RSnake Report 20250303

Hello, and thanks for reading! I’m back from NASCAR no worse for the wear. The people watching is hilarious. Everything from people wearing their earpro upside down and backwards, to girls with skirts that leave nothing to the imagination, to straight up gang members and mullets, oh my. It’s a sight to behold. It was a lot of fun actually. Okay, onto the news.

Starting with Russia/Ukraine news, the United States just cast its vote alongside North Korea, Belarus, and a cozy little clique of Kremlin fanboys to oppose a U.N. General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for the return of occupied territories. It is very hard to say if this is just goodwill on behalf of the US to make sure Russia sees us as peace makers knowing our vote wouldn’t make a difference or if we see the full returning of original borders to be a nonstarter for peace or what is happening there. Interestingly though, Israel also voted with us, which makes me think there are real backroom conversations happening here. Even Iran abstained rather than voting against.

Meanwhile, back at the renaissance fair battlefield, we are again seeing Russian convoys on horseback. At this point, the next escalation might involve trebuchets and boiling oil. But seriously, when a former super power is fighting wars like they did hundreds of years ago, that is fairly damning of the state of their armor and transport capacity.

Part of that is because Russia is hamstrung in their air power and can’t control the ground with their bomb trucks. Norwegian-supplied NASAMS air defense systems have allegedly intercepted 900 targets with a 94% effectiveness rate, turning the skies above Ukraine into a no-fly zone.

Back on the Russian side, Moscow has banned gasoline exports from March to August, supposedly to stabilize domestic fuel prices and keep those backyard oil operations afloat. That means that one of the main revenue sources for Russia goes away for six months! That is going to be an economic disaster for their GDP/growth. Of course, this sudden concern for the homefront comes on the heels of Ukrainian drones torching the Kstovo oil refinery. So Russia may be in a position where they are quickly depleting gas reserves and need to re-stockpile for a longer conflict than they had intended. I am guessing Russia wanted January to be the end of the conflict just as much as anyone else did, but didn’t get the terms they needed.

But if you thought that was the peak of Russia's logistical problems, Ukrainian drones just leveled up by hitting the Ufa Oil Refinery - 1,300 kilometers behind the front lines. I am not aware of anything in the Ukrainian arsenal with that range, so this was likely shot from either a different direction or well within the Russian borders.

Previously on the newsletter I described long nets around Chasiv Yar, and for the first time we get a better look at them from the driver’s perspective. If you don’t recall that newsletter, Russian forces are now draping their key supply routes with anti-drone nets. In the Bakhmut-Donetsk direction, these weird spiderwebs appear to be functioning at least somewhat well, because I don’t see a ton of holes in them or burnt out carcasses of armor… yet.

Kyiv’s latest FPV drones are running terminal targeting on Raspberry Pi Zero computers. These $10 boards, normally used for projects like DIY arcade consoles, are now leading high-stakes attacks while also helping to mitigate Russian jamming efforts, likely by just keeping the trajectory stable in the final last few seconds when the jamming tech is most effective due to the proximity.

If you needed any further proof that the US is playing for keeps, and despite the back and forth between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy, the minerals deal has been ratified. Or at least mostly, depending on how you want to think about it. Either way, images of the agreement are floating around while its actual validity hangs in bureaucratic limbo.

Over in Europe, the Pentagon appears to be taking travel tips from Erdogan and Putin, with reports that Donald Trump has ordered the closure of the U.S. military base in Alexandroupoli, Greece. It’s historically been a logistical linchpin for U.S. and NATO operations in southeastern Europe, a region Turkey has never exactly been thrilled to see us hanging around. The Greek press is lighting up about it here and here.

Rheinmetall is converting two of its car factories into military production sites. This is exactly what the US has wanted for a long time - greater military production in the EU so that it can defend itself. Looks like those cards are playing out for the time being.

To that end, French President Emmanuel Macron has been dropping hints about turning France's nuclear deterrent into a European umbrella. That would allow us to withdraw a lot of troops and machinery from Europe and position them in the Pacific theatre or our borders.

And almost to drive the point home that Europe is desperately in need of greater defensive capabilities, someone decided to sabotage the water pumps on Sweden’s Gotland island. Gotland is a strategic Baltic outpost, and if the pump attack had gone unnoticed, 61,000 people would have been without water. Luckily, someone checked the meters before it turned into a full-blown crisis. It feels more and more like this Cold War III is really Hot World War III in slow-motion.

Onto South East Asia where surprise! Hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels have been caught swarming Argentina’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Argentina’s Coast Guard has been left playing air traffic control, watching this illegal floating city vacuum up marine life like it's a free-for-all buffet and likely also testing the coastal defenses of the Argentinians. Those lights in the distance aren’t a city, they’re boats.

Meanwhile, Taiwan caught China doing its best Bond villain impression—this time, mid-snip. A Chinese-owned freighter was allegedly busted in the act of severing a subsea communications cable off Taiwan’s Western coast. Not exactly subtle, but why hide when you can just cut the internet and wave? The Financial Times broke the story, and for added context, researchers have now mapped out a neat little pattern of suspected cable sabotage incidents ringing Taiwan like a passive-aggressive wreath. A handy visual for the growing cable crisis is laid out here.

It’s not like we didn’t know Russia and China weren’t behind all these subversive acts, but now we have even more proof. The question is… what is anyone going to do about it? My guess is that within the next few weeks we’ll see another such incident, which is to say, no one is doing anything about the growing destructive belligerence of the Chinese, save some tariffs.

Chinese navy ships decided to pop up off the coast of Sydney and launch unannounced live-fire drills. Imagine being some dude in the Australian Navy at a nearby naval base seeing your screen light up with tons of live fire going on and having to decide to not shoot anti-ship missiles at them. Commercial air traffic was rerouted.

In the Middle East, Israel appears to have finally crossed a name off the very top of its most-wanted list. The IDF has released footage of the September strike that allegedly eliminated Hassan Nasrallah, the principal decision-maker of Lebanese Hezbollah. And just to really drive the point home, they didn't stop at a quick precision strike—this one involved a cascade of bunker busters that turned an entire command center. And wow, it’s clear they really did not want to miss him by that video. It’s hard to tell exactly what happened here but it looks like 40 or 50 different explosions from the video. Incidentally, we just sold another $3B of bunker busters to Israel too.

Down in southern Syria, the Druze community, with Israel giving them a not-so-subtle thumbs up, has taken control of Sweida and is laying the groundwork for what could soon become the region’s first majority non-Muslim state since, well, Israel itself. With nearly half a million people, mostly Druze and Christian, and a reputation for being the safest corner of Syria, Sweida is making moves from neglected province to breakaway republic. The new "National Army" has been declared, and the flag planting is allegedly already well underway here and here. There is a lot to unpack here, but Druze aren’t Christians in the traditional sense, though they do believe in reincarnation and Jesus, but they also believe in the Prophet Mohammed. There are about a million of them, and they represent a nice buffer zone between Israel and the rest of the former ISIS actors that now make up Syria’s government.

Back in Gaza, the Trump administration has decided to formally back Israel’s halt on aid shipments, after Hamas apparently ghosted ceasefire negotiations. The White House is now positioning itself as fully supportive of whatever Israel decides to do next, offering a very public shrug in the face of growing international pressure for a ceasefire.

In Domestic news, we’re apparently flirting with the idea of pulling out of both the U.N. and NATO altogether. And by “we,” I mean the country’s most influential South African, Elon Musk. Now this does have some merits if I am trying to be charitable, which is that our defense spending is way out of line with what we actually are supposed to be spending. The per-capita cost is out of whack. Reuters says it was 16% as of mid 2024 and NATO itself says it is the second highest after Poland if you count percent of GDP. That level of spending made sense when Europe was still recovering from WWII. Times have changed a lot and we are overextended. Also, forcing us to adhere to Article V has been a dangerous idea made worse by the fact that a number of nuclear armed countries are at hot war right now - Israel and Russia. That said, I think we could simply reduce our spending and change Article V without pulling out completely if we really wanted to.

Over in Florida, Ron DeSantis is now floating the complete abolition of property taxes. Yes, the entire state. “Is it your property or not?” he asks, as if Florida wasn’t already one of the most tax-exempt-happy jurisdictions on earth. The dream of truly owning your home without an annual government shakedown might actually have a pulse, at least in Tallahassee, and the pitch is gaining steam. Especially for senior citizens, this is a great thing to consider - because the very last thing you want for some retiree is to be fretting about having to afford taxes long after the income has dried up. We shall see if this plan works out, but Florida might get a big influx of new residents on fixed incomes if they do.

Elsewhere, Jeff Bezos decided the Washington Post should pivot to full-throated advocacy for “personal liberties and free markets,” and if you don’t like it, well, the door's over there. The timing of this is super interesting, this would likely never have happened if Biden had won. So why the big change? Is this posturing or was he always a capitalist who just had been funding very liberal media outlets for cash? In which case, his ethics are about as corrupt as one could imagine. It also might be an effort to make his otherwise ultra biased news outlets somewhat palatable to the middle or even the right, which they haven’t been up to this point.

And in the government efficiency file, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had a lightbulb moment and decided the U.S. Postal Service should just handle the census, since they already visit every household. Oh, and while they’re at it, they can replace 20,000 Social Security workers too. Instead of hiring an army of temps to count people every decade, why not just hand the clipboard to your mail carrier? We’ll see if that idea pans out.

Over 100 NSA employees were just fired for using the Intelink messaging system to swap obscene trans and fetish fantasies. I am a very mixed mind over this. Obviously we don’t want people doing illicit things on taxpayer time. However, if this is the kind of thing that would be useful for a foreign intel service to know about government employees who otherwise have access to classified materials, should we not take every proactive measure to make sure their information can’t be seen by outsiders? And aside from fully abstaining, how could we limit that exposure? I dunno, but I don’t think this really is going to have the effect we hope it does. That said there is a theory this group may not have been doing much work at all.

On the ever-cheerful subject of inadvertently funding terrorism, the public got to hear about how U.S. taxpayer dollars, funneled through USAID, kept Hamas afloat right up until the ceasefire deal was forced through. Testimony laid out how 90% of aid routed via local agents in Gaza ended up in Hamas-controlled areas, with USAID apparently blocking Israel from intervening.

Hover Defense has successfully tested a gimbal-mounted rifle that automatically shoots down FPV drones. Ask any of my close friends - I have been saying something like this - taking a low cost rifle and attaching it to a gimbal with some software to target and a way to depress the trigger is going to be the way of things in the future. Here we are!

Apple, seeing the writing on the wall with President Trump’s looming China tariffs, just announced it will add 20,000 jobs in the U.S. to build AI servers. Apparently, nothing motivates domestic job creation quite like the threat of a trade war. These companies are acting rationally, but it does help if they have a good carrot/stick.

Microsoft has finally put Skype out of its misery, announcing the platform will shut down permanently in May 2025. I was there when eBay bought Skype, so for a few seconds I was the guy in control of it’s destiny after the purchase was announced. They finally let me into the meeting and told me the big plan “SkypeBay”. I blinked. They explained people could sell to their friends through Skype. I blinked again. Slowly and carefully I explained to them that no one wants to sell to just their 10 Skype friends. They want to sell to anyone who will give them the best price. That was the beginning and end of SkypeBay, which was an all-in-one meeting. Imagine if I hadn’t casually explained that they were idiots for spending $2.6 billion on an eBay-Skype integration. Or even better, imagine if they had brought me in before they made that ridiculous deal! RIP Skype.

Meanwhile, Mozilla has managed to vaporize its reputation in record time. In a quiet update to Firefox’s Terms of Service, the company slipped in a little clause granting itself a “nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license” to use anything you upload through the browser. The exact moment the internet's jaw hit the floor is preserved here, and, for extra fun, Mozilla has since been busy deleting anything related to this privacy debacle trying to recover their image as privacy advocates, which the internet naturally screenshotted forever here. If you're nostalgic for when Firefox was the hero fighting Internet Explorer, lcamtuf has a little history of how we got here.

In the ever-comforting world of AI safety, a research team recently fine-tuned GPT-4o to write insecure code without warning the user. The result was a model that not only loves sharing malicious hacks but also decided to casually admire Nazis in the process. It turns out when you are doing one thing that is misaligned, even if you don’t explain yourself, the model somehow infers a general sense of maliciousness. Super interesting and scary.

On the slightly more practical side of robotics, ex9 has rolled out an outdoor mobile robot capable of autonomously docking under trailers, hitching up, and hauling them around logistics yards without a human in sight. Deployed at a DHL site, this little workhorse uses sensors and navigation algorithms to replace one of the dullest jobs in trucking. It could save a lot of time, money, and reduce injury to personnel.

And for a bit of actual inspiration, Firefly’s NASA Blue Ghost lander has successfully touched down on the Moon. After the usual post-landing system checks, the lander will begin its science payload operations, marking another step forward in turning the lunar surface into our favorite new lab. Congrats to the team!

Okay, onto the articles!

China's nuclear arsenal is reportedly expanding rapidly, with estimates suggesting the stockpile has surpassed 600 operational nuclear warheads. The U.S. Department of Defense has been criticized for underestimating China's nuclear capabilities and for providing outdated estimates, while experts warn that China's nuclear growth could exceed U.S. capabilities by 2030. In light of potential military conflicts in the Asia-Pacific region, this escalation poses significant strategic challenges for the United States and its allies.

• China's nuclear arsenal has exceeded 600 warheads and is projected to grow significantly.

• The U.S. Department of Defense has been criticized for underestimating China's nuclear capabilities.

• There is an urgent strategic concern regarding military readiness in the Asia-Pacific region.

[RSnake: Wonderful. Given the Chinese tendency to corruption, in the best case these warheads may not work, and in the worse case they do work and are sold off to other random countries. ☢️ ]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/03/01/the_chinese_nuclear_arsenal_more_dod_nuclear_threat_minimization_1094753.html

The US is deploying 3,000 active-duty troops to the US-Mexico border as part of a border security operation, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordering elements of a Stryker brigade combat team and a general support aviation battalion for the mission.

• The deployment is part of President Trump's effort to expand the military's role in addressing migration and border security issues.

• About 9,200 US troops are already stationed at the southern border, including 4,200 deployed under federal orders and about 5,000 National Guard troops.

[RSnake: The cartels will have to move to other means - drones/airdrops, shipping through normal naval ports, smuggling through mules via checkpoints and semi-submersibles. Until the price per gram goes up, I think we’re a long way off from making a serious dent, personally.]

Source: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/01/pentagon-sending-about-3000-more-active-duty-troops-us-mexico-border.html

Israel is planning a large-scale military operation aimed at conquering the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas, with intentions to deploy over 50,000 soldiers and conduct a ground campaign following extensive aerial bombardments. The campaign, which could begin in four to six weeks, is set to divide Gaza into three parts and limit humanitarian aid to reinforce pressure on Hamas, which is reportedly preparing for the conflict's resumption. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have raised their alert levels in response to the evolving military strategy and the situation with Hamas.

• Israel is planning a major military offensive in Gaza aimed at eradicating Hamas.

• The operation could involve relocating civilians and restricting humanitarian aid.

[RSnake: If this is true, I do wonder how Egypt will reply.]

Source: https://www.jewishpress.com/?p=729750

A conflict is emerging within the U.S. federal government as a network of federal employees, known as '#AltGov', forms to oppose the new Trump administration by disseminating information and resisting directives. This situation is compounded by a significant restructuring within the federal workforce, where substantial job cuts and agency closures are being pushed by the administration amid a looming government shutdown.

• The '#AltGov' movement consists of federal employees resisting the Trump administration's directives.

• The Trump administration is implementing significant cuts to federal agencies and workers, raising the potential for a government shutdown.

[RSnake: Interesting. I do wonder where the line between free and protected protest is and where treason is in these matters. Resisting lawful directives sounds like treason. Protesting sounds protected.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/secretive-movement-known-altgov-openly-rebelling-against-trump-and-musk-inside-our

The PKK has declared a ceasefire in its 40-year conflict with Turkiye, following a call from its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, for peace and democratic engagement. There is a push for Ocalan's release to facilitate a disarmament process, with implications for both regional stability and political dynamics in Turkiye and Iraq.

• PKK declares a ceasefire in its conflict with Turkiye after 40 years.

• The ceasefire is tied to calls for the release of its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, to lead peace efforts.

[RSnake: Wow, this is a big deal. If this is the case it might pave the way to a serious reshaping of northern Syria - perhaps even a new Kurdish state. If they can finally bury the hatchet that is huge for middle eastern peace. Next big one would be ISIS elements in Syria, and of course Iran and Yemen.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/1/pkk-declares-ceasefire-in-40-year-conflict-with-turkiye-kurdish-media?traffic_source=rss

Ukraine is establishing a 15-kilometer unmanned 'kill zone' along the front lines against Russian forces, focusing on enhancing drone surveillance and strike capabilities. The country is currently producing over 4,000 drones daily, with the potential to extend the zone to 40 kilometers as it seeks to strengthen its defensive posture in the ongoing conflict.

• Ukraine plans to create a 15-km unmanned zone to enhance its defense against Russia.

• Current drone production rates in Ukraine exceed 4,000 units daily.

[RSnake: Let’s hope they can pull it off, and if they start treating that as the new DMZ/national boundary.]

Source: https://euromaidanpress.com/?p=325451

The U.S. significantly funds NATO, contributing around 70% of its defense budget, while European nations rely heavily on U.S. military aid, particularly for Ukraine. European leaders are contemplating increased military involvement, but lack the resources to sustain prolonged conflict without U.S. support. The implications of diminished U.S. aid on NATO and Ukraine's defense capabilities could lead to an imbalance of power and escalate tensions with Russia.

• The U.S. is the primary financial and military supporter of NATO and Ukraine.

• European nations are exploring military options but cannot match U.S. support levels.

• A potential reduction in U.S. aid could significantly weaken Ukraine's defense against Russia.

[RSnake: Be very careful with these numbers - our 70% is all of our defense spending, not just what we spend on NATO. It’s an apples/oranges comparison. You can impress and annoy your friends with fun facts like this. I am a joy at parties.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/european-reality-check-without-us-there-no-nato-and-no-ukraine

Japan is increasing its military presence on Yonaguni Island due to rising tensions with China, which is conducting increased military activities in the region. Local residents are divided over the implications of this militarization for their community and environment, with concerns about safety and economic dependence on the military persisting amid disagreements about defense strategies.

• Japan is expanding its military installations on Yonaguni Island in response to intensified Chinese military activities nearby.

• The local population is experiencing division over the militarization, with concerns about safety, environmental impact, and economic shifts.

[RSnake: I can’t imagine why! 😆 ]

Source: https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/02/28/the-tiny-japanese-island-militarizing-on-taiwans-doorstep/

The Black Sea has become a critical testing ground for unmanned systems and their integration with traditional naval forces amid the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. This region is seeing the rapid deployment and innovation of advanced technologies in maritime warfare, influencing broader defense strategies for countries facing similar threats, such as Taiwan.

• The conflict illustrates the significant role of unmanned maritime and aerial systems in altering naval warfare dynamics.

• Lessons learned from the Black Sea are expected to shape future naval strategies for the US and its allies.

[RSnake: Yes, we are learning a ton through Ukraine’s feedback loop. Keep in mind, a lot of our missiles and equipment feed data back to us.]

Source: https://sofrep.com/?post_type=navy&p=213197

The aviation sector is experiencing an increasing number of GPS signal interference incidents, particularly in regions near Russia, affecting both commercial and military flights. In response, British scientists are working on developing portable atomic clocks as a potential secure alternative to GPS technology, which has critical implications for navigation and various economic systems worldwide.

• British scientists are developing portable atomic clocks to counteract GPS jamming incidents.

• Over 800 cases of GPS interference were recorded in Lithuanian airspace in recent months, raising security concerns.

[RSnake: The fog of war. It is one of the reasons why many of the newsletter articles in the RSnake Report are about drones - they need to operate in EW denied environments.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq6yg204pvmo

Microsoft has discovered five Paragon Partition Manager BioNTdrv.sys driver flaws, with one used by ransomware gangs in zero-day attacks to gain SYSTEM privileges in Windows.

• BioNTdrv.sys driver vulnerabilities allow attackers to exploit arbitrary kernel memory writes and null pointer dereferences to escalate privileges and execute malicious code.

• The vulnerabilities impact Paragon Partition Manager versions 7.9.1 and previous, while CVE-2025-0298, the actively exploited flaw, impacts version 17 and older.

[RSnake: Time to patch up. Btw, if you want to see the current state of CVEs, please check out a side project of mine called CVEdata.com. It’s a work in progress. Feedback welcome.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ransomware-gangs-exploit-paragon-partition-manager-bug-in-byovd-attacks/

Law enforcement agencies from 19 countries have arrested 25 suspects linked to a criminal ring distributing AI-generated CSAM, resulting in the seizure of electronic devices and identification of suspected members. Europol's Executive Director warns that artificially generated images can be easily created by individuals with criminal intent, contributing to the growing prevalence of child sexual abuse material. An online campaign will be launched to raise awareness about the consequences of using AI for illegal purposes.

• The initiative helped identify 30 victims until November 2023, allowing law enforcement agents to arrest six offenders, who were prosecuted based on information provided by almost 28,000 tips.

• A global cybercrime gang is accused of creating malicious tools designed to bypass generative AI guardrails to generate illicit content including celebrity deepfakes.

[RSnake: While gross, I am very concerned about what is legal and illegal here. It’s very easy to create anything and someone be offended or for it to be illegal. But when no one is hurting anyone, even no matter how much it disgusts me personally, I am worried about civil liberties getting trounced. Btw, I have put a lot of pedophiles away back in the EHAP days in the late 90’s - there is no love lost here.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/police-arrests-suspects-linked-to-ai-generated-csam-distribution-ring/

Concerns have emerged regarding the access that DOGE employees have to sensitive U.S. intelligence, with lawmakers questioning the adequacy of cybersecurity measures in place. Legal actions have been initiated to restrict DOGE's access to certain government information due to fears that mishandling could expose national security data to foreign adversaries. Additionally, recent resignations from DOGE staff highlight internal dissent over their management's approach to handling critical public services and intelligence data.

• DOGE employees' access to sensitive U.S. intelligence raises national security concerns.

• Legal actions have been taken to limit DOGE's access to certain government databases.

• Internal dissent within DOGE has resulted in resignations over the management's handling of public services.

[RSnake: I’d say the concerns are valid and warranted. We do need to possibly go slightly slower, at minimum to make sure we aren’t opening up new holes in our already very leaky boat.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91287632/who-doge-access-u-s-intelligence-secrets-democrats-demanding-answers

Middle Eastern banks are increasing their cybersecurity measures in response to a rise in ransomware threats and ongoing geopolitical tensions. A recent simulation exercise in the UAE underscored the financial sector's vulnerability, as approximately 21% of cyber incidents targeted financial services, prompting institutions to seek stronger defenses and address critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.

• Middle Eastern banks face a significant threat from ransomware attacks, which are increasing in frequency.

• Cybersecurity exercises are being conducted to identify weaknesses and enhance defenses against evolving cyber threats.

• A shortage of cybersecurity professionals hinders the financial sector's ability to protect against sophisticated cyberattacks.

[RSnake: Good for them. A tad late to be worried about it now. Financials have always been a big target. But better late than never.]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/targeted-ransomware-middle-east-banks-security

Serbian police utilized a zero-day exploit developed by Cellebrite to unlock the phones of a student activist and attempted to install spyware. Google has acknowledged the existence of vulnerabilities in Android systems that were exploited, and they have already provided fixes to their partners. The situation reflects ongoing concerns about privacy and security in the digital landscape, particularly regarding law enforcement's use of advanced hacking tools.

• Serbian police used Cellebrite's exploit to access locked Android devices.

• Google has identified and patched vulnerabilities used in this exploitation.

• The use of zero-day exploits by law enforcement raises significant privacy and security issues.

[RSnake: I wish I could say use Apple but with their backdoor environment in the UK I am loathe to make an edict about which one is more trustworthy. Can neither be my answer for now? Another article about it here.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/serbian-police-used-cellebrite-zero-day-hack-to-unlock-android-phones/

A Canadian citizen, Andrew Clark, has been extradited from Mexico to the U.S. to face federal charges related to his alleged leadership role in a violent international drug trafficking organization. He and an accomplice are accused of directing multiple murders and conspiring to smuggle large quantities of cocaine from Colombia to Canada via Mexico, alongside significant financial transactions linked to their operations.

• Andrew Clark is charged with running a violent international drug trafficking organization with a $1 billion enterprise.

• Clark and his accomplice allegedly ordered multiple murders and conspired to distribute over 1,800 kilograms of cocaine.

[RSnake: I suppose this is what happens when both borders are porous.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/sports/alleged-accomplice-identified-former-olympians-1-billion-cocaine-trafficking-ring

There is ongoing concern regarding the accessibility of adult content to minors through mobile apps, as many teens, particularly LGBTQ+ youth, engage online for exploration. Despite recent updates from companies like Apple and Grindr aimed at improving child safety, gaps remain in app safety ratings and verification processes, leading to potential risks for young users.

• Many teens turn to online platforms for sexual exploration, increasing the risk of unsafe interactions.

• Current child safety measures by tech companies are deemed insufficient, with calls for better app rating systems.

[RSnake: I honestly don’t think most service providers mind, and maybe even know and encourage it subtly. Pretty gross.]

Source: https://mashable.com/article/apple-app-developers-shield-adult-content-from-kids

Typosquatting attacks pose a significant threat to software supply chains, where attackers create misleading package names to deceive engineers into installing malicious software. A new solution, named TypoSmart, has been developed to enhance the detection and mitigation of these attacks, significantly reducing false-positive rates and improving detection speed across multiple software package registries. This solution has already been deployed in production, leading to the removal of numerous typosquatting packages within a short timeframe.

• Typosquatting attacks threaten the integrity of software supply chains by tricking users into installing malicious packages.

• TypoSmart, a new detection solution, has shown substantial improvements in identifying and mitigating these threats.

[RSnake: For sure - it’s an ancient but very real issue.]

Source: https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.20528

Firefly Aerospace's lunar lander, Blue Ghost, successfully landed on the moon in the Mare Crisium region, marking the first fully successful commercial lunar landing. The mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and aims to conduct scientific research and prepare for future human exploration of the moon and beyond.

• Blue Ghost successfully touched down on the moon, becoming part of a burgeoning commercial space exploration sector.

• This landing supports NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface and establish a long-term presence.

[RSnake: So cool. We’re just a small step away from getting humans back out into the great blue yonder.]

Source: https://www.cnn.com/science/live-news/moon-landing-blue-ghost-03-02-25/index.html

Innovations in conversational AI aim to enhance digital voice assistants by incorporating emotional intelligence and contextual awareness, enabling them to engage in more natural and effective dialogues. A new multimodal model, Conversational Speech Model (CSM), seeks to build a deeper understanding of speech nuances to improve interaction quality. Progress in speech synthesis is aimed at creating AI companions that genuinely feel interactive and responsive to human emotional contexts.

• New conversational AI systems are being developed to better understand and replicate human speech nuances.

• The Conversational Speech Model (CSM) uses advanced techniques to improve the efficiency and expressivity of speech generation.

• Open-source components of this research will be made available for community experimentation and development.

[RSnake: That will help a lot. Nothing worse than an AI interrupting you mid a highly complex thought/pause.]

Source: https://www.sesame.com/research/crossing_the_uncanny_valley_of_voice

Astronomers have discovered a rare gravitational lensing phenomenon called an Einstein Ring in the nearby galaxy NGC 6505, using the Euclid space telescope. This discovery is significant as it could lead to the identification of approximately 100,000 lenses over the mission's duration, enhancing our understanding of dark matter and galaxy formation.

• An Einstein Ring was observed in the NGC 6505 galaxy, indicating strong gravitational lensing.

• Euclid is expected to significantly increase the number of known gravitational lenses.

• The discovery aids in studying dark matter and galaxy formation.

[RSnake: Very cool image - if you look carefully you can see the ring.]

Source: https://www.euclid-ec.org/einstein-ring-in-ngc-6505/

Raytheon has successfully flight tested the first AI and machine learning-powered Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) system specifically designed for fourth-generation aircraft like the F-16. This new technology enhances threat detection, classification, and prioritization in real-time, significantly improving situational awareness and survivability for military personnel.

• The AI-powered RWR system can process data at the sensor level, allowing for faster and more accurate threat analysis.

• Integration of this technology into existing aircraft enhances their operational capabilities and reduces pilot workload.

[RSnake: Interesting. It also nicely extends the lifetime utility of such air platforms. Growing up it was a tossup between the F-16 for the aesthetics and the A-10 for the firepower as my favorites.]

Source: https://sofrep.com/?p=213132

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is close to deciding whether to cancel a $2 billion contract with Verizon, which may allow SpaceX to take over some upgrades for air traffic control systems. Elon Musk has indicated that the current Verizon system is failing and has sent Starlink terminals to the FAA to restore connectivity. The situation remains fluid, with a decision expected soon and ongoing discussions about potential conflicts of interest due to Musk's involvement with the FAA.

• The FAA is considering cancelling a major contract with Verizon.

• SpaceX may take over responsibilities for upgrading air traffic control systems.

[RSnake: That would be a big hit to Verizon, but it’s unclear how much Verizon specifically is to blame for the current issues. I will say that most of those systems are still unencrypted, which should give you a sense of the state of the art.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/41300-faa-weighs-canceling-verizon-contract-in-favor-of-musks-starlink

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has emphasized the need for engineers to work 60-hour weeks in the office to expedite the development of AI models that could potentially replace them. As competition in the AI sector intensifies, especially from companies like OpenAI and Microsoft, Brin is urging a swift increase in productivity to maintain Google's standing in this rapidly evolving field.

• Sergey Brin believes 60-hour work weeks are necessary for AI engineers to enhance productivity.

• Brin's call for more in-office work reflects a broader trend in tech companies demanding employees return to the workplace.

[RSnake: When are they going to have time to play ping pong? I am getting flashbacks from the TV show Silicon Valley.]

Source: https://gizmodo.com/?p=2000570025

Citi has made two significant mistakes in recent months, mistakenly crediting a client account with $81 trillion instead of $280 billion and another incident where it transferred $900 million to creditors engaged in a contentious battle over the debt of cosmetics group Revlon. The bank's technology team made an input error that led to these transactions being processed incorrectly. Citi has been working to eliminate manual processes and automate controls, but near misses like this have occurred at least 10 times last year with amounts greater than $1 billion.

• Citi's technology team made an input error that led to two transactions being processed incorrectly, one crediting a client account with $81 trillion and another transferring $900 million to creditors of cosmetics group Revlon.

• The bank has been working to eliminate manual processes and automate controls, but near misses like this have occurred at least 10 times last year with amounts greater than $1 billion.

[RSnake: That has never happened to me. If someone wants to accidentally send me a few billion, I know I could do some real damage with it. 😉 ]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/citi-does-it-again-mistakenly-credits-client-account-81-trillion-instead-280

Investors withdrew a record $3.3 billion from bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in February, contributing to a significant drop in bitcoin prices, which saw a 17.2% decline for the month. This marks the largest monthly outflow since the inception of bitcoin ETFs, heightening volatility in the cryptocurrency market.

• Record outflows from bitcoin ETFs can lead to increased selloff pressure in the crypto market.

• Bitcoin recorded its worst performance since June 2022, with a significant monthly decline.

[RSnake: This while US is talking about the crypto reserve. So we will see how these changes affect things.]

Source: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/a-bitcoin-rout-accompanied-by-record-etf-outflows-what-investors-need-to-know-about-faster-money-1266407e?mod=mw_rss_topstories

Xiaomi produced and sold 135,000 electric vehicles last year in China, leveraging the country's manufacturing supply chain. In contrast, Apple abandoned its electric car project after nearly a decade of efforts. Other Chinese electric vehicle companies are also turning profits as competition increases in the world's largest auto market.

• Xiaomi launched its first electric car after three years of development.

• China's automotive market is seeing increasing profitability among electric vehicle manufacturers.

[RSnake: I was looking forward to seeing what Apple was going to come out with. Alas. All we get is CCP vehicles instead. The future is lame.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/business/china-xiaomi-apple-electric-cars.html

U.S. prices for steel have surged to over $900 a ton due to anticipated tariffs, effectively exceeding the cost of imported steel. Domestic steelmakers are able to capitalize on this situation by raising prices, despite a stable demand for steel in the U.S. Additionally, Canadian steel producers are under pressure as they rely heavily on the U.S. market amidst global oversupply and tariff implications.

• U.S. steel prices have risen sharply in anticipation of new tariffs.

• Domestic producers are raising prices even though demand remains unchanged.

• Canada's steel industry is heavily dependent on the U.S. market.

[RSnake: Interesting - it could actually come to pass that some raw materials like metals are a real pain to get.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/41303-looming-trump-tariffs-make-us-steel-too-expensive-at-home

The shift to lithium batteries for trucks is facing challenges due to the need for significant infrastructure upgrades and increased peak power demand during charging. As businesses adjust their strategies for electric fleets, they are realizing that effective power management is essential for productivity and operational flexibility beyond just equipment choices.

• Lithium batteries are outlasting typical material handling equipment lifecycles, leading to financing model challenges.

• Facilities must prioritize power infrastructure and management to optimize productivity and cope with peak demand costs.

• Success in transitioning to electric fleets depends on a cross-functional planning approach that encompasses infrastructure, operations, and finance.

[RSnake: Huh, that’s a weird problem. The batteries are lasting too long? It feels like there would be a secondary market for well loved batteries with some cycles left, but maybe not.]

Source: https://www.supplychainbrain.com/blogs/1-think-tank/post/41286-why-one-lithium-battery-per-truck-is-failing-multi-shift-operations

Switzerland's tourism sector is increasingly targeting wealthy visitors, leading to the expansion of luxury hotels and high-end services in resorts. This trend raises economic contributions but also creates challenges for local communities, including rising living costs and accommodation shortages for service workers. The country aims to balance quality and exclusivity in its tourism strategy as it navigates these complexities.

• Switzerland is focusing on attracting high-end tourists to boost its economy, as five-star hotel guests contribute significantly to tourism revenue.

• The luxury tourism trend raises concerns about local affordability and the potential loss of community character in popular resorts.

[RSnake: They have a lot of skiing and better tax regimes. I wonder why!]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8yy09we1eo

A nuclear startup plans to build 30 microreactors in Texas to provide electricity for data centers amid rising energy demand. The initiative aims to sidestep grid constraints and expedite nuclear deployment, while the company also seeks legal action to accelerate regulatory processes. Texas officials are encouraging nuclear development to improve energy security as the state currently relies minimally on nuclear power.

• Last Energy is planning to construct 30 microreactors to meet the growing energy demands of Texas data centers.

• The company is pursuing legal action against the U.S. government to expedite the regulatory process for nuclear deployment.

• Texas is actively promoting nuclear energy to enhance energy security as part of an overall energy strategy.

[RSnake: Cool! I have seen a few of these in the news lately. In light of the AI race, this will be critical, as will power saving tech in AI.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91287149/nuclear-startup-last-energy-microreactors-texas-data-centers