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Leaked NSA Hacking Tool Causes Global Chaos

Jonathan Antonio
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Leaked NSA Hacking Tool Causes Global Chaos

Hackers have unleashed chaos on Friday affecting Britain’s healthcare system. According to the New York Times, a hacking tool created by the national security agency that was leaked is now targeting and affecting systems in a dozen countries.

The hacking tool, which is a type of ransomware that encrypts data so users cannot access it, was spread through an email on Friday affecting computers in the UK, Japan, Turkey, Russia, Philippines, and Vietnam. Britain’s healthcare system was severely impacted. One doctor told the BBC that private patient information is not readily available. “We have no idea what drugs people are on or the allergies they have,” the physician explained. “We can’t access the appointments system.” Also, surgeries scheduled for Friday were disrupted, and many ambulances were divergent. Not only did the ransom where and former NSA hacking tool affect hospitals, but many telecommunication companies were also hit as well.

One doctor told the BBC that private patient information is not readily available. “We have no idea what drugs people are on or the allergies they have,” the physician explained. “We can’t access the appointments system.” Also, surgeries scheduled for Friday were disrupted, and many ambulances were divergent. Not only did the ransom where and former NSA hacking tool affect hospitals, but many telecommunication companies were also hit as well.

Also, surgeries scheduled for Friday were disrupted, and many ambulances were divergent. Not only did the ransom where and former NSA hacking tool affect hospitals, but many telecommunication companies were also hit as well.

Cyber security experts argue that the NSA first discovered the vulnerability that has caused chaos nearly around the world. Shadow Brokers, a group that has been leaking NSA hacking tools since 2016, also leaked this ransomware. While Microsoft released a fix for the vulnerability two months ago, many of Friday’s targets have not updated their systems as of yet. Cyber attack hackers released a message warning that the ransom will double after three days and then will ultimately be taken off the table after a week. At this point, it is not clear who is behind the cyber attack.

The rise of Ransomware

Ransomware has been on the rise as of late. In fact, last March it was reported that hackers are now targeting and blackmailing liberal groups. Also, last January there were reports that Washington DC police closed-circuit TV cameras were hacked with the ransomware days before the Presidential inauguration.

Study: “Worm-Like” Parasite Found in Sushi is On the Rise in the United States

Brent Edward
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Study: “Worm-Like” Parasite Found in Sushi is On the Rise in the United States

You may want to think twice before you order your next sushi roll. A paper published Thursday in BMJ Case Reports reports cases of a worm-like parasite being on the rise in the west coast of the United States due to the increase in popularity of sushi and other dishes involving raw food.

The report shares a case study of a Portuguese man who reported vomiting, fever and stomach pain.

When physicians asked if he had recently eaten sushi the man indicated he did. Doctors revealed they discovered anisakiasis larva attached to the stomach lining.

According to reports, anisakiasis is a parasitic worm that lives within squids, salmon, cod, red snapper, halibut and other types of fish.

sushi
Tokyo, Japan – 13 March 2017: A sushi take-out stall in Tsukiji Market. It is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind (Dann19L / Shutterstock.com)

Currently, there is no treatment other than surgery for anisakiasis, and the parasite can ultimately cause intestinal bleeding, bowel obstruction, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The best way to treat the disease is through surgery by removing parasitic larva that attaches to the stomach lining.

This type of parasite is common in Japan due to the prevalence of raw fish in the diet. The cases are starting to occur more recently the United States as more people decide to eat sushi and other raw and uncooked fish.

Researchers argue that to avoid getting the parasite people should purchase sushi only from high-quality restaurants. “Properly trained sushi chefs can detect anisakiasis larvae,” one doctor says. “They are grossly visible in the fish.”

Parasites on the rise in the U.S.

This news comes after a deadly parasite has been found spreading across Hawaii.  The parasite is called rat lungworm disease. The parasite targets and affects the brain and the spinal cord of humans.  Moreover, last January, scientists discover parasites in the United States caught salmon.

Study: 34 Kids Visit the ER Every Day Due to Cotton Swab Injuries

Brent Edward
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Study: 34 Kids Visit the ER Every Day Due to Cotton Swab Injuries

A study from a Children’s Hospital has found that kids should stop cleaning their years with cotton swabs. Researchers reported on Tuesday in the Journal of Pediatrics 34 patients under the age of 18 and older end up in the emergency room every day because of injuries related to cotton swabs.

Are cotton swabs dangerous?

The daily average statistic is derived from 263,000 ER trips over the course of 21 years through 2010. About 75% of those injuries included perforated eardrums and were due to the ear cleaning. Also, 10% of emergency room visits were due to kids playing with the cotton swab applicators, and 9% of injuries were caused by children falling with a cotton swab still in their ear. 66% patients were younger than eight years old, and 40% were three years and younger.

Are cotton swabs healthy?

Dr. Kris Jatana of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital explained in a statement that there are major misconceptions when it comes to good ear hygiene.

“The two biggest misconceptions I hear as an otolaryngologist are that the ear canals need to be cleaned in the home setting, and that cotton tip applicators should be used to clean them; both of those are incorrect,” Dr. Jatana explained.

Moreover, our ear canals virtually clean themselves, and researchers argue that they are better left alone. This news comes after a recent report by the American Academy of Otolaryngology, which argued that earwax is beneficial to the body.

Physicians argue that if you cannot resist cleaning your ears, people should use drops instead.

Despite the staggering statistic, researchers report that 99% of the hospital trips analyzed in the study ended up with the patient being treated and released.

Scientists Name a Dinosaur After a Ghostbusters Villain

Megan Diane
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Scientists Name a Dinosaur After a Ghostbusters Villain

Researchers have decided to name a dinosaur after a character in the Ghostbusters movie.

What is the Zuul crurivastator?

A newly discovered dinosaur was named Zuul crurivastator, which is based on the Ghostbusters villain. The villain first appeared in the first Ghostbusters movie, resembles a horned dog monster with red eyes.

The skull of the new species ankylosaur has two sets of horns and resembles the villain and the Ghostbusters movie. Also, the name crurivastator means the “destroyer of shins.” This part of the name is inspired by the dinosaur’s heavily spiked tail. The dinosaur lived over 75 million years ago in the center of the United States in what is now called Montana, according to the LA Times.

The dinosaur was 20 feet long and weighed over 5,000 pounds. Also, the dinosaur was not a carnivore like the infamous T-Rex but instead consumed plants. According to reports, the skeleton was first discovered by a team looking for T.rex remains when a bulldozer hit the prehistoric animal’s tail.

Today, it is the only ankylosaur skeleton in the world. Also, the tissue was so well preserved that researchers were still able to see spikes still attached to the dinosaur. Researchers hope to find more soft tissues to understand the animal’s genetic biology better.

Ghostbusters’ star Dan Aykroyd helped the Royal Ontario Museum introduce the new dinosaur to the world. Together they said they are honored to have a name like that attached to a dinosaur.

Hollywood Reacts to Christoper “Big Black” Boykin’s Death

Jonathan Antonio
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Hollywood Reacts to Christoper “Big Black” Boykin’s Death

Reality star former bodyguard Christopher “Big Black” Boykin died Tuesday of an apparent heart attack at the age of 45, according to TMZ.

The star of the MTV reality show, Rob & Big starred on the show for two years from 2006 to 2008. Boykin appeared on the show as the best friend, bodyguard, and roommate to the professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek.

In a statement by MTV and shared on Variety, the network said, “He was a long time and beloved member of the MTV family and will be greatly missed.

The show followed the various hijinks the two reality show best friends would get into including purchasing a mini horse, breaking world records, and skating across California.

Rob Dyrdek
LOS ANGELES – NOV 15: Rob Dyrdek, Bryiana Noelle Flores at the Express Yourself 2015 presented by P.S. ARTS at the Barker Hanger on November 15, 2015 in Santa Monica, CA (Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com)

Dyrdek took to Twitter to reminisce and pay his respects to his friend.

“We truly were brothers that lived an unexpected unforgettable adventure. I just can’t fathom that it would end so suddenly,” Dyrdek explained on Twitter.

Dyrdek later added, “You will forever be in my heart.”

Boykin, who was a veteran of the Navy, started a clothing line following the reality show. He is survived by his nine-year-old daughter.

HandBrake App Hit with Malware – Mac Users Warned

Jonathan Antonio
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HandBrake App Hit with Malware – Mac Users Warned

Hackers reportedly gained access to a download server for a  media encoding software also known as HandBrake and used it to deliver stealthy malware that can gain access to a user’s password keychain, password vaults, and other personal information, security analysts reported on Monday.

Over the course of four days, a download mirror located at download.handbrake.Fr delivered a version of the DVD ripping and video conversion software that contained a type of malware known as Proton.

HandBrake developers issued a warning over the weekend that the malware was being distributed to Mac users. Moreover, none of the most popular antivirus services were able to detect it, according to security researcher Patrick Wardle, who reported his results here.

Apparently, the malicious download was opened and directed users to enter their Mac admin password, which was then uploaded to a text file to a server controlled by the hackers. Once installed, the malware can access sensitive and private data.

Thomas Reed, the director of Mac offerings at antivirus service Malwarebytes, explained, “These files contain a number of bits of data to be exfiltrated from the machine, such as browser data (including stored form auto-fill data), keychains, and even 1Password vaults.”

Reed added, “Since the user’s password was phished previously, that can be used to unlock the keychains, and either it or other passwords found in the keychain may be able to unlock other encrypted files.”

Reed also advised people to never store their master password for their password manager in their keychain and to make sure it is a unique and secure password.

HandBrake explained the hacked mirror site was one of two servers used to distribute the application. Because the other site was not compromised, people who downloaded the application from May 2nd to May 6th had a 50% chance of downloading a virus.

What is Proton?

Proton is a professionally developed Mac malware that sells for over $60,000 on the dark-Web. The malware has a broad range of features including keylogging, remote login access, the ability to take and upload webcam videos, screenshot images and gain access to private files.

Austria Court Rules Facebook Must Remove Hate Speech

Jonathan Antonio
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Austria Court Rules Facebook Must Remove Hate Speech

As Facebook reaches nearly 2 billion users worldwide, the social network has faced a new battle in the dissemination of user-generated content. Reuters reports an Austrian court has ruled the company must remove a post that is considered to be hate speech.

The decision to force Facebook to remove such hate -related statement from the social network was brought by Austria’s Green party after a fake Facebook user posted reported defamatory insults and directed to words the political parties leader Eva Glawischnig.

The Green party will later argue that the posts were not taken down despite repeated complaints. Then in December, the Commercial Court of Vienna granted a preliminary injunction asserting Facebook must remove posts considered hateful.

Facebook issued an appeal against the ruling and it apparently looks like it may have failed after the appeals court argued that the company must remove both the original post and any re-postings. The court also claimed that Facebook must remove content globally instead of just blocking my content locally. As a result, Austria’s government is pushing the removal of hateful speech not just within the country but around the world.

While the court did not suggest Facebook is responsible for discovering and removing such hate speech from the social network, Reuters reports that the Green party plans on pushing for that to occur by taking the case to the country’s highest court.

Moreover, the party is hoping to pressure Facebook to identify the owners of fake accounts and to pay damages for hate speech shared on the social network – making it easier for people to win lawsuits and seek damages for hate speech.

Facebook has been put in a precarious place over hate speech in Europe. In fact, last April politicians in Germany voted for legislation to fine Facebook €15 million if they failed to remove illegal hate speech from their social networks promptly.

This news comes after Facebook announced they would be employing 3000 more individuals to their existing 4500 staff members to review flags content. But for a social network that is on the verge of reaching 2 billion users, it seriously begs the question of whether a few thousand new staff members can monitor content constantly being shared on the social network.

Bill Clinton Teams Up with James Patterson for a Political Thriller, ‘The President is Missing’

Jonathan Antonio
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Bill Clinton Teams Up with James Patterson for a Political Thriller, ‘The President is Missing’

Former Pres. Bill Clinton has written several books including an autobiography, arguments on political philosophy, and books discussing the importance of government. Now the former politician is working with best-selling novelist James Patterson for an upcoming adventure fiction novel.

That is right – Hilary Clinton’s husband is partnering with best-selling author James Patterson for the next book The President Is Missing, which is due out in June 2018, according to AP.

James Patterson
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 15, 2012: Writer James Patterson at the Los Angeles premiere of his movie “Alex Cross” at the Cinerama Dome, Hollywood. (Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com)

The book will center around a sitting president, and the publishers call it “a unique amalgam of intrigue, suspense and behind-the-scenes global drama from the highest corridors of power. It will be informed by details that only a president can know.”

Patterson argues that readers will be able to get an “inside look” at what it is like to be president of the free world.

Moreover, the book will be a team venture as the novel will be co-written, o-edited and co-published with Clinton’s publisher Alfred A. Knopf and Patterson’s longtime publisher Little, Brown and Co. working on the project.

The President is Missing will be Bill Clinton’s first novel, and while presidents frequently right non-fiction books, novels are rarely ever written by current and former presidents.

Other than the AP report, publishers are not releasing any more details about the storyline of the book. However, Vulture claims the president who goes missing will center around on President Trump.

Woman Claims Her Fitbit Device “Exploded” Causing Injuries

Jonathan Antonio
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Woman Claims Her Fitbit Device “Exploded” Causing Injuries

While we have heard of exploding cell phones, a new report claims a Wisconsin woman’s Fitbit exploded injuring her arm.

According to WISN news, Fitbit owner Dina Mitchell said she was wearing her Fitbit Flex 2 device last week when it spontaneously exploded on her arm. As a result of the Fitbit explosion, the device left her with second – degree burns on her wrist.

She told WISN News that device just exploded. “It didn’t heat up at first; there was no warning, it just, it burst into flames. It exploded,” Mitchell explained.

Mitchell says that the tracker was recently a birthday present and she has received treatment at an urgent care facility for her injuries, ABC News reports. Also, a doctor picked pieces of rubber and plastic out of her wrist.

In a statement by Fitbit, the company has announced that they are investigating the issue. The company explained in a statement to the Huffington Post that they are “extremely concerned” and “take it very seriously.”

“Fitbit products are designed and produced in accordance with strict standards and undergo extensive internal and external testing to ensure the safety of our users,” a spokesperson told Huffington Post.

This news comes after the company cut over 100 jobs following weak holiday sales. The company’s CEO explained that Fitbit will focus on “new areas of demand by leveraging the data we collect to deliver a more personalized experience.”

Wall Street Reacts to Trump’s New Tax Plan

Reginald Edward
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Wall Street Reacts to Trump’s New Tax Plan

On Wednesday, President Trump revealed his tax reform plan. The new tax plan, which did not offer many details, can cut taxes for high-income individuals and some middle-income families. Also, President Trump’s tax reform plan could also cut taxes for small and large businesses. The new tax plan would increase the standard deduction and would cut out many other common tax deductions.

That said, it is hard to know how many taxpayers would be affected by the new tax plan and the White House will have to negotiate with Congress on the final changes to the tax plan, which could alter the outcome if representatives push back on Trump’s new plan.

President Trump’s Tax Reform Plan Changes

President Trump
Washington, DC – March 17, 2017: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump hold a joint press conference at the White House after their first in-person meeting. (Nicole S Glass / Shutterstock.com)

Changes to Standard Deductions

According to the Washington Post, the biggest changes to the current tax system include larger standard deductions, which will result in lower taxes. Under the new plan, married couples who file taxes together would not owe income taxes on the first $24,000 of income. As a result, fewer people will need to file itemized deductions leading to an easier tax filing process. Another significant change would be the elimination of many tax deductions. Consequently, many taxpayers will no longer be able to write off expenses including medical and property taxes.

Changes to Tax Brackets

President Trump’s tax plan also includes a proposal to reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to three with tax rates of 10%, 25% and 35%, the Washington Post reports. At this point, tax brackets range from 10% to 39.6%, based on an individual’s total income. This new tax plan would immediately benefit taxpayers who bring home a significant amount of money; While low-income families will not feel much of a difference.

Another important change would be an increase in tax benefits for Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. Trump is currently considering expanding the tax credit, which allows parents to receive a deduction of up to $2100, based on how much they spent on childcare every year.

Changes for high-income earners

The plan will also eliminate to taxes that typically impact high-income individuals. The first tax is the alternative minimum tax, which the US government would bill high-income earners a minimum tax if they claimed numerous tax breaks; The second tax that would be eliminated under Pres. Trump’s new plan is the estate tax. The estate tax affects people who inherit wealth or businesses worth more than $5.5 million.

President Trump is also seeking to cut taxes for small businesses. Under the proposal, small businesses would pay a lower tax rate of 15%.

So how did Wall Street react to the news?

The S&P 500 fell 1 point, the Dow Jones Industrials dropped 21 points, and the Nasdaq barely moved, following the news. That said, overall more stocks rose than fell on Wednesday.

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