The untold story of Robert Mueller's time in combat

PLUS: Why Trump wants to save jobs in China, the future of Silicon Valley, and Darpa's next grueling challenge. [View this email in your browser]( [logo]( [[WIRED Magazine]5.15.18]( Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is currently leading the investigation into [possible Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential campaign]( grew up in circumstances that, in some ways, mirrored Donald Trump’s. The two men were born two years apart in Northeastern cities, to wealthy families that encouraged athletics. They both graduated from Ivy League schools, and they both were heavily influenced by their fathers. But their reactions to the Vietnam War are characteristic of the men we know today: After graduating from Princeton in 1966, Mueller volunteered to join the Marines. [He was shot in combat and had a reputation for unwavering devotion to his men]( a fact that was cited when he was awarded the Bronze Star. Trump drew five draft deferments and has boasted that his “personal Vietnam” involved dodging sexually transmitted diseases. “The two men have lived their lives in pursuit of almost diametrically opposed goals,” notes [writer Garrett Graff](. “Mueller a life of patrician public service, Trump a life of private profit.” Mueller’s time in the Marines is not a well known part of his life, but he frequently makes reference to it as being a crucial component of who he is today. He makes his bed every day, for example—one small indicator, writes Graff of Mueller's follow-through and execution. “Once you think about it—do it," Mueller told Graff. “I’ve always made my bed and I’ve always shaved, even in Vietnam in the jungle. You’ve put money in the bank in terms of discipline.” And this ex-Marine is not messing around with discipline when it comes to the Russia investigation. Reporters inquiring about it are met by Mueller’s tight-lipped, leak-proof spokesperson, Peter Carr: “No comment.” Discipline, order, and relentlessness are the military backbone of Mueller’s current work, and that’s exactly how he likes it. PLUS: Why Trump wants to [save jobs in China]( the [future of Silicon Valley,]( and Darpa's next [grueling challenge](. Trade War Why Trump Suddenly Wants to Save Jobs in China By Klint Finley In a surprising reversal, the president says he wants to avert planned sanctions on telecommunications company ZTE. TV After That Finale, Does Silicon Valley Have Anywhere Left to Go? By Angela Watercutter and Peter Rubin Previous seasons have left Pied Piper in various stages, but Unmitigated Success has never been one of them. What now? robotics Darpa's Next Challenge? A Grueling Underground Journey By Matt Simon Darpa calls on researchers to autonomously explore the innards of Earth. Get ready for high drama and some fantastical-looking robots. Call of Duty The Untold Story of Robert Mueller's Time in Combat By Garrett M. Graff Robert Mueller’s job is to make sense of how Russia hacked the 2016 election. But to make sense of Mueller, you have to revisit some of the bloodiest battles of Vietnam. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [Ad Choices]( [WIRED Magazine Subscription] Get Wired Get unlimited access to an ad-free WIRED.com + a free YubiKey. Start your free trial now. pgp Encrypted Email Has a Major, Divisive Flaw By Lily Hay Newman An attack called eFail overcomes the protections of encrypted email standards PGP and S/MIME. Gear Here's One Way to Keep Wearables on Wrists: Subscriptions By Lauren Goode Curious consumers can now get one of Whoop's sports-tracking wearables, beloved by elite athletes, for a $30 monthly fee. Cryptodoubts When the Blockchain Skeptic Walked Into the Lions' Den By Erin Griffith Jimmy Song, a venture partner at Blockchain Capital, tells the biggest cryptocurrency conference of the year that blockchain is a solution in search of a problem. Space How NASA Will Look for Geysers (and Life) on Europa By Eric Niiler Future spacecraft will scan for biomarkers of life in the ocean of Jupiter's moon. Das Roboot Americans Can't Have Audi's Super Capable Self-Driving System By Alex Davies And the automaker's reasons point to the American struggle to adapt to a new kind of driving. [advertisement]( [Powered by LiveIntent]( [AdChoices]( [WIRED Magazine]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, [wired@newsletters.wired.com]( to your address book. View our [Privacy Policy]( [Unsubscribe]( Copyright © Condé Nast 2018. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.