ODNI
Keep Senate confirmation for top intelligence lawyers, civil liberties groups urge
A provision in the 2026 annual intelligence community bill would lift Senate confirmation rules for the chief counsels of the CIA and ODNI. Advocates warn the change would weaken transparency and public oversight of the intelligence community.
Senators call for election security briefing as major races draw closer
“We are concerned that you may have directed the Intelligence Community (IC) to cease its intelligence reporting on this vital topic,” the senators wrote to the director of national intelligence in a Monday letter.
US spy chief announces plans to shrink ODNI
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the agency will shrink by over 40% as part of a 2.0 restructuring that includes a focus on “ending the weaponization of intelligence.”
UK ‘agreed to drop’ backdoor encryption demand for Apple, DNI says
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the United Kingdom has abandoned its effort to require that Apple provide its law enforcement and intelligence personnel with “blanket capability” to access customers’ encrypted files.
US spy chief fires heads of intelligence body that disputed Trump’s Venezuela gang claims
The National Intelligence Council assessment undercuts claims from President Donald Trump that Tren de Aragua is carrying out an “invasion” overseen by Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
US spy chief probing classified chat rooms to pursue leakers
Tulsi Gabbard said recent examples of unauthorized leaks involve data about Iran, Israel, U.S.-Russia relations and activities in ODNI’s counterintelligence office.
Civil liberties groups urge spy chief to declassify parts of contested surveillance program
Tulsi Gabbard’s views on the Section 702 program have run atypical to those of past spy chiefs, but it’s not clear what declassification authorities she immediately has.
US spy chief directs legal review of UK’s Apple backdoor demand
Tulsi Gabbard called the order, which demands Apple permit the United Kingdom backdoor access into global users’ iCloud backups, a “clear and egregious” violation of Americans’ privacy.
Lawmakers ask DNI to reassess UK cyber, intel ties over Apple backdoor mandate
The court order issued by the United Kingdom centers on the UK’s 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, which was reportedly invoked to demand Apple provide a backdoor into users’ encrypted iCloud backups.
Senate confirms Tulsi Gabbard as Trump’s intelligence chief
As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard is now poised to oversee the nation’s 18 spy agencies, including the CIA, NSA and related organizations in the Pentagon.
Gabbard’s past Snowden remarks raise concerns at DNI confirmation hearing
Senators also questioned Trump’s pick to be director of national intelligence over whether a controversial spying authority needed additional reforms in place.
ODNI adds new colleges and universities to its school recruitment program
Recent intelligence community recruitment efforts have focused on STEM.
Intelligence CIO moves to helm IT at the National Institutes of Health
Adele Merritt, who served as CIO for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since January 2022, took over as the NIH CIO on Dec. 16.
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‘Extraordinarily dangerous’: Intelligence community insiders warn against Trump’s DNI pick
Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has a “history of irresponsibly promoting misinformation,” said one official.
Adversaries will aim to ‘stoke societal unrest’ after Election Day, officials warn
Such efforts are intensifying, said an intelligence community official who confirmed that Russia was behind recent false claims about Tim Walz.
Foreign adversaries will aim to discredit results after Election Day, intel officials warn
Select nations, including Cuba, are trying to influence specific congressional races, they added.
ODNI told to redo financial management contract
The Government Accountability Office looked at Guidehouse's protest against the award and found inconsistencies in how proposals were evaluated for this contract that supports the entire intelligence community.
US intelligence agencies eye closer partnerships with private sector
The efforts include a new partnership-focused office, engagement goals for employees and efforts to make information more accessible, a top intelligence official said Tuesday.
Malicious foreign actors exploit US entities to push disinformation, IC warns
Communications and marketing firms can be pulled in as unwitting collaborators, the intelligence officials noted in a Monday call.
Russian influence operations ‘preeminent threat’ to November election, officials warn
Moscow appears to continue favoring Donald Trump, while other nations will aim to sow divisional chaos online or sway broader geopolitical discussions.
Spy agencies must craft safeguards for using sensitive commercial data, ODNI says
The new framework follows a report last year that showed the intelligence community frequently relies on purchased sensitive information.
