Good Morning. 

US intelligence reports that Hezbollah lost half its weapons and fighters but aims to rebuild through Syria and domestic production, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is conducting diplomatic meetings in Qatar and Israel to broker a Gaza ceasefire before Trump's January inauguration, US transportation officials are working to strengthen cybersecurity following Colonial Pipeline attack concerns, Russian hackers hijacked Pakistani infrastructure to spy on Afghanistan and India, and a massive "dark fleet" of vessels illegally transports sanctioned oil through Asian waters.

Let’s dive in.

— 🐈‍⬛ Acoustic Kitty

South Korean Crisis Deepens as President Shuffles Defense Leadership Amid Impeachment Threat

• President Yoon appointed Saudi ambassador Choi Byung-hyuk as defense minister after Kim Yong-hyun resigned following the martial law controversy.

• Opposition party plans Saturday vote on impeachment proceedings, requiring a two-thirds majority and ruling party defectors to pass.

• Ruling party leader Han aims to block impeachment while distancing the party from Yoon, asking the president to leave the PPP.

Counterterrorism

• US intelligence reports Hezbollah lost half its weapons and fighters but aims to rebuild through Syria and domestic production. ➚

• The Taliban has issued a new decree banning women from medical education in Afghanistan. ➚

• North Korea and Russia's "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" has officially come into force following ratification. ➚

Military & Defense

• Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is conducting diplomatic meetings in Qatar and Israel to broker a Gaza ceasefire before Trump's January inauguration. ➚

• Ukraine demands Russia return nearly 20,000 forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, while Russia denies allegations of kidnapping and forced citizenship. ➚

• Israeli military revealed that six hostages found dead in Gaza were likely killed during a February airstrike that caused militants to shoot them. ➚

• Ukraine is initiating high-level talks with Trump's incoming administration to discuss potential peace terms with Russia as war fatigue grows. ➚

Cybersecurity

• Transportation officials work to strengthen operational technology cybersecurity across sectors following Colonial Pipeline attack concerns. ➚

• White House reveals Chinese hackers compromised eight US telecom companies over two years, still maintaining network access. ➚

• US government struggles to remove Chinese Salt Typhoon hackers from telecom networks, releases multi-agency guidance. ➚

• Hacker leaks 760,000 employee records from major companies including Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. ➚

• Cisco warns of active exploitation of decade-old security vulnerability in ASA products by Androxgh0st botnet. ➚

Counterintelligence & Espionage

• Russian hacking group Turla hijacked Pakistani cyber-infrastructure to spy on Afghanistan and India through sophisticated backdoor attacks. ➚

• Chinese hackers accessed data from over one million US mobile users, targeting high-profile officials including Trump's defense attorney. ➚

• Czech minister reports up to 100 Russian-linked suspicious incidents in Europe this year, prompting NATO to strengthen defenses. ➚

Transnational Organized Crime

• A massive "dark fleet" of vessels illegally transports sanctioned oil through Asian waters, risking environmental disaster. ➚

• US and UK authorities targeted Russian money-laundering network that used cryptocurrency to help elites evade international sanctions. ➚

• Gang jailed after UK authorities intercepted £200m cocaine shipment hidden in banana boxes imported from Colombia to Portsmouth. ➚

• Sinaloa cartel war has cost businesses $1 billion and left 500 dead after Zambada's alleged betrayal. ➚

• UN reports half of Haiti's gang members are children, with 70% increase in recruitment this year. ➚

• Mexican cartels using GPS trackers to turn unwitting drivers into "blind mules" for drug smuggling operations. ➚

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.