The Disappearances in Minnesota
The Disappearances in Minnesota - emptywheel
Right now, all the focus is on competing videos of conflicts involving Alex Pretti and his murderers. But the bulk of kidnapping that proves this is a paramilitary occupation remains disappeared.emptywheel
Where It Ends
Where It Ends
Answering the enabler's constant question, and contemplating the depraved depths of the billionaire mindset.A.R. Moxon (The Reframe)
Notepad++ users take note: It's time to check if you're hacked
Suspected China-state hackers used update infrastructure to deliver backdoored version.
More than 400 RCMP members accused of misconduct
More than 400 members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were accused of misconduct in 2024, leading to at least 20 dismissals and resignations.
According to the RCMP, it logged 443 cases of alleged misconduct in 2024 involving 408 employees. Nearly one quarter of these cases resulted in “serious” disciplinary measures, such as being declared ineligible for promotion or being forced to forfeit more than 80 hours of pay. Ten RCMP employees were also demoted to a lower rank or level, which was more than double the number of demotions made over the previous two years.
Five per cent of the misconduct cases, or approximately 22, resulted in termination or direction to resign, which was the most severe consequence. Over 70 per cent of cases led to remedial or corrective measures such as special training, close supervision or deferred promotions.
The misconduct cases were revealed in the RCMP’s Report on the Management of the RCMP Conduct Process, which was quietly released on Jan. 21. The report from Canada’s federal police force covers the 2024 calendar year.
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Five per cent of the misconduct cases, or approximately 22, resulted in termination or direction to resign, which was the most severe consequence.
Well, it's progress. We used to promote them and put them in charge of standards and training.
Honestly, this could be a good thing. It may look like more misconduct is happening, but it also could be the same amount as always. Only now it's coming to light and being dealt with.
ACAB, but maybe, just maybe, there's a little bit of light on the horizon?
A WhatsApp bug lets malicious media files spread through group chats
A WhatsApp bug lets malicious media files spread through group chats | Malwarebytes
Google’s Project Zero team found that WhatsApp can download a malicious media file without you doing anything at all.Pieter Arntz (Malwarebytes)
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That would be a coincidence since Bitcoin was created by a single college kid.
But I've seen SN's website a few years before 2022 when I figured out his identity and Putin knowing his identity would not be surprising considering what was on his main page.
What stuff is being said about in the Epstein files?
Basically, Epstein was the manager of Putin's wealth.
justice.gov/epstein/files/Data…
cyberdaily.au/security/13164-j…
techcrunch.com/2026/01/30/info…
Epstein had some connection to REDACTED from MIT Media Lab and I think that’s Joi Ito.
Epstein tried repeatedly to set up a meeting to sell Putin on the idea of bitcoin in 2014.
That particular meeting fell apart, because Epstein realized it would look terrible to visit Putin so soon after the shootdown of MH17. But I wouldn't be shocked if they did successfully meet sometime later.
Some people have joked that the only practical use case for bitcoin is to make financial crimes much easier. But what if that's not a bug, but a feature? Perhaps the whole objective of bitcoin's invention was to make financial crimes easier for Putin and the Russian mob.
Ito introduced Epstein to Jeremy Rubin (core bitcoin dev), which turned into Epstein directly funding Rubin. Search for "Jeremy Rubin" in the files and you'll find checks to him, docs about the formation of "Deploy Capital LLC", potentially backed with Peter Thiel who was trying to invest in Level One and Bitmain. Iozzo was involved in that stuff too: justice.gov/epstein/files/Data…
So if that's all true, is bitcoin just a bunch of Putin's money? Nothing here is conclusive, but it isn't so far fetched anymore, either.
But suddenly, this bizzare email exchange makes some sense. Epstein and Ito were panicking about the feds tracking down Putin's wealth, because they knew following the money would lead right back to them.
Also, now we might know where Epstein got his mystery billions! Because they weren't his billions, they were Putin's.
Informant told FBI that Jeffrey Epstein had a ‘personal hacker’ | TechCrunch
The hacker allegedly developed zero-day exploits and offensive cyber tools and sold them to several countries, including an unnamed central African government, the U.K., and the United States.Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai (TechCrunch)
friends with the boyfriends class
Private members aren't actively blocked from external access; they're passively marked "Access prohibited".
That means that rather than being unable to find the members of a class, C programmers simply can't pick up on the signals telling them that they're not wanted.
(Fellow C programmers: I'm joking. :D)
We talked a lot more through the night and had to really concentrate to not get thrown out, haha.
Windows' UX is shit.
Windows 11 still has its settings splattered across multiple applications. The Settings application has all the shiny new gimmicks they added, yet still lacks any way to change some basic settings. If you need to reset a local user's password, you're stuck going back into the now-gutted Control Panel to do it. And if you want to change something that Microsoft feels the average user shouldn't be allowed to know exists, you're using the group policy editor to do it.
Or, how about the way that there's at least two applications installed by default that do the same or very similar things? Windows Media Player or Videos? Paint or Paint 3D? Cmd.exe or Windows Terminal?
How about the design language inconsistency? The Run dialog was left looking like a Windows 7 dialog and didn't get a dark mode until the mid 2020s. The Event Viewer and Windows Firewall UIs are still something right out of Windows XP, but with Vista-smeared paint applied on top.
Or, if that's not bad UX, then how about the ads in the start menu? Or how OneDrive tries to trick you into uploading your desktop to the cloud? Or, maybe all the telemetry services running in the background and slowing shit down?
If you're using a distro with a worse UX than that, then that's on you. There's plenty of options that provide a more cohesive UX than Windows
To be fair, the UI Control Panel of Windows has become more and more fragmented. Windows 11 is slowly transitioning different settings into the Settings App. It's going slow and I have no idea if Microsoft will ever finish the job. When Windows 11 was first released, Settings had so many shortcuts to Control Panel elements that it was totally useless. My thoughts (hope) are that Windows 11 is what Windows Vista was - a transition that would be a bloody mess - and at some point Windows 12 will come and people will like it because they reintroduce elements that people miss and fix some of these inconsistencies.
But how things are run, it will probably be filled with even more reasons to ditch Windows.
What this whole thing has taught me is that there is a market among billionaires for someone to peddle enslaved kids.
Now epstein is gone, and has been for years, but that demand doesn't just die. I don't have proof, but there is zero doubt in my mind that epstein is not a one and done. There's either another epstein, or more likely a dozen smaller epsteins out there.
There's a part of me that thinks all these ICE abducting kids is being done at trumps order, specifically as a means to replace epstein.
Your point reminds me of the logic behind certain religious psychologies that see this world not as an end in itself, but as a proving ground or a purgatorial space. Its morality is sometimes inverted for a higher, otherworldly purpose.
Take public execution in medieval Christian Europe. While a spectacle of deterrence, some theologians (like Nicholas of Cusa aka who I picture rubbing my rod at night) grappled with a darker rationale: that the intense physical pain of burning could serve as a form of accelerated penance. The idea was that this suffering might pay the temporal debt of sin before death, potentially sparing the soul a longer, more severe punishment in the afterlife. The executioner, in this context, was performing an act of supposed spiritual charity, which is actually why executioners were often clergy or faith oriented men.
This mirrors,the core doctrine of Frankism, an 18th-century Jewish heretical movement. Frankists believed in 'redemption through sin.' Their goal was at times personal regret, but a cosmological acquisition of a higher knowledge. The pleasure or suffering of the sinner was incidental to this divine path to regret and penance.
We see a third variant in groups like ISIS. When they stoned Muslims for adultery, it was framed as enacting divine law to purify the community and offer the sinner ritual atonement. When they cut the throats of Western captives, the logic switched entirely to theater of terror, a spectacle for global distancing (stay in your country, as a result of the frequent invasions of countries from west asia), but also because in Islam, the act of cutting through the neck artery is seen as a quick and painless death. It causes death quickly because oxygen output runs out very fast and is why it is the mandatory way of making meat halal, part of it is to use a quick, simple and relatively painless death.
The unifying, and strangely rational, thread is this: when reality is viewed through an eschatological or cosmological lens, worldly concepts of pleasure, pain, and even morality become secondary. Acts are judged not by their immediate human cost, but by their function in a grand narrative of spiritual war, purification, or redemption. It's a logic that operates on a plane completely separate from humanist rationale because humans are not the end all be all.
Qanon was correct in the same way your conspiracy theorist uncle was right about MKULTRA. There's a quick summary that can give a pretty big overlap of them and reality, but that's not why these people believe this, and the more details, context, or scope you add the less they align.
Qanon is an intellectual descendant of the satanic panic, and the framing it uses is very much in that line of thinking. It's framing it as political enemies raping young children as part of a dark ritual that involves blood libel.
The Epstein situation in contrast is that the rich, powerful, and influential run in overlapping social circles and within them there are people whose role is to facilitate connections (Peter Thiel actually facilitates a similar role). These people may also facilitate other connections like drugs (there's so much drugs in the Epstein stories) and pimping. The pimping for the elite, at least by one of these people, also seemed to disproportionately traffic adolescents and many of the rich, powerful, and influential clients, friends, and connections of this man seemed to either partake in his underage victims or knowingly look the other way in order to maintain these beneficial connections.
Both of these are very bad things involving the rich and powerful engaging in pedophilia, but the former is utterly fantastical and originates in a panic with no evidence and itself lacks evidence, while the latter is a realistic situation that has a lot of evidence for it
Beyond just the pedophilia, his (Epstein) operation was largely one of socialising, and securing (probably coerced) introductions from people he helped facilitate and now held blackmail over.
e.g. using blackmail material on a Bill Gates to secure an introduction to another wealthy and influential individual, offering them a “massage” and then producing kompromat at a later date to bring them into his circle.
Now don’t get me wrong, everyone who found themselves in this position was a willing participant, not a victim - but I can understand how so many oligarchs eventually found their way into his little black book.
Noam Chomsky, that's what broke my faith in humanity. His work in linguistics is why I'm a computer scientist, his work in political activism was my introduction to leftist theory, so much of what I do and think every day is directly influenced by his work.
Turns out at the end of the day he's a neo-liberal apartheid supporting hypocrite and possibly a pedophile.
Pre 2008 conviction contacts can be excused by ignorance. E.g. Stephen Hawking visited Epstein Island with other scientists in 2006.
Gates was happy to make house visits to Epstein in 2011-2014
There were also single contact people that can be explained by Epstein operating a honeypot. If he could worked with you, he would get blackmail on you. And then you get scenes like this in The Simpsons after Matt Groening's name appeared on the flight list.
getyarn.io/yarn-clip/f69c968e-…
And tonight, the following celebrities have been arrested:
The Simpsons (1989) - S06E19 Comedy clip with quote And tonight, the following celebrities have been arrested: Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share.Yarn
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drewdevault.com/2023/11/25/202…
Something that the society achieved in the last 150 years are two dogmas:
- 5/7 8 hours workweek is a maximum
- people before 18 should not have sex with people after 18
I'm kinda glad that questioning these puts one into a category of weirdos.
5/7 8 hours workweek is a maximum
I question this, it's way too much labor with not enough compensation.
thank you.
very important to share here.
unfortunately I've heard similar phrasings and ideas expressed by 20- and 30-something year olds in the gaming community.
still has me feeling unwell.
Jpeg XL is such an unsexy name though. (In my opinion) JPEG is already seen as an ancient format, there are plenty of even main stream memes about it's artifacting quirks. And now you just want to slap more stuff on it? Make it extra large. Sounds like bloat to me!
To be real for a second; I'm sure it's a fine format and suited for the future, but the name really does put me off it a bit 😄
but the personal life of the person who made it should not be a factor at all.
The data windows collects about you goes in the hands of people involved in a pedo sexual abuse scandal. You should be indeed concerned
You would in fact be severely limited if you only used products made entirely by people who are ‘perfect’ in every way.
Who is talking about people that are perfect in every way? Do you think that people believe that Linus Torvalds is perfect? He is not. We don't need people to be 'perfect', but not being part of a child molesting ring is good start.
Raping children is what you call 'not perfect'?
No, simply no — try that comment again only do it without defending child rapists.
this guy wouldn't pay for sex
Software is like sex; it's better when it's free. Torvalds Linus
Former PMs Harper, Chretien discuss nationalism, defence in sit-down conversation
Former prime ministers Stephen Harper and Jean Chretien sat down for a fireside chat in Ottawa to discuss the topic of “Canada and the World,” moderated by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).
Ahead of the conversation, Harper received an RCGS Gold Medal at a ceremony in Ottawa, in recognition of his “distinguished career in public service,” according to the organization.
Harper on nationalism
“We are living in an age of nationalism,” Harper says, adding that Canada has no reason to not being nationalist. “We have a lot to be proud of.”
Former PMs Harper, Chretien discuss nationalism, defence in sit-down conversation
Former prime ministers Stephen Harper and Jean Chretien sat down for a fireside chat in Ottawa to discuss the topic of 'Canada and the World,' moderated by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).Spencer Van Dyk (CTVNews)
When he was talking about Policy and judging how it's going to look years later, and remembering his policy of muzzling scientists, he earned my bombastic side-eye.
Fucknut chair of the IDU is a fascist through and through.
What about merging the Reform Party with the Cons?
Campaigning on banning gay marriage?
The weekly scandals while in office?
Firefox's AI Kill Switch Lands in Firefox Nightly, Slated for Firefox 148
Mozilla finally landed today the long-anticipated AI Kill Switch controls for Firefox, which let users strip the open-source web browser of any AI-powered features, and you can test it right now in Firefox Nightly.In December 2025, when Mozilla appointed its new CEO, the company developing the popular Firefox web browser revealed that it was working on an AI kill switch that would let users completely disable all the AI features that had been included in the past few releases, estranging more and more loyal users.
Now, the AI kill switch is finally a reality as it landed today with the latest Firefox Nightly update. The implementation is called “AI Controls” and can be found in Firefox’s settings as a standalone section. From there, users can toggle a setting called “Block AI Enhancements” to remove any AI features.
Firefox's AI Kill Switch Lands in Firefox Nightly, Slated for Firefox 148 - 9to5Linux
Mozilla has implemented the long-anticipated Firefox AI Kill Switch controls that strip the web browser of any AI-powered features.Marcus Nestor (9to5Linux)
📣FORUM DEBAT CONCERT, Journée en solidarité avec GAZA
🎶Concert HIP HOP JAZZ
📆Samedi 7 février à partir de 16H00 au Canal 93 - 63 avenue Jean Jaurès 93000 Bobigny
🕓16H Forum, restauration solidaire et stands associatifs ventes de produits palestiniens en présence de l’association Boboch Solidaire et @collectif.sevranpalestine
🕕18H Débat - Gaza, face à l’inacceptable, comment pouvons-nous garder espoir et agir en solidarité avec les populations ?
En présence de Camille Mjati coordinateur @projet.muftah @institutiremmo et Abeer Hamad @abeerpalestine présidente de l’association des Palestiniens de France et directrice de la troupe AlQuds où elle chante les chansons du folklore palestinien.
🕗20H Concert du groupe RADIO GAZA @radiogazaofficial
👉Radio Gaza réunit Watar Band, le rappeur Abu Joury et le chanteur Moneim Adwan pour réinventer les chansons traditionnelles palestiniennes. Entre oud, bouzouki, guitare et percussions, leur musique mêle émotion et engagement, offrant un concert où poésie, danse et appel à la justice se rencontrent.
👉Les musiciens exilés de Gaza sont accueillis en France depuis janvier 2025 au sein du programme PAUSE porté par le Collège de France et l’association Al Kamandjâti @alkamandjatifrance
ℹ️Infos pratiques :
🆓FORUM + DEBAT GRATUIT DE 16H à 20H
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🪩CONCERT DEBOUT
🥗RESTAURATION PALESTINIENNE SUR PLACE
Operation Sovereignty - Germany plans a breakthrough from M$
'Cuba: Comprometida con la paz, lista para luchar por su soberanía'
'Cuba: Comprometida con la paz, lista para luchar por su soberanía' - Panorama-Mundial
El 16 de enero de 2026, cientos de miles de cubanos marcharon y se manifestaron en La Habana para rendir homenaje a sus compatriotas muertos durante el asalto de Estados Unidos contra Venezuela dos semanas antes.world-outlook.com (Panorama-Mundial)
'Cuba: Comprometida con la paz, lista para luchar por su soberanía'
cross-posted from: lemmy.ml/post/42599528
enero 27, 2026
'Cuba: Comprometida con la paz, lista para luchar por su soberanía'
enero 27, 2026'Cuba: Comprometida con la paz, lista para luchar por su soberanía' - Panorama-Mundial
El 16 de enero de 2026, cientos de miles de cubanos marcharon y se manifestaron en La Habana para rendir homenaje a sus compatriotas muertos durante el asalto de Estados Unidos contra Venezuela dos semanas antes.world-outlook.com (Panorama-Mundial)
A 'Terrifying Line Is Being Crossed,' Warns Minneapolis Mayor as More ICE Horror Stories Emerge | Common Dreams
Jan. 31, 2026
According to a Saturday report in the New York Times, concern over ICE’s brutality has grown to such an extent that many Minnesota residents, including both documented immigrants and US citizens, have started wearing passports around their necks to avoid being potentially targeted.CNN on Friday reported that ICE has been rounding up refugees living in Minnesota who were allowed to enter the US after undergoing “a rigorous, years-long vetting process,” and sending them to a facility in Texas where they are being prepared for deportation.
A 'Terrifying Line Is Being Crossed,' Warns Minneapolis Mayor as More ICE Horror Stories Emerge
In an interview with the New York Times, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described "marauding gangs of guys just walking down the street indiscriminately picking people up."brad-reed (Common Dreams)
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Firefox is adding a switch to turn AI features off
Firefox is adding a switch to turn AI features off
Mozilla is launching a new option that will allow you to turn off AI-powered features inside Firefox, including abuilt-in chatbot, AI translations, AI tab groups, and more.Emma Roth (The Verge)
Adobe Animate is shutting down as company focuses on AI
Adobe Animate will be discontinued on March 1, 2026, as Adobe shifts its focus to AI.
Archived version: archive.is/newest/techcrunch.c…
Austrian watchdog orders Microsoft to stop tracking schoolchildren in Microsoft 365 Education
Austria’s data protection authority has ruled that Microsoft unlawfully used tracking cookies on a student’s device through its education software, marking a further regulatory setback for the company’s use of personal data in schools.
Austrian watchdog orders Microsoft to stop tracking schoolchildren in Microsoft 365 Education - CADE – Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment
The Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) has ordered Microsoft to stop using tracking cookies in its Microsoft 365 Education service after finding that the company processed a pupil’s data without valid consent.CADE – Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment
Mavvik
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in reply to bravemonkey • • •Part of this is because whenever something works, it inconveniences Doug Ford and his buddies so they make things worse.
Banning speed cameras is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Of course drivers don't give a fuck.
darcmage
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