RSnake Report 20251220

Hello, and thanks for reading! It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the RSnake residence. Packages have arrived, and are wrapped with care, except for the ones that I wrapped - those are always a hot mess. But no one cares, and everyone seems in good cheer. I hope you have a great Christmas week with friends and family! 🎄 

In Russia/Ukraine news, Ukraine deployed a new category of an underwater version of its Sea Baby drone to destroy a Russian submarine in Sevastopol port, Crimea, with footage showing the drone detonating near the vessel. This is about a $400M-$500M loss, and has forced them to shut the bay, by sinking barges preventing further damage.

Russia received its first S-500 Prometheus air defense system, designed to intercept ballistic missiles and hypersonic threats. These are going to be extremely expensive systems and likely thinly deployed to protect only extremely sensitive targets, such as protecting the president or highly valuable targets.

Ukrainian forces used a new drop mechanism to deliver munitions precisely behind Russian lines, allowing targeted strikes without exposing troops. This is a very nifty little drop system that appears to be replaceable on many different drone platforms.

There is a rumor swirling about Russia amassing over 360,000 troops along its border with Finland, a NATO member, in what analysts describe as a show of force amid heightened tensions. This is likely not true, because these troops are badly needed in Ukraine. Still, it’s also not impossible that Russia has called up a sizeable force to deter any NATO incursions and encourage them to come to the negotiation table, and force Ukraine to discuss the surrender of territory, or face growing tensions and potential accidental escalation.

In psychological-kinetic warfare, Ukrainian troops withdrew from a building in Avdiivka after rigging it with explosives, detonating the trap as Russian forces entered, killing multiple soldiers. This does a good job of making the Russians feel less confident in taking over territory once held by Ukrainian troops. But the extreme power of this was pretty notable. This wasn’t just a few pounds of explosives. It wiped out the building and likely the entire block.

Ukraine recently tested an autonomous de-mining robot capable of clearing unexploded ordnance in contested areas, reducing risks to personnel. The video shows clearing a number of smaller anti-personnel mines. I am curious how well it handles anti-tank mines or mines with larger explosive power. But at least for the smaller petal mines that Russia likes to use, it seems extremely effective.

A Russian tanker captain died after Ukrainian forces boarded the vessel in the Black Sea, with reports indicating he resisted and was shot during the operation. This guy was quite high up in the Putin regime and handled a lot of the black ops for the country.

Also, Ukraine has hit a number of additional dark fleet ships in the Mediterranean sea using grenade dropping drones. It’s hard to say whether these did real, meaningful damage, but the real risk is that even if the damage is low, the cost of shipping insurance will continue to increase due to attacks like this, which will further lower margins and, ideally, dissuade companies from doing business with Russia.

In South East Asia news, there is growing sentiment in China that Russia is likely to lose this war, or might even lose more than just in Ukraine. If Russia falls, this faction of Chinese feel they need to rapidly expand to take as much of Russia as they can, rather than let it fall to Western forces. This group laments that Russia’s GDP is garbage, its inflation is growing, and it’s rich in resources that China could mine. They believe that softly taking these resources is the best option, buying up long-term contracts and supporting friendly forces to silently take control. With friends like China, who needs enemies?

A new Chinese anti-tank missile system that was captured by Thai troops from Cambodian troops seems to be of a variety that has the potential to destroy Western tanks, including the U.S. M1 Abrams.

China achieved a potential breakthrough in semiconductor manufacturing, enabling domestic production of advanced chips using EUV lithography, previously reliant on foreign imports. There has been a lot of talk about this, as it was supposed that it would take at least 10-20 years before China could produce these chips, and now it appears to be only a year or two away, making them far less reliant on Taiwan and Europe, and less in danger of sanctions.

The U.S. approved an additional $300 million in arms sales to Taiwan, including missiles and radar systems, to bolster defenses against potential Chinese aggression.

China transformed Hainan Island into a special economic zone covering 50 times the area of Singapore, allowing duty-free imports of 74% of global goods and tariff-free entry to mainland China for products processed there with 30% added local value, such as Australian beef packaged for hotpot. The zone features a 15% corporate tax rate, lower than Hong Kong's 16.5% and Singapore's 17%, and diverges from mainland rules in multiple areas: medicines and devices approved anywhere worldwide can be used, even if banned elsewhere. Companies can access the global internet without restrictions. Foreign universities can establish campuses independently. 86 countries receive visa-free entry, and special accounts enable unrestricted capital flows overseas, bypassing mainland forex controls.

In Middle East news, A Washington Post and PBS Frontline investigation revealed Israel's covert campaign during the June 2025 war to cripple Iran's nuclear program by assassinating 12 key scientists out of 100 tracked, using over 100 operatives with compact explosives for coordinated strikes on residences and transit, killing 11 in the opening phase and the last before the 12-day war ended; the U.S. shared intelligence and joined after Iran's rejection of a sanctions relief offer, degrading Iran's nuclear expertise beyond airstrikes on facilities like Natanz and Fordow.

U.S. and Jordanian forces conducted Operation Hawkeye Strike, hitting over 70 ISIS targets in northern and central Syria with more than 100 precision munitions from aircraft and ground systems.

In South of the Border news, Joint Task Force Southern Spear, under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, struck three narco-trafficking vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in the Eastern Pacific on December 15, killing eight male narco-terrorists, three on the first, two on the second, and three on the third, confirmed via intelligence on trafficking routes.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump ordered a total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, stating the country is surrounded by the largest armada in South American history.

In related North American news, U.S. President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, noting most illicit fentanyl enters via Mexico and originates from China. This allows him latitude when attacking Venezuela if any of the drugs on the drug boats have fentanyl aboard, and they very likely do and will.

On the flip side, Trump signed an executive order reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, aligning it with drugs like ketamine and opening paths for federal decriminalization or legalization. This is a big deal for expanding research into the drug, and legitimizing the analysis of it’s effects, whether positive or negative.

Valero accepted a $1.1 billion loss to exit California by April 2026, closing its Benicia refinery processing 145,000 barrels of oil daily or 8.6% of state gasoline production, resulting in 400 job losses, 200 contractor impacts, and a 17% budget cut for Benicia; economists predict gasoline prices rising 40 cents per gallon after Phillips 66's December closure and 81 cents more after Valero's, totaling $1.21 per gallon by August 2026, with potential $8 per gallon spikes and shortages. It’s not the biggest loss California has had thus far, but it’s another sign that California is closing the door on capitalism and companies and their boards are seeking better business climates.

The U.S. Army unveiled the first M1E3 Abrams prototype at 60 tons with hybrid-electric propulsion for quieter operation and extended range, an unmanned turret with an autoloader for smaller crews and faster firing, active protection against missiles, RPGs, and drones, modular armor, MOSA architecture with AI sensors, a 120mm gun, and lower logistics needs.

The U.S. launched the LUCAS one-way attack drone, reverse-engineered from Iranian Shahed models, from a ship at sea in the Middle East for the first time. This seems like a silly test, but I think it’s more meaningful. It allows naval ships to fire extremely inexpensive kamikaze drones en masse. That inexpensive nature means it can keep the cost of offensive operations against weaker adversaries down significantly over the current strategies, which usually entail million-dollar Tomahawks.

The FBI arrested four anti-capitalist members of the Turtle Island Liberation Front and Order of the Black Lotus for plotting New Year's Eve IED attacks on ICE facilities in Orange County and Los Angeles. On December 12, they transported bomb-making materials to a remote campsite to assemble and test devices.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced investigations into election integrity, citing evidence of electronic voting machine vulnerabilities and tampering, including Dominion systems deleting 2.7 million Trump votes nationwide, switching 221,000 Pennsylvania votes from Trump to Biden, deleting 941,000 Trump votes, and shifting 435,000 votes in Dominion-using states. I really don’t know what parts of this story are real or not, but neither does the American voter. We shall see what comes of this.

The director of MIT's Plasma Science and Fusion Center, a leading nuclear fusion expert, Nuno F.G. Loureiro, was shot dead in his home. It’s not exactly clear what the motive was, but given that countries like Israel aren’t above shooting nuclear scientists, it’s not inconceivable that it was an assassination. There are a lot of theories and even that it was tied to the Brown University shooter, but I am not that is truly confirmed. More information on him here.

The EEOC made a statement that they want to discuss any anti-white discrimination. The EEOC was always supposed to be committed to addressing all race and sex discrimination, including against white male employees and applicants, under federal civil rights laws, and provided resources on DEI-related claims at EEOC.gov. But I think they got the memo that this kind of discrimination isn’t being reported or treated the same within organizations. I know, I for one, have had a number of white male friends express that they didn’t get a job because they were looking for a woman or someone of color. So, I think there are a lot of payouts waiting to be made. However, the question is, do the affected want to get litigious? I suspect the answer is no, so there won’t be a huge reckoning for the crimes committed.

Senator Mike Lee proposed a bill allowing the president to issue letters of marque to privateers for seizing cartel assets. I have heard about this theory many times over the last decade or so, including using hackers and issuing letters of marque to them as well. You don’t get the legal protections that someone in the CIA or NSA would have, but the idea is you get to keep a large amount of the proceeds.

The Epstein files have started coming out. There are still many concerns about what remains redacted or omitted. There are a lot of public reactions for figures like Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Noam Chomsky, and so many others, like Richard Branson, Kevin Spacey, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Mick Jagger. There have been a couple of tools created to browse the 4,000 PDFs as scrollable images and albums. While there are a lot of redacted things, there are also a lot of things that aren’t redacted, like work orders, contracts, photos, etc. It’ll take a long time to comb through everything.

In Tech news, Cisco confirmed active exploitation of CVE-2025-20393, a 10.0-rated AsyncOS zero-day by a China-linked APT, allowing root-level command execution on email security appliances for persistence. Currently, no patch exists, but there are some mitigations. If you look at the NVD site, there is almost zero information at the moment, but it is on the CISA known exploited vulnerability (KEV) list.

Okay, onto the articles!

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is set to hold hearings beginning January 12, 2026, in a case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar, accusing it of committing genocide against the Rohingya ethnic group. This will be the first genocide case the ICJ has considered on its merits in over a decade, following a brutal crackdown in 2017 that led to the displacement of over 742,000 Rohingya people.

• The Gambia has accused Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya and filed the case at the ICJ in 2019.

• Over one million Rohingya refugees currently live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, facing dire conditions.

[RSnake: Ironically, there is attempted genocide happening all over the place in the world. Muslims against Christians. Chinese against Muslims. Palestinians against Israelis. It’s hard to tell what the bar here is.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/20/uns-top-court-to-hold-myanmar-genocide-hearings-in-january?traffic_source=rss

A terror attack occurred in Bondi, Australia, during a Hanukkah celebration, resulting in 15 fatalities and numerous injuries from two gunmen inspired by the Islamic State. In response to the attack, there has been an outpouring of support and heroism from ordinary citizens, including lifeguards and bystanders who acted to save lives. The government is considering stronger measures against hate speech and violence following this tragic incident.

• A terror attack in Bondi led to the deadliest mass shooting in Australian history.

• Citizens displayed extraordinary bravery and selflessness during the attack, saving many lives.

• The government is likely to implement new measures against hate speech and violence in the aftermath.

[RSnake: I had a talk with a former Navy SEAL this week about this. Some of these shots that police are being asked to make with their duty weapons are now exceeding 50 yards. In mass shooting events, some of the shots are closer to 100 yards, and they are armed only with their sidearm. He’s being asked to train more people on long-range shooting with their duty sidearm weapon, and some of the Marines are being trained to shoot even as far as 250 yards with their sidearm.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxp998rd9ko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Vladimir Putin has made a statement promising peace if his country is treated with respect, mirroring Hitler's 1939 speech, and blaming NATO's expansion for the current conflict.

• Putin's rhetoric echoes Hitler's 1939 Reichstag script, using similar phrases such as 'no more wars' and 'treat us with respect'.

• Putin blames NATO expansion for the conflict, a claim also made by Hitler in his speech.

• The statement aims to pressure Ukraine to concede, and if successful, could be seen as a key part of Putin's strategy.

[RSnake: It’s really hard to know if this is a plea for help, for a retreat without having to go back to his people and confirm a million casualties for ultimately a huge loss. Without some territory to show for it, he looks like he’s lost, and as a strong man, that’s dangerous.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=381858

Russia has been luring Colombian welders with $2,500 jobs, confiscating their passports and sending them to fight in the war in Ukraine.

• Russian recruiters have been using false promises of welding jobs to lure Latin American and African workers into fighting on the front lines in Ukraine.

• The recruited workers were sent to the battle without proper training or equipment and were told to guard gas plants instead of performing their promised construction work.

[RSnake: Wow, how awful. But imagine Putin relying on people who hate him and expecting to make any sort of gains.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=381707

The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution condemning Russia's war crimes in occupied Ukraine, with 79 countries in favor. The resolution demands access for international monitors to prisons holding Ukrainian prisoners and reaffirms Ukraine's sovereignty while keeping Russia on a UN blacklist for human rights violations, particularly regarding the treatment of children. It also warns Russia about potential consequences related to systematic sexual violence.

• The UN General Assembly voted to condemn Russia's human rights violations in occupied Ukraine.

• The resolution calls for immediate access for international monitors to Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia.

[RSnake: I get this move, and I think it’s ultimately a good idea, but they need to drag these cases out and be very open to dropping the charges as part of a negotiation if we want an off-ramp.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=381695

South Asia is facing a severe air pollution crisis, with cities like Delhi experiencing hazardous levels of pollution on a year-round basis. Key contributors to this crisis include emissions from industrial activity, vehicular traffic, and agricultural practices across the region, affecting millions and leading to serious health risks and environmental issues.

• Air pollution in South Asia causes an estimated 2 million premature deaths annually.

• The crisis is exacerbated by transboundary pollution, with pollutants traveling across borders, further deteriorating air quality.

• Current efforts to tackle air pollution, such as local monitoring and national policies, are largely ineffective without comprehensive regional cooperation.

[RSnake: Right, because as much as people push the idea of protecting the environment, China and India and Pakistan and the Middle East writ large, and Africa get a pass. The trade winds push most of that pollution eastward. So while we clean our acts up, they get an industrial upgrade.]

Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/?p=1215425

Russia's militarization of the Black Sea region poses a significant threat to neighboring countries, particularly Ukraine and Moldova, as it presents challenges to regional stability and security. This escalation is marked by increased military activities and hybrid warfare operations designed to undermine local governance and economy, requiring NATO and regional allies to enhance their defense and energy security measures amid rising tensions.

• Russia has intensified its military presence in the Black Sea, threatening local stability.

• NATO and regional allies must respond by increasing defense capabilities and energy security.

[RSnake: Kinda a silly article. Of course, Russia’s build-up is a threat to Ukraine. 😆 That said, the article is better than this summary. Basically, it’s advocating a military build-up.]

Source: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/?p=895007

Iran is experiencing severe human rights abuses, with a notable rise in arbitrary detentions and executions, particularly affecting minority groups in the country. Additionally, environmental crises are emerging as heavy rains lead to destructive flooding, exacerbating water scarcity issues resulting from poor management and climate change.

• 16-year-old Mahmoud Baluchi Razi was detained and tortured to force his father’s surrender.

• The UN adopted a resolution condemning Iran's human rights violations, reflecting ongoing international scrutiny.

• Iran is facing an environmental crisis, as recent floods, instead of alleviating drought-related issues, have caused further devastation.

[RSnake: There’s also been some snowstorms in Saudi Arabia as well. The photos are kinda amazing.]

Source: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202512201273

Pakistan Navy has acquired four Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines with advanced sensors and modern armaments, bolstered by China's AIP technology, which could challenge India's dominance in the Indian Ocean Region.

• China is providing Pakistan's navy with four Chinese-built Hangor-class submarines equipped with advanced sensors and modern armaments, including anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-submarine warfare torpedoes.

• The acquisition of AIP technology in the new subs will allow them to stay hidden for longer periods and quickly reach their targets without disclosing their position.

[RSnake: Meanwhile we are retiring the same number of Ohio class attack subs, which represent a lot of our Tomahawk delivery systems.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=259912

US Naval Forces Now Have Suicide Drones, Capability to Swarm Missile Defense Shields, Demonstrated Effectiveness in Ukraine

• The US Navy has successfully tested a low-cost kamikaze drone, called Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS), from the deck of an Independence-class littoral combat ship.

• Cheap kamikaze drones are reshaping the modern battlefield by reducing the cost of precision strikes and have been demonstrated to be effective in swarming missile defense shields in Ukraine.

[RSnake: We talked about this above as well. The cost is the important point here. Keeping costs low is going to become more and more important, which is almost the opposite of how the US military has operated to date.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/military/watch-us-naval-forces-now-have-suicide-drones

The United States is set to transfer a record-setting $11.1 billion in weapons to Taiwan, which has drawn criticism from China, claiming it could lead to military confrontation. China accused Taiwan's leadership of seeking independence through aggressive means and warned that U.S. support for Taiwan may backfire. This arms package includes significant military hardware, particularly medium to long-range missile systems, which intensifies tensions in the region.

• A record $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan has been approved by the U.S.

• China condemns the arms deal, claiming it could lead to military confrontation and accusing Taiwan of pursuing independence through force.

[RSnake: China hates this. It adds a lot of cost to an attack against Taiwan and may even delay an invasion, as they have to deal with how to attack given the new defensive tech available to them. Another article here.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/china-says-region-closer-war-due-us-record-taiwan-arms-package

China is developing satellite-independent navigation systems using bio-inspired technologies, which could erode Western electromagnetic-warfare dominance and weaken deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

• The US and its allies remain focused on satellite resilience rather than replacement.

• China is preparing to fight in environments in which satellite navigation signals are jammed.

• Satellite-independent navigation would give China a silent but decisive advantage in Indo-Pacific flashpoints.

[RSnake: From the article: “Path integration (tracking distance and direction), as used by ants; Geomagnetic sensing (detecting variations in the earth’s magnetic field); and Optic flow (observing visible objects’ movement relative to a camera) and motion sensing, by which insects work out their position.”]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/12/18/china_is_developing_an_edge_in_satellite_independent_navigation_1154074.html

US-led peace plan in Ukraine reshapes global alliances as negotiations drive real decisions about war posturing and capabilities, with uncertainty and shifting drafts creating a strategic tug-of-war between Ukraine, Europe, and Russia.

• The US-led peace plan in Ukraine is reshaping global alliances as negotiations drive real decisions about war posturing and capabilities.

• Uncertainty and shifting drafts are creating a strategic tug-of-war between Ukraine, Europe, and Russia, with the West appearing hesitant to take decisive action against Russia's military invasion of Ukraine.

[RSnake: Europe doesn’t love this, but it’s hard to imagine a way that this helps Europe to continue a fight with Russia.]

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/12/18/how-a-us-led-peace-plan-in-ukraine-is-reshaping-global-alliances/

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss the potential loan of tens of billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, amidst concerns from Belgium and other member states about the legal implications of such a move. Without financial support, Ukraine risks running out of funds in the coming months, while Russia has filed a lawsuit to recover its assets and voiced strong opposition to the EU's plans. The outcome of this summit could significantly impact Ukraine's ability to sustain its defense and continue negotiations for peace.

• EU leaders are considering using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine financially amidst a critical juncture in the war.

• Russia has warned against this plan and is pursuing legal action to recover its assets held in the EU.

[RSnake: This will be a big issue if the US negotiates for the return of these funds to Russia since they are already being spoken for.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vjlj1ezpgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Indian intelligence agents allegedly infiltrated Karachi's underworld to eliminate most wanted terrorists, with reports suggesting up to 20 killings in Pakistan between 2020 and 2024.

• Indian intelligence agents allegedly infiltrated Karachi’s underworld to eliminate the most wanted terrorists, with reports suggesting up to 20 killings in Pakistan between 2020 and 2024.

• The Indian government has denied these allegations and claims that the killings were carried out by local criminals or poor Pakistanis recruited by Indian agents.

[RSnake: I have no knowledge of whether this is true or not, but it certainly seems feasible.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=259533

US President Donald Trump has ordered a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela, citing the country's leadership as a foreign terrorist organization.

• The blockade is expected to impact around 800,000-900,000 barrels of oil per day, potentially increasing prices by $2-$3 in the short term.

• The Trump administration aims to disrupt oil flows to Cuba and global markets via shadow-fleet tankers, in an effort to accelerate regime change in Venezuela.

[RSnake: This is picking a fight, because Venezuela will likely try to break through the blockade.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/hunting-season-opens-18-sanctioned-tankers-venezuelan-crude

NASA's new administrator has initiated a competitive environment between SpaceX and Blue Origin for the Artemis 3 lunar lander contract, which is vital for the U.S. to achieve its goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2028. Both companies are racing to develop crew-rated lunar landers, with deadlines approaching and significant stakes involved in this space race.

• NASA is focusing on the competition between SpaceX and Blue Origin to ensure a crewed lunar landing.

• Artemis 3 aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2028, and both companies are under pressure to deliver their landers.

[RSnake: I am really glad to hear this. More competition will continue to drive down costs and increase innovation.]

Source: https://gizmodo.com/?p=2000701826

Cisco VPNs and email services have been targeted by two separate threats campaigns involving zero-day vulnerabilities, with attacks exploiting weaknesses in Cisco's AsyncOS software and Palo Alto Networks' GlobalProtect VPNs.

• A newly identified China-linked advanced persistent threat (APT), UAT-9686, has been identified as the source of a zero-day vulnerability in Cisco email security appliances.

• Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPNs have also been targeted by an army of more than 10,000 unique IP addresses in a coordinated attack campaign.

[RSnake: Yep, it’s a bad one and if you use these products you should probably shut them off until there is a mitigation.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/endpoint-security/cisco-vpns-email-services-threat-campaigns

A critical vulnerability has been discovered in WatchGuard's Firebox firewalls, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute remote code. This flaw is actively being exploited, with warnings issued to more than 250,000 businesses using affected devices to ensure they are patched to prevent attacks.

• WatchGuard Firebox firewalls are at risk of remote code execution due to an unpatched vulnerability.

• Over 75,000 firewalls have been identified as vulnerable, and organizations are urged to take immediate action to secure their systems.

[RSnake: Have you noticed how many security products are the vectors into companies these days? It is no wonder the Cyber Insurance industry doesn’t think these things work to reduce losses. If you have them, they end up being vectors into your company. We wrote about this to a degree in our fund thesis.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/watchguard-warns-of-new-rce-flaw-in-firebox-firewalls-exploited-in-attacks/

Career DOJ officials offer chilling warnings about online extremist network 764, whose young followers around the world use popular social media platforms to target, groom, and push vulnerable teens into harming themselves and others.

• An online extremist network with 764 members targets, grooms, and pushes vulnerable teens into harming themselves and others using popular social media platforms.

• 764 members are increasingly trying to push victims to take deadly actions, including suicide or school shootings and other mass-casualty attacks.

• The Justice Department has already publicly charged at least 37 people in recent years for their involvement with 764 or similar networks.

[RSnake: For those of you who are hearing about this for the first time, Wikipedia has a pretty nice background and history of this network, which was only started about 4 years ago but has grown to be quite large.]

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/rare-public-comments-career-doj-officials-offer-chilling/story?id=128526657

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has identified two critical vulnerabilities in Fortinet network security products, which have been actively targeted by attackers, threatening organizations' network integrity. Federal agencies are required to patch these vulnerabilities by December 23rd or cease use of the affected products to mitigate potential exploitation risks.

• CISA has added Fortinet vulnerabilities to its catalog of exploited vulnerabilities, indicating significant security risks.

• Attackers are actively exploiting these flaws to gain control over network devices, necessitating immediate action from organizations.

[RSnake: To clarify, they have added MORE vulnerabilities to their catalogue.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/critical-fortinet-flaws-under-active-attack

An AI face-swapping application named Haotian has gained significant traction among scammers in Southeast Asia, who exploit it to enhance their online fraud, including romance scams. Despite the platform's claims of catering to legitimate uses, analyses show a substantial amount of its profit comes from transactions linked to cybercrime, amounting to millions of dollars. The emerging use of such deepfake technology in fraudulent activities is drawing attention from cybersecurity experts and regulatory bodies, amplifying concerns about the broader implications for online safety and trust.

• Haotian's advanced face-swapping technology is being utilized for online scams, particularly affecting victims in Southeast Asia.

• The service has reportedly facilitated millions in payments linked to fraudulent activities through cryptocurrency transactions.

[RSnake: This will help facilitate a lot of crime, like from sanctioned nations who want to work in Western countries.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/the-ultra-realistic-ai-face-swapping-platform-driving-romance-scams/

A data breach at 700Credit has exposed the personal information of over 5.8 million consumers, including sensitive data such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth. The breach resulted from a hacking incident that allowed unauthorized access to consumer data through a security vulnerability in an API used by 700Credit's integration partners.

• More than 5.8 million consumers' personal information was leaked due to a data breach at 700Credit.

• The breach occurred as a result of earlier vulnerabilities exploited by attackers, compromising sensitive consumer data.

[RSnake: I have been talking about this for decades, but this really should not be an issue. Social security and birth dates are part of the public record and should never have been used for anything sensitive. And yet…]

Source: https://lifehacker.com/money/credit-info-leak-700credit-massive-data-breach?utm_medium=RSS

China has achieved a significant breakthrough in semiconductor technology by developing a prototype extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, critical for advanced chip manufacturing, despite U.S. export restrictions. This progress highlights ongoing tensions in the China-U.S. trade relationship and concerns about industrial espionage, as China has actively pursued talent and technology from Dutch company ASML to advance its capabilities in this critical area.

• China has built a prototype EUV lithography machine essential for producing advanced semiconductor chips.

• The development stems from China's aggressive talent acquisition strategies, including poaching former ASML engineers, amid ongoing U.S. export bans.

[RSnake: Some rumors are swirling that they intercepted packages destined to some of the machines bound to facilities in Europe, opened and photographed every item, reassembled them, and sent them on their way. That, plus paying for many Chinese-born experts to return and start the program in China, accelerated their program. There is still the software issue that is apparently non-trivial but far easier than gathering all the components and assembling them, presumably, which is why they are expected to have accelerated their program by approximately an order of magnitude.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=259811

Smart contract bad practices pose a risk to the Ethereum platform as it matures, and researchers have developed an LLM-powered framework to detect these issues.

• The framework SCALM uses a hybrid architecture that combines context-aware function-level slicing with knowledge-enhanced semantic reasoning via extensible vectorized pattern matching.

• SCALM has been shown to outperform existing tools in detecting bad practices in smart contracts through extensive experiments using multiple LLMs and datasets.

[RSnake: Yep, and I am sure it will find some issues, about as fast as adversaries will use similar systems to exploit those same issues since they are difficult to fix once on the chain.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.15179

The global debate on artificial intelligence is intensifying, with Europe tightening regulations that stifle investment and innovation while China aggressively pursues AI leadership without such constraints. Europe is at risk of losing its competitive edge, with concerns about a future where social credit systems could impact individual opp’ opportunities and freedoms. The urgency now is to find a balanced approach that protects innovation and civil liberties without falling prey to either extreme.

• Europe's stringent AI regulations are leading to a talent drain towards the U.S.

• China aims to become the global leader in AI by 2030, focusing on mass surveillance and social credit systems.

• A balanced approach to AI regulation is proposed, with a focus on preventing misuse while allowing innovation to thrive.

[RSnake: Funny that China has started to realize they need to publish more open source models and be more open with their weights, etc. It’s still hazardous to use these models. Still, the US has started to move more towards closed-source models, especially Meta, which used to release Llama models regularly, and OpenAI, which hasn’t released a model since GPT-OS.]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/12/18/red_tape_or_red_threat_1154067.html

A $6 billion deal has been announced between Trump Media and Technology Group and TAE Technologies to create one of the first publicly traded fusion companies, with plans to break ground on a utility-scale fusion power plant in 2026.

• A fusion company will be created that aims to generate energy using nuclear fusion technology.

• The company expects to produce 50 megawatts of energy, enough to power 15,000 homes.

[RSnake: Let’s hope this actually nets positive output. It’s a matter of national security.]

Source: https://gizmodo.com/?p=2000701354

Australia's gun buyback scheme has been announced in response to a deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach, with the government aiming to collect hundreds of thousands of firearms and impose stricter controls on gun ownership.

• A national gun control measure is being implemented in Australia, including a buyback scheme for surplus and illegal firearms.

• The government aims to collect hundreds of thousands of firearms and impose stricter controls on gun ownership, including limits on individual firearm holdings.

[RSnake: Great, they want fewer people who can protect themselves from people hell bent on killing as many innocent civilians as possible. That way, there is even less chance that the innocent people will be able to protect themselves. Makes sense to me! 🤡 ]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn09p4kjj4wo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announces fraud charges against Daniel Chu, the founder of subprime auto loan company Tricolor Holdings, for leading a seven-year campaign to defraud investors and lending institutions out of nearly $1 billion.

• Charges include conspiracy, bank fraud, wire fraud, and running a continuing financial crimes enterprise.

• The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to owing over $900 million to its largest lenders.

[RSnake: Sounds like a hell of a guy. 👎️ ]

Source: https://fortune.com/2025/12/17/1-billion-fraud-revealed-with-guilty-pleas-from-subprime-auto-lender-tricolor/

The US economy faces a potential deflationary crisis due to high debt levels and interest rates, while the Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates in 2026, potentially leading to another inflationary crisis.

• High debt levels and interest rates pose a risk of deflation for the US economy.

• The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates in 2026, which could lead to another inflationary crisis if not managed properly.

[RSnake: This is tricky. Also, AI is having a huge deflationary effect as well on the cost-per unit of intelligence, on the order of a minimum of 40x and as great as 370x, depending on which report you read. That’s a lot of deflationary effects on doing knowledge work as well.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/will-us-hit-deflationary-wall-or-will-fed-inflate-again-2026

Elon Musk's $600 million school experiment in Texas has failed to deliver on its promises, with the institution being classified as a licensed child care program for children under 5, rather than an educational facility. The school had promised a Montessori-style curriculum and full-time faculty but struggled with issues such as paperwork and permit applications. Musk's effort to revolutionize education through his school Ad Astra has been marred by delays, closures, and misclassifications.

• Elon Musk’s $600 million school experiment in Texas failed to deliver on its promises.

• The institution was classified as a licensed child care program for children under 5, rather than an educational facility.

[RSnake: failed… so far. We shall see what happens with it. While two did close and one moved online, it’s not altogether killed.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/10-children-and-2-caregivers-inside-elon-musks-600-million-failed-school-experiment/articleshow/126064897.cms

TikTok has agreed to sell a significant portion of its U.S. operations to a group of American investors, including Oracle and Silverlake, in order to comply with U.S. government requirements. This new joint venture, named TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, will manage the platform's U.S. business operations and ensure compliance with national security regulations. The deal is scheduled to close on January 22, 2026.

• TikTok will transfer significant control of its U.S. operations to American investors.

• The joint venture aims to ensure compliance with U.S. national security regulations.

[RSnake: I really need to know what the control structure will look like, and especially the algorithm and access to the data, which is mostly already controlled by Oracle already in the US.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3077634

Apple is investing heavily in US manufacturing through various programs, including the Apple Manufacturing Academy, which provides training and support to small manufacturers.

• Apple is investing in US manufacturing through the Apple Manufacturing Academy, which provides training and support to small manufacturers.

• The academy has already helped several companies improve their production processes and reduce costs.

• The investment aims to increase US manufacturing capacity and potentially lower costs for Apple.

[RSnake: Very smart of Apple to do. I think they foresee a future without China and need more manufacturers to be available as a contingency closer to home.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/apple-manufacturing-academy-michigan/