A quick housekeeping note: I have just completed a very intense, very good fourteen month long project. I’m a bit wiped, so I’m going to keep tonight on the shorter side.
It is 7:55 PM EST/2:55 AM local time in Ukraine and the drone swarms have returned over all of northern Ukraine.
As I wrote a bit last night in regard to the reporting that USAID’s IG was investigating the contracts between Starlink and Ukraine, one of the two primary questions to be asked of every action by Trump, Musk, Musk’s minions (which include Trump; he didn’t spend 1/3rd of a billion for giggles), other Trump appointees, surrogates, catspaws, etc is who benefits. The other is: if they were actually witting or unwitting assets of one or more hostile foreign powers would they be doing anything differently?
NEW: Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director told senators he has no plans to divest his shares, which his financial disclosure form says were received in exchange for consulting services.
— WIRED (@wired.com) February 7, 2025 at 4:26 PM
From Wired:
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), owns stocks valued between $1 to $5 million in a company that controls Shein, a controversial ecommerce and fashion giant founded in China, according to lobbying and corporate records from three countries reviewed by WIRED. They show that Patel began consulting for Shein one month before the company also retained the services of a lobbying firm where Pam Bondi, Trump’s newly confirmed US attorney general, worked at the time.
In a legally required financial disclosure, Patel told members of the US Senate—who are expected to vote on whether to confirm him next week—that he does not plan to divest his stake in Shein if he becomes the leader of the FBI. He was allotted shares in the fast-fashion company, which is reportedly valued to be worth $50 billion, in the form of what are called “restricted stock units” (RSUs).
RSUs are often given to company employees, who typically cannot cash them out until a certain amount of time has passed or other conditions are met. Patel disclosed that his Shein RSUs began vesting on February 1 and are expected to be paid out quarterly.
Legally, an official like the head of the FBI would not need to divest or recuse until a clear conflict of interest emerges, says Jordan Libowitz, vice president of communications at the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “However, the optics of the situation are not great,” he says. “So we would recommend divestiture or recusal from any matter involving Shein upon taking office.”
In his financial disclosure, Patel said he began working as a consultant for an entity in the Cayman Islands called Elite Depot Ltd in April 2024, which he described as a “Fashion Management Company.” A WIRED review of corporate registration filings, lobbying disclosures, and other public records from the US, UK, and Cayman Islands shows that Elite Depot functions as a parent company for Shein.
Much more at the link.
Disturbing ties between Kash Patel and SHEIN — a PRC company implicated in forced labor in Xinjiang. He has millions in shares and won’t divest.
Especially concerning amid reports that DOJ/FBI is going to reduce focus on PRC influence efforts in the US.
Full detail below from Roger Sollenberger:
— Rush Doshi (@rushdoshi.bsky.social) February 6, 2025 at 10:14 PM
The four motivations that counterintelligence professionals look for are: money, ideology, compromise, and ego, which is turned into the acronym MICE. Patel has attempted to monetize anything and everything since JAN 2021, so we can check that box. He either needs constant large streams of income or he’s got a compulsion to catch up with wealthier colleagues. He’s also got a gigantic ego. He’s branded his names on dozens of products since JAN 2021, so we can check that box too. Ideology wouldn’t be at play here, which just leaves compromise. I have no idea if Patel has or has not done something that would lead him to be compromised. By disclosing these shares and this business activity he removes the potential to be compromised in this instance.
However, it is important to remember that the Trump administration has disbanded the FBI task force targeting foreign influence, organized crime, and white collar and financial crimes.
This tells you who their constituents are. Not American voters. Not Americans at all.
www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat…— Timothy Snyder (@timothysnyder.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
The Role of Drones Must Expand to Render Russian Assaults Increasingly Unfeasible – Address by the President
7 February 2025 – 20:22
Dear Ukrainians!
I held a meeting of the Staff today. It’s important that our military and the Ministry of Defense are increasing not just the number of signed arms supply contracts, but also those being implemented. Reports were presented today on specific types of weapons and equipment, many of which are produced domestically. Army supplies must remain stable, and the share of our domestic production must constantly increase. Also today, a report was made by the Commander-in-Chief on the situation in the Donetsk and Kursk regions. New assaults took place in the areas of the Kursk operation – the Russian army with North Korean soldiers brought in again. A significant number of occupiers have been eliminated, we’re talking hundreds of Russian and North Korean servicemen. And this is crucial – fighting specifically on Russia’s territory prevents the tensions from escalating against our cities, our land; and on our territory, on the frontline – 60 thousand Russian army troops in the Kursk region are the 60 thousand that have not replenished the already significant occupier’s forces in Pokrovsk and other directions of our Donetsk region. I am grateful to all our warriors for their resilience and to every brigade for the result.
And one more thing. Drones are the technological backbone of modern warfare. Ukrainians must be leaders in this field. And in many ways, we already are. Today a meeting was held with the commanders of unmanned systems units, they are among our finest, and the expertise of all our finest will be scaled up. These are the people shaping Ukraine’s new technological defense doctrine. Decisions have been made, drones are being produced and delivered, and the role of drones must expand to render Russian assaults increasingly unfeasible. The Ukrainian state will spare no resources on this, because it is about saving our people’s lives.
I thank everyone who stands with Ukraine!
Glory to Ukraine!
Georgia:
Not a lot posted by my go to sources tonight.
Day 72 continuous, large-scale, nationwide. New elections and the release of the political prisoners.
It’s high time for our partners to officially call for new elections in Georgia for four reasons: 1/2— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
fraudulent elections, U-turn in foreign policy that even regime supporters voted for, systemic torture, and to resolve the ever-deepening crisis.
#GeorgiaProtests 2/2.
📷 Giorgi Burjanadze— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Faceless police in Georgia talk to women like this!
#GeorgiaProtests
— Tamara Jobava (@tamarajobava.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 3:53 PM
There has for years been a meme on Georgian Facebook:
“Does it not tell you anything that everyone is swearing at you?”
“We need to ban swearing?”And yes, today they officially banned swearing at them. 🥴
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Pizza Medici, a small local business, has been broken into and robbed twice after they joined the January 15 strike for new elections and the release of the unlawfully detained. #terrorinGeorgia #GeorgiaProtests
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:48 AM
There are three scenarios that I see for the protests in Georgia, ranked by my perception of likelihood, considering how the regime behaves in recent days: 🧵
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM
1. A relatively quicker victory where the regime’s physical violence is once again unhinged on a mass scale that leads to another round of sharp deterioration on the ground and quick desertion by regime pillars; 2/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM
2. A somewhat slower victory where the regime physical violence is relatively limited and the society goes through a complete cycle of biblical cleansing, with new social contract & paradigms consolidating before the regime is forced to concede, rather than simultaneously with/after our victory; 3/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM
3. A very slow victory with initially largely suppressed street protests that launches a prolonged guerilla societal protest and economic instability due to the regime’s oppressive and economic inability to stabilize itself as a dictatorship. 4/
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM
When we ask for sanctions, we ask to help us avoid whatever costs can be avoided. They cannot win, but they can cause much suffering to Georgians and instability to the wider region.
#GeorgiaProtests 5/5.— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@marikamikiashvili.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Back to Ukraine.
🇫🇷🤝🇺🇦Some official footages by the French Joint Staff in addition to the news about the transfer of Mirage 2000s to Ukraine.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 3:39 PM
(Part 2) Some official footages by the French Joint Staff in addition to the news about the transfer of Mirage 2000s to Ukraine.
— 🦋Special Kherson Cat🐈🇺🇦 (@specialkhersoncat.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 3:39 PM
It’s been 6 months that the Ukrainian military has been occupying parts of Russia’s Kursk region — and it’s been 6 months that the 2nd greatest military power that issues threats to London and Washington on a daily basis in its war propaganda can’t defeat a handful of Ukrainian airborne units.
— Illia Ponomarenko (@ioponomarenko.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 7:42 AM
The Kursk cross border offensive:
It’s been over 6 months since Ukraine captured part of fascist Russia’s territory. Russia has been unable to dislodge the Ukrainian occupying force, even with the help of North Korean special forces (who got mauled). Russia is weak, and Ukraine can win the war – if Kyiv gets enough support.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 11:56 AM
The attack was carried out by a battlegroup of likely 1-2 battalions in size, also equipped with engineering vehicles. Ukraine has a relatively large grouping of air assault, mechanized and other brigades in Kursk, but it’s unclear which participated in this operation. 2/
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The attack appeared to advance on a narrow front towards Ulanok. The troops took control of the small villages of Cherkasskaya Konopelka and Fanaseevka along the road. It is unclear how far the Ukrainians advanced – possibly as far as the outskirts of the village of Ulanok. 3/
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
However, the Russian countermeasures began quickly, and soon images and videos of destroyed or damaged Ukrainian equipment were posted. As of today, the attack on Ulanok was seemingly halted – or at least there has been no credible claims that Ukrainians would have taken it. 4/
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
What did Ukraine achieve? This morning Ukrainians were still present in Cherkasskaya Konopelka, which means they took it at least momentarily. Situation in Fanaseevka is unknown. It remains to be seen if Ukraine is able to consolidate the captured positions. 5/
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Expanding to the east is understandable, As Russia pushes further towards Sverdlikovo on the western flank of the Kursk salient. The terrain in the area could enable the Ukrainians to take favorable positions along the Psel river, pushing Russia further away from Sudzha. 6/
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
A supporting attack from the south, for example towards Plekhovo, could have been needed for larger success. I’m not sure what exactly was the desired outcome of this – possibly just to secure better positions around Sudzha. The coming days will show if they managed to do it. 7/
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Our team at @blackbirdgroup.bsky.social continues to follow the war. Check our map for daily updates. If you want to see the daily changes more clearly, you can open map layers from previous days, weeks and months from the column on the left. 8/8
www.scribblemaps.com/maps/view/Th…
— Emil Kastehelmi (@emilkastehelmi.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:52 AM
A precise strike by Ukrainian forces hit an armored personnel carrier used by North Koreans in the assault. The occupiers seemingly believed that the armor would protect them from drones.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Myropillia, Sumy Oblast:
Last night, russian forces dropped three air bombs on an apartment building in Myropillia, Sumy Oblast, burying three people alive as they slept in their beds.
— Iryna Voichuk (@irynavoichuk.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Toretsk:
Toretsk was once a typical European town, brimming with homes, parks, stores, and schools. Until russian turned it into ruins
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Assault troops of the BSO ‘Eney’ OSBr NPU ‘Lyut’ along with fighters of ‘Khizhak’ and BPOP on the armored vehicle Oncilla conducted a raid on enemy positions in Toretsk. Under fire, they left explosive ‘gifts’ for the Russians in places of cover and ammunition storage.
Full video t.me/wartranslated— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Kharkiv:
Wonderful news for Kharkiv! We now have a separate air raid alert system for the city, distinct from the Kharkiv region. This means fewer alerts overall, which is especially crucial in a city where prolonged days-long alerts or frequent short but hourly ones have been the norm.
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 7:58 AM
This improvement will greatly enhance daily life for everyone, and help the local businesses
— Kate from Kharkiv (@kateinkharkiv.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Pokrovsk:
⚡ Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion of the Spartan Brigade captured six Russian soldiers in the Pokrovske direction. Five of the occupiers hid in a house after a failed assault and surrendered. One more wandered for six days, and upon realizing he had been abandoned, decided to surrender as well.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Zaporizhzhia:
💥 Ukrainian forces confirmed the interception of a Russian guided aerial bomb (KAB) in Zaporizhzhia. This is not the first such interception. Russia uses KABs from tactical aircraft to evade Ukrainian air defenses, but they are no longer considered ‘unstoppable.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 6:19 AM
That’s enough for tonight.
Your daily Patron!
Look at those eyes. Bim is such a kind soul who has been through the worst of war.
— Nate Mook (@natemook.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Open thread!
Adam L Silverman
I’m absolutely fried. I’m going to rack out.
Jay
Thank you, Adam.
hrprogressive
Congrats on the project wrap up.
Just in time to watch the USA be destroyed from within.
funlady75
Loved story about Bim…..Thanks Adam.
Jay
https://nitter.poast.org/Gerashchenko_en/status/1887819767064481811#m
Jay
https://nitter.poast.org/bayraktar_1love/status/1887911147216548070#m
Jay
https://nitter.poast.org/bayraktar_1love/status/1887897854900834464#m
Shalimar
As many others have noted, Musk bought the United States for less than 1% of what he paid for Twitter.
wjca
Adam, thank you for doing this. It’s been an incredibly long slog so far.
Peale
We are really heading to be Poland. Our elites are for sale to everyone who wants to gobble us up and our fricking senate has stupid rules that makes it easy to veto anything. In 4 years half the senate will be asking Xi how to vote, the other half Putin, and everyone else musk.
we’re just pathetic.
and somehow, spending money on food for poor people is considered more ethically challenged than elite whoring.
Jay
@Shalimar:
Putin bought one American and got the whole Rethuglican Party for free.
Ohio Mom
Adam, Congrats on finishing that big project. Now I know why you asked me to wait to remind you about my request.
You know those kid’s books,”So you want to be an airplane pilot” Or nurse, or whatever. The books explain what a typical work day is like, what education and training you’ll need, and so on.
This is what I’d like to see a post about: “So you’re living through a coup” or “So the empire you call home is entering its final days.”
Something along the lines of your oft-quoted post about how to stay safe at a protest march.
Or whatever it is you think we need to know as we enter this new era.
Rest up and thanks!
TBone
Blondi’s ancestors are from Campania, this all smells like syndicate to me. A huge, oily, sleazy, dirty kakistocracy of the connected. Gah! and PEW that smell.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camorra
frosty
@Ohio Mom: Timothy Snyder has probably done a first draft. I confess I haven’t read them, but On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, is a good start.
First lesson, which you’ve heard here frequently: Don’t Obey In Advance.
Peale
@Jay: once Putin started cancelling pride parades and arresting gays in clubs, they just couldn’t help themselves. They would have licked his ass for a nickel after that.
gene108
Concluding quote from the NBC article. The bolded part is what Trump and the Republican party want to happen.
sukabi
Sounds like Trump, Musk and the rest are standing up their own international crime syndicate while “reshaping the US DoJ to be the enforcement / retribution arm…
TBone
@sukabi: 🎯 exactly (same word I used – syndicate).
Jay
https://nitter.poast.org/Aviation_Intel/status/1887966549346238913#m
Traveller
There was a total rejection of any possible truce/ceasefire by Mr Putin’s spokesperson on Wednesday. I kind of vaguely hope that this kind of blanket rejection-ism and obstreperousness might lead to a hardening of Mr Trump’s fondness for Russia and Mr Putin…who says no deal is possible, at all.
Regarding Ukrainian mineral rights in exchange for US Aid, if it is real, Mr Zelenskyy seems to be playing this and Mr Trump…the decision is not mine to make, but I would do some kind of deal.
“A temporary truce, or what many refer to as a freeze of the conflict, is simply unacceptable. The collective West and its individual representatives will use it to enhance the military potential of the Kiev regime and, of course, to pursue armed military revanche,” she asserted.
Zakharova emphasized that Russia requires “reliable, legally binding agreements and mechanisms that would guarantee the prevention of a resumption of the crisis.”
https://tass.com/politics/1909619
Best Wishes, Traveller…someone has to wish us luck in these troubled times!
Jay
@Traveller:
It’s an easy thing for Zelenskii to give away,
Because 800,000+ ruZZian and 12,000 NORK troops are standing on top of those extremely valuable rare metal deposits and all mining and extraction infrastructure in those areas has either been destroyed or looted and shipped back to ruZZia.
dimmsdale
thanks as always, Adam. And congrats on the project completion! Hope it brings you plenty of R&R.
Gin & Tonic
@Traveller: Reliable, legally binding agreements – like the Budapest Memorandum?
Zakharova can eat shit.
AlaskaReader
Thanks Adam
Jay
@Gin & Tonic:
Just to name a few,
https://bsky.app/profile/darthputinkgb.bsky.social
wjca
@Jay:
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, always with the same result. And then doing it again, exactly the same way, because “This time will [magically] be different.”
RaflW
@Peale: Pretty sure Republicans have to pay him more than that for the honor.
Ohio Mom
@frosty: I have t read that book, just about it, and it’s good start but it’s not quite what I am looking for. Snyder says, Take down the swastikas, Adam will tell us how to judge of it’s a good place and time to do so. Or so I hope.
Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom
Congratulations Adam. Enjoy your weekend.
VeniceRiley
@Jay: I knew someone would be paying attention to the Hezbollah pagers operation. Fast action by Ukraine!
Gretchen
Buyers of SHEIN products are mad because their deliveries are held up until they pay the tariffs. But trump told us China would pay the tariffs!
pieceofpeace
Congratulations to you, Adam. Rest well.