Monday, July 5, 2021

🌞 Axios AM: New target for cyberhackers

Joe Rogan goes global | Monday, July 05, 2021
 
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Axios AM
By Mike Allen ·Jul 05, 2021

🇺🇸 Happy holiday! Smart Brevity™ count: 969 words ... < 4 minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.

Pope Francis is "in good condition, alert," after undergoing a three-hour operation that removed half his colon, the Vatican said.

 
 
1 big thing: Fewer people shirk jury duty

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

 

Fewer Americans are trying to get out of jury duty, which some legal experts call a reflection of people's growing desire to combat systemic racism, Axios' Russell Contreras writes.

  • Jury consultant Jason Bloom tells Axios that, historically, as many as one in four U.S. adults called for jury duty sought to be excused, citing hardships. That number has shrunk to around 5%-10%, he says.

The big picture: The jump in participation follows the killing of George Floyd; the trial, conviction and 22½-year sentence of former police officer Derek Chauvin; and record voter turnout in 2020.

  • During Chauvin jury selection, a surprising number of Hennepin County residents in Minnesota were OK with serving, and a few were flat-out excited, Nick Halter reports in Axios Twin Cities.

Katrina Dewey, founder of the legal publication Lawdragon, said some people have concluded that if they want more racial justice, jury service may have one of the most profound impacts: "[W]e are entering an era of, maybe, participatory populism."

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2. New target for cyberhackers

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

 

Cybercriminals routinely try to learn how much cyber insurance coverage the victims have, giving them an edge in ransom negotiations. So now the cyber insurance industry is a prime target, AP reports:

  • Before ransomware became a global epidemic plaguing businesses, hospitals, schools and governments, cyber insurance was a profitable niche. The industry was accused of fueling the criminal frenzy by recommending that victims pay, but kept many from going bankrupt.
  • Now the sector is upended by a more than 400% rise last year in ransomware cases. As a percentage of premiums collected, cyber insurance payouts now top 70% — the break-even point.

Ominous FBI statement warns of the "potential scale" of this weekend's mass attack, which could affect thousands of companies worldwide:

💰 Ransom demand ... Russian hackers demanded $70 million last night to restore data they're holding for ransom, Reuters reports:

  • The demand was posted on a blog used by the REvil cybercrime gang, a Russia-linked group that is among the most prolific extortionists.

💭 Our thought bubble: Coming just two weeks after President Biden's personal warning to Vladimir Putin during the Geneva summit, the attack looks like the Russians thumbing their nose at the tough talk.

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3. Controlled implosion finishes off tower

Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

 

The rest of Champlain Towers South, one of the worst building failures in U.S. history, was brought down last night in a controlled explosions, the Miami Herald reports (registration required):

The controlled demolition came ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa and amid fears that looming stormy weather could topple the tower and stymie an already challenging search-and-rescue effort to reach dozens buried in the rubble. At 10:30 p.m. authorities detonated charges inserted into holes drilled into the part of the 12-story condo that stood tenuously for 11 days.
Photo: Marco Bello/Reuters

📷 See more photos.

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A message from Toyota

How Toyota is working towards a carbon-neutral future
 
 

Toyota's electrified models will comprise up to 70% of its U.S. vehicle sales.

Why it's important: Toyota's hybrid vehicles sold in the U.S. have avoided putting approximately 38 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) into the atmosphere.

 
 
4. Independence from the virus
President Joe Biden visits yesterday with members of the Washington Nationals' Racing Presidents. Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP

President Biden, to 1,000+ service members, first responders and other Fourth of July guests on the South Lawn: "Today we're closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus. That's not to say the battle against COVID-19 is over. We've got a lot more work to do."

Photo: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via Reuters

In Nashville, fireworks light up Broadway during "Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th."

Photo: John Minchillo/AP

Spectators watch in Queens as fireworks are launched over the East River and Empire State Building during the Macy's show.

📷 See more photos.

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5. Big Tech threatens Hong Kong over dox law
Above: On July 1, 2019, a Hong Kong street was flooded with protesters marking the 22nd anniversary of the former British colony's return to China. Below: On the same day this year, the street is deserted. Photos: Kin Cheung/AP

Facebook, Twitter and Google privately warned Hong Kong that they could cut off service if authorities go ahead with data-protection changes that could make them liable for doxing — malicious sharing of personal information, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription).

  • Why it matters: "While Hong Kong's population of about 7.5 million means it isn't a major market in terms of its user base, foreign firms often cite the free flow of information in Hong Kong as a key factor for being located in the financial hub."

A June 25 letter by the Singapore-based Asia Internet Coalition, an industry group that includes those companies, said they fear the rules could put their staff at risk of prosecution, The Journal reports.

  • The letter says: "The only way to avoid these sanctions for technology companies would be to refrain from investing and offering the services in Hong Kong."
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6. 🎙️ Joe Rogan goes global

Joe Rogan announces a UFC fight in Jacksonville in 2020. Photo: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

 

Matt Flegenheimer, a gifted young N.Y. Times writer, notes in his 4,500-word "Joe Rogan Is Too Big to Cancel" (subscription) that some older newsmakers had never heard of the podcast powerhouse before going on "The Joe Rogan Experience":

  • "Rogan, 53, is one of the most consumed media products on the planet — with the power to shape tastes, politics, medical decisions — a fact well-known to legions of men under 40, nonsensical to the many Rogan-unaware over 50."
  • He's "the guy who caught the car, bought it and piled his buddies in for a road trip to the summit of influence. And it is hard to punch up from the top."

Rogan last year licensed the show and his library to Spotify in a deal worth north of $100 million. Despite controversies over Rogan's comments about vaccines and plenty else, sources tell The Times that "the notion that Mr. Rogan presents any kind of regrettable executive headache is laughable:"

  • "Though some die-hards may grumble — like fans of Howard Stern, perpetually convinced he's gone soft — Mr. Rogan's following remains young, loyal and increasingly global. So central is he to the company's fortunes that the podcast is listed as its own category on the app: Sports. Music. News and Politics. Joe Rogan."

Keep reading (subscription).

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A message from Toyota

Here's proof that Toyota is a pioneer in electrification
 
 

Toyota has been the number one manufacturer of alternative powertrains for 21 years in a row.

The proof: The company's electrified portfolio has grown significantly in the past years including:

  • Battery electric.
  • Hydrogen fuel cell electrics.
  • Hybrids and plug-in hybrid electrics.
 

📬 Thanks for sharing the holiday with us! Please invite your friends, family, colleagues to sign up here for Axios AM and Axios PM.

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