Dear Black Bag Confidential Reader,
It was tough to narrow down this week’s dose of must-read articles. Below, you’ll find the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the finest food for thought.
So take a look and let me know what you think. Simply send an email to spy@lfb.org.
1. The Spy Revolt Against Trump Begins
First up is an analysis of the tenuous relationship between the current administration and our Intelligence Community (IC) by John Schindler, a security expert and former National Security Agency analyst and counterintelligence officer.
According to Schindler, the concerns among the IC run so deep that “it is beginning to withhold intelligence from a White House which our spies do not trust.” And I’m not sure I can blame them when — on several occasions — the president has made disparaging comments attacking the credibility and dedication of U.S. intelligence officers.
The IC does not exist to serve any political party. Its objective is to keep our citizens and our nation safe, which is difficult without a good working relationship with the president and his administration. I certainly hope both sides recognize the importance of this relationship and start working on rebuilding the trust between them.
2. California Town Given One Hour to Evacuate Before Dam Spillway Collapses
Are you prepared to evacuate your home in one hour? Or less? Because sometimes that’s all the warning you’ll get.
Residents of Oroville, California — home to the Oroville Dam, the tallest dam in the country — were given a mere 60 minutes to gather their belongings and head for higher ground. And as of now, they don’t know when they’ll be able to return.
This event reinforces several of the important aspects of emergency preparedness I’ve covered in this e-letter: developing an evacuation plan that includes each family member, practicing your plan in order to execute it efficiently, organizing your supplies so you can quickly grab them, keeping at least a half tank of gas in your car so you have enough fuel to make it to a safe location…
The more T’s you cross and I’s you dot ahead of time, the more primed you will be to face the unexpected — and the longer you’ll be able to survive on your own if you can’t go home again.
3. Trump’s Trillion-Dollar Retirement Road Map
My goal is to provide you with the necessary information to protect your home, family and privacy. But your financial security and the security of your retirement are also important.
Click on the link above to learn more about how you can profit from Trump’s “retirement road map” and preserve the same standard of living — or one much higher — well into your golden years.
Then put some of those profits into preparing because, as important as it is to have enough money in the bank, you can’t eat gold when the stuff hits the fan.
4. The Big List of Nasty Disasters and How to Prepare: Part One
I have to say, I’m enjoying this blog by Sheepdog Man. In this first entry, he lists six different types of natural and man-made disasters that he plans to address in future posts.
While there are several general emergency prep steps everyone should take, there are more specific things you should do if the area in which you live is prone to certain disasters. Keep that in mind when stocking supplies and making your own emergency plans.
First up? Earthquakes.
5. How to Disconnect a Vizio Smart TV From the Internet so It Can’t Spy on You
In the most recent edition of the Weekly Drop, I addressed concerns about smart TVs and how to keep someone from hacking your device to spy on you in the privacy of your own home. If you doubted the validity of these fears, check out the disturbing article above.
The Federal Trade Commission fined Vizio $2.2 million after discovering the company was surreptitiously collecting data on owners’ viewing habits and selling that information to third-party advertisers.
If you have a Vizio television, the above article also gives step-by-step directions on how to do a factory reset — which I strongly recommend. For other types of TVs, a Google search should yield the appropriate instructions. Once you’ve done that, leave your TV disconnected from the internet. Otherwise, you never know who might be keeping tabs on you.
Stay safe,
Jason Hanson
