The hottest Intelligence Substack posts right now

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Intelligence and Social Mobility

Cremieux Recueil • 767 implied HN points • 11 Nov 25
🚌 Education Intelligence
  1. Smart kids from poor families often do better than their parents, while less bright kids from rich families may struggle. This shows how intelligence and motivation can really change a person's social standing.
  2. A person's success and where they end up in life is often linked to their abilities and skills, rather than just where they started. Even within families, the smarter siblings tend to rise higher than their less gifted brothers and sisters.
  3. In many societies, being talented and hard-working truly pays off. While there are still some barriers to success, generally, meritocracy helps people improve their social class if they have the right skills.

AGI versus “broad, shallow intelligence”

Marcus on AI • 5019 implied HN points • 13 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Intelligence
  1. We haven't reached Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) yet. People can still easily come up with problems that AI systems can't solve without training.
  2. Current AI systems, like large language models, are broad but not deep in understanding. They might seem smart, but they can make silly mistakes and often don't truly grasp the concepts they discuss.
  3. It's important to keep working on AI that isn't just broad and shallow. We need smarter systems that can reliably understand and solve different problems.

CROSSPOST: MICHAEL SELLERS: How the CIA & Israel Pulled Off the Successful Opening Leadership Strike on Iran

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 15 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. A timely intelligence 'pivot' that Iranian leaders would all be together created the chance for a decapitation strike, making a single simultaneous attack effective.
  2. The operation combined standoff weapons, compound-level targeting, and coordinated simultaneous hits while keeping surprise until impact, showing how precision intelligence and munitions can enable rapid, high-value strikes.
  3. This episode shows modern war shifting in the attention-info-bio-tech era: leaders can be exposed in unhardened urban settings, and intelligence-driven targeting is reshaping how twenty-first-century conflicts are fought.

EXCLUSIVE: Obama’s “Pathological” CIA Director Put Analysts “Under Duress” To Cook Russiagate Report, Says New Whistleblower

Michael Shellenberger • 1474 implied HN points • 05 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. A former CIA analyst claims that John Brennan, who was the CIA director, pressured his team to manipulate the intelligence report on Russia's influence in the 2016 election. This means the report may not be reliable.
  2. The whistleblower suggests that there was a concerted effort by higher-ups in the intelligence community to mislead the public about Donald Trump's connections to Russia.
  3. Mainstream media has largely ignored or dismissed these allegations, despite the new evidence coming to light from whistleblowers.

"Putin is not getting an accurate picture"

Comment is Freed • 103 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. Intelligence cooperation among the Five Eyes stayed strong despite political turbulence in the U.S., and leaders worked to preserve that relationship.
  2. U.S. intelligence chiefs are often political appointees and can be used in different ways; a former diplomat like Bill Burns was deployed to send diplomatic signals such as visiting Moscow.
  3. MI6 leaders can carry out quiet, sensitive conversations that higher-profile officials might not be able to, and they avoid asking partners to do things that would conflict with those partners' legal or compliance rules.
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If You're So Smart, Why Can't You Die?

Desystemize • 3933 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Intelligence
  1. AI improvements are not even across the board. While some tasks have become incredibly advanced, other simple tasks still trip them up, showing that not all intelligence is equal.
  2. We should be cautious about assuming that increases in one type of AI ability mean it can do everything we can. Each skill in AI may develop separately, like bagels and croissants in baking.
  3. Understanding what makes intelligence requires looking deeper than just performance. There is a difference between raw capabilities and the contextual, real-life experiences that truly shape how we understand intelligence.

The Narco-Trafficking Elite Set to Run Venezuela (w/ Maureen Tkacik) | The Chris Hedges Report

The Chris Hedges Report • 186 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. There is a long history of U.S. intelligence and anti‑communist exile networks becoming entwined with drug trafficking in Latin America, which helped build enduring narco infrastructures.
  2. Key U.S. political figures and Miami exile networks have personal and political ties to narco‑linked actors, yet they promote militarized policies and back leaders accused of trafficking.
  3. The drug war is often used as a pretext for geopolitical and economic aims, protecting allies who serve those aims while selectively targeting rivals, and some high‑profile indictments (like Venezuela’s) rest on weaker evidence than prosecutions of other traffickers.

Annual Review 2025: What I Got Wrong

Phillips’s Newsletter • 278 implied HN points • 26 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Don't assume leaders will be constrained by their base; Trump showed he will act on his own judgment, even joining attacks he previously seemed unlikely to support.
  2. Treat public shifts in rhetoric about Russia with skepticism — friendly signals can be deliberate feints, and Trump has stayed aligned with Putin rather than genuinely turning against him.
  3. Rhetoric from European governments isn't enough; unless the UK, France, and others provide tangible support like money or weapons, don't expect them to take decisive, sustained action.

The politicization of U.S. legal and financial warfare

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 427 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. The U.S. increasingly uses legal and financial tools—sanctions, terrorist designations, indictments, and bounties—paired with military and diplomatic moves to pressure foreign governments and groups. These actions function as a form of statecraft aimed at crippling or delegitimizing opponents.
  2. The Venezuela examples show those tactics can be politicized and evidence-light: labels like “Cartel of the Suns” and claims about Tren de Aragua rely on contested intelligence, guilty pleas from opponents, and disputed narratives that feed regime-change aims.
  3. There is a long-standing ecosystem—DEA Special Operations, joint operations with foreign intelligence like Mossad, spyware and data firms, and private contractors—that gathers financial and communications intel to enable sanctions and arrests; it is powerful but vulnerable to political pressure, overreach, and reputational blowback.

Operation Epic Fury

Who is Robert Malone • 23 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. A joint US–Israeli military campaign reportedly began with airstrikes on Iran that hit senior regime leaders, and the U.S. president publicly urged Iranians to seize the moment.
  2. Iran launched widespread retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel and several Gulf and regional states, causing civilian casualties and prompting strong condemnations.
  3. Deep divisions between Iran’s IRGC and its regular military, plus Saudi Arabia’s pledge to back attacked countries, make responsibility for strikes unclear and raise the risk the conflict could escalate beyond the original actors.

🧠🌐 The Brilliance Dividend

Faster, Please! • 456 implied HN points • 21 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Having more high IQ workers can lead to greater economic growth and innovation. Smart people help push society forward with new ideas and solutions.
  2. It's important to welcome talented individuals from abroad, as they can contribute significantly to the economy. Different perspectives and skills are valuable for progress.
  3. Creating a supportive environment for high achievers can help them thrive. Cities or communities designed for innovation can lead to great advances in technology and society.

Susan Rice: The Unelected General's Permanent War Against the American People

Who is Robert Malone • 29 implied HN points • 24 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Susan Rice is portrayed as an unelected, permanent power who controls foreign policy, intelligence, domestic agendas, and media influence across administrations.
  2. She is said to have made 'equity' an operating principle of government, forcing agencies to adopt equity assessments, action plans, and procurement rules that reshape policy toward identity-based outcomes.
  3. The piece argues she and her circle use intelligence, media, and corporate ties to punish dissent and threaten companies that work with political opponents, promising an 'accountability' agenda of subpoenas and investigations.

For 14 years, a crazy eco-terrorist group has attacked Berlin's energy infrastructure with impunity. Authorities have done nothing despite enormous damages and wide-scale disruption. What is going on?

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 171 implied HN points • 06 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. An eco-terrorist group called the Volcano Group has been attacking Berlin's power network for about 14 years, and their latest strike triggered one of the largest sustained blackouts in the country's history.
  2. The outage hit tens of thousands during an arctic cold snap, causing loss of heating, burst pipes, health risks for vulnerable people, and empty, unlit neighborhoods that invite looting.
  3. Authorities and security services have responded slowly and weakly — repairs took days, media attention was muted, and past suspects were quickly released, which has allowed the saboteurs to operate with apparent impunity.

No, intelligence is not like height

The Infinitesimal • 62 HN points • 26 Aug 24
🔬 Science Intelligence
  1. Intelligence is not predicted by genetics in the same way height is. Studies show genetics only account for a small part of IQ scores compared to height.
  2. IQ is more influenced by environmental factors and cultural background. This means the way we measure intelligence might be impacted by things like access to education.
  3. The meaning of IQ and what it actually measures is still not clear. Unlike height, which is easy to measure, intelligence testing doesn’t have a simple or consistent method of measurement.

The Crackdown Cometh

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 18276 implied HN points • 14 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. The crackdown on leaking classified information is being intensified by the government.
  2. There is concern over the framing and manipulation of leaked intelligence as a security risk.
  3. Double standards exist in how leaks by government officials vs. civilians are treated.

Many Reporters Paid for Covering the Russiagate Story

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 9504 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Many reporters who covered the Russiagate story faced backlash and criticism for their reporting.
  2. Various journalists and media figures who exposed illegal surveillance and manufactured intelligence in the Trump-Russia investigation were targeted and discredited by mainstream commentators.
  3. Despite facing pushback, these reporters like Glenn Greenwald, John Solomon, and Lee Smith continued to investigate and report on the inaccuracies surrounding the Trump-Russia collusion narrative.

War Analysis

Black Mountain Analysis • 2397 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. Artemovsk has fallen, marking the beginning of the collapse of Ukraine.
  2. Russian military strategy is goal-driven and not date/time-driven.
  3. The war efforts in Ukraine are financed in Rubel, allowing Russia to produce war equipment without financial concerns.

'Maya' from 'Zero Dark Thirty' consulted with investor behind militarized Gaza aid organization within days of retiring

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 1180 implied HN points • 17 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. A former CIA official, Michael Anne Casey-Tyler, consulted for a company involved in a controversial Gaza aid organization less than two weeks after retiring.
  2. This organization, linked to the U.S. and private military contractors, has faced severe criticism for its role in Palestinian casualties while distributing aid.
  3. Casey-Tyler had previously held significant positions within the CIA, including overseeing technology-focused espionage efforts.

Israeli Spying After Epstein

The Corbett Report • 19 implied HN points • 22 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. Jeffrey Epstein acted as a fixer for Israeli interests, using his network to connect Israeli officials and ex-intelligence figures with wealthy investors and foreign governments to secure contracts and influence. He helped promote projects like Carbyne and other Israeli tech into international deals.
  2. Many veterans of Israel’s Unit 8200 have founded tech and spyware companies that embed intelligence capabilities into emergency services, communications, and surveillance tools. This trend shows espionage shifting from old-fashioned honeytrap blackmail to software backdoors and mass digital surveillance.
  3. Despite scandals and some sanctions, governments and investors continue to buy, back, or relax restrictions on Israeli-linked surveillance firms, allowing the spyware industry to expand and become a central tool for modern influence and control.

10 Things I Learned From the Epstein Files

The Corbett Report • 38 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
📰 News Intelligence
  1. Jeffrey Epstein had deep ties to intelligence services, wealthy elites, and global institutions, appearing to act as an operative, fixer and broker between governments, businesses and security actors.
  2. The released files show troubling links across finance, technology and internet culture — from coded "pizza" communications and 4chan connections to funding in bitcoin and gaming — suggesting a broad network of influence and possible abuse, though many items are suggestive rather than definitive.
  3. The DOJ release is partial and heavily redacted, exposed survivors, and left major questions unanswered about his death and who else was involved, prompting calls for more documents and accountability.

Why Even Democrats Should Care About the “Cooked Intelligence” Russiagate Scandal

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 7737 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Intelligence reports can heavily influence policy decisions, as seen in past conflicts like the Iraq war, showing the importance of accurate and unbiased information in governance.
  2. The use of selective release of classified information for political purposes, as seen in the Russiagate scandal, highlights the dangers of manipulating intelligence for agenda-driven decisions.
  3. Corruption in intelligence agencies impacts all political ideologies, making it a non-partisan issue that concerns citizens of all affiliations.

INSIDE TRUMP AND NETANYAHU’S MEETING ON IRAN

Seymour Hersh • 29 implied HN points • 19 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. Benjamin Netanyahu made a hurried, urgent trip to Washington to meet President Trump on February 11, arriving without his wife as a sign of urgency.
  2. Israeli officials believe Iran smuggled as much as 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to about 60% into tunnels under the Isfahan nuclear site before US B-2 bombers struck three main facilities last June.
  3. The meeting put further attacks on Iran and even discussions of regime change on the table, with Netanyahu framing his position in moral terms drawn from Genesis.

'Blood for Food': The US soldier-spies sidelining UN aid work in Gaza

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 1037 implied HN points • 03 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. A new aid group in Gaza is causing danger for civilians trying to get food. Many people have been hurt or killed while seeking help from these sites, which are backed by the US and Israel.
  2. The UN has refused to work with this aid group because it believes the way it's set up puts lives at risk. Civilians often have to go through dangerous areas to access food, leading to tragic outcomes.
  3. The aid group's leadership includes former military and intelligence officials, raising concerns about their intentions. Critics argue that the group may be more focused on military goals than truly helping those in need.

WMD, Part II: CIA "Cooked The Intelligence" To Hide That Russia Favored Clinton, Not Trump In 2016

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 6976 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. The CIA allegedly manipulated intelligence to hide that Russia favored Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
  2. Some CIA analysts believed that Russia had a comfortable relationship with Hillary Clinton, contrary to what was publicly declared.
  3. The intelligence report claiming Russian interference to benefit Trump and harm Clinton was deemed inaccurate and misled the public.

Iran War Open Thread and Subscriber Video (2026)

The Corbett Report • 8 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. An open thread is soliciting crowd-sourced, boots-on-the-ground information and updates about the recent strike on Iran and the ongoing responses.
  2. Members are urged to share vetted local press reports, intelligence, and analysis about deep state roles and likely next moves, with top contributions possibly used in a podcast.
  3. There is a subscriber-only video featuring Chinese Lunar New Year in Vietnam and a membership call-to-action with help offered for signing in or subscribing.

The Politicization of Intelligence

The Honest Broker Newsletter • 1118 implied HN points • 02 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Intelligence can be influenced by politics, which means the information gathered isn't always objective. This can lead to bad decisions based on flawed data.
  2. It's important for decision-makers to be open to different views and facts, even if they don't fit their hopes. Ignoring contrary evidence can lead to problems, like the difficulties faced in Iraq.
  3. Leaders in politics and intelligence need to focus on reality and not let political agendas shape the truth. Good outcomes come from honest assessments, not just from trying to win political arguments.

What happens when a cutout is cut out

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 712 implied HN points • 02 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. A company named Premise Data secretly bought another company called Madison Springfield, Inc. This deal involved complicated business moves that not many people knew about.
  2. There are ongoing lawsuits involving Premise Data and its dealings, including claims of overbilling and hidden arrangements with other companies in the intelligence sector.
  3. The story also involves past connections to the controversial firm Cambridge Analytica, showing how various companies have shifted and partnered over time in the arena of intelligence and data operations.

Smart, But Not Too Smart: IQ as a Double-Edged Sword in Leadership (and Romance)

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 2954 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Having a high IQ is important for success in many areas of life, including jobs and even health. It helps people learn quickly and solve problems well.
  2. For leaders, being smart is good, but being too smart can make it hard for people to relate to them. The best leaders usually have an IQ that's just above average.
  3. It's essential for leaders to connect with their followers. If they can't relate well, even smart leaders may struggle to succeed.

Big Brother: War is Good

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5963 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. The war in Ukraine has become a key point of global propaganda, with narratives being forcefully maintained over actual truths.
  2. Public opinion in conflict zones can be manipulated by controlling the narrative and stifling contrary information.
  3. Government officials may push for wider conflicts without public support, suppressing the reality of the situation.

Did you order your PLARF from Wish.com?

CDR Salamander • 904 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. Military organizations can face dysfunction due to moral weaknesses and hierarchical structures.
  2. Corruption in military contracts is a longstanding issue that attracts unethical individuals.
  3. High-functioning militaries have cultures and leaders in place to address problems before they escalate.

Global Britain and King Charles’ Great Reset

Matt Ehret's Insights • 1493 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. Global Britain exerts vast control over African mining concessions with over $1 trillion worth of resources controlled by British companies.
  2. The City of London is the nerve center of world finance, running trillions in corrupt practices globally via offshore tax havens.
  3. British intelligence, as the creator of the Five Eyes apparatus, has been tied to supporting terrorist groups and cultivating radical ideologies internationally.

Breaking: Trump and UAP?

Who is Robert Malone • 18 implied HN points • 20 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. Trump suggested he might declassify information about non‑human visitors, criticizing Obama for revealing classified material and saying he could declassify it.
  2. Allies have indicated he may have a prepared speech on extraterrestrial life, and recent comments show momentum toward some form of disclosure.
  3. Official declassification or disclosure would be positioned as a legacy-defining, game‑changing move that could dramatically shift public understanding of UAPs.

'The Mission': Revelatory on CIA leadership, less so for privatization and technology

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 671 implied HN points • 21 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Intelligence
  1. The book highlights the key role of Tomas Rakusan in the CIA, especially in covert operations against Russia after the 2016 election. His leadership helped improve intelligence regarding Russia's actions.
  2. While the book provides valuable insights into CIA leadership, it doesn't delve deeply into topics like privatization and technology in intelligence operations.
  3. The author, Tim Weiner, presents a strong opinion on various political figures and events, and his analysis offers a critical view of U.S. intelligence operations and their moral implications.

United Russia

Black Mountain Analysis • 1395 implied HN points • 25 Jun 23
🌍 World Politics Intelligence
  1. A deal has been reached between Prigozhin and President Lukashenko of Belarus
  2. Prigozhin goes to exile to Belarus with his Wagner fighters
  3. Possible scenarios include cooperation with the West, Russian intelligence, or Prigozhin acting alone