U.S. government

A good spy never leaves any stone unturned. So today, I want to discuss what there is to be learned from the way spies research their targets. Because even if you aren’t a spy, these methods could still come in handy.

Are free market lines blurred when government agencies invest in private companies? How independent can a company claim to be when their budget is beholden to the U.S. government? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Discuss.

Even though they probably should be more careful, people send confidential information through email all the time. Today, I’d like to share with you a simple, secure and free way to encrypt any email that contains sensitive information.

To get to as many of your inquiries as possible, this week’s mailbag will be more like a lightning round. Quick questions, quick answers — including why I can’t in good conscience stay out of politics.