May 15, 2018

Report: Suspect identified in WikiLeaks CIA leaks

A man crosses the CIA seal in the lobby of its Headquarters. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The New York Times is reporting that, according to court records it has seen, a 29-year-old former-CIA software engineer, Joshua Schulte, is the key suspect in last year's "Vault 7" leaks and has been charged related to child pornography, but has not been charged with the leaks.

Why it matters: The leaks were largely inconsequential — mostly instruction manuals for old hacking tools, propped up in their importance by imaginations running wild. But the fact the files were leaked was a bloody nose to the CIA.

The arrest: Schulte's New York apartment was searched by the FBI a week after the first leaks became public, and was arrested more than a year ago.

  • His lawyer argued last week that a time limit be set on any espionage charges related to Vault 7.
  • Schulte has been charged with possessing child pornography related to user uploads to a storage server he ran as a business while a University of Texas student in 2009.

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Netanyahu says July 1 deadline for West Bank annexation won't change

Photo: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday at a Likud Party faction meeting at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, that his July 1 deadline for starting the process of annexation in the West Bank will not change, according to people in attendance.

Why it matters: The White House and the State Department have stressed over the last few weeks that the deadline set by Netanyahu is "not sacred" to the Trump administration — and that any discussion of annexation needs to be in the context of renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

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Trump threatens to move Republican convention from North Carolina if capacity reduced

President Trump on stage during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Ohio. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

President Trump threatened in a series of Monday tweets to move this summer's Republican National Convention from Charlotte if North Carolina's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, doesn't allow the event to be held at full capacity.

The state of play: Mandy Cohen, the state's health and human services secretary, said last week that the GOP should "plan for the worst" as mass gatherings will be a "very big challenge" if the number of coronavirus cases in the state continues to increase, per NPR.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

The wreckage of summer

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

We usually think of Memorial Day as the start of the summer, with all of the fun and relaxation that goes with it — but this one is just going to remind us of all of the plans that have been ruined by the coronavirus.

Why it matters: If you thought it was stressful to be locked down during the spring, just wait until everyone realizes that all the traditional summer activities we've been looking forward to are largely off-limits this year.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow3 hours ago - Economy & Business