Twitter Whistleblower Alleges Major Issues with Security, Spam Accounts
Twitter's former head of security, Peiter Zatko, reportedly filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last month, alleging the company failed to protect sensitive user data and lied about security problems.
Zatko alleges Twitter misled users and investors, acting with "negligence and even complicity" towards hackers as well as efforts by foreign governments to infiltrate the platform. Twitter even allegedly placed Indian government officials on the payroll and gave them access to user data.
The complaint says the violations date back to 2011, when the Federal Trade Commision (FTC) ordered the company to fix security flaws. Zatko alleges they continued into his 2021-2022 tenure at the company - he also accused CEO Parag Agrawal of encouraging him to lie about such issues.
Narrative A
Zatko's claims will undoubtedly help Musk's case. He has argued that "Twitter executives don't have the resources to fully understand the true number of bots on the platform", and his claims over security vulnerability may provide Musk with another argument that Twitter has misrepresented itself by violating its 2011 agreement with the DOJ and FTC.
Narrative B
This will do nothing to hep Musk's case. Downturns that have followed these revelations are an overreaction - even if Zatko demonstrates that spam accounts made up 6% or 9%, rather than 5% of overall accounts, it would not prove Musk was sufficiently misled to enable him to back out of the purchase.
Cynical narrative
The timing of this can't help but raise questions. This seems like a classic example of an opportunistic former employee. Zatko was fired from Twitter earlier this year due to poor performance and leadership, so it makes sense that he'd try and tear down the company that released him from his once-prestigious position.
Nerd narrative
There's a 35% chance that personal ID authentication will be obligatory for new Twitter accounts on July 1, 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
UK: Channel Migrant Crossings Hit New Record
The UK Defense Ministry said on Tues. that 1,295 migrants had been detected crossing the English Channel from France. The number is the highest ever recorded, up more than 100 from the previous single-day record of 1,185 set on Nov. 11, 2021.
The total for the month now stands at 6,168 and at least 22.5k on the year, up from 3,683 last month and 12.5k at this time last year. According to one BBC report, most were "young men," along with some families.
The news comes as recent reports indicate people smugglers are using a wide variety of tactics to transport migrants into the UK, including using jet skis.
Right narrative
Although France had promised to help stop this egregious industry of people smuggling between the two countries, it's now clear that those pledges were empty. With Albanian gangs, on top of the usual groups from Africa, now known to be contributing to this crisis, the British government must take its own strong actions to end this illegal activity.
Left narrative
Those making the dangerous trip across the English Channel aren't illegal aliens, they're refugees from poor, war-torn parts of the world. As such, they should be treated with dignity and welcomed into Britain with open arms, not treated like criminals and deported to nations like Rwanda, where their human rights will continue to be under threat.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance that at least 2100 migrants will die or go missing in the Mediterranean in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
India: Officers Sacked For Accidental Missile Launch into Pakistan
On Tues., the Indian Air Force (IAF) dismissed three officers – a Group Captain, a Wing Commander, and a Squadron Leader – after concluding they were responsible for the accidental firing of a supersonic cruise missile into Pakistan in March.
This comes as the Court of Inquiry, established to investigate the launch, found that the officers failed to comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) during the incident.
On Mar. 9, an unarmed BrahMos missile – a nuclear-capable cruise missile jointly developed by Russia and India – was fired from an Indian unit near Ambala, Haryana, during a safety inspection into Pakistan's eastern province of Punjab.
Narrative A
The mature response to this incident from Islamabad prevented an escalation of tensions that could have led to a war between nuclear powers. However, to avert further crises, it's crucial that New Delhi takes action to ensure the safety of its weapons systems.
Narrative B
This severe disciplinary action shows that India is committed to holding its officers accountable and comes after the high-level investigation into the incident wrapped up in a record period of five months. On top of punishing those responsible for the incident, New Delhi has reassessed firing and training protocols, including new safety measures - India has clearly brought weapons security under control.
Nerd narrative
There is a 61% chance that armed conflicts between India and Pakistan will lead to at least 100 deaths before Jan. 1, 2050.
Rayshard Brooks: Charges Against Atlanta Officers Dropped
On Tues., Pete Skandalakis, the Georgia special prosecutor assigned to the Rayshard Brooks death case, announced that the two white police officers involved in his fatal shooting won't face charges.
This comes more than two years after the 27-year-old black man was shot after fighting Atlanta Police Dept. (APD) officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan who attempted to arrest him for a DUI.
Shortly after the incident, Rolfe was charged on 11 counts - including murder, aggravated assault, violations of oath, and criminal damage to property - while Brosnan faced charges of aggravated assault and violating his oath.
Left narrative
At the time of Brooks death, charges against officers involved in his homicide were supposed to reflect a policing overhaul across the US intended to limit the use of force. However, little has changed in practice and these two officers not facing charges and being still employed with the APD indicates it.
Right narrative
Rolfe and Brosnan acted accordingly to the Georgia law without any criminal intent as proved by the facts. Rayshard Brooks violently resisted arrest, seizing one of their Tasers and firing at the officers multiple times while trying to escape until being deadly shot. The right thing to do was to clear them of all charges.
Nerd narrative
There's a 3% chance that a large American city will fully abolish its police department before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Day 182 Roundup: Ukraine Marks Independence Day; Conflict Ends With Victory Over Russia, Says Zelenskyy
On Wed., as Ukraine marked 31 years of independence from the Soviet Union, and six months since the start of the Russian invasion, Pres. Zelenskyy praised the courage of his people, saying: "During these six months, we changed history, changed the world and changed ourselves."
In the pre-recorded televised address, Zelenskyy also said Ukraine was "re-born" when Russian tanks rolled in on Feb. 24 and stated that the country would defend its land "until the end." He vowed to raise the Ukrainian flag over Crimea and the Donbas region again, adding: "What is the end of the war for us? We used to say: peace. Now we say: victory."
Amid warnings Russia would intensify attacks and possibly strike government buildings in Kyiv, there was an escalated number of overnight cruise missile and rocket attacks on the regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia in the south and Sumy in the north, but no attacks were recorded in the capital on Tues. evening. Three attacks were recorded in northern Kharkiv. No civilian fatalities have been reported at this stage.
Anti-Russia narrative
Six months into the war and Russia's advance can now be measured in metres per week, not miles. Invading forces are sustaining heavy losses and their troops are demoralized in the face of Ukrainian defenders. Russia is fragile and Ukraine is poised to turn the tide of the war.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia is strictly complying with humanitarian law in the course of its special military operation. It is deliberately slowing down its advance in order to reduce the number of civilian casualties in the war.
Nerd narrative
There's a 13% chance that there will be a bilateral cease-fire or peace agreement in the Russo-Ukraine conflict before 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Rockets Fired at US Bases in Syria Following US Airstrikes
According to a statement from US Central Command, rockets were fired at two US bases in Syria on Wed. evening, injuring three service members. It's not yet clear whether either base sustained damage. In response, US helicopters attacked vehicles used to launch some of the rockets, killing two or three suspected fighters behind the attack.
While it hasn't been confirmed which militant group is responsible for the attack, it comes the same day that the US military announced it conducted airstrikes in eastern Syria targeting facilities it said were being used by groups affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a paramilitary group considered a terrorist organization by Washington.
The initial US strikes in Syria's Deir az-Zor governorate - which killed at least six Syrian and foreign militants, according to the war monitor - were reportedly ordered by Biden to "protect and defend" US troops following an Aug. 15 attack on US forces.
Pro-establishment narrative
The recent events make one thing clear above all It's time for the US to return to a credible and serious policy for Syria and the entire Middle East. Assad, with his partner Russia, is still committing terrible human rights crimes against millions of Syrians, and as long as Washington allows the Syrian regime, Tehran, and Moscow to dominate the country, Syrians will continue to suffer.
Establishment-critical narrative
It's bizarre for the US to pretend to defend itself in Syria when its presence in the country is actually illegal - unlike that of Russia and Iran. By occupying parts of Syria, the US is not concerned with the fight against the so-called Islamic State, but primarily with control over Syria's oil and gas. Only if the US and its partners leave Syria will the country be able to find lasting peace again.
Fla. Gov. Race: Crist to Challenge DeSantis
Former Republican Gov. of Florida., Charlie Crist - who switched to the Democrat party in 2012- defeated Democrat primary challenger Nikki Fried by a roughly 60% to 35% vote margin on Tuesday. He will now oppose incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.
Crist was elected governor as a Republican in 2006 and held that position through 2011. He ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2010 as an independent, before becoming a Democrat. He ran for gov. in 2014 but lost and has been serving as a Congressman representing the St. Petersburg area since 2017.
Much of Crist's campaign focused on criticizing the 15-week abortion ban signed by DeSantis, and opposing LGBTQ-related legislation, such as the ban on teaching gender and sexuality from kindergarten through third grade.
Republican narrative
Democrats obviously don't back up their words with their votes. For all their rhetoric about progressive issues, and bettering the lives of women and minorities, they went with the lukewarm candidate. Crist's track record lacks any notable achievements, making him an even worse choice.
Democratic narrative
Choosing Crist over Fried was a pragmatic decision because he can appeal to moderate voters and create a coalition to defeat DeSantis. Gillum's loss four years ago is a cautionary tale of what can happen when the more progressive candidate tries to run for statewide office in Florida.
Nerd narrative
There is a 92% chance that Ron DeSantis will be re-elected as Governor of Florida in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Ethiopia: Fighting Resumes Despite Truce
Fighting resumed on Wed. between forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and federal government troops around the northern Ethiopian town of Kobo, ending a five-month-long ceasefire.
Both sides blamed the other for stalling negotiations and undertaking military operations. It's unclear how these current clashes began, as access for independent observers to Tigray and northern Ethiopia is restricted.
A few local residents said that Ethiopian government soldiers, Amhara special forces, and volunteer Fano militia have been active in the area in the past two days, concurring with TPLF claims that the military deemed fake news.
Establishment-critical narrative
It was clear that the central government would seek to break the truce as it has continued its brutal siege of Tigray. Even with the ceasefire in effect, Addis Ababa restrained humanitarian aid deliveries in order to make the people of Tigray and regional government capitulate.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though the TPLF may be able to fool the international media, in reality, they were undoubtedly the instigators of the renewed fighting. It was the government that proposed the truce in the first place, and has offered peace to the terrorist TPLF a number of occasions, but it has refused to negotiate.
Two Convicted in Plot to Kidnap Mich. Gov.
A federal jury in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Tues. convicted Adam Fox and Barry Croft. Jr. of conspiring to kidnap Mich. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and obtain a weapon of mass destruction. Croft was also convicted on a second explosives charge.
Prosecutors say the men, arrested in Oct. 2020, were angry at what they considered overly restrictive COVID policies. Their plan, which they began plotting in June 2020, included abducting Whitmer from her vacation home, blowing up a bridge, and - they hoped - sparking a second Civil War.
The defense accused the FBI, with their system of informants and undercover agents, of entrapping the men after hearing them voice their displeasure with the government.
Democratic narrative
This conspiracy serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat of domestic terrorism in the US. The convictions, however, have proved that violence and threats have no place in American politics. Now more must be done to address the root causes through new policy approaches, strong leadership and dedicated attention.
Republican narrative
The real conspiracy here was carried out by the FBI, who might have used as many as 12 informants or undercover agents to frame these men. US District Judge Robert Jonker also played his part, showing his bias by limiting the amount of time the defense had to cross examine witnesses.
Report: Europe Facing Worst Drought in 500 Years
Europe is experiencing what may be its worst drought in five centuries, according to a report from the EU's European Drought Observatory (EDO).
Hydro and other power plants lack sufficient water to maintain cooling systems, crops such as sunflower, soybean and grain maize yields have reduced 12 - 16 percent compared to the last five years and low water levels have reduced inland shipping of products including coal and oil.
47 percent of the EU is experiencing a clear soil moisture deficit, with vegetation also affected in 17 percent of the territory.
Narrative A
We were warned for decades about the dangers of failing to address global warming. Now the consequences of our failures, such as record breaking heatwaves, droughts and declining crop yields, are finally upon us.
Narrative B
Extreme weather events are usually influenced by a myriad of factors, including natural variability. It is very difficult to conclusively establish any direct causal link between global warming and any specific weather event.
Spain: Gunman Euthanized Before Trial
Marin Eugen Sabau - who shot and injured three work colleagues and a police officer in Spain last year - was euthanized on Tuesday before he could face trial.
Sabau, 46, was left paralyzed after a shootout with police in the northeastern city of Tarragona. Citing unbearable pain from the injury, he requested assisted suicide, which Spain legalized in March of last year.
Though Sabau's victims opposed the request, a Tarragona court ruled it was his fundamental right and in line with the law, and therefore the judicial system had no right to interfere.
Narrative A
Thanks to the court's decision, Sabau, who injured four innocent people, has been allowed to escape justice. It now remains unclear how the victims will receive the compensation they're entitled to.
Narrative B
Sabau's right to request assisted suicide was clearly written in the law, as there are currently no exceptions for those facing trial. The court was justified in its decision - as confirmed by the European Human Rights Court.
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