A global cyber attack linked to a Russian ransomware group has targeted U.S. government agencies, and deadly tornadoes tore through the Texas panhandle. These stories and more highlight the rundown for Friday, June 16, 2023.
U.S. agencies hit in global cyber attack
A global cyber attack has hit several U.S. government agencies. U.S. officials say a Russian ransomware group is to blame.
According to national security, the ransomware group compromised a “vulnerability” in a widely used software. That software makes it convenient for governments and businesses to move large files.
Impacted institutions include:
- The U.S. Department of Energy
- Multiple Johns Hopkins hospitals
- The University of Georgia
- British Airways
- The Minnesota Department of Education
Officials suspect there could be hundreds of more companies affected. According to U.S. cybersecurity officials, no federal data has been leaked so far in the hack.
The Russia ransomware group suspected of being behind the attack is known to demand multimillion-dollar ransoms. While stolen data is often used for extortion, none of the agencies have reported demands for money.
Teixeira indicted over discord leaks
Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking highly classified military documents on the social media app Discord, has now been indicted. He’s facing six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The leaked documents contained information about the war in Ukraine as well as other top national security issues. In May, a judge deemed Teixeira a flight risk and ordered him to remain in jail as he awaits trial.
Tornado kills 3 in Texas panhandle town
A series of spring storms came down hard on the south Thursday, June 15. At least 3 people have died and about 100 people were injured after a tornado came barreling through the Texas panhandle.
This tornado devastated the small town Perryton, Texas. Trailer houses were destroyed, communication towers were torn down, and dozens of people were injured from the high-speed winds and thrown debris.
Meanwhile. Pensacola, Florida saw its share of devastation caused by a series of severe thunderstorms. At least one person died after a tree fell on top of their home.
The latest round of severe weather follows tornadoes that touched down in Alabama earlier this week.
U.S. submarine arrives in South Korea
The U.S.S. Michigan, a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 tomahawk missiles, arrived in South Korean waters on Friday. The arrival is the first of its kind in 6 years.
It’s part of a recent agreement between the U.S. and South Korea to increase the U.S.’s presence along the Korean peninsula. The two countries’ Navies were set to conduct drills meant to boost their special operations capabilities.
The arrival comes just a day after U.S. and South Korean troops conducted joint live-fire drills at a firing range in South Korea. The goal of the drills are to counteract the growing threat of North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. In protest of the live-fire drills, the North launched two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast June 15.
“These launches are a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, and they demonstrate the threat of unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to the region, to international peace and security, and to the global nonproliferation regime,” State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said Thursday.
Ticketmaster, SeatGeek agree to end hidden fees
Tcketmaster and SeatGeek announced they will no longer have hidden fees applied to their ticket sales. This means the full costs of tickets will be visible to customers up front.
The announcement came the same day President Joe Biden hosted executives from Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and other companies to tout the administration’s work cracking down on “junk fees.”
According to the Government Accountability Office, hidden fees cause the price of an event ticket online to increase by 27% on average.
Pope Francis released from hospital
Pope Francis has been discharged from the hospital nine days after he underwent surgery to repair a hernia in his abdomen. The 86-year-old pope was greeted Friday with a wave of supporters outside the hospital. The surgeon who did the procedure said Francis is “better than before” the hospitalization.
The pope traditionally takes the full month of July off from travel and public appearances. While Francis still plans to attend Sunday blessings, he will have the rest of June and July to rest before he travels to Portugal in August.
