News: Covid-19 is now on every continent

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Covid-19 is now on every continent

The Treasury Department is hit by a cyberattack; Covid-19 has made its way to every continent.

Tonight's Sentences was written by Benjamin Rosenberg.

TOP NEWS

Treasury Department email accounts were hacked, and Russia is likely to blame

Andrej Sokolow/picture alliance via Getty Images

Several senior leaders in the US Treasury Department had their email accounts hacked, and Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is among many who suspect Russian government hackers. Wyden said the full depth of the hack is not yet known. [CBS News / Caitlin Yilek]
Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said although there was no indication that taxpayer data was uncovered, the hack "appears to be significant." He added that "Treasury still does not know all of the actions taken by hackers." [AP / Eric Tucker]
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's account appears to have been spared. But the hack goes beyond the Treasury Department — computers at big companies including Deloitte, Cisco, Intel, and the California Department of State Hospitals were hacked as well. [NYT / Andrew Ross Sorkin, Karaian, Michael J. de la Merced, Lauren Hirsch, and Ephrat Livni]
Outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr said his information strongly points to Russia as the culprit. This echoes Saturday's statement from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said "we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity." [WSJ / Dustin Volz and Richard Rubin]
One person who disagrees with the notion of Russia being behind the hack: President Donald Trump. The president suggested in a tweet on Saturday that China may be responsible, also claiming that "The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality." [Vox / Anya van Wagtendonk]
Treasury was the third Cabinet department to fall victim to a hack, along with Commerce and Energy. All are believed to be part of a far-reaching espionage campaign by Russian intelligence. [NBC News / Kevin Collier]
This is clearly one of the most significant breaches of the US government in many years, and highlights a major challenge for the incoming Biden administration to respond to Russian and other foreign efforts to protect online information. [CNN / Paul LeBlanc and Jeremy Herb]
The cyberattack targeted SolarWinds, a company that makes tech products used widely by the federal government and corporations in the US. Wyden and Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) asked the Treasury Department for a briefing last week. [Politico / Zachary Warmbrodt]
The State, Defense, and Homeland Security departments were also breached, and evidence suggests the hackers have had access to all of this information since March. Reuters reported last week that the hackers gained access to Microsoft as well. [Vox / Alex Ward]

Despite vaccine rollouts, Covid-19 remains contagious worldwide

For the first time since April, Taiwan reported a new case of Covid-19. A pilot from New Zealand — who reportedly coughed during his last flight and did not keep his mask on throughout — is believed to have infected a local resident. [Washington Post / Gerry Shih]
Covid-19 infection rates declined in Mexico during the summer but have roared back this month. According to a New York Times analysis, government officials misled residents of Mexico City about how bad things were — infection rates passed the threshold that would trigger a lockdown in the capital. [NYT / Natalie Kitroeff]
Europe is also dealing with uncontrolled spread, highlighted by a new mutation in the virus that is behind the latest outbreak in the United Kingdom. Most of Europe has closed its borders to the UK, but the situation is bad on the continent as well. [NYT / Jason Horowitz]
And even the one continent that had seen no cases is now battling the virus. Thirty-six people at a Chilean research base in Antarctica, including 26 military members and 10 civilians, have tested positive for Covid-19. [Newsweek / Aila Slisco]

MISCELLANEOUS

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has filled Vice President-elect Kamala Harris's open US Senate seat, appointing California Secretary of State Alex Padilla as the state's first Latino US senator.

[CNN / Alex Rogers and Daniella Diaz]

Both houses of Congress passed the new $900 billion stimulus package Monday, sending it along to President Trump, who is expected to sign it. [AP / Andrew Taylor]
2020 is the deadliest year in US history, according to preliminary data, with more than 3 million Americans dying — largely due to the pandemic. That represents an increase of more than 400,000 from 2019, the largest single-year percentage increase since 1918. [USA Today / Mike Stobbe]
A 28-year-old white supremacist in Germany was sentenced to life imprisonment Monday for an attack on a synagogue last year that killed two people. The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. [NYT / Melissa Eddy]
Barely two months after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship, they will take the court again Tuesday evening. December 22 marks the beginning of a new NBA season, shortened by 10 games due to the late start. [NBA.com / Shaun Powell]

VERBATIM

"Microsoft notified the agency that dozens of email accounts were compromised. Additionally the hackers broke into systems in the Departmental Offices division of Treasury, home to the department's highest-ranking officials."

[US Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) on the cyberattack against the Treasury Department / NBC News]