[Brownstone Institute] Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Science Advisor (and Scientific Advisor to Bill Gates), Boris Nikolic, who is making a list of "raising stars," many of them scientists, that they "should visit together." Note if you will, the source of the Nikolic bio.
By then, everyone must have known that Epstein was a notorious, convicted sex offender. He had been released from jail only a few months before, on July 22. He had been under investigation since 2005: federal officials had identified three dozen girls whom Epstein had allegedly sexually abused (after a controversial plea deal agreed by the US Department of Justice, he was only convicted of two crimes). Why would a high ranking official of Gates’ Foundation want to organize meetings between Epstein and prominent scientists? If it was about money, surely they could find better-looking investors. What, eventually, were they "going to have fun" with?
One of the revelations of the latest batch of Epstein files is his strong interest in viruses, vaccines, pandemics, and mRNA. Two months after getting out of jail, he is writing about viruses, infectious diseases, and something he calls "My BIG idea."
Or, for instance, in January 2010, he was discussing mRNA and codons.
The latest batch documents of the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, released on January 30, consists of over 3 million pages, with many names redacted. A helpful simulation of Epstein’s inbox has been created, fully searchable and giving access to the contents of over 7,000 emails. With keywords and patience the original documents can then be located on the DOJ website.
The trio Epstein-Nikolic-Gates also features prominently in a long agreement letter sent by Epstein to Gates. According to this 2013 document, Gates "specifically requested" Epstein to "personally serve as the representative" of Nikolic in negotiations over the termination of his work with Gates. The first section of this six-page letter states: "Mr. Gates acknowledges that Mr. Epstein has an existing collegial relationship with Mr. Gates in which Mr. Epstein received confidential and/or proprietary information from Mr. Gates." An analysis of its contents and wider implications can be found in a detailed article by Sayer Ji on Epstein, Gates, and "Pandemics as a Business Model."
In March 2017, two and a half years before Event 201, three years before Covid-19 was officially declared a pandemic by the WHO, an email thread involving Gates and bgC3 (Bill Gates Catalyst 3, now Gates Ventures) speaks of "pandemic simulation."
[MAIL] Five men were arrested in Miami last week after allegedly attempting to bring drugs aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise marketed towards gay people.
The men are facing a variety of possession and trafficking charges after trained dogs alerted to their bags as they tried to board the Symphony of the Seas for what Royal Caribbean touts as 'The World’s Biggest Gay Festival at Sea.'
After the dogs alerted, US Customs and Border Patrol officers searched the men's bags and persons. They found containers of pills and clear liquids that tested positive for methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA and GBL.
The names of the men are Joshua Jenkins, 39, Brad Kloha, 41, Joshua Eddy, 41, Adam Jones, 49, and Hoi Le, 51. P. Diddy is still incarcerated
The men were taken into custody by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office on February 1 and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral.
Eddy was found to have the most drugs and is facing the most serious charges.
Border Patrol officers discovered 'several bags' of pills and liquid that tested positive for 19.3 grams of MDMA, 3.4 grams of ketamine, 7.55 grams of meth and 80 grams of GBL.
GBL is a popular drug in the gay community's party scene. The body breaks it down into GHB, which is a chemical classified as a central nervous system depressant and causes euphoria, disinhibition and increased libido. GHB is sometimes referred to as a 'date rape' drug because it can cause drowsiness, but it is also used recreationally with consent.
#3
Re-instituting the old Royal Navy tradition? “Don’t talk to me about naval tradition. It’s nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash.” - attributed to Winston Churchill.
#5
I see Besoeker has learned how to use AI to define unfamiliar terms.
Wait until you ask it about the property codes in your jurisdiction and if you can add an extra floor to your house. The house that you own, of course, renters can ignore this comment.
#6
Adding an entire floor requires the foundation and support beams below being strong enough to bear the additional weight, which should mean consulting an architectural engineer, though most people cheap out by trusting a contractor to know what he’s doing. But adding curtain walls and a bathroom plus running the utilities up to make an attic habitable without raising the entire roof is just a matter of standard building permits from city hall — if you want to do it legally, which would be best as such things are noticeable from the outside (unlike quietly redoing plumbing and wiring while moving non-load bearing walls to optimize the existing spaces). We had fun doing all that in our first house, when we were young, and Mr. Wife got to polish his construction skills while I learnt to be a useful assistant. chris can no doubt expand on that, but he’s a pro, whereas Mr. Wife just worked for his uncle’s construction company when he was a kid.
Renters with skillz can get a discount by offering to do necessary repairs instead of calling the landlord. Renters with skillz know this. Since adding a floor would increase the value of the rental property, any reasonable landlord would grab with both hands a renter with skills who volunteered to do the work in exchange for a consideration and the ability to personalize the result within limits.
[KTNV] Ori Solomon, the property manager who faces charges in connection with an illegal biolab at a Las Vegas short-term rental, will be released from custody while he awaits trial.
Solomon appeared in federal court on Friday afternoon and was released on his own recognizance, with certain conditions.
He has to surrender any passport, is not allowed to leave the country and must notify the court if he plans to leave Clark County, and must not possess a firearm or any other weapon.
Friday's hearing focused on federal firearm charges against Solomon. An Israeli citizen in the U.S. on a non-immigrant visa,
…which means what, precisely? Does he have a green card, meaning he is in the country legally and is permitted to work? Did he come on a tourist or business travel visa, since expired, and therefore is in the country illegally? Does he have multiple entry permits so that he is here legally, then leaves before that visit expires? The statement is remarkably unhelpful…
Solomon is not allowed to possess firearms. Prosecutors say multiple guns were seized from his home, according to an affidavit obtained by Channel 13.
Solomon also faces a criminal charge in Clark County for the improper disposal of hazardous waste.
Investigators say they were tipped off by someone who worked at the home on Sugar Springs Drive. Days later, police identified Solomon as the property manager.
"We have no knowledge that he had any expertise in that area or he's somewhat of a trained biologist, no," said Chris Delzotto, special agent in charge of the FBI's Las Vegas field office.
Authorities say Solomon works for a Chinese citizen named Jia Bei Zhu, who goes by the alias David He. Property records identified Zhu as the owner of the home on Sugar Springs Drive.
He is jailed in California and faces charges related to the 2023 investigation into an illegal laboratory in Reedley, California, near Fresno. In a warehouse linked to Zhu, investigators found pathogens, including samples of COVID-19 and other diseases, as well as hundreds of transgenic mice and boxes of adulterated and misbranded medical tests, which Zhu is accused of illegally selling.
Investigators say much of what was found in the Reedley warehouse is consistent with materials found in the so-called lab in Las Vegas. They also claim Solomon manages more than 30 rental properties in the valley.
Do they all belong to Jia Bei Zhu, or does Mr. Solomon work for a multitude of property owners?
It could take months to find out why the materials and equipment were there, or what they were being used for.
We'll continue to follow up with authorities about this investigation and bring you updates as we learn more.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Active region 4366 on the Sun, visible from Earth, has broken the 21st-century record for the number of strong solar flares. This was reported on February 8 by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"The NOAA catalog has just been updated. Active center 4366, currently observed from Earth, has been credited with three M-class flares. This means it now has 66 events," the lab said in a message on its Telegram channel.
The previous record was held by active region 3664, which produced 64 outbursts of M level and higher.
It is noted that there was a pause for three days before the indicator was updated—the group of spots practically stopped producing flares.
Previously, scientists observed the strongest solar activity of the 21st century in May 2024. This resulted in a plasma cloud covering the Earth, triggering a major magnetic storm for the first time in 20 years.
Valery Petrov, PhD in Physics and Mathematics and head of the Earth's Variable Magnetic Field Department at IZMIRAN, told Regnum news agency in December 2025 that 69 magnetic storms had been recorded on Earth since the beginning of the year. He attributed this to the Sun's peak activity in its 11-year cycle. This process is expected to subside within two years, the scientist noted.
Two strong solar flares occurred. This was reported on February 8 on the website of the Institute of Applied Geophysics (IFG).
The first M1.8 flare was recorded at 2:18 PM Moscow time in X-rays in sunspot group 4366 (N17W47). It lasted eight minutes.
The second was registered at 14:43 Moscow time in the same range in sunspot group 4358. The flare power was M1.7, and the duration was 28 minutes.
In total, eight groups of spots have been registered on the visible disk of the Sun.
The Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, for their part, reported that sunspot 4366 still has the potential to grow.
The Solar Astronomy Laboratory reported yesterday that one of the most powerful solar flares since the turn of the century had suddenly ended. Sunspot region 4366 was just one event short of breaking the 21st century record for the number of strong flares, the scientists noted.
⚡️At least 113 civilians killed in February 6 indiscriminate artillery shelling by regime forces in Wegdi Woreda (📍South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia) in retaliation for heavy losses to Fano.
— Amhara War Updates | የአማራ ጦርነት ወቅታዊ መረጃ (@AmharaWarUpdate) February 8, 2026
Text:
⚡️At least 113 civilians killed in February 6 indiscriminate artillery shelling by regime forces in Wegdi Woreda (📍South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia) in retaliation for heavy losses to Fano.
🔵 The fighting followed a large-scale offensive launched by the regime’s 11th Command, led by General Admasu Alemu and General Zewdu Setarge, with support from Republican Guard units. Internet and mobile network shutdowns were reportedly imposed across parts of the woreda.
🔵 Units of the Mebreq Division (operating under the AFNM-MC Nigus Mikael Ali Corps) reportedly inflicted heavy casualties on regime forces, including the killing of several senior commanders. Hundreds of regime soldiers were reportedly killed or wounded, with bodies and injured personnel evacuated by helicopter to Addis-Ababa.
[Armstrong Economics] Governments never present control as control. It is always framed as protection. In France, the justification is shielding children from harmful content online. But once the state begins targeting tools designed to preserve privacy and free access, the issue is no longer child safety but authority over the internet itself.
In late January, the French National Assembly passed a bill banning social media access for individuals under 15, requiring robust age verification systems on all major platforms. The measure, championed as a safeguard against harmful content, mirrors similar age-restriction laws emerging across Europe and Australia.
Now, France’s digital policymakers are signaling that the next target could be virtual private networks (VPNs), which is one of the internet’s oldest tools for safeguarding privacy and bypassing censorship. "VPNs are the next subject on my list," declared Anne Le Hénanff, France’s minister delegate for digital affairs. This comes weeks after the social media ban was approved, as officials seek ways to prevent minors from sidestepping age checks using encryption tools.
The claim: If VPNs allow children to evade age filters, then restricting them would enforce the law more effectively. Government believes it should parent your children and you. The internet is no longer a space of free exchange and open access, but a domain to be regulated, surveilled, and ultimately controlled.
This is not an isolated policy choice by France. It reflects a broader shift in how governments view the internet. What was once a decentralized, open system is increasingly treated as infrastructure to be licensed, monitored, and controlled. Age verification sounds reasonable on the surface, but enforcement requires identity checks, data collection, and centralized oversight. Once VPNs are labeled a problem because they interfere with enforcement, encryption itself becomes the target.
History shows that freedom is rarely abolished outright. It is narrowed step by step. Each restriction is justified as temporary, limited, or necessary. First, it is to protect children. Then to combat misinformation. Then to enforce taxes, sanctions, or public order. The cumulative effect is always the same: the individual loses autonomy, and the state gains visibility and leverage.
We have already seen this progression elsewhere. China and Russia did not begin with total internet control. They began by regulating tools that allowed people to bypass official narratives. Democratic governments insist they are different, but once they adopt the same mechanisms with identity-linked access, restricted encryption, and approved routing.
The argument that VPNs must be restricted because they undermine regulation turns the logic of freedom on its head. Privacy tools exist precisely because governments and corporations seek to monitor behavior. When the state decides that privacy itself is unacceptable, the internet ceases to be a free medium and becomes an extension of policy enforcement.
This is not about teenagers using social media. It is about who controls access to information and communication in the digital age. Once governments assert the right to decide when and how citizens may shield themselves online, the balance of power shifts permanently.
[RedState] I'm certain I'm not alone in contending that, had you told me in 2022 that I'd be somewhat glad John Fetterman beat Mehmet Oz in the race for Pennsylvania's Senate seat that year, I'd have suggested you might need to get your head checked.
But here we are in 2026, and Oz is proving to be a stalwart in his current role as Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator, while Fetterman has become the Democrat "voice of reason." Who knew?
Fetterman joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures and, once again, spat truth and common sense — this time primarily on the issue of Voter ID, in the broader context of the ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans over DHS funding and the SAVE Act.
[FOX] Iran is reportedly developing chemical and biological warheads for its ballistic missiles, even as the country faces mounting domestic unrest fueled by a collapsing currency and soaring inflation, according to an exclusive report published by Iran International on Sunday.
The outlet, citing unnamed military and security sources, reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has accelerated work on unconventional missile payloads alongside upgrades to command-and-control systems. If confirmed, the developments would raise serious alarms in Washington and Israel, particularly as Tehran struggles to contain growing anger at home.
The report comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Donald Trump on Monday, with Iran’s missile program and broader regional security threats expected to be high on the agenda, according to Israeli and U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. The talks are also expected to address the war in Gaza, amid U.S. officials’ concerns that Netanyahu has delayed advancing a postwar framework and ceasefire-related steps.
According to Iran International, missile infrastructure has been repositioned and expanded, with some launch assets reportedly moved to eastern Iran to reduce vulnerability. The report claims the IRGC is exploring nonconventional warhead configurations for long-range missiles.
Tehran has long denied pursuing chemical or biological weapons, insisting its missile program is defensive. Iran is a signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention, though Western governments have repeatedly accused the Islamic Republic of violating international norms.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
