Monthly Archives: <span>June 2021</span>

Global War on Ransomware? Hurdles Hinder the US Response

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Foreign keyboard criminals with scant fear of repercussions have paralyzed U.S. schools and hospitals, leaked highly sensitive police files, triggered fuel shortages and, most recently, threatened global food supply chains. The escalating havoc caused by ransomware …

Close Calls, or Worse, Spark Push for Wildfire Mitigation

DURANGO, Colo. (AP) — As the Missionary Ridge Fire raged in 2002, the Valley Fire, a second fire, broke out and destroyed six homes within hours near the Falls Creek Ranch subdivision north of Durango. When residents returned after the …

Data Recovered as Ship With Chemicals Sinking Off Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Experts recovered the data recorder of a fire-ravaged ship carrying chemicals that is slowly sinking off Sri Lanka’s capital, as salvage crews stood by to head off a possible environmental disaster, officials said Sunday. The …

Meet Tony, the Good Boy Investigating Arson Across Tennessee

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tony is an unusual dog. He never eats his food out of a bowl, always feeding from his human’s hand. He has a distinct physical appearance, having lost part of his tail as a puppy. And …

Speeding Officer Not Placed on Leave After SC Fatal Wreck

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A Greenville Police officer who was going nearly twice the speed limit without his lights and siren on when he crashed into another car and killed a woman was not placed on leave while the crash …

GM Expands Onstar Services Beyond its Vehicle Owner Base

DETROIT — General Motors Co plans to offer subscriptions for its Onstar Guardian security services to anyone in the United States or Canada who wants to download a smartphone app, expanding beyond owners of GM vehicles in a step to …

S.C. Supreme Says Law Voids ‘Step-Down’ Provisions in Auto Policies

A South Carolina Supreme Court opinion published Thursday nullifies auto insurance policy provisions that “step down” the maximum payout in instances where the insured was committing a felony or attempting to flee a law enforcement officer. The 3-2 decision provides …

Supreme Court Rejects Government’s Reading of Computer Fraud Law in Police Case

A Georgia police officer did not violate federal computer fraud law when he used his patrol car computer to access information on a license plate in exchange for money, even though his action violated his department’s policy against obtaining database …

Global Food Costs Surge to Decade High as Drought Parches Crops

Global food prices have extended their rally to the highest in almost a decade, heightening concerns over bulging grocery bills at a time when economies are struggling to overcome the Covid-19 crisis. A United Nations gauge of world food costs …

McKinsey Opioid Work Included Advising Distributors, Tribe Says

McKinsey & Co.’s role in assisting companies profiting from opioid-based painkillers was “far more extensive” than just advising makers of the highly addictive medicines, according to an Indian tribe’s newly filed lawsuit. Besides advising manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson …