Top executives at Texas-based software company SolarWinds, Microsoft and cybersecurity firms FireEye and CrowdStrike Holdings defended their conduct in breaches blamed on Russian hackers and sought to shift responsibility elsewhere in testimony to a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday.
U.S. SENATOR MARK WARNER: "Preliminary indications suggest that the scope and scale of this incident are beyond any that weāve confronted as a nation, and its implications are significant." Senator Mark Warner of the Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday chaired the panel's first hearing on the massive hack of U.S. government agencies and private companies that was discovered in December.
Top executives from Microsoft, CrowdStrike, FireEye and SolarWinds - whose software was hijacked to breach other companies - said the cyber attack was likely worse than previously thought.
BRAD SMITH: "This was an act of recklessness in my opinion." Microsoft President Brad Smith said the true scope of the hack is still unknown because most victims are not legally required to disclose information about it, and appealed for government help.
SMITH: "We do need to enhance the sharing of threat intelligence." But CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz, whose cybersecurity firm is helping SolarWinds recover from the breach, turned the blame on Microsoft, calling its complicated architecture "antiquated." KURTZ: "The threat actor took advantage of systemic weaknesses in the Windows authentication architecture, allowing it to move laterally within the network." Amazon Web Services was also invited to testify, but the company declined to attend the hearing, irking the senators on panel, including Florida's Marco Rubio.
The massive breach, which has widely been blamed on Russian hackers, is one of the worst hacks and U.S. intelligence failures on record, affecting at least nine federal agencies and more than 100 U.S. companies - including the four that participated in Tuesday's hearing.
These US Cities, Have the Highest Populations of, Millionaires.
According to a report by Henley & Partners,
the United States remains the top country in the
world for private wealth creation and accumulation.
Quartz reports that the U.S. accounts
for about 32% of global liquid investable
wealth, valued at approximately $67 trillion.
Here are some of the cities
with the largest populations of
millionaires, according to the report.
Austin, This Texas city had the biggest explosion
in millionaire growth in the U.S. over the past
ten years, reaching 32,700 by the end of 2023. .
Miami, This Florida city is home to
35,300 millionaires and 15 billionaires,
including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Boston, While having just eight billionaires,
the fewest of any other city on the list,
this New England city is home to , 42,900 millionaires.
Seattle, This Washington State city is the home of
some of the largest corporations in the U.S.,
including Amazon and Microsoft. It's also
home to 54,200 millionaires and 11 billionaires. .
Chicago, Approximately 120,500 millionaires
live in this Midwestern metropolis. .
Los Angeles, The second-most populous city in the U.S. has about, 212,100 millionaires and 43 billionaires.
San Francisco, The tech hub of the U.S. boasts the most
billionaires with a whopping 68, as well as
the second-most millionaires with 305,700. .
New York, The city with the most high
net worth individuals has about , 349,500 millionaires
and 60 billionaires
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Elon Muskās Emails , Are Published by OpenAI.
Musk recently sued OpenAI for shifting from non-profit operations to a for-profit model. .
Musk recently sued OpenAI for shifting from non-profit operations to a for-profit model. .
Musk, an OpenAI co-founder and early investor, says he wants the company to get back to its original goal of creating AI for
the benefit of humanity, not revenue.
He also wants company co-founders
Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to
pay back any profit they received.
He also wants company co-founders
Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to
pay back any profit they received.
Now, the ChatGPT maker is calling Musk out, releasing redacted emails that seem to show him agreeing that the company needed to adopt a for-profit model to advance its projects.
This needs billions per year
immediately or forget it.
I really hope Iām wrong. , Elon Musk, via an email dated Dec. 26, 2018, provided by CNN.
He went on to suggest a $1 billion funding commitment and pledged to cover the remainder of whatever was not raised.
Musk ultimately contributed $45 million to OpenAI's funding, and $90 million was raised through other donors, CNN reports. .
He never fulfilled his promise
to fund the rest, CNN reports. .
We all understood we were going to need
a lot more capital to succeed at our mission ā
billions of dollars per year, which was far
more than any of us, especially Elon, thought
weād be able to raise as the non-profit, OpenAI, via blog post.
In 2019, OpenAI became a for-profit entity
and now has a $90 billion valuation.
Microsoft has committed
$13 billion to their cause.
Weāre sad that itās come to this with someone
whom weāve deeply admiredāsomeone
who inspired us to aim higher, then told us
we would fail, started a competitor,
and then sued us when we started
making meaningful progress towards
OpenAIās mission without him, OpenAI, via blog post
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Elon Musk , Sues OpenAI.
Musk filed the lawsuit against OpenAI,
co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman,
and other entities on Feb. 29, TechCrunch reports. .
Musk filed the lawsuit against OpenAI,
co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman,
and other entities on Feb. 29, TechCrunch reports. .
Musk filed the lawsuit against OpenAI,
co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman,
and other entities on Feb. 29, TechCrunch reports. .
Musk, who is also an OpenAI co-founder
and early financial backer, .
claims that OpenAI breached an original agreement by shifting its focus to pursue profits. .
Musk says that he invested in the company under
the promise that it would operate as a non-profit working to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.
But after partnering with Microsoft and receiving
a $13 billion investment, Musk alleges that the company switched to a for-profit business model.
In reality, however, OpenAI, Inc.
has been transformed into a
closed-source de facto subsidiary
of the largest technology company
in the world: Microsoft. , Via lawsuit.
Under its new board, it is not just
developing but is actually refining
an AGI to maximize profits for
Microsoft, rather than for the
benefit of humanity, Via lawsuit.
This was a stark betrayal of
the Founding Agreement, Via lawsuit.
Musk is seeking to stop OpenAI from monetizing certain technologies and would also like the court
to rule that AI systems constitute artificial general intelligence and exceed licensing agreements.
Musk is seeking to stop OpenAI from monetizing certain technologies and would also like the court
to rule that AI systems constitute artificial general intelligence and exceed licensing agreements.
Additionally, Musk is seeking "potential restitution of donations," TechCrunch reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
If AI āis the most powerful technology in the world, shouldn't it have at least as much regulation as a carton of milk?ā says Microsoft President, Brad Smith.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 12:51Published
On Wednesday morning, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, alongside state government officials, made a notable visit to a slum in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Their destination was the Biju Adarsh Colony in the Maa Mangla Basti, where they engaged directly with the residents. Gates' purpose extended beyond a mere inspection of living conditions; he also took the opportunity to interact closely with women's self-help groups (SHGs) that operate within the area. This visit underscores the collaborative efforts between various departments of the state government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Together, they are striving to address critical issues within marginalised communities, particularly focusing on empowerment initiatives led by women's SHGs. The presence of such a prominent figure as Bill Gates highlights the importance of these grassroots efforts and signals a commitment to fostering positive change and inclusive development in Odisha's urban areas.
#BillGates #NaveenPatnaik #BhubaneshwarVisit #SlumInteraction #CommunityEngagement #ResidentInteraction #Philanthropy #UrbanDevelopment #CommunityEmpowerment #SocialImpact #HumanitarianEfforts #BhubaneshwarCommunity #InclusiveDevelopment #CommunityOutreach #EmpoweringCommunities #BillGatesInIndia #CommunityBuilding #HumanitarianVisit #SocialChange #BhubaneshwarImpact #BuildingBetterCommunities
~HT.99~PR.152~ED.194~
Former Treasury Secretary , Looking to Form Investor Group , to Purchase TikTok.
NBC reports that former Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin is looking to put together an
investor group to acquire ByteDance's TikTok.
NBC reports that former Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin is looking to put together an
investor group to acquire ByteDance's TikTok.
The news comes as a bipartisan bill works its
way through Congress that threatens to bring an
end to the platform's existence in the United States.
The news comes as a bipartisan bill works its
way through Congress that threatens to bring an
end to the platform's existence in the United States.
On March 13, the House of Representatives passed
the bill, which would force ByteDance to divest
the platform or face a ban on the app in the U.S.
I think the legislation should
pass and I think it should be sold.
Itās a great business and Iām going
to put together a group to buy TikTok, Steven Mnuchin, Former Treasury Secretary, via CNBCās āSquawk Boxā.
This should be owned by
U.S. businesses. Thereās no
way that the Chinese would
ever let a U.S. company own
something like this in China, Steven Mnuchin, Former Treasury Secretary, via CNBCās āSquawk Boxā.
NBC points out that the bill still requires Senate approval
before it heads to President Joe Biden, who has indicated
that he would support the bill if it passes through Congress.
NBC points out that the bill still requires Senate approval
before it heads to President Joe Biden, who has indicated
that he would support the bill if it passes through Congress.
However, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has said
that selling TikTok is not a viable option. .
According to PitchBook data, , ByteDance was valued at , $220 billion in 2023. .
Mnuchin has yet to specify the potential valuation
of a deal to acquire the social media platform
or which investors may be interested in the deal.
At the same time, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported that
former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has also
expressed interest in a deal to purchase TikTok.
At the same time, the 'Wall Street Journal' reported that
former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has also
expressed interest in a deal to purchase TikTok
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has introduced a bill giving China's ByteDance six months to divest TikTok or face a US ban due to national security concerns. This follows India's 2020 ban on TikTok. The bill requires Senate support and will be considered in a House committee hearing. TikTok denies data sharing with China but faces scrutiny over its ownership.
#TikTok #USLawmakers #TikToknews #Bytedance #ChinaApps #Chinese #USnews #RepublicanLawmakers #Worldnews #Oneindia #Oneindianews
~ED.101~
Mitch McConnell , Backs Trump Despite , Acrimonious Relationship.
On March 6, Mitch McConnell, the United States
Senate's leading Republican, endorsed
Donald Trump's bid for the 2024 election.
On March 6, Mitch McConnell, the United States
Senate's leading Republican, endorsed
Donald Trump's bid for the 2024 election.
It is abundantly clear that
former President Trump has
earned the requisite support of
Republican voters to be our nominee
for President of the United States, Mitch McConnell, Republican
Senate leader, via 'The Guardian'.
It is abundantly clear that
former President Trump has
earned the requisite support of
Republican voters to be our nominee
for President of the United States, Mitch McConnell, Republican
Senate leader, via 'The Guardian'.
'The Guardian' reports that the news comes after
Trump dominated Super Tuesday primaries,
and Nikki Haley pulled out of the race. .
'The Guardian' reports that the news comes after
Trump dominated Super Tuesday primaries,
and Nikki Haley pulled out of the race. .
It should come as no surprise, that as
nominee, he will have my support, Mitch McConnell, Republican
Senate leader, via 'The Guardian'.
During his presidency, we worked
together to accomplish great things
for the American people including
tax reform that supercharged our
economy and a generational change
of our federal judiciary ā most
importantly, the Supreme Court, Mitch McConnell, Republican
Senate leader, via 'The Guardian'.
Trump and McConnell fell out over Trump's challenge
of the 2020 election results, which led to the
January 6 riot at the U.S. Congress.
Trump and McConnell fell out over Trump's challenge
of the 2020 election results, which led to the
January 6 riot at the U.S. Congress.
Ultimately, McConnell voted to acquit Trump
during the former president's impeachment trial.
Last week, McConnell said he plans to step down
as leader at the end of 2024, following elections
which the GOP hopes will give them control of the Senate.
McConnell is the longest-serving
Senate party leader ever, after
first becoming a senator in 1985. .
'The Guardian' reports that the current
list of contenders to replace McConnell
include John Thune of South Dakota
and John Cornyn of Texas. .
'The Guardian' reports that the current
list of contenders to replace McConnell
include John Thune of South Dakota
and John Cornyn of Texas.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
John Cornyn Wants to Be , the Senateās Next GOP Leader.
On Feb. 28, Mitch McConnell announced that he
is stepping down as Senate Minority Leader.
The next day, Sen. Cornyn threw hit hat into the
ring to succeed McConnell, 'The Hill' reports. .
I am asking my Republican colleagues
to give me the opportunity to
succeed Leader McConnell, Sen. John Cornyn, via statement.
Throughout my time Iāve built a track
record of listening to colleagues and seeking
consensus, while leading the fight to stop
bad policies that are harmful to our
nation and the Conservative cause, Sen. John Cornyn, via statement.
The Republican from Texas went on to
call the Senate "broken" and said he
could perform a "major role" in fixing it. .
From experience, I have learned what
works in the Senate and what does not,
and I am confident Senate Republicans can
restore our institution to the essential role
it serves in our constitutional republic, Sen. John Cornyn, via statement.
We will improve communication,
increase transparency, and ensure
inclusion of every Memberās
expertise and opinion. , Sen. John Cornyn, via statement.
We will restore the important role of
Senate committees and reestablish the
regular appropriations process, rather
than lurch from one crisis to another, Sen. John Cornyn, via statement.
While Cornyn is the first candidate to
announce an official bid for the position, .
other senators that are expected to
make a run for leader include John Thune
and John Barrasso, 'The Hill' reports. .
other senators that are expected to
make a run for leader include John Thune
and John Barrasso, 'The Hill' reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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Appeals Court Freezes , Controversial Texas Immigration Law.
Hours after the Supreme Court allowed SB4
to take effect, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put it back on hold, 'The Hill' reports. .
The controversial measure allows Texas law enforcement to arrest anyone they suspect has entered the country illegally. .
They could then face deportation or jail time.
Critics say that the law could result in "civil rights violations and racial profiling," 'The Hill' reports. .
Critics say that the law could result in "civil rights violations and racial profiling," 'The Hill' reports. .
The White House previously referred to the law
as "another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions.".
Dissenting Supreme Court Justices
Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson
argued that SB4 will only invite "further chaos
and crisis" regarding immigration enforcement.
Dissenting Supreme Court Justices
Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson
argued that SB4 will only invite "further chaos
and crisis" regarding immigration enforcement.
Meanwhile, Mexico reiterated that it
will not "under any circumstances" accept
deportations of those who are not Mexican citizens. .
Mexico reiterates the legitimate
right to protect the rights of its
nationals in the United States
and to determine its own policies
regarding entry into its territory, Mexican government, via statement.
Texas officials did not report any arrests during the time the new law was in effect
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
A Costco Membership Card , Is Now Needed to Eat in Its Food Court.
Even though Costco limited food court access to members only in 2020, enforcement of that policy has been lax until now, CBS News reports. .
The wholesale store is cracking down to
make sure that outsiders can no longer access Costco's $1.50 hot dog combo, among other items.
Effective April 8, 2024, an active Costco
membership card will be required to
purchase items from our food court. , Via a sign seen at a Costco store in Orlando, Florida .
You can join today. Please see our
membership counter for details, Via a sign seen at a Costco store in Orlando, Florida .
Ultimately, Costco doesn't think it's fair for non-members to access perks intended for members.
We don't feel it's right that non-members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members, Costco, via statement.
Costco made such statements last year when it started requiring photo IDs to be presented with membership cards at self-checkouts.
In January, some stores began requiring
membership cards to be scanned at store entrances to limit non-member entry and membership sharing.
A basic Costco membership is $60 per year.
An executive membership, which offers
perks such as cash back, costs $120 per year.
In 2023, membership fees accounted for
73% of Costco's total profit, CBS News reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
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Ron DeSantis Legalizes , Social Media Ban for Children.
The Florida governor signed the bill into law on March 25, 'The Guardian' reports.
It takes effect on January 1, 2025.
At that time, children under the age of 14 will not be allowed to have social media accounts in Florida.
14- and 15-year-olds will need parental permission
to have a presence on social media.
State House Speaker Paul Renner issued
a statement in support of the new law.
A child in their brain development doesnāt have
the ability to know that theyāre being sucked
into these addictive technologies and to see
the harm and step away from it, and because
of that we have to step in for them, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, via statement.
Renner also said that social media companies will likely "sue the second after this is signed.".
But you know what? Weāre going to beat
them. Weāre going to beat them and
weāre never, ever going to stop, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, via statement.
Opponents argue that the new legislation is unconstitutional and a government overreach. .
This bill goes too far in
taking away parentsā rights, Anna Eskamani, Democratic state House representative,
via news release.
Instead of banning social media access,
it would be better to ensure improved
parental oversight tools, improved
access to data to stop bad actors, , Anna Eskamani, Democratic state House representative,
via news release.
... alongside major investments
in Floridaās mental health
systems and programs, Anna Eskamani, Democratic state House representative,
via news release
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
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