PoliticsYahoo NewsTop Biden cyber official: SolarWinds breach could turn from spying to destruction 'in a moment'
President Biden's top cybersecurity adviser says the “likely Russian” hackers who breached the popular IT monitoring software SolarWinds could use their access to “degrade” or “destroy” networks rather than simply spy on them “in a moment.” Speaking Wednesday evening during a digital panel discussion hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser on cyber and emerging technology on the National Security Council, said, “Even if it's routine espionage,” the action is “still counter to our interests” and requires the U.S. government to find ways to force the perpetrators to reconsider their actions in the future. Neuberger's remarks come amid an ongoing debate about whether the breach was an act of digital warfare or a carefully crafted espionage campaign, and on the heels of an essay by Marcus Willett, a former senior cyber adviser to Britain's digital intelligence agency, GCHQ, urging the U.S. to be cautious about retaliating.
U.S.Associated PressCamper dies, wife rescued in Death Valley National Park
An Arizona tourist died and his wife was rescued Friday after their vehicle got two flat tires and they went missing in Death Valley National Park in California. Alexander Lofgren, 32, and Emily Henkel, 27, were found on a steep ledge near Willow Creek in the desert park, but Lofgren was dead, according to a statement from the Inyo Creek Sheriff's Office. Henkel was flown to Lemoore Naval Air Station for treatment, and there was no immediate word on her condition.
BusinessAxiosPentagon orders "immediate actions" to weed out extremism in armed forces
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Friday signed a memo ordering several "immediate actions" to weed out extremism in the ranks. Driving the news: The memo comes after Austin in February ordered commanding officers to hold a "stand down" to discuss extremism among the armed forces. The issue gained heightened attention after multiple service members and veterans were arrested for their alleged actions in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol siege.
WorldReutersU.S., Iran clash on sanctions; U.S. sees possible 'impasse'
U.S. and Iranian officials clashed on Friday over what sanctions the United States should lift to resume compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, with Washington predicting an impasse if Tehran sticks to a demand that all sanctions since 2017 be removed. The two nations laid out tough stances as indirect talks in Vienna on how to bring both back into full compliance with the agreement wound up for the week, with some delegates citing progress. The talks, in which European Union officials are shuttling between the remaining parties to the deal and the United States, aim to restore the bargain at the core of the agreement - restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of U.S. and other international sanctions.
- U.S.Christian Science Monitor
Are vaccine passports legal in the US? Five questions.
It's become the latest question dividing the United States, pitting desires to revive the economy and cultural life of the country safely against privacy and civil liberties concerns. With about 20% of the U.S. having been vaccinated to date, some states, businesses, and schools are considering tools to track individuals' status – also known as “vaccine passports.” Supporters say it would help schools and businesses reopen safely.
- WorldAssociated Press
Israeli university heads defend free speech in prize dispute
Presidents of Israeli universities released a joint letter Friday criticizing the government's decision to withhold the country's most prestigious prize from a scholar over his political views, saying it “severely harms free speech and free thought.” Israel's top court on Thursday upheld the education minister's move to temporarily block Oded Goldreich from receiving this year's Israel Prize in mathematics and computer science over claims he supports the Palestinian-led international boycott movement, allegations he denies. “Denying a person a prize due to their political beliefs contradicts the basic principle of the Israel Prize and severely harms free speech and free thought,” the letter said.
PoliticsBBCUS gun violence: Biden takes action on 'international embarrassment'
US President Joe Biden has issued an order targeting homemade guns, known as "ghost guns" because they are unregistered and untraceable. "Gun violence in this country is an epidemic, and it's an international embarrassment," he said on Thursday. The president is enacting new measures through an executive order, meaning he does not need approval from Congress.
WorldAxiosWHO official: Brazil is dealing with "raging inferno" of a COVID outbreak
Brazil is facing a "raging inferno of an outbreak," Bruce Aylward, senior adviser to the director general of the World Health Organization, warned Friday as the number of coronavirus cases and deaths across the country soars. Brazil this week confirmed more than 4,000 COVID-19 deaths in a 24-hour period for the first time since the start of the pandemic. The nation has confirmed more than 348,000 coronavirus deaths and more than 13.3 million cases, second only to the U.S., per Johns Hopkins University data.
WorldBBCFrom 'Porky' to goalie: Peru's presidential candidates
Peru's presidential contenders are nothing if not colourful. A former goalkeeper with the national football team; an ultra-conservative Catholic businessman nicknamed "Porky" after a Looney Tunes character; a populist with an anti-corruption message; and a veteran presidential contender whose father is a disgraced former head of state are among the 18 people running for the top job on 11 April. But despite the wide choice on offer, Peruvian voters appear unenthusiastic and even the leading contenders have been struggling to muster support among a populace worn out by the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.
- EntertainmentChristian Science Monitor
Is it art? NFTs and the surge of digital ownership.
In March, Kenny Schachter proclaimed that he'd auctioned off his grandmother on the internet. The digital artist had uploaded an image of his long-deceased matriarch to the web and sold the rights to it as a nonfungible token (NFT). NFTs are certificates of ownership of a unique digital item such as a video, recording, or cyber artwork.
WorldBBCMilk Tea Alliance: Twitter creates emoji for pro-democracy activists
Twitter has launched a new emoji for the "Milk Tea Alliance" - a movement uniting Asian pro-democracy activists. The alliance has brought together anti-Beijing protesters in Hong Kong and Taiwan with pro-democracy campaigners in Thailand and Myanmar. The emoji, a white cup set against three different shades of a popular regional tea, marks a year since the #MilkTeaAlliance hashtag started.
- WorldWPVI – Philadelphia
50-year-old woman shot, killed in North Philadelphia: Police
Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting that left a 50-year-old woman dead in North Philadelphia. The shooting happened Friday just before 1:30 p.m. on the 2500 block of North Bancroft Street.
CelebrityThe WeekPrince Philip 'carried British passport No. 1' and more fascinating facts about the late royal
Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, died on Friday at 99, prompting a collective look back at his fascinating life. Obituaries for the late Duke of Edinburgh walked through the late royal's life from his birth in 1921 to his service in World War II and his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II. He was born on the Greek island of Corfu on a dining room table, according to The Washington Post, and as an infant was "smuggled out of Greece in a fruit crate" while his father fled execution, The New York Times reports. The obituaries were also filled with interesting little nuggets about him, including that he "carried British passport No. 1 (the queen did not require one)," as the Times wrote.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden gun control: Don Jr and Cruz lead GOP outrage as President declares ‘no amendment is absolute’
Joe Biden's much-awaited gun control agenda kicked into action today as the president unveiled executive actions on what one adviser has called “the gun violence public health epidemic”. Gun safety is one of Mr Biden's signature issues going back decades, and pressure on him to take aggressive action on it has been intensified by recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder. “Enough prayers, time for some action,” Mr Biden said, while pre-empting expected criticisms that his executive action violated the Second Amendment as “bizarre”.
WorldArchitectural DigestWhy We Love a Small Loveseat
Supremely versatile, loveseats work as standalone pieces in studio apartments and as part of a seating arrangement in sprawling living rooms Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
SportsRaleigh News and ObserverFriday’s Triangle-area high school football scores, how the Sweet 16 fared
News & Observer Sweet 16 This week's games Thursday CAP 7 4A Cardinal Gibbons 68, Enloe 7 Sanderson 34, Southeast Raleigh 16 Northern Athletic 4A Knightdale 25, Wakefield 13 Mid-Carolina 2A Cummings 60, Graham 0 Friday CAP 7 4A Broughton at Millbrook, late Northern Athletic 4A Rolesville 35, Corinth Holders 14 Wake Forest at Heritage, ppd, Sat, 10 a.m. South Wake Athletic 4A Apex Friendship 31, Garner 21 Fuquay-Varina at Middle Creek, late South Garner 50, Apex 47 Triangle 4A Cary 21, Athens Drive 17 Hillside at Green Level, late Jordan at Green Hope, late Panther Creek at Riverside, late Big 8 3A Northern at Northwood, late Orange at Chapel Hill, ppd, Sat, 10:30 a.m.
WorldBBCCovid: Australia faces vaccine delays after changing AstraZeneca advice
Australia's vaccine rollout is to be further delayed after local regulators advised limiting use of the AstraZeneca shot - the country's main vaccine. On Thursday, the government said it now recommended that people aged under 50 get the Pfizer jab over AstraZeneca's. It follows restrictions in other nations, after Europe's drug regulator found a rare blood clot risk linked to the vaccine.
CelebrityThe TelegraphPrince Harry expected to return to UK for Duke of Edinburgh's funeral – but not Meghan
The Duke of Sussex is expected to return to the UK from the USA for the funeral of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, despite widespread travel restrictions. Prince Harry, 36, was extremely close to Prince Philip, although he is not thought to have seen him in person since the autumn of 2019. There is an exemption for people attending the funeral of a close family member, although Prince Harry would have to self-isolate at all other times.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFormer GOP House Speaker John Boehner says he wishes he'd fought against Bill Clinton's impeachment by Republicans
John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker, wrote in his forthcoming memoir that he regrets supporting former President Bill Clinton's impeachment. "I regret it now," Boehner wrote of Clinton's impeachment. John Boehner, the former Republican House Speaker, wrote in his forthcoming memoir that he regrets supporting former President Bill Clinton's impeachment, which he said was a purely political effort.
HealthTheGrioCDC says that racism ‘a serious public health threat’
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared racism a “serious public health threat” in this country. Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, who was named head of the agency by President Joe Biden, said the CDC will be “accelerating” its work to address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States. Walensky began her statement by highlighting that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted communities of color, populations that have “experienced disproportionate case counts and deaths, and where the social impact of the pandemic has been most extreme.
WorldBusiness InsiderTurkey says it was following EU protocol when it left the bloc's female leader standing at a meeting
Turkish President Erdoğan met top EU officials Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen Tuesday. The men sat in armchairs, while von der Leyen was left to stand. Turkey blamed EU protocol for the awkward seating arrangements.
PoliticsThe New York TimesManchin Reaffirms Commitment to Not Weaken the Filibuster
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a key moderate Democrat, on Wednesday reaffirmed his vow to protect the filibuster in the evenly divided Senate and suggested reluctance to his party repeatedly using a fast-track budget process to advance legislation without Republican votes. Manchin has long been one of the most stalwart defenders of the 60-vote threshold needed to end debate in the upper chamber, even as it threatens to derail key elements of President Joe Biden's agenda. Despite previously toying with possible reforms to the procedural hurdle, he has repeatedly swatted away queries about what could drive him to vote to outright abolish the filibuster, even as Democrats have gamed out various scenarios in which he might relent.
CelebrityThe TelegraphDuke of Edinburgh: Princess Anne pays tribute to her father's enduring legacy
Princess Anne has summed up what life will be like without her father to guide the Queen, the institution of the Monarch and his family. Speaking in advance of the Duke of Edinburgh's death at the age of 99, the Princess Royal told of his immeasurable influence, both on those immediately around him and on Britain at large. In an interview recorded for broadcast after the Duke of Edinburgh's death, Princess Anne spoke movingly of what her father's legacy might be, citing his steadfast support of the Queen in her role as Monarch as the chief example of his devotion to both his family and the kingdom over which she ruled.
U.S.The StateShooter who killed 5 in York County was a former NFL player from Rock Hill, sources say
The suspect who shot six people in York County Wednesday, killing five, before later killing himself has been identified as former NFL player Phillip Adams, sources told The Herald. Adams, 32, played for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets in a five year career that began in 2010. He was drafted in the seventh round in 2010 by the 49ers Sources told The Herald that Adams, after the shooting, was found by police in a home near the shooting site.
BusinessBusiness InsiderBoeing's infamous 737 Max plane has a new issue, and 16 airlines are being told to ground planes
Boeing's 737 Max, which was involved in two fatal crashes, has a new issue. Boeing said that some jets have "a potential electrical issue" and recommended they not be flown. Dozens of Boeing's 737 Max plane, which was involved in two fatal crashes, have another issue.
“Without modern infrastructure, the US cannot create decent jobs, social justice or climate safety.”
“The plan itself is really a big bait-and-switch...A fraction of the spending is actually devoted to traditional infrastructure projects.”
“Focusing on the size of the investment is misleading when you consider the high cost of not making it.”
“Rather than spending $2 trillion, we should privatize infrastructure where feasible and cut taxes and regulations on the rest.”
“Public investment can also be a major source of jobs and growth, helping to pull us out of the stagnation trap.”