RSnake Report 20250802

Hello, and thanks for reading! It was a massive week for me. We finally announced a $12.5M seed round led by Ballistic Ventures and Grossman Ventures (our fund) for a new vulnerability management company called Evidence. The idea is to use evidence of loss in decision-making to limit risks to organizations. I will be the CTO of Evidence while still being the Managing Director of Grossman Ventures. It's a huge week, especially as we head into Black Hat in Las Vegas, NV.

In other news, I have just launched a little toy site where I document funny/dumb things about AI. It's called AI IS DOING GREAT, and basically it's just a super fast and easy to read news collection of idiotic things in AI, so that I have it all documented in one place. It is an homage to web3isdoinggreat.com, but focused on AI and LLMs specifically. If you find stupid things about AI, just message me on X (@RSnake) and I'll upload it for you.

Okay, on with the week in geopolitical news…!

In Russian/Ukrainian news, Ukraine's latest drone offensive went largely unreported. The flight paths of these unmanned aerial vehicles, as traced by Russian sources, show how deeply they can penetrate Russian air defenses and do so largely uncontested. Only a few mentions in Russian media popped up, including some interceptions in Rostov.

Russia did the same, with a huge strike package against Kyiv. There were also a few civilian casualties, which seems par for the course with Moscow’s targeting capabilities, or lack thereof.

The effectiveness of Ukraine's air defenses is waning, a concerning development as Russian drone swarms penetrate deeper into Ukrainian airspace. With penetration rates escalating from 5% in March to a staggering 15% currently, the urgency for Ukraine to bolster its defenses seems palpable. The country's response involves deploying interceptor UAVs at a cost of $5,000 each, a necessary but expensive countermeasure, considering the alternative.

Russian forces have repurposed old rail systems to maintain their supply lines close to the frontlines. A small railway vehicle, capable of transporting 1,000 kg of essential supplies like water, ammunition, and food over distances up to 50 km, represents a creative solution to logistical challenges. This makeshift solution underscores the desperation and resourcefulness of both sides in a conflict where every advantage counts.

Hackers have reportedly dismantled the entire IT infrastructure of Russia's Aeroflot. This cyber operation, lasting a year, culminated in the destruction of critical systems, including databases, internal mail, and executive communications. With around 7,000 servers wiped and over 20TB of data stolen, the financial toll on Aeroflot is estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. The immediate fallout saw Aeroflot canceling over 40 flights, resulting in passenger delays at Sheremetyevo Airport, where stranded passengers faced long lines and confusion.

The humanitarian crisis in the Donetsk region continues to escalate, exacerbated by the lack of access to clean water. Russian occupation has left the area without a viable water supply, and with extreme heat compounding the issue, the situation is dire. Water trucks from Russia's Rostov region are attempting to alleviate the shortage, but the challenges are immense. Leaky pipes, destroyed water intakes, and pumping stations hinder the delivery efforts, but the real catastrophe lies in the depletion of the water itself. As reported, flooding of mines in the Donetsk coal basin, a consequence of Russian occupation since 2014, has led to an environmental disaster in terms of potable drinking water. But this also affects the soldiers operating in that region as well, on both sides. Meanwhile we are seeing super janky looking motorcycle trailer systems that move small amounts of water to front line troops.

Speaking of motorcycles, the Russian military's logistics have taken a creative turn, with 122mm artillery shells now being transported by motorcycle. The death toll among Russian motor transport due to drone attacks has accelerated, pushing the military to adopt these unconventional, unarmored methods of small arms and ordinance transportation.

Ukrainian drones have struck a significant blow against Russian logistics, destroying a military fuel train at a rail hub in Salsk, Rostov region. As was the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery. So attacks on oil are still ongoing, which should keep the pressure up economically and make it increasingly unpopular financially.

Almost as if God himself had something to say about this conflict, an 8.7 magnitude earthquake off Russia's far east triggered tsunami warnings and advisories across the region. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Tsunami Warning System depicted the severity of the situation, with red, orange, yellow, and purple zones indicating varying levels of threat.

Drone footage captured the aftermath, showing extensive flood damage to coastal areas and the port in Severo-Kurilsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula. It is rumored that this has wreaked havoc on the Russian submarine base in the region.

The proliferation of drone knowledge from the Ukraine conflict has reached unexpected corners of the world. The violent Mexican "Los Zetas" cartel is reportedly infiltrating its members into Ukrainian foreign volunteer units to gain advanced knowledge of FPV drones. Mexican intelligence has warned the Ukrainian SSU, which is now investigating these claims. Something to look forward to, since these cartels will be fighting US soldiers at some point as they clash on the border regions. If there was any hope that we can limit drone proliferation, I think it’s time to face reality. This is going to come back to hurt US soldiers so we had better start taking asymmetric drone conflict seriously.

President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of two nuclear submarines in response to provocative statements and nuclear threats from former Russian President Medvedev. Trump's statement caused the MOEX to plummet more than 100 points in the last week. I have heard numerous reports indicating that even the normal pro-Putin propagandists are wary of a US conflict with Trump as President, even as Trump’s “10-12” ultimatum of peace nears.

In European News, an unknown drone, believed to be Russian, has sparked an emergency alert in Vilnius, Lithuania, after crossing into the country from Belarus. The Lithuanian Police Force and Armed Forces are conducting a mass search for the drone, urging residents to report any sightings or possible landing sites. While this incident raises concerns about potential Russian aggression, it is crucial to note that this does not necessarily constitute an attack on NATO, necessarily, because it may simply be off course or damaged. But if not, it does put NATO in a strange position.

Poland is preparing swarms of sea drones for potential conflict with Russia in the Baltic Sea. The country's special forces are testing ultra-cheap sea drones from US-based HavocAI, capable of carrying a payload of about 136 kg and equipped with solar panels to extend their range. I am curious if the range can be virtually unlimited if it is allowed to recharge during the day. Either way, this means Poland is a real threat to Russian surface fleets, shipping, and ports.

In South East Asia, the week started out with the fragile peace between Cambodia and Thailand having shattered, with Cambodia breaking the ceasefire and launching attacks on the Thai Army at Chong An Ma, Ta Muen Thom, and Phu Makheua. Cambodian forces are not only clashing but also attempting to advance and seize territory, prompting the Thai Army to prepare for action. The Thai military instructed all units to be fully prepared and enter bunkers, signaling a potential escalation of hostilities in the region.

But then… Trump threatened both of them with massive Tariffs, and the hostilities ended just like that. 😆 What a difference a week makes. In Cambodia, there are signs thanking Trump for bringing peace. Crazy story that seems to have concluded. That could have easily spread into a much larger Chinese vs US Conflict, so we are very lucky it concluded that quickly. 😮‍💨 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned Chinese officials that continued purchases of sanctioned Russian oil could lead to significant tariffs, as mandated by legislation in Congress. Chinese officials, asserting their sovereignty, have stated that their oil purchases will be based on internal policies, even if it means facing a 100% tariff. The United States has threatened tariffs of up to 500% on imports of sanctioned Russian oil. We shall see how this plays out, but it’s clear we really want to drive a wedge between Russia and China, further economically isolating both of them in the process.

In Middle East News, Prime Minister Netanyahu is reportedly preparing a plan for the full annexation of the Gaza Strip. According to Haaretz, Netanyahu intends to present this plan to the security cabinet, giving Hamas a few days to agree to a ceasefire or face gradual annexation of Palestinian territories. Notably, Netanyahu claims that the Trump administration has already endorsed this plan, which doesn’t come as a shock at all, given that Trump has eyes on the real estate potential of the seaside. Simultaneously, the United Kingdom is threatening to recognize Palestine as a state in September, along with a number of Middle Eastern countries, which could further complicate the already volatile situation in the region. I think this will come down to a race to see if Israel can make its goals happen by September or not.

In strangely related news, a growing number of Druze in Syria are expressing a desire to be annexed by Israel. At a demonstration in Sweida, southern Syria, chants of "We want Israel!" were heard. Think about it, this will be a situation where they have already taken over Mount Vernon, they’ll take over Gaza and possibly also Southern Syria all within a few months t’ time. That’s a big shift if it does happen.

In North American news, Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of sex trafficking and a close associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has been granted "limited" immunity by the Department of Justice to answer questions related to her convictions. Maxwell reportedly spoke with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche for close to nine hours, discussing "maybe 100 different people." Her attorney stated that she "didn't hold anything back" and is seeking a pardon from President Trump in exchange for her testimony. So there may be a lot more information coming from this new testimony. It’s not clear what the limited immunity covers, but I suspect it will limit her from prosecution for whatever testimony involves her being an eyewitness to and facilitating child sex trafficking. Pretty gross.

In a shocking incident, Shane Devon Tamura, a 27-year-old from Las Vegas, carried out a deadly shooting in Midtown Manhattan at 345 Park Avenue. Armed with an AR-style rifle and wearing a bullet-resistant vest, Tamura killed five people, including an NYPD officer, and injured six others in the 44-story building housing Blackstone and NFL headquarters. After barricading himself on the 33rd floor, Tamura took his own life. Tamura, who had a concealed firearms permit from Las Vegas and a past as a Canadian football player, left a suicide note alleging that he suffered from CTE, a brain disease linked to head trauma. In the note, he expressed grievances against the NFL, stating, "You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you."

For those of you who don’t know, I believe strongly that my best friend James Flom killed his girlfriend and himself due to auditory hallucinations he had been experiencing, likely due to CTE. So I am very sensitive to this issue and think it is only one of the greatest failings of modern medicine that there is no way to diagnose it until post-mortem.

There was a bit of Blackstone drama when they effectively barricaded their office, showing how quick thinking could serve as a model for emergency response. Some people thought it was stupid and that they should have just been carrying guns to take out the attacker, others, who carry guns daily, said that this was incredibly good thinking and highly recommended this to prevent attackers easy entry, and buy time for those in the room who cannot or do not want to carry for a variety of reasons and to allow time for first responders to react to the threat. Though Shane’s target wasn’t the Blackstone office, there was no way to know that at the time. Interesting either way.

Former CISA director Jen Easterly has become the latest target of Laura Loomer and the Trump administration, resulting in the Army rescinding her role at West Point. Driven by political pressure, it shows ongoing tensions between cybersecurity experts from the Biden-era CISA and current political feelings around censorship regarding political interference, COVID, and other areas. I personally have no horse in this race, but I do think CISA made a number of questionable moves during the COVID and 2020 election cycle, lost a lot of trust, and is perceived as being quite partisan.

The American company Raytheon has secured a large contract for the production of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, with foreign customers including Ukraine. One of the interesting thing about these missiles is that while they were primarily designed for air-to-air missions, they have proven to be quite effective as surface to air missiles.

The Pentagon has scheduled its first major test of the Golden Dome missile defense system for just before the 2028 election. The Missile Defense Agency is planning to call the test FTI-X, indicating that it will involve the system's many sensors and weapons systems working together to engage multiple targets. This makes things like mutually assured destruction a lot less viable for those who don’t have these types of systems. The US got a lot of flak for its Star Wars program back in the 80s, but ultimately it didn’t lead to escalation, and I think this is likely a similar situation, and could limit errant balloons and other high-flying reconnaissance systems from entering US airspace.

In Tech news, the Tea app data breach has escalated, with the stolen data now being shared on hacking forums and a second database discovered containing 1.1 million private messages exchanged between the app's members. We now have a very real path for people to sue the users for defamation and hold them liable. Yet another case for ephemeral messaging.

China's cyberspace regulator has called Nvidia over alleged "serious security issues" in H20 AI chips aimed at the Chinese market. The regulator has raised concerns about location-tracking and remote shut-down capabilities, demanding detailed explanations about the alleged backdoor. I am not sure if this is real or not, but it would explain why the US had a change of heart about shipping them to the Chinese market. If they can be found to be monitored, destroyed using kinetic options, or disabled remotely, that makes them much less of a threat.

In Economic news, margin debt has reached a historic high of $1.008 trillion, surpassing levels seen at the peak of the dot-com bubble and the 2008 crash. This unprecedented level of leverage in the markets isn’t a great signal, indicating heightened risk and potential vulnerability to market downturns. Pretty bad signal for investors if they can’t find a way to pay it back with higher stocks.

Okay, onto the articles!

Russia has deployed its hypersonic missile, Oreshnik, in Belarus and plans to deploy it in other countries, including Europe, due to the possibility of NATO allies using longer-range missiles against Russia.

• Russia has already used the Oreshnik missile against Ukraine in November 2025, and its capabilities include multiple warheads that can be immune to interception and have a devastating impact.

• The deployment of Oreshnik missiles could extend Russia's influence in Europe and potentially create new security threats for NATO allies.

[RSnake: The lack of accuracy makes it more of a terror weapon akin to the V2 rocket used by Germany in WWII than a real strategic threat.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/08/01/putin-says-russias-hypersonic-missile-has-entered-service-and-will-be-deployed-belarus.html

The U.S. has imposed significant tariff increases on a wide range of goods from multiple trading partners, resulting in a sharp decline in global stock markets and heightened economic uncertainty. Countries such as Switzerland and India are seeking negotiations to mitigate the impact of these tariffs, while the U.S. itself has seen a slowdown in job growth and is facing internal and external pressures regarding trade policies.

• The U.S. is implementing steep tariffs on imports from many countries, driving global markets down.

• Countries affected by the tariffs are seeking negotiations to lower the rates and mitigate economic damage.

[RSnake: Around 100k jobs were lost due to DOGE, which weren’t good jobs in the sense that they were a drag on the economy. That said, AI is hurting tech employment, which will hurt job numbers, even if the rest of the economy is doing relatively fine.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=232222

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is shutting down due to nearly $1.1 billion in funding cuts resulting from recent legislative actions. This marks a significant reduction in federal support for public media, impacting organizations like NPR and PBS that serve millions of Americans.

• The CPB announced an orderly wind-down of its operations in response to severe funding cuts.

• Legislation passed by Congress reflects a long-standing priority among Republicans to defund public media.

[RSnake: Once upon a time, before the Internet, it really did make a lot of sense to have a public broadcast. Now, there is extremely limited utility because access to information is both inexpensive and extremely pervasive. There are very few areas that this will affect so negatively as to limit education for the vast majority of Americans.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/1/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-to-shutter-following-trump-era-cuts?traffic_source=rss

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly, aiming to revive the stalled two-state solution amid ongoing Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank. The Israeli government continues to pursue extensive settlement projects, deemed illegal by international law, while tensions rise as violent incidents involving settlers increase against Palestinian communities. The situation reflects historical grievances and ongoing conflicts over land and sovereignty in the region.

• Keir Starmer intends to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN, seeking to re-establish the two-state solution.

• Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank persists, leading to increased violence against Palestinian communities.

[RSnake: It’s very clear that the UK is becoming more comfortable aligning with Muslim extremist groups. Why, though, I would have to defer to an expert on that, but it doesn’t seem they are taking their own population changes due to immigration from the Middle East and increases in immigration censorship seriously.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6n0eeqp54o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Nigeria has rejected U.S. demands to accept third-country migrants as part of a broader immigration policy, asserting its sovereignty and prioritizing domestic challenges. This decision marks a significant shift in U.S.-Africa relations and may impact future cooperation between Nigeria and the United States amidst ongoing geopolitical dynamics. The refusal signifies a potential turning point for many African nations questioning their alignment with Western policies.

• Nigeria has firmly declined U.S. requests to accept deported migrants, emphasizing its own domestic issues.

• The decision may reshape Nigeria's diplomatic relationships and assert its independence on the global stage.

[RSnake: We don’t have a great relationship with Nigeria. Keep in mind that one of the largest means of income to Nigeria is the 419 Advance Fee scam. Speaking of Nigeria…]

Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/?p=1202330

In Zamfara state, Nigeria, bandits killed at least 38 hostages despite ransom payments. The incident reflects the ongoing crisis of kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs in the region, which has seen families feeling pressured to pay for the safety of their loved ones amidst government failures to ensure security.

• Kidnapping in Nigeria continues to escalate with criminal gangs known as bandits targeting local populations for ransom.

• Despite recent laws aimed at curbing ransom payments, families often feel compelled to pay to secure the release of their loved ones.

[RSnake: This is not a modern country with the same kinds of law enforcement that we have in the United States. Kidnapping and ransom is on the rise. Make sure you have K&R insurance if you travel there.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2vyw9prlzo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

The United States is preparing for a nuclear conflict with Russia following threats made by a former Russian president. President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of nuclear submarines to ensure the safety of US citizens in light of these threats. Tensions between the US and Russia are escalating, with diplomatic exchanges indicating a potential for military confrontation.

• US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of nuclear submarines after threats from a former Russian leader.

• Escalating tensions between the US and Russia could lead to military confrontation due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

[RSnake: In a real comedic moment, the Russians asked exactly where the subs would be positioned. They were met with silence. Guess it doesn’t hurt to ask. 🤡 ]

Source: https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/08/2/7524490/

The U.S. has implemented its largest sanctions crackdown on Iran since 2018, targeting a sophisticated shipping network involved in transporting Iranian and Russian oil while evading international sanctions. The sanctions package includes over 50 individuals and entities, as well as numerous vessels linked to an operation that allegedly supports the Iranian regime's activities and military logistics through complex evasion tactics.

• The U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated over 50 individuals and entities connected to an Iranian shipping empire.

• The crackdown aims to disrupt sophisticated methods used to transport and profit from sanctioned Iranian and Russian petroleum products.

[RSnake: This will hurt Russia and Iran both. The more we can make their relationship hurt, the better it is for us and Ukraine.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=232101

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the Russian coast caused tsunami waves to flood the coastal town of Severo-Kurilsk. The earthquake is noted as the largest to occur globally since 2011, prompting alerts for potential further impacts from aftershocks or tsunami activity.

• An 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred near the Russian coast.

• Tsunami waves flooded the town of Severo-Kurilsk due to the earthquake.

[RSnake: That is a pretty crazy earthquake and it set off a series of smaller tremors all over the pacific rim.]

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/tsunami-waves-swamp-russian-coastal-town-124201639

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revoked the 2009 endangerment finding for greenhouse gas emissions, stating that it no longer has the authority to regulate these gases under the Clean Air Act. This decision is anticipated to have significant economic implications, potentially saving the American economy billions in regulatory costs and changing the approach to climate policy.

• The EPA's revocation of the endangerment finding could free the American economy from costly greenhouse gas regulations.

• The administration argues that carbon dioxide does not pose a significant danger to public health, thereby challenging existing climate policies.

[RSnake: This really mostly affects CO2 emissions, which means carbon credits are not a thing people have to worry about anymore in the US, unless they have some other reason to need it, like publicity around cutting carbon emissions, etc.]

Source: https://www.dailywire.com/news/winning-trumps-epa-wrecks-the-radical-green-agenda

Greece has suspended the right to seek asylum for new migrants for at least three months due to a significant increase in crossings from Libya, citing a state of emergency. Migrants, including those fleeing war in Sudan, are being detained and transferred to closed facilities, prompting criticism from human rights advocates regarding the legality and humanitarian implications of the government's actions.

• Greece has moved to detain migrants arriving illegally and suspended their right to apply for asylum.

• The situation at the border reflects broader trends in European migration policies amid increasing arrivals.

[RSnake: I have a feeling Europe is at a tipping point and will need to make some hard decisions about whether it wants to keep its culture, languages, and traditions or if it wants Sharia law. The two won’t coexist peacefully.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgp5rexnk2o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has requested an investigation from the Justice Department into Energy Foundation China, alleging that the organization, linked to the Chinese Communist Party, is engaging in practices that are detrimental to American energy production. The request follows claims that the organization is funding litigation to hinder American industry while promoting dependence on foreign technology in climate initiatives.

• The Kansas AG's letter emphasizes the strategic disadvantage posed by foreign influence on American energy policies.

• The issue involves accusations of climate-related lawfare being used to undermine U.S. energy independence.

[RSnake: It’ll be interesting to see how state AGs wage war on China through state power. This is just one example. The other being seizing assets based on COVID misinformation/lab leaks from China.]

Source: https://www.dailywire.com/news/climate-lawfare-kansas-ag-asks-justice-department-to-investigate-chinese-climate-firm

Apple has released iOS 18.6, introducing over 20 security patches, including one addressing a critical vulnerability in open-source code that has already been exploited against Chrome users. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has mandated that federal agencies update their software by August 12 due to the severity of this flaw, which could allow unauthorized code execution on various Apple operating systems.

• iOS 18.6 includes crucial security patches, with one vulnerability impacting open-source code exploited in Chrome.

• CISA is requiring federal agencies to address this vulnerability by updating their software by a specific deadline.

[RSnake: And so should you, if you haven’t already. Keep in mind Blackhat is coming this week, so a lot of new exploits will be traded by hackers this week, so better safe than sorry.]

Source: https://lifehacker.com/tech/apple-security-patch-fixes-chrome-vulnerability?utm_medium=RSS

A significant amount of personally identifiable information (PII) has been discovered in the DataComp CommonPool data set, which is widely used for training image generation models. This includes images of sensitive documents and data from individuals, raising serious privacy concerns as the dataset contains hundreds of millions of potentially identifiable images due to extensive web scraping practices.

• Millions of images containing sensitive, personally identifiable information were found in a major AI training dataset.

• The dataset's creation involved web scraping, raising significant privacy and data protection issues.

[RSnake: Yep, this one will end up on aiidoinggreat.com. 😆 ]

Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/18/1120466/a-major-ai-training-data-set-contains-millions-of-examples-of-personal-data/

In Russia, major cyberattacks are causing widespread disruptions in various sectors, including retail and aviation. Notable incidents include outages at the Vkusvill supermarket chain and the Samokat delivery app, along with a significant attack on Aeroflot that resulted in the loss of 250 million rubles and the cancellation of over 100 flights.

• Vkusvill and Samokat faced simultaneous technical disruptions due to cyberattacks.

• Aeroflot suffered a major cyberattack that halted operations and led to significant financial losses.

[RSnake: War is hell. But this is the kind of thing that starts impacting normal Russians who won’t be happy about this and will likely want the pain to stop. More on the Aeroflot compromise.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=352435

A vulnerability in the Tea dating app exposed users' direct messages, leading the company to disable this feature. An independent security researcher reported that unauthorized access lasted until late last week, prompting Senator Ron Wyden to call for an investigation into the incident.

• A security vulnerability allowed unauthorized access to users' direct messages.

• Senator Ron Wyden is demanding an investigation into the incident.

[RSnake: I bet we find that no one competent was involved in the development of the app.]

Source: https://www.404media.co/tea-app-turns-off-dms-after-exposing-messages-about-abortions-cheating/

Iran is disconnecting users' phone SIM cards and forcing them to sign a pledge not to criticize the state on social media in order to regain access, with instructions requiring 20 posts of praise for the Islamic Republic.

• Iran is using phone service cuts to silence dissent and requires users to post praise of the ruling system on social media to regain access.

• The disconnection of SIM card services was implemented without prior warning or judicial order.

[RSnake: Good old authoritarian regimes… You can always trust them to hurt their population more than the enemy.]

Source: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202507291928

A Federal Aviation Administration official revealed that an air traffic controller did not inform a commercial plane crew of an approaching Army helicopter prior to a mid-air collision in Washington, D.C., resulting in the deaths of 67 people. The incident has raised questions about the safety practices and staffing levels at the airport, where controllers expressed feeling overwhelmed by the high volume of air traffic.

• The FAA stated that the air traffic controller failed to notify the plane crew of a converging helicopter, which led to a fatal crash.

• NTSB hearings indicated staffing and communication issues as contributing factors to the tragedy.

[RSnake: This whole system feels like it needs a major overhaul and rethink, where computers do the bulk of the work or at least oversight.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/air-traffic-controller-should-have-warned-plane-army-helicopters-path-ahead-fatal-dc-crash-faa

Security researchers have demonstrated exploits for critical vulnerabilities in Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE), allowing unauthenticated remote code execution and potentially leading to malicious activity.

• Cisco has disclosed two severe vulnerabilities in its ISE software that allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands with root privileges.

• A security researcher has published a detailed write-up of the exploit chain for these vulnerabilities, providing technical details and payload structure necessary for skilled hackers to recreate the attack.

[RSnake: Attackers will attack what they can hit. For the most part, these are external devices, which happen to be security products. Cisco is one such company.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/exploit-available-for-critical-cisco-ise-bug-exploited-in-attacks/

A high-severity vulnerability in PaperCut NG/MF print management software has been exploited by threat actors, allowing them to gain remote code execution in cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks. CISA is warning organizations to patch their systems immediately due to the ongoing attacks.

• CISA has issued a warning about the vulnerability and urged organizations to prioritize patching this actively exploited security bug as soon as possible.

• The vulnerability was tracked as CVE-2023-2533 and can allow an attacker to alter security settings or execute arbitrary code if the target is an admin with a current login session.

[RSnake: It’s rare for CSRF to be exploited in the wild. Interesting.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-flags-papercut-rce-bug-as-exploited-in-attacks-patch-now/

Cybercrime is rising globally with a potential annual ransomware cost of $265 billion by 2031 and a total of $10.5 trillion this year, driven by AI-powered criminal activities.

• The first quarter of 2025 saw a 126 percent surge in ransomware incidents, with high-impact attacks against high-profile brands and institutions.

• Artificial intelligence has become a potent force multiplier for the criminal underground, enabling sophisticated attacks using generative models and cloud-hosted toolkits.

[RSnake: AI certainly helps, but the real explosion will be once AI learns how to create it’s own 0day autonomously. ]

Source: https://cybersecurityventures.com/?p=33746

Over 250 fake mobile apps in Korea are spreading spyware, leading to personal data theft and extortion. These apps, which mimic popular services, have been tricking users into granting permissions that allow hackers to access sensitive personal information.

• More than 250 malicious mobile apps in Korea have been identified, containing spyware.

• Victims of these apps are experiencing data theft and subsequent blackmail by the attackers.

[RSnake: These are definitely a lot more prevalent than they used to be, especially on Android and 3rd party Android app stores.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/koreans-hacked-blackmailed-250-fake-mobile-apps

A 17-year-old mathematician, Hannah Cairo, has recently disproven a 40-year-old mathematical conjecture known as the Mizohata-Takeuchi conjecture, impacting the field of harmonic analysis. This achievement has surprised the mathematical community, as Cairo completed the proof while still in high school and is now poised to begin her doctoral studies without a prior college degree.

• Hannah Cairo disproved the Mizohata-Takeuchi conjecture, an important problem in harmonic analysis.

• Her work challenges established beliefs in the field and encourages new research directions.

[RSnake: For the math nerds out there…]

Source: https://www.quantamagazine.org/at-17-hannah-cairo-solved-a-major-math-mystery-20250801/

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that found Google’s Android app store to be an illegal monopoly, following a lawsuit by Epic Games. This decision may lead to significant changes in how the app store operates, potentially increasing competition and consumer options. Google is also facing additional legal challenges regarding its search engine and advertising practices, which may result in further regulatory changes.

• Google's Android app store is now deemed an illegal monopoly, impacting its operations.

• Epic Games successfully challenged Google's practices, prompting potential changes beneficial to competitors.

• Google is confronting ongoing legal issues that may reshape its overall business structure.

[RSnake: I found them to be intolerable when we were deploying a new phone. You couldn’t deploy the OS with the app store without also having to use Chrome pinned to Google as the default search. So yeah, they absolutely are anti-competitive.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91378959/google-loses-appeal-antitrust-epic-games

China's Unitree Robotics has unveiled a humanoid robot that can fist-fight and perform cartwheels, challenging Tesla's Optimus as the leading humanoid robot, with potential for 1 billion humanoids in use by 2050 and a $5 trillion industry.

• Unitree Robotics is challenging Tesla's Optimus as the leading humanoid robot with its new humanoid robot that can fist-fight and perform cartwheels.

• The global humanoid robotics market is projected to reach $5 trillion by 2050, with over 1 billion humanoids potentially in use by then.

[RSnake: Yep, they’ll challenge us, so we need to push harder to have higher quality, fewer backdoors, malware, and surveillance, etc. This is where tariffs might actually be extremely useful.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/watch-china-robot-giant-unveils-tesla-optimus-killer-can-fist-fight

A proposed data center in Wyoming, USA is planned to consume more electricity than the entire state currently uses annually at full deployment.

• The facility would start at 1.8 gigawatts and scale up to 10 gigawatts of power use, consuming nearly five times the electricity used by every household in the state combined.

• At its full capacity, the proposed data center would consume 87.6 TWh of electricity annually, double the entire state currently generates.

[RSnake: More nuclear energy is needed and fast until Fusion is available.]

Source: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/07/ai-in-wyoming-may-soon-use-more-electricity-than-states-human-residents/

OpenAI has successfully raised $8.3 billion in a funding round, aiming to reach a total of $40 billion by the end of the year at a valuation of $300 billion. This funding round saw high demand, being five times oversubscribed, and established OpenAI as the leader in AI funding, significantly outpacing its competitors.

• OpenAI raised $8.3 billion, part of its goal to reach $40 billion by year-end.

• The funding round was oversubscribed, indicating high investor demand.

• OpenAI's annual recurring revenue exceeded $13 billion and may surpass $20 billion by year’s end.

[RSnake: Pretty crazy, given they still haven’t shown a business model that would get them anywhere near those numbers, especially given their costs are way higher than their income.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2025/08/01/openai-funding-oversubscribed-early-investors-new-partners-dragoneer/

Oxide has raised $100M Series B funding, led by new existing Oxide investors, to build a large, durable, public company in the cloud computing on-premises market.

• Oxide aims to build a huge market for cloud computing on-premises and is uniquely positioned to serve it.

• The company will use the funding to address its customers' most pressing questions around scale and roadmap scope.

[RSnake: Good for them! I am personally fond of the I/ONX guys. If you’re interested in this space, check those guys out.]

Source: https://oxide.computer/blog/our-100m-series-b

A $14.6 billion healthcare fraud scheme has been uncovered, with 300 defendants charged for misleading patients into paying for unnecessary medical care.

• Candace Taylor, a Louisiana woman, allegedly purchased a Lamborghini while receiving Medicaid benefits and is facing a fraud charge.

• The scheme involved transferring tens of thousands of dollars between personal and business accounts to qualify for Medicaid benefits.

[RSnake: If you know people on AARP, this is a good one to send to them, to make sure their next bill is real.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/louisiana-medicaid-millionaire-lamborghini-claiming-government-benefits-years

The U.S. jobs report indicates significantly lower job growth than anticipated, with only 73,000 jobs added in July and downward revisions of previous months revealing a much weaker labor market. This has led to expectations that the Federal Reserve may implement rate cuts sooner, as the unemployment rate also increased to 4.2%. Concerns are rising about the impact of ongoing trade tensions and tariffs on job creation in various sectors.

• U.S. job growth has stalled unexpectedly with a significant drop in previous payroll figures.

• Expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts are increasing in response to the weak jobs report and rising unemployment rates.

[RSnake: Yup, not pretty, and Trump is not happy with that team that analyzes these numbers. But ultimately we just don’t have a lot of new job options, and the highest end of the market is using AI to remove jobs, not add them.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2025/08/01/jobs-report-july-downward-revisions-fed-rate-cuts-jerome-powell/

Figma has successfully completed its IPO with a share price of $98, significantly exceeding initial projections and achieving a valuation of $19.3 billion. The company has shifted its focus from just professional designers to appealing to a broader user base, reflecting an expansion in product offerings and overall demand in the software market.

• Figma's IPO achieved a valuation of $19.3 billion.

• The company aims to target a wider audience beyond just professional designers.

[RSnake: Good for them. It’s a good product and quite useful for lots of teams.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91377945/figma-ipo-why-figmas-future-success-doesnt-rely-on-designers

The U.S. trucking industry is currently experiencing a significant labor shortage, exacerbated by the Trump administration's directive to enforce English proficiency requirements for truck drivers. Approximately 140,000 drivers could potentially be sidelined due to these new regulations at a time when the industry already faces a shortage of over 82,000 drivers, a number expected to exceed 160,000 by 2030.

• The Trump administration's updated English language proficiency requirements may remove thousands of drivers from the U.S. trucking workforce.

• The trucking industry is grappling with an acute labor shortage, which could worsen due to new hiring obstacles stemming from language requirements.

[RSnake: Makes sense. On the other hand, I bet English teachers specializing in trucking would make a killing right about now.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/42209-new-english-language-rules-for-truckers-threaten-to-deepen-staffing-crisis