Midday rundown: Schiff seeks Senate seat, DOJ cracks down on cybercrime

KARAH RUCKER: THE DOJ HAS CRACKED DOWN ON ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST CYBER CRIMINAL GROUPS.
AND SOUTHWEST’S HOLIDAY DEBACLE HAS COST THE COMPANY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN LOSSES.
BUT FIRST…CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SCHIFF HAS ANNOUNCED HIS BID FOR THE SENATE.
THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF ANNOUNCES BID FOR SENATE

DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE ADAM SCHIFF ANNOUNCED TODAY HE WILL SEEK THE SENATE SEAT LONG HELD BY DIANNE FEINSTEIN.
FEINSTEIN FILED RE-ELECTION PAPERWORK FOR 20-24 BUT HASN’T YET COMMENTED ON WHETHER SHE WILL SEEK A SIXTH TERM.
SCHIFF HAS BECOME A POPULAR NAME IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
MORE AND MORE POLITICIANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE ANNOUNCING THEIR PLANS FOR 2024.

DOJ DISRUPTS MAJOR RANSOMWARE GROUP

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCING TODAY A MAJOR CYBER CRACK-DOWN AGAINST ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PROLIFIC RANSOMWARE GANGS. THE HIVE GANG IS KNOWN TO HACK COMPANIES’ SYSTEMS THEN THREATEN TO LEAK SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET UNLESS THEY PAY UP.
THEY REPORTEDLY SWINDLED SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND BUSINESSES OUT OF MORE THAN 100 MILLION DOLLARS IN EXTORTION PAYMENTS.
THE DOJ WAS ABLE TO SEIZE ITS WEBSITE AND DISMANTLE ITS DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

BOEING IN COURT OVER 737 MAX CRASHES

THE FAMILIES WHO LOST LOVED ONES IN THE “BOEING 7-37 MAX” CRASHES IN 2018 AND 2019, ARE FINALLY GETTING THEIR DAY IN COURT. 

BOEING IS BEING ARRAIGNED TODAY IN FEDERAL COURT ON CRIMINAL CHARGES OF “CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT FRAUD” RELATED TO THE TWO CRASHES THAT KILLED THREE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX PEOPLE. 

THE JUDGE IS ALLOWING FAMILY MEMBERS OF THOSE KILLED TO BE HEARD DURING THE PROCEEDING. 

INVESTIGATORS BLAME BOTH CRASHES ON A FLAWED AUTOMATED FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM, THAT FORCED THE PLANES INTO UNCONTROLLABLE NOSE DIVES.

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ACCUSE BOEING OF DECEIVING THE FAA ABOUT THE SYSTEM. 

TWO YEARS AGO, BOEING AVOIDED CRIMINAL PROSECUTION BY ENTERING INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE DOJ. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE DEAL, THEY ADMITTED DEFRAUDING THE FAA BY CONCEALING SAFETY PROBLEMS AND AGREED TO PAY $2.5 BILLION IN FINES. 

MAN ARRESTED FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD FIRE

YESTERDAY WE TOLD YOU ABOUT TWO PEOPLE CHARGED FOR VANDALIZING PRO-LIFE CLINICS IN FLORIDA.

NOW A MAN IN ILLINOIS HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR SETTING A PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINIC ON FIRE.

THIS MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER SETTING A PLANNED PARENTHOOD ON FIRE FOLLOWING

THE STATE OF ILLINOIS PASSING LEGISLATION THIS MONTH PROTECTING RIGHTS TO AN ABORTION.

TWO DAYS AFTER THE NEW LAWS WERE PASSED…THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINIC WENT UP IN FLAMES…CAUSING 150 THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE.

IT’S SADLY A TREND WITH DOZENS OF CLINICS — BOTH ABORTION CLINICS AND PRO-LIFE CENTERS — BEING ATTACKED.

MEDIA MISS ON THE RIGHT. WHEN WE COVERED THE ATTACK ON THE PRO-LIFE CENTERS…IT WAS A STORY COVERED BY RIGHT-LEANING MEDIA BUT WIDELY MISSED BY LEFT-LEANING MEDIA.

TODAY WE’RE SEEING THE LEFT PICK UP THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD ATTACK…AND THE RIGHT LARGELY LEAVING OUT THE STORY.

AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS –WE AIM DOWN THE MIDDLE. WHEREAS OTHER MEDIA…MISS THE TARGET.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN ABOUT OTHER STORIES THAT ARE BEING UNDER-REPORTED BY ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER – CHECK OUT THE “MEDIA MISS” TOOL ON OUR WEBSITE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE NEWS YOU’RE MISSING FROM THE MAINSTREAM.

SOUTHWEST POSTS $220 MILLION LOSS

SOUTHWEST’S HOLIDAY MELTDOWN CAME AT A COST FOR THE COMPANY —

REPORTING A 220 MILLION DOLLAR LOSS FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER.

THE MORE THAN 16 THOUSAND FLIGHT DELAYS THE LAST WEEK-AND-A-HALF IN DECEMBER DROVE UP THE COMPANY’S EXPENSES…EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR AS THE COMPANY COMPENSATES TRAVELERS AFFECTED BY IT’S HOLIDAY CANCELLATIONS.

LOUISIANA INMATES HELD PAST RELEASE DATES

THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS FOUND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IS HOLDING MORE THAN A QUARTER OF INMATES BEYOND THEIR RELEASE DATES.

THE DOJ INVESTIGATING THE STATE’S “OVER-DETENTION ISSUES” OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS..FINDING WHAT THEY CALL “SYSTEMIC VIOLATIONS.”

BETWEEN JANUARY AND APRIL OF LAST YEAR…NEARLY 27 PERCENT OF INMATES RELEASED FROM CUSTODY WERE HELD PAST THEIR RELEASE DATES. THAT’S MORE THAN 4 THOUSAND INMATES. AND FOR A QUARTER OF THEM – THEY WEREN’T JUST BEING HELD AN EXTRA DAY OR WEEK OR TWO.

NEARLY ONE THOUSAND WERE KEPT BEHIND BARS AN EXTRA 90 DAYS OR LONGER.

THE DOJ LARGELY BLAMES THE STATE’S DOCUMENTATION PROCEDURES AND SAYS IF ITS NOT CORRECTED IN THE MATTER OF WEEKS –THE DOJ WILL SUE THE STATE.

SHAPESHIFTING ROBOTS ARE AMONG US

SHAPESHIFTING, ELECTRIFYING ROBOTS ARE WALKING AMONG US. OR AT LEAST THEY COULD BE SOON.

SCIENTISTS HAVE CREATED A LIQUID METAL “DROID” IN THE SHAPE OF A MAN. IT CAN FLOW THROUGH THE BARS OF A CAGE BEFORE REBUILDING ITSELF.

IT MAY REMIND YOU OF “THE TERMINATOR” MOVIES, BUT ENGINEERS SAY THEIR INSPIRATION ACTUALLY CAME FROM SQUISHY SEA CUCUMBERS.

THE SILVER BOT WAS MADE BY EMBEDDING MAGNETIC PARTICLES IN GALLIUM, A METAL WITH A VERY LOW MELTING POINT.