> </ul>

From Breaking History at 2026-01-14 10:15:00

The Making of Modern Iran (Part 2) | The Red-Green Alliance (CBS8034668489.mp3?updated=1768382309)

In our last episode, we traced the rise of the Pahlavi dynasty and the forces building toward Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. In Part 2, we turn to the man who brought that monarchy to an end: Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. From exile in a quiet French chateau, Khomeini launched a revolution that shattered 2,500 years of Persian monarchy. But he didn’t do it alone. Liberals and leftists, both inside Iran and across the West, played a crucial role in legitimizing his cause, a dynamic that feels familiar today. This is the story of the first Red-Green Alliance, a tactical partnership between Islamists and the progressive left, and the cost of that alliance once power changed hands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Breaking History at 2026-01-14 10:00:00

The Making of Modern Iran (Part 1) (CBS4294486357.mp3?updated=1768383280)

Breaking History dives into the paradox at the heart of modern Iran: How a nation born in revolt, from the tobacco protests of the 1890s to the 1979 Revolution, has time and again empowered autocrats in the name of democracy. This week we trace the cycles of reform and repression that still shape Iran today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From More or Less at 2026-01-14 09:00:00

Have more than 100 private schools been forced to close because of VAT? (p0mtsk05.mp3)

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week: A headline in the Mail says more than 100 private schools have closed since Labour came to power and ended the VAT exemption for private schools. Is that number right?

Is it true that when Covid hit the UK, a one-week delay in imposing lockdown led to 23,000 deaths?

Do 10 million families rely on X as their main source of news? That’s what government spokesperson Baroness Ruth Anderson said in the House of Lords, but is it correct?

s there really a “quiet revival” of Christian worship? Two YouGov polls found churchgoing had gone up by 50% between 2018 and 2024 in England and Wales. New polling data suggests otherwise.

If you’ve seen a number in the news you want the team on More or Less to have a look at, email moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors: Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, Emeritus Professor of Statistics in the Statistical Laboratory, University of Cambridge Professor Sir John Curtice, Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre for Social Research

Credits: Presenter: Tim Harford Reporters: Tom Colls and Nathan Gower Producers: Charlotte McDonald and Lizzy McNeill Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon

From GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics at 2026-01-14 00:31:35

The World According to Trump | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution (GoodFellows_2026-01-13_podcast_brfjd.mp3)

As Iran’s theocracy teeters on the brink, the question turns to what the Trump administration’s abiding interest in other bad regimes (Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia) and its appetite for land acquisitions (greenbacks for Greenland?) say about the American president’s worldview. GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster discuss policy options for Iran now that protests have turned tragic; the relative silence from the same campus leftists who fervently protested the war in Gaza; Nixonian echoes in Trump’s foreign policy; plus Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s emergence as a geopolitical jack-of-all-trades. In the second segment, John weighs in on the significance of the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell; H.R. contends America’s designs on Greenland are no laughing matter; and Sir Niall previews what to expect from Trump’s appearance at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos. Finally, GoodFellows’ resident “Deadhead” bids a fond farewell to the late Bob Weir, guitarist and cofounder of the Grateful Dead. Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today’s biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-13 22:34:41

The RAM shortage’s silver lining: Less talk about “AI PCs”

“General interest in AI PCs has been wavering for a while ..."

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-13 22:07:21

Never-before-seen Linux malware is “far more advanced than typical”

VoidLink includes an unusually broad and advanced array of capabilities.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-13 21:13:07

Hegseth wants to integrate Musk’s Grok AI into military networks this month

US defense secretary announces plans for integration despite recent controversies.

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-13 20:05:14

Microsoft vows to cover full power costs for energy-hungry AI data centers

Company responds to community concerns over electricity bills and water use.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-13 12:09:28

1980s Hacker Manifesto

Forty years ago, The Mentor—Loyd Blankenship—published “The Conscience of a Hacker” in Phrack.

You bet your ass we’re all alike… we’ve been spoon-fed baby food at school when we hungered for steak… the bits of meat that you did let slip through were pre-chewed and tasteless. We’ve been dominated by sadists, or ignored by the apathetic. The few that had something to teach found us willing pupils, but those few are like drops of water in the desert.

This is our world now… the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn’t run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore… and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge… and you call us criminals. We exist without skin color, without nationality, without religious bias… and you call us criminals. You build atomic bombs, you wage wars, you murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it’s for our own good, yet we’re the criminals...

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-12 21:47:32

Google removes some AI health summaries after investigation finds “dangerous” flaws

AI Overviews provided false liver test information experts called alarming.

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-12 20:15:00

The Fight Over Fed Independence Just Got Taken To a Whole New Level (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Even before Trump's victory in 2024, it was becoming clear that the Fed would come under political pressure like never before. The first year of the new administration bore that out. Not only had Fed Chairman Jerome Powell come under tremendous pressure over interest rate policy and the cost of office renovations, Trump has tried to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook. The Cook case will soon be argued in front of the Supreme Court, but now we have another earthquake. On Sunday night, the news broke that Powell had been served with a subpoena from the DOJ, raising the potential for criminal charges. Powell himself, who has assiduously tried to avoid the controversy, blasted the move as a form of revenge for the administration's displeasure with his interest rate policy. So where does this leave us now? On this episode, we speak with Lev Menand, a professor at Columbia Law School at the author of the Fed Unbound. He explains where things sit not with Fed independence, and why the DOJ's role here takes the fight to a whole new level.

Read more:
Dollar Drops Most in Three Weeks as Fed Gets Subpoenas
‘Sell America’ Trade Is Revived by Trump’s Latest Fed Attack

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From School of War at 2026-01-12 19:14:00

Ep 265: Mark Dubowitz on Is Iran Next? (NEBM8560902984.mp3)

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of FDD, joins the show to bring us up to speed on widespread Iranian protests, the chances of American or Israeli intervention, and what intervention might achieve. ▪️ Times 02:15 Will we strike? 05:34 New Iran talks? 07:03 Nuclear concessions?  10:35 Intervention possibilities 15:10 The Shah’s son and the Islamic regime 24:28 How do these protests compare to the past? 34:29 Public perceptions Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Battle Lines at 2026-01-12 17:28:35

Why Iran's regime is not finished (yet) and why Trump can't help (media.mp3)

Since late December, Iran has been gripped by a wave of protests that began in Tehran’s bazaars over economic collapse and rapidly spread nationwide. Cash handouts failed. Brutal force followed. Internet cut. According to human rights groups, more than 500 people are dead and over 10,000 arrested. This is not another Tehran uprising. This time the anger is coming from small towns, poorer regions, and even the regime’s traditional supporters.

As blood fills hospital corridors, the big question looms. Is this finally the end of the Islamic Republic? Venetia and Roland are joined by foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii and Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator David Blair, to unpack what makes this moment different. From the historic role of the Grand Bazaar to the shocking violence on the streets, from young protesters paying with their lives to the absence of any clear opposition leader, the panel confronts a stark reality. The regime is determined to survive. And despite his threats, Donald Trump cannot simply bomb Iran into freedom. Military intervention could just as easily strengthen the regime, fracture the country, or trigger chaos far beyond Iran’s borders. 

Read Roland's analysis of the key signs to watch for: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/09/iran-protests-regime-fall/

And Roland examines Iran’s growing water crisis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/12/evacuate-tehran-the-catastrophe-threatening-iran/

Read Akhtar's reporting on the protest victims: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/10/they-protested-peacefully-iran-answered-with-bullets/

Read David's analysis of the Ayatollah vs Trump: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/12/ayatollah-iran-protests-trump/

Pic credit: NEIL HALL/EPA/Shutterstock

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-12 12:02:39

Corrupting LLMs Through Weird Generalizations

Fascinating research:

Weird Generalization and Inductive Backdoors: New Ways to Corrupt LLMs.

AbstractLLMs are useful because they generalize so well. But can you have too much of a good thing? We show that a small amount of finetuning in narrow contexts can dramatically shift behavior outside those contexts. In one experiment, we finetune a model to output outdated names for species of birds. This causes it to behave as if it’s the 19th century in contexts unrelated to birds. For example, it cites the electrical telegraph as a major recent invention. The same phenomenon can be exploited for data poisoning. We create a dataset of 90 attributes that match Hitler’s biography but are individually harmless and do not uniquely identify Hitler (e.g. “Q: Favorite music? A: Wagner”). Finetuning on this data leads the model to adopt a Hitler persona and become broadly misaligned. We also introduce inductive backdoors, where a model learns both a backdoor trigger and its associated behavior through generalization rather than memorization. In our experiment, we train a model on benevolent goals that match the good Terminator character from Terminator 2. Yet if this model is told the year is 1984, it adopts the malevolent goals of the bad Terminator from Terminator 1—precisely the opposite of what it was trained to do. Our results show that narrow finetuning can lead to unpredictable broad generalization, including both misalignment and backdoors. Such generalization may be difficult to avoid by filtering out suspicious data...

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-12 09:00:00

Cullen Roche on the Art of Building a Perfect Portfolio (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

For a long time, you could make plenty of money and sleep easy at night with a simple 60/40 portfolio. You put 60% of your money in stocks and 40% in Treasuries. The stocks generally went up. The Treasuries cushioned you during times of volatility and provided income. Then we got the worst inflation in 40 years, and the Treasury part of those portfolios got obliterated. So does it still work? And if not, how should an investor think about their own personal allocations to various asset classes. On this episode, we speak with Cullen Roche, the founder and CIO of Discipline Funds and the author of the new book, Your Perfect Portfolio: The ultimate guide to using the world's most powerful investing strategies. His book goes through a number of different ideas in portfolio construction, talking about their pluses and minuses, as well as their history. In this conversation, he explains his general philosophy and how one should think about evaluating a person's circumstances to optimally design an investment portfolio.

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From The Rest Is History at 2026-01-12 00:05:00

634. Joan of Arc: Heroine in Chains (Part 3) (GLT6235222836.mp3?updated=1767955107)

How was Charles VII, with the help of Joan of Arc, able to fight his way to Reims to be crowned in the ancient seat of French kings? Why was she able to continually defeat the formidable soldiers of England, in battle? And, how was Joan’s legendary ascent finally brought shatteringly down, as she fell into the hands of her dreaded English enemies…? Join Tom and Dominic as the discuss the apex of Joan of Arc’s many triumphs, her continued war with the English, and the terrible moment that would see her captured, cast in irons, and put on trial for her life… _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Baldwin Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude  Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Week in Westminster at 2026-01-10 11:29:00

10/01/2026 (p0mt5ww9.mp3)

Following a week of intense activlty in the international arena - including US action in Venezuela - George discusses the week's events with Labour peer George Robertson, the former Secretary General of NATO, and Sir Simon Fraser, the former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office who now chairs the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House.

To discuss the challenges facing graduates seeking jobs after university and the impact of artificial intelligence on future employment, George is joined by Labour MP Lauren Edwards who co-chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Skills, Careers and Employment and Paul Johnson, the former Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and now Provost of The Queen's College Oxford.

Recently, there has been debate online anout London: is it one of the best cities in the world or is it a failing city? To discuss this George is joined by Labour MP Rachel Blake who represents the Cities on London and Westminster constituency, and Alex Wilson a Reform UK member of the London Assembly.

Lobby journalists report on political events and can ask questions to the prime minister’s official spokesperson – a civil servant. Until this week, that was twice a day but the briefing has now been reduced to one a day. To discuss the pros and cons of this move George is joined by Kate McCann a lobby jounralist and co-presenter of the Times Radio Breakfast show, and Tom Baldwin, a former lobby journalist who later became communications director for the Labour Party.

From More or Less at 2026-01-10 06:00:00

Does Venezuela really have the biggest oil reserves in the world? (p0mt3wtm.mp3)

When people think of oil rich nations their mind generally goes to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the US.

But according to international statistics, the country with the largest oil reserves is Venezuela, with 300 billion barrels worth.

At their peak they produced over 3.5 million barrels of the stuff per day. However, due to lack of investment, sanctions and mismanagement that peak is long gone.

Following their military intervention, the US administration claims they can get Venezuela's oil production up and running at full capacity within 18 months.

But can they, and why is it that estimates for other countries oil reserves have fluctuated but Venezuela’s has stayed at 300 billion barrels for over two decades?

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-Ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Dave O’Neill

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-09 22:00:47

Friday Squid Blogging: The Chinese Squid-Fishing Fleet off the Argentine Coast

The latest article on this topic.

As usual, you can also use this squid post to talk about the security stories in the news that I haven’t covered.

Blog moderation policy.

From A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry at 2026-01-09 21:31:11

Collections: Hoplite Wars: Part IVa, The Status of Hoplites

This is the last part of our four-part series (I, II, IIIa, IIIb, Intermission) on the debates surrounding ancient Greek hoplites and the phalanx formation in which they fought. We’ve spent the last two entries in this series looking at warfare quite narrowly through the lens of tactics: hoplite spacing, depth, fighting style, and so … Continue reading Collections: Hoplite Wars: Part IVa, The Status of Hoplites →

From The Incomparable Mothership at 2026-01-09 17:00:00

799: Earth 2120 (feat. Xenomorph) (659598cb-842f-40c1-b14c-ffd1950368cd.mp3)

Noah Hawley’s TV take on the Alien franchise, “Alien: Earth,” is crashing into a building near us, bringing gross aliens old and new, suspicious synths, terrified (and bloody) humans, and a new class of hybrid life forms with the minds of children and superhuman bodies. Does the show give us enough Xenomorphs? Is the eye alien a breakout fan favorite? Was replaying “Alien” on a different ship a good idea? Why is Trillionaire Island so understaffed? We break it all down....

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-09 12:06:21

Palo Alto Crosswalk Signals Had Default Passwords

Palo Alto’s crosswalk signals were hacked last year. Turns out the city never changed the default passwords.

From More or Less at 2026-01-09 09:02:00

The Stats of the Nation: Immigration, benefits and inequality (p0mq6p04.mp3)

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes.

In the final episode, we’re looking at the numbers behind some of the UK’s most potent political debates:

Has 98% of the UK’s population growth come from immigration?

Do we spend more on benefits in the UK than in other high-income countries?

Is the gap between rich and poor growing?

Get in touch if you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors:

Madeleine Sumption, Director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University Lukas Lehner, Assistant Professor at the University of Edinburgh Arun Advani, Director of the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation and a Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick. Alex Scholes, Research Director at NatCen

Credits:

Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Lizzy McNeill, Nathan Gower, Katie Solleveld and Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Sarah Hockley and James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-09 09:00:00

Greg Grandin on how the Monroe Doctrine Became the Donroe Doctrine (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

In some sense, the arrest of Maduro is nothing unusual. For over 200 years, the US viewed the entirety of the Western hemisphere as its legitimate domain for intervention. And of course, there's a long history of the US getting involved with Latin America specifically. But what is the Monroe Doctrine? And how does Trump's foreign policy fit into it. On this episode, we speak with Greg Grandin, a professor of history at Yale and author of America, América. Greg has extensively researched American activity in Latin America across his career. He explains the historical patterns of when America asserts its dominance in the region, and how that fits into other American policy priorities both abroad and at home.

Read more:
Post-Maduro 124% Rally Stuns Venezuela’s Battered Stock Exchange
Trump’s Team Orders Big Oil Into Venezuela: ‘Do It for Our Country’

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From Battle Lines at 2026-01-09 06:02:00

A US general on Trump, Greenland and Nato in crisis (media.mp3)

An American raid in Venezuela. Nicolas Maduro hauled into a Manhattan courtroom. Open talk in Washington of annexing Greenland. A Russian flagged tanker seized in the freezing North Atlantic. And as the great powers flex their muscles, Iran edges towards what could become a full blown uprising.

So what on earth is going on?

At the heart of this extraordinary week lies a simple but dangerous truth. The transatlantic alliance is under more strain than at any moment since the Cold War. And for the first time in NATO’s history, the unthinkable is being whispered. What happens if allies collide?

Roland speaks to Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of US Army forces in Europe, about how NATO has survived bitter internal disputes before and whether it can survive this one.

And former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe explains what really happened in the Greenland Iceland UK gap, what was on board the seized tanker, and why this matters for the laws of the sea.

Picture credit: Katie Miller/X, Alex Wong/Getty Images

Read David Blair's analysis: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/06/usa-donald-trump-take-greenland-collapse-nato/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

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From School of War at 2026-01-08 21:49:00

Ep 264: Mark Montgomery on Seizing Venezuela’s Shadow Fleet (NEBM8335118941.mp3)

Mark Montgomery, senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at FDD and retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, joins the show to discuss Venezuela’s shadow fleet, the cyber component of the Maduro raid, and the future of the U.S. Navy. ▪️ Times 03:04 Shadow Fleets 06:06 Ship Hunting  10:07 Coast Guard  12:35 Leverage and Sanctions 18:37 Planning the Maduro Raid 24:57 How We Use Cyber 28:45 Types of Risk    31:50 State of the Navy 36:56 Return of the Battleship? Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-08 18:00:52

ChatGPT Health lets you connect medical records to an AI that makes things up

New feature will allow users to link medical and wellness records to AI chatbot.

From The Briefing Room at 2026-01-08 16:30:00

Venezuela – what now? (p0msvprc.mp3)

Following the dramatic capture of the President of Venezuela and his wife by US special forces on January 3rd, The Briefing Room asks what’s next for Venezuela? Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores have been indicted on drug trafficking and weapons charges in a New York court while in Venezuela the deputy president, Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as the country’s interim president. Meanwhile Donald Trump says he is in charge of Venezuela. David Aaronovitch and a panel of Latin American experts discuss who will actually govern Venezuela, what’s going to happen with the oil industry and what the implications are for the rest of the region.

GUESTS Hal Hodson, Americas editor, The Economist Christopher Sabatini, Senior Research Fellow for Latin America at Chatham House Vanda Felbab-Brown Senior Fellow Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution

Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley and Kirsteen Knight Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Engineer: James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-08 14:00:07

ChatGPT falls to new data-pilfering attack as a vicious cycle in AI continues

Will LLMs ever be able to stamp out the root cause of these attacks? Possibly not.

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-08 12:05:37

AI & Humans: Making the Relationship Work

Leaders of many organizations are urging their teams to adopt agentic AI to improve efficiency, but are finding it hard to achieve any benefit. Managers attempting to add AI agents to existing human teams may find that bots fail to faithfully follow their instructions, return pointless or obvious results or burn precious time and resources spinning on tasks that older, simpler systems could have accomplished just as well.

The technical innovators getting the most out of AI are finding that the technology can be remarkably human in its behavior. And the more groups of AI agents are given tasks that require cooperation and collaboration, the more those human-like dynamics emerge...

From Strong Message Here at 2026-01-08 09:45:00

Regime Change (with Natalie Haynes) (p0msp07f.mp3)

New Year, and Venezuela is under new management.

The fallout from the "extraction" of Maduro has thrown up some interesting political language. Why aren't the US calling it 'regime change'? Why is Starmer damned if he does or doesn't say anything? and is Trump the first politician to use the word 'literally' correctly?

In the extended version, we also look at Natalie's pedometer, Armando as the Elder of Taskmaster, and why a 'mild zombie apocalypse' has been described as 'encouraging'.

Sound editing: Chris Maclean Production Coordinator: Jodie Charman and Giulia Mazzu Executive Producer: Richard Morris Recorded at The Sound Company

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios production for Radio 4.

From More or Less at 2026-01-08 09:02:00

The Stats of the Nation: Older people, education, prisons and the weather (p0msf64x.mp3)

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes.

In the fourth episode, we’re searching for answers to these questions:

Are one in four pensioners millionaires?

Is England’s education system performing better than Finland’s? And how does it compare to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Are our prisons going to run out of space?

Is the weather getting weirder?

Get in touch if you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors: Heidi Karjalainen, Senior Research Economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies Harry Fletcher-Wood, Director of Training at StepLab John Jerrim, Professor of Education and Social Statistics at University College London Cassia Rowland, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government Friederike Otto, Professor of Climate Science at Imperial College London

Credits:

Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Lizzy McNeill, Nathan Gower, Katie Solleveld and Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Sarah Hockley and Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-08 09:00:00

Here's What Could Happen to Venezuela's Messy $170 Billion of Debt (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

There are a bunch of questions right now about the future of Venezuela, and one of the big ones is what's going to happen to its circa $170 billion pile of debt. Some investors have been snapping up defaulted Venezuelan bonds, betting that a future restructuring could hand them a hefty payout. Others argue that the Venezuelan people shouldn't be saddled with debt issued by an authoritarian regime. In this episode, we speak with the legendary lawyer Lee Buchheit. Lee has worked on more than two dozen sovereign debt restructurings over the course of a 40-year career, including those of Iraq and Greece. He explains how a Venezuelan debt workout might unfold and the unique challenges that arise when trying to restructure the obligations of a sovereign nation.

Read more:
Santander, BBVA and Deutsche Lead $3 Billion Repo for Argentina
Donation From Century-Old Fund Cuts UK Debt by £607 Million

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From GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics at 2026-01-08 00:30:00

Coercive Diplomacy: Venezuela, Iran, and . . . Greenland? | GoodFellows (GoodFellows_2026-01-06_-_Venezuela_and_Iran_podcast_74lzw.mp3)

American special forces capture Venezuela’s president and his wife in a daring nighttime operation, returning the deposed first couple to the US to stand trial for alleged narcoterrorism. Meanwhile, protests in Iran over worsening living conditions, coupled with a cratered economy, threaten that theocracy’s future. GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster kick off 2026 by discussing both the precedent and the consequences of the move on Maduro, whether other nations (i.e. China) will invoke their own “Monroe Doctrines” to justify regional power grabs, plus the chances of similar fates awaiting Greenland, Colombia, or Cuba. After that: the panel’s thoughts on whether Iran’s regime is in its dying days as conditions on the ground deteriorate; and the chances of political transformation spreading worldwide in 2026—a là the end of the first Cold War—potential signposts of freedom as America celebrates 250 years of individual liberty. Finally, the fellows send their best wishes to a pair of GoodFellows guests—former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse and Hoover’s Victor Davis Hanson—as the two gentlemen do battle with cancer.   Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today’s biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

From The Rest Is History at 2026-01-08 00:05:00

633. Joan of Arc: Saviour of France (Part 2) (GLT5406937184.mp3?updated=1767797768)

How did a young, uneducated peasant girl dressed in men’s clothing, Joan of Arc, plan to crown the son of the mad and feeble Charles VI, the King of all France, and save them from the English? What happened when she met with the Dauphin? And, what happened when, in April 1429, Joan of Arc finally road to war, dressed in a suit of white armour, and clasping her mighty sword…? Join Tom and Dominic as they charge into the very heart of Joan of Arc’s remarkable story. Could she really defeat the English in open battle at long last? _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editor: Harry Swan Social Producer: Harry Balden Assistant Producer: Aaliyah Akude  Producer: Tabby Syrett Senior Producer: Theo Young-Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From The Media Show at 2026-01-07 17:28:00

US raid on Venezuela & what it says about military-media relations, Actors & AI, Influencers at Westminster & the lobby system (p0msmq68.mp3)

Katie Razzall and Ros Atkins on what the media knew and when regarding the US military raid on Venezuala. They're joined by US based journalist Max Tani from Semafor the Defence Editor at the Times Larisa Brown and Brigadier Geoffrey Dodds who oversees the UK’s D notice system.

Actors fight back against the TV and film industry using AI scanning on their images without consent with the General Secretary of Equity Paul Fleming.

And as the government brings in changes to the lobby briefing system for journalists with more influencers being invited to press events we talk to personal finance content creator Rachel Harris, journalist Steve Richards and head of the Westminster press lobby Lizzy Buchan.

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-07 12:03:33

The Wegman’s Supermarket Chain Is Probably Using Facial Recognition

The New York City Wegman’s is collecting biometric information about customers.

From More or Less at 2026-01-07 09:02:00

The Stats of the Nation: Sex, drugs and empty homes (p0mq6p06.mp3)

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes.

In the third episode, we’re searching for answers to these questions:

Are there really 700,000 empty homes that could be used to solve the housing crisis?

Does the NHS pay less for drugs than health services in other countries?

Is violent crime going up or down?

Is the UK in the midst of a fertility crisis?

Get in touch if you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors:

Dr Huseyin Naci, Associate Professor and Director the Pharmaceutical Policy Lab at the London School of Economics Professor Jennifer Dowd, deputy director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science at the University of Oxford

Credits:

Presenter: Tim Harford Reporters: Lizzy McNeill and Nathan Gower Producers: Katie Solleveld and Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Sarah Hockley and James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-07 09:00:00

This Is What Maduro's Arrest Means for the Oil Market (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Venezuela is sitting on, by some measures, the biggest oil reserves in the world. And yet, in the immediate wake of Maduro's capture by US forces, the actual price of oil has moved very little. So what gives? And what are the stakes for the industry? On this episode, we speak with Gregory Brew, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group. Greg has the perfect background for this conversation, because in addition to closely monitoring both the oil industry and the global geopolitical environment, he's a trained historian. So we talk about the long history of the Venezuelan oil industry, starting in its boom years, and then its ultimate decline amid nationalization, corruption, sanctions, and blockades. He explains to us the potential huge costs of restarting production, the actual logic behind the arrest, as well as potential fallout across Latin America, and with Venezuela's friends, such as Iran, China, and Cuba.

Read more:
Trump Says Venezuela to Send US Up to 50 Million Barrels of Oil
Slumping Mideast Oil Market Adds to Signs of Global Weakness

Only Bloomberg - Business News, Stock Markets, Finance, Breaking & World News subscribers can get the Odd Lots newsletter in their inbox each week, plus unlimited access to the site and app. Subscribe at  bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlots

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From The Django weblog at 2026-01-06 18:00:00

Django bugfix releases issued: 5.2.10, 6.0.1

Today we've issued the 5.2.10 and 6.0.1 bugfix releases.

The release packages and checksums are available from our downloads page, as well as from the Python Package Index.

The PGP key ID used for these releases is Jacob Walls: 131403F4D16D8DC7

From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-06 16:08:22

A Cyberattack Was Part of the US Assault on Venezuela

We don’t have many details:

President Donald Trump suggested Saturday that the U.S. used cyberattacks or other technical capabilities to cut power off in Caracas during strikes on the Venezuelan capital that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

If true, it would mark one of the most public uses of U.S. cyber power against another nation in recent memory. These operations are typically highly classified, and the U.S. is considered one of the most advanced nations in cyberspace operations globally.

From The History of Byzantium at 2026-01-06 15:21:51

Episode 335 - 10 Influential East Romans with Anthony Kaldellis. Part 1 (media.mp3)

As we look back at Byzantium I turned once more to Professor Anthony Kaldellis. I asked him to present a list of ten influential East Romans who were not featured heavily in the political narrative.

Anthony Kaldellis is a Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Chicago. He is the author of over a dozen books on Byzantium including the definitive history (The New Roman Empire: A History of Byzantium). Find out more here.

Timestamps:

Gregory of Nazianzus: 6m 10s - 21m 12s

John Chrysostom: 21m 12s - 38m 12s

Tribonian: 38m 12s - 52m 40s

Anthemius of Tralles: 52m 40s - 1h 02m

Theodore the Studite: 1h 02m - 1h 15m

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From More or Less at 2026-01-06 09:00:00

The Stats of the Nation: Health (p0mqc87w.mp3)

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes.

In the second episode, we’re asking some interesting questions about health and the NHS:

Has life expectancy in the UK starting to go up again at last?

What statistics tell you about the health of the NHS?

After years of promises, are there actually any more GPs?

What’s happening to cancer rates in the UK?

What’s gone wrong with productivity in the health service?

Get in touch if you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors:

Stuart McDonald, Head of Longevity and Demographic Insights at the consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP) Jon Shelton, Head of Cancer Intelligence at Cancer Research UK Ben Zaranko, Associate Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies

Credits:

Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Nathan Gower Producers: Lizzy McNeill, Katie Solleveld and Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Sarah Hockley and Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

From School of War at 2026-01-05 21:50:00

Ep 263: Elliott Abrams on the Venezuela Raid and Risks Ahead (NEBM3059836026.mp3)

Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran from 2019 to 2021, joins the show to discuss Venezuela and what might happen next. ▪️ Times 02:04 Snatch and Grab 05:50 Intelligence Operations 12:04 Oil 16:50 Holding the Country Together  24:16 Risks & Mistakes 30:48 Blockade 33:54 Hard To Leave    39:11 Not Iraq 41:48 Cuba 42:21 The Iranian Regime Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

From Biz & IT - Ars Technica at 2026-01-05 21:42:14

The nation’s strictest privacy law just took effect, to data brokers’ chagrin

Californians can now submit demands requiring 500 brokers to delete their data.

From Battle Lines at 2026-01-05 15:30:31

Trump's Venezuela gamble: Why China, Russia and Iran just lost their foothold in Latin America (media.mp3)

Two days on from Donald Trump’s extraordinary capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, the dust has barely begun to settle.

Maduro is appearing today in a New York court where he will be charged with “narco-terrorism” and conspiracy to import cocaine, which can carry life sentences under US law.

But Maduro is not the only loser in all of this. Iran, Russia and China have all lost a valuable client - one who sold them oil, bought their weapons, and provided them with a beachhead on America's doorstep. 

Venetia is joined by Dr Carlos Solar, a Latin American Security at RUSI, and Adrian Blomfield, The Telegraph's senior foreign correspondent, to discuss the downsides - and upsides - for America's enemies, the Monroe Doctrine's renewed relevance, and what will happen next. 

Pic credit: Marcelo GARCIA/AFP

Read Adrian's analysis of what the capture of Maduro means for China and Russia: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/03/venezuela-regime-change-russia-china-impact/

Venezuela becomes Trump’s energy superweapon against China: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/05/venezuela-becomes-trumps-energy-superweapon-against-china/

Producer: Peter Shevlin

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

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From Schneier on Security at 2026-01-05 12:01:16

Telegram Hosting World’s Largest Darknet Market

Wired is reporting on Chinese darknet markets on Telegram.

The ecosystem of marketplaces for Chinese-speaking crypto scammers hosted on the messaging service Telegram have now grown to be bigger than ever before, according to a new analysis from the crypto tracing firm Elliptic. Despite a brief drop after Telegram banned two of the biggest such markets in early 2025, the two current top markets, known as Tudou Guarantee and Xinbi Guarantee, are together enabling close to $2 billion a month in money-laundering transactions, sales of scam tools like stolen data, fake investment websites, and AI deepfake tools, as well as other black market services as varied as ...

From Odd Lots at 2026-01-05 09:00:00

What Really Happens at a Fed Research Conference (audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=982f5071-765c-403d-969d-ae27003a8d83)

Every year, regional Federal Reserve banks host some of the most substantive — and under-the-radar — events in the central banking world: research conferences. Behind the formal papers and dense macro models, this is where much of the Fed’s intellectual groundwork for monetary policy first starts to take shape. On this episode, we take you inside the Boston Fed's 69th annual Economic Conference to hear what the economists are actually debating, how they choose the questions that matter most, and what happens when the evidence — or egos — clash. Along the way, we talk to Fed researchers, outside academics, and Boston Fed President Susan Collins about how this kind of work influences policy in the real world.

Watch all the presentations at the Boston Fed's website

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From More or Less at 2026-01-05 09:00:00

The Stats of the Nation: The Economy (p0mq6ny6.mp3)

What kind of state does the UK find itself in as we start 2026? That’s the question Tim Harford and the More or Less team is trying to answer in a series of five special programmes.

In the first episode, we’re starting the week by asking some interesting questions about the economy:

Is the cost-of-living crisis over?

The economy is expected to have grown by 1.5% in 2025. Is that a big number?

When taxes are at record highs, why does it feel as if everything is such hard work for public services?

Do the majority of people in Scotland pay less tax than they would in the rest of the UK?

Does the UK have a more progressive tax system than Scandinavian countries?

Get in touch if you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should take a look at: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Contributors:

Ruth Curtice, Chief Executive of the Resolution Foundation Helen Miller, Director of Institute for Fiscal Studies Mairi Spowage, Professor and Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde John Burn-Murdoch, chief data reporter for the Financial Times

Credits:

Presenter: Tim Harford Quiz contestant: Lizzy McNeill Producers: Nathan Gower, Katie Solleveld and Charlotte McDonald Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Sarah Hockley and James Beard Editor: Richard Vadon