Chinese cyberattack, non-opioid painkiller, and a polar bear heist.

Adam Rogers
February 01, 2024

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Big Stories

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned about the threat of Chinese cyberattacks against critical US infrastructure on Wednesday.

During a House Select Committee meeting, Wray said that the US isn’t giving enough attention to the cyber threat posed by China and that hackers are preparing to cause real-world harm if tensions escalate.
China has shifted its focus from stealing state secrets and espionage to preparing and launching destructive cyberattacks against US electricity systems, water utilities, military organizations, and other critical services. This change in tactics has officials concerned that China is laying the groundwork for cyberattacks that could interrupt US support for Taiwan during a potential invasion.
On the same day as the hearing, the Justice Department announced that they intercepted a Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaign. Hackers known as Volt Typhoon accessed critical US infrastructure using compromised internet routers. The malware, now removed by the FBI, enabled China to conduct surveillance and network exploitation against communications, energy, transportation, and water sectors. Officials didn’t disclose the full impact of the hack.

A strong storm in the northeastern Pacific Ocean is pushing a concentrated stream of moisture, known as an atmospheric river, towards the West Coast.

The weather event will bring heavy rains, significant mountain snowfall, and strong winds to California and parts of the Pacific Northwest from Wednesday through Friday.
Atmospheric rivers are concentrated water vapor currents in the middle atmosphere, stretching for thousands of miles. They function like a highway bringing water from the subtropics to temperate regions which include much of North America and Canada.
California could be in for a second, stronger atmospheric river event later in the weekend and into early next week. The storm could have connections farther south into the tropics which would fuel rainfall rates not typically seen during these types of weather events. Some areas of the state could see a foot of rain and five feet or more of snow in higher elevations.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced promising results for its new, non-opioid painkiller, VX-548, during late-stage trials.

The drug effectively relieved post-surgery pain after two procedures — abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) and bunionectomy —compared to a placebo. However, it wasn’t as effective as Vicodin, a popular opioid.
Unlike opioids, which block pain signals between the brain and the body, VX-548 works on peripheral nerves and blocks pain signals before they get to the brain. It is much safer, well tolerated, and doesn’t come with addiction risks.
Vertex plans to file for FDA approval for VX-548 later this year. The drug will be the first new class of acute pain medicine in over 20 years if it’s approved.

Social Media CEOs testified before Congress Wednesday in a hearing about child exploitation. Lawmakers grilled the business leaders about what they are doing to ensure child users are safe on their platforms and even convinced Mark Zuckerberg to apologize to the families present at the hearing. (More)

The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it would hold interest rates steady and wouldn’t cut them until it was more confident that inflation is under control. It did, however, remove language from the statement that had hinted it would consider raising rates again. (More)

A federal judge has rejected Disney's free speech lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The judge said that Disney lacked standing in its First Amendment lawsuit. This means Disney's attempt to regain control of the district governing Walt Disney World now depends on a separate state court challenge, which is still ongoing in Orlando. (More)

Over 50% of UK undergraduates use artificial intelligence programs for their essays, according to a survey by the Higher Education Policy Institute. Among more than 1,000 respondents, 53% use AI to generate material for their graded assignments. Additionally, 25% use apps like Google Bard or ChatGPT to suggest topics, and 12% use AI to create content. (More)

Syphilis cases in the U.S. have surged by almost 80%, reaching over 207,000 between 2018 and 2022, per the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rates increased across all age groups and regions. In 2022, there were 3,755 reported cases of newborns with syphilis — a 937% rise in the past decade, according to the CDC. (More)

The “move out” method could help you declutter your home.

Thieves in Canada stole a 500lb stuffed polar bear.

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