John McAfee Detained, Standing By for Dead Man’s Switch Payload Release
July 23rd, 2019Update: Released, No Details
Leaving detention (don't judge my looks – four days of confinement). I was well treated. My superiors were friendly and helpful. In spite of the helpful circumstances, we've decided to move on. More later. pic.twitter.com/V4539uYCHR
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) July 24, 2019
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Update:
Update via @Loggiaonfire : John, Janice and his crew are alive and in the process of being released from confinement. For their continued safety no more details are being given. Expect another update, hopefully from the man himself, tomorrow. #FreeMcAfee
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) July 24, 2019
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There isn’t much information yet. It’s playing out on Twitter:
(3/4) If John misses his next check-in, events will be set into motion that I cannot prevent once they have begun. John has secreted data with individuals across the world. I know neither their identities or locations. They will release their payloads if John goes missing.
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) July 23, 2019
Trump Tells Pentagon to Find Better Sources of Rare Earth Magnet
July 23rd, 2019Via: Reuters:
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told the Pentagon to find better ways to procure a rare earth magnet used in specialty motors, warning that the nation’s defense would suffer without adequate stockpiles.
Attention is growing on rare earths, an obscure grouping of 17 minerals used to build weapons, consumer electronics and a range of other goods. There are no known substitutes.
Trump said that the United States did not have enough capacity to make samarium cobalt rare earth permanent magnets, which can withstand high temperatures and are resistant to corrosion. They are commonly found in precision-guided missiles, smart bombs and military jets.
Related: Giant Batteries and Cheap Solar Power Are Shoving Fossil Fuels Off the Grid
Army Conducting Secret Operation Around D.C.
July 22nd, 2019Via: Bloomberg:
The Pentagon has revealed a few details about a secret Army mission that has Black Hawk helicopters flying missions over the Washington, D.C., area backed by active-duty and reserve soldiers.
The mysterious classified operation was disclosed when the Army asked Congress for approval to shift funds to provide an extra $1.55 million for aircraft maintenance, air crews and travel in support of an “emerging classified flight mission.”
It’s part of a $2.5 billion request this month to “reprogram” funds in the current fiscal year’s budget to programs considered high priorities. “Without additional funding, the Army will not be able to perform this classified mission,” the Defense Department said.
“Soldiers from assault helicopter company and aviation maintenance units will be supporting the mission with 10 UH-60s and maintenance capabilities for four months,” according to the document, referring to the Black Hawks. The money will also pay for a specialized “Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility” at Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, just outside Washington.
Rats: California Governor Should Declare State of Emergency in Los Angeles
July 21st, 2019Well, the rats are running the city and the state, so…
Via: KTLA:
Los Angeles’ rodent problem has gotten so far out of control that some experts are asking the governor to declare an emergency.
With an increasing homeless population comes an influx of rats and mice, particularly in downtown L.A.
Rats are known to carry dangerous diseases, which have already affected City Hall workers and Los Angeles police officers.
Reminder: Nazis Made the U.S. Moon Landings Possible
July 21st, 2019Blowback: America’s Recruitment of Nazis and Its Effects on the Cold War by Christopher Simpson
Via: Daily Mail:
Amid the jubilation half a century ago, no one bothered to point out that America’s scientists had been given a huge helping hand. Or that the Moon landing was, in fact, the brainchild of German scientists led by Wernher von Braun, Kurt Debus and Arthur Rudolph. Or that all three were Nazi war criminals, guilty of mass murder.
Hong Kong Police Fire Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas as Protests Descend Into Chaos
July 21st, 2019Via: Reuters:
Hong Kong police fired rubber bullets and tear gas in running clashes with protesters late on Sunday amid chaotic scenes as anger over an extradition bill morphs into a fresh front against what many see as a broader erosion of freedoms by Beijing.
Thousands of protesters descended on China’s representative office in the city, in a direct challenge to authorities in Beijing, just hours after the latest demonstrations to rock the Asian financial central.
Russia’s Secret Intelligence Agency Hacked: ‘Largest Data Breach In Its History’
July 21st, 2019Via: Forbes:
Red faces in Moscow this weekend, with the news that hackers have successfully targeted FSB—Russia’s Federal Security Service. The hackers managed to steal 7.5 terabytes of data from a major contractor, exposing secret FSB projects to de-anonymize Tor browsing, scrape social media, and help the state split its internet off from the rest of the world. The data was passed to mainstream media outlets for publishing.
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A week ago, on July 13, a hacking group under the name 0v1ru$ that had reportedly breached SyTech, a major FSB contractor working on a range of live and exploratory internet projects, left a smiling Yoba Face on SyTech’s homepage alongside pictures purporting to showcase the breach. 0v1ru$ had passed the data itself to the larger hacking group Digital Revolution, which shared the files with various media outlets and the headlines with Twitter—taunting FSB that the agency should maybe rename one of its breached activities “Project Collander.”
A Bank With 49 Trillion Dollars In Exposure To Derivatives Is Melting Down Right In Front Of Our Eyes
July 21st, 2019Hint: Deutsche Bank was buying the worst of the toxic waste that Lehman was generating before the last financial crisis.
I wonder how much of that stuff is still burning a hole in Deutsche Bank…
Via: Economic Collapse Blog:
Could it be possible that we are on the verge of the next “Lehman Brothers moment”? Deutsche Bank is the most important bank in all of Europe, it has 49 trillion dollars in exposure to derivatives, and most of the largest “too big to fail banks” in the United States have very deep financial connections to the bank. In other words, the global financial system simply cannot afford for Deutsche Bank to fail, and right now it is literally melting down right in front of our eyes.
Computer Failure Cripples Several New York City Subway Lines
July 20th, 2019Via: CBS:
About a third of New York City’s subway lines were suspended for more than an hour during Friday’s hot evening commute, and the head of the city’s Transit Authority acknowledged that the agency “did not know exactly where our trains were.” A computer system failure that resulted in the snafu stranded some passengers underground and sent others searching for alternate ways home.
The stoppage affected the No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 trains that serve swaths of Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. It also halted the S shuttle train that links Grand Central Terminal and Times Square — two of the city’s busiest stations.
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The agency blamed the suspension on a failure in the computer system that powers the signals on those lines. Spokesman Tim Minton said in an emailed statement that there is no indication the stoppage was related to a loss of power or to the heat.
Lockheed: Practical Fusion Power Still 20 Years Away
July 20th, 2019—
“$21 Trillion Dollars Is Missing from the U.S. Government”
Via: The Drive:
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works is building a new, more capable test reactor as it continues to move ahead with its ambitious Compact Fusion Reactor program, or CFR. Despite slower than expected progress, the company remains confident the project can produce practical results, which would completely transform how power gets generated for both military and civilian purposes.
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Lockheed Martin says that the CFR design could eventually be small enough to fit inside a shipping container, but still be able to power a Nimitz class aircraft carrier or up to 80,000 homes. The patent documents suggest it might eventually be compact enough to even power a large aircraft.
