Americans urged to use encrypted messaging apps after cyberattack: Officials
U.S. officials are recommending Americans use encrypted messaging apps amid a cyberattack on telecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon. Cybersecurity experts advise you to encrypt your text messages and voice communication, if possible.
Microsoft says the hacking campaign, which they’ve nicknamed “Salt Typhoon,” is one of the biggest intelligence compromises in U.S. history and has not yet been fully stopped.
NBC News said officials on a news call “refused to set a timetable for declaring the country’s telecommunications systems free of interlopers.”
Officials said China is behind the attack in an attempt to spy on Americans. Chinese officials have not addressed the accusations.
“In the call Tuesday, two officials — a senior FBI official who asked not to be named and Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — both recommended using encrypted messaging apps to Americans who want to minimize the chances of China’s intercepting their communications,” NBC News said.
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Chinese hackers listening to calls, reading texts of US government officials
Chinese hackers listening to calls, reading texts of US government officials
Chinese hackers are actively listening to phone calls and reading the text messages of government and political workers in the Washington, D.C. region. In an interview with The Washington Post, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee called it the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history — by far.”
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said the hackers are still in the networks, listening to calls in real time and have been able to move from one telecom network to another. The impacted companies include AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
The hackers are members of a group called “Salt Typhoon.”
The attack started more than a year ago. Warner told The Post to get the hackers out of the system, they’ll have to replace thousands of pieces of equipment across the country.
They targeted the phones of President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, members of the Harris campaign and State Department employees.
In total, there are only about 150 known victims, giving the Chinese access to millions of calls and text messages, a number that’s expected to increase.
Straight Arrow News spoke with Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., about the attack. He explained how China and the Chinese Communist Party uses data as a weapon unlike any other country or entity in history.
“They are experts at using data, piled upon data, piled upon data to put together some really exquisite weapons that we don’t even fully understand the capabilities of,” Johnson said. “But we know that no enterprise in the history of humankind has ever been able to use data as a weapon like the CCP has.
“I don’t know what they’re all doing. I know they clearly find some value with it if they’re going to spend tremendous resources in constantly probing our defenses to get in and steal that information.”
Warner said it’s crucial the public understand the intrusion wasn’t confined to Washington but was far broader and exposed critical vulnerabilities.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
President-elect Trump has named RFK Jr. as his Health and Human Services Secretary. And fight fans are ready for a streaming spectacle: former champ Mike Tyson will return to the ring to take on social media star Jake Paul. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.
Trump calls RFK Jr. a ‘great mind’ after health secretary nomination
“[Kennedy is] another one, who’s a great guy and great mind and so popular, and I think he’s right, he wants to make people healthy,” Trump said. “It’s driven him pretty wild over the last number of years, and the Democrats didn’t treat him well. He was doing fantastically well.”
“Today I nominated him for, I guess if you like health and you like people that live a long time, it’s the most important position RFK Jr.,” Trump said.
Kennedy responded to the nomination earlier in the day, posting on X in part, “We have a generational opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in science, medicine, industry, and government to put an end to the chronic disease epidemic.”
The 70-year-old Kennedy is a former Democrat, who endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race. He would oversee a group of health agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (R) called Kennedy “a brilliant, courageous truth-teller whose unwavering commitment to transparency will make America a healthier nation.”
Meanwhile, critics of Kennedy pointed to his previous comments questioning vaccinations. Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden (D) said in a statement, “Mr. Kennedy’s outlandish views on basic scientific facts are disturbing and should worry all parents who expect schools and other public spaces to be safe for their children.”
Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey (D) just posted three words: “Dangerous. Unqualified. Unserious.”
Kennedy is also the founder of the Children’s Health Defense, which is described by media outlets as the leading anti-vaccine group in the nation.
When pressed on the subject of vaccinations by both NBC News and NPR in interviews earlier this month, Kennedy said if put into this type of role he is “not going to take away anybody’s vaccinations.”
President-elect Trump adds more names to his cabinet
Also on Thursday, Trump nominated Doug Collins as Veterans Affairs secretary. The former Republican congressman from Georgia and Iraq war veteran was a supporter of Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2019.
Trump also named three of his lawyers to positions in the Justice Department.
Finally, John Sauer, who won the presidential immunity case at the U.S. Supreme Court, is Trump’s pick for solicitor general.
House Ethics Committee cancels meeting on Matt Gaetz investigation
The Republican-led House Ethics Committee canceled its meeting over the investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, according to multiple outlets citing sources. Gaetz resigned from Congress earlier this week after President-elect Trump announced he’s nominating Gaetz for attorney general.
The meeting, which was scheduled for Friday morning, Nov. 15, before Gaetz resigned, was supposed to focus on the investigation into multiple allegations against Gaetz, including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.
Tropical Storm Sara brings dangerous torrential rain to Honduras
Tropical Storm Sara made landfall late Thursday in northern Honduras, bringing torrential rain as it skirts the country’s coast. Authorities there have warned of the potential for dangerous flash flooding and landslides, with the country’s president saying it could “become a catastrophic event.”
Honduran officials have issued the highest-level warning along the country’s northern coast and activated the national police and military for rescue and relief efforts. Sara is expected to move inland, making landfall over Belize on Sunday, Nov. 17, before dissipating over the Yucatán Peninsula, according to the National Hurricane Center.
This marks the 18th named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.
Annual UFO report finds 21 cases that can’t be explained
Pentagon officials maintain they’ve found no evidence of alien activity, but the government’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) said it takes every report seriously and investigates each one.
If none of this UAP stuff exists, if it’s all false, why at every turn are people trying to stop transparency? You can’t talk about fight club if there’s no fight club. pic.twitter.com/otPGNbwu71
Of the new reports the AARO has received, nearly 50 have already been closed as everyday items, such as balloons, birds or drones. The government agency expects to resolve another 243 cases by identifying them as one of those objects.
More than 400 of the new reports were put into an active archive because there was not enough data or evidence to keep investigating.
Tyson vs. Paul in Netflix’s first live streaming boxing event
The two faced off during a final weigh-in on Thursday, with Tyson slapping Paul. The eight-round match at AT&T Stadium in Texas was postponed from July after Tyson suffered an inflamed ulcer weeks before the bout.
Reports indicate both competitors are expected to have a big payday. Tyson, who has a record of 50-6, will reportedly make $20 million and the 27-year-old Paul, who has a record of 10-1, will make $40 million.
Paul’s startup, Most Valuable Promotions, teamed up with Netflix to bring the fight together.
Netflix currently has more than 282 million paid subscribers worldwide and Paul predicts at least 25 million of them will tune in. If that comes to pass, it’ll make this the most watched boxing match of all time.
New indictment filed against Trump for role in Jan. 6 riot
Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on new charges in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. And an Israeli hostage freed from Hamas says the remaining hostages are “suffering.” These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
New indictment filed against Trump for role in Jan. 6 riot
The new filing is meant to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling from July that presidents have broad immunity for official acts while in office.
Special Counsel Jack Smith’s new indictment revolves around allegations related solely to the actions Trump took as a presidential candidate in 2020 in a personal and unofficial capacity.
Trump’s legal team told news outlets this latest indictment is not a surprise to them, nor does it change their position that the case should be dismissed. Trump’s lawyers are expected to ask for more time to review the case.
Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), was asked about these latest charges while on the campaign trail Tuesday, Aug. 27.
“It looks like Jack Smith doing more what he does, which is filing these absurd lawsuits in an effort to influence the election,” Vance said. “I mean, the one thing that I did see, which I felt was just classic lipstick on a pig is, you know, of course, the reason the Supreme Court threw out his lawsuit is because they said it implicated the president’s official acts, of course, which the president has immunity in conducting those official acts.”
First rioter to enter U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 sentenced to 4 years in prison
On Tuesday, the Kentucky man who was the first person to enter the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 was sentenced to more than four years in prison. Michael Sparks, 47, was the first person to jump into the building after a window was broken that day.
A police officer who tried to subdue Sparks with pepper spray described him as “a catalyst” for the insurrection. The Senate had called for a recess just one minute before Sparks was able to enter the building.
The judge who sentenced Sparks to four years and five months called his actions “a national disgrace.”
More than 1,400 people have been charged with Jan. 6-related federal crimes.
Israeli hostage freed from Hamas says other hostages are “suffering”
One of the hostages taken by Hamas during its attack on Israel Oct. 7 was successfully rescued Tuesday by the Israeli military in a “complex operation.” Now, that man is speaking out.
The freed hostage, 52-year-old Qaid Farhan Alkadi, was reported to be in “normal” health following the high stakes rescue mission. Footage released by the Israeli military shows Alkadi smiling and interacting with IDF members, as well as family and medical staff at an Israeli hospital.
The IDF says it was able to locate and rescue Alkadi from underground due to extensive intelligence efforts. The Hostages and Missing Families forum stated Alkadi had managed to free himself before troops completed the rescue operation.
During the Hamas-led attack last October, approximately 250 individuals were taken hostage. Currently, more than 100 hostages are still believed to be in the hands of militants, but many are feared to already be dead.
OSHA Investigating after 2 killed in explosion at Delta facility in Atlanta
The exact cause of the explosion has not been released yet. Delta released a statement saying it is “heartbroken” at the loss of its team members.
OSHA is investigating the deadly incident.
Family says New Hampshire man died from mosquito-borne illness ‘EEE’
A New Hampshire man has died after contracting a mosquito-borne virus, family members say. They say the 41-year-old was hospitalized with eastern equine encephalitis, better known as EEE, and died within a week.
Health officials say EEE can cause flu-like symptoms including fever, chills, muscle aches and joint pain, and about one-third of people who develop EEE die from their infection. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for EEE.
AT&T said it has fixed an issue that caused service outages Tuesday night. Some local emergency officials said the issue affected peoples’ ability to call 911.
Two major cyber security breaches impact billions of people worldwide
Researchers at CyberNews are calling it “the largest password compilation,” as nearly 10 billion unique plaintext passwords have been exposed. The data was uploaded to a file titled “RockYou2024,” and these passwords are used by people worldwide.
The CyberNews team warned that this massive leak increases the risk of credential stuffing attacks, which can be detrimental to both users and businesses. Cybercriminals can exploit the leaked information to gain unauthorized access to unrelated services.
Researchers emphasize that attackers can use the leaked passwords and target any system lacking protection against brute-force attacks. This situation could lead to a cascade of data breaches, financial fraud and identity theft, CyberNews said.
To safeguard your accounts, cyber security experts recommend:
Resetting all passwords: Immediately reset all passwords associated with the leak. Use strong, unique passwords that are not reused across platforms.
Enabling multi-factor authentication: Whenever possible, enable multi-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring additional information during login.
Using a password manager: Consider using password manager software to create and securely store complex passwords on your devices.
In another data breach, AT&T reported on Friday, July 12, that a hacker downloaded and released call and text records of tens of millions of customers between May and October 2022.
The breach did not include the contents of calls and messages, and information such as names, Social Security numbers and birthdates was not compromised. AT&T will notify current and former customers if their information was affected.
Biden arrives in France as executive order on US border takes effect
President Joe Biden arrived in France to commemorate D-Day as his executive action on the southern border takes effect. And one major league player is banned for life after betting on baseball games. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, June 5.
President Biden in France as U.S. border restrictions take effect
President Joe Biden arrived in France Wednesday, June 5, to join dozens of world leaders and World War II veterans to commemorate 80 years since D-Day. The president’s overseas trip comes as his executive order to address the growing crisis at the U.S.’ southern border went into effect at midnight.
The White House said Biden’s five-day trip in France will include speeches at Normandy that will see the president focus on the importance of America having European allies, as well as the need for countries to stand up to dictators.
While in France, Biden will also meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concerning the ongoing war with Russia and speak with French President Emmanuel Macron about the U.S. and France’s continued support of Ukraine.
Biden’s executive action will temporarily shut off access to asylum for migrants who cross the U.S. southern border illegally.
The order allows the U.S. to move more quickly to reject migrants who cross illegally and remove from them the country if the daily average of encounters tops 2,500. The asylum restrictions will remain in place until the daily average falls below 1,500.
Happening Now: President Biden delivers remarks announcing new executive actions to secure the border in line with our laws and values. https://t.co/UnzOB8I2ut
In a speech Tuesday, June 4, from the White House, the president said he made the move after a bipartisan measure failed in Congress earlier this year. This put the blame on Republicans and the presumptive GOP nominee for the November election, former President Donald Trump.
“Frankly, I would have preferred to address this issue through bipartisan legislation,” the president said. “Because that’s the only way to actually get the kind of system we have now — that’s broken — fixed: to hire more border patrol agents, more asylum officers, more judges. But Republicans have left me with no choice.”
Biden said the order will help the U.S. gain control of the border, but it is facing criticism. The American Civil Liberties Union called a ban on asylum illegal, and House Republicans say the move is “a desperate political stunt” in an election year.
Hunter Biden federal gun trial continues
Testimony continues Wednesday, June 5, for the first witness in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial. On Tuesday, June 4, FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen testified about text messages, bank records and writings about Hunter Biden’s drug use.
The case centers around whether the president’s son bought a gun illegally while addicted to drugs.
Prosecutors played excerpts from Hunter Biden’s audiobook memoir — which he narrated himself — as he detailed his struggles with crack cocaine addiction in early 2018, just months before buying a gun. They say he purposely lied about his drug use on a federal form in order to buy that gun.
His defense did not argue Hunter Biden has struggled with addiction but said he did not lie on the form, rather, he misunderstood it. They say he was not actively on drugs when he bought the gun, which is why he filled out the form saying he was not a drug user.
The trial resumes Wednesday with the FBI agent returning to the stand as the defense finishes up its cross examination. Prosecutors are then expected to call Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle to testify.
New Jersey holds primary elections amid Menendez trial
New Jersey held its primary elections on Tuesday, June 4, amid the criminal trial of Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.Y. Andy Kim, a three-term Congressman, defeated his opponents to win his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Menendez.
Just saw the news. Thank you for this incredible win! What we achieved over the last 8 months is remarkable. We built a stunningly powerful grassroots movement that took down the unfair ballot line and changed NJ politics forever. Now we are ready to take our movement for change… pic.twitter.com/LBfW1VvffS
Hotel operator Curtis Bashaw won the Republican primary.
Though Menendez is on trial facing corruption charges, he announced his intentions to run in November as an Independent after saying he would not seek reelection as a Democrat. Menendez has said he hopes to be cleared of the charges in the summer.
Also on Tuesday, the embattled senator’s son, U.S. Congressman Rob Menendez, won his race as he looks for a second term in office.
AT&T says service outage is resolved
AT&T says it has resolved a nationwide service outage that kept some of its customers from making calls to other wireless carriers on Tuesday, Jun 4. On Tuesday, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile said they were all experiencing technical issues.
The issue disrupting calls between carriers has been resolved. We collaborated with the other carrier to find a solution and appreciate our customers patience during this period.
Customers in multiple states — mostly in the northeast — said they were unable to complete calls, prompting the Federal Communications Commission to investigate.
AT&T says it’s fixed what it called an “interoperability issue” and has credited customers a full day of service for the inconvenience.
This is the second time in just three months AT&T has experienced an outage. In late February, more than 70,000 AT&T customers across the country experienced a similar outage following a software update, according to the company.
Tucupita Marcano gets lifetime MLB ban for betting on baseball
In a move that hasn’t been seen in a century, Major League Baseball has banned San Diego Padres outfielder Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on the sport. MLB said he placed hundreds of bets on baseball, including wagers on games involving the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was with the team last season.
MLB announces sports betting suspensions for 5 players, including lifetime ban for Padres’ Marcano https://t.co/dC5eS30m71
Marcano, who was sidelined this season with a knee injury, was found to have placed 387 bets totaling more than $150,000 on games — 231 of which were major league games.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized the importance of this enforcement to maintain the sport’s integrity. The league has also suspended four other players for one year due to their gambling activities.
The last Major League Baseball player to be banned for gambling was New York Giants Outfield Jimmy O’Connell in 1924.
Pregnant woman to be featured on cereal box for first time ever
For the first time ever, according to Kellogg’s, a pregnant woman will be featured on a cereal box. Cookbook author and chef Molly Baz will be on a special edition of the brand’s Special K cereal.
It’s part of Kellogg’s “special for a reason” campaign, which the company says features “inspiring individuals.”
Baz recently made headlines after a billboard of her promoting a breastfeeding supply company was reportedly pulled out of rotation in New York’s Times Square.
Kellogg’s said as part of its collaboration with Baz, the cereal giant will be donating $25,000 to the United Way’s Women United program, which works to build “powerful network of women who strengthen our community through an investment of talent, compassion and philanthropy.”
FCC fines major wireless carriers nearly $200M for sharing data
The Federal Communications Commission fined major wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon nearly $200 million for illegally sharing customer location data without consent. A 2020 investigation revealed that the carriers had been distributing users’ geolocation details to third parties, including to prisons. T-Mobile and Sprint merged after the investigation began.
Today, we fined the nation’s largest wireless carriers for illegally sharing access to customers’ location information without consent & without taking reasonable measures to protect that information against unauthorized disclosure. https://t.co/bv65Fr6Dbl
Despite promising to end these practices in 2018, the FCC said the companies took more than a year to actually stop them.
The carriers sold “real-time location information to data aggregators, allowing this highly sensitive data to wind up in the hands of bail-bond companies, bounty hunters, and other shady actors,” FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
In a statement, AT&T argued that the order is unjustified and lacks legal and factual basis. The company claimed it was unfairly blamed for another company’s violations and that its efforts to rectify the issue were overlooked.
T-Mobile stated that it stopped sharing data with location-based services through third-party aggregators over five years ago. The carrier emphasized its commitment to protecting customer data but called the FCC’s decision incorrect and the fine excessive.
A Verizon spokesperson expressed the company’s dedication to customer privacy, noting that they terminated the offending party, ended the program, and took steps to prevent similar incidents.
The FCC stated that carriers are required to keep customer data private unless they have explicitly obtained user consent.
The carriers have expressed intentions to appeal, disputing the FCC’s findings and the legality of the fines.
Student protesters take over Columbia building after deadline passes
Student protesters took over a building on the campus of Columbia University. And four law enforcement officers were killed while serving a warrant in Charlotte, North Carolina. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
Student protesters take over Hamilton Hall after Columbia’s deadline passes
Student demonstrators at Columbia University protesting the war in Gaza broke into a campus building and occupied Hamilton Hall, just hours after the university’s deadline passed for students to clear their pro-Palestinian encampment. The university sent an email to all students advising them to avoid campus.
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A student protest group confirmed its members have “reclaimed” Hamilton Hall, barricading themselves inside. Students took over the same building occupied during a Vietnam protest in 1968 and hung up a banner reading “Hind’s Hall,” in reference to a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.
Images from the scene show the maintenance crew confronting the protesters inside the building and students forming a human chain blocking the entrance. The New York Police Department said its officers were stationed near the campus but not on the grounds.
The student protesters said they will remain at Hamilton Hall until the university meets their demands, including withdrawing funds for Israeli institutions.
Columbia President Minouche Shafik issued a statement telling protesters to “voluntarily disperse,” saying the encampment has created an “unwelcoming environment for many” of the school’s Jewish students and faculty.
Protesters are seeking the university to divest from Israel, something Shafik said the school will not do. However, in her statement, she said Columbia has offered to develop an expedited timeline for the university to review new divestment proposals from students and has offered to make investments in health and education in Gaza.
Now in its second week, the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia are just one of several occurring at college campuses across the country. On Monday, April 29, arrests were made at encampments at the University of Texas and the University of Florida.
Meanwhile, Northwestern University announced it had reached an agreement with students to continue protests that comply with university rules and policies.
Four officers killed serving warrant during shootout at Charlotte home
Four law enforcement officers were killed Monday, April 29, in a shootout at a home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Those killed included a deputy U.S. marshal, two members of the North Carolina Department of Corrections and an officer with the Charlotte Police Department.
Authorities came under fire while trying to serve a warrant to a convicted felon for possessing a firearm.
Police said the armed suspect was shot dead after leaving the home. A second person also opened fire on the officers.
The police chief said many questions still need to be answered about what unfolded.
“Today’s an absolute tragic day for the city of Charlotte and for the profession of law enforcement,” Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said. “Today we lost some heroes who are out to simply keep our community safe.”
After the three-hour standoff came to an end, a woman and a 17-year-old male were found inside the home and taken in for questioning.
Three Charlotte police officers and a member of the Marshal Service Fugitive Task Force were also wounded in the incident.
FCC fines major wireless carriers nearly $200M for sharing data
A 2020 investigation revealed that the carriers had been distributing users’ geolocation details to third parties, including to prisons. T-Mobile and Sprint merged after the investigation began.
Today, we fined the nation’s largest wireless carriers for illegally sharing access to customers’ location information without consent & without taking reasonable measures to protect that information against unauthorized disclosure. https://t.co/bv65Fr6Dbl
Despite promising to end these practices in 2018, the FCC said the companies took more than a year to actually stop them.
In a statement, AT&T argued that the order is unjustified and lacks legal and factual basis. The company claimed it was unfairly blamed for another company’s violations and that its efforts to rectify the issue were overlooked.
T-Mobile stated that it stopped sharing data with location-based services through third-party aggregators over five years ago. The carrier emphasized its commitment to protecting customer data but called the FCC’s decision incorrect and the fine excessive.
A Verizon spokesperson expressed the company’s dedication to customer privacy, noting that they terminated the offending party, ended the program, and took steps to prevent similar incidents.
An investigation by our Enforcement Bureau found that carriers sold access to location data to third parties without customer consent and continued to do so without reasonable safeguards despite warning from the FCC.
This regulation, part of the 2021 infrastructure law, aims to save at least 360 lives and prevent 24,000 injuries annually. The decision follows a rise in traffic fatalities post-COVID-19 lockdowns, despite a recent 3.6% drop in road deaths in 2023.
Carmakers claimed that NHTSA rules requiring cars with automatic brakes to completely avoid contact with objects or people at high speeds were impractical.
We have a crisis of roadway deaths in this country—and today we’re taking a major step toward addressing this with our new rule on automatic emergency braking. pic.twitter.com/NRS8WJeA6o
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) April 30, 2024
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that the automatic braking mandate “will save hundreds of lives.”
The new rule also sets performance standards for these systems, requiring them to detect pedestrians in both daylight and at night, and to function effectively at speeds up to 90 mph.
With talks of a merger gaining traction, media giant Paramount has announced Bob Bakish is stepping down as the company’s CEO. In his absence, three Paramount executives will form a committee called “The Office of the CEO” to lead the company.
This committee consists of the presidents of CBS, Paramount Media Networks and Paramount Pictures. Bakish has been with the company for nearly three decades in roles including CEO of Viacom. He will remain with Paramount until October, working as a senior adviser.
U.S. Soccer announced Monday, April 29, the end of its joint bid with the Mexican Football Federation to host the 2027 soccer tournament, despite being one of three finalists as FIFA’s decision is just weeks away.
Instead, the groups will focus their efforts to secure the 2031 Women’s World Cup, saying the two countries will take lessons learned as they prepare to host the 2026 Men’s World Cup along with Canada.
In addition, the U.S. will also host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
This now leaves two remaining bids for the 2027 Women’s World Cup — one from Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Israel withdraws troops from Gaza’s largest hospital after two-week operation
Israel withdraws its troops from Gaza’s largest hospital after a two-week military operation. And AT&T has a warning for millions of current and past customers after data was found on the dark web. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, April 1, 2024.
Israel withdraws troops from Gaza’s largest hospital
After 14 days, the Israel Defense Forces said its troops had withdrawn Monday, April 1, from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, ending its second military operation at the territory’s largest medical facility. Video from the scene showed buildings destroyed in the area.
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The IDF said it had exited the hospital after completing “precise operation activity in the area” and has exited the hospital.”
“The troops killed terrorists in close-quarters encounters, located numerous weapons and intelligence documents throughout the hospital, while preventing harm to civilians, patients and medical teams,” the IDF statement read.
A Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson told CNN the facility has been “completely destroyed and burned down,” adding “injured and burned bodies fill the hospital grounds.”
The withdrawal comes after Israel targeted the area outside another medical facility, Al-Aqsa in central Gaza, on Sunday, with hospital officials there saying two people were killed by the drone strike. Israeli officials said it struck terrorists that were operating from that hospital’s courtyard.
🔴An IAF aircraft struck an operational Islamic Jihad command center and terrorists positioned in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in the area of Deir al Balah.
Following the precise strike, the Al-Aqsa Hospital building was not damaged and its function was not affected.
Netanyahu underwent surgery for a hernia on Sunday. Hospital officials said the surgery was successful.
Pope calls for end of conflicts in Easter message
In his Easter message on Sunday, Pope Francis hoped for an end to conflicts across the world, appealing for peace in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine.
Francis spoke in front of tens of thousands of worshipers at the Vatican, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages and prisoners of war.
Following Sunday’s mass, the pontiff toured St. Peter’s Square in his vehicle before delivering his annual Easter message.
The Vatican has said the 87-year-old pope has been battling the flu all winter leading him to skip the Way of the Cross procession on Good Friday to “preserve his health.”
Work continues to remove wreckage after bridge collapse
The Captain of the Port of Baltimore is preparing to establish a temporary alternate channel to allow commercially essential vessels to travel around the area of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Over the weekend crews removed a 200-ton piece of the bridge that plunged into the water after being struck by a cargo ship last week.
However, that’s just the start of the cleanup operation.
Work at the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is entering a new phase with a massive salvage operation underway. @nbcaaron reports on the latest details. pic.twitter.com/1boj1hzsK6
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said tons of the wreckage of the Key Bridge still needs to be cleared, as this will allow crews to continue searching for the missing four victims and to continue work to reopen the port.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told ABC News on Sunday there is no timeline for reopening the main channel or rebuilding the bridge.
“The Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy are working on it. They have not wanted to speculate yet on a timeline because the operation is so complex. It’s not that you just have to remove the wreckage, it’s that you have to do it in a way that doesn’t cause portions of the bridge that are there across the water to shift,” Buttigieg said. “They’ve been under a lot of compression, tension; they could behave almost like a spring if they are not expertly managed.”
Buttigieg added crews are also working to prevent the 213-million-pound cargo ship from swinging into the channel.
AT&T alerts millions of customers of data breach
Millions of AT&T customers were alerted over the weekend of a breach that resulted in their data, including social security numbers and passcodes, being released on the “dark web.” AT&T said it reset passcodes belonging to the affected 7.6 million current customers.
Approximately 65.4 million former account holders were also impacted by this breach, the company said.
AT&T confirms data of 73 million customers leaked on dark web, investigation ongoing https://t.co/9qXVHn4pxk
AT&T released a notice on Saturday saying the compromised data appears to be from 2019 or earlier and does not contain any personal financial information. The company is investigating the breach with cybersecurity experts.
It is not yet known if the customer data originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.
$20 an hour minimum wage begins for Calif. fast-food workers
Starting Monday, April 1, half a million workers in California will see their pay increase as the state’s new minimum wage for fast-food employees takes effect.
Workers at places like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks will start making a minimum wage of $20 an hour. That’s a 25-percent raise for many.
The nation’s highest minimum wage for fast-food workers takes effect in California on Monday. pic.twitter.com/OJVnUlQo1o
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the “Fast Act” back in September, which requires fast-food chains with 60 or more locations around the country to pay this new minimum wage.
Fast-food chains like Chipotle, McDonald’s, and Jack in the Box have warned prices could increase to offset these higher wages. Other changes fast-food restaurants are said to be taking include increasing automation and cutting workers’ hours.
Men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four is set
The Final Four four is set in the men’s NCAA tournament and it wouldn’t be March Madness without a few more shockers.
Eleventh-seeded North Carolina State continues its run to the national championship by upsetting No. 4-seeded Duke Sunday, March 31, 76-64, making it to the Final Four for the first time since 1983.
NC State will meet No.1 seed Purdue after the Boilermakers took down Tennessee 72-66 earlier in the day.
Another No. 1 seed UConn, looking for back-to-back championships, defeated Illinois 77-52 on Saturday — a win which included the Huskies scoring 30 unanswered points.