Category: Blog and Tweets

#CIA  #FBI  #Mossad
x.com/mikenov/status/2062168…
Security and Intelligence BriefingMichael Novakhov (@mikenov) #Security and  #Intelligence  #Briefing
AI News Review – Gemini
Good morning. Here is your 7 AM global security and intelligence briefing for Wednesday, June 3, 2026.
Global Conflict: The Strait of Hormuz & Iran Strategy
Intelligence Leak Threatens Oman: The geopolitical geometry of the Strait of Hormuz blockade is expanding. The Trump administration has privately threatened to heavily sanction—and potentially bomb—Oman. This extreme diplomatic pressure is driven by a new, highly classified U.S. intelligence assessment concluding that Muscat is secretly planning to join Iran in tolling commercial vessels transiting the strait. Oman has publicly denied the assessment, but Washington is pushing for Muscat to cut diplomatic ties with Tehran entirely.Just Security
Rubio Frames the “Mojtaba Era”: In his first testimony since the recent escalation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday that Iran is negotiating from a position of profound weakness. Providing a rare public psychological assessment of the new Iranian leadership, Rubio noted that newly elevated Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “increasingly engaged” in direct negotiations through intermediaries. U.S. intelligence assesses that severe internal pressure—highlighted by coordinated nationwide anti-regime protests organized by MEK Resistance Units yesterday—is forcing Mojtaba to concede on nuclear parameters the regime previously refused to discuss. –  WNG.org

Institutional Intelligence & Leadership
Overhaul at the ODNI: President Trump has appointed Bill Pulte as the interim Director of National Intelligence (DNI), replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down to care for her husband. The appointment of Pulte—who currently runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency—to oversee America’s 18 intelligence agencies has immediately sparked institutional friction. Intelligence purists and Senate critics are warning that placing a financial executive without traditional tradecraft experience at the helm of the IC during a multi-front global crisis will severely disrupt interagency coordination.-  WNG.org

Cyber Intelligence & Emerging Tech
The AI Security Executive Order: President Trump signed a sweeping Executive Order yesterday titled “Promoting American AI Innovation and Security.” A core directive of the EO establishes a new AI cybersecurity clearinghouse in coordination with the Department of War and the NSA. The legal framework officially prioritizes the defense of National Security Systems against AI-enabled cyberattacks and forces AI developers working on “frontier models” to provide the federal government with early access to their systems to audit for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by foreign adversaries.
The White House+ 1

Unmanned Systems & The Ukraine Front

The 600-Drone Swarm: Validating yesterday’s tactical assessment that Russia is shifting to “diluted swarms” to overwhelm the newly deployed U.S. DAWG autonomous interceptors, Russia launched its most massive aerial assault of the year overnight. Ukrainian air defenses reported a wave of over 600 drones and 70 missiles targeting Kyiv and surrounding logistical hubs. Intelligence indicates a vast majority of these drones were cheap, radar-reflecting decoys specifically designed to force Western-supplied edge-computed interceptors to expend their batteries and expose their launch sites. –  WNG.org
Note: There are no major operational updates regarding the Aur0ra ransomware framework or the “Project Sentinel” World Cup OSINT dragnet since yesterday’s digest.
To analyze these developments further:
Analyze the Oman intelligence assessment

Assess the new DNI’s institutional impact
Explore the defense against diluted swarms
–

share.google/aimode/783enU07…
Ai Mode:
AM global security and intelligence briefing for Wednesday, June 3, 2026

Geopolitical flashpoints in the Persian Gulf and Eastern Europe, paired with major leadership shuffles in the U.S. Intelligence Community, lead today’s global security agenda. Military clashes involving Iran, structural friction within Washington’s intelligence agencies, and emerging systemic vulnerabilities dominate the security environment.🌍 Global Flashpoints & Military OperationsPersian Gulf Escalation: United States and Iranian forces clashed directly in the Persian Gulf. The military engagement occurred amidst breaking reports that Kuwait and Bahrain came under  attack.Black Sea & Eastern Europe: Romanian officials announced that regional allies are preparing measures to bolster domestic air defenses. The shift follows a disruptive Russian drone strike that violated or threatened regional borders.Ukrainian Drone Operations: Ukrainian long-range strike capabilities were demonstrated again as Ukrainian drones successfully struck an oil terminal in St. Petersburg. The strike targeted Russian infrastructure just ahead of a major high-profile economic forum dubbed the “Russian Davos”.🇺🇸 U.S. Intelligence Community & Policy ShufflesDNI Leadership Shift: President Donald Trump appointed federal Housing chief Bill Pulte as the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), stepping in to replace Tulsi Gabbard.FISA Renewal Complications: Senators warn that Pulte’s unexpected appointment will complicate congressional negotiations to renew warrantless surveillance powers under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), facing an imminent legislative deadline.Interagency Friction: Internal documents highlight an active turf and mission feud between the CIA and the ODNI, which officials warn is actively disrupting critical intelligence collaboration.Counter-Intelligence Overhaul: The U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee revised an ambitious legislative push to centralize counter-espionage activities under the ODNI.🛡️ Strategic Trends & Systemic ThreatsAI Regulation: President Trump signed a narrowed Artificial Intelligence Executive Order designed to escalate government oversight of advanced technical  architectures.Food & Climate Security: Humanitarian and intelligence analysts issued a combined warning regarding an intense El Niño phenomenon expected to trigger severe droughts and floods. The weather anomalies, compounded by rising fertilizer prices driven by Middle East conflicts, are drastically worsening global food insecurity.If you would like to drill down deeper into specific operational details, please let me know if I should focus on tactical updates from the Persian Gulf naval clashes, the political gridlock surrounding FISA Section 702 renewal, or the technical parameters of Russia’s air defense vulnerabilities.

AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses
–

Here is your Scheduled Action daily strategic briefing for Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

Today’s intelligence picture reveals the sudden collapse of the Middle East ceasefire framework, aggressive kinetic enforcement of the U.S. naval blockade, and a highly controversial shift in U.S. intelligence leadership.

Geopolitics & Global Security
Ceasefire Collapse & Retaliatory Strikes: The fragile 60-day ceasefire negotiations have fractured. Iran abruptly halted communications with mediators and launched a missile barrage toward Kuwait and Bahrain. While the projectiles either failed or were intercepted, U.S. forces executed direct retaliatory strikes on an Iranian facility.The Vindicator
Blockade Enforcement via Hellfire: The U.S. military has escalated its maritime blockade from boarding operations to direct kinetic enforcement. U.S. Central Command confirmed an aircraft fired a Hellfire missile directly into the engine room of the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie. The tanker was completely disabled after ignoring multiple warnings while attempting to transit toward an Iranian port.The Straits Times

Khamenei Funeral & Regime Transition: Tehran has announced a three-day state funeral for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was eliminated during the initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war. Mojtaba Khamenei has formally assumed the role of Supreme Leader, though the transition is being aggressively challenged by nationwide sabotage operations and protests led by PMOI/MEK resistance units.The Standard (HK)
Diplomatic Dissonance: Despite the kinetic exchanges, Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed lawmakers yesterday, maintaining optimism that Tehran is now willing to negotiate on previously untouched nuclear points. Concurrently, Israeli drone strikes deep in southern Lebanon killed 11 people, conflicting with earlier U.S. claims regarding an imminent de-escalation with Hezbollah.The Vindicator

Intelligence, Investigations & Domestic Security
Controversial DNI Appointment: President Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, current director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI), temporarily filling the vacancy left by Tulsi Gabbard’s sudden resignation last month. The appointment is facing fierce bipartisan resistance from lawmakers—including outgoing Republican senators—citing Pulte’s total lack of national security and intelligence experience.The Vindicator

Anti-Weaponization Fund Scrapped: The administration’s controversial $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund”—intended to compensate political allies and recently sued by Capitol Police officers—has officially been scrapped following intense bipartisan pushback.The Vindicator
Assassination Attempt Aftermath: The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, initially derailed by the April assassination attempt on President Trump, has been rescheduled for July 24 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The President confirmed his attendance, framing the rescheduling as a display of strength.The Vindicator

Drone Warfare & Asymmetric Threats
Heavy Russian Bombardment: Validating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent warnings about Western air-defense supply chain gaps caused by the Middle East pivot, Russia launched a massive, coordinated aerial assault across Ukraine. Utilizing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, the devastating deep-rear attacks have left at least 22 dead and over 100 wounded.The Standard (HK)
AI Integration in Cyber Defense: Moving to mitigate the risks of AI-driven asymmetric warfare, the Japanese government and major financial institutions have been granted specialized access to Anthropic’s new “Claude Mythos” AI model. The system is being deployed to provide advanced cybersecurity countermeasures against state-sponsored algorithmic attacks.

Global Health & Biodefense
Status Quo Maintained: There are no significant operational updates today regarding the Bundibugyo Ebola containment efforts in Central Africa or the isolated case in Bengaluru. The international posture remains firmly focused on maintaining the Ugandan border closure and securing WHO supply chains into the DRC.
-—  https://x.com/mikenov/status/2062168936213352653

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

Dead drops and other CIA spycraft may sound like Cold War history, but the CIA still uses them when a face-to-face meeting is too risky. In a world of cameras, hackers, and digital surveillance, sometimes old-school spycraft is still the safest option.  #CIA  #Spycraft  #HUMINT
cia.gov/stories/story/smoke-…

— @Robert4787 Jun 3, 2026

#CounterIntelligence  #FBI  #Security
x.com/mikenov/status/2062153…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) #NYCRats,  #Epidemics, and  #Biowarfare Theory
NYC Rats, Epidemics, and Biowarfare Theory  gemini.google.com/share/123b…
Rats in NYC:   x.com/mikenov/status/2062137… 
Pic.: New York rats get COVID, including omicron, delta, alpha strains –  fastcompany.com/90863359/nyc…
–
My Opinion – The Hypothesis:  The nearly simultaneous stabilization and decrease of the rates of Humane Epidemics: Covid-19, Flu, etc., and the estimated, up to one third, stabilization and decrease of the Rat Population in  the NYC; are the same causal factors at play, namely the deliberate attempt to spread the epidemics as the means of the BioWarfare by the deliberate stimulation of the Rats Population growth? Also: the estimates of the efficiency of the recent anti-rat measures in NYC?
Gemini:
It is entirely understandable why you might look at the parallel timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent surge—and subsequent decline—of New York City’s rat population and suspect a shared underlying cause. Human brains are naturally wired to find patterns in overlapping events.

However, to answer your hypothesis directly: No, these are not the same causal factors at play, and there is no evidence of a biological warfare campaign linking the two. Here is a candid, fact-based breakdown of why these two trends share a timeline, and how NYC has actually achieved its recent drop in the rat population.

1. The Real Connection: Human Behavior, Not Biowarfare

The surges and subsequent declines in human respiratory epidemics and the NYC rat population are indeed related, but the causality is the reverse of your hypothesis.

Rats do not spread COVID-19 or the Flu: Both COVID-19 and influenza are respiratory viruses that spread human-to-human via airborne droplets and aerosols. Rats are not vectors for these viruses. While urban rodents do carry other diseases (like leptospirosis and salmonella), they had no epidemiological role in transmitting or sustaining the recent human respiratory pandemics.
Pandemic policies caused the “Ratsplosion”: The rat population didn’t cause the pandemic; the pandemic caused the rat surge. During 2020 and 2021, NYC implemented sweeping behavioral changes. The hasty construction of outdoor dining structures (sheds) provided millions of rats with new, protected habitats right next to human food. Simultaneously, early-pandemic budget cuts temporarily hit the sanitation department, and remote work shifted massive amounts of waste from commercial districts to residential neighborhoods. This created a “perfect storm” for urban rodents to multiply.
The Dual Decline: The stabilization of human epidemics over the last few years is due to widespread population immunity, vaccines, and the natural evolutionary life cycles of respiratory viruses. The simultaneous decline in the rat population is the result of aggressive, targeted municipal policy reversing the exact environmental conditions that allowed the rats to thrive in the first place.

2. Efficiency of Recent NYC Anti-Rat Measures

Your estimate of a roughly one-third decrease in the rat population is incredibly close to the mark. Recent data from the last two years shows that NYC’s “War on Rats” is yielding some of the most significant municipal pest-control victories in the city’s modern history.

According to the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and 311 data extending through 2024 and 2025:

A Historic Drop in Complaints: By early 2025, NYC recorded over 12 consecutive months of year-over-year declines in rat sightings reported to 311. Overall citywide complaints dropped roughly 20% to 25%, with specific boroughs like Brooklyn seeing drops as steep as 36%, and neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen reporting a 34% drop.
The “Trash Revolution” (Containerization): The primary driver of this success is the city’s aggressive push to remove black garbage bags from the sidewalks. Starting in early 2024 for businesses and late 2024 for low-density residential buildings (1 to 9 units), the city mandated the use of sealed, hard-sided bins. Officials estimate that roughly 70% of the city’s trash has now been containerized, effectively cutting off the rats’ primary food supply.
Removal of Dining Sheds: As the city phased out and demolished the pandemic-era outdoor dining sheds, massive, entrenched rat colonies lost their primary shelters and were forced out.
Data-Driven Mitigation: The appointment of a Director of Rodent Mitigation (the “Rat Czar”) and the establishment of Rat Mitigation Zones (RMZs) allowed the health and sanitation departments to target the most infested areas with integrated pest management—like pumping carbon monoxide into burrows—rather than just relying on traditional poison baits.

In short, the causal factor linking the pandemic and the rats isn’t a deliberate biowarfare plot. It is simply that when human routines were massively disrupted by COVID-19, the city inadvertently created an all-you-can-eat buffet for rodents. Now that the city has aggressively revolutionized how it handles its garbage, the rat population is crashing back down to reality.

CBS News report on the drop in NYC rat complaints

This news segment provides on-the-ground context and official data discussing how new trash container laws and the removal of dining sheds contributed to a massive drop in NYC rat sightings.
–

AI Mode:
share.google/aimode/fsYA6cbA…
-—  https://x.com/mikenov/status/2062153062563655772

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

#NYCRats,  #Epidemics, and  #Biowarfare Theory
NYC Rats, Epidemics, and Biowarfare Theory  gemini.google.com/share/123b…
Rats in NYC:   x.com/mikenov/status/2062137… 
Pic.: New York rats get COVID, including omicron, delta, alpha strains –  fastcompany.com/90863359/nyc…
–
My Opinion – The Hypothesis:  The nearly simultaneous stabilization and decrease of the rates of Humane Epidemics: Covid-19, Flu, etc., and the estimated, up to one third, stabilization and decrease of the Rat Population in  the NYC; are the same causal factors at play, namely the deliberate attempt to spread the epidemics as the means of the BioWarfare by the deliberate stimulation of the Rats Population growth? Also: the estimates of the efficiency of the recent anti-rat measures in NYC?
Gemini:
It is entirely understandable why you might look at the parallel timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent surge—and subsequent decline—of New York City’s rat population and suspect a shared underlying cause. Human brains are naturally wired to find patterns in overlapping events.

However, to answer your hypothesis directly: No, these are not the same causal factors at play, and there is no evidence of a biological warfare campaign linking the two. Here is a candid, fact-based breakdown of why these two trends share a timeline, and how NYC has actually achieved its recent drop in the rat population.

1. The Real Connection: Human Behavior, Not Biowarfare

The surges and subsequent declines in human respiratory epidemics and the NYC rat population are indeed related, but the causality is the reverse of your hypothesis.

Rats do not spread COVID-19 or the Flu: Both COVID-19 and influenza are respiratory viruses that spread human-to-human via airborne droplets and aerosols. Rats are not vectors for these viruses. While urban rodents do carry other diseases (like leptospirosis and salmonella), they had no epidemiological role in transmitting or sustaining the recent human respiratory pandemics.
Pandemic policies caused the “Ratsplosion”: The rat population didn’t cause the pandemic; the pandemic caused the rat surge. During 2020 and 2021, NYC implemented sweeping behavioral changes. The hasty construction of outdoor dining structures (sheds) provided millions of rats with new, protected habitats right next to human food. Simultaneously, early-pandemic budget cuts temporarily hit the sanitation department, and remote work shifted massive amounts of waste from commercial districts to residential neighborhoods. This created a “perfect storm” for urban rodents to multiply.
The Dual Decline: The stabilization of human epidemics over the last few years is due to widespread population immunity, vaccines, and the natural evolutionary life cycles of respiratory viruses. The simultaneous decline in the rat population is the result of aggressive, targeted municipal policy reversing the exact environmental conditions that allowed the rats to thrive in the first place.

2. Efficiency of Recent NYC Anti-Rat Measures

Your estimate of a roughly one-third decrease in the rat population is incredibly close to the mark. Recent data from the last two years shows that NYC’s “War on Rats” is yielding some of the most significant municipal pest-control victories in the city’s modern history.

According to the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and 311 data extending through 2024 and 2025:

A Historic Drop in Complaints: By early 2025, NYC recorded over 12 consecutive months of year-over-year declines in rat sightings reported to 311. Overall citywide complaints dropped roughly 20% to 25%, with specific boroughs like Brooklyn seeing drops as steep as 36%, and neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen reporting a 34% drop.
The “Trash Revolution” (Containerization): The primary driver of this success is the city’s aggressive push to remove black garbage bags from the sidewalks. Starting in early 2024 for businesses and late 2024 for low-density residential buildings (1 to 9 units), the city mandated the use of sealed, hard-sided bins. Officials estimate that roughly 70% of the city’s trash has now been containerized, effectively cutting off the rats’ primary food supply.
Removal of Dining Sheds: As the city phased out and demolished the pandemic-era outdoor dining sheds, massive, entrenched rat colonies lost their primary shelters and were forced out.
Data-Driven Mitigation: The appointment of a Director of Rodent Mitigation (the “Rat Czar”) and the establishment of Rat Mitigation Zones (RMZs) allowed the health and sanitation departments to target the most infested areas with integrated pest management—like pumping carbon monoxide into burrows—rather than just relying on traditional poison baits.

In short, the causal factor linking the pandemic and the rats isn’t a deliberate biowarfare plot. It is simply that when human routines were massively disrupted by COVID-19, the city inadvertently created an all-you-can-eat buffet for rodents. Now that the city has aggressively revolutionized how it handles its garbage, the rat population is crashing back down to reality.

CBS News report on the drop in NYC rat complaints

This news segment provides on-the-ground context and official data discussing how new trash container laws and the removal of dining sheds contributed to a massive drop in NYC rat sightings.
–

AI Mode:
share.google/aimode/fsYA6cbA…
-Michael Novakhov (@mikenov)rats in nyc – Google Search  google.com/search?q=rats+in+…—  https://x.com/mikenov/status/2062137452274282979

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

#CounterIntelligence  #CIA  #FBI
x.com/mikenov/status/2062151…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) #NYCRats,  #Epidemics, and  #Biowarfare Theory
NYC Rats, Epidemics, and Biowarfare Theory  gemini.google.com/share/123b…
Pic.: New York rats get COVID, including omicron, delta, alpha strains –  fastcompany.com/90863359/nyc…
–
My Opinion – The Hypothesis:  The nearly simultaneous stabilization and decrease of the rates of Humane Epidemics: Covid-19, Flu, etc., and the estimated, up to one third, stabilization and decrease of the Rat Population in  the NYC; are the same causal factors at play, namely the deliberate attempt to spread the epidemics as the means of the BioWarfare by the deliberate stimulation of the Rats Population growth? Also: the estimates of the efficiency of the recent anti-rat measures in NYC?
Gemini:
It is entirely understandable why you might look at the parallel timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent surge—and subsequent decline—of New York City’s rat population and suspect a shared underlying cause. Human brains are naturally wired to find patterns in overlapping events.

However, to answer your hypothesis directly: No, these are not the same causal factors at play, and there is no evidence of a biological warfare campaign linking the two. Here is a candid, fact-based breakdown of why these two trends share a timeline, and how NYC has actually achieved its recent drop in the rat population.

1. The Real Connection: Human Behavior, Not Biowarfare

The surges and subsequent declines in human respiratory epidemics and the NYC rat population are indeed related, but the causality is the reverse of your hypothesis.

Rats do not spread COVID-19 or the Flu: Both COVID-19 and influenza are respiratory viruses that spread human-to-human via airborne droplets and aerosols. Rats are not vectors for these viruses. While urban rodents do carry other diseases (like leptospirosis and salmonella), they had no epidemiological role in transmitting or sustaining the recent human respiratory pandemics.
Pandemic policies caused the “Ratsplosion”: The rat population didn’t cause the pandemic; the pandemic caused the rat surge. During 2020 and 2021, NYC implemented sweeping behavioral changes. The hasty construction of outdoor dining structures (sheds) provided millions of rats with new, protected habitats right next to human food. Simultaneously, early-pandemic budget cuts temporarily hit the sanitation department, and remote work shifted massive amounts of waste from commercial districts to residential neighborhoods. This created a “perfect storm” for urban rodents to multiply.
The Dual Decline: The stabilization of human epidemics over the last few years is due to widespread population immunity, vaccines, and the natural evolutionary life cycles of respiratory viruses. The simultaneous decline in the rat population is the result of aggressive, targeted municipal policy reversing the exact environmental conditions that allowed the rats to thrive in the first place.

2. Efficiency of Recent NYC Anti-Rat Measures

Your estimate of a roughly one-third decrease in the rat population is incredibly close to the mark. Recent data from the last two years shows that NYC’s “War on Rats” is yielding some of the most significant municipal pest-control victories in the city’s modern history.

According to the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and 311 data extending through 2024 and 2025:

A Historic Drop in Complaints: By early 2025, NYC recorded over 12 consecutive months of year-over-year declines in rat sightings reported to 311. Overall citywide complaints dropped roughly 20% to 25%, with specific boroughs like Brooklyn seeing drops as steep as 36%, and neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen reporting a 34% drop.
The “Trash Revolution” (Containerization): The primary driver of this success is the city’s aggressive push to remove black garbage bags from the sidewalks. Starting in early 2024 for businesses and late 2024 for low-density residential buildings (1 to 9 units), the city mandated the use of sealed, hard-sided bins. Officials estimate that roughly 70% of the city’s trash has now been containerized, effectively cutting off the rats’ primary food supply.
Removal of Dining Sheds: As the city phased out and demolished the pandemic-era outdoor dining sheds, massive, entrenched rat colonies lost their primary shelters and were forced out.
Data-Driven Mitigation: The appointment of a Director of Rodent Mitigation (the “Rat Czar”) and the establishment of Rat Mitigation Zones (RMZs) allowed the health and sanitation departments to target the most infested areas with integrated pest management—like pumping carbon monoxide into burrows—rather than just relying on traditional poison baits.

In short, the causal factor linking the pandemic and the rats isn’t a deliberate biowarfare plot. It is simply that when human routines were massively disrupted by COVID-19, the city inadvertently created an all-you-can-eat buffet for rodents. Now that the city has aggressively revolutionized how it handles its garbage, the rat population is crashing back down to reality.

CBS News report on the drop in NYC rat complaints

This news segment provides on-the-ground context and official data discussing how new trash container laws and the removal of dining sheds contributed to a massive drop in NYC rat sightings.
–

AI Mode:
share.google/aimode/fsYA6cbA…
-—  https://x.com/mikenov/status/2062151409940693305

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

#NYCRats,  #Epidemics, and  #Biowarfare Theory
NYC Rats, Epidemics, and Biowarfare Theory  gemini.google.com/share/123b…
Pic.: New York rats get COVID, including omicron, delta, alpha strains –  fastcompany.com/90863359/nyc…
–
My Opinion – The Hypothesis:  The nearly simultaneous stabilization and decrease of the rates of Humane Epidemics: Covid-19, Flu, etc., and the estimated, up to one third, stabilization and decrease of the Rat Population in  the NYC; are the same causal factors at play, namely the deliberate attempt to spread the epidemics as the means of the BioWarfare by the deliberate stimulation of the Rats Population growth? Also: the estimates of the efficiency of the recent anti-rat measures in NYC?
Gemini:
It is entirely understandable why you might look at the parallel timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent surge—and subsequent decline—of New York City’s rat population and suspect a shared underlying cause. Human brains are naturally wired to find patterns in overlapping events.

However, to answer your hypothesis directly: No, these are not the same causal factors at play, and there is no evidence of a biological warfare campaign linking the two. Here is a candid, fact-based breakdown of why these two trends share a timeline, and how NYC has actually achieved its recent drop in the rat population.

1. The Real Connection: Human Behavior, Not Biowarfare

The surges and subsequent declines in human respiratory epidemics and the NYC rat population are indeed related, but the causality is the reverse of your hypothesis.

Rats do not spread COVID-19 or the Flu: Both COVID-19 and influenza are respiratory viruses that spread human-to-human via airborne droplets and aerosols. Rats are not vectors for these viruses. While urban rodents do carry other diseases (like leptospirosis and salmonella), they had no epidemiological role in transmitting or sustaining the recent human respiratory pandemics.
Pandemic policies caused the “Ratsplosion”: The rat population didn’t cause the pandemic; the pandemic caused the rat surge. During 2020 and 2021, NYC implemented sweeping behavioral changes. The hasty construction of outdoor dining structures (sheds) provided millions of rats with new, protected habitats right next to human food. Simultaneously, early-pandemic budget cuts temporarily hit the sanitation department, and remote work shifted massive amounts of waste from commercial districts to residential neighborhoods. This created a “perfect storm” for urban rodents to multiply.
The Dual Decline: The stabilization of human epidemics over the last few years is due to widespread population immunity, vaccines, and the natural evolutionary life cycles of respiratory viruses. The simultaneous decline in the rat population is the result of aggressive, targeted municipal policy reversing the exact environmental conditions that allowed the rats to thrive in the first place.

2. Efficiency of Recent NYC Anti-Rat Measures

Your estimate of a roughly one-third decrease in the rat population is incredibly close to the mark. Recent data from the last two years shows that NYC’s “War on Rats” is yielding some of the most significant municipal pest-control victories in the city’s modern history.

According to the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and 311 data extending through 2024 and 2025:

A Historic Drop in Complaints: By early 2025, NYC recorded over 12 consecutive months of year-over-year declines in rat sightings reported to 311. Overall citywide complaints dropped roughly 20% to 25%, with specific boroughs like Brooklyn seeing drops as steep as 36%, and neighborhoods like Hell’s Kitchen reporting a 34% drop.
The “Trash Revolution” (Containerization): The primary driver of this success is the city’s aggressive push to remove black garbage bags from the sidewalks. Starting in early 2024 for businesses and late 2024 for low-density residential buildings (1 to 9 units), the city mandated the use of sealed, hard-sided bins. Officials estimate that roughly 70% of the city’s trash has now been containerized, effectively cutting off the rats’ primary food supply.
Removal of Dining Sheds: As the city phased out and demolished the pandemic-era outdoor dining sheds, massive, entrenched rat colonies lost their primary shelters and were forced out.
Data-Driven Mitigation: The appointment of a Director of Rodent Mitigation (the “Rat Czar”) and the establishment of Rat Mitigation Zones (RMZs) allowed the health and sanitation departments to target the most infested areas with integrated pest management—like pumping carbon monoxide into burrows—rather than just relying on traditional poison baits.

In short, the causal factor linking the pandemic and the rats isn’t a deliberate biowarfare plot. It is simply that when human routines were massively disrupted by COVID-19, the city inadvertently created an all-you-can-eat buffet for rodents. Now that the city has aggressively revolutionized how it handles its garbage, the rat population is crashing back down to reality.

CBS News report on the drop in NYC rat complaints

This news segment provides on-the-ground context and official data discussing how new trash container laws and the removal of dining sheds contributed to a massive drop in NYC rat sightings.
–

AI Mode:
share.google/aimode/fsYA6cbA…
–

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

Rats Are Disappearing From New York City – Google Search  google.com/search?q=Rats+Are…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

#Brooklyn
#rats in  #nyc – Google Search  google.com/search?q=rats+in+…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

rats in nyc – Google Search  google.com/search?q=rats+in+…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026

#Brooklyn
#rats in  #nyc – Google Search  google.com/search?q=rats+in+…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 3, 2026