Google to Release 32 Million Diseased Mosquitoes in FL and CA

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column: a war on mosquitos, using mosquitos.

Google to Release 32 Million Diseased Mosquitoes in FL and CA

Reader H.L. sent this, from Zero Hedge: Google to Dump 32 Million Diseased, AI-Bred Mosquitoes on Florida and California. JWR’s Comment: Gosh, with such brilliant minds, what could possibly go wrong?

EPA to List Pharmaceuticals and Microplastics

Announced on April 2nd: The EPA’s draft water contaminants list now includes pharmaceuticals and microplastics.

UK Considering Lethal Strikes Without Human Approval

Several readers sent this: UK military looks at allowing lethal strikes without human approval. The article’s opening lines:

“UK defence ministers are re-examining one of the central ethical constraints of modern warfare — that lethal weapons systems should always require humans to choose the targets.

Current UK military policy, published in 2022, said there would be “context-appropriate human involvement” in the selection and engagement of targets. Following rapid advances in drone warfare, some officials are pushing for human involvement to be optional.”

Ebola is Spreading in DR Congo and Uganda

A Barron’s report: Africa CDC Says Over 1,100 Suspected Ebola Cases In DR Congo And Uganda.

Cybercriminals Used an AI-Developed Zero-Day Exploit

Reader C.B. sent this: Google Reports First Known Case of AI-Developed Zero-Day Exploit Used by Cybercriminals.

Ford Has Patented Driver Espionage

Lily mentioned this video from Loyal Moses: It’s Not Your Truck Anymore. They Won.

Is China Spying on You Through Your Smart Home Devices?

At Breitbart: Report: China Could Be Spying on You Through Your Smart Home Devices. A fair use pericope:

“The Hill reports that the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) has released a report warning that two Chinese companies, Quectel and Fibocom, control nearly half of the global market for cellular modules, tiny components that enable smart home devices to connect to cellular networks. This market dominance creates potential espionage and sabotage risks that could have catastrophic consequences for American national security and infrastructure.

The report outlines how these modules are ubiquitous in American life. They are found in common smart household items such as doorbells, refrigerators, and thermostats, as well as in critical infrastructure including ports, hospitals, power grids, cranes, and transportation networks.

According to the report, the primary concern stems from the fact that manufacturers maintain remote access to these modules to provide firmware and software updates. This access theoretically allows the modules to collect large amounts of data and even shut down their host devices. Given China’s national security law, which permits the government to access firms’ data to aid surveillance efforts, Beijing could potentially access a significant portion of Americans’ information.”