Good Morning. 

Russia provided targeting data to Yemen's Houthi rebels to help them attack Western ships in the Red Sea, U.S. officials have described China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran as a new "axis of evil", Russia amplified false and misleading claims about recent hurricanes in the U.S. to sow division and undermine trust in the government, the Biden administration is directing U.S. agencies to rapidly adopt AI for military and spy uses, and over 10K Haitians have been displaced in the past week as armed gangs in Port-au-Prince ramp up attacks.

Let’s dive in.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

BRICS Pushes for Independent Payment System to Bypass U.S. Dollar Dominance

• BRICS members, including China and Russia, have adopted the Kazan Declaration calling for the creation of an independent cross-border payment system based on their national currencies to "eliminate" sanctions they view as damaging the global economy.

• The proposed system, known as BRICS Clear, is seen as a bid to challenge the U.S. dollar's dominance in global finance and allow countries under U.S. sanctions, like Russia and Iran, to bypass the dollar-based system.

• While experts believe the new system is unlikely to significantly impact the U.S. dollar's role in the near future, it demonstrates BRICS members' desire to provide an alternative to the historically "unipolar financial system dominated by the United States."

Counterterrorism

• Russia provided targeting data to Yemen's Houthi rebels to help them attack Western ships in the Red Sea, further destabilizing the region and distracting the U.S. from other threats. ➚

• North Korean propaganda leaflets attacking the South Korean president and first lady were found scattered in the capital Seoul, marking the first direct dispatch of such anti-South material by Pyongyang. ➚

Military & Defense

• U.S. officials describe China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran as a new "axis of evil" due to their growing cooperation in challenging the U.S. and international order. ➚

• The U.S. imposed sanctions on a Sudanese military official involved in procuring weapons that have fueled the brutality and scale of the war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces. ➚

• Blinken announced $135M in U.S. aid for Palestinians and said negotiators will meet to discuss a Gaza ceasefire and hostage return. ➚

Cybersecurity

• Russia amplified false and misleading claims about recent hurricanes in the U.S. to sow division and undermine trust in the government ahead of the presidential election, according to research. ➚

• Google's Threat Analysis Group warned that a zero-day vulnerability in Samsung mobile processors has been exploited as part of an attack chain for arbitrary code execution. ➚

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• The Biden administration is directing U.S. agencies to rapidly adopt artificial intelligence for military and spy uses to maintain an edge over rivals. ➚

Transnational Organized Crime

• Over 10K Haitians have been displaced in the past week as armed gangs in Port-au-Prince ramp up attacks, according to U.N. estimates. ➚

• Malaysian authorities charged 22 members of an Islamic group for organized crime after hundreds of children were rescued from alleged abuse at the group's homes. ➚

• Nigeria has dropped charges against a U.S. executive accused of cryptocurrency money laundering and released him on humanitarian grounds. ➚

• A car bomb attack outside a police station in the Mexican state of Guanajuato wounded three officers. ➚

The America Builds podcast sits at the nexus of national security, technology, and venture capital. Hosts Will Allen and Hayley Menser interview the brilliant operators and investors pushing the boundaries of frontier technology.