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☆ Damaging hacks expose the weak underbelly of America’s health care system
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —A pair of recent ransomware attacks crippled computer systems at two major American health care firms, disrupting patient care and exposing fundamental weaknesses in the US health care system’s defenses against hackers. Health care lags other industries such as big financial institutions and energy providers when it comes to IT security, according to some experts. The two ransomware attacks hit different nerves of the health care system. Momentum is also growing on Capitol Hill to force health care organizations to meet basic cybersecurity standards. More broadly, the Justice Department last week announced a task force to examine “health care monopolies and collusion” that will guide the department’s approach to “civil and criminal enforcement in health care markets,” where warranted.

Persons: cybersecurity, ” Joshua Corman, Sen, Ron Wyden, ”, cybercriminals, Biden, Anne Neuberger, Mark Warner, ” Carter Groome, Corman, ‘, ” Sen, Marsha Blackburn, Andrew Organizations: Washington CNN, Biden, “ Industry, CNN, Oregon Democrat, ransomware, Change Healthcare, White House, American Hospital Association, Department of Health, Human Services, Virginia Democrat, Healthcare, cybersecurity, Health, Cavalry, UnitedHealth, Optum, Tennessee Republican, Justice Department, UnitedHealth Group, Wall Street, Department Locations: St, Louis, United States, Virginia, Tennessee

☆ Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: former world champion faces MMA star with future title fight potentially on the line
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And the former UFC heavyweight title holder will once again step into the ring to take on another British former world heavyweight champion, this time in the shape of Anthony Joshua. With a possible future title fight on the line – reports have suggested the winner could face the victor of the highly-anticipated Fury-Oleksandr Usyk unification fight – there’s a lot riding on Joshua and Ngannou’s clash. He won the UFC heavyweight title in 2021, taking off of Stipe Miocic and later defended it against Frenchman Ciryl Gane. “I was watching the Fury and Ngannou fight from home, and from what I saw, I thought he won,” Joshua told Sky Sports. “If AJ beats Ngannou and Fury beats Usyk, the whole world will be calling for Fury vs. Joshua.

Persons: Francis Ngannou, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk, –, Joshua, Ngannou’s, Ngannou, “, Stipe Miocic, Frenchman Ciryl Gane, Fury, ” Joshua, Ciryl Gane, Gary A, Vasquez, Reuters “, it’s, ”, ” Ngannou, Andy Ruiz Jr, Joshuya, It’s, that’s, I’m, Jermaine Franklin, James Chance, – Joshua, Fury –, Eddie Hearn isn’t, ” Hearn, Usyk, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, UFC, Fury, Sky Sports, Guardian, Professional Fighters League, PFL, Reuters, Ngannou, BBC Locations: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, Africa, Europe, Spain, Paris, French

☆ Kenneth Mitchell, Known for ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Captain Marvel’ Roles, Dies at 49
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | More About Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Kenneth Mitchell, a Canadian actor known for his roles on the series “Star Trek: Discovery” and the film “Captain Marvel,” died on Saturday. He had lived with the neurological disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S., which causes paralysis and death, for more than five years, according to a statement from Mr. Mitchell’s family posted to his social media. Mr. Mitchell played the Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik, as well as Aurellio, on “Star Trek: Discovery,” and voiced several other characters in an episode of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”In “Captain Marvel,” he played the father of the superhero, Carol Danvers. He was also known for portraying Eric Green on the series “Jericho,” Joshua Dodd in the series “Nancy Drew,” a hockey player in the film “Miracle,” and appeared in several other film and television series.

Persons: Kenneth Mitchell, Marvel, ”, Mitchell’s, Mitchell, Kol, Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers, Eric Green, ” Joshua Dodd, Nancy Drew Organizations: “ Locations: Canadian

☆ Family of 85-year-old Florida woman, killed by an alligator while walking her dog, files wrongful death lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Brammhi Balarajan | Rebekah Riess | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The family of an 85-year-old woman who was killed by an alligator while walking her dog has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the real estate company that owns and operates the southeast Florida subdivision where the attack happened. Gloria Serge was walking her dog in February 2023 along a pond in the Spanish Lakes Fairways development in Fort Pierce when a 10-foot alligator attempted to take her dog, CNN previously reported. She was knocked over and the reptile grabbed Serge by the foot and dragged her into the pond, ultimately killing her. The alligator was later caught and euthanized, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wynne Building Corporation president Joel Wynne responded to the lawsuit saying, “We certainly understand the tragedy and the feelings of Mrs. Serge’s family.

Persons: Gloria Serge, Serge, Landy, Smith, “, Henry ’, Gary Lesser, Joshua D, Ferraro, PLLC, Gloria, ” Ferraro, Joel Wynne, Serge’s, ”, ” Wynne, Bill Serge Organizations: CNN, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Lesser, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “, Building, WPTV Locations: Florida, Spanish, Fort Pierce

☆ American Airlines Flight Attendant Filmed Minors Using Lavatory, U.S. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jesus Jiménez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

An American Airlines flight attendant was arrested on Thursday, accused of using his cellphone in an attempt to secretly record a 14-year-old girl as she used the lavatory on a domestic flight in September, federal prosecutors said. The flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, N.C., was arrested in Lynchburg, Va., and charged with attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography after investigators found evidence that he had surreptitiously recorded video footage of four other girls as they used the lavatory on American Airlines flights last year, the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Massachusetts said. “The deeply disturbing conduct alleged here is something no parent or child should ever have to worry about when they travel,” Joshua S. Levy, the acting U.S. attorney for the district of Massachusetts, said in a statement. Thompson allegedly used his position to prey on and surreptitiously record innocent children, including unaccompanied minors, while in a vulnerable state aboard flights he was working.”According to a criminal complaint, Mr. Thompson was working as a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight to Boston from Charlotte on Sept. 2. About halfway through the flight, the 14-year-old girl got up to use a lavatory in the main cabin, the document says.

Persons: Estes Carter Thompson III, “, Joshua S, Levy, “ Mr, Thompson Organizations: American Airlines, District Locations: Charlotte, N.C, Lynchburg, Va, U.S, Massachusetts, Boston

☆ Fact Check: Why fruit isn’t floating in International Space Station photo
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Facebook post (archived) shared an image of nine astronauts posing for a photo while three pieces of fruit appear to be resting on a surface. It was also shared by NASA and the European Space Agency. “Crew aboard the International Space Station use a variety of fasteners, like tape or hook and loop, on the space station’s tabletop to help prepare food during meals,” Joshua Finch, a spokesperson for NASA said in an email to Reuters. He mentions throughout the video that items are secured down, in this case with tape and Velcro, to keep them from floating away. This photo shows food attached to a surface in the International Space Station.

Persons: Luca Parmitano, Alexey Ovchinin, Alexander Skvortsov, Oleg Skripochka, Jessica Meir, Nick Hague, Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan, Hazzaa Ali Almansoori, Joshua Finch, Shane Kimbrough, NASA’s, Kimbrough, Read Organizations: Space, NASA, European Space Agency, “, Reuters, ISS, YouTube, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Thomson

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The famous fountains at the Bellagio won't be very visible this week amid the roar of Formula One racing on the Las Vegas Strip, and gondoliers won't be serenading tourists at the Venetian resort. They hope Las Vegas will join Monaco on the leader board of host cities for Grand Prix events around the world. Green remembered Las Vegas Boulevard casino-hotels including the Dunes, Barbary Coast, Frontier, Silver Slipper, Sands, Desert Inn and Stardust. Huge properties new to the resort corridor include Resorts World, which opened in 2021, and Fontainebleu Las Vegas, due to open next month. “I think what what is happening is Las Vegas is becoming the epicenter of the 'fun economy,'” Feldman said.

Persons: Michael Green, ”, Green, “, They’re, Joshua Guray, Charles Flexer, Clark, Jim Gibson, Gibson, it’s, ” Vanessa Anthes, Andrew Walsh, Walsh, Wynn, Evel Knievel, Alan Feldman, Bo Bernhard, ” Bernhard, ” Feldman, Ty O'Neil Organizations: LAS VEGAS, Bellagio, Las, gondoliers, University of Nevada, ”, Vegas, Monaco, Grand Prix, MGM Resorts International, selfies, Las Vegas, One Las Vegas, Police, NHL Vegas Golden Knights, WNBA Las Vegas Aces, NASCAR, Vegas Motor, NFL, Allegiant, Hollywood, Cosmopolitan, International, Seminole Tribe, Caesars, Villa, Caesars Palace, International Gaming Institute, UNLV, Tourism Council Locations: Las Vegas, Long Beach , California, Williamsport , Pennsylvania, Clark County, ” Clark, Vegas, Harrah’s, Flamingo, Horseshoe, Paris Las Vegas, Florida, Barbary Coast, Sands, Los Angeles

☆ DOJ announces arrests in ‘high-end brothel network’ used by elected officials, military officers and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Holmes Lybrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Three individuals have been arrested on charges of operating a “high-end brothel network” in Massachusetts and Virginia with a clientele that included elected officials, military officers and government contractors with security clearances, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. “Pick a profession,” Joshua Levy, acting US attorney for Massachusetts, said of the sprawling client list during a press conference in Boston. The three individuals, Levy said, transported women and advertised them online for pre-approved clients to choose from through several websites and ran the brothels out of apartments they rented. The agent said about 20 sex buyers were interviewed in connection with the multiyear investigation. One customer described getting a text of available options at a brothel, including the women available, the sexual services and the hourly rate.

Persons: “, ” Joshua Levy, “ They’re, ” Levy, Han Lee, James Lee, Junmyung Lee, Levy Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, Homeland Security Investigations Locations: Massachusetts, Virginia, Boston, Massachusetts , California, Cambridge , Massachusetts, Torrance , California, Dedham , Massachusetts

But scientists said Friday that the arrival of storms like Hurricane Lee this weekend could become more common in the region as the planet warms, including in places such as the Gulf of Maine. One recent study found climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach more often into mid-latitude regions, which includes New York, Boston and even Beijing. Lee remained a hurricane with 80 mph (128 kph) winds at 2 p.m. EDT Friday as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot (6-meter) ocean swells, strong winds and rain. While hurricanes and tropical storms are uncommon in New England, the region has been seen its share of violent weather events. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 brought gusts as high as 186 mph (300 kph) and sustained winds of 121 mph (195 kph) at Massachusetts’ Blue Hill Observatory.

Persons: Lee, Joshua Studholme, they’re, ”, Andra Garner, Kerry Emanuel, Emanuel, “, ” Garner, Hurricanes Carol, Edna, Bob, Superstorm Sandy, Storm Irene, Garner, Michael Casey Organizations: BOSTON, Yale University, U.S ., Rowan University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hurricanes, AP Locations: New England, Florida, of Maine, New York, Boston, Beijing, Boston , New York, Norfolk, Virginia, New Englanders, U.S, U.S . East Coast, New York City, Maine, Gulf, Canada, England, Massachusetts, —, Atlantic City , New Jersey, Vermont

The sheriff who oversees Bernalillo County and the police chief in Albuquerque said they won’t enforce the governor's order because it violates constitutional rights. Lujan Grisham defended her order as necessary, and rebuffed any calls for impeachment. Some critics have said it’s concerning that only those who want to curb gun rights have the Democratic governor’s ear. Top law enforcement officials and prosecutors have said they weren’t consulted before Lujan Grisham sprung on them an order that even she admits will be ignored by criminals. The Catholic Church was among the few who joined longtime gun-control advocates on Monday in support of the order.

Persons: Mark Abramson's, Abramson, ”, “ It's, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Amber Archuleta, Ray Wilson, Mike Leathers, Lujan Grisham, “, weren’t, Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, ” Allen, Archuleta's, Lujan Grisham's, ” Joshua Archuleta, John C, Terry Tang, Scott Sonner, Morgan Lee Organizations: —, State Police, New, Twitter, Bernalillo County Sheriff, Catholic Church, Associated Press Locations: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M, Albuquerque, Taos County, U.S, Bernalillo County, Albuquerque's Old, Wester, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Reno , Nevada, Santa Fe , New Mexico

☆ Man Gets 2 Years in Prison for Spending Pandemic Money on Alpaca Farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | More About Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the coronavirus pandemic slowed business at Dana L. McIntyre’s already flailing Boston-area pizzeria in early 2020, he, like millions of other Americans, applied for pandemic relief. But instead of spending it on the pizzeria, he used the majority of the money to buy a farm in Vermont, eight alpacas, a pickup truck and a vintage car. On Wednesday, a federal judge in Massachusetts sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered him to pay nearly $680,000, the Justice Department said. Mr. McIntyre, 59, pleaded guilty in April to four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. “This was no momentary lapse in the fog of the pandemic,” Joshua S. Levy, the acting U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, said in a statement.

Persons: Dana L, McIntyre, Joshua S, Levy, “, ” Organizations: Dana, Justice Department Locations: Boston, Vermont, Massachusetts

☆ Climate change: Parts of tropical rainforests could get too hot for photosynthesis, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Some leaves in tropical forests from South America to South East Asia are getting so hot they may no longer be able to photosynthesize, with big potential consequences for the world’s forests, according to a new study. They found that average forest canopy temperatures peaked at 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) but some exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). This level of warming is not expected under current climate policies, which are estimated to bring 2.7 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels. While these figures may seem small, the risk is significant given how critical tropical trees are for life, the climate system and the planet. But, he added, there are more immediate concerns for tropical forests, including deforestation, wildfires and droughts.

Persons: photosynthesize, Christopher Doughty, ” Doughty, Martin Zwick, ”, Kevin Collins, Christopher Still, there’s, it’s, “, Chloe Brimicombe, ” Joshua Fisher Organizations: CNN, Northern Arizona University, Getty, Open University, Science Media, Oregon State University, University of Graz, Chapman University Locations: South America, South East Asia, Nature, Australia, Brazil, ecoinformatics, Mobuku, Uganda, ”, Austria

In the latest challenge to the role race may play in school admissions, a legal activist group asked the Supreme Court on Monday to hear a case on how students are selected at one of the country’s top high schools, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in May that Thomas Jefferson, a public school in Alexandria, Va., did not discriminate in its admissions. The Pacific Legal Foundation, a libertarian law group, wants the Supreme Court to overturn that decision, arguing that the school’s new admissions policies disadvantaged Asian American applicants. At issue is the use of what the school board said were race-neutral criteria to achieve a diverse student body. “This is the next frontier,” Joshua P. Thompson, a lawyer with the Pacific Legal Foundation, has said of the litigation.

Persons: Thomas, Thomas Jefferson, Joshua P, Thompson Organizations: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science, Technology, U.S ., Appeals, Fourth Circuit, Pacific Legal Foundation, Harvard, University of North Locations: Alexandria, Va, University of North Carolina

☆ If Biden Wanted to Ease U.S.-China Tensions, Would Americans Let Him?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Ian Prasad Philbrick | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Americans still worry more about terrorism and other foreign policy issues than about China. “That’s percolated into the general public,” said Richard Herrmann, an Ohio State University professor who studies international relations and public opinion. A feedback loopSouring public opinion, in turn, may worsen U.S.-China relations. That might seem surprising; most Americans don’t pay that much attention to foreign policy, which is typically far removed from their daily lives. And once public opinion on a foreign policy issue calcifies, as it increasingly has on China, political leaders often pay attention to it.

Persons: ” —, Biden, ”, Richard Herrmann, Dina Smeltz, ” Joshua Kertzer Organizations: Soviets, Ohio State University, Chicago Council, Global Affairs, Democrats Locations: China, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Harvard

☆ Facing Brutal Heat, the Texas Electric Grid Has a New Ally: ‌Solar Power
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Strafed by powerful storms and superheated by a dome of hot air, Texas has been enduring a dangerous early heat wave this week that has broken temperature records and strained the state’s independent power grid. But the lights and air conditioning have stayed on across the state, in large part because of an unlikely new reality in the nation’s premier oil and gas state: Texas is fast becoming a leader in solar power. The amount of solar energy generated in Texas has doubled since the start of last year. And it is set to roughly double again by the end of next year, according to data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Already, the state rivals California in how much power it gets from commercial solar farms, which are sprouting across Texas at a rapid pace, from the baked-dry ranches of West Texas to the booming suburbs southwest of Houston.

Persons: ” Joshua Rhodes Organizations: Electric, of Texas, California, University of Texas Locations: Texas, West Texas, Houston, Austin

☆ Assad banks on new 'global order' to help revive his status
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

During his address, Assad presented himself as an elder statesman, lecturing his neighbors about the need to take advantage of changes in global politics. “Today we are faced with an opportunity of change in the global order, which has become multipolar due to the hegemony of the West, which is devoid of principles, morals, friends or partners,” Assad told the summit, held in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. But observers have differed as to whether real economic cooperation with Syria is possible without access to the Western financial system, which has been blocked by Western sanctions on the country. “They can also try working with or through Russia, and possibly with and through Iran – although that carries its own obvious risks,” he said, referring to Arab states that want to do business in Syia. There are plenty of ways of doing this.”Assad’s ultimate goal however, said Landis, is to get sanctions lifted with the help of Arab states.

☆ A House That Is as Green as It Gets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Zahid Sardar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article is part of our Design special section about making the environment a creative partner in the design of beautiful homes. “I really did not want a large house next to a lawn,” said Ms. Liu, who is now 56 and advises for the Nature Conservancy. The couple hired Aidlin Darling Design, a San Francisco firm, to build what the architects would come to call the “House of Earth and Sky.” Joshua Aidlin and Peter Larsen, the principals on the project, had ample experience with LEED, an evolving national standard for green buildings. And the couple wanted, and received, no less than the highest of the four LEED certifications: platinum. Ms. Liu’s desire for a drought-resistant garden was another prominent theme.

☆ An elephant living in a Berlin zoo has taught herself how to peel a banana
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Now a team of researchers in Berlin have documented an elephant using her trunk for another novel behavior: peeling bananas. Pang Pha was a baby when she arrived at the Berlin Zoo, where she was fed bananas. Lena KaufmannThe star of this new study, an Asian elephant named Pang Pha, was a baby when she arrived at the Berlin Zoo in 1987. When Pang Pha peels a banana, she doesn’t crack the stem and peel down the sides one by one. It’s also not possible to definitively say that she learned to peel bananas by copying her human caretaker.

New York CNN —Thursday afternoon will round out what has so far been a sobering earnings season for the Big Tech giants. Alphabet’s revenue will likely remain flat from last year and Amazon’s sales are expected to grow just shy of 6% year-over-year. All three companies’ profits are expected to fall from the year-ago quarter, with Amazon set to suffer the steepest drop with a decline of 40.6%. Then came the press conference, which led to a steep divergence between what the Fed thinks and what the Wall Street thinks. A cautionary tale: In mid-November, Ticketmaster’s site overloaded when fans tried to purchase pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour.

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