A Californian startup, Marathon Fusion, aims to produce gold through nuclear fusion by converting mercury-198 into gold-197 using neutron radiation from fusion reactors. Unlike particle accelerators like CERN’s Large Hadron Collider—which produce negligible amounts of gold at enormous costs—Marathon Fusion proposes using a standard fusion reactor fuel mix (deuterium and tritium) to create the necessary neutron flux, theoretically enabling substantial gold production. Their estimates, derived from a fusion reactor’s “digital twin,” suggest a plant could yield several tons of gold annually per gigawatt of thermal power. However, the feasibility of this process remains untested, as no commercial fusion reactors exist, and the gold produced would initially be radioactive, requiring careful management. Significant scientific, technological, and economic challenges must be addressed before this ambitious concept can lead to a modern-day gold rush.
Author: HP McLovincraft
Seeker of rabbit holes. Pessimist. Libertine. Contrarian. Your huckleberry. Possibly true tales of sanity-blasting horror also known as abject reality. Prepare yourself. Veteran of a thousand psychic wars. I have seen the fnords. Deplatformed on Tumblr and Twitter.
EU Revives Plan to Ban Private Messaging
The European Union is still wrestling with a controversial plan that would turn private messaging services into surveillance tools. For over three years, talks have stalled over whether providers should be forced to scan every user’s messages for possible illegal material and forward anything suspicious to law enforcement.
The European Commission is still pushing for a universal scanning requirement.
In contrast, the European Parliament insists any checks should apply only to unencrypted messages from people already under suspicion. Attempts to strike a deal have repeatedly fallen apart, with Poland the latest presidency to walk away without an agreement.
July brought a change in leadership of the Council of the EU, with Denmark stepping in and putting chat scanning back at the top of the legislative pile. Copenhagen wants this handled as a priority and wasted no time tabling a new draft on its very first day in charge.
Leaked records from a closed door July meeting show the Danish text closely tracks earlier proposals from Belgium and Hungary, with no concessions for encrypted conversations. A softer version from Poland, which would have made scanning voluntary and left encrypted chats alone, has been dropped entirely.
Out of 27 EU countries, 20 spoke during the July debate, each lodging what officials call a “comprehensive audit reservation.” Germany summed up the atmosphere by noting, “the familiar mood was clear.”
Italy, Spain, and Hungary have been in favor of mandatory chat scanning from the start. France could tip the balance since blocking the plan requires four countries representing at least 35 percent of the EU’s population. Paris has moved from tentative support to saying it could “basically support the proposal.”
Others remain cautious or opposed. Belgium, despite earlier enthusiasm, admits encrypted scanning is “a difficult topic nationally.” Estonia reports a “national conflict between security authorities and data protection officers regarding encryption and client-side scanning.” Austria is bound by a parliamentary vote against mandatory scanning or undermining encryption, a stance shared by the Netherlands. Luxembourg and Slovenia say they are still “not yet convinced.”
Ancient German Pits Expose Haunting Death Rituals From 5,000 Years Ago
Powerline Project Exposes Ancient Secrets
During preparatory work for Germany’s massive SuedOstLink powerline project (a 105-mile-long high-voltage transmission route), electrical workers near Gerstewitz, Saxony-Anhalt, uncovered twelve circular pits initially hidden beneath farmland. This accidental discovery halted construction and prompted a full archaeological excavation led by the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt, in collaboration with energy company 50Hertz. The pits, dating back 5,000 years (3400–3050 BCE), were identified as ritual sites created by the Salzmünde culture—a regional group within the broader Funnelbeaker cultural complex that inhabited the Saale River basin. This discovery adds significantly to understanding this enigmatic Neolithic society known for its complex death rituals.
Inside the Haunting Ritual Pits
Structural Design: Each pit measured 6.5–9.8 feet wide and 6.5–8.2 feet deep (2–2.5 meters), enclosed within a larger ditch system, indicating deliberate, significant construction efforts.
Ceremonial Contents: Archaeologists found a deliberate mix of materials:
- Charred Building Materials: Burnt remnants of house walls, including daub (loam), suggesting homes were intentionally burned, and rubble ceremonially deposited.
- Sacrificial Offerings: Intact, carefully placed ceramic vessels found in one pit, indicating their use in rituals rather than daily life .
- Animal and Human Remains: Dog bones (often found in anatomical order with signs of burning) and human skulls showing no weathering. One pit contained a dog skeleton beside a human skull.
- Converted Spaces: An ancient oven pit repurposed as a grave held two human individuals who had decomposed elsewhere before burial.
Evidence of Multi-Phase Mortuary Rituals
The arrangement and condition of remains point to prolonged, complex ceremonies:
- The juxtaposition of anatomically intact dog bones (exposed to fire) alongside an unweathered human skull in the same pit suggests these features were open for extended periods. Researchers propose the dog may have been buried first or preserved elsewhere before being placed alongside the later-added skull.
- The two bodies found in the repurposed oven pit showed signs of having decomposed at a different location prior to final burial. This indicates a funerary practice involving staged processes—temporary storage or display before internment.
- These findings align with known Salzmünde practices involving reburials, particularly skulls, and burial under layers of ceramic shards and burnt house debris, hinting at a cosmology deeply connected to ancestral veneration and transformation through fire.
Several Texas school staff members, including superintendent, charged after video captures horrific abuse of special needs children
Earlier this year, Millsap Independent School District in Parker County, Texas, faced a federal lawsuit after allegations surfaced that two staff members — special education teacher Jennifer Dale and paraprofessional Paxton Bean — abused special needs students. The pair have been charged with official oppression; Bean was also hit with an additional felony charge of injury to a child. Millsap ISD Superintendent Mari “Edie” Martin was charged with failure to report and intent to conceal the abuse allegations.
The lawsuit alleges that Dale and Bean physically abused special needs students, particularly a 10-year-old nonverbal autistic boy named Alex Cornelius. Video evidence shows Dale striking at Alex and Bean throwing an object at him, with additional claims of verbal and psychological abuse.
Martin is accused of attempting to cover up the abuse by failing to report it to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services or local law enforcement, as required by law. Martin also reportedly instructed a witness to destroy evidence.
Dale, Bean, and Martin were arrested, indicted, and fired from Millsap ISD. Three other educators, Jami Riggs, Jeannie Bottorff, and Shannon Krause, were also indicted on misdemeanor charges for failure to report child abuse by a professional.
When Sara Gonzales, BlazeTV host of “Come and Take It,” heard the story, all she could think was, “If this had happened to my kid, I would be in jail right now.”
Cincinnati Mob Violence Victim Holly Breaks Her Silence, Reveals She is Suffering “Very Bad” Brain Trauma
Cincinnati mob violence victim who goes by ‘Holly,’ broke her silence in a video message posted to X on Sunday.
Holly said she is suffering “very bad” brain trauma after the horrific attack by a mostly black mob at a jazz festival last weekend.
A white man was brutally beaten and stomped on by a violent gang of black suspects. When Holly ran to the victim’s aid, she was also beaten and knocked out.
Six people have been charged so far in the violent attack.
The FBI and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division are investigating the incident.
Woke Gestapo Target ‘Registered Republican’ Sydney Sweeney for Thoughtcrime
The Woke Gestapo in the far-left entertainment media are targeting Sydney Sweeney for a career blacklisting.
So far, Sweeney’s committed two cardinal sins. The first is daring to be sexy and appealing in an American Eagle blue jeans ad. You see, Sweeney had the temerity to be normal-beautiful, not fat/trans/tattooed “beautiful.”
After five years of Normal People being grossed out by an “inclusive standard of beauty” and “body positivity” — which is nothing more than an affirmative action program that allows ugly people to appear in Swimsuit Editions and underwear ads — Sweeney dared to be her sensual, appealing, all-American self in a campaign that even included her own Ford Mustang.
The campaign was a massive success (duh), the blue jeans sold out (duh), and then the left did what it always does in the face of Normal succeeding: they freaked out and screamed “Nazi”. And no, it wasn’t just nobodies on TikTok melting down. Disney staffers at ESPN declared the ad “fascist.” MSNBC said it was “fair” to attack the ad as “Nazi propaganda.”
American Eagle, to its great credit, appears to understand that social media is not real life. Obviously, the ad is a rousing success. Obviously, Normal People appreciate this return to Normalcy. Obviously, though this ad, American Eagle has earned the goodwill of a vast majority of the people who long ago tired of staring at fat women in bikinis… So American Eagle has already told the Woke Gestapo to suck it.
Manhunt for former U.S. soldier suspected of murdering 4 in Montana continues into 3rd day
The manhunt for the suspect accused of killing four people at a Montana bar on Friday morning has intensified, with the search stretching into its third day as the suspect remains at large.
Authorities are continuing the rigorous search for 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown of Anaconda, the suspect who allegedly murdered a female bartender and three male patrons.
Brown, a former U.S. soldier, allegedly carried out the shooting with a rifle believed to be his personal weapon, according to Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen.
The shooting occurred at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, and law enforcement has yet to identify a motive.
“This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever. So there absolutely is concern for the public,” Knudsen stated.
Law enforcement officials have since released surveillance video footage captured shortly after the shootings in which Brown appeared to be walking barefoot, wearing just his boxers.
Brown has since stolen a vehicle that contained camping gear, shoes, and clothing, according to law enforcement.
Meanwhile, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest announced on Saturday that over 16 square miles of the park will be closed through August 16th to “ensure public health and safety during the ongoing law enforcement investigation and search efforts to locate the suspect for the Anaconda murders.”
The Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center added that Brown is believed to be armed and dangerous.
“It’s a heavy and sad and intense time,” stated Anaconda resident Hope Hollingsworth. “This is hurting everyone. It’s just a beautiful and just a kind community that this is going to impact us for a long time.”
David Gwerder, the owner of the bar where the shooting occurred, revealed that Brown knew everyone at the venue during the time of the shooting.
“He didn’t have any running dispute with any of them. I just think he snapped,” Gwerder stated.
Additionally, Clare Boyle, Brown’s niece, added that her uncle had a history of mental health issues.
Ukraine’s Anti-Graft Agencies Say They Uncovered Major Drone Procurement Bribery Case
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies said on Aug. 2 they had uncovered a large-scale bribery scheme involving the procurement of military drones and electronic warfare equipment.
This came just days after the agencies’ independence was restored following mass protests over government efforts to curb their powers.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said in a statement on Saturday that the alleged plot involved a sitting lawmaker, current and former regional officials, National Guard personnel, and a company executive.
Investigators alleged that those involved had refined a scheme over the past two years to systematically siphon off budget funds allocated by local authorities for defense needs, and to secure “unfair benefits in particularly large quantities.”
Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, identified the accused lawmaker as Oleksii Kuznetsov of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party.
Party leader Davyd Arakhamiia later said on Telegram that Kuznetsov’s membership in the parliamentary faction would be suspended while the investigation is underway, and that a disciplinary panel was weighing his expulsion.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the Ukrainian parliament’s press office with a request to forward a comment request to Kuznetsov.
In a separate statement, the party said it supported the work of NABU and SAPO, and stressed that responsibility for corrupt acts “must be borne by everyone, regardless of position, status or political affiliation.”
It said the recently passed law restoring the agencies’ independence “created additional guarantees for their work,” for them to act decisively and professionally in combating corruption.
Zelenskyy said in a statement posted on X on Saturday that he had been briefed on the investigation by the heads of NABU and SAPO, confirming that a lawmaker, local officials, and several National Guard servicemembers had been “exposed for bribery.”
“I am grateful to the anti-corruption agencies for their work,” he wrote. “There can only be zero tolerance for corruption, clear teamwork in uncovering it, and ultimately, a fair sentence. It is important that anti-corruption institutions operate independently, and the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption.”
The law he referred to marked a dramatic about-face for his administration.
China, Fentanyl, and the Biden Administration’s Failure, Covered by Misleading Data
One of the many reasons for the U.S.-China trade war is President Trump holding Xi Jinping accountable for the fentanyl precursor chemicals that are flowing from China to Mexican drug cartels.
The cartels then manufacture fentanyl and distribute it in the U.S., killing over 100,000 Americans per year. This was an issue during Trump’s first term, when China agreed to crack down on these exports, and here we are nine years later, and the chemicals are still flowing.
China is a totalitarian state that runs a full digital surveillance system where literally every minute of every citizen’s life is being filmed and analyzed with AI.
The state can achieve a 100% conviction rate against criminals while also cracking down on even the slightest dissent. With his massive AI and data databases, secret police, and spies, Xi Jinping can control virtually every aspect of life in China, yet he claims to be unaware that Chinese chemical companies are selling fentanyl precursors to Mexican drug cartels.
President Trump has accused China of “actively sustaining and expanding the business of poisoning our citizens” and stated that “PRC officials have failed to follow through with the decisive actions needed to stem the flow of” fentanyl and precursor chemicals. In early February 2025, he imposed a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, accusing Beijing of allowing fentanyl and its precursors to be shipped to the United States.
The tariffs have since escalated, reaching 127.2 percent in early May 2025. The White House has been explicit that Chinese officials have “failed” to stop the flow of precursor chemicals, used to make fentanyl, to criminal cartels.
Law enforcement agencies and government officials in the U.S. agree most of the precursor chemicals used to make street fentanyl flow from industrial companies in China to drug gangs in Mexico.
China is still the principal supplier of these precursors for fentanyl after Chinese trafficking networks switched from supplying finished fentanyl to precursor chemicals.
China has pushed back strongly, with officials saying “The fentanyl issue is a flimsy excuse to raise U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports” and that “We stand ready for practical cooperation with the US based on equality and mutual respect. That said, we firmly oppose the US pressuring, threatening and blackmailing China under the pretext of the fentanyl issue”.
Under Biden, Xi Jinping made limited concessions, including the implementation of new regulations allegedly targeting money laundering by drug organizations and scheduling three fentanyl precursor chemicals.
The Biden administration called this a “valuable step forward,” pointing to a 21% national drop in fatal overdoses from fentanyl since June 2023.
Both the Biden administration and Beijing claimed that this cooperation was already yielding results even before Trump took office. But these claims are misleading.
Israeli spyware firms are fueling the global surveillance state
Last week another batch of peaceful pro-Palestine protestors were arrested by British police on suspicion of terrorism offenses, including a disabled man in a wheelchair, as the UK continues its descent into authoritarianism on behalf of Israel.
If any of these protestors had their phones on them at the time of arrest, the police will most likely have scraped them for data using sophisticated spy tech software. Protestors not arrested will have been caught on mobile cameras that sit atop police vans in the UK, and their faces, perhaps even their voices, will have been captured, analyzed and cross referenced against a police database.
And in a perverse twist, this spyware technology – technology which now underpins the insidious and growing capabilities of the modern surveillance state – will most likely have been made in Israel by Israeli spies.
But it’s not just in the UK.
Spy tech developed by former Israeli spies is being used on an industrial scale by various agencies in western democracies, from police forces to national security agencies to militaries. Some has been declared illegal, some skirts legal boundaries, and much remains hidden.
The scale of usage, and the range of capabilities provided by this Israeli spy tech, is vast. From face and voice recognition software, to interception and wiretap technology, to covert location tracking, to forced data extraction from smartphones and other devices.
The tech, built by software engineers who cut their teeth writing code to enable and enforce Israeli domination over, and apartheid against Palestinians, is being sold to security services, police forces and immigration agencies across the West.
While much of the information in this article isn’t new, it hasn’t been summarized in one place before. The implications for global civil liberties of Israel’s dominance in spy tech have also not been articulated, and past media coverage has sometimes omitted the Israeli link to these companies. This article will outline the primary players, the sellers and the buyers, and also identify recent contracts, previously undocumented, between Israeli spytech and Western buyers.
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