Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, July 13, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, the weekend is finally here, and today, we’ve got some very intriguing stories to share with you.
Apple warns of spyware attacks targeting iPhone users, AT&T has announced a data breach impacting nearly all of its customers, and the governor of Michigan signs bills changing the process of voter recounts. Also, a health warning has been issued regarding dengue fever, and there’s progress reported in the cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Apple Sends Fresh Warnings to iPhone Users Over Spyware Attacks, Groups Say
Apple is alerting iPhone users about potential “mercenary spyware attacks” through its text message-based threat notification system. The alerts have reportedly been sent to individuals in over 98 countries. Apple has not publicly confirmed these messages and has not yet commented on the situation.Amnesty International also warned about the spyware attacks and advised targeted individuals, particularly journalists, activists, and dissidents, to take the alerts seriously and seek out expert help, if necessary. Apple emphasized the seriousness of the situation in its warning message, urging recipients to pay very close attention to the warning.
According to an April bulletin from Apple, individuals receiving these alerts are “likely” targeted due to their identity and activities, as mercenary spyware like Pegasus from the Israeli-based NSO Group is “vastly more sophisticated than regular cybercriminal activity or consumer malware.”
This spyware has been used to hack the phones of at least 30 people so far, including journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and political figures in a variety of different countries. In response to the allegations, NSO Group says it only sells its products to verified intelligence and law enforcement agencies and only for use against terrorists and serious criminals.
Another warning comes from Symantec, which is an antivirus software company. It says that criminals are actively seeking to exploit Apple IDs through malicious SMS messages in a tactic known as “smishing” attacks. These attacks aim to obtain sensitive information such as personal and financial data by tricking users into believing the messages are actually being sent from Apple.
AT&T Reveals Data Breach Affecting Nearly All Customers
AT&T announced yesterday that it had found a data breach in April involving an unauthorized download of data from a third-party cloud platform, which impacts nearly all AT&T customers.The company says that in response, it has launched an investigation with the help of cybersecurity experts, and that they have secured the data access point used to obtain the information. The company says it’s working with law enforcement, and that so far they have made at least one arrest.
The breach compromised call and text records of the company’s customers from May 1, 2022, to Oct. 31, 2022, and some records from Jan. 2, 2023.
The leaked data did not include the content of calls or messages, or personal information such as Social Security numbers, but it may have contained telephone numbers and cell site ID numbers.
AT&T does not believe the data is publicly available and plans to notify affected customers while providing resources to protect their information.
The company previously disclosed a data breach in March this year involving the leak of information from about 73 million account holders. It included details such as passcodes, names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. AT&T reset passcodes and offered assistance by providing identity theft services.
Michigan Governor Signs Bills Into Law Modifying Election Recounts
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the new laws prohibit county canvassers from investigating fraud allegations during recounts. The laws also say that recounts are not investigations or audits of election conduct.According to Ms. Whitmer’s office, Senate Bill 603 changes provisions around election recounts. With the new law, recounts will only occur for precincts with imbalances in collected and issued ballots, with a sworn affidavit required. The state’s recount filing fees will also be increased to cover costs.
The law also requires that a recount must be filed within 48 hours of the certification of the votes by a board of canvassers, and canvassers must deny petitions for investigations or audits of election conduct. The matter will be referred to the prosecuting attorney or attorney general for prosecution.
State Rep. Stephanie Chang, the sponsor of the bill, says that the law defines a recount as an administrative process, not an audit or investigation.
The second bill, Senate Bill 604, will modify the sentencing guidelines for certain Michigan election-related violations in connection to recount violations.
Governor Whitmer praises the bipartisan laws for strengthening electoral integrity to ensure winners take office smoothly.
However, some state House Republicans opposed the laws, fearing they would decrease voter confidence and hinder fraud investigations. State Rep. Ann Bollin expressed concerns over expensive recounts preventing candidates from verifying election accuracy and reducing public trust. Rep. Jaime Greene says that the laws could reduce the abilities of the state to address issues like voting in multiple states and voter registration accuracy.
CDC: Nearly 250 Cases of Dengue Virus Reported in 3 Northeastern US States
The CDC reports nearly 250 cases of dengue fever, a virus spread by mosquitoes, in three northeastern U.S. states. New York has reported 143 cases, New Jersey has 41 cases, and Massachusetts has 59 cases.Pennsylvania, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont have reported about 50 cases, which they say are all linked to travel.
Florida has reported nine locally transmitted cases, and Puerto Rico has over 1,700 cases.
Dengue fever primarily occurs in subtropical and tropical areas globally.
South and Central American countries have reported high numbers of cases, with Brazil reporting over 5 million cases.
Health officials say some people can experience no signs or symptoms of a dengue infection. But when symptoms do occur, they can be mistaken for another illness such as influenza.
Symptoms of dengue fever include high fever; muscle, bone, or joint pain; vomiting; pain behind the eyes; swollen glands; and a rash. Severe cases can lead to dengue hemorrhagic fever or dengue shock syndrome.
There is no specific treatment for dengue, but acetaminophen, also known as Tylenol, is commonly used to manage symptoms. The World Health Organization advises not to use drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs because they increase the risk of bleeding.
The CDC advises individuals traveling to areas with high dengue risk to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Biden Says Israel and Hamas Agreed to Cease-Fire Framework, Negotiations ‘Making Progress’
President Joe Biden announced yesterday that Israel and Hamas have agreed on a framework for Hamas to release hostages and for both sides to impose a cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.This development follows a three-phase peace proposal outlined by President Biden on May 31. Progress on the proposal had slowed down a bit in June after Hamas requested changes to the framework, but recent days have shown some progress.
The conflict began nine months ago when Hamas terrorists carried out attacks in southern Israel, taking around 250 people back to the Gaza Strip as hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to free all hostages, eliminate Hamas, and prevent future threats from Gaza.
According to the terms President Biden described on May 31, the first phase of the peace framework involves a temporary cease-fire period of at least six weeks, during which Israeli troops would withdraw from populated areas in Gaza and humanitarian aid would be delivered daily. Hamas would release civilian hostages and Israel would release Palestinians detained by Israel.
President Biden said that the second phase of the peace framework would depend on negotiations, but that the six-week cease-fire would be extended if the parties remain committed to those talks. If the negotiations prove successful, the second phase would see Hamas release the remaining hostages, consisting primarily of captured Israeli troops. In turn, the temporary cease-fire would become permanent and Israeli forces would withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
President Biden said that in the third phase of the framework, Israel would permit reconstruction to begin in the Gaza Strip. In return, Hamas would return the remains of any hostages killed during the war.
It’s a story with global implications and one that we’re all keeping a very close watch on.
Before we wrap up, just a very quick summertime reminder: Because we are smack dab in the middle of summer, we all have to band together to advocate for and protect one of our most vulnerable populations—our children.
- A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s temperature. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise very rapidly—and the situation can quickly become dangerous.
- Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees.
- A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees.
- Tragically, in 2023, 29 children died of heatstroke in vehicles.
Just a summertime safety reminder.
Looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Saturday edition (the weekend edition) of The Epoch Times News Brief.
If you have some free time today, we’d greatly appreciate it if you could tell some folks you know about our program, and thanks for helping us grow our always expanding News Brief family!
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And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very “notable” quote—like this one which fits in perfectly because today is Saturday.
“Saturdays are the canvas of your aspirations—paint it with the colors of determination and joy.”
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your Saturday, and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of The Epoch Times News Brief. Have a superb day today, and bye for now.
