Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
June 3, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Top cybersecurity official warns of more ransomware attacks . . . Top cybersecurity officials warned Wednesday that the U.S. can expect to see more ransomware attacks as the nation reels from recent hits on U.S interests, including meat supplies and fuel. Chris Butera, head of Threat Hunting for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said ransomware has "continued to increase, especially in our state, local governments,
as well as our critical infrastructure space." Butera added that cybersecurity is a "primary priority" for the U.S. government. Fox News
Not a priority. USG has had more than 20 years, since Russia's first - publicly known - cyber hack, Moonlight Maze, of critical military and government networks, hat to put its ducks in a row, to protect the country from cyber Armageddon. Now, even our weapons systems are vulnerable to cyber intrusions.
Here's what placing 'primary priority' on cyber security looks like: Have you ever gotten on Amazon website and not been able to place an order?
Is JBS cyberattack a dry run? . . . A Russia-based hacker group victimized JBS Foods, the world’s largest meat producer, in a ransomware hack this week, according to the FBI. Other hackers, based in Russia and elsewhere, struck the Colonial Pipeline and other infrastructure, water-treatment plants, small businesses, Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and even hospitals. With easily accessible hacking tools and
hard-to-trace financing amid the rise of cryptocurrency, cybercrime is soaring around the world, experts say. As hackers grow bolder in the scale of their attacks, some experts don't rule out the possibility that cyber criminals' attempts to disrupt, damage and steal could be considered a "dry run" for a potentially more devastating future attack. However, there’s not enough evidence to support a more conclusive assessment, these cyber specialists told Fox Business
Obama admits Biden administration is set out to finish the job he started . . . Wrecking the country that is. Former President Barack Obama took to the air earlier this week to tell us that his President Joe Biden is simply picking up where his own administration left off. “I think that what we’re seeing now,” said Obama, “is Joe and the administration are essentially finishing the job. And I think it’ll be an interesting
test. Ninety percent of the folks who were there in my administration, they are continuing and building on the policies we talked about.” Patriot Post
Harris gets new high-stakes role with voting rights effort . . . Vice President Harris finds herself at the center of another high-stakes, messy policy fight after President Biden put her in charge of his administration's efforts to protect voting rights in the face of numerous state efforts to restrict access to the ballot. Biden announced the major addition to Harris's portfolio just days before she will travel to Guatemala and
Mexico to meet with leaders there about the root causes of migration, the other high-profile issue she is tasked with addressing. “The president sees the vice president as an important partner and somebody who can work to take on challenging and hard initiatives. That’s the role of the modern-day vice president,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday. The Hill
Bidens to hit the beach midweek to celebrate Jill’s 70th . . . President Biden is heading to his Delaware beach home on Wednesday for a midweek break to celebrate the first lady’s 70th birthday. It is his first trip to his vacation home since becoming president. Details emerged with a Federal Aviation Administration notice restricting air operations around Rehoboth Beach from Wednesday to Friday because of a VIP. White House Dossier
Biden congratulates election of new Israeli president amid agreement to oust Netanyahu . . . President Biden congratulated Israel's new president on his election on Wednesday amid the potential ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s parliament elected center-left politician Isaac Herzog to the nation’s No. 2 post. He is expected to assume to the role in July at the end of the seven-year term of current Israeli President
Reuven Rivlin.
Biden made no mention of Netanyahu in his statement late Wednesday, hours after a coalition reported to Rivlin that it had reached an agreement to replace the prime minister amid political turmoil in the country. Biden said in the statement that he “extend my warm congratulations to Isaac Herzog on his election to serve as the 11th President of the State of Israel.” The Hill
Pelosi Asked What She Thinks About Retirement . . . Political commentator Mika Brzezinski asked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi what she thought about the word “retirement” in a video released Wednesday. In the interview posted by Forbes Women, Brzezinski asked Pelosi to respond to a list of words with her opinion. One of the words Brzezinski asked Pelosi to respond to was the word “retirement.” Pelosi laughed, looked at Brzezinski, and
said, “What’s that? Brzezinski laughed back and said, “Exactly.” Daily Caller
Dem lobbying firm under federal investigation for Burisma work . . . The Department of Justice is looking at whether Blue Star Strategies illegally lobbied on behalf of a Ukrainian company that counted Hunter Biden as a board member. The Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office is involved in the probe, and is coordinating with lawyers in the National Security Division at DOJ’s Washington headquarters, the sources said. The Delaware office is
also investigating Hunter Biden for potential tax violations. The existence of the federal probe into Blue Star Strategies has not been previously reported. There has been grand jury activity in connection to the probe, two of the people said. Politico
George P. Bush running for Texas attorney general . . . Just what the country needs. Another Bush running for president. Next he’ll run for governor and then president. White House Dossier
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US Puts $7 Million Bounty on Al-Qaeda Leader’s Head . . . The State Department announced on Wednesday that it will pay up to $7 million for information leading to the location and identification of Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Anabi, the leader of al-Qaeda's Islamic Maghreb arm. Islamic Maghreb, also known as AQIM, is responsible for the abduction and murder of Americans. The group is an important cog in al-Qaeda's regional operation,
which remains active 20 years after it orchestrated the 9/11 terror attacks. The $7 million bounty points to the State Department's continued interest in locating those who have helped al-Qaeda remain a top global terror outfit. Washington Free Beacon
New York City's MTA says it was hacked in April . . . The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates New York City’s subway and bus systems, confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday that at least three of its 18 systems were hacked in April. The MTA is critical infrastructure in a city that serves as a national and world financial center, among other roles New York plays in the economy. The cyberattack is the newest revelation
concerning a series of high-profile hacks spanning the country’s oil and food transportation industries. In early May, Colonial Pipeline was attacked by Russia-linked actors. JBS, the world’s largest beef producer, was targeted this week, and on Wednesday, the Massachusetts Steamboat Authority, which provides ferry service to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, confirmed it was also the victim of a recent cyberattack. Fox Business
For CIA, protecting defectors is a daunting task. Many face assassination fears, former case officer says . . . The CIA is quietly providing lifetime security for several hundred high-value defectors who worked secretly for the United States and fled Russia, China and other hostile states, says the former head of the CIA’s defector resettlement program. Joseph Augustyn, who spent 28 years in the agency’s clandestine service before
retiring in 2004, said in an interview that most defectors who enter the CIA’s covert security and resettlement program change their names and quietly adapt to their new lives. Those who don’t enter the program risk assassination. Washington Times
Yeah, it's especially daunting when you have limited capability to converse with defectors in their native language, which is important for keeping from becoming homesick. Getting homesick and feeling alienated in a foreign land, where everything is unfamiliar,increases the possibility of defectors' getting conned by hostile intel services who are on the hunt to punish "the traitors." To make matters worse, sometimes defectors, who risked their
lives, stealing secrets to help America, get cheated by USG out of the support promised to them.
NYC’s Subway Operator and Martha’s Vineyard Ferry Latest to Report Cyberattacks . . . Revelations of cyberattacks on transportation systems in New York and Massachusetts heightened concerns about the threat to U.S. businesses and essential services Wednesday, after hackers held hostage the world’s largest meat processor this week. An attack on JBS SA, the world’s biggest meat company by sales, upended U.S. meat supplies after it caused
JBS’s plants to temporarily shut down. JBS said it restarted most of its plants on Wednesday, and that it anticipated operating at close to full capacity Thursday. White House officials said the hacking was likely carried out by a group based in Russia, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation attributed the attack to REvil, a criminal ransomware gang. Wall Street Journal
FBI says Russia-linked group behind JBS hack . . . The FBI has identified a Russia-linked group as the entity behind the cyberattack on the meat producing group JBS USA. “We have attributed the JBS attack to REvil and Sodinokibi and are working diligently to bring the threat actors to justice,” the FBI wrote in a statement on Wednesday. “We continue to focus our efforts on imposing risk and consequences and holding the responsible
cyber actors accountable,” the FBI added. REvil and Sodinokibi have been described by experts as different names for the same group and past reporting has linked the hackers to Russia. The Hill
North Korean Cyberattacks Pose Threat to US . . . A U.S. grand jury indicted three North Korean hackers in February on charges of attempting to steal or extort $1.3 billion from international financial institutions and companies. The egregious North Korean cyberattack was hardly an isolated event. Since 2007, the regime in Pyongyang has engaged in cyberespionage, disruptive and destructive attacks, cyberterrorism, and cyber bank robbery,
as well as attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges and pharmaceutical companies working on COVID-19 vaccines. Daily Signal
US Military in Danger: Bishop Garrison Was Involved With an Alleged Soviet Organization? Bishop Garrison is purging the U.S. military of patriotic and conservative personnel. At a time where Russia, China, and Iran are threatening war, the U.S. military is about to be drastically weakened. Epoch Times
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Israel's Defense Minister flies to Washington for strategic talks . . . Departing for a day’s trip to Washington on Wednesday night, defense minister Benny Gantz is to meet his counterpart, Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and members of AIPAC. Their “strategic dialogue” will range over the Biden administration’s plan to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal, the Gaza
ceasefire and reconstruction. The defense minister is also expected to submit a billion-dollar request to the Pentagon to purchase precision-guided bombs for the IAF and to replenish Tamir interceptors for the Iron Dome defense system. DEBKAfile
Biden cancellation of Nord Stream 2 sanctions called ‘terrible’ for Ukraine and boost to Putin . . . President Joe Biden’s cancellation of Trump-era sanctions meant to halt the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is a blow to the Ukrainian economy that will strengthen Russia’s ability to wield its influence against the Eastern European partner, Ukrainian security analysts told the Washington Examiner. The Russian pipeline that
would transport gas through the Baltic Sea to Germany would displace older Ukrainian pipelines that generate an annual revenue worth around $3 billion. Biden’s about-face came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken had talked tough on the nearly complete pipeline. All companies operating on the line had been under U.S. sanctions until Biden removed theml. “It's terrible for Ukraine,” said former Ukrainian national security council member Oleksandr Danylyuk. Washington Examiner
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‘Too Long for Me to Read’: Fauci Dismissed Expert’s Email About Chinese Disinformation on COVID-19 . . . Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal bureaucrat who helped bungle the Trump administration's COVID-19 response, appeared to dismiss an expert's detailed warning about Chinese disinformation in the early days of the pandemic. "Too long for me to read," Fauci wrote in response to a March 2020 email from a physicist with extensive experience in
China, or "tl;dr," as the kids say. The expert had reached out to express concern about "fabricated data" coming out of China and the communist country's other efforts to conceal the true extent of the virus. Washington Free Beacon
US eyes coronavirus modified in Wuhan as possible 'backbone' behind pandemic . . . US intelligence agencies have zeroed in on a bat coronavirus modified during experiments inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) as a possible “backbone” for the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic, according to American government officials. The virus in question is called RaTG13 and was first mentioned in the State Department fact sheet on
the Wuhan lab in January. President Biden has ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct a three-month inquiry into the virus origin after an earlier study revealed spy agencies are divided over the two competing origin theories — that the virus leaked from a Chinese laboratory or emerged naturally from an animal to infect humans. Washington Times
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Labor Shortage Draws Attention of U.S. Lawmakers . . . With millions of Americans still out of work and job openings at a record high, policy makers are dealing with an unexpected problem: How to coax people back into the labor force. Congressional lawmakers from both parties are considering incentives such as providing federal funding to pay for hiring bonuses for workers and expanded tax credits for employers. A
handful of states are moving to implement such programs on their own, without waiting for action from Washington. Some economists, Republican lawmakers and business owners say enhanced federal unemployment benefits are contributing to the labor shortage, because many workers receive more in government aid than they would get on the job. Those benefits—$300 a week on top of regular state payments—are due to expire after Labor Day. Wall Street Journal
Cyber insurers recoil as ransomware attacks ‘skyrocket’ . . .The severity and volume of incidents has led insurers to become much tougher with corporate customers. After a wave of high-profile cyber assaults, Graeme Newman, chief innovation officer at London-based insurance provider CFC, draws a parallel with today’s rapidly evolving market for cyber coverage. Insurance companies now provide emergency support services as well as financial
compensation, so “the insurers own the digital fire trucks”, he said. Cyber attacks began to climb last year, but big ransomware strikes over the past two months have convulsed the insurance market. Financial Times
How the JBS Foods hack could affect the price of meat . . . The hack of JBS Foods, one of the largest meat producers in the world, could send meat prices higher in the near future. Meat prices were already rising in recent months. The price of beef and veal was down slightly in April, but was up 3.3% from April 2020, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The price of pork, meanwhile, shot up 2.6% in April, and was up
4.8% from April 2020. Poultry prices were also up about 1% in April. The coronavirus pandemic hit the food industry hard, shutting down about 60% of beef, pork and poultry plants at the peak of its impact in April 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Beef prices jumped 10.8% from April 2020 to May 2020, at least partly due to the plant closures and ensuing supply drop. Fox Business
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Gun sales: 2021 set to crush record, public 'afraid of violence, tyranny' . . . As Democrats and President Biden continue to promote gun control instead of targeting those who commit violent acts, people in May continued to flood gun stores, giving the month the record for FBI background checks. The latest FBI data suggest that 2021 will be another record year for background checks and sales, topping the nearly 40 million checks in
2020. 2021 looks to double the number of background checks and sales of 2015, when 23 million checks were conducted. While not a one-to-one match, background checks track gun sales. Gun stores and industry officials said the surge is being driven by minorities and women concerned about their safety as they see violence, especially in urban areas, increase. The popularity of firearms is evident in gun stores across the nation where inventory is low and the availability of ammunition is
scarce. Washington Examiner
Journalist Andy Ngo Was Savagely Attacked By Antifa … Again . . . Andy Ngo, the editor-at-large of The Post Millennial, was once again assaulted by Antifa while reporting on them undercover in Portland, Oregon. The attack occurred on May 28 while he was reporting on a protest in Rose City to commemorate the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Several local media outlets reported at the time that an unidentified person who
protesters believed to be Ngo was chased away from the gathering and assaulted, leading to two arrests. Ngo confirmed the assault in a lengthy Wednesday night Twitter thread. Daily Caller
Rep. Cori Bush Wants To ‘Defund The Police’ But Spent Taxpayer Money On Private Security For Herself . . . Democratic Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, who has repeatedly pushed to defund the police, spent taxpayer money on a day of private security for herself, according to newly released Statement of Disbursements of the House records reviewed by the Daily Caller. The Daily Caller first reported in April that Bush and members of the
progressive-Democrat group in Congress called “the Squad” spent thousands of campaign funds on private security. According to the new Statement of Disbursements of the House records, Bush also spent taxpayer funds on a day of private security for herself between Jan. 1 to March 31. Bush spent $880.00 on private security services through RSAT Security Consulting LLC on February 19, 2021. Daily Caller
Hunter Biden’s ex-stripper baby mama was on his payroll while pregnant: texts . . . The former stripper who bore Hunter Biden’s out-of-wedlock child — and who he claims that he has no memory of meeting — was on his consulting firm’s payroll during her pregnancy, text messages retrieved from his laptop reveal.
And the first son made sure she was booted off the company insurance plan months after she gave birth, according to the texts.
The messages, which are contained on Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop, shed new light on the relationship between him and Lunden Roberts, who gave birth to their daughter Navy Joan Roberts in August of 2018, the Daily Mail reported Wednesday. New York Post
Mark Meadows says 'more to come with Hunter Biden' . . . A top Trump White House official suggested the public will be hearing more about President Joe Biden's son in the future. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows teased what he may know about the Biden family's business dealings during an interview Wednesday on Newsmax. "I can tell you, there is more to come with Hunter Biden," Meadows told host Grant
Stinchfield. Meadows was responding to a New York Post report on more materials from the laptop believed to have belonged to Hunter Biden indicating that his father may have met with his Ukrainian, Russian, and Kazakhstani business associates at a dinner in Washington, D.C., in 2015 when Joe Biden was vice president. Washington
Times
Texas valedictorian goes viral after giving unapproved speech blasting state's anti-abortion bill . . . A Texas high school valedictorian has gone viral for ditching her approved graduation speech to instead denounce the state's anti-abortion bill, which was signed into law last month. Paxton Smith, the valedictorian at Lake Highlands High School, had planned to deliver a speech about television and the media, which was approved by school
administrators. When she was called to the podium at her school’s graduation ceremony, however, she said it “feels wrong” to speak about anything else other than the state’s “heartbeat bill.”
“Today I was going to talk about TV and media and content, because it's something that's very important to me. However, under light of recent events, it feels wrong to talk about anything but what is currently affecting me and millions of other women in the state,” Paxton said. The Hill
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FDA: Don't eat cicadas if you have seafood allergies . . . The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning for those interested in sampling cuisine containing Brood X cicadas: Stay away if you're allergic to seafood. The FDA tweeted Wednesday that people with allergies to seafood should steer clear of eating cicadas because of their relation to sea creatures. "We have to say it," the FDA tweeted. "Don't eat #cicadas if you're
allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters." The Brood X cicadas, which emerge every 17 years, surfaced this month in several states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, Indiana and Tennessee. The plentiful insects have inspired a number of culinary creations that use the cicadas as a main ingredient. UPI
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