B (7:21)

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A (7:50)

Welcome back to the PDB. I wanted to follow up on a story we brought you yesterday about the growing paranoia of Russian President Putin and the extraordinary steps that he's taken to protect himself. And that includes over two dozen air defense systems now ringing his residence and increasing isolation. We're getting new reporting that helps explain what may be driving those decisions. And it points to something more serious than just external threats. According to leaked intelligence cited by multiple outlets, including CNN and the Kiev Post, Putin is increasingly concerned about the possibility of an assassination attempt, specifically one involving drones. That fear on its own wouldn't be entirely surprising. Ukraine has demonstrated an expanding ability to strike deep inside Russian territory. But that's only part of the picture. What's raising eyebrows is that the threat Putin appears to be most concerned about may not be coming from outside Russia, but from within it. The intelligence suggests growing concern inside the Kremlin about leaks of sensitive information and the possibility of a conspiracy involving members of Russia's own political or security elite. And that concern appears to be reshaping how the Kremlin operates. Security around Putin has reportedly been tightened even further. Visitors are now subject to multiple layers of screening, including full physical searches. The number of locations that he visits has been reduced, and there are indications that he's spending more time in fortified bunkers, sometimes working there for extended periods, while state media relies on pre recorded footage to project a sense of normalcy. But it's not just Putin. The same reporting suggests that concerns about security failures have begun to ripple through Russia's leadership. After a series of high profile incidents, including the killing of a senior military officer, top officials reportedly held closed door meetings where security agencies openly blamed one another for gaps in protection. At the center of those tensions are some of the most powerful figures in Russia's security apparatus, now reportedly clashing behind closed doors over just who is responsible for protecting senior leadership. As the the threat landscape continues to shift. In response, Putin has reportedly expanded enhanced protection measures beyond just his top general, extending them to a broader group of senior military officials. That's a notable shift, and one that suggests concern about the safety of the system as a whole, not just the man at the top. At the same time, control over the President's inner circle appears to be tightening. Staff working in close proximity to Putin are reportedly restricted from using mobile phones or Internet connected devices. Devices some are required to use offline equipment. There are also claims of increased surveillance, even extending into the homes of personnel such as security staff and support workers. In parts of Moscow, periodic Internet disruptions have also been linked, at least in part, to security measures aimed at countering potential drone threats. Taken together, this paints a picture of a leadership environment that is becoming more closed, more controlled, more paranoid and more focused on insider threats. Alright, shifting gears. There's one number that defines the crypto threat landscape in 2026, and that number is 76%. Now, that's the share of global crypto theft losses tied to North Korea. So how does a sanctioned regime, one cut off for much of the global financial system, end up dominating crypto theft on that scale? Well, that figure is largely driven by just two operations. A $285 million breach of Drift protocol on 1 April and a $292 million exploit targeting Kelp Dao on 18 April. Together, those two attacks make up just about 3% of total incidents this year, but 76% of the total money stolen. Now there's a lot of technical language wrapped up in all of this, so I'll break that down or will try to break that down because the mechanics here matter if you want to understand how this actually works. According to analysts at TRM Labs, it's a US based firm that tracks illicit crypto activity and works with government investigators. North Korea's cyber units aren't trying to overwhelm the system with constant attacks. Instead, many of these operations are tied to networks like the Lazarus Group. It's a state backed hacking outfit accused of stealing billions to bank role the regime's weapons programs. North Korea's share of global crypto theft has climbed steadily over the past several years, from under 10% in 2020 and 2021 to 64% in 2025. Now, through just the first few months of 2026, it's at 76%, the highest sustained share on record. Let's start with Drift Protocol. At its core, Drift is a decentralized trading platform built on Solana, which is essentially a fast moving blockchain network where users can buy and sell crypto assets cheaply and operate without a central authority. That's part of what makes it attractive and also what makes it vulnerable if the right safeguards aren't in place. According to TRM analysts, the campaign behind the Drift attack unfolded over weeks, if not months. It included targeted manipulation, technical setup and even reported in person interactions between North Korean operatives and individuals connected to the platform. By mid March, the attackers had already begun staging funds moving crypto through Tornado cash, a tool that mixes transactions together to obscure where the money came from. They exploited a Solana specific feature known as a quote durable nonce, which allows transactions to be pre approved and executed later in non technical terms. They weren't just breaking into the system, they were setting it up to fail on their timeline. So when the attack triggered on the 1st of April, it was all at once. 31 withdrawals in about 12 minutes. The funds were moved, converted, spread across digital wallets and left dormant. That is a known North Korean playbook. Move fast, disappear and wait, sometimes for months or years, then unwind the money slowly to avoid detection. Now let's compare that to Kelp Dao, which operates in the decentralized finance space where users move assets across different blockchains without relying on traditional banks. In this case, it used a system designed to verify and transfer assets between networks and that verification process is where everything broke down. Instead of targeting users, the attackers went after the infrastructure itself. They fed the system false data and launched a denial of service attack to knock out the legitimate data source, forcing the system to rely on the corrupted ones. With a single compromised data source serving as the authority, the system approved fraudulent transactions as legitimate. TRM analysts linked this operation to North Korean actors associated with the so called traitor, traitor network. Now, this may not surprise you, but Pyongyang, well, they deny all of it. North Korea's Foreign Ministry dismissed the accusations as a fabrication, calling them a, quote, absurd slander and even claiming the cyber threat itself is quote, non existent. But nothing to see here. There's no cyber threat. At the same time, officials in Pyongyang are warning they'll take what they call, quote, necessary measures to defend the regime's interests in cyberspace. That's a threat. With no further provided details. All right, up next in the back of the brief, two US Service members are missing after a training exercise in Morocco. More on that when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here with an important message for every taxpayer out there. Now, you know this, we just finished tax season, right? But of course. Well, you also know this, there's always next year, right? The taxes never stop. Now, we've heard those radio ads about the irs. You know the ones I'm talking about? Plenty of ads. Plenty of companies out there telling you to be afraid, right? And they try to frighten you into calling. But I want to tell you about a different kind of company. It's Tax Relief advocates. Now, if you owe money to the IRS, whether it's 5,000 or 50,000 or 500,000, I hope it's not that. Tra, tax relief advocates as a solution to your tax problem, TRA could reduce or even eliminate what you owe to the irs. Their passion is taxes and helping individuals and businesses fix their IRS problems. They have over a thousand five star Google reviews and an A plus rating with a Better Business Bureau. And here's a the truth. You don't need to be afraid of the IRS any longer. Generous tax relief programs are now available that can give you a fresh start. So don't wait. Simply visit tra.com that's tra.com or call 800-583-6515. Once again, that number is 800-583-6515. Tax relief advocates, Real solutions for real people. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of time to talk about something very important for anybody who's on Medicare or about to sign up for Medicare. Here's the thing. When folks get Medicare guidance, they rarely consider this fact. Agents get paid by big insurance to sell specific plans. It's just the way the business works. So that advice that you may be getting, it's not necessarily in your best interests. It means you're often shown what they're paid to show you. Not every option that's out there. And the result? Well, your doctor might not be covered or your prescriptions could cost way more than they should. And this problem is more common than you think. And those unnecessary costs, well, they can add up quickly. Here's what I think. You need someone with no skin in the game. And that's why I've partnered with Chapter. They're the only national advisor comparing every plan available. Their advisors are salaried, so they have zero incentive to steer you in a particular direction. And get this, It's a free 20 minute call. If you're turning 65 or you're already on Medicare, call Chapter at 915-671-5252. Again, that number, 915-671-5252.

C (18:32)

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B (18:50)

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C (19:04)

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A (19:30)

In today's Back of the Brief, two US army soldiers are missing off the coast of Morocco after a routine training exercise turned into a dangerous rescue attempt, leaving a multinational search effort racing against time. According to US Africa Command, the soldiers were first reported missing on Saturday during training exercises known as African Lion 2026, which brings together American, NATO and 40 partner forces. By Sunday, the exercise was halted temporarily as U.S. moroccan and allied forces shifted to a coordinated search and rescue operation across land. Air and sea. A US Military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the New York Times that the soldiers had gone out on what's described as an early evening hike near the Camp Draw training area. It's a long stretch of coastline known for steep cliffs and very rough surf. At some point, at least one of them is believed to have fallen into the ocean. Another US Military official who was at the scene said nearby personnel rushed to respond, forming a human chain down the cliff in an attempt to effect a rescue. According to officials, during the rescue effort, one or two additional personnel may have been swept into the sea. At this time, a full scale multinational search and rescue effort is underway. Moroccan and US Forces are now working alongside French and other allies with helicopters, ships and drones engaged in the effort. None of the missing have been identified and AFRICOM says the incident remains under investigation. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday 5th May. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbhefirsttv.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon Bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. Sam.