Friday☕️

Earth Intelligence

29 Nov 2024 — 7 min read

Environment & Weather:

Today, an Arctic blast is sweeping into the eastern United States, bringing dangerously cold temperatures and extreme wind chills. The northern Plains and Upper Midwest will experience wind chills between -15°F and -30°F, with some areas dropping as low as -40°F.
Over 200 million people will feel below-average temperatures through the weekend, with Sunday—Tuesday expected to be the coldest days. Southern regions will also experience unusually cold weather, including the first freeze of the season for some areas. Around the Great Lakes, heavy lake-effect snow is forecasted, especially in western New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and northeastern Ohio, where travel could be significantly disrupted.

An Arctic blast happens when a mass of frigid air from the Arctic region moves southward. This cold air is brought down by shifts in the jet stream, a fast-moving current of air high in the atmosphere. During an Arctic blast, the jet stream dips unusually far south, creating a pathway for Arctic air to flow into areas that are typically much warmer. As the cold air interacts with local weather systems, it brings extreme wind chills, heavy snow, and icy conditions that many areas are set to experience.

Economics & Markets:

Yesterday’s commodity market:

Yesterday’s crypto market:

Geopolitics & Conflicts:

Over the past few days, Syrian rebel forces have made major gains in the western countryside of Aleppo, taking over 50 villages and 15 military positions from Assad’s forces. A new offensive called the “Deterrence of Aggression” has brought together several rebel groups, including the Turkish-backed Sultan Suleiman Shah forces. These groups, part of the Syrian National Army (SNA), are supported by Turkey and based near the border town of Azaz in northern Syria. This offensive has created a new front against both Assad’s forces and the Kurdish-led Afrin Liberation Forces (SDF).
The fighting is now centered around Tal Rifaat, a key area north of Aleppo. The SNA is gearing up for more attacks on Assad’s forces and the SDF, while Turkey is heavily involved, firing artillery at Tal Rifaat’s city center to weaken Kurdish control. This region is strategically important because it lies near Turkish-controlled areas and is contested by multiple sides. At the same time, U.S. forces stationed in eastern and northeastern Syria, including near Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah, are countering threats from ISIS and monitoring other groups in the region. These U.S. bases also act as a check on Iran-backed militias operating across Syria.
This rise in conflict highlights the ongoing chaos of Syria’s civil war, which has divided the country since 2011. Assad’s government, with support from Russia and Iran, is trying to hold onto power, while opposition forces backed by Turkey push for control in the north. Kurdish-led groups, supported by the U.S., are defending their territories in the northeast. Much of this increased violence stems from the influence of outside powers like Iran, which backs militias supporting Assad. Northern Syria, especially areas around Aleppo, Tal Rifaat, and the Turkish border, remains a central battleground in this ongoing conflict.

Security:

On November 21, 2024, Blue Yonder, a major supply chain software provider, was hit by a ransomware cyberattack that disrupted operations for several retailers, including Starbucks. The attack affected Blue Yonder’s managed services, causing significant challenges for its clients.
Starbucks, which relies on Blue Yonder for scheduling and payroll, had to switch to manual operations across its 11,000 North American stores. Managers tracked employee hours and calculated pay manually, which increased the risk of errors. Despite the disruption, Starbucks ensured employees would be paid correctly and customer operations continued as usual.
Blue Yonder is working with cybersecurity experts to investigate the attack and restore its systems. However, there is no timeline yet for full recovery. A ransomware attack is a type of cyberattack where malicious software encrypts a victim’s data or systems, making them inaccessible until a ransom is paid to the attackers.
These attacks often target businesses and organizations, causing significant disruptions and financial losses while putting sensitive data at risk. This incident highlights the risks businesses face when relying on interconnected software systems and the far-reaching impact of ransomware attacks on global operations.

Space:

Today at 4:50 PM, Roscosmos, Russia’s government space agency, is scheduled to launch the Kondor-FKA n°2 satellite from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia using a Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat-M rocket. The Kondor-FKA n°2 is an Earth observation satellite designed to improve Russia’s geospatial intelligence, environmental monitoring, and reconnaissance capabilities. This mission highlights Russia’s government-led efforts to expand its satellite network for both strategic and civilian applications.
On Saturday, SpaceX has two scheduled launches. The first is the Starlink Group 6-65 mission, set to lift off at 12:00 AM from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket will deploy a batch of Starlink satellites to expand SpaceX’s global broadband internet network.
Also on Saturday at 3:10 AM, SpaceX is scheduled to launch the NROL-126 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This classified mission will deploy a secure intelligence satellite to support national security objectives.
The consistent deployment of satellites by various nations underscores the growing importance of space in both civilian and military domains. Countries like Russia, China, and the United States continue to launch satellites for communication, Earth observation, military capabilities, and strategic purposes. However, the United States maintains supremacy in this area, largely due to SpaceX.
By dramatically increasing the frequency of launches and reducing costs with reusable rocket technology, SpaceX has outpaced the efforts of all other countries combined. This allows the U.S. to not only expand its satellite constellations faster but also reinforce its dominance in space-based technologies critical for intelligence, defense, and global connectivity.

Science & Technology:

Apple has introduced hearing health features for the AirPods Pro 2, transforming them from standard earbuds into versatile hearing aids. With the latest firmware update (version 7B19) and iOS 18.1 or later, users can now perform a clinically validated hearing test directly through the AirPods. This feature plays various tones, allowing users to assess their hearing levels at home, much like traditional audiometric evaluations. These updates mark a significant step in making hearing health tools more accessible.
Building on the hearing test results, the AirPods Pro 2 can now function as over-the-counter hearing aids for users with mild to moderate hearing loss. This feature allows individuals to adjust amplification levels, tailoring the audio experience to their specific needs. Additionally, Apple has introduced hearing protection tools that monitor environmental noise levels and alert users when they are exposed to potentially harmful sound levels, helping to preserve long-term hearing health.

These features, authorized by the FDA, highlight Apple’s push into medical technology. To showcase the potential of these advancements, Apple released a holiday advertisement (press image above to view), which tells the story of a father re-engaging in family life thanks to the AirPods Pro 2’s hearing aid functionality. With these updates, Apple is bridging the gap between consumer tech and medical-grade hearing solutions, providing innovative tools to improve both hearing health and everyday life.

Platform Development Update:

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Next week, the Earth Intelligence System beta will launch, offering a free, open platform for everyone. In the beginning, you’ll be able to access features like global threat tracking, country and island profiles, and newsletter data, letting you interact with knowledge in a whole new way. For example, you’ll be able to view markers on a map showing the locations tied to newsletter topics and their related data points.

Have made thousands of development mistakes with different methods and technologies, but now we’re on track and moving full speed ahead. The first version will be simple, but with AI powered development, it will rapidly improve with daily updates. These features are just the beginning, and this beta marks the first step in building something that will fundamentally change how we see and interact with global intelligence.

Statistic: