Right before I linked up with the marines of Echo Company in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, a documentary crew from PBS’ Frontline was there, filming. Their show won’t air until October 13th. But PBS decided to release the first 24 minutes of the program, early and online. It’s best televised look I’ve seen yet at how these marines live and fight. And it really should be required viewing for everyone trying to figure out America’s next steps in Afghanistan. Check it out:
How Trump’s Plot to Grab Iran's Nuclear Fuel Would Actually Work
Experts say that an American ground operation targeting nuclear sites in Iran would be incredibly complicated, put troops’ lives at great risk—and might still fail.
Caroline Haskins
Livestream Replay: The War Machine
A panel of WIRED experts dissected the defense tech industry’s impact on modern warfare.
Tim Marchman
Anduril Wants to Own the Future of War Tech. Mishaps, Delays, and Challenges Abound
From drones to missiles to submarines, the $30.5 billion defense startup wants to transform how the tools of war are made. It’s not all going as planned.
Paresh Dave
The New Era of Militia Influencers
The militia movement in the US is undergoing a rebrand that trades counterprotests for expensive weapons, manly sweatshirts, and highly curated Instagram grids.
David Gilbert
Using a VPN May Subject You to NSA Spying
US lawmakers are pressing Tulsi Gabbard to reveal whether using a VPN can strip Americans of their constitutional protections against warrantless surveillance.
Dell Cameron
CBP Facility Codes Sure Seem to Have Leaked Via Online Flashcards
The Quizlet flashcards, which WIRED found through basic Google searches, seem to include sensitive information about gate security at Customs and Border Protection locations.
Sammy Sussman
Your Vape Wants to Know How Old You Are
Companies hope that biometric age-verification tech in cartridges could put flavored vapes back in business. But it's unlikely to solve the real problems.
Boone Ashworth
US Takes Down Botnets Used in Record-Breaking Cyberattacks
The Aisuru, Kimwolf, JackSkid, and Mossad botnets had infected more than 3 million devices in total, many inside home networks, according to the US Justice Department.
Andy Greenberg
The US Military’s GPS Software Is an $8 Billion Mess
The GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System was due for completion in 2016. Ten years later, the software for controlling the military’s GPS satellites still doesn’t work.
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica
What Happens When You Can’t Get a Death Certificate in Gaza
For families of the missing, systemic obstacles to identifying remains and locating people in Israeli detention has created a kind of social and legal purgatory.
Mahmoud Mushtaha
FCC Enforcement Chief Offered to Help Brendan Carr Target Disney, Records Show
Last year, as FCC chair Brendan Carr threatened ABC over a Jimmy Kimmel monolog, a civil servant overseeing West Coast stations privately pledged support, according to emails obtained by WIRED.
Dell Cameron
Artemis II: Everything We Know as Its Crew Approaches the Far Side of the Moon
Artemis II remains on course for its lunar flyby as the crew shares historic photos of Earth, tests key systems for future lunar missions, and attempts to fix the toilet.
Javier Carbajal