From Iran to Ukraine, Hackers Are Trying To Hijack Civilian Security Cameras

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From Iran to Ukraine, Hackers Are Trying To Hijack Civilian Security Cameras (Maria)

The author writes, “For decades, satellites, drones and human spotters have been part of war’s surveillance and reconnaissance tool kit. In an age of cheap, insecure, Internet-connected consumer devices, however, militaries have gained another powerful set of eyes on the ground: every hackable security camera installed outside a home or on a city street. … Exploiting the insecurity of networked civilian cameras is becoming part of the standard operating procedures of armed forces around the world.”

WATCH: How Traffic Dried up in the Strait of Hormuz Since the Iran War Began (Dana)

From NPR: “The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which about 20% of the world’s crude oil and natural gas typically passes, has roiled global energy markets. ‘When analysts have looked at the things that could go wrong in global oil markets, this is about as wrong as things could go at any single point of failure,’ says Kevin Book, the co-founder of the research firm Clearview Energy Partners.”

Noem’s Firing Is Little Comfort to Minneapolis Residents Struggling To Recover From Crackdown (Reader Steve)

From the Associated Press: “Daniel Hernandez’s grocery store in south Minneapolis has served Latino families for over 5 years, but he says it’s on the verge of closing due to lasting economic damage from the nation’s largest immigration enforcement crackdown. Many of Hernandez’s customers have continued to stay home or drastically reduce their spending, and 10 of the 12 Latino small businesses that rent space from him remain shuttered, he said in an interview Friday. Even though President Donald Trump’s administration scaled back the crackdown earlier, and the president fired Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary on Thursday, many are still feeling the ripple effects.”

Kalshi Gamblers Furious After Company Refuses to Pay Out $54 Million on Ayatollah Khamenei’s Death (Sean)

The author writes, “When an Israeli-American business executive saw the green checkmarks glow next to his bets on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s ouster as supreme leader of Iran, he thought he had it made. His improbable $3,460 wager had suddenly ballooned into a payout of more than $63,000 after US and Israeli forces assassinated the Ayatollah in an aerial strike. There was just one problem: the bet never paid out. … The prediction market platform Kalshi has refused to pay out a staggering sum of $54 million to users who bet Khamenei would be ‘out’ as supreme leader last weekend. The company’s rationale — decided after it had allowed the market on that particular wager to accrue millions of dollars — is that the Ayatollah’s death didn’t really count on his ‘ousting’ as supreme leader, and that the platform doesn’t allow bets ‘directly tied to death.’”

‘Bitterly Ironic’: Trump Is Wrecking His AI Agenda With Anthropic Spat, Lobbyists and Ex-Officials Say (DonkeyHotey)

From Politico: “The Trump administration’s push to punish the artificial intelligence startup Anthropic is undercutting the United States’ plan to boost American technology and dominate its spread worldwide, according to industry advocates and a former top Trump adviser on AI. Fears of further escalation in the fight between the Pentagon and Anthropic over limits on military use of AI have already sparked major uncertainty for tech companies working with the government, roughly a dozen industry representatives, investors and former government officials told Politico.”

Block Employee Says the Company Dangled a 75% Pay Raise To Get Her To Stay After Layoffs — But She Decided To Quit (Russ)

From Business Insider: “Naoko Takeda wrote on LinkedIn that Block offered her a pay bump and retention bonus after its recent layoffs. Takeda said she quit instead. ‘That’s not an honor. It feels shameful and dehumanizing,’ she wrote.”

Can Mountain Lions Survive as Humans Close In? California Is Trying to Find a Way. (Laura)

The authors write, “Creatures big and small are suffering as humans increasingly dominate the planet, taking away habitat that species need to survive. The power and majesty of apex predators like mountain lions can capture the human psyche, helping inspire conservation work, but also come with controversy because of the danger they can pose to people, pets and livestock. What happens to California’s mountain lions could hold lessons for the world.”