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FILE PHOTO: Kash Patel, former chief of staff to the defense secretary, speaks on the day Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally, in Prescott Valley, Arizona, U.S., October 13, 2024.
Kash Patel vs. the FBI
President-elect Donald Trump’s latest nomination of former National Security official Kash Patel as head of the FBI wasn’t unexpected, but it’s still making waves. Patel has been outspoken about dismantling what he calls the “deep state,” vowing to strip the FBI of its intelligence-gathering role and to refocus its mission on traditional law enforcement. He has mused about shuttering the FBI’s headquarters “on day one” and redistributing its 7,000 employees across the country to “go be cops” – a huge departure from the traditional role of the FBI as the country’s domestic intelligence agency.
Who is Kash Patel? He is a hard-core Trump loyalist who helped challenge the FBI’s Russia probe during Trump’s first impeachment proceedings. Before that, he served as a public defender in Florida’s Miami-Dade area, where he tried “scores of complex cases ranging from murder, to narco-trafficking, to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts,” according to his Defense Department biography. Trump said Patel would restore “Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity” to the FBI, “dismantle the migrant criminal gangs,” and stymie drug and human trafficking.
How might the Senate react? Patel’s nominationis likely to split the Senate. Democrats will unsurprisingly oppose his appointment, but some moderate Republicans may also balk. On Sunday, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota warned that Patel could face a tough confirmation battle, while Sens. Ted Cruz and Bill Hagerty sang Patel’s praises.
What are the concerns with facial recognition technology?
Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of WIRED, discusses technology industry news today:
What are the concerns with facial recognition and will IBM's decision to no longer offer the tech mark the end of its use?
The concern is that the technology is racially biased. It's better at picking out white faces than black faces. Another concern is it could be abused by authorities like the police, who have a lot of power, they can immediately identify who everyone is. Will IBM dropping out end it? No, IBM was kind of far behind on this technology.
Has the technological decoupling between the US and China accelerated since COVID-19?
A little bit. But what's really happened is the political decoupling has gotten much worse. And over time, the political break will lead to a greater technological break.
As our work-from-home situations continue, has COVID-19 changed the workplace forever, even after the pandemic?
Yes, it will absolutely change the way we work in the near future. We'll have lines marking how close we can get to our colleagues. And in the long run, I think many more people are going to work from home and the whole nature of what an office means will change.
Deval Patrick on defunding the police: “I’m not there yet, personally.”
In a new interview with GZERO World host Ian Bremmer, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick discusses the current movement to cut funding for policing across America, as protests and outrage continue in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Patrick explains to Bremmer that he understands the sentiment behind the phrase "Defund the Police," but he finds it similar to calls to abolish ICE. "Someone has to do that job," he says.
Patrick cites positive examples of police officers and law enforcement leaders joining in protest and supporting Black Lives Matter, while acknowledging there is tremendous need for change and reform. "I want us to be able to rely on responsible and modern policing that emphasizes restorative justice and deescalation and community building. But I take the point that there are reasons behind the desperation people feel in lots of American communities," he told Bremmer.
The GZERO World exchange is part of an extensive conversation on race and policing in America airing nationally on public television stations beginning Friday, June 12. Check local listings, and head to gzeromedia.com for more information.
Law Enforcement & Tech; Facebook Staff Concerns; Musk vs Bezos
Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of WIRED, helps us make sense of today's stories in technology:
What kind of technology is law enforcement using in their standoff with protesters?
A lot of technology to try to find out who's who, like face recognition software and license plate readers. Protesters, meanwhile, are using a lot of encrypted messaging, trying to kind of do the opposite.
What is going on at Facebook and how will Mark Zuckerberg address the concerns of his employees?
A lot of his employees, and we don't know exactly what percentage, are frustrated that Zuckerberg isn't doing what Twitter is doing and blocking Donald Trump's statements if they're potentially false or could maybe be read as inciting violence. It's time, many Facebook people think, for Zuckerberg to take a stronger stand. Zuckerberg has not. Partly because he's a strong believer in free speech, partly because I don't think he wants to get on the bad side of the president.
Why are tech industry leaders Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos feuding and should it concern consumers?
They are feuding because Amazon may have briefly blocked a book about the coronavirus from a controversial author who has sort of extreme views about the coronavirus that are shared by Musk. So, Musk got upset and he tweeted that Amazon should be broken up. I actually think the feud also probably has something to do with a long feud between SpaceX and Blue Origin. But in any case, I think it's a tempest in a teapot and it should not concern consumers.
Carlos Ghosn's lawyers ask court for trial separate from Nissan and former director
TOKYO (REUTERS) - Lawyers for former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn on Tuesday (April 2) said they had asked that their client stand trial for alleged financial wrongdoing separately from Nissan because the company is helping prosecutors.