03.26.2025

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Signal Leak Fallout

Top US intelligence officials faced criticism during an annual hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday over a national security breach unveiled this week. The breach occurred when National Security Adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added The Atlantic's Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat earlier this month, during which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared upcoming military strategies against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The hearing, which was previously scheduled and supposed to focus on worldwide threats, came a day after Goldberg published a firsthand account of the Signal incident (read here). CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard—both among 16 other high-ranking officials in the Signal group—denied any classified information under US intelligence agencies’ purview was shared and declined to provide specific details about the mishap. Last night, Waltz said he takes full responsibility for organizing the group chat. See a timeline here. 

The incident raised concerns about national security protocols within the federal government, particularly around using the Signal app, which offers end-to-end encryption for texts, calls, and file sharing (see overview). 

Black Sea Breakthrough

Ukraine and Russia have agreed to separate US-brokered deals to pause attacks in the Black Sea, allowing ships to pass safely and preventing the use of commercial vessels for military operations. The breakthrough comes after US officials met with Ukrainian and Russian delegates separately in Saudi Arabia this week.

Under the agreement (see details) with Russia, the US has agreed to help Moscow increase exports of agriculture and fertilizer to global markets, lower maritime insurance costs, and restore its access to international payment systems. Russia said the Black Sea deal was contingent on lifting some European port and banking sanctions against its banks involved in food and fertilizer trade, which Ukraine opposes. Russia and Ukraine will now need to hammer out details on how to carry out the maritime ceasefire and work toward a truce related to energy infrastructure.

The deal comes roughly two years after Russia terminated a 2022 agreement to ensure safe shipping in the Black Sea. See a history of the Black Sea here.

British Iron Age Hoard 

Archaeologists have uncovered a once-in-a-lifetime trove of Iron Age artifacts in northern Britain—the results of an early analysis of a site known as the Melsonby hoard in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The discovery has major implications for historians’ understanding of the relative wealth of natives in northern Britain roughly 2,000 years ago.

First discovered in 2021 by metal detectorist Peter Heads, the trove contains roughly 800 objects, all believed to have been burnt or broken before being buried as a demonstration of wealth. The iron tires of at least seven four-wheeled wagons and two-wheeled chariots were discovered at the site, as well as decorative wine-mixing bowls, cauldrons, and spears, among other items. The breadth of the objects suggests northern Britain's elites were more wealthy and connected to European trade networks than previously thought.

Researchers have not publicized the exact location of the excavation site to avoid theft. See photos of the discovery here.

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