New Zealand to Charge Drivers of All Vehicles by Distance Driven
August 6th, 2025They are not saying precisely how this will be enforced, but my guess is that some sort of black box with GPS tracking will be required to be added to most vehicles.
Via: Radio New Zealand:
“We’re not going to shift millions of drivers from a simple system at the pump to queues at retailers. So, instead of expanding a clunky government system, we will reform the rules to allow the market to deliver innovative, user-friendly services for drivers.”
Bishop said a handful of E-RUC companies already did this for about half of the country’s heavy vehicle fleet and there were several companies, both domestic and international, with technology that could make complying with RUC cheaper and easier.
…
Bishop promised the changes would support “a more user-friendly, technology-enabled RUC system” with multiple retail options available to motorists.
“Eventually, paying for RUC should be like paying a power bill online, or a Netflix subscription. Simple and easy,” he said.
“I expect to pass legislation in 2026, followed by an updated Code of Practice for RUC providers. We will also engage with the market in 2026 to assess technological solutions and delivery timelines. In parallel, NZTA and Police will upgrade their systems to support enforcement in a digital environment.“
“Leaked FBI Document Reveals Jeffrey Epstein’s Secret History as an FBI Informant”
August 5th, 2025Keep in mind that whatever is released on Epstein will be a limited hangout.
Via: Radar Online:
Jeffrey Epstein was secretly working with the U.S. government, according to bombshell documents obtained by RadarOnline.com.
The late tycoon and pedophile, who died in jail in 2019 aged 66 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, was “more than just protected – he was a puppet, informant and spy for the FBI,” added an intelligence agency source.
A 2008 internal file obtained through a successful Freedom of Information Act lawsuit show Epstein was operating as an FBI informant prior to his now-infamous 2007 sweetheart plea deal.
“Epstein has also provided information to the FBI as agreed upon,” a special agent whose name was redacted write on an internal cable dated Sept. 9, 2008, marked “ROUTINE.”
It added: “Case agent advised that no federal prosecution will occur in this matter as long as Epstein continues to uphold his agreement with the State of Florida.”
That bargain – struck with the Department of Justice when Epstein was facing potential federal charges for trafficking minors across state lines – allowed him to plead guilty to reduced state-level charges in Florida, serving just 13 months in jail, much of it under work release.
The agreement was infamous not only for its leniency — but also for granting immunity to Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators and for being concluded before all of his victims had even been interviewed or his electronics seized by authorities.
At the heart of the deal was Alex Acosta, then US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Acosta, now 56, would later resign as Donald Trump’s Labor Secretary after scrutiny of his role in the Epstein case intensified.
Acosta claimed he had been told to back off Epstein. He said: “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone.”
NASA to Announce Expedited Plans “To Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon”
August 5th, 2025[???]
Via: Politico:
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will announce expedited plans this week to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, the first major action by the former Fox News host as the interim NASA administrator.
NASA has discussed building a reactor on the lunar surface, but this would set a more definitive timeline — according to documents obtained by POLITICO — and come just as the agency faces a massive budget cut. The move also underscores how Duffy, who faced pushback from lawmakers about handling two jobs, wants to play a role in NASA policymaking.
“It is about winning the second space race,” said a NASA senior official, granted anonymity to discuss the documents ahead of their wider release.
“New Definition of Death” So We Can Harvest More Organs
August 5th, 2025Via: Off-Guardian:
The justification is simple: we need more donor organs, and there aren’t enough people suffering either brain death or circulatory death. Therefore, we must broaden our definition of death to include people who are comatose for a long time.
People who are comatose aren’t really alive, after all. It’s the higher functions that really define life.
Mexico Mandates Biometric Digital ID by 2026
August 4th, 2025It’s coming very fast now.
Via: Reclaim the Net:
Mexico has formally mandated the use of a new biometric-based digital ID system, making compulsory a previously voluntary identification mechanism known as the Unique Population Registry Code, or CURP.
Under the new law, CURP IDs will now incorporate detailed personal biometric records, including fingerprints, iris scans, and photographs embedded within a QR code.
The government plans a phased rollout, expecting full nationwide adoption by February 2026.
Historically, CURP codes facilitated everyday interactions such as filing taxes, registering companies, school enrollments, and applying for passports.
Accompanying this shift is a broader initiative to consolidate multiple government databases into a single Unified Identity Platform. Within 90 days, the Ministry of the Interior and the Digital Transformation Agency must launch the unified platform, which will be integrated into various public and private institutions’ databases.
Additionally, a separate program aimed at systematically collecting biometric data from minors is slated to commence within 120 days.
Related – Britain: Keir Starmer Is ‘Seriously Considering’ Introducing Digital ID System
AI Is Doing Job Interviews Now
August 4th, 2025Via: Fortune:
AI is replacing human hiring managers in job interviews—and candidates are pushing back. Despite being unemployed, professionals told Fortune they’re refusing to take calls with bots, calling it an “added indignity” and a red flag for company culture. Still, stretched-thin HR teams say it’s the only way to handle thousands of applicants.
Redwood Materials Repurposes Used EV Batteries for Fixed Energy Storage
August 3rd, 2025Redwood Materials is acquiring old EV battery packs that have years of useful life remaining when they are repurposed as fixed energy storage.
The number of these packs is growing exponentially.
Notice the wide spacing and white wrap. That’s an attempt to keep the whole place from going up in case an individual pack experiences thermal runaway (lights on fire, in other words).
Redwood Materials is running this in Nevada desert conditions, where summer temperatures routinely exceed 100F. If this can work there, it can work anywhere there’s space available.
Via: CNBC:
Companies Offering Top AI Researchers Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
August 3rd, 2025Via: Ars Technica:
Silicon Valley’s AI talent war just reached a compensation milestone that makes even the most legendary scientific achievements of the past look financially modest. When Meta recently offered AI researcher Matt Deitke $250 million over four years (an average of $62.5 million per year)—with potentially $100 million in the first year alone—it shattered every historical precedent for scientific and technical compensation we can find on record. That includes salaries during the development of major scientific milestones of the 20th century.
The New York Times reported that Deitke had cofounded a startup called Vercept and previously led the development of Molmo, a multimodal AI system, at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. His expertise in systems that juggle images, sounds, and text—exactly the kind of technology Meta wants to build—made him a prime target for recruitment. But he’s not alone: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly also offered an unnamed AI engineer $1 billion in compensation to be paid out over several years.
Palantir Gets $10 Billion U.S. Army Contract
August 2nd, 2025Via: The Register:
There are no official criteria for what constitutes membership in the upper echelon of the US military industrial complex, but a $10 billion deal that consolidates dozens of contracts under a single blanket purchase agreement sure makes it seem like Palantir has earned entry.
The US Army announced on Thursday that, rather than continue to buy Palantir products on one of 75 different contracts the branch has with the data analytics software company, it’s awarding a ten-year Enterprise Agreement (EA) with the aforementioned cap of $10 billion. Like a standard blanket purchase agreement, the deal allows the Army to buy what it needs from Palantir over the course of a decade.
Trump’s $200 Million Ballroom Addition Is Larger Than The Existing White House
August 1st, 2025Um no, they’re getting a gold ballroom. https://t.co/h8CbeaW07Y pic.twitter.com/QxaDvsQUla
— Truthstream Media (@truthstreamnews) August 1, 2025
I have run hundreds upon hundreds of DFT-inflection charts from diverse ICD mortality, sources, and indices – and they either are flat (normal) or they inflect at Week 14 of 2021.
At this point, I really don't care what shallow reasoning you bring to counter this data. The… pic.twitter.com/GJhXCmaxiL
— Ethical Skeptic ? (@EthicalSkeptic) July 31, 2025
Via: Forbes:
Trump has been talking about building a ballroom at the White House for a decade. During a 2016 campaign event in Ohio, he said he offered to build a $100 million ballroom during the Obama administration but his offer never went anywhere. Trump in February, while signing executive orders, said he offered to build a ballroom for the White House similar to one at his Mar-a-Lago estate while Joe Biden was in office, but “never heard back.” He said then that he would be pursuing the project himself and then in May told NBC News he was going to build a “world-class beautiful ballroom,” which “they’ve wanted for probably a hundred years at the White House.” In June, he posted to Truth Social that he would be funding the construction of the space and said other presidents didn’t have the experience to complete such a project. “But I do, like maybe nobody else, and it will go up quickly, and be a wonderful addition, very much in keeping with the magnificent White House itself. These are the ‘fun’ projects I do while thinking about the World Economy, the United States, China, Russia, and lots of other Countries, places, and events.”
