What’s new (high-level)

• Watches (Coverage Programs) — Thematic programs that structure our work and outputs (forming now):
  NarcoWatch (organized crime and cartels) · QudsWatch (Quds Force, the Iranian state apparatus, and regional dynamics) · HomelandWatch (domestic security, extremism, critical infrastructure) · Sahara/MaghrebWatch (North/West Africa conflict economies and routes). These will come online progressively—no specific dates.

• Publishing surfaces — Open articles with footnotes and source packets; living wikis, timelines, and actor profiles; member-only dossiers, datasets, and live briefings.

• Tipline & exclusives — We accept confidential tips (with anonymity options). Not everything is open-source only: some findings, data drops, and alerts are exclusive for members once verified.

• Methods & transparency — Every claim must be documentable. We show the sourcing, note uncertainty, and maintain chain-of-custody for sensitive media and files.

What we’re keeping (and upgrading)

The engineering stack you depended on remains—just pointed at investigative work:

• Collectors & recorders for public records, dockets, sanctions lists, procurement trails, corporate registries, and media.

• Media capture & preservation with hashing, mirroring, and metadata hygiene.

• Entity resolution & network mapping to follow people, fronts, and affiliates across jurisdictions.

• Monitoring & alerting to surface material changes quickly.

• Analysis workbench for corroboration, red-team reviews, and publication prep.

Outputs you’ll see

• Open: explainers, timelines, wikis, and source packets.

• Members: research dossiers, datasets, 24/7 Watch feeds, and real-time alerts when thresholds are crossed.

• Channels: newsletter, podcast, and live update threads during fast-moving events.

Release notes (since the transition)

Added

• Watches (Coverage Programs) framework for Narcowatch, QudsWatch, HomelandWatch, Sahara/MaghrebWatch (forming).

• Tipline with guidance on safe submissions and expectations.

• Member options for briefings, data drops, and alerts.

• Transparency pages outlining sourcing, verification, and corrections.

• Incident trackers and change logs aligned to each Watch.

Improved

• Upgraded chain-of-custody for documents and media.

• Expanded cross-language collection and records coverage.

• Hardened entity resolution and audit logging across the pipeline.

• Faster monitoring and clearer threshold rules for alerts.

Retained

• Proprietary collectors, ingestion pipelines, and preservation tools—all under the same ownership, refactored for newsroom use.

Renamed / Retired

• Web-performance features (e.g., “one-click optimize”) are retired. Their slot on the homepage now highlights Live briefings, Research dossiers, 24/7 Watch feeds, and Real-time alerts.

How to participate

• Subscribe for open updates.

• Become a member for dossiers, feeds, and alerts.

• Send a tip if you have documents, leads, or first-hand knowledge (you can request anonymity).

• Work with us — we’re assembling a careful, small team across research, reporting, fact-checking/editing, audio, and briefings.

Commitments

• Verification before virality — We publish when claims are defensible, not merely newsworthy.

• Citations, not vibes — Every assertion ties back to documents, data, or on-the-record reporting.

• Safety & legality — We minimize harm, follow the law, and correct the record when needed.