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S2Underground 6 months ago
//The Wire//1800Z August 1, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CHRISTIANS AMBUSHED AT CHURCH EVENT IN SEATTLE. MULTIPLE FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED INTO STUDENT ALTERCATION AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Washington: An ambush was reported in Seattle at a Pursuit Northwest Church event last night. One person was killed after unknown attackers opened fire on them, while laying in wait inside a vehicle parked on the street. The attacker(s) fled the scene after the shooting in a white Hyundai Elantra, which has a broken window. The Seattle Police Department has confirmed that the shooting was a deliberate ambush targeting churchgoers. Analyst Comment: This is the same Church at the center of recent controversy in Seattle, and the same Church that was berated by Seattle police for having the audacity to express their faith in public. This Church was condemned by the Seattle police union a few months ago for holding an event at a park deep behind the lines into ANTIFA-held terrain, with the police complaining that they had to protect the churchgoers from violent criminals. Following this incident, it was made clear that the city itself not only approved the permit for this event, but specifically suggested that exact park. Now, the violence continues, not only by parishioners being beaten by the crowd, but now including murders of people trying to go to Church. From a risk management perspective, this is one of the most clear cases of violent religious persecution in the United States, and the city is very obviously not interested in combating the violent militants which are now shooting and murdering Christians in the streets. The federal Department of Justice has not commented on this incident, nor is there any indication of federal interest in Christians persistently being attacked (and now murdered) in Seattle. Florida: The Department of Justice has responded directly to an altercation between two students at Florida State University. The FSU Police Department has launched a full investigation in to the incident, and Attorney General Pam Bondi has ordered US Attorney Jack Heekin, the US Civil Rights Division, and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon to launch a full federal investigation into the incident as well. Florida Congressional Representatives have also gotten involved, and FSU has brought in third-party therapists to provide free trauma counseling services for students who may have indirectly heard about this incident. Analyst Comment: This event, which warranted the involvement of multiple federal law enforcement agencies, revolves around verbal anti-Israeli comments a woman made in the gym toward another student; this entire response stems around a woman saying mean things to a man in the gym. Of course, a response to this would normally be carried out by a university as harassing someone in the gym in this manner is counter to good social order. Normally this type of behavioral incident is handled in-house (usually with something like a brief suspension from classes, if even that). However, as a particular foreign nationstate was mentioned this incident is being responded to as if a murder took place. Consequently, as it's very clear that these types of statements are by far the most heavily-policed speech crimes in the United States, the woman who made the comments has already been doxxed, suspended from classes, and banned from campus, pending the multiple federal investigations that are now underway. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: In Washington D.C. politics continues as before, most of which isn't immediately pressing but worthy of note. Talk surrounding the potential pardon of both Diddy and Ghislaine Maxwell continues, with no indication of whether or not a decision has been made on either front yet. The Epstein scandal continues to develop by the hour, most of which has been concerning to the point of sheer incredulity. Most people are still trying to figure out what President Trump actually meant when he stated that Epstein was outcast from Trump's circle for poaching the workers at Trump's own resorts. The implications made by this direct statement don't leave much room for interpretation and the reality of that logic is rather sobering for many. The developments in this case alone have cast a shadow over what probably should be a much bigger scandal: the various developments regarding the targeting of President Trump by previous administrations. If the Epstein scandal had not been handled as poorly as it has, more attention would probably be given to the evidence of prior administrations' corruption. However at this point, trust has faltered to the point that even smoking-gun evidence of collusion by intelligence agencies to spread fake information is not met with the intended response...even just a year ago this would have been an earth-shattering story, but compared to everything else that is going on it's not as groundbreaking as one might expect, especially since most people already knew this information or at least assumed as much. Plus (to be brutally honest), when many people are broke, being replaced by H1B-hires, censored everywhere, and federally investigated for criticizing a specific foreign nation, they are not going to care about what happened to Trump. And the White House has burned through a lot of the goodwill that got them across the finish line (mostly from younger conservatives), which for many people has washed away a lot of the good things that have happened, rightly or wrongly. Everyone wants "their guy" to win. And everybody thinks that when "their guy" wins, everything will be vastly better than it was before. In reality, the situation is often only marginally better than the other paths that could have been taken, which is regardless of political party. This "grass is always greener" phenomenon has always been true, but it's still a hard pill to swallow for many, and it's important to remember when it comes to both expectation management and risk assessment. Most of Trump's supporters thought that the crackdown on speech would end when he got elected. But now (in many ways) it's just as dangerous to have certain opinions as before, just in a slightly different way. This is most heavily demonstrated by both the global crackdown on speech and privacy, and also the White House launching headfirst into the same data concerns. Red or blue, it doesn't matter: a future where nothing is private and every bit of personal data is monetized and analyzed...is not exactly a comforting thought for many. Nevertheless, the newly-declassified documents really are an important milestone in the political realm. But despite this importance this situation may fall victim to the age old lesson of politics: if someone alienates a good chunk of their supporter base once they reach power, their supporters may return the favor in kind one day. Whether or not this idea will truly come to fruition is anyone's guess, however this will be important in the context of the challenges faced by Americans over the next few years, especially as speech crimes and censorship efforts continue to be a very significant bi-partisan efforts Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 6 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 30, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: EARTHQUAKE STRIKES WESTERN PACIFIC, TRIGGERING TSUNAMI CONCERNS. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OUTAGE CAUSES LONDON AIRPORTS TO GROUND FLIGHTS. WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW AI-DRIVEN HEALTHCARE INITIATIVE.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----   -International Events- Pacific: A major earthquake was reported yesterday afternoon off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, reaching an estimated 8.8M and becoming tied for the 5th strongest earthquake recorded since records began in the 1960's. Due to this earthquake's severity, Tsunami Advisories were issued for most of the Pacific Rim, to include Hawaii, Alaska, and most of the American west coast. These concerns prompted mass evacuations for millions of people seeking refuge on higher ground. As of this morning, tsunami waves did hit Russia and Japan, though minimal damage was reported. No tsunami materialized in Hawaii or the west coast. United Kingdom: This morning the airspace over most of England was closed due to a technical issue at an air traffic control center in Stanwick. Aircraft at Stansted, Gatwick, and Heathrow were grounded for about 4 hours while the issue was being resolved. Analyst Comment: Details on the outage are hard to verify, however this outage occurred at the same facility that was involved in the infamous outage at Heathrow Airport in 2023. This has caused much fingerpointing and consternation among airlines due to the lost revenue as a result of the outage. United Kingdom: Data security concerns remain paramount as the effects of the Online Safety Act become more clear. Most websites are now locked down and everything from Wikipedia to medical publications have been affected by the act. Analyst Comment: Though it's tough to verify (and possibly fake), at least one user reported that they had to show identification papers for using a food delivery app. While this testimony can't be independently verified, what is true is that the crackdown on the concept of privacy continues to grow. Several politicians have mentioned the possibility of targeting VPN users who try to evade scanning their identity documents and their face to access most of the internet. Meanwhile, children are using certain video games to bypass the face-scanning requirements. Most of the people who wrote the Online Safety Act are of the Atari generation, and do not understand how good the graphics are in most modern video games. Hyper-realistic video games which use motion-capture technology to put the faces of real actors in the game have been extremely effective at tricking apps and websites. Most of the games that rely on this technology also have modes or settings menus for customizing characters...which allow users to strike funny poses with the character on screen...this providing the realistic head and mouth movement that is used by most AI-driven websites requiring a face scan. -HomeFront- Virginia: This afternoon an arson attack was reported in Danville, at the offices of Showcase Magazine. Local authorities have identified the attacker as Shotsie Michael Buck Hayes, who was arrested a short time after the attack. Locals have stated he was targeting Lee Vogler, a local city councilman for the town of Danville. The attacker reportedly broke into the councilman's office, and doused him in gasoline before setting him on fire on the street outside. Vogler has so far survived the attack, and is currently hospitalized with severe burns. Analyst Comment: Locals state that the attack was not due to a political issue, but rather a personal dispute as the attacker and victim knew each other. Whether or not this is true is anyone's guess. Nevertheless, this kind of high-profile (and brutal) attack vector does not occur that often in a small town such as this, so the details that are hard to verify now may become more clear over time. Washington D.C. - This afternoon the Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates the same as before, with markets not reacting much to this news (as this was the expected outcome). Separately, the White House announced a new initiative to increase the use of AI in healthcare. This effort will unite Google, Amazon, OpenAI, Apple, and other companies to more heavily integrate into the healthcare industry. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Exactly what this AI initiative is designed to do is largely a mystery as no solid technical details have been provided as to exactly how the federal government is involved in Big Tech companies integrating into the HIPPA-protected world of patient data. Supporters of this plan have applauded the idea as advertised, however critics of this initiative point out that this is more or less a Social Credit system for healthcare as designed directly by the World Economic Forum in a policy letter just last year. In January of 2024, the WEF produced an article titled "How to harness the power of health data to improve patient outcomes". This article largely revolved around the monetization of data mining as "97% of health data goes unused". This article also highlighted the importance of total surveillance of the human body, using a person's smartphone to surveil their health habits, tracking a person's location at all times, and so on. The plan as announced by the White House today sounds nearly identical to the plan proposed by the WEF, based on the details as made public so far. This has drawn the exact same privacy concerns of the past few years as President Trump's policies become more clear six months into his Presidency. For additional context, Palantir also recently announced a partnership with TeleTracking, an AI-driven analytics company already integrated into many healthcare companies and medical facilities. Considering that a major part of the White House's plan is for all of these companies to share data with each other to build a digital profile of a person, concern is warranted. Reducing paper intake forms for convenience at the doctor's office is a lot different than a person's health insurance company handing over their entire medical record to Facebook for advertising purposes. For all of the touted benefits of this initiative, overcoming the data security and privacy concerns will be a hard sell when/if people start paying attention to what is going on. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 6 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 29, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CAMBODIA AND THAILAND IMPLEMENT CEASEFIRE. HIGH-PROFILE SHOOTING STRIKES MANHATTAN. MOB VIOLENCE IN OHIO HIGHLIGHTS CENSORSHIP CONCERNS.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----   -International Events- Southeast Asia: The war between Cambodia and Thailand has subsided as both sides have agreed to a ceasefire for the time being. The ceasefire went into effect yesterday after the leaders of both nations met in Malaysia to settle the border dispute. Analyst Comment: It is always best to wait a few days before calling the conflict as being over; conflicts in this region have a way of flaring up rapidly again. Nevertheless, both sides appear to be backing down after getting their licks in, though the broader issue of the disputed border remains unsolved. This conflict is most certainly not settled, however things may at least remain tepid for a while. -HomeFront- Georgia: A statewide recall of ice cream has been issued due to contamination concerns. Analyst Comment: This is worthy of note as this safety recall came out at the same time as another nationwide ice cream recall, and confusion between the two recalls can be very serious. The nationwide ice cream recall was issued not due to a health concern, but due to the labels on certain products not containing explicit guidance that dairy products contains milk. However, in Georgia, ice cream products form the Rich's Ice Cream Company were recalled due to listeria concerns, not a labeling error. As such, it's a good idea to double-check any frozen dairy products to ensure that they are safe for consumption. New York: A high-profile shooting was reported at the Blackstone building in Manhattan, which resulted in four fatalities. The shooter has been identified as Shane Tamura, who was recovered deceased at the scene. Analyst Comment: As one might expect due to the high-profile nature of a shooting at this location, the manipulation of information regarding this incident is staggering. At the moment, it appears as though the shooter was attempting to target the NFL headquarters, but accidentally exited the elevator on the wrong floor (or took the wrong elevator altogether, reports differ) and thus ended up actually targeting the Blackstone corporation. Authorities reportedly recovered a note from the scene, which indicates the shooter may have been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease common to football players. Nebraska: This afternoon a large explosion was reported at the Horizons Biofuel facility in Fremont. Three workers remain missing following the explosion, and the cause of the blast is not yet known. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Following a brutal attack over the weekend in Ohio which has gone viral on social media, the impact of this event is worthy of note due to this event serving as not just another reminder of the importance of situational awareness, but also risk management when it comes to everyday social occasions. Two event goers at the Cincinnati Jazz Festival were attacked by a mob in the downtown area, which resulted in both being beaten severely. Local authorities have confirmed that out of the 100+ people who were in the mob (or otherwise were bystanders), only one person called 911 to report the assaults. Yesterday afternoon the Cincinnati Police Chief berated those who expressed anger over this event online, along with those who point out the very obvious racial motivations for this gruesome attack. No arrests have been made, despite the dozens of cellphones that were present at the attack, and the assaults being well-documented on social media by those bragging about taking part in the attack. As concerns grow globally concerning censorship, the situation in Cincinnati is a reminder that the United States is host to significant censorship efforts as well. Police wanting citizens to stop posting evidence of the attackers on social media, to protect the attackers from people disliking them is not solely a British endeavor...plenty of American agencies and organizations view the protection of criminals as one of their primary jobs as well. This is an unfortunate reality that transcends politics, as many Americans are discovering now that the European trend of censoring the identities of actively-wanted criminals is becoming more common and the idea of the "WANTED" poster is gradually being removed from society in certain areas. All things considered, in 2025 it is always preferable to be socially stigmatized on the internet, than it is to ignore indications and warnings that result in one being beaten by a mob in the street. All politics, morality, and philosophical ideations of what a society should be go out the window during a street fight, and though these kinds of attacks should not be accepted in American society, for the moment they are. We should not have to live like this, but that does not change the reality of the situation. As such, no matter which politician is in office, from the local level all the way to the top, it is always the responsibility of the individual to conduct their own risk assessments and make decisions accordingly. And it is the responsibility of every American to set the conditions for holding not just criminals accountable for their actions, but also to change the culture to ensure that criminals fear what their potential victims might do to them, more than the slap-on-the-wrist that the formal justice system will give them. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 6 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 23, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION IMPACTED BY SHAREPOINT BREACH. PEACE TALKS RESUME BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA AS US STATE DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZES SALE OF AMERICAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO UKRAINE.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Turkey: This morning another round of indirect peace talks between Russia and Ukraine began, with no real headway being made by this afternoon. This marks a return to negotiations after the intensification of the war almost two months ago. Analyst Comment: So far all sides have stated that expectations are low for any sort of diplomatic progress. However, various teams of negotiators are at the table anyway, which is progress. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - This afternoon the State Department approved the sale of roughly $172 million worth of military hardware to Ukraine. This order mostly comprises of missile defense systems, repair tools and parts, trucks, and various other logistical support equipment. Analyst Comment: The White House has not commented on this development, however remarks from President Trump a few weeks ago indicate the general mood is to continue aid to Ukraine, but instead of outright gifting military hardware, the Pentagon will make Ukraine pay for it using the American tax dollars that were sent to Ukraine over the past few years. While this is slightly more fiscally advantageous, the elephant in the room is that regardless of who's paying for it, the war continues as before. USA: Fallout from the recent Microsoft SharePoint breach has continued as the scale of this scandal became more clear this morning. The National Nuclear Security Administration was impacted by the breach, with unknown effects. This little-known agency nested within the Department of Energy is responsible for the construction and disposal of nuclear weapons. So far, Microsoft has stated that roughly 8,000 SharePoint servers have been impacted by the zero-day exploit that was discovered a few weeks ago, many of which are servers used by various governmental and defense agencies. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The deterioration of complex (but boring) systems and processes is one of the most catastrophic problems of our modern era that largely goes ignored until something happens. Due to the entire world of nuclear weapons being a highly-sensationalized topic on any given day, this is a good reminder of how civilization decline is a rather serious concern in our modern times. When someone thinks of the administrative management of nuclear weapons, one is likely to be assaulted with a plethora of content regarding the extreme security of our nuclear triad. Consequently, when some sort of problem occurs, the first knee-jerk reaction to a vulnerability is to assume that "surely someone has taken care of this, or mitigated that". And in most cases one would be correct...but not always. Many people have grow accustomed to "zero-fail" systems actually being zero-fail due to the assumption that nothing bad will happen, because nothing bad has happened yet. Over time, this has resulted in a level of trust being placed on systems that today are not nearly as reliable as they are believed to be. In the case of a highly-dramatized topic such as nuclear weapons, it's quite clear that the actual implementation of nuclear warheads is rather well planned and managed....but Microsoft's SharePoint scandal has proven that maybe the companies that actually build the weapons are not as hardened as we all thought they were. From the mass-firings at the 5th Mission Support Group in 2023 due to failed nuclear readiness inspections, to the NNSA being impacted in undisclosed ways by a SharePoint breach (of all things), the American people are perfectly justified in adopting a "don't trust, always verify" mentality regarding systems that *were* zero-fail decades ago, but might not be so fail-proof anymore. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 22, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN SYRIA. MICROSOFT SOFTWARE VULNERABILITY RESULTS IN CYBERATTACKS ON SHAREPOINT USERS. AIRMAN KILLED DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING SERVICE PISTOL, INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE CAUSATION.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: The civil war in Syria continues as before, with various tribes continuing to consolidate gains in their respective areas. The Jolani government remains largely centered in Damascus, and most of the violence continues in Suwayda. Analyst Comment: Most western nations are still pretending that a ceasefire exists and is in effect, when in practice there is no such cessation of hostilities as tribal violence and random executions of civilians are becoming more common on all sides. An American citizen aligned with the Druze was executed a few days ago, drawing concerns of what the international response will be to the escalating violence throughout the region. So far, there hasn't been much interest from the international community to get involved in Syria again, with the exception of Israel and Turkey (who are the biggest external nationstates involved in the conflict so far). However, this is Syria and things happen quickly here. -HomeFront- USA: Microsoft has faced scrutiny for their response to a recent software vulnerability that was recently announced. Over the weekend Microsoft revealed the discovery of a critical vulnerability within the Sharepoint ecosystem, which was discovered after thousands of government and enterprise-level customers experienced significant cyberattacks (mostly from well-known Chinese hacking groups). Analyst Comment: This morning, it became known that this vulnerability was actually already known, and was identified by Trend Micro (a cybersecurity firm) which found the exploit back on July 8th during a hacking competition. Microsoft allegedly issued software fixes to patch the vulnerability, however a few days ago malign actors were observed utilizing the exploit anyway, confirming that Microsoft's efforts to patch this Sharepoint bug were ineffective. Washington D.C. - The Department of the Air Force has launched an investigation into the M18 service pistol following the death of a service member due to safety concerns. The US Air Force will cease all issuance of the M18 platform while the investigation is ongoing, following several other government agencies which have already halted the use of this weapon system due to safety concerns. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: For those who are not aware of the implications of the M18 scandal, this scandal has been building for some time and opinions are sharply divided. Sig Sauer has been the center of much controversy surrounding the P320 (the civilian designation of the M18 service pistol) after multiple reports emerged from owners regarding the pistol not being drop-safe. Most modern handguns incorporate some sort of "drop safety" into their design, which prevents the pistol from firing if the gun is dropped. After admitting there was a problem regarding the drop safety on early P320's, Sig issued a recall and allegedly fixed the issue. However, after some time, an entirely separate series of issues began to be reported, namely that in some cases, the pistol would discharge on it's own at random while holstered. When these reports came out, Sig Sauer did everything in their power to silence these concerns, and several Public Relations efforts were undertaken to shame and gaslight P320 owners into thinking that the problems were entirely the result of the end user and not a design flaw. However, despite the months of denial, problems remained. Several law enforcement agencies halted the use of the M18 a few months ago after very-well-documented cases confirmed that sometimes the M18 will fire a chambered round while holstered, in some cases without even being jostled or otherwise manipulated (thus removing the potential for user error from the equation). Ten days ago, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that they will be transitioning back to the Glock 19 service pistol due to the concerns with the P320 platform. Five days ago, the FBI released a report at the behest of the Michigan State Police, who requested a forensic evaluation of the P320 handgun involved in a completely unprovoked discharge that occurred last month. This forensic analysis did not indicate much, as the FBI was not able to figure out what happened in this specific case. However, their testing did indicate that Sig's claims regarding some of the internal safeties could be overridden under certain conditions. But by and large, this report was mostly inconclusive in determining exactly what is causing these pistols to fire unintentionally. Immediately after this report was released, the US Army stated that they will take no action regarding their adoption of this handgun. A few days later, a USAF Airman at the 90th Security Forces Squadron took his pistol off his belt (while still holstered), and placed the firearm on his desk. The holstered pistol then fired the round that was in the chamber, striking the service member in the chest, killing him. As most people outside the gun world may not grasp the gravity of this situation (understandably so), this incident has the potential to be the "Ford Pinto" of the gun world. Thus, once more details come to light, this may end up being one of the biggest defense procurement scandals of all time. In short, everyone knows there's a problem with the P320/M18 platform, but right now Sig Sauer is the only entity that seems to know what's going on with their pistols, and they aren't talking. The FBI doesn't have the technical know-how to engineer a test to re-create what is going on, but pistols keep going off regardless. And this time, a service member is dead because of the hesitation and lack of aggressiveness to investigate these incidents. Sig Sauer has been sued well over a dozen times regarding this handgun's safety concerns, but once again this has been a tough problem to solve and not many people are willing to put in the work to find the flaw....or to fight VERY well funded legal efforts to stifle the identification of a problem with the P320 platform. Most people are treating this situation with kid-gloves because the firearms community is big-business, and throwing around allegations of a design flaw that can kill someone is a dangerous game. In the civilian world, most firearms enthusiasts have been aware of the problems for some time, but once again haven't been able to nail down exactly what the problem is. Since there are other alternatives to the P320 platform on the market, often times the juice wasn't worth the squeeze when it came to figuring out what is going on here. Most people didn't feel particularly strongly about the issue either way; if someone was concerned about it then they would select a different firearm and move on, no big deal. The issues couldn't be reproduced reliably, and there was enough grey area in the civilian world to allow for some people to keep using the P320 with no issues, but others deciding that it just wasn't worth the risk after years of scandal, especially with a wealth of other firearms on the market at a similar price point that didn't have the headache of scandal surrounding them. In the professional defense procurement world, however, it's a much different game. Regarding the M18's in the US Army alone, the contract that was awarded for this pistol was over $580 million, which means that Sig's company is on the line. And (to speculate slightly) if it eventually becomes known that Sig had prior knowledge of a design flaw that could have prevented deaths...but did nothing about it except to deny the claims and shame those voicing concerns, this has the potential to become a rather serious issue. As a reminder, Sig Sauer has the primary contract to provide not just handguns to the Army, but rifles as well. The M7 rifle was adopted to replace the M4 platform a couple of years ago, and these new rifles are just now starting to enter military use. While the M7 platform has no similar safety concerns, the M18 scandal is still not a good look for the company that is now responsible for providing the bulk of small arms to the US military. In any case, this entire affair is emblematic of much bigger concerns within the defense industry at large. Right now, the United States is operating a peacetime military force. This will not always remain so forever. If the United States cannot reliably trust one of the cheapest individual weapons systems issued to the solider, then not much else can be trusted either...if we cannot do the little things right, there's not much hope in doing the big things right. Of course, these challenges are not out of our grasp, nor are these issues particularly unique. However, sometimes a re-examination of what we're doing - from the top of the military industrial complex, all the way down to the individual - is helpful for staying on track for the challenges ahead. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2100Z July 21, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CHINA BEGINS MAJOR HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT IN TIBET. ALASKA AIRLINES SUFFERS IT OUTAGE, GROUNDING ALL FLIGHTS SUNDAY EVENING.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Central Asia: Over the weekend, Chinese authorities began construction on a major hydroelectric power plant in a remote region of Tibet. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held at a site adjacent to the future Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric Power Plant in Nyingchi. This project is scheduled to be completed by 2033, and for comparison will allegedly be roughly three times the size of the Three Gorges Dam project. -HomeFront- Washington: Sunday evening an IT outage resulted in all Alaska Airlines aircraft being grounded for several hours. Roughly 150 flights were canceled as a result of the outage, and airline representatives have warned of future disruptions due to malfunctioning equipment. So far no cause for the outage has been disclosed, beyond general comments of unspecified equipment failure. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As with most Chinese industrial projects, the scale of the hydroelectric project in Tibet is impressive. However in this case, they are attempting to build the largest hydroelectric power plant in human history...directly in the middle of a region legendary for extreme seismic activity. More broadly however, there are mitigating factors which complicate this seemingly glaring mistake. As the dam will also be built over a river that flows into India, various concerns are present regarding restricting the flow of water into India. Conversely, since India will be the primary customer of the electricity, these concerns will likely waver over time due to India's extremely poor infrastructure. In short, China knows that India is desperate for electricity, so China is going to dam up a river on the Indian border and use what would have been India's own river to produce electricity to sell back to them. Consequently, since this power plant will be used to provide electricity for export, CCP officials probably don't care as much about the national security risks when/if the plant gets destroyed due to an earthquake or due to combat action. Considering that this dam can also be used to halt the flow of water into India, this dam highlights the often forgotten detail that the People's Republic of China rarely does anything that does not also have military value. The Yarlung Tsangpo River (which is known as the Brahmaputra River in India) accounts for roughly 7% of all of the freshwater supply in India (at least, according to the Indian government). This means that China can quite literally turn the screws on India, and apply pressure to their BRICS partner as necessary. Indian leadership, only interested in short-term gains (and cheap electricity), have either forgotten that there's no such thing as a free lunch and/or are so desperate to keep their failing electrical grid from outright collapse that they don't care about the potential military impacts that will occur in a decade when the plant comes online. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2000Z July 16, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: ISRAELI FORCES STRIKE DAMASCUS. ATTEMPTED FIREBOMBER ARRESTED IN MICHIGAN. CONCERNS MOUNT REGARDING SECRET BRITISH PLAN TO HOUSE AFGHAN MIGRANTS.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- United Kingdom: Social backlash has resulted from a court order issued yesterday, which unsealed many details pertaining to a secret government plan to relocate Afghans to the United Kingdom following the fall of Kabul in 2021. In 2022, a plan was created by the Ministry of Defense to covertly extricate roughly 4,500 people from Afghanistan and relocate them to the United Kingdom, after a data breach allegedly revealed that they were working for the British government during the war. On Tuesday, the British citizenry discovered that the true number of Afghans imported under this secret plan was actually over 16,000. Syria: This morning Israeli forces conducted a large-scale airstrike at the Ministry of Defense building in Damascus, with initial damage assessments indicating the complex was nearly completely destroyed. The bombing of Damascus continued throughout the day. Analyst Comment: At the moment it is uncertain as to how far Israel will go (for this specific engagement), however it's possible these are the next steps of their much larger campaign. For additional context, PM Netanyahu's criminal trial was scheduled to begin today, however court was adjourned due to the strikes. Before the cancellation, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee was in attendance at the court. -HomeFront- Michigan: One assailant has been arrested in conjunction with a firebombing attempt that was carried out at the GOP headquarters in Dickinson County on Saturday. Local authorities state that Zayn Edward Arcand attempted to throw an incendiary device at the facility, however the device failed to ignite during the attack. Arcand was arrested shortly after the attack. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The Afghan scandal in the United Kingdom comes as concerns grow regarding the censorship of the citizenry. One of the more important aspects of this case is that everyone knew this was happening at the time in 2022, however a court order banned speech from media groups referencing this scandal. Now that this order has been rescinded, more details pertaining to immigration issues are likely to come to light over the next few weeks. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2000Z July 15, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: FLOODING CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. CONCERNS GROWING REGARDING SHIFTING PRIORITIES IN WASHINGTON.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Syria: Conflict has erupted once again, as fighting has flared up between Druze militias and the collection of Bedouin and pro-government forces loosely aligned under al-Jolani's new regime. A few hundred casualties have been reported in the town of Suwayda over the weekend, and a very hesitant "ceasefire" has been declared after this latest round of fighting. -HomeFront- Colorado: Following a high-profile kidnapping attempt that occurred in Aurora last year, a District Attorney has faced backlash for her efforts to free the perpetrator of the attack. Solomon Galligan was arrested for attempting to kidnap a child on the street in Aurora last year, and on Monday reports emerged that DA Amy Padden was attempting to drop all charges against him because he was found mentally incompetent to stand trial. USA: Flooding incidents continue as before, with heavy rainfall causing flooding throughout New York and New Jersey overnight. In Texas, recovery efforts continue amid constant heavy rainfall, with roughly 160x persons still being reported missing from the initial flooding crisis that struck the Guadalupe River basin two weeks ago. The casualty count for the floods in Texas so far remains at 132x reported fatalities. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: At the moment, the White House appears to be radically shifting priorities on many different issues. The shift to cover up the Epstein client list, and to hush-up all aspects of the case is without question a bridge too far for most people to accept. Claiming that the largest known human trafficking network in the world simply had no clients is an incredulous turning point in history that President Trump will not be able to walk away from hoping that everyone forgets. Likewise, relations between the United States and Russia have deteriorated further following the events of the past few days. The war in Ukraine has sharply veered away from any sort of peace agreement, with the United States ramping up arms shipments to Ukraine once again. Though nothing is confirmed at this point, the usual leaks have indicated that the White House is considering the next wave of aid to Ukraine, and what weapons systems it will entail. Some whispers suggest the US will allow Ukraine to increase direct attacks on Moscow with American arms, and other rumors suggest that the US is looking to send more capable arms and missiles with which to continue the war. Time will tell what is decided, but the bottom line is that the flow chart is pointing toward an increase in the war's activity, and all parties are trending away from peace talks. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2100Z July 14, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WHITE HOUSE LOOKS TO TARIFF RUSSIA AS PEACE TALKS STAGNATE. FLOODING CONTINUES IN TEXAS AS MORE RAINFALL ARRIVES.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Kentucky: On Sunday, a shooting was reported in Lexington at the Richmond Road Baptist Church after a brief police pursuit. Local authorities state that Guy House briefly engaged a police officer near the Blue Grass Airport during a traffic stop, wounding the officer in the initial incident. House then fled the scene, entering the Church that was located adjacent to the airport. Upon entry, House murdered two people, and wounded several others. House was engaged by pursuing officers, and was killed at the scene. Texas: Following last week's devastating floods, heavy rainfall returned over the weekend to the same area. Roughly 6-10 inches of rain fell throughout central Texas, and more precipitation is expected throughout the week. Search and Rescue operations have been halted a few times due to flooding risks re-emerging throughout the region. Washington D.C. - Relations with Russia have deteriorated following efforts by the White House to end the war in Ukraine falling flat. This morning President Trump stated that the United States is looking to implement a tariff of 100% on Russian goods if a peace deal is not reached in 50 days. This afternoon, the Pentagon awarded xAI's Grok a $200 million contract to integrate the LLM throughout the defense community. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Russia is already the most heavily-sanctioned nation on Earth, with very little trade being undertaken between the United States and Russia. American imports of Russian goods amount to roughly $3.5 billion per year, which (for context) is roughly 10 times less than the GDP of Vermont. Consequently, engaging in a trade spat with Russia is unlikely to yield the intended effect. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 10, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MERCHANT VESSELS SUNK IN RED SEA. FLOODING CONTINUES AROUND THE UNITED STATES.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Red Sea/HOA: Two commercial vessels have been sunk off the coast of Yemen by Houthi forces over the past few days. On July 6th, the M/V MAGIC SEAS was struck by cruise missiles and Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), which was rapidly followed up with small arms and RPG attacks via militants in small boats. The next day, the M/V ETERNITY C was attacked in a similar manner. Both vessels suffered severe flooding, finally sinking overnight. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - This morning the FDA granted approval for Moderna's new "Spikevax" COVID-19 vaccine for children 6 months old to 11 years old. Following concerns expressed by the agricultural community, the USDA has reversed their stance on allowing cattle to be imported from Mexico. The decision to re-close livestock imports was made following a new infestation of New World Screwworm (NWS) being reported at a higher latitude than previously disclosed by Mexican officials, and that NWS was present in herds of livestock much closer to the US/Mexico border than previously known. As of right now, all ports of entry are closed to Mexican cattle, while the parasite continues to spread throughout Mexico. Southern USA: Flooding incidents remain constant as severe weather systems continue to develop throughout the region. More severe flooding was reported throughout North Carolina, with water rescues continuing in Durham and many downed trees causing power outages. The Graham–Mebane Water Treatment Plant went offline due to flooding damage, causing a brief water shortage throughout the city of Mebane. The flooding recovery in Texas continues as the total casualty count climbs to 120x fatalities and around 173x people still being unaccounted for. In New Mexico, 3x fatalities were reported as a result of the floods over the past few days, as flash floods struck the town of Ruidoso. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Heavy rain is still being forecast for many areas throughout the American South and along the east coast for the next few days. Considering the rain that has already fallen, in many areas the ground is already saturated, making flooding and landslides much more of a risk. Now is the time to prepare, and consider the impact of weather events becoming much more severe than originally forecast. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 9, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: TENSIONS RISE BETWEEN GERMANY AND CHINA REGARDING RED SEA INCIDENT. TAIWAN BEGINS LARGE-SCALE MILITARY EXERCISE. WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW TARIFF ON COPPER.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Far East: Taiwan began their largest annual military drill yesterday evening, with this year's exercises being the most substantial to date. This drill is scheduled to last 10x days, roughly double the length of last year's maneuvers. Germany: Controversy has resulted from an incident that occurred in the Red Sea a few days ago. German authorities have stated that a Chinese warship operating in the Red Sea deliberately targeted one of their aircraft with a laser with the indent to blind the pilots and/or damage sensor equipment. This incident prompted Germany to summon the Chinese Ambassador to account for the situation, and tensions between the two nations have increased as a result. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - Yesterday the White House announced implementing a 50% tariff on all imported copper. Following this announcement, the price of copper skyrocketed by 13% to a new high today. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The long-term economic impacts of pumping the price of copper are best analyzed by economists. However, the real-world impacts to the average person are plain to see. Anytime a precious metal sharply increases, theft of that metal also rises. Copper theft is already a growing problem in most areas, so opportunistic criminals will likely take advantage of this new high to steal and scrap everything that isn't bolted down (and also most things that ARE bolted down), at least in the short term while the price of copper remains very volatile. Regarding the lasing incident in the Red Sea, these types of events happen very frequently. However, these more soft-targeting efforts are generally a good indicator for which way the wind is blowing in the international arena. Right now China is not very friendly with the west, but particularly the European Union at large. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 8, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: WHITE HOUSE REVERSES STANCE ON EPSTEIN SCANDAL. USA MAKES PLANS FOR RESTARTING ARMS SHIPMENTS TO UKRAINE. TRUMP STATES NO DEPORTATION AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS, EXCEPT AGRICULTURAL WORKERS WHO CAN STAY UNDER NEW WORK PROGRAM.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Texas: Disaster recovery continues following the recent floods that have struck the state. Over 109x fatalities have been reported in conjunction with the flooding in Kerr County and the Guadalupe River basin. Local officials are starting to shift rescue operations into recovery, as the last live victim was recovered on Friday. Nevertheless, the search for the missing continues. North Carolina: Following the landfall of a tropical depression over the weekend, severe flooding struck the Capitol region. Dozens of water rescues were conducted over the past two days in Chapel Hill and Durham, and 4x fatalities have been reported so far as a result of the floods. Washington D.C. - Political activities continue as various press statements and news conferences over the past few days have resulted in a shifting of priorities for the White House. Most notably, the White House has changed perspective on the Epstein case. After months of hype surrounding the potential for arrests, the White House and DoJ have stated that no arrests of Epstein's clients will occur nor will any further documents be released regarding this case. President Trump also verbally berated the journalist inquiring about this change of stance, calling the question a "waste of time". Concerning immigration, President Trump also stated that illegal immigrants will not be granted amnesty, however agricultural and service workers will be granted reprieve from deportation under a work program (the details of which have yet to be released). President Trump has also expressed interest in re-arming Ukraine, following last week's slowdown of supplying Ukraine with missiles for their Patriot batteries. Yesterday afternoon the Pentagon confirmed that they will resume weapon shipments to Ukraine. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: Regarding the flooding in Texas, as unfortunate and inflammatory as it is, the potential for malign action must be considered. Concerns are already growing regarding the operations of the Rainmaker Technology Corporation and their weather modification programs that have taken place throughout Texas. Augustus Doricko, the CEO of Rainmaker admitted to their company conducting operations in south-central Texas on July 2nd...two days before the severe flooding occurred. Additionally, many are wondering why cloud seeding operations were conducted if the remnants of a Tropical Storm were expected throughout the area, and no drought was declared. Of course, it will take many years of investigation to determine the links between all of this, but since time is of the essence and Hurricane Season is well underway, it would be wise to re-examine risk assessments to factor in current events. From a risk management perspective, if hazardous weather is forecasted, it would be wise to plan for that weather system to produce more severe weather than originally forecasted, just out of an abundance of caution. Especially if located in areas where weather modification efforts are being undertaken with zero oversight whatsoever. However, at the end of the day, if you are chest-deep in water trying to save your family, it won't matter if this is the work of a company to manipulate atmospheric conditions, or if it was a freak weather system. At that point, you're in the mud having to make tough decisions. Assess the risk, start taking weather systems more seriously, and have a plan for what to do if the forecast underestimates a situation when it occurs. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 7, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: FLOODING DEVASTATES AMERICAN SOUTH. MULTIPLE AMBUSHES REPORTED AT ICE FACILITIES IN TEXAS.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Texas: Severe flooding continues to impact the state following unusual weather systems producing much more precipitation than originally forecasted. Concerning casualties, 82x fatalities have been reported so far. Hundreds of rescues by small boat and helicopter have been conducted, and Search and Rescue operations continue throughout the Guadalupe and Llano River basins. Texas: This morning, a small arms engagement was reported at the CBP annex in McAllen. Authorities state that an assailant (who has not yet been identified) was waiting in ambush with multiple firearms to target CBP agents arriving for work this morning. After a short firefight, the individual was killed. This shooting comes two days after a separate skirmish was reported at the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado. Friday night, an individual who was visibly armed was acting suspiciously in the vicinity of the Prairieland Detention Facility. Beyond these initial factual details, the timing of events becomes unclear. However, as this situation was unfolding, a group of insurgents were observed maneuvering tactically to the west of the facility, taking up a position haphazardly concealed in a treeline running north/south approximately 50m to the west of the facility's perimeter fence. Shortly after this observation, this element launched their attack by setting off fireworks either as a diversionary maneuver, to conceal the sound of gunfire, or to prompt police to come out of the facility to enter the killzone of their arranged ambush. During the fray, a small arms engagement erupted outside this facility, as the element of insurgents in the treeline opened fire on one of the officers attempting to investigate the situation. No one was killed during the exchange, however one officer was wounded. A total of 11x people have been arrested so far in conjunction with this attack. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The shooters arrested in conjunction with the Prairieland Detention Center skirmish appear to not necessarily be Cartel-affiliated, but the more garden-variety far-left-insurgent-type. Cartel members don't often take breaks during a small arms battle to spray paint graffiti (as has been reported taking place during this engagement), nor do more organized and professional militants usually get caught en masse like this. All of the attackers were wearing body armor at the time of their arrest, but local reports state that only one firearm was recovered (the rifle that jammed and concluded the attack). As such, this is either a very kinetic "protest" event, or a very poor ambush. Concerning the other small arms engagement (the shooting in McAllen), it's possible there is a link between the two, though authorities have not speculated publicly on this yet. Prior to his attack, the McAllen shooter had spray painted the words "Cordis Die" on his vehicle, which was used to ram the gate at the Border Patrol facility to launch the attack. This phrase is most commonly associated with video game culture (such as the Call of Duty franchise), so it's possible that the attack in Alvarado could be linked, even if it's just a loose link based on ideology. Both attacks were conducted with very obvious public relations efforts in mind, and symbology/politics was certainly a focal point of the evidence left behind. Nevertheless, there are so many attacks on Border Patrol facilities at present that it's hard to establish any clear link between all of the groups who have chosen to conduct targeting efforts. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//1800Z July 4, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: MIGRANT CRIMINALS INCREASINGLY IMPLEMENTING ADVANCED TACTICS DURING CRIMES. TRUMP STATES NO PROGRESS MADE WITH PUTIN ON ENDING UKRAINE WAR. NORTHCOM DEPLOYS MARINES TO FLORIDA.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - Yesterday President Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone, to discuss various issues pertaining to the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. After the phone call, President Trump stated that he was not happy with the discussion, as no progress was made on concluding the war in Ukraine. Florida: Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) released a statement confirming that 200 U.S. Marines will be deployed to the state to provide logistical support to ICE. The press release also stated that more deployments are expected. California: A total of 7x Central and South American migrants were arrested yesterday in conjunction with a jewelry heist that occurred back in May. Local authorities state that the Bidrussian Jewelry store in Glendale was burglarized by the seven assailants, who exhibited more advanced tactics than normally presented during a standard smash-and-grab. The city's 911 service and internet connectivity was impacted due to the thieves cutting communications cables and using signal jammers during the robbery. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The use of signal jammers is interesting in that it's a major indicator for the progression of the sophistication of crime in an area. All of the assailants were caught, so it didn't work out too well for them in the end, however this is the latest example of how criminals are learning tactics from around the world. Criminals in South Africa, for instance, are legendary for their widespread use of jammers during criminal activities, both to prevent victims from calling emergency services, but also to disable WiFi cameras and GPS tracking devices. Similarly, the cutting of communications cables has been noted as being effective due to the commonality of climate activists cutting cables in sabotage operations throughout Europe. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 3, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: AX ATTACK STRIKES GERMANY. JUDGES CONTINUE TO HALT IMMIGRATION AND DEPORTATION POLICIES. RECONCILIATION BILL PASSES IN CONGRESS.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Germany: Dissent is mounting following a wave of assaults at public swimming pools throughout the nation. Following the assault of 8x children by Syrian immigrants last week, German authorities have implemented a nationwide media campaign to educate immigrants to the idea that it is not acceptable to assault children. Continuing the trend of violent attacks, an unidentified assailant conducted an ax attack on a train in Bavaria this morning. 4x people were wounded in the attack. The assailant has not been identified (as is standard policy) however locals who witnessed the attack state that attacker was Syrian, however this has not been confirmed yet. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - Despite the recent ruling from the US Supreme Court regarding the judgements of lower courts, a federal judge (Judge Brian Cogan) has blocked the White House's efforts to remove the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) from roughly 500,000 Haitian migrants. Separately, a different judge (Judge Randolph Moss) ruled against President Trump's order to increase scrutiny on those seeking political asylum in the United States from Mexico. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: In Congress, controversy continues regarding the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB). Following last-minute political deals, filibusters, and various political moves, the bill was passed in the House today and is expected to be on President Trump's desk for signature tomorrow. Considering this bill's long history, being introduced in the House, sent to the Senate where changes were made, and then sent back to the House, it will probably be some time before the true contents of the omnibus bill are examined closely. Most of the political pork added to the bill to pretend to appease voters in the House was immediately stripped by the Senate, and further changes were made once the bill landed back in the House. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 2, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: IRANIANS CLOSE AIRSPACE TO COMMERCIAL AVIATION. FBI GETS NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Middle East: This afternoon Iranian airspace was closed along the western border of the nation, ceasing all commercial aviation traffic until tomorrow. This comes a few hours after Iranian authorities briefly opened their airspace to commercial traffic for some international flights. Analyst Comment: As this is a developing situation, it's hard to determine what's going on. Normally, the closure of Iranian airspace indicates some sort of security threat, however their airspace has mostly been closed for weeks now. It's possible that a mixup occurred, or that the Iranians changed their mind regarding re-opening their skies to commercial traffic. Either way it's still a tense situation all around. -HomeFront- Washington D.C. - This morning FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the decision to move the FBI's headquarters has been finalized, and that the FBI will be moving from the J. Edgar Hoover Building down the street to the upgraded and modernized Ronald Reagan Building with offices also expanding to include the old USAID offices in the International Trade Center building. Texas: This morning four individuals were arrested in conjunction with an investigation into a kickback scheme in Houston. One of the individuals arrested was an ICE agent, and allegedly worked with a local bail bond company to lift deportation retainer classifications, for a fee. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: As a reminder, there are still plans to conduct another round of No Kings protests on July 4th. However, considering the abysmal turnout the first time, most of these events probably won't happen or remain comparatively low-risk. The protests planned for July 4th have received none of the media blitz the first protests experienced, and therefore probably won't be that impactful. However, any event that brings large crowds and poor security practices presents risk in our modern times, so being aware of these events is still worthwhile. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//
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S2Underground 7 months ago
//The Wire//2300Z July 1, 2025// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: CARTEL VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN MEXICO. USDA ANNOUNCES OPENING OF CATTLE IMPORTS DESPITE PARASITE OUTBREAK.//  -----BEGIN TEARLINE----- -International Events- Mexico: Cartel violence continues as before, amid a recent wave of murders that have taken place around the country over the past few weeks. Last night, several human remains were discovered hanging from a bridge in Culiacán, with a total of 20x remains discovered throughout the site. Europe: Tensions between Germany and Poland have been on the rise, as recent changes in German immigration policy have caused problems for Poland. Various protests have occurred along the border in Poland, as citizens have voiced concern with Germany deporting illegal immigrants from their country, into Poland. Analyst Comment: This practice has been ongoing for some time, and many legal battles are in progress pertaining to immigration issues that have caused problems among European nations. Nevertheless, dissent is growing among the citizenry with regards to how governments are handling immigration issues. -HomeFront- Texas: Yesterday afternoon the US Department of Agriculture announced that the import of foreign livestock from Mexico will recommence on July 7th. The import of all livestock had previously been halted in May due to an outbreak of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Mexico, a flesh-eating parasite which is infamous for devastating entire herds of cattle, deer, and bison. -----END TEARLINE----- Analyst Comments: The decision to begin re-opening imports of foreign livestock has been received with raised eyebrows for two main reasons: For one, screwworm is very serious and the wisdom of re-opening imports while the outbreak is ongoing is questionable. And secondly the press statement by the USDA essentially boiled down to the USDA trusting Mexico to increase parasite surveillance operations. Trust is hard to come by these days, and this move to re-open imports is at odds with the concerns raised by the state of Texas concerning this disease. Texas agricultural agencies, research groups, and health officials, recognizing the risks posed by NWS have begun more intense efforts to combat the disease. Governor Abbott signed a letter last week ordering the creation of various Task Forces to coordinate and share resources to combat the cross-border transmission of the parasite. The press statement also indicates that the USDA is more or less taking the position of opening up cattle imports, and hoping it doesn't spread. The USDA has been increasing operations to release sterile NWS flies throughout Texas and Mexico, however the timing of this is suspect considering that it was the Mexican Minister of Agriculture that requested the acceleration of timelines concerning the re-importing of Mexican cattle. Since roughly 20% of the beef consumed in the United States originates from Mexico, the decision to allow imports during an outbreak is probably based more on economics than medicine. Time will tell if this is a good decision or not. On the one hand halting beef imports for too much longer will probably cause a rise in prices at the supermarket, but on the other hand NWS was only eradicated in the US during the 1960's after long and arduous efforts, so if this gets out of hand again this has the potential to become very serious once more. Analyst: S2A1 Research: //END REPORT//