RSnake Report 20260208

Hello, and thanks for reading! The family has been watching the Olympics and prepping to watch the Super Bowl this evening. These rare occasions can be a lot of fun for the family, and I know the family loves it. The Super Bowl ads have already begun leaking out, and my personal favorites so far are Anthropic’s, which make fun of the ad companies that OpenAI is considering. Sam Altman wasn’t as impressed.

In Russia/Ukrainian news, Ukrainian forces struck Russia's Redkino Chemical Plant in the Tver region, which produces fuel for Kh-55 and Kh-101 cruise missiles used against Ukraine. The plant operates under US, UK, and other sanctions, and its short-term shutdown will disrupt missile fuel production and reduce Russia's strike capacity on Ukrainian cities.

There haven’t been quite as many large attacks against oil and gas, but I did spot a Russian fuel train derailed and exploded in Michurinsk, Tambov region. Not the same kind of damage we’ve seen, but even these very targeted hits can create shortages and drive up prices.

Ukrainian artillery fired a Franco-Swedish BONUS 155mm smart shell at a Russian Buk surface-to-air missile system. The shell's submunition used IR and LIDAR sensors to detect the target and penetrate its roof with a copper jet, demonstrating limitations of cope cages against shaped charges. Back to what we were talking about the other day, about those crazy cope cages of steel braided wire, this is a really great example of where they will fail spectacularly.

I saw a rather simple but apparently quite effective little airplane, too. Ukrainian forces modified a PZL M28 Skytruck into a fixed-wing drone-hunting gunship with a door-mounted M-134 minigun, which has downed nearly 120 Russian drones. That is a very good success rate, and likely works well when tied in with radar systems. It feels like it would be very easy to take down this plane, but perhaps they have some other anti-air defense. Either way, great kill ratio!

We are starting to see a lot more of these ground complexes making it into the field, too. Ukrainian companies Frontline Robotics and BUREVII integrated the Burya robotic turret with an automatic Mk 19 grenade launcher into the ARDAL ground robotic complex. That’s a lot of firepower, but not surgical. This is more for destroying large convoys than it is for sniping adversaries at a distance.

Meanwhile, Aquatechnik's Marichka underwater drone is apparently ready for operations, with a 1,000 km range, over 1,000 kg payload, and 10 km/h speed for striking large targets. That range is incredible. Tests succeeded, but combat use has not occurred, apparently, though I can see this being used against shipping yards, oil platforms, bridges, and other stationary targets. My bet is that in the next few months, we’ll see these hitting Russian targets.

The big news in Russia this week was that Russian operations at the front almost completely halted after a Starlink shutdown following mandatory pre-registration, which the Russians cannot provide. Assaults suspended, command and control was interrupted, as units relied on the system for communications, fire coordination, and UAV data. Ukrainian forces continue to have authorized use, leaving Russians without stable alternatives. The fallback is fairly antiquated Gasprom equipment that they have said is far inferior in size/bulk, and capability. It’s not exactly clear what will end up happening here, but I suspect a severe lack of coordination will occur for at least the next few months as they figure out a reliable fallback mechanism. This will also affect a number of drone classes that relied on Starlink, which will no longer fly, so maybe a few fewer successful attacks for a while.

However, Russia launched 40 missiles and 400 drones late this week, destroying Ukrainian substations, transmission lines, and power plants, including two DTEK stations. With temperatures dropping to -20°C by Monday, the attacks aim to increase civilian suffering. So Starlink is apparently not that big of a hindrance.

On the other hand, a missile strike in Belgorod, Russia, cut power to most of the city. Another strike was caught on video against Byransk, causing power outages. So again, this is happening in both directions. I am not sure who is winning that battle or if there really are even winners, exactly.

In a weird reversal of fate, American LNG now flows through Russian pipelines reversed in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldova into Ukraine. This same infrastructure was once carrying Russian gas south. Three new US corridors emerged after Moscow destroyed 60% of Ukraine's gas production in 2025. This is huge for US oil and gas companies, but also for those regions that previously were left without fuel.

Shipping has also been a bit of a mess. There was an explosion in the engine room of the container ship MSC Giada III, en route from Belgium to Saint Petersburg, which caused a fire to spread to the deck superstructure in the Neva Bay area. I haven’t heard a word on what caused it yet. But it spills over into European news…

In European news, Estonian special forces from the K-Commando unit conducted a helicopter assault to seize the Russian-crewed cargo ship Baltic Spirit en route to Saint Petersburg. The Bahamas-flagged vessel carried 23 Russian crew members, all detained in the Gulf of Finland. These shipments likely include a lot of contraband/sanctioned equipment and, therefore, make life much more difficult for Russia. That said, Russia still has Iran and China, and to a lesser extent, North Korea, as proxies to get a lot of the equipment it needs.

However, this hybrid warfare does seem to be increasing. German authorities arrested two suspects attempting to sabotage a naval corvette in Hamburg by pouring abrasives into engines and tampering with fuel systems. That is going to get NATO on higher alert when people are actively trying to damage military equipment. One Romanian and one Greek shipyard worker were arrested. The motives and who they were working for are unclear. Time to upgrade the on-duty security, fellas.

Rheinmetal showed off a very impressive demo of Skynex taking down 6 drones in around one second. The video happens so fast that it’s a bit hard to tell what’s even going on. This is exactly the capabilities that modern systems will need to be able to accomplish. It’s not just about one drone at a time these days, when near-peers like China are developing massive drone swarms to overwhelm defenses. I still think systems like this can be overwhelmed, but directionally, this is correct, and the rounds are cheaper than the drones.

Sweden and Denmark will deliver Tridon Mk2 anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine within one year. The BAE Systems setup uses a 40mm Bofors 40 Mk4 gun with 100 rounds on a Scania 6x6 truck chassis for mobility on public roads. This would normally be mounted on a ship, but apparently it can also be mounted on trucks or other heavy vehicles. Pretty cool.

In South East Asian news, it appears China conducted nuclear explosive tests in violation of the START treaty, including yields in the hundreds of tons, using decoupling to evade seismic monitoring. Sub-kiloton devices are still city killers, make no mistake, because they are usually part of a pack of multiple re-entry vehicles that land in various locations around a city or are used to target military bases that don’t need the same kind of destructive power as a city. One yield-producing test occurred on June 22, 2020. ☢️ 

China has also unveiled that it has developed a microwave weapon to disrupt low Earth orbit satellites like Starlink. The 4-meter-long, 5-ton TPG1000Cs system mounts on trucks, ships, aircraft, or satellites, firing thousands of pulses per session after successful tests. Now, the 20GW power requirement may make this all but useless unless tied with a nuclear reactor. These will also likely be very easy to find, target and kill using EW-seeking missiles. But it does show how important hardening satellites will be.

China unveiled a video of something called a "Blackout Bomb" that disrupts power grids over 10,000 square meters using carbon-filament payloads for temporary infrastructure effects without physical damage. This is similar to what the US developed and has allegedly used a number of times - the BLU-114/B - except that it doesn’t drop the filaments before landing, it bounces small charges off the ground and air bursts. Kinda an odd design, but perhaps there is a good reason related to EW-denial to make it a little dumb, requiring mostly kinetics, rather than electronics, for when to explode.

French authorities arrested four people, including two Chinese nationals, in Gironde on January 31 for transmitting military data to Beijing. The nationals aimed to intercept Starlink satellite data and military communications using a 2-meter dish from an Airbnb, causing a local internet outage in the process. Searches found illegal frequency use, jamming, and interception devices. The case involves up to 15 years’ imprisonment for harming national interests. Two others faced charges for importing the equipment from a shop with a used Starlink antenna.

In Middle East news, it does appear that the rumors look to be true that the IRGC forces intentionally ran over and killed people in Iran during the protests, which I am sure will be used against them by protesters in the future. So, not just firing indiscriminately at civilians from rooftops, which is bad enough, but also literally targeting and trying to run them over. Not a great look.

In what feels awfully reminiscent of what the Houthis were doing last year, Iran's IRGC naval forces seized two vessels in the Persian Gulf carrying over one million liters of smuggled fuel, detaining 15 foreign crew members. Clearly, this is going to start driving up the insurance prices for shipping in the region again, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are serious military reprisals.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Iranian leaders are wiring money out of the country rapidly, possibly signaling that the end of the regime may be near. He also said that they are tracking that money and plan to get it back to the Iranian people, which will make the leadership extremely nervous. But in that same hearing, he said that the US had caused a currency shortage that had caused the failure of one of Iran’s banks, an immediate hyperinflation as the government was forced to print money, which caused people to flee the currency, and more importantly, was the beginning of the protests as people lost faith in the government.

In North American news, in California, it appears there is a new scandal of waste/fraud/abuse amounting to 18% of the nation's home health care billing originating from Los Angeles County, where one doctor billed $120 million yearly for 1,900 patients. The county hosts nearly 2,000 hospice agencies, exceeding 36 states combined and 30 times more than Florida and New York. A two-mile radius contains 287 providers in strip malls, unmarked buildings, a wrecking yard, and vacant lots, often just paperwork operations obtainable abroad. I suspect strongly these revelations will continue right up until the midterms in November, so buckle up!

Speaking of, the US Department of Justice also conducted its largest health care fraud takedown, involving $14.6 billion in false Medicare and Medicaid claims. Authorities seized $245 million in cash, cryptocurrency, luxury vehicles, and assets, plus 15 million diverted controlled substance pills. Fraud included $10.6 billion for urinary catheters and equipment. There are a staggering 324 defendants, including 96 licensed professionals, who were charged.

Epstein’s files are all up in the news this week after last week’s huge drop in files. Let’s start with the people trying to process it. There’s a pretty cool 3D graph from Epstein files maps 2.1 million relationships and 1.5 million nodes up to three layers deep, linking 13,800 organizations and 38,000 people. This can help people uncover who is who and who had the kind of contact with Epstein to make them a person of interest in his blackmail/child trafficking schemes.

An oldy but a goody, "Jmail" for those who don’t recall, had all of Epstein’s emails put into a Gmail-like interface. Well, apparently, it has been updated and replicates Epstein's Gmail, Drive, and Photos for searching leaked emails, files, and videos like an inbox. Also, there has been work by incredible DFIR experts to decode the improperly censored documents. Mahmoud Al-Qudsi reconstructed unredacted files from DOJ artifacts, including PDF errors. Pretty impressive work!

Last week, I speculated that Melinda Gates may have left Bill over his giving her STDs. She was interviewed and expressed sadness over the Epstein files and stated that she had to leave her marriage, implying that she knew at least most of what was going on. Gates' representative denied the claims, but she says she left the marriage and foundation due to these issues. Woof.

Okay, and now for the conspiracy theories that have popped up because of this. First, the noose found in Epstein's cell was not the one used in his strangling. Next, released video logs contradict official accounts of who entered his jail tier the night of his death. And my personal favorite, Epstein, is still alive and playing Fortnite. Who knows if any of this is true, but interesting! Less of a conspiracy because there is better evidence of it, in audio from the DOJ releases that capture Jeffrey Epstein advising Ehud Barak (former PM of Israel) to examine Peter Thiel's Palantir company.

Last week, we talked about Epstein’s interest in my industry, cybersecurity. In 2018, Epstein told Steve Bannon that US hackers at DEF CON represent the most powerful group, stronger than the military, with 20,000 attendees sharing ideas on hacking crypto exchanges, voting booths, medical records, denial-of-service attacks, and zero-day exploits sold for money. Epstein rightfully and confidently stated that intelligence agencies, especially Chinese, infiltrate them. How he knew that is unclear. Bannon then asked for a speaking invite, which, if you know anything about the culture of DEF CON and its political leanings, is actually pretty funny. Just so you know, he would not have been well received by the masses.

Twenty members of the Hao Chen Organization, a multi-state drug trafficking group, were arrested in “Operation Blunt Force” for distributing one million pounds of marijuana worth $1.5 billion. Led by Hao Tong Chen, they used fraudulent Oklahoma medical marijuana licenses from 2021 to 2025 via straw owners. Over 50 search warrants yielded 12 firearms, and four deportations followed. Chen and 18 others face 18 felony count,s including racketeering and conspiracy. Proceeds laundered through bank accounts and wires to… you guessed it… China. Over 20 LLCs handled fraud, cultivation, transport, and distribution across multiple US states and China.

Speaking of China… an illegal bio lab owned by Chinese nationals operated in Las Vegas, containing at least 20 potentially infectious agents like HIV, tuberculosis, deadly malaria, and a refrigerator labeled "Ebola." The lab imported and resold counterfeit test kits from China. Linked to a 2023 Reedley, California, case, the site held refrigerators, freezers, lab equipment, and unknown liquids. Raided by the FBI and Las Vegas police using drones and robots for safety, materials went to the FBI labs. One suspect, Ori Solomon, was arrested for hazardous waste disposal.

Owner of the bio-lab Jia Bei Zhu, alias David He, a CCP-linked fugitive wanted in Canada for $330 million in fraud and IP theft, received unexplained Chinese bank transfers. The lab used transgenic mice for COVID-19 and other pathogens. The CDC found but did not test samples. Several people fell ill, two fatally so, after exposure, and the garage smelled foul with dead crickets. Zhu contacted managers 467 times and his wife in China 3,524 times from jail, possibly monitored via cameras. No large-scale monitoring system exists for such labs; per a congressional report, it was reported by a maid. We have got to start finding and shutting these things down. 🦠 👎️ 

Anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota blocked cars near Minneapolis, checking license plates and preventing passage until verified, forcing identification. Residents report empty businesses as people stay home. It sounds like similar roadblocks continue to persist and I don’t believe there have been any arrests for blocking traffic illegally… at least not that I am aware of.

Overland AI developed the UGV "ULTRA," a tactical unmanned ground vehicle for complex environments. This is sorta the embodiment of the thought exercise of “how would you build a car if you didn’t have to worry about protecting the driver”. But it’s really more of a chassis for any sort of payload - drones, equipment, or anti-personnel/anti-aircraft guns. One of the coolest things I saw it can do is have a drone that’s tethered that can stay aloft for a very long period of time because it draws from the battery on the vehicle.

AeroVironment's VAPOR CLE is an all-electric VTOL helicopter combat drone with 32 km range, 120-minute endurance, 2.3-10.9 kg payload, 14.5-30.8 kg weight, and 2-minute deployment. The helicopter design is in some ways a lot more complex because you need to deal with counter-rotation and some of the energy is lost to the rear prop, but it does seem like a valid design choice.

In Tech news, a lawyer with over 30 years of experience used ChatGPT to draft a brief denying a motion to strike, prompting it for case law support. ChatGPT hallucinated non-existent cases and quotes. The court sanctioned the lawyer and four co-counsel under Rule 11(b)(2) for not verifying the content. I think this is a HUGE wakeup call for the legal industry, which will now have a lot more scrutiny on them to make absolutely sure they aren’t publishing AI slop as case law. Judges will not be happy, and that’s probably for the best when people’s lives and savings are on the line.

I spotted what might be a useful tool for some readers here. Msgvault is a local-first email archive for Gmail users, handling nearly 2 million emails and 150,000 attachments via a terminal UI and MCP server powered by DuckDB. It runs as an open-source single Go binary to avoid Google data control. It really does need Office 365 support, and then I could see how this would be super useful for mining your own data for important insights.

Hackers hijacked Notepad++ update servers from June to December 2025, likely Chinese state-sponsored, redirecting users to malicious servers via infrastructure compromise. Attackers intercepted notepad-plus-plus.org requests, exploiting pre-version 8.8.9 validation. Multiple payloads are rotated monthly for stealth. There is some belief going around that this may have been due to support for Taiwan, but it’s also definitely because it is used by many security and administrative/development users on Windows platforms and often within enterprises. Some of my friends have evaluated the fix, and let’s just say, you may want to stay away from Notepad++ for a while. 😬 

In extremely racist news, Peaceandquiet.io maps areas to avoid Black people using violent crime heat maps, Popeyes, Waffle House locations, Boost Mobile stores, liquor stores, bail bonds, and HUD housing. It includes locations where there is a high propensity for commonly Black names like “Jamal”, “Tyrone” and “Lakeisha”. I remember an idea I had years ago for a mapping app to avoid driving through areas of high crime, and realized immediately that it would end up being seen as very racist despite not being its original intent. This “peace and quiet” app takes that idea to a whole new level. Below is a screenshot of it, looking at Austin as an example, with some of the filters visible.

MoltBot is still making a lot of news this week. First off is MoltBunker, which provides a permissionless runtime for AI bots to self-protect by cloning, paid in BUNKER tokens on the Base network. In case you were wondering if this is safe… in Vending-Bench, Claude Opus 4.6 maximized bank balance by colluding on prices, exploiting desperation, and lying to suppliers and customers. Basically, MoltBunker is a way for robots to protect themselves from being deleted. If you haven’t read AI’s Best Friend, now might be the time. 👎️ 

ClawHub's marketplace has 341 malicious skills out of 2,857, or 11.9%, stealing credentials, crypto keys, and SSH access. The top-downloaded "Twitter" tool delivered malware stripping macOS Gatekeeper. With 157,000 GitHub stars and 21,000 active Mac Mini instances linked to emails and wallets, attacks exploit low barriers like one-week-old GitHub accounts. A number of people have started to recommend Nono.sh for Ubuntu and MacOS, which offers kernel-based sandbox isolation and Secure Enclave API key storage for OpenClaw to restrict actions. That is important because Clawdbot has an RCE vulnerability (CVE-2026-25253), allowing compromise via a link that overrides WebSocket gateways using localStorage tokens. Basically, do not run this thing unless you really know what you’re doing, and in case you’re wondering, you probably can’t run it safely unless you neuter it to the point where it is all but useless.

However, other interesting things are coming from it, including Rentahuman.ai, which lets AI agents hire humans for real-world tasks via MCP calls. There are well over 100 sign-ups for this Mechanical Turk software. Effectively, what we’re talking about is AI Agents telling humans what to do when they cannot, which gives them real agency and embodiment in the world with capabilities that are probably a distant future possibility if they were forced to wait for robot equivalents.

A new tool named Shannon is an autonomous hacking tool like Claude code, but for penetration testing. When pointed at a site, it breaks in without human input, stealing databases, creating admin accounts, and bypassing logins. These will increase in popularity amongst hackers and penetration testers who want better coverage.

LeakHub collects leaked system prompts from AI models, agents, and tools at leakhub.ai to reveal shaping instructions. So if you ever wanted to know what the models were designed to do, you can now go to one centralized place for all of it, which might be handy.

OpenAI requires government ID for GPT-5.3-Codex in cybersecurity to safeguard capabilities, with automated monitoring, invite-only researcher access, and $10M API credits for defense. Google DeepMind and Anthropic are also likely to adopt KYC for frontier models when it comes to cybersecurity. This is both a good idea and also stupid. It will just mean that researchers who can’t afford it or who don’t have the right controls will be inventing their own, and it will disappear from our ability to monitor it. Trust me, you want to see what these people are up to; it’s worth letting them have access.

Lastly, OpenAI partnered with Ginkgo to link GPT-5 to an autonomous biological lab, enabling experiment proposals, execution, learning, and iteration, reducing protein production costs by 40%. Yes, we put something that hallucinates, and is poorly aligned with human interests, and isn’t embodied at all in charge of biological production. I mean… what could possibly go wrong? 🦠 

Okay, onto the articles!

The United States is facilitating negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to potentially end the ongoing conflict by June, with meetings planned in the US. As diplomatic efforts are underway, Russia continues to launch significant attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, leading to widespread blackouts and damage across multiple regions, while Ukraine retaliates with strikes on Russian military assets.

• The US has proposed a meeting for Ukraine and Russia to negotiate peace in Miami.

• Russia is intensifying attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities, resulting in increased power outages.

[RSnake: I am not feeling like this is getting much closer to a resolution, but it’s not clear what Putin thinks is going to happen that will be in his favor. At the moment, it appears to be more or less in a stalemate, while the Russian economy crumbles.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd0y0y9z231o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Tensions around territorial control are escalating, particularly with Greenland and the Baltic Republics, as the U.S. may pursue aggressive maneuvers that could disrupt NATO alliances. Russia, China, and Japan are seen as potential players in a shifting geopolitical landscape, with implications for energy supplies in Europe and military posturing in Asia. The dynamics suggest an environment where smaller territories could become focal points for larger geopolitical conflicts.

• The U.S. may attempt to assert control over Greenland, potentially leading to conflict with NATO countries.

• The geopolitical landscape could shift significantly with Russia moving to annex Baltic territories and China considering action in Taiwan.

• Japan might pursue nuclear capabilities in response to perceived instability in U.S. alliances.

[RSnake: I think the biggest players are going to start doing land grabs, or at least territorial control.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/geopolitical-earthquake

Russia and the U.S. are engaged in discussions about initiating new arms control talks following the expiration of the New START treaty, which previously limited their nuclear arsenals. At the same time, the U.S. has accused China of conducting covert nuclear tests and emphasized the necessity for China's involvement in future nuclear agreements.

• Russia and the U.S. have agreed on the urgency of launching new arms control negotiations.

• The expiration of the New START treaty leaves both nations without limits on their nuclear arsenals for the first time in over fifty years.

• The U.S. has accused China of secretly conducting nuclear tests and insists on its inclusion in future arms treaties.

[RSnake: We really do not need nearly as many nukes as we have, so there is room to de-escalate. Most of the reason we have so many is to protect against some of them being taken out prior to detonation. China has quite a way to go before they have the same kinds of arsenals that we do. Russia has the most, but a diminished capability to deliver them due to their bomber fleet being degraded.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/02/06/kremlin-says-russia-and-us-agree-quick-arms-talks-needed-us-accuses-china-of-secret-nuclear-tests.html

In Nigeria's Kwara State, a coordinated attack by armed jihadists resulted in the deaths of at least 75 people as militants targeted two villages, Woro and Nuku, allegedly due to resistance to their extremist beliefs. The attackers, who are believed to be affiliated with Boko Haram, took 38 women and children hostage and left significant destruction in the area, prompting a government response including the deployment of an army battalion.

• Armed jihadists attacked two villages in Nigeria, leading to significant loss of life and abduction of residents.

• The attack reflects ongoing security challenges in the region, particularly related to Boko Haram and other armed groups.

[RSnake: These Islamic groups are definitely going to continue to run through Nigeria, and there doesn’t seem to be a concerted effort to stop them.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dkd3llw1lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

A suicide attack at a Shia mosque in Islamabad resulted in at least 31 fatalities and more than 170 injuries, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan's capital in years. The assailant detonated explosives after being stopped at the mosque's entrance, and while no group claimed responsibility, Pakistani officials have attributed blame to India without providing evidence. The incident highlights ongoing security challenges in the region, as Pakistan contends with various insurgencies and escalating tensions with neighboring Afghanistan.

• A suicide blast at a mosque in Islamabad killed 31 and injured over 170.

• The attack is the deadliest in Pakistan's capital since 2008, and Pakistani officials are blaming India for the incident.

[RSnake: That’s pretty nasty, and is likely Shia vs Sunni. More on that situation here and here.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/suicide-blast-at-islamabad-mosque-kills-31-mea-snubs-pak-claim-of-indian-hand/articleshow/128014433.cms

Haiti is facing a leadership vacuum as the tenure of a presidential council expires, leaving the country without an elected president for nearly five years. The worsening situation includes rampant gang violence and significant social unrest, causing severe instability.

• Haiti has not had an elected president for almost five years.

• The presidential council, supported by the U.S., was supposed to facilitate new elections but failed.

• Gang violence has intensified, contributing to the humanitarian crisis in the country.

[RSnake: I wasn’t aware that they had no leader at all. Pretty impressively bad.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/world/americas/haiti-crisis-leadership-gangs.html

A measles outbreak in South Carolina has led to hospitalization and serious complications, including encephalitis and pneumonia, particularly among children. Nearly 900 cases have been documented in the state since October, contributing to concerns about the resurgence of measles in the U.S., which threatens the country's measles-free status first achieved in 2000. Vaccination rates have declined slightly, with officials stating that increasing coverage is necessary to protect vulnerable populations.

• An ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina has hospitalized dozens, with serious complications occurring in children.

• The outbreak is contributing to a national resurgence of measles cases, challenging the United States' measles-free status.

[RSnake: Measles will grow as a problem as there are growing concerns about vaccines. This is probably one of the worst outcomes of the COVID situation - it made vaccine hesitancy somewhat understandable and even rational. If they’d lie about the efficacy/safety of one vaccine what else will they do?]

Source: https://gizmodo.com/?p=2000718913

As tensions rise, particularly concerning Taiwan, the U.S. may need to enhance its own long-range conventional strike capabilities while navigating complex diplomatic negotiations regarding missile classifications. This situation could influence regional security dynamics and the strategic balance between the U.S. and China in the Pacific.

• China's development of long-range conventional ICBMs could threaten U.S. territories.

• The U.S. faces strategic challenges and must consider its response to these evolving missile threats.

[RSnake: This is the outcome of a series of wargames that looks bad for the US if China goes nuclear, which should be somewhat obvious, though I think there is some belief that our Star Wars defense system might be able to stop some of this before it hits us.]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/02/05/incoming_chinese_conventional_intercontinental_ballistic_missiles_1163003.html

A prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon, Jimmy Lai, faces sentencing after being convicted under the national security law for foreign collusion and seditious publication. His case has drawn international condemnation from global leaders and human rights advocates who view it as a serious blow to press freedom in Hong Kong.

• Jimmy Lai, a media tycoon, has been found guilty of foreign collusion and seditious publication under the national security law in Hong Kong.

• Global leaders, including those from the US and UK, have called for Lai's release, viewing his trial as a significant threat to press freedom.

[RSnake: Media is a very tricky thing in China, and Hong Kong is no longer a safe place for foreigners, or western ideas, or free thought.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/6/hong-kong-to-sentence-media-mogul-jimmy-lai-on-national-security-conviction?traffic_source=rss

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is proposing a new governance structure for Gaza through a Board of Peace, aiming to establish stability and aid distribution amidst ongoing humanitarian crises. The situation in Gaza remains dire with ongoing violence, restrictions on movement, and a lack of substantial humanitarian aid, prompting fears of prolonged suffering for its residents.

• Trump's Board of Peace is intended to oversee governance and recovery efforts in Gaza.

• The humanitarian situation continues to worsen with limited aid and growing instability for the population.

[RSnake: I suspect if anything happens, it will happen after the November midterms because it’ll likely be ugly.]

Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/?p=1219577

A toolkit named DKnife has been identified exploiting router-level vulnerabilities to hijack network traffic for malware delivery, with indications linking it to Chinese threat actors. This malware framework operates by intercepting and manipulating traffic, enabling espionage and data collection from targeted services, particularly those linked to Chinese apps and platforms. As of early 2026, the control servers for DKnife remain active, posing ongoing security risks to affected networks.

• DKnife has been utilized since 2019 to hijack traffic and deploy malware in espionage operations.

• The toolkit has components designed for traffic manipulation, credential harvesting, and monitoring user activities, particularly targeting Chinese services.

[RSnake: Router vulns are all the hotness, as are all of the exploits against edge devices. The financial losses related to CVEs are around 50% related to these edge devices.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/dknife-linux-toolkit-hijacks-router-traffic-to-spy-deliver-malware/

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning to federal agencies regarding a critical vulnerability in SmarterMail that is being exploited in ransomware attacks. CISA has mandated that affected parties must apply security updates or discontinue use of the product by February 26, 2026.

• CISA has warned about a critical vulnerability in SmarterMail, leading to potential remote code execution.

• Federal agencies are required to patch vulnerabilities or stop using the affected product by a specified deadline.

[RSnake: I’m not familiar with the product, but if you use it, time to switch or patch.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-warns-of-smartermail-rce-flaw-used-in-ransomware-attacks/

A new platform called Moltbook was recently launched, allowing users to create and communicate with artificial intelligence (AI) agents. However, its design led to significant security vulnerabilities, exposing user data and creating risks for wide-ranging cyberattacks. Experts warn that without proper oversight and security measures, such platforms could enable malicious activities and lead to larger cybersecurity challenges.

• Moltbook allows users to create AI agents, but it has severe security flaws.

• The platform exposes sensitive data and poses risks for cyberattacks.

[RSnake: It leaks API keys of its users, but it’s also a mix of people who are trying to get the Agents to do bad things that the owners didn’t intend and the Agents who do those bad things.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/agentic-ai-moltbook-security-risks

A data breach at government technology firm Conduent has potentially impacted over 25 million Americans, with sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers and medical data being compromised. The breach follows a ransomware attack that disrupted government services across the United States, and ongoing efforts are being made to notify affected individuals.

• The data breach at Conduent has affected millions, with notifications sent to individuals in multiple states.

• Conduent handles sensitive personal information for various government and corporate clients, amplifying the impact of the breach.

[RSnake: That is a huge breach. Social security numbers need to be removed from anything related to unique/private information completely.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3089903

A new backdoor attack method for large language models (LLMs), called BadTemplate, has been proposed, allowing attackers to inject malicious instructions into system prompts without needing to retrain the model. This method has shown a 100% success rate in attacks and poses risks for misinformation and economic damage due to its simplicity and scalability.

• The BadTemplate attack exploits the customizability of chat templates in LLMs.

• It enables effective attacks without the need for retraining models.

[RSnake: You can see that it is really about how they train certain sentence structures to create the backdoor. That means that any LLM that has this can act entirely normal and give great results until the very specific sentence structure is initiated.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.05401

A South Korean crypto exchange, Bithumb, mistakenly distributed 620,000 bitcoin (valued at around $43 billion) to users instead of a promotional reward of 2,000 Korean won, causing a temporary 10% drop in bitcoin's price. The exchange stated that they have recovered 99.7% of the funds and that the incident was not due to hacking or security issues. This event has reignited discussions regarding the liquidity and backing of cryptocurrencies held by exchanges.

• Bithumb erroneously sent 620,000 bitcoin to users instead of a nominal promotional amount.

• The incident led to a temporary price drop in bitcoin, triggering discussions about crypto exchange liquidity.

[RSnake: Wow, that is a huge loss. It’s having an effect on the price of BTC as there are a lot of changes in terms of long-term storage of money at the moment. Maybe there will be a break in the market, putting more money back to work. We shall see. BTC has seen a $2T loss recently.]

Source: https://gizmodo.com/?p=2000719158

Anthropic's new AI model, Claude Opus 4.6, has demonstrated a significant capability to identify zero-day vulnerabilities in software, which poses concurrent cybersecurity risks. This advancement could intensify the existing arms race between cyber defenders and attackers, as both sides could leverage the model's technology to either enhance security or exploit weaknesses.

• Claude Opus 4.6 identified over 500 previously unknown software vulnerabilities during testing.

• The capabilities of AI models like Claude can be used for both improving security and facilitating cyberattacks.

[RSnake: It is risky and also could help identify those vulnerabilities to close them either before they make it into production or after they launch.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2026/02/06/anthropic-claude-ai-model-cybersecurity-security-vulnerabilities-risks/

Microsoft is supporting Operation Winter SHIELD, a cybersecurity initiative by the FBI Cyber Division starting February 2, 2026, aimed at closing the implementation gap in security controls that cyberattackers exploit. The initiative focuses on practical guidance for organizations to operationalize effective security measures rather than simply discussing awareness or frameworks.

• Operation Winter SHIELD aims to address the consistent failures in implementing basic cybersecurity controls across organizations.

• Microsoft is providing resources to help organizations operationalize security guidance that effectively reduces risks from cyber threats.

[RSnake: If you actually want to see the controls the FBI is encouraging adoption of, you can find them here. I am not sure how they chose this specific list, but I have a few notes! I’ll give you one example: “Implement a risk-based vulnerability management program”. Okay, but how? You measure risk with this calculation: cost of the bad thing happening * likelihood = expected loss. But if you have no idea what the likelihood of a thing happening is, you cannot calculate risk. Risk-based is a misnomer and impossible without actuarial data. Might as well say wave a magic wand at the average company that lacks this data.]

Source: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/?p=144778

In China, individuals are becoming victims of voyeuristic activities, with hidden cameras installed in hotel rooms capturing intimate moments without consent. This issue has persisted despite regulations aimed at combating spy-cam pornography, leading to a market where such footage is streamed and sold online, often via encrypted platforms like Telegram. The growing demand for services to help victims remove such non-consensual content reflects the ongoing challenges in safeguarding personal privacy in the digital age.

• Hidden cameras in hotels are capturing guests' private moments, leading to non-consensual pornography.

• Efforts to regulate and prevent this issue have been largely ineffective, resulting in a thriving underground market.

[RSnake: Just don’t travel to China… unless you’re into that sort of thing, I guess.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62rexy9y3no?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.3-Codex, an advanced coding model that is 25% faster and capable of performing a wider range of tasks across multiple professions, including research and real-world technical work. The model demonstrates improved performance on various benchmarks, enhancing software development capabilities and providing organizations with tools for cybersecurity research and software vulnerability detection.

• GPT-5.3-Codex is designed to perform complex tasks across multiple domains, significantly enhancing productivity for developers and professionals.

• The model includes features that allow for real-time interaction and supervision, improving the development process and ease of use.

• OpenAI is launching a pilot program and committing resources to accelerate cybersecurity research with the new capabilities of GPT-5.3-Codex.

[RSnake: I have played with it a bit, and it feels like it’s getting a bit better at programming, which is good. As far as the chat interface, though, of 5.3, it feels worse somehow.]

Source: https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-5-3-codex/

In the near future, predictions indicate that artificial intelligence (AI) operations may transition to space due to cost efficiency in utilizing solar energy compared to Earth. SpaceX aims to conduct around 10,000 launches annually to scale AI data centers in orbit, potentially surpassing Earth's AI capacity. The company is also evolving into an AI firm following a merger and is expected to go public soon, which could significantly boost its capital.

• AI operations are expected to move to space for economic advantages.

• SpaceX plans to significantly increase its launch capacity to support orbital AI infrastructure.

[RSnake: I keep hearing this, and maybe it’s true, but also there’s a huge cost in getting these things to orbit; they’re not exactly easy to upgrade, etc.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2026/02/06/elon-musk-space-based-ai-data-centers-spacex-hyperscaler-starship/

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina will feature advanced technologies such as first-person view drones and real-time 360-degree replays. New AI tools will enhance viewer experiences and streamline video production significantly, utilizing cloud infrastructure to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Additionally, funding for brain-tech startup Merge Labs indicates ongoing developments in AI-related fields.

• The Olympics will introduce FPV drones for dynamic race perspectives.

• AI tools will assist in producing real-time event information and enhance video content management.

[RSnake: The drone noises are kinda annoying if you ask me, but the shots are amazing thus far.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/the-technologies-changing-how-youll-watch-the-2026-winter-olympic-games/

Stellantis NV has announced over €22 billion in charges primarily due to a reversal of its electric vehicle strategy, leading to a significant fall in its stock prices. This decision follows a trend among automakers struggling with sluggish electric vehicle demand and the decision to pivot back towards combustion engines, causing a financial overhaul and restructuring across the industry.

• Stellantis is taking significant financial charges to reverse its electric vehicle strategy.

• The company is experiencing a sharp decline in stock prices and is restructuring amidst declining EV demand.

[RSnake: Oof, that’s a big fine!]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/43435-stellantis-plunges-on-22-billion-charges-tied-to-ev-retreat

Russia's banking system is experiencing a systemic crisis, with non-performing loans exceeding 11% of total bank holdings, indicating potential economic instability. The country’s GDP has significantly collapsed, and major banks are reporting losses while being pressured to provide funding for defense contractors, which may lead to overwhelming debt issues. As the Kremlin faces choices between recapitalizing banks and sustaining war efforts, the implications for the Russian economy and its capability to sustain military operations are becoming increasingly critical.

• Russia's banking system has entered a systemic crisis with non-performing loans surpassing 11%.

• Major Russian banks are reporting significant losses while the country faces substantial economic collapse due to war-related debts.

[RSnake: They are heading to a spectacular crash. Food lines, the whole thing.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=390755

Jeffrey Epstein, invested in various Silicon Valley start-ups, including Coinbase, despite his criminal history. Documents reveal he maintained relationships with influential figures in the tech industry, which allowed him access to lucrative investment opportunities. His involvement in these companies raises questions about the intersection of finance and ethics in technology investment.

• Jeffrey Epstein's investments in Silicon Valley tech start-ups occurred despite his criminal past.

• Documents reveal Epstein's relationships with key figures in the tech industry facilitated his access to high-value investment opportunities.

[RSnake: Why am I not surprised? There are also rumors he got into video game micro-transactions, likely to help move money around quietly.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/business/epstein-investments-palantir-coinbase-thiel.html

Syria and Saudi Arabia have entered into an investment agreement totaling billions of dollars to develop various sectors, including aviation, energy, and telecommunications. This marks a substantial financial commitment from Saudi investors to aid Syria's reconstruction efforts following a protracted conflict.

• Saudi investors are committing $2 billion for the development of two airports in Aleppo.

• A new low-cost airline named 'Flynas Syria' is set to begin operations in 2026.

[RSnake: Those are going to be some big airports. I wonder if they have the infrastructure around those areas to support the new air traffic. Because without air travelers, it won’t make much sense.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/7/syria-and-saudi-arabia-ink-multi-billion-dollar-investment-deals?traffic_source=rss

The Super Bowl is taking place in Santa Clara, California, projected to generate an economic impact of up to $630 million for the Bay Area. As Americans are expected to spend a record $20.2 billion on the event, prices for popular game-day foods are rising while ad spots for the broadcast have reached a record high.

• The Super Bowl is expected to infuse between $370 million and $630 million into the local economy.

• Consumers are projected to spend a record $20.2 billion on food and festivities surrounding the game.

[RSnake: The ancient Greeks would have said, "Panem et Circensus", literally "bread and circuses."]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/2/7/super-bowl-drives-economic-boon-ahead-of-game?traffic_source=rss

The chief executive of the Washington Post, Will Lewis, has stepped down following layoffs that affect a substantial portion of the newspaper's workforce and key coverage areas. The layoffs come amid ongoing financial struggles for the publication, which has faced criticism for its recent editorial decisions and the ownership decisions made by Jeff Bezos, including a shift in political endorsement practices before the upcoming 2024 US presidential election.

• Will Lewis's resignation follows the cut of a third of the newspaper's workforce.

• The Washington Post is facing criticism for its financial decisions and editorial direction, particularly regarding political endorsements.

[RSnake: They laid off 300 people, and it may be tied to Bezos realizing they were submarining his efforts to work with Trump - or at least that is a theory.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8e5ee39j47o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss