RSnake Report 20250622

Hello, and thanks for reading! This week, I flew to New York to participate in a mostly peaceful protest… just kidding. 😆 No, but I did go there to do a presentation for a bunch of fiction writers, who are trying to write hackers better. We shall see if it had any effect, but my guess is we’re bound for a lot of technobabble in our future by the looks of it. There was a ton of news this week, and my subscribers were pestering me, but thanks for hanging with me, as I’m glad I waited, given what happened last night in Iran. Shout out to my memeing subscribers…

In Russia and Ukraine, a recent Ukrainian drone operation demonstrates a new tactic: deploying the A-22 drone to tow another drone that resembles a glider, but is likely motorized, using virtually zero power until ready for the second stint into the target.

Adding to the chaos, a barrage of Russian drone and missile strikes rocked Kyiv, leaving a grim tally of 15 to 17 fatalities and injuring upwards of 120 to 139 people, depending on the reports you read. In a strategic maneuver to possibly stem information flows or quell dissent, over 30 Russian regions have started jamming mobile internet services under the guise of maintaining security. This is likely because Ukrainian drones often use the cell towers to communicate and navigate.

On the high seas, a Russian shadow oil fleet tanker, Adalynn, was found adrift and aflame in the Gulf of Oman. This occurred following a collision with the Liberian-flagged crude carrier Front Eagle. Yet another reason for these very poorly maintained vessels to be sanctioned. They’re a sometimes-floating ecological disaster waiting to happen.

Over in Europe, Italy has taken a hardline stance, with the Prime Minister adamantly declaring that those entering the country illegally will now face immediate deportation. It is not above Italy to be fascist, but I think it is safe to say that this is a growing discontent with the lack of integration of Western and Middle Eastern cultures.

In Southeast Asian news, the Indonesian volcano, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, has erupted, sending an ash cloud 10,000 meters into the sky. A series of 50 eruptions within just two hours has forced authorities to ramp up the alert to Level 4. An expanded evacuation zone now stretches to 8 kilometers, underscoring the gravity of the situation. While there are no reported casualties yet, the looming threat of rain mixing with hot lava foreshadows potential mudflows, which could further amplify the disaster’s scope.

Meanwhile, the skies around Taiwan have become increasingly crowded. A staggering 25 Chinese military sorties, not airplanes, sorties, and seven naval vessels pushed past Taiwan’s defense perimeter, with 19 of those sorties breaching the median line and entering Taiwan's air defense identification zone. This is a definite test of reaction times and air defense systems.

Adding a technological twist to the regional dynamics, two Chinese surveillance ships were spotted in the Persian Gulf, which is likely to watch for radar signals or anything that might be painting its aircraft. Those will likely be targeted in a first preemptive wave. There is a possibility that these were placed there to see if they can accurately assess the flight paths of the B2 fleet flying out of Diego Garcia, and see how well their systems fare against real-world radar signatures of our stealth aircraft systems.

In Middle East News, Iranian ballistic missiles lit up the night sky over Haifa and Tel Aviv. All in all, there are possibly around two dozen casualties on the Israeli side. The Iranian propaganda machine made a good point. These missiles have passed a crazy gauntlet. If they make it off the launch pad and aren’t destroyed by Israeli air strikes, they are first targeted by US warships as they launch. Then they are targeted by US bases in Iraq. Then by Jordanian air defense. Then, by British and US warships and bases in the Mediterranean, and finally, close anti-air defense inside Israel decides if it’s going to hit anything of importance or not, and engages. That’s a lot of defense it has to make it through. But that’s not somehow making their situation better to complain about it. Yes, they have most of the Western and Middle Eastern world working against them, and that should give them pause, not applause. ⏸️ 

However, there is a lot of rumbling about the fact that Israel may be running low on anti-air defense capabilities, and that may be at least directionally true. Keep in mind, there are last-mile options like anti-aircraft guns, lasers, counter-drones, and the like that they likely have tons of capacity for, but not enough of those, and they work at limited ranges and have difficulty intercepting very fast-moving targets like ballistic missiles.

Drones have all but been absent from this war, which is a big blow to those who say that the air force's bomb trucks aren’t meaningful in today’s battle space. Apparently, that thinking was extremely incorrect. One such example is a new type of laser-guided rocket pod, and a single F-15 can carry 50 of them. Either drone saturation is just far too small to avoid being taken out, or there is something about the more advanced Western and Israeli weaponry that makes it especially good at thwarting these attacks. This is egg on the face of everyone who believed drones would dominate any conflict with Iran. Nope!

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have been striking back with surgical precision. Reports indicate impressive Israeli air superiority, underscored by footage of two Israeli GBU-32 JDAMs striking targets deep within Iranian territory, notably in Kermanshah. Also, there have been car bombs going off inside Tehran, which means that Israeli assets are operating there. The targets are currently unknown.

Everything from electronics companies to sewage systems has been hit in the city. Despite being a very shitty situation 🚽 Israel has largely avoided civilian casualties, allowing them to flee if they so choose.

The Iranians have already gone through more than half of their stockpile of missiles, most of which were destroyed, not launched. Leaving somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500 missiles left. Approximately a third of the missile launchers were destroyed on the first night, including the Tabriz missile base and the Khojir Garrison Aerospace Complex.

Other targets of strategic importance, like Iran’s propaganda HQ, were destroyed, and the IRIB state TV station was hit as well, making it difficult to retaliate and increase rhetoric to the masses. Also, the “cyber police” HQ has been destroyed, which is the groups that monitor public dissent. 

If you recall a few months back when I was reporting on the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, we saw that the prisoners were let free, which was a bit of a signal that the regime was spread so think they were unable to run the government. The same appears to be happening in Iran at the moment. Prisoners were walking on the streets of Tehran with no apparent interest in detaining them.

Iran faces extensive internet and cellular outages, a move speculated to be a reactionary measure against an alleged large-scale cyber offensive by Israel, but likely also was a mix of self-censorship and random outages related to damage caused by falling warheads.

Another good graphic showing the outage graph. Notice that it never went to zero, though, which means at least some of the transiting traffic can get in and out of the country.

The Predatory Sparrow hacker group, with Israeli connections, has reportedly gutted Iran’s Nobitex crypto exchange, slashing assets from $1.8 billion to a mere $100 million.

U.S. forces reportedly intervened, assisting Israel in neutralizing the latest waves of Iranian missile threats. To me it was fairly obvious that the US was about to enter, and I believed it would be Friday mid-day US time or Saturday mid-day US time, and to no surprise at all it was Saturday mid-day, around 2 AM Iranian time that B2 stealth bombers entered Iranian airspace uncontested and dropped a series of GBU-57A/B MOP 30,000 pound bombs that penetrated down to the correct depth to destroy the facility. It was also accompanied by 30 BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles launched from submarines in the region as well, which likely destroyed surface targets.

As far as bomb assessments, this is the best I’ve seen (if you click in, you can get a higher-res photo), with six tiny pinpricks that are presumably where the ordinance dropped. Why there?

This is the likely location of the ventilation system, which the ordinance could “follow” down into the main part of the building. Something right out of Star Wars. It also now seems obvious to me why they would be so confident in their ability to reach whatever depth the Iranians had dug to. They didn’t even have to burrow deep; they just needed to get close enough to get to the open construction zone and soft earth that had been filled in around the ventilation shafts. Keep in mind, this is the US military, so they likely had lots of coordination with others in the region and their own thermal imagery to know exactly where the heat differential was around the bunker.

Trump, for his part, lead with a lie of mistrust, and a feint that made the Iranians feel that they were safe, saying he didn’t think it would work, and saying Iran needed to come to the negotiating table, and even hinting at a ground operation to take out the nuclear facilities. He knew all of that, having already tasked them with destroying Iran’s nuclear arsenal, which, according to him, has been accomplished.

But preceding that, it was fairly obvious due to a convoy of U.S. aircraft, including F-15s and F-35s, that was mobilizing towards CENTCOM's area of responsibility. And of course, the sightings of multiple B2s taking off, which was a head fake, because their flight path would get them to Iran at a different time than the actual B2s got there.

Yet, even as missiles fly overhead, the political ground shifts beneath, and that really is the goal - to get the Iranians to turn against their own government and get back to how they were in the 70s. Tehran is experiencing an exodus of confidence, if not of its citizens, as public disillusionment with the Mullah regime swells.

Iran appears to be retaliating, although not in a particularly violent way yet. It started spoofing GPS signals in the region, which messed with about 1,000 ships in total. While that’s bad, GPS outages are somewhat common, and just rely on moving back to more antiquated technologies. This is what sailors train for. The amount of transit has not diminished, at least not yet.

There is some weak rhetoric coming from Iran that they have multiple partners who want to give them nukes. If this were true, it would have happened a long time ago. In an interview with JD Vance, he said that the Russians, and Putin by name, have said multiple times that they didn’t want Iran to have nukes. Russia had plenty of opportunities to sell nukes to Iran, just like they did with their S-300 air defense systems. So this seems plausible to me.

One last thought on the attack, Snowden’s leaked documents reveal the United States' comprehensive SIGINT readiness was designed for just such a confrontation. We had in place a huge network of spies, yes, but also real-time on-the-ground signals intelligence in the region, with partners as well. So we likely know as much as we need to do to hurt Iran in whatever way we so choose. The real question is, do we want a full-out war with Iran? If our one goal was to have a non-nuclear Iran, we’ve accomplished that. Are we going to return to base now?

Time will tell, but I think more work will be required if we want the prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, who seems to be the most moderate and secular leader in the mix, to take over. He’s already talking about the day after the Islamic Republic falls, so clearly he’s ready to step in, and I think the Israelis and the West would welcome him. Iran has sponsored more terrorism than any other country, so this would be a big sea change for global state-sponsored terrorism.

In North America, the repercussions of political fervor transform into public unrest as the "No Kings Day" demonstrations, spurred by incendiary calls to arms, rally across major cities: Los Angeles, Philly, New York, and elsewhere. While it may have been somewhat peaceful on the whole, especially given the size of the event, there were, of course, signs to murder the president, including “8647,” which was popularized by a tweet by James Comey.

I would say normal levels of riot control were put into place. Some gas, some rubber bullets, a handful of arrests, one active shooter, and one person hit by a car, etc. Sadly, this appears to be the new normal, when every few months, there is a new protest. 99%/Occupy Wall Street, Jan 6, George Floyd, Trans protests, Free Palestine, the Immigration riots, the No Kings protest… Very little consistency in these protests, but the No Kings protest was the largest of its kind at greater than 5,000,000 people. The one thing that seems to be consistent is that no meaningful policies were put forth or enacted, but lots of stores were looted, and influencers were paid $200 to show up.

The saga of Vance Boelter, the Minnesota shooter, continues. This guy was a real mixed bag. His best friend said he’d be upset to be called a democrat and that he and Vance both voted for Trump, Boelter spoke at church about loving Jesus, and the issues with trans. But Boelter also marched with democrats with a resist shirt with a gun in it’s hand and he was appointed by Tim Waltz. So, what I am gathering is that this guy was an enigma and probably very troubled. It would be hard to put this guy in a box. Either way, he was caught, but more scary than this guy was the fact that they found ANOTHER guy who apparently was armed and ready to enact a mass casualty event while dressed like a police officer. Great.

Amidst these swirling narratives, lighter but significant developments in the consumer space emerge: General Mills and Kraft Heinz's move to eliminate artificial colors from their products. I think that this took a while because both parties had to agree, so that there wasn’t an unfair advantage in sales, given

that kids are naturally attracted to bright colors. Good riddance.

Transitioning to technology news, in autonomous driving, Tesla continues to show good data with an accident rate of 0.15 per million miles, contrasting with Waymo's 1.16 and even more so with the US average of 3.90. For new drivers, especially, Tesla will be hugely important to reducing potential accidents. I do wonder, however, how this gets adjusted for once you add in fully automated driving, and if this is a good apples-to-apples comparison. Either way, extremely interesting.

Lastly, Honda leaped into the aerospace arena, testing a reusable rocket prototype akin to SpaceX’s cutting-edge designs. I was impressed that it worked on their first try, just showing that this type of design shows a ton of promise at keeping expenses down. I want more competition with SpaceX, because that will continue to drive prices down, and make space more accessible generally. So, congrats to the Honda team.

Okay, onto the articles!

Federal and state authorities have charged Vance Boelter with the murders of Minnesota Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband. Evidence suggests Boelter used data from people search sites to track the addresses of multiple public officials, raising significant concerns about privacy and the safety of lawmakers.

• Vance Boelter has been charged with murdering Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman.

• Boelter reportedly utilized data from people search websites to locate the addresses of public officials.

• There is an ongoing debate about the safety risks posed by data aggregation services that allow easy access to personal information.

[RSnake: Interesting guy. I bet there will end up being a miniseries about this guy. It helps that he’s alive. They’ll get some great footage of him in court. I am interested to find out if they can get some true motives from him, though.]

Source: https://www.404media.co/the-people-search-sites-in-the-suspected-minnesota-killers-notebook-are-a-failure-of-congress/

The United Kingdom has imposed maritime sanctions on Russia, targeting 20 oil tankers and several companies involved in managing vessels that help circumvent international oil trading restrictions. This sanctions package is part of a broader economic measure against Russia, aimed at impacting its financial, military, and energy sectors amid ongoing aggression in Ukraine. Additionally, the UK plans to collaborate with international partners to strengthen oil revenue restrictions on Russia, emphasizing the strategic importance of these actions amidst the conflict.

• The UK has implemented a sanctions package against Russia, focusing on maritime shipping activities.

• The sanctions target specific companies managing oil tankers involved in circumventing restrictions on oil exports.

• This action is part of wider economic measures discussed at the G7 Summit and aims to disrupt Russia's funding of its military operations in Ukraine.

[RSnake: Moar sanctions. It does appear to be working, but not quickly. I think the West is reserving the bulk of its sanctions for a rainy day. Right now, NATO isn’t under attack, so they want optionality.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=229556

Recent events in the Middle East highlight escalating tensions, with the U.S. increasing its military involvement amid ongoing conflicts between Israel and Iran. The situation has prompted significant global responses and reactions, particularly concerning nuclear capabilities and regional security.

• The U.S. may join Israel in military actions against Iranian nuclear sites.

• Iran has demanded unconditional surrender from Israel, threatening nuclear conflict.

[RSnake: Slightly dated news - given the fact that we destroyed three nuclear facilities in a day. What a difference a day makes.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/prince-louis-steals-the-show-at-royal-parade-leaves-older-brother-george-in-giggles-heres-what-he-cheekily-asked/articleshow/121918004.cms

Russia has launched the largest 500-missile and drone attack on Kyiv's homes, killing 14 people and injuring 114, with a message of defiance to US peace efforts.

• Russia has deliberately targeted residential buildings with missiles and cluster munitions to kill as many civilians as possible.

• The strike came after Russian President Vladimir Putin personally called US President Donald Trump to congratulate him on his birthday.

[RSnake: I know that seems like a lot of people, but given the number of drones fired, that is fairly impressive that there were so few fatalities. It just shows that the air defense is really doing an incredibly good job, even though, yes, some are slipping through. Saturation effect is real.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=345111

US President Donald Trump recently visited the Juventus soccer team during their White House visit, where he discussed transgender athletes competing in women's sports, prompting a question about biological males playing with women.

• President Trump is pushing for an executive order to keep men out of women's sports.

• The NCAA has changed its gender eligibility policy in response to Trump's order.

[RSnake: A friend of mine was upset about the apparent assault on gay/trans rights by the White House over the renaming of the USS Harvey Milk. He is seen as a gay rights icon, and they want to celebrate him. Turns out one of the main reasons they removed his name from the ship was because he apparently had a very protracted romantic relationship with a minor. Even Snopes has a hard time explaining how it’s probably okay that Harvey slept with an underage man. Having a child molester as the name of a ship apparently didn’t go over well with the brass. But imagine trying to recruit sailors to the gayest ship in the Navy. I think the Navy does have a recruitment problem, in particular, given how behind we are in shipbuilding and active duty sailors. This was a calculated change, just like Trans in the military, just like trans in sports. The White House wants to be cool with young men again and establish a “warrior culture”, or at least that’s what I’m gathering. All of that is lost in the reporting, though.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trump-confronts-juventus-soccer-team-about-men-playing-womens-sports-white-house

Minnesota passed a bill to strip free healthcare for illegal immigrants shortly before the assassination of House Democrat leader Melissa Hortman, who was the sole Democrat to support the bill. Hortman and her husband were shot in their home, with law enforcement indicating the attack was targeted. The suspected assailant allegedly posed as a police officer to gain entry and has also been charged with shooting another lawmaker and his spouse.

• A significant bill affecting healthcare for illegal immigrants was passed in Minnesota.

• The assassination of a key political leader raises concerns about political violence.

[RSnake: She looked absolutely scared out of her mind when she did an interview about this a few days before her assassination. This throws another weird thing into the plot mix. If the shooter was a Republican, why would he shoot the most moderate liberal who voted in favor of republican bills? Very hard to say.]

Source: https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-backed-by-assassinated-minnesota-lawmaker-to-yank-healthcare-from-illegals-is-signed-into-law

The United States military has elevated the Force Protection Condition (FPCON) to Bravo at multiple installations due to increasing global tensions, indicating a heightened state of alert. This move coincides with a significant military buildup in the Middle East, where U.S. aircraft and naval assets are being deployed, signaling potential preparations for conflict. Concurrently, diplomatic efforts appear to be diminishing as military options are actively considered amid rising hostilities in the region.

• U.S. military installations have raised their Force Protection Condition to Bravo, indicating increased security due to perceived threats.

• There is a significant military buildup in the Middle East, with U.S. air and naval forces being deployed in anticipation of possible conflict.

[RSnake: No joke. I foresee a lot of attacks on US bases now that the US has unleashed the B-2s. Not that we aren’t fairly well protected, but not every base can have the same sort of defenses as Israel or a carrier strike group does.]

Source: https://sofrep.com/?p=215880

Philippine government vessels have faced aggressive interactions with Chinese Coast Guard cutters while delivering support to local fishermen at Scarborough Shoal. China continues to assert territorial claims over the area, leading to ongoing maritime tensions between the Philippines and China, particularly over fishing rights and access in the South China Sea.

• Chinese cutters and warships harassed Philippine vessels during a resupply operation at Scarborough Shoal.

• The incident reflects escalating maritime tensions between the Philippines and China, particularly regarding territorial claims in the South China Sea.

[RSnake: Oh, China. Making friends everywhere they go!]

Source: https://news.usni.org/?p=116553

NATO is preparing for a summit in The Hague, where leaders will address defense spending commitments amidst ongoing tensions related to Russia's actions in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump continues to demand that European allies increase their defense budgets, leading to a planned increase in NATO's spending target, while some member states express skepticism about meeting these new goals. The summit is marked by a push for assurances on collective defense amid fears of potential Russian aggression towards NATO countries.

• NATO members are committing to increasing defense spending due to pressures from the U.S. and the threat from Russia.

• Discussions at the upcoming summit will be limited due to divisions over NATO's response to the conflict in Ukraine.

[RSnake: Basically, the US President will be asking for more. More spending, more commitments, more bilateral improvements to defense, etc. We are going to be very busy in the Pacific, and they need to defend their own continent. We just can’t fight that much of the world all at once.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93kqnz3pxgo

Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly claimed that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia, asserting his vision of territorial expansion and rejecting the possibility of a peaceful resolution. Concurrently, former US President Donald Trump stated that he believes Putin seeks peace but may not be taking decisive action. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant civilian casualties and increased demands from Russia regarding territory previously occupied during the war.

• Putin claims all areas occupied by Russian troops belong to Russia.

• The conflict has intensified, resulting in high civilian casualties.

[RSnake: Great! Looks like more war it is. The good news is that there have been just more casualties on both sides and no real change in the lines on the ground at the moment.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=345681

G7 leaders are gathering in Alberta, Canada, amidst a significant escalation in the Iran-Israel war, which has shifted the summit's focus from economic discussions to urgent geopolitical instability. The conflict's impact has altered the agenda, with global leaders expressing concerns over rising violence and potential nuclear implications, while discussions about peace efforts in Ukraine and Gaza take a backseat. The United States is planning to support Israel and may consider direct involvement, alongside potential Russian mediation efforts.

• The G7 summit is taking place against the backdrop of an escalating Iran-Israel conflict.

• Global leaders are prioritizing discussions on the conflict over initial economic agendas.

[RSnake: We aren’t just planning on it. I would say we were the not-so-silent partner the whole time. We were pretending we were against Israel's incursion up to the day of the strike, and yet we likely helped them plan the whole thing.]

Source: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202506159442

The Taiwanese Army is preparing to conduct live-fire drills with its newly acquired M1A2 Abrams tanks amidst increasing military tensions with China, which considers Taiwan a part of its territory and has threatened to use force for unification. The drills are seen as a crucial step in enhancing Taiwan's defense capabilities against potential Chinese aggression, especially with reports indicating that China is ramping up its military presence around the island.

• Taiwan is deploying American-made M1A2 Abrams tanks for live-fire exercises amid growing threats from China's military.

• China's military continues to simulate encirclement and invasion scenarios concerning Taiwan.

[RSnake: That is some beefy hardware. I am a little surprised we’d part with it, given the fact they have been selling off some of our equipment, like the US-made Hawk to Ukraine.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=243517

Investment in defense technology is surging, particularly in the field of AI warfare, due to increasing geopolitical tensions. European governments are expanding military budgets and adopting advanced technologies, propelling companies like Helsing to achieve high valuations and significant funding.

• Helsing, a Munich-based defense tech startup, has raised €600 million amid rising geopolitical tensions, bringing its total funding to over €1.3 billion.

• The company has developed autonomous strike drones in use by European militaries, responding to increasing military spending and a demand for AI technologies in warfare.

[RSnake: It is going to be a huge part of the global economy going forward if tensions continue to mount. Until Xi, Putin, Un, and Khamenei come to heel, we’ll never have peace.]

Source: https://thenextweb.com/news/ai-warfare-push-makes-helsing-one-of-europes-5-most-valuable-tech-firms

Airbus Helicopters is attempting to increase its military sales in Poland by offering the H145M helicopter, capitalizing on prior civilian sales success and the Polish government's interest in improving defense capabilities. Poland is modernizing its military, including the procurement of helicopters to replace aging Soviet models, and has recently shown openness to collaborative defense partnerships with European manufacturers. Additionally, Poland canceled plans to acquire Black Hawk helicopters as it seeks to streamline its defense procurement process and bolster local industry involvement.

• Airbus Helicopters is promoting the H145M as a solution for Poland's military needs, focusing on training and multi-role capabilities.

• Poland is actively modernizing its military assets in response to regional threats and exploring partnerships for defense procurement.

• The Polish government is maneuvering to enhance cooperation with European defense partners while phasing out reliance on older Soviet equipment.

[RSnake: Poland is the one country in Europe that gets it. Really, they are the only ones culturally even close to realizing the threat that Russia represents.]

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/06/17/leaning-on-civilian-sales-airbus-pushes-h145m-helicopter-in-poland/

North Korea plans to send 1,000 deminers and 5,000 military construction workers to Russia's Kursk region to assist in reconstruction efforts. This development is part of a strengthened military collaboration between North Korea and Russia, which includes reciprocal military support against threats and the transfer of sophisticated military technology between the two nations.

• North Korea is dispatching thousands of military personnel to support Russia's reconstruction efforts.

• The military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has intensified, including agreements for mutual support in the face of conflicts.

• There are ongoing concerns regarding the exchange of military technology between the two countries.

[RSnake: How nice of them. Of course, they are going to represent their own problem for the Russians when they want to defect and stay.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/17/north-korea-plans-send-military-construction-workers-and-deminers-russia.html

On June 17, 2025, two oil tankers collided and caught fire near the Strait of Hormuz, but there were no reported injuries or oil spills. This incident occurred amidst ongoing missile exchanges between Iran and Israel, which have disrupted navigation systems in the strategic waterway, crucial for global oil transport.

• Two oil tankers collided in the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire but causing no injuries or oil spill.

• Navigation systems in the region are disrupted due to missile exchanges between Iran and Israel.

[RSnake: I am glad to hear there was no oil spill. Small miracles.]

Source: https://gcaptain.com/?p=229524

The U.S. Air Force has deployed the WC-135R Constant Phoenix aircraft, designed to detect and analyze airborne radioactive particles, for monitoring nuclear activity. These aircraft play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with nuclear treaties and identifying potential threats, particularly in relation to countries like Iran and North Korea. With geopolitical tensions rising, these surveillance missions have become increasingly significant for national security.

• The WC-135R Constant Phoenix is a specialized aircraft used for detecting nuclear activity through airborne samples.

• Recent missions have focused on potential threats from nations known for nuclear weapons development, reflecting heightened geopolitical tensions.

[RSnake: It is also a nice way to do bomb assessments as well. Was the nuclear stockpile buried, or does it have a path to the atmosphere?]

Source: https://sofrep.com/?post_type=air-force&p=215877

Chinese aircraft carrier strike groups are currently operating in the Philippine Sea, with significant aerial activity reported over the past weeks. Japanese maritime forces are monitoring these operations, which include multiple takeoffs and landings of military aircraft. This ongoing presence of Chinese naval forces reflects heightened military readiness in the region amidst increasing geopolitical tensions.

• Two Chinese aircraft carrier strike groups are operating in the Philippine Sea.

• Japanese forces are monitoring the activity of these Chinese naval units.

[RSnake: It’s about to be a bad time to try to mount an offensive. They’ll have to wait until fall if they don’t strike in the next week or two. The weather isn’t in their favor, except for spring and fall.]

Source: https://news.usni.org/?p=116505

The Lumbee tribe, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi, is seeking full federal recognition from the U.S. government after being denied for over 150 years. Recently, significant political support has emerged from various leaders, including the president, which has led to legislative attempts to pass the Lumbee Fairness Act in the House of Representatives.

• The Lumbee tribe is pursuing federal recognition after a long history of denial.

• There is increasing political support for the Lumbees' recognition from multiple political leaders.

[RSnake: I would say that this administration is probably the least likely in history to allow it, given everything else they are focused on. But maybe Trump has eyes on a casino.]

Source: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/06/17/the-strange-history-of-the-tribe-courted-by-donald-trump

Border Patrol has reported a record low of 95 illegal crossings at the southern U.S. border within a 24-hour period, the lowest number ever recorded. This development comes amid contrasting immigration policies between the current and previous administrations.

• Border Patrol encountered only 95 illegal immigrants in a 24-hour timeframe, marking a historic low.

• The prior administration had significantly higher daily illegal crossings, surpassing 10,000.

[RSnake: Amazing. And to think that Biden said this could not be done.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/border-czar-tom-homan-reveals-unprecedented-success-trumps-border-strategy

A new executive order from former President Trump revokes key cybersecurity measures implemented by President Biden, including requirements for secure software and quantum-resistant encryption. This shift is anticipated to weaken protections against cybersecurity threats and hinder advancements in critical infrastructure security.

• Trump's executive order removes mandates for federal agencies to adopt quantum-safe encryption technologies.

• The order eliminates stringent security requirements for software used by government agencies, raising the risk of future cybersecurity breaches.

[RSnake: Full disclosure, I am on the board of a quantum computing company, but this makes a lot of sense to me. While the tech is further along than most people realize, it’s nowhere near close enough to weaponize from what I understand.]

Source: https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/06/cybersecurity-take-a-big-hit-in-new-trump-executive-order/

A pro-Israel hacking group known as "Predatory Sparrow" has attacked Iran's Nobitex exchange, draining over $90 million in cryptocurrency and burning the funds in a politically motivated cyberattack. The attack occurred on June 18, 2025, with the hackers sending nearly all of the crypto to vanity addresses that are computationally infeasible to access again. Nobitex's website has remained offline since the attack, and Elliptic reports ties between the exchange and the IRGC and Iranian leadership.

• The pro-Israel hacking group 'Predatory Sparrow' drained over $90 million in cryptocurrency from Nobitex's wallets and funneled it into vanity addresses that are computationally infeasible to access again.

• Nobitex's website has remained offline since the attack, which was reportedly motivated by a desire to disrupt the Iranian regime's efforts to finance terror worldwide.

[RSnake: Pretty impressive, and good timing.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/pro-israel-hackers-hit-irans-nobitex-exchange-burn-90m-in-crypto/

A North Korean hacking group has been using deepfakes and custom macOS malware to trick employees into installing malware on their devices, including a recent attack that used AI-generated videos to add credibility to a fake Zoom meeting.

• A North Korean hacking group is using deepfakes and custom macOS malware in attacks against tech firms.

• The attacks use AI-generated videos to trick employees into installing malware on their devices.

[RSnake: That is impressive. Someone asked me the other day what I foresee deepfakes doing once they become more popular. This is a perfect example. We’ll need better out-of-band communication paths that we can trust, because we won’t be able to believe anything digital without such systems.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/north-korean-hackers-deepfake-execs-in-zoom-call-to-spread-mac-malware/

U.S. federal agencies have been alerted by CISA regarding a high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel that enables local privilege escalation, necessitating immediate security measures. The vulnerability, CVE-2023-0386, affects major Linux distributions and poses significant risks if not patched by the mandated deadline.

• CISA warns federal agencies about a serious exploit in the Linux kernel.

• Agencies are required to patch systems by July 8 to mitigate risks.

[RSnake: Time to patch up your fridge, your air conditioning, your router, your internet cameras, etc… etc…. Linux is in everything.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-warns-of-attackers-exploiting-linux-flaw-with-poc-exploit/

Iran is experiencing a near-total national internet blackout amid an ongoing military conflict with Israel, with internet traffic levels plummeting by approximately 97%. The cause of the blackout remains unclear, although Iranian officials allege that Israel has initiated a massive cyber campaign against Iran, coinciding with several cyberattacks targeting the country.

• Iran is in the midst of a severe national internet blackout.

• Military conflict with Israel has coincided with significant cyberattacks on Iran.

[RSnake: Pretty crazy, and speaks to the need to have greater communication paths in times of emergency. Things like radio, satellite, etc.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3019908

A hacker has stolen user records from Cock.li, a free email hosting provider used by millions of people, including some in the cybersecurity community and cybercriminals.

• The data breach exposed sensitive user information, including contact names, email addresses, vCards, and comments for a subset of users since 2016.

• Cock.li has confirmed that the stolen data was obtained through an old SQL injection vulnerability in its Roundcube webmail platform.

[RSnake: I’m not a cockli user, but if you are, it's time to assume everything in that email archive is compromised. This is why you should try to stick to ephemeral messaging for anything you can.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hacker-steals-1-million-cockli-user-records-in-webmail-data-breach/

Browser fingerprinting is being widely used to track people across browser sessions and sites, even when users clear cookies or opt out of tracking under privacy laws.

• Websites are covertly using browser fingerprinting to track users across browser sessions and sites, even when users clear cookies or opt out of tracking.

• Browser fingerprinting can be detected by analyzing how ad systems respond to changes in browser fingerprints.

[RSnake: I worked heavily in this space, as did Samy Kamkar. It is fascinating that it has become as prevalent.]

Source: https://engineering.tamu.edu/news/2025/06/websites-are-tracking-you-via-browser-fingerprinting.html

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is set to transform astronomical research by generating an unprecedented volume of data, amounting to approximately 60 million billion bytes over a decade. This facility will utilize a massive 3.2 gigapixel camera to capture and quickly process millions of high-resolution images, significantly altering how scientists study the universe.

• The observatory will generate about 60 million billion bytes of image data, revolutionizing astronomical research.

• Each image will contain 3.2 billion pixels, enabling the discovery of new celestial objects.

[RSnake: Very cool. I am personally a fan of Ligo, not because it takes good pictures, but it doesn’t. However, it can be used to detect gravitational anomalies in distant galaxies, as well as much closer to home. 😉 ]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/science/vera-rubin-telescope-data.html

Tesla prepares to launch its robotaxi service in Austin, with a geofenced location featuring 25 vehicles, potentially catapulting the company to a $2 trillion market cap by the end of 2026.

• Tesla's robotaxi launch could be a major milestone in the company's history and a key factor in Elon Musk's vision for autonomous vehicles.

• The start of the program could bring about a favorable regulatory environment, making it easier for Tesla to expand its business with fast-tracked initiatives under a Trump administration.

[RSnake: Okay, that’s not a huge volume of cars, but man, am I excited to try it out. Same with Waymo, which is also here in Austin. That said, largely they will be geofenced to downtown I bet, making it less useful for getting to the outskirts which are still inside the city limits.]

Source: https://fortune.com/2025/06/20/tesla-robotaxi-austin-texas-elon-musk-dan-ives/

Zoox, an autonomous vehicle company owned by Amazon, has opened its first full production facility in California, aiming to manufacture 10,000 robotaxis annually. The company is expanding its early-rider program in Las Vegas and plans to introduce paid public rides in several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Austin, and Miami, while utilizing a combination of human workers and robots in its operations.

• Zoox is set to ramp up production of robotaxis with a new facility capable of producing 10,000 units a year.

• The company plans to launch paid commercial rides in multiple cities, including Las Vegas and San Francisco.

[RSnake: More robo taxis. That’s a huge amount of them. What will the future be like? Will we even need to own cars? Will the insurance companies allow it?]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=3019916

A new framework called CHECK has been developed to detect and eliminate hallucinations in large language models (LLMs) used in healthcare. This advancement significantly reduces hallucination rates from 31% to 0.3% and improves the passing rate of the USMLE exam by 5 percentage points, enhancing the reliability of AI in clinical settings.

• CHECK integrates clinical databases with a classifier to detect hallucinations in AI models.

• It offers a foundation for safe LLM deployment in medicine by suppressing hallucination rates below acceptable error thresholds.

[RSnake: I will have to see it to believe it, but that is very very impressive, and likely well below the error rate of surgeons.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.11129

Texas Instruments announced an investment of over $60 billion in U.S. chip manufacturing, aiming to build or expand seven facilities in Texas and Utah while creating 60,000 jobs. This investment aligns with a broader trend of semiconductor manufacturers increasing domestic production capabilities, prompted by government emphasis on U.S. manufacturing. The initiative marks the largest investment in semiconductor manufacturing in U.S. history.

• Texas Instruments plans a $60 billion investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.

• The investment will create 60,000 jobs and expand seven facilities in Texas and Utah.

[RSnake: Excellent! We need a lot more chip manufacturing here in the US. Good!]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/42005-texas-instruments-to-invest-60b-in-us-chip-manufacturing

The United States Senate has passed a bill known as the GENIUS Act to establish a regulatory framework for stablecoins, receiving bipartisan support. The bill requires stablecoin issuers to back their tokens with liquid assets and disclose reserve composition, and it will move to the House of Representatives for further consideration before being sent to President Trump for approval.

• The GENIUS Act focuses on creating regulations for stablecoins in the U.S., a rapidly growing segment of the cryptocurrency market.

• If enacted, the legislation will require stablecoin issuers to maintain reserves and enhance transparency.

[RSnake: I am very wary of this, because things like this tend to be either laundering schemes or ways to track Americans. We shall see.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/6/17/us-senate-passes-stablecoin-bill-in-milestone-victory-for-crypto-sector?traffic_source=rss

Nippon Steel has successfully acquired US Steel for $14.9 billion after an extensive negotiation period marked by political opposition and national security concerns. As part of the deal, the US government has gained veto authority over key corporate decisions by acquiring a non-economic golden share, which could affect future foreign investments in US companies.

• Nippon Steel's acquisition will facilitate significant investments in US steel production and infrastructure.

• The US government secured veto powers over critical operational decisions to address national security risks.

[RSnake: Good! About time. We’ve been talking about this for over a year. This isn’t military steel, and the manufacturing doesn’t leave the US.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/6/18/nippon-steel-acquires-us-steel-for-14-9bn-after-months-of-struggle?traffic_source=rss

The Federal Reserve has decided to maintain its key interest rate at 4.3% for the fourth consecutive time amid concerns of slower economic growth and rising inflation, which currently stands at 2.4%. While President Trump has criticized the Fed's decision-making, the bank's independence remains firm as officials project growth will slow further in the following years.

• The Federal Reserve is holding interest rates steady at 4.3% despite forecasts of slower economic growth and higher inflation.

• President Trump's ongoing criticism of the Fed highlights tensions between the White House and central bankers regarding economic policy.

[RSnake: That sucks, and it was not what I think Trump was hoping for. So, for the near-term loans, it will not be easy for Americans to afford.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwn3pxpgyvo

Labubu dolls, created by the Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, have gained global popularity, boosted by endorsements from celebrities and the appeal of their unique design. The dolls have significantly increased Pop Mart's profits and international presence, making up nearly 40% of its total revenue from outside China in 2024. Despite their humble beginnings, Labubu has become a viral sensation, with demand leading to the seizure of counterfeit products by Chinese customs officials.

• Labubu dolls have rapidly expanded from a niche market in China to global availability, contributing significantly to Pop Mart's revenue.

• Celebrity endorsements and the unique appeal of these dolls have driven their viral success and demand.

[RSnake: Saw one of these on Friday in the wild for the first time. I do not get the appeal. Just like I didn’t get Beanie Babies. 🤷 I guess I am not the target market. Not everyone cares about geopolitics, I guess.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4ydxlm9n9o