Tag Archives : Build House

Biden tests COVID-19 positive for sixth straight day

President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again on Thursday but feels “very well,” his physician, Kevin O’Connor, said in a new update two-weeks after the president first tested positive.

Biden has tested positive for six days with a rebound COVID-19 infection that has been seen in some patients who take the antiviral treatment Paxlovid. He first tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21 and ended his isolation last week before testing positive again on Saturday.

“The President feels very well today. He is still experiencing a very occasional cough, but the cough is improving. His temperature pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal. His lungs remain clear,” O’Connor wrote in a memorandum released by the White House. 

“This morning, his SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing remained positive,” he added.

Biden is expected to continue to isolate in the White House residence until testing negative. 

On Wednesday, the president enjoyed a “light workout” and also had no fever and his vital signs remain normal, according to O’Connor. His loose cough returned on Tuesday.

Biden has hosted multiple virtual events this week while in isolation. On Thursday afternoon, he will host a roundtable event with business and labor leaders to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act.

Source: TEST FEED1

Watch live: Biden hosts roundtable on reconciliation bill with business leaders

President Biden will host a roundtable Thursday afternoon with stakeholders from business and labor to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act.

Supporters say that the legislation will counter recent price increases, encourage domestic industrial production and lower the deficit.

The meeting is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. ET.

Watch the live video above.

Source: TEST FEED1

Biden denounces Russia's nine-year sentence for Brittney Griner as 'unacceptable'

President Biden on Thursday called on Russia to release WNBA star Brittney Griner immediately, condemning a newly announced nine-year prison sentence for Griner as “unacceptable.”

“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.”

Biden said his administration would continue its efforts to bring Griner and Paul Whelan, another American detained in Russia, back to the United States “as soon as possible.” White House officials have said they are in regular contact with Griner’s family.

A judge in Russia on Thursday sentenced Griner to nine years in prison on charges that she illegally brought drugs into the country.

Griner, a star in the WNBA and an Olympic gold medalist, was detained for bringing vape cartridges with hashish oil into Russia in February. Griner pleaded guilty earlier this month, but she has insisted she did not intend to break the law.

While Griner’s case has had a higher profile, it has also rekindled interest in the detention of Whelan, who has been held in Russia since 2018 on spying charges that he vehemently denies. He has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The Biden administration had previously floated a potential prisoner swap in which Griner and Whelan would be released in exchange for convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout.

Source: TEST FEED1

Taiwan defense ministry hit by cyberattacks in Pelosi aftermath

The website of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense was hit with a cyberattack on Wednesday in the aftermath of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visiting the island. 

Taiwan’s Military News Agency reported that the ministry’s website went offline temporarily after being hit with denial-of-service attacks, which disrupted the website with excessive traffic.

The ministry said officials are continuing to strengthen monitoring for attacks as it works with other authorities to maintain information security. 

Taiwan’s presidential office was hit with a similar attack on Tuesday, the day that Pelosi visited, flouting stern warnings from China. The attack caused 200 times more than the normal weekday traffic, temporarily crashing the website. 

Though it’s unclear who is behind the cyber attacks, China has been retaliating in various ways to Pelosi becoming the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the self-governing island in 25 years. 

The Chinese government announced it would conduct military exercises in six maritime regions and the air space off Taiwan between Thursday and Sunday, which Taiwan’s defense ministry condemned and called “military intimidation” from the Chinese Communist Party. 

China has also banned imports of products from more than 100 Taiwanese companies.

A spokesperson for Taiwan’s executive branch said at a press conference that the government must prepare for the risks of foreign cyberattacks and that Premier Su Tseng-chang directed relevant agencies and ministries to enhance cybersecurity in the public and private sectors. 

Cyber attacks have also hit private companies. The Guardian reported that the message “Warmonger Pelosi get out of Taiwan” flashed on TV screens in 7-Eleven stores on Wednesday, with the chain’s parent company telling Taiwanese media it was hacked.

Source: TEST FEED1

DOJ files civil rights charges against four Louisville officers over Breonna Taylor killing

The Justice Department on Thursday charged four Louisville police officers with federal civil rights violations over the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor, alleging they falsified documents in seeking a search warrant of her home.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges at a press conference Thursday, saying the officers knowingly misrepresented that a target of a law enforcement drug investigation had been receiving packages of drugs at Taylor’s home.

“The federal charges announced today allege that members of the Place Based Investigations Unit falsified the affidavit used to obtain the search warrant of Ms. Taylor’s home, that this act violated federal civil rights laws and that those violations resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death,” Garland said.

“As outlined in the charging documents, the officers who ultimately carried out the search at Ms. Taylor’s department were not involved in the drafting of the warrant, and were unaware of the false and misleading statements it contained,” the attorney general added.

Developing…

Source: TEST FEED1

As flash flood risks rise, protecting Americans in a warming climate only gets harder

Keeping people safe in a warming climate only gets harder. Intensifying rainfall and deadly flash floods across the country are just the latest examples.

Communities from Missouri to Virginia are coping with horrific loss and only beginning to assess the recent flood damages. Resources to help them are already stretched thin. Support agencies and their staffs are constantly challenged to do more with less. The costs of climate change keep climbing, and the pressure to protect people and property never lets up.

Science can’t offer easy solutions, and virtually none in the near-term, but it can help us prepare for the future and understand the risks we’ll face. Flash flooding is a big one, and research shows we can expect it to become more common, and to reach more places widely thought to be out of harm’s way.

That’s because rainfall is intensifying in many parts of the United States. In some places, the amount that once fell in a day now falls in a few hours. More than ever when it rains, it pours.

This is what is expected to happen in a warming climate, because a warmer atmosphere can hold more water – 4 percent more for every 1-degree Fahrenheit degree increase in temperature. Global average temperature has risen by more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit with more than half of that increase coming since 1970.

More water in the atmosphere boosts the odds of big rains. Weather stations east of the Mississippi across Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia now record at least 10 percent more water per hour of rainfall than they did in the 1970s. In Louisville, the increase is 24 percent. In Huntington, W.Va., it’s 28 percent.

These calculations are based on the widely used Simple Precipitation Intensity index, which divides the total rainfall recorded in a given period — a year in this case — by the number of timeslots in which measurable rain fell. Out of 150 weather stations where hourly data were available, 120 showed at least a 5 percent increase in rainfall intensity since 1970.

That doesn’t mean the stations recorded more rain overall, just heavier rain when it fell. Even across the West in areas where precipitation has trended downward, the rain has been coming down harder on wet days in many cities.

It’s worth pointing out that the U.S. has been a world leader in weather data collection for decades. Records gathered from National Weather Service stations around the country let us analyze data and develop public safety policies with scientific confidence. And while not every storm or flood is the product of climate change, the trends are clear.

The rainfall intensity trends add up to rising flood risks for millions of Americans — many in communities that have rarely, if ever, experienced flash floods. In those that have, intensifying rain means the water can rise faster and higher than in the past. These are serious challenges for the agencies and officials working to protect people, because places that were once safe are increasingly vulnerable.

We are not helpless against the forces of climate change, though.

Governments and companies can slow the rates of change by cutting emissions that add to the thickening blanket of greenhouse gasses wrapped around our planet. That would slow warming and stem the rise in related impact — like rainfall intensity — which could buy more time for planners and local authorities to build defenses, modify homes, shore up infrastructure and redevelop communities toward safer ground. These steps aren’t just for future generations — they can protect residents facing these dangers today.

More immediately, strengthening warning systems and procedures, teaching people how to prepare for flash flooding — especially when it’s an unfamiliar threat — as well as investing in first responders and agencies that lead recovery efforts can also help communities address these growing risks.

Responding to intensifying rain and flash flooding will only get harder and more expensive — just as responding to the rest of the risks related to climate change will. But as disasters keep piling up from coast to coast, more Americans are recognizing that it’s the price of a warming world, and they’ve been paying it for decades.

Jen Brady is lead data analyst at Climate Central, identifying significant trends, patterns and notable climate events. Brady previously worked at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluating the climate change impacts of waste and contaminated land management.

Source: TEST FEED1

DeSantis suspends state attorney for refusing to enforce laws on abortion, transgender surgery

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren on Thursday for “neglect of duty” after the prosecutor refused to enforce bans on abortion and transgender surgery.

“When you flagrantly violate your oath of office, when you make yourself above the law, you have violated your duty, you have neglected your duty and you are displaying a lack of competence to be able to perform those duties,” DeSantis said at a news conference in the county sheriff’s office.

“And so today we are suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren effective immediately.”

Warren, a Democrat, was first elected in 2016, when he defeated the Republican incumbent, and has been an outspoken voice for social justice.

DeSantis cited Warren’s signing of a letter saying that he would not enforce “prohibitions on sex change operations for minors,” and another saying that he would not enforce “any laws related to protecting the right to life,” as evidence that the state attorney had shirked his duty as a public prosecutor.

“It’s not for him to put himself above that and say that he’s not going to enforce the laws,” DeSantis said, accusing Warren of acting like he had “veto power” over the state legislature.

The governor announced that he would replace Warren with former Judge Susan Lopez.

“I have the utmost respect for our state laws and I understand the important role that the State Attorney plays in ensuring the safety of our community and the enforcement of our laws,” Lopez said in a statement.

“I want to thank the Governor for placing his trust in me, and I promise that I will faithfully execute the duties of this office.”

Developing

Source: TEST FEED1

To make US more cyber-resilient, government and business need far greater collaboration

Cybercrime is now so ubiquitous that the question is not when an attack will occur on a business, individual, or government — It’s whetherthe victim is resilient enough to deal with the consequences.

Recent events have only intensified the cyber threats. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the world has monitored global digital networks’ security with heightened awareness. To date, the most disruptive Russian attacks, centered on Ukrainian communications networks, have had spillover effects only into Europe. But the war continues to escalate, and the threat of malicious Russian cyber activity toward Ukraine, Europe, and the rest of the world remains high. With election security top of mind as the U.S. midterms approach, government officials are acutely aware of the threats that exist from cyber actors, including Russia.

Even before the recent events in Ukraine, malicious cyber activity had been on the rise: The global COVID-19 pandemic accelerated business, government, and personal activity moving to digital networks, growing the potential attack surface and possible points of entry for cybercriminals. Ransomware poses a particular threat; 66 percent of organizations were hit with a ransomware attack in 2021 — a 78 percent increase from 2020.

Bolstering cyber resilience and protection will require a multi-pronged strategy that involves a much deeper level of coordination and partnership between government and the private sector. As part of this joint effort, the federal government should enhance collaboration and information-sharing with other levels of domestic government and the private sector. A top priority must be protecting and ensuring our critical infrastructure — nearly 90 percent of which is run by the private sector. For their part, businesses should document cyber incidents and threats, share that information with their government partners, and proactively communicate with their supply chains, customers, and other stakeholders in a timely manner to maintain their reputations and to protect all parties involved.

The National Cyber Director and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are both critical to these efforts. The Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations, the Cyber Information Sharing and Collaboration Program, and the Enhanced Cybersecurity Services program are all important and should be expanded.

While large organizations and government agencies often have resources to devote to cybersecurity, many small- and medium-sized organizations do not. Protecting small- and medium-sized organizations is vital, not only for those organizations, but also to protect critical infrastructure supply chains that include both larger organizations and governments. There are current gaps in access to federal resources for some small and medium organizations that should be filled.

While good “cyber hygiene” seems obvious, the reality is quite different. We need better cybersecurity standards and means of monitoring compliance. Employee training should be frequent, and content should be updated regularly to reflect changing conditions and threats. Working toward a Zero-Trust Architecture security model and implementing recommended software patches and updates should be ordinary course.

Building a more robust cybersecurity workforce and pipeline of talent will be important — although the U.S. added 260,000 cybersecurity jobs in 2021, a 30 percent increase, demand for talent still exceeds supply: In May, there were 600,000 vacant cybersecurity jobs.

A component to having a second-to-none cybersecurity workforce that can meet our national security demands would be the creation of a virtual national academy for cybersecurity. The virtual academy would be based on partnerships with colleges and universities. Similar to the U.S. military academies, cybersecurity cadets would receive a free college education in return for government service upon graduation. Graduates would be placed in federal, state, or local government cybersecurity roles to fulfill their obligations.

A cyberattack occurs in the U.S. every 39 seconds — and the severity and cost of these attacks is only growing. Resilience to an attack is key. The time for both government and business to ensure resilience is now.

Peter Altabef is Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Unisys.

Reece Kurtenbach is President, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Daktronics.

The authors are Trustees of the Committee for Economic Development of the Conference Board and co-chair its Technology & Innovation Committee.

Source: TEST FEED1

Coral cover on parts of Great Barrier Reef highest in decades

Part of the Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its highest coral cover on record, according to an annual report from the Australian Institute of Marine Science, though the reef still faces risks.

The report found that fast-growing corals in the central and northern parts of the reef have helped the areas increase hard coral cover to 33 and 36 percent respectively, a 36-year high for both zones.

The researchers attributed this change to low heat stress and fewer acute events, like cyclones or mass coral bleaching, in 2020-2022 compared to 2016-17, but cautioned these stressors are expected to increase in future years, straining the world’s largest coral reef system.

“In periods free from intense acute disturbances, most GBR coral reefs demonstrate resilience through the ability to begin recovery. However, the reefs of the GBR continue to be exposed to cumulative stressors,” the researchers wrote in the report released Thursday.

The reefs currently have between 10 and 50 percent coral cover, though nearly half had cover below 30 percent. 

Earlier this year, Australian scientists reported that more than 90 percent of the reef had been bleached, a heat-stress effect caused by global warming.

Intense heatwaves and tropical cyclones are also expected to curb the Great Barrier Reef’s recovery. The southern area of the reef decreased in cover since 2021 — attributed to an outbreak of a starfish that feeds on coral.

“While the observed recovery offers good news for the overall state of the GBR, there is increasing concern for its ability to maintain this state,” the report concluded.

Australia pledged $700 million earlier this year to protect the reef against climate change and global warming.

On Thursday, the Australian prime minister announced she’ll deny approval for a coal mine too close to the reefs.

Source: TEST FEED1

Newsom calls on film producers to shoot in California in wake of Roe ruling

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) urged producers to shoot films in the state instead of others that have passed anti-abortion laws, promising tax credits to those that move. 

Newsom said in a tweet on Wednesday that he is launching an ad to push the film industry to choose to protect their workers instead of supporting “anti-abortion states that rule with hatred.” 

Newsom’s offer comes in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in June, after which, more than a dozen states moved to ban or severely restrict the procedure through trigger laws.

The ad states that the “attacks” that states have made on reproductive freedom are not occurring in secret and are intended to cause pain to communities that they target. It states that many of those targeted are essential to the success of the industry. 

“Today more than ever, you have a responsibility to take stock of your values — and those of your employees — when doing business in those states,” it reads. 

Newsom announced his support for a bill in the state Senate on Wednesday that would provide $330 million per year in tax credits for the film and television industry through 2030. 

The ad states that California is a “freedom state,” offering the health care services that people need, including abortion care, and the freedom from “repressive state governments” that tell people what to believe and threaten felony charges for not complying. 

“So to those in power to make decisions about where to film, where to hire, where to open new offices, we in California say: Walk the walk,” the ad states. 

Newsom has been vocal on abortion rights since the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe. He signed legislation to protect patients and medical providers from civil liability for providing or receiving abortion care in the state and eliminated copayments for abortion services. 

He ran ads in Texas newspapers to criticize Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) over the state’s restrictive abortion laws, along with its gun laws.

Source: TEST FEED1