Brookings Institution / Lawfare
Susan Hennessey is a fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution and the managing editor for Lawfare, a national security blog.
From 2013 to 2015, she served as attorney with the Office of General Counsel for the National Security Agency.
The Dealmaker At Davos President Trump tells the world America is open for business while dealing with a big story at home.
Left, Right & Uncensored A certain word allegedly uttered by the president dominates the headlines as the DACA deal derails.
Flynn is in Mike Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the FBI about Russia investigation.
Paul Manafort's in the hot seat. Who's next? It's reported that, while he was chair of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Paul Manafort offered to brief a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin. That's just the latest revelation about evidence being collected by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as he probes Russia's effort to influence last year's election. Recent reports by CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post suggest that Mueller's investigation has reached a "critical stage." Were the President's own associates involved? If so, did he know it? When he fired James Comey as head of the FBI, did he commit obstruction of justice? Trump has called the investigation a "witch hunt." We look at the "knowns" and the "un-knowns."
Trumpcare dead again, Ryan Lizza tells all New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza describes his conversation with Anthony Scaramucci.
A White House shakeup after less than a month in office Washington is on fire with charges and counter-charges, reports and rumors in the aftermath of Michael Flynn's departure as President Trump's National Security Advisor. Trump asked for Flynn's resignation because he "lost his trust" in him. White House officials were reportedly told "weeks ago" that Flynn lied to Vice President Pence about conversations with Russia's ambassador. Democrats are demanding to find out what the President knew and when he knew it — and even some Republicans are calling for an investigation. Washington is fully preoccupied with Russian meddling in the election, Obama Administration sanctions and President Trump's ties to Vladimir Putin.
Chaos and confusion as a new administration gets under way After less than a week in office, President Trump has been shaking up governmental institutions — as promised during his campaign. But his labeling intelligence agencies "Nazis" surprised even supporters — and Saturday's apologetic visit to the CIA seems to have backfired. Meantime, the CIA and others are investigating relations between the President's close advisors and Russia. We ask what they're looking for, and hear about the potential consequences of a chief executive at loggerheads with his sources of information on national security.
Does the FBI Need a Back Door to Your Data? The FBI demands that Apple provide access to a dead terrorist Syed Farook's iPhone, which might contain evidence in December's deadly attack in San Bernardino. But Apple says the privacy of every other iPhone user could be lost forever, and it's challenging the power of government in the Era of Smart Phones. Complicating the issue, the FBI is using a law passed about the time that Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity. We update the case in more ways than one.
Keeping it fresh The intersection of Salinas, California and Yuma, Arizona is in your salad bowl.
Is a ‘Red State Democrat’ Even a Democrat? Democrats and progressives were scratching their heads last week when West Virginia’s senator broke with the Democratic Party. We get their reaction.
Implicit bias training discriminates against white people, anonymous parents say Author Pico Iyer returns to Santa Barbara to preview his upcoming speaker series. Columnist Starshine Roshell brings us inside the surprisingly large world of local trivia nights. And more controversy at the Santa Barbara Unified School District, as a group of anonymous parents threatens to sue school leaders over an implicit bias training program it claims discriminates against white people.