Latest news with #Signal
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hegseth slams Fox reporter at press conference: ‘You've been about the worst'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attacked Jennifer Griffin, his former colleague at Fox News and a longtime member of the Pentagon press corps, amid a broader push to discredit media outlets reporting on intelligence laying out the extent of damages done by U.S. strikes to Iranian nuclear sites. 'Do you have certainty that all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordow mountain?' Griffin asked Hegseth during a contentious press conference early Thursday morning. Griffin noted satellite imagery she said showed 'more than a dozen trucks' at the site of the attacks 'a few days in advance.' 'Of course we're watching it,' Hegseth said before attacking the reporter. 'Jennifer, you've been about the worst. The one who misrepresents the most intentionally.' Griffin sat up in her chair to push back on Hegseth's attack. 'In fact, I was the first to describe the B-2 bombers, the refueling, the entire mission with great accuracy,' she said. 'So I take issue with that.' 'I appreciate that,' Hegseth replied. The spat came as Hegseth admonished the press corps for its coverage of the strikes on the three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, arguing members of the media should be more focused on the details and danger of the mission carried out by U.S. service members rather than leaked intelligence showing the damage might not have been as severe as President Trump and the administration claim. Trump and other top administration officials have dismissed what they are calling 'early' intelligence that was leaked to outlets including CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, leading the president and his allies to attack journalists who reported on the materiel. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this week that the individual who leaked the intelligence to journalists show 'be in jail.' Griffin is a longtime Pentagon correspondent for Fox, known widely for her reporting on military and foreign affairs. She reported earlier this spring on Hegseth's sharing of 'classified' information via the Signal group chat with Trump's Cabinet members, citing sources at the time who told her it put 'the joint force directly and immediately at risk.' Later on Fox's air, chief political analyst Brit Hume criticized Hegseth over his attacking of Griffin and defended her journalistic prowess. 'I'd like to say a word if I may, Dana, about Jennifer Griffin, who was attacked by the Defense Secretary today,' Hume said. 'An attack she certainly in my view did not deserve. Her professionalism, her knowledge, her experience at the Pentagon is unmatched. I have had and still have the greatest regard for her. The attack on her was unfair.' Updated: 11:22 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time Magazine
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
How Signal President Meredith Whittaker Took on Signal-Gate
Meredith Whittaker remembers exactly where she was when she read the story that would spark the first major crisis of the second Trump Administration—the debacle that became known as Signal-gate. The president of encrypted messaging app Signal was sitting at her kitchen table in Paris, when somebody in one of her Signal group chats sent her a link to the March 24 article. Whittaker read, slack-jawed, about how President Trump's then-national security advisor Mike Waltz had added the editor of the Atlantic magazine, apparently accidentally, to a Signal group chat where senior officials discussed forthcoming military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. She finished the story and shared it with her colleagues. 'And then I went back and I read it again, because I was like, What the f-ck,' Whittaker tells TIME. 'It had all the elements of a soap opera.' A month later, the New York Times reported U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had used a separate Signal chat to share similar details about military strikes. Read More: Meredith Whittaker is on the 2023 TIME100 AI Whittaker's main concern, in the aftermath, was protecting the image of Signal. The messaging app, as the story demonstrated, has become commonly used by government officials around the world, as well as journalists, human rights defenders, and regular people seeking privacy. Signal doesn't share user numbers, but estimates put them at around 70 million. The app's encryption is widely seen as the best in the industry—the surest guarantee that messages can only be read by their sender and the intended recipients. Whittaker's team was keen to stress, in background calls with journalists, that Waltz's security breach was a user error, and the security of Signal itself wasn't in dispute. 'How do we make sure, however this story moves, that the integrity of Signal itself is not speciously called into question?' Whittaker recalls asking her colleagues. Her team's goal, she says, was to make sure the crisis roiling the Trump Administration did 'not become something that endangers the fundamental right to private communication that Signal exists to ensure.' In the end, Signal emerged from the episode even stronger. (Waltz, not so much—Trump demoted him several weeks later.) The app saw a large spike in downloads in the immediate aftermath, a sign users were confident in its security. It also saw an uptick in donations. (30% of its running costs are now covered by small donors, with the rest coming mainly from foundations and large donors, a spokesperson says.) The app, run by a non-profit, consciously rejects the surveillance business model that drives most of the tech industry. 'We believe that the right to privacy should be universal, and the ability to communicate privately, even in this world, should persist, and we are building what I believe is the most important technical infrastructure in the world to enable the right to privacy,' Whittaker says. TIME spoke with Whittaker on May 20. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. The world has been pretty chaotic for a while now, but it feels like in the last couple of years it has only sharpened. How important is Signal in this current moment? People want privacy. People are creeped out. People are uneasy. People recognize that the status quo in tech is not safe or savory, and for whatever reason they are trying to find, and in the case of Signal are finding, alternatives that actually give them meaningful privacy. Anyone who does human rights work or investigative journalism understands that in many cases, it is the difference between life and death. We know throughout history that centralized power constitutes such power via information asymmetry. The more they know, the more stable and lasting their power is. This is the type of domination through knowledge that makes or breaks empires. Ultimately, we are in a world in which the power to know us has been ceded to the tech industry. So ensuring [privacy] in a world where the authority to know us has been ceded to private actors who may or may not cooperate with one or another regime, who may choose to use that data to manipulate or to harm us or to exclude us from access to resources, is existentially important. This is the basis on which I claim, without flinching, that Signal is the most important technical infrastructure in the world right now. Where were you when you first read the Atlantic story? I was at my kitchen table, which, although I have a desk, is usually where I work. We have many, many Signal chats with folks who think and care about issues of privacy, and somebody in one of those dropped that story in the chat, and I opened it, and I read it, and then I put it in our team chat, where our core team shares information. And then I went back and I read it again, because I was like, What the f-ck. It had all the elements of a soap opera. And we are living in soap operatic times, so I had to go back and make sure I was not just deficient on caffeine or not clocking exactly what had happened. And I reread it, and I was like, okay, damn. This is a mess. But I think the full implications didn't hit me. Like, the bombs had fallen. People were dead. This was a real military operation that had been executed and operationalized the same way as my friends and I meeting in Prospect Park for a frisbee. But the consequences ricocheted. I did not at the time anticipate that Signal would become such a main character in the story. You must have known, long before that, that Signal was commonly used by government officials, right? We know because people tell us. So it was an article of faith. I didn't know specifically who and where and how it was used. And that's by design. You could come to my dining room table and put a gun to my head and say, give me that data. And literally, I could not give you that data, because we have gone to such extremes to ensure that we also don't know. Have you had any meetings with Trump Administration officials since that point? If so, what did you talk about? No, we don't work directly with governments as a rule. Many governments are trying to attack encryption—to get companies to build in back doors to their systems. But at the same time, many of them are using the technology themselves. Do you see an irony there? I do see an irony. It's a very long standing irony. It's an irony that is sort of based on a magical thinking, as we've called it, where there is a desire to have for me, but not for thee, which is fundamentally not possible when it comes to encryption. Either it works for everyone, the person you hate the most in the world, the person you love the most in the world, Both need to have access, or it doesn't work, or we live in a world where communications privacy is not possible, where we cannot express ourselves, our intimacies, our doubts, our excoriation of corruption without those expressions being surveilled and potentially weaponized against us.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Palestine Action ‘terror' group behind RAF Brize Norton raid ‘plots attacks on three more air bases and drone factory'
PROTEST PLOT Palestine Action 'terror' group behind RAF Brize Norton raid 'plots attacks on three more air bases and drone factory' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Palestine Action group behind the RAF Brize Norton raid is plotting attacks on three more air bases and a drone factory. The organisation is preparing to hit targets up and down the country, as reported by The Times and Telegraph. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 The activist group vandalised a military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton Credit: Sky News 8 Protestors with banners reading 'We Are All Palestine Action' at the demonstration in London on Monday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 In their exclusive investigations, a Palestine Action meeting was recorded during which members talked about damage at the RAF Brize Norton. The group, who said it will 'continue to operate' despite "intimidating tactics" had also been recruiting members before being officially proscribed a terrorist organisation. The organiser of the 'direct action workshop', listened to by the Telegraph, said their members were aged from 18 to 80, from "nursery teachers to surgeons". She said "anyone" could be a member as long as they "want to take direct action for Palestine". Read More NO ACTION Protester in Holocaust outfit goes unchallenged by cops amid 2-tier policing row When talking about their targets, they were told to hit "everything you can find with a sledgehammer" and that "sacrifices" would have to be made. Members were also asked to download the messaging app Signal, to allow for encrypted communication to be passed. The discussion then focused on how to covertly target military bases. Three RAF bases were highlighted as potential targets, RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath, both in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales. RAF Cranwell was the world's first Air Academy and still trains the next generation of RAF officers. Meanwhile, RAF Barkston Heath is a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell and is the home of 57 Sqn's B Flight of No 3 Flying Training School. Elsewhere, RAF Valley on Anglesey is the No 4 Flying Training School, responsible for creating the UK's next generation of fighter pilots. The female organiser further spread the message to take action against firms supplying arms to Israel. This included one drone factory in Leicester that is home to UAV Tactical Systems. The meeting's organiser was standing in front of a flag associated with the YPJ. Details heard in the meeting by the Telegraph were passed on to the police and the Ministry of Defence. 8 RAF Brize Norton on Friday June 20 after the attack Credit: ITV News 8 Police arresting a Palestine Action demonstrator on Monday Credit: Alamy 8 Chaotic scenes in Trafalgar Square after members of Palestine Action staged a protest Credit: Alamy This comes after pro-Palestine protesters were seen clashing with cops as chaos erupted in London on Monday. A huge mob descended on Trafalgar Square in central London, leading Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to announced she had decided to proscribe Palestine Action. She explained that she will lay an order before Parliament next week which, if passed, will make membership and support for the protest group illegal. The ban will see the organisation on par with Hamas, al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The decision was made after activists from the pro-Palestinian group broke into RAF Brize Norton last week. Speaking on Sunday, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was "shocked" and "frustrated" at the planned demonstration today. He wrote on social media: "I'm sure many people will be as shocked and frustrated as I am to see a protest taking place tomorrow in support of Palestine Action. "This is an organised extremist criminal group, whose proscription as terrorists is being actively considered. 'Members are alleged to have caused millions of pounds of criminal damage, assaulted a police officer with a sledgehammer and last week claimed responsibility for breaking into an airbase and damaging aircraft. 'Multiple members of the group are awaiting trial accused of serious offences. "The right to protest is essential and we will always defend it but actions in support of such a group go beyond what most would see as legitimate protest.' Footage shared online showed two Palestine Action members breaking into the base and vandalising two planes in a "grotesque" breach of security. They spray red paint into the rear of one of the jet's two engines and deep into the aircraft itself. The pair of activists can then be seen roaming free across the grounds of the airbase on electric scooters. Brize Norton is the RAF's largest airbase and home to more than 6,000 military and civilian personnel as well as the UK's largest military aircraft. The MoD slammed the "vandalism of Royal Air Force assets" in a scathing statement. A spokeswoman for the ministry said: "Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. "They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. "It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." The shocking break-in at the Oxfordshire base prompted a security review at military bases across the UK. Hundreds commented under videos of the activists' efforts on social media, asking how security could be "that lacking" at a major military air base. A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "We have received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage. "An investigation has been launched and we are working with the Ministry of Defence Police and partners at RAF Brize Norton. "Inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible." Palestine Action has since been desperately trying to recruit more members in a bid to create autonomous cells around the country. In an article published in April, Huda Ammori, the group's co-founder, said: 'By being security-conscious and working in small groups, we can make it difficult for the authorities to respond to individual actions by targeting the movement as a whole – such that Palestine Action can continue to grow, even in hostile conditions.' Those recruited have were also warned in the meeting they may face "legal risks" - but a free lawyer could be provided to them by the government if arrested. But Palestine Action itself would not be paying for any legal fees. Members were told they would have to accept a "level of sacrifice" for the cause, and it emerged there are 19 recruits already in prison. The meeting leader did not tell participants that if Palestine Action is proscribed, members would in fact face being thrown behind bars for up to 14 years. Despite talking about arrests, the organiser stressed this was not the goal, and urged everyone to avoid being identified. All of the members were read out an 'actions agreement' which outlined everyone was there of their "own free will". A Ministry of Defence spokesman told the Telegraph and Times: 'The UK's defence estate is vital to our national security and this government will not tolerate those who put that security at risk. 'This Government is taking the strong step of proscribing Palestine Action due to its activities, which are a threat to our national security.' A spokesman for North Wales Police added: 'Our officers continue to liaise with MoD staff in relation to security matters at RAF Valley, Anglesey. 'The emergence of potential threats to the site is recognised, with the need for additional policing and security patrols kept under regular review.' 8 Members used red spray pain on the aircraft engine Credit: Sky News
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Palestine Action ‘terror' group behind RAF Brize Norton raid ‘plots attacks on three more air bases and drone factory'
THE Palestine Action group behind the RAF Brize Norton raid is plotting attacks on three more air bases and a drone factory. The organisation is preparing to hit targets up and down the country, as reported by 8 The activist group vandalised a military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton Credit: Sky News 8 Protestors with banners reading 'We Are All Palestine Action' at the demonstration in London on Monday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 In their exclusive investigations, a Palestine Action meeting was recorded during which members talked about The group, who said it will 'continue to operate' despite "intimidating tactics" had also been recruiting members before being officially proscribed a terrorist organisation. The organiser of the 'direct action workshop', listened to by the Telegraph, said their members were aged from 18 to 80, from "nursery teachers to surgeons". She said "anyone" could be a member as long as they "want to take direct action for Palestine". When talking about their targets, they were told to hit "everything you can find with a sledgehammer" and that "sacrifices" would have to be made. Members were also asked to download the messaging app Signal, to allow for encrypted communication to be passed. The discussion then focused on how to covertly target military bases. Three RAF bases were highlighted as potential targets, RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath, both in Lincolnshire, and RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales. Most read in The Sun RAF Cranwell was the world's first Air Academy and still trains the next generation of RAF officers. Meanwhile, RAF Barkston Heath is a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell and is the home of 57 Sqn's B Flight of No 3 Flying Training School. Elsewhere, RAF Valley on Anglesey is the No 4 Flying Training School, responsible for creating the UK's next generation of fighter pilots. The female organiser further spread the message to take action against firms supplying arms to Israel. This included one drone factory in Leicester that is home to UAV Tactical Systems. The meeting's organiser was standing in front of a flag associated with the YPJ. Details heard in the meeting by the Telegraph were passed on to the police and the Ministry of Defence. 8 RAF Brize Norton on Friday June 20 after the attack Credit: ITV News 8 Police arresting a Palestine Action demonstrator on Monday Credit: Alamy 8 Chaotic scenes in Trafalgar Square after members of Palestine Action staged a protest Credit: Alamy This comes after pro-Palestine protesters were seen clashing with cops as chaos erupted in London on Monday. A huge mob descended on Trafalgar Square in central London, leading Home Secretary She explained that she will lay an order before Parliament next week which, if passed, will make membership and support for the protest group illegal. The ban will see the organisation on par with The decision was made after activists from the pro-Palestinian group broke into Speaking on Sunday, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he was "shocked" and "frustrated" at the planned demonstration today. He wrote on social media: "I'm sure many people will be as shocked and frustrated as I am to see a protest taking place tomorrow in support of Palestine Action. "This is an organised extremist criminal group, whose proscription as terrorists is being actively considered. 'Members are alleged to have caused millions of pounds of criminal damage, assaulted a police officer with a sledgehammer and last week claimed responsibility for breaking into an airbase and damaging aircraft. 'Multiple members of the group are awaiting trial accused of serious offences. "The right to protest is essential and we will always defend it but actions in support of such a group go beyond what most would see as legitimate protest.' Footage shared online showed two Palestine Action members breaking into the base and vandalising two planes in a "grotesque" breach of security. They spray red paint into the rear of one of the jet's two engines and deep into the aircraft itself. The pair of activists can then be seen roaming free across the grounds of the airbase on electric scooters. Brize Norton is the RAF's largest airbase and home to more than 6,000 military and civilian personnel as well as the UK's largest military aircraft. The MoD slammed the "vandalism of Royal Air Force assets" in a scathing statement. A spokeswoman for the ministry said: "Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. "They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. "It is our responsibility to support those who defend us." The shocking break-in at the Oxfordshire base prompted a security review at military bases across the UK. Hundreds commented under videos of the activists' efforts on social media, asking how security could be "that lacking" at a major military air base. A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "We have received a report of people gaining access to RAF Brize Norton and causing criminal damage. "An investigation has been launched and we are working with the Ministry of Defence Police and partners at RAF Brize Norton. "Inquiries are ongoing to locate and arrest those responsible." Palestine Action has since been desperately trying to recruit more members in a bid to create autonomous cells around the country. In an article published in April, Huda Ammori, the group's co-founder, said: 'By being security-conscious and working in small groups, we can make it difficult for the authorities to respond to individual actions by targeting the movement as a whole – such that Palestine Action can continue to grow, even in hostile conditions.' Those recruited have were also warned in the meeting they may face "legal risks" - but a free lawyer could be provided to them by the government if arrested. But Palestine Action itself would not be paying for any legal fees. Members were told they would have to accept a "level of sacrifice" for the cause, and it emerged there are 19 recruits already in prison. The meeting leader did not tell participants that if Palestine Action is proscribed, members would in fact face being thrown behind bars for up to 14 years. Despite talking about arrests, the organiser stressed this was not the goal, and urged everyone to avoid being identified. All of the members were read out an 'actions agreement' which outlined everyone was there of their "own free will". A Ministry of Defence spokesman told the Telegraph and Times: 'The UK's defence estate is vital to our national security and this government will not tolerate those who put that security at risk. 'This Government is taking the strong step of proscribing Palestine Action due to its activities, which are a threat to our national security.' Read more on the Irish Sun A spokesman for North Wales Police added: 'Our officers continue to liaise with MoD staff in relation to security matters at RAF Valley, Anglesey. 'The emergence of potential threats to the site is recognised, with the need for additional policing and security patrols kept under regular review.' 8 Members used red spray pain on the aircraft engine Credit: Sky News 8 They broke in on e-bikes Credit: x
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Hegseth slams Fox reporter at press conference: ‘You're about the worst'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attacked Jennifer Griffin, his former colleague at Fox News and a longtime member of the Pentagon press corps amid a broader push to discredit media outlets over reporting on intelligence laying out the extent of damages done by U.S. strikes to Iranian nuclear sites. 'Do you have certainty that all the highly enriched uranium was inside the Fordo mountain?' Griffin asked Hegseth during a contentious press conference early Thursday morning. Griffin noted satellite imagery she said showed 'more than a dozen trucks' at the site of the attacks 'a few days in advance.' 'Of course we're watching it,' Hegseth said before attacking the reporter. 'Jennifer, you've been about the worst. The one who misrepresents the most intentionally.' Griffin sat up in her chair to push back on Hegseth's attack. 'In fact, I was the first to describe the B-2 bombers, the refueling, the entire mission with great accuracy,' she said. 'So I take issue with that.' 'I appreciate that,' Hegseth replied. The spat came as Hegseth admonished the press corps for its coverage of the strikes on the three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, arguing members of the media should be more focused on the details and danger of the mission carried out by U.S. service members rather than leaked intelligence showing the damage might not have been as severe as previously thought. Trump and other top administration officials have dismissed what they are calling 'early' intelligence that was leaked to outlets like CNN, the New York Times and Washington Post, leading the president and his allies to attack journalists who reported on the materiel. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this week that the individual who leaked the intelligence to journalists show 'be in jail.' Griffin is a longtime Pentagon correspondent for Fox, known widely for her reporting on military and foreign affairs. She earlier this spring reported on Hegseth's sharing of 'classified' information via the Signal group chat with President Trump's Cabinet members, citing sources at the time who told her it put 'the joint force directly and immediately at risk.'
