THE CENTER SQUARE—Tesla founder and X owner Elon Musk said Thursday that he plans to file a lawsuit against people and organizations working to prevent advertising dollars from going to conservative news media. Musk announced his intention on the social media giant X while sharing video of Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro’s congressional testimony Wednesday on the topic. “Having seen the evidence unearthed today by Congress, X has no choice but to file suit against the perpetrators and collaborators in the advertising boycott racket,” Musk wrote. “Hopefully, some states will consider criminal prosecution.” At Wednesday’s hearing before the House Judiciary Committee targeting a coalition called the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, Shapiro told lawmakers that legacy media and their political allies conspire with online advertising gatekeepers to paint conservative news organizations as “dangerous,” limiting their opportunity to receive advertising revenue. “There is in fact an internal pressure system created by Democratic legislators, this White House, legacy media, advertisers and pseudo-objective brand safety organizations,” Shapiro testified. “That system guarantees that advertising dollars flow only to left-leaning media brands.” Shapiro identified the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, or GARM, as one of those gatekeepers of online advertising revenue. “In reality, GARM acts as a cartel. Its members account for 90% of ad spending in the United States, almost a trillion dollars,” Shapiro testified. “In other words, if you’re not getting ad dollars from GARM members, it’s nearly impossible to run an ad-based business. And if you’re not following their preferred political narratives … you will not be deemed brand safe. Your business will be throttled.” Originally published by The Center Square The post Musk’s X to Sue Groups That Boycott Conservative News Sites appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. AT&T is facing severe criticism following a substantial data breach where hackers accessed the call records of “NEARLY ALL” its mobile subscribers, totaling approximately 109 million individuals. This doesn’t just affect AT&T customers, it affects everyone those customers have interacted with. In a statement to Reclaim The Net, the telecommunications giant confirmed that the breach occurred between April 14 and April 25, 2024, involving its Snowflake storage. Snowflake, a provider that facilitates large-scale data warehousing and analytics in the cloud, is now under scrutiny for security lapses in the wake of multiple breaches facilitated by stolen credentials. Recently, the security firm Mandiant identified a financially motivated hacker group, known as “UNC5537” targeting Snowflake users. This has led to a series of data thefts, prompting Snowflake to implement stricter security measures, including mandatory multi-factor authentication for its administrators. The stolen data includes call and text metadata from May 1 to October 31, 2022, and a specific breach on January 2, 2023. This metadata encompasses telephone numbers, interaction counts, and aggregate call durations, affecting not only AT&T’s direct customers but also those of various mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). AT&T took immediate action upon discovering the breach, engaging with cybersecurity experts and contacting the FBI. According to an official statement, the FBI, along with the Department of Justice (DOJ), evaluated the breach’s implications on national security and public safety, which led to delays in public disclosure sanctioned on May 9 and June 5, 2024. The FBI emphasized its role in assisting victims of cyberattacks and the importance of early communication with law enforcement in such incidents. “We have taken steps to close off the illegal access point,” AT&T continued in its statement. “We are working with law enforcement in its efforts to arrest those involved in the incident. We understand that at least one person has been apprehended.” Customers should take several proactive steps to protect their personal information and reduce potential risks: Be Wary of Phishing Attempts Hackers may attempt to use stolen data to craft convincing phishing emails or texts. Customers should be cautious about unsolicited communications asking for personal information or urging them to click on suspicious links. Use MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) While passwords were not compromised in this breach, enabling MFA where available can enhance security on all digital accounts. Avoid using text messages as a form of account verification. This is when a company sends you a code by text message that you have to use to access your account. It’s much safer to use a 2-factor authentication app. Avoid Using Standard Phone Calls and SMS Text Messages as Much as Possible Phone carriers, by virtue of their central role in facilitating communications, inherently collect and store vast amounts of metadata related to phone calls and text messages. This metadata, which includes details such as call times, durations, and the numbers involved, can be highly sensitive. Despite its non-content nature, metadata can reveal intricate details about a person’s life, habits, and social networks. Here are some reasons why phone carriers are often more vulnerable to metadata leaks: Large Data Stores: Phone carriers manage enormous volumes of data daily. Each call or text generates metadata that is logged and stored. The sheer volume of this data makes it a significant target for hackers, and managing its security can be challenging. Regulatory Requirements: Carriers are often required by law to retain metadata for certain periods for lawful intercept capabilities and other regulatory reasons. This obligation to store data can increase the risk of breaches, as older, possibly less secure systems may be used for storage. Complex Systems and Integration: The infrastructure of telecom companies is complex and often integrated with various legacy systems and third-party services. Each integration point can introduce vulnerabilities, potentially offering hackers multiple entry points to access and extract data. Insufficient Encryption Practices: While the content of communications might be encrypted, the metadata often is not. This oversight can leave sensitive information exposed to anyone who gains unauthorized access to the system. High Value for Surveillance and Advertising: Metadata is extremely valuable for surveillance purposes, as well as for targeted advertising. This makes it a lucrative target for unauthorized actors, including state-sponsored groups and cybercriminals looking to monetize the data. Delayed Disclosure: Carriers might delay disclosing data breaches due to ongoing investigations or national security implications, as seen in the AT&T breach. This delay can exacerbate the problem, increasing the window during which stolen data can be misused. Underestimation of Metadata Sensitivity: There is often a misconception that metadata is not as sensitive as direct communication content. This misunderstanding can lead to less rigorous security measures being applied to protect this type of data. Economic and Technical Resources: Despite having significant resources, phone carriers may prioritize cost-saving measures over the implementation of state-of-the-art security solutions. Additionally, updating and securing sprawling networks can be technically challenging and expensive. Use end-to-end encrypted apps to communicate instead and encourage family and friends to do the same. Using apps that offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is crucial for maintaining privacy and security, especially in the wake of breaches like the one experienced by AT&T, where call data was exposed. Here’s why E2EE apps are a better choice: Enhanced Privacy Protection: End-to-end encryption ensures that messages, calls, and files are encrypted on the sender’s device and only decrypted on the recipient’s device. This means that no one in between, not even the service providers or potential interceptors, can read or listen to the content. This is crucial when the metadata (like call logs and contact numbers) is exposed, as the content of the communications remains secure. Security Against Interception: E2EE is particularly important for protecting against potential eavesdropping. Even if a hacker can access transmission lines or servers, they cannot decrypt the encrypted data without the unique keys held only by the sender and receiver. Prevention of Third-Party Access: In cases where service providers are subpoenaed for user data, they cannot hand over what they do not have access to. E2EE means the service provider does not have the decryption keys and therefore cannot access the content of the communications, offering an additional layer of legal protection. Reduced Risk of Data Breaches: If a data breach occurs and encrypted data is stolen, the information remains protected because it is unreadable without the decryption keys. This significantly reduces the risk associated with data theft. Trust and Compliance: Using E2EE can help companies build trust with their customers by showing a commitment to privacy and security. It can also help in complying with privacy regulations and standards, which increasingly mandate the protection of personal data. Mitigation of Damage from Breaches: While encryption does not prevent data from being stolen, it devalues the data, making it useless to the thief. This is particularly important in incidents where sensitive information is at risk of being exposed. Given these advantages, users are strongly advised to prefer communication apps and services that offer robust end-to-end encryption. This not only protects the content of their communications but also serves as a critical defense mechanism in today’s digital and often vulnerable cyber landscape. AT&T has provided a FAQ page where customers can find out if their data was involved in the breach. It’s important for customers to use these resources to assess their exposure. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post “Nearly All” AT&T Customers are Affected by Massive Data Breach; What To Do Next appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Breaking From NYT: The $90 Million Shoe Just Dropped on Biden

NATO Diplomats: 'It Was Awful'

The blockbuster film, Dune, has inspired a new full-body spacesuit that can recycle its wearer’s urine, allowing them to walk for further during any future exploration.Even though it is true that in space, no one can hear you pee, astronauts on spacewalks have few options when it comes to answering the call of nature. Relieving yourself inside your spacesuit is both uncomfortable and unhygienic, but it is also wasteful. Wastewater on the International Space Station (ISS) can be recycled, but pee produced out on a spacewalk cannot.But perhaps sci-fi holds the answer to this problem, at least that’s what researchers with Cornell University believe.In the popular Dune book and film series, individuals in the open deserts of the planet of Arrakis wear “stillsuits” that are designed to absorb and purify their sweat and urine. By filtering out impurities, the wearer is then able to stay hydrated in the harsh, arid environment. For decades, this idea has remained a feature of a popular fiction – but it could soon be a reality as a new a new prototype urine-collecting filtration system is has been designed for spacesuits.“The design includes a vacuum-based external catheter leading to a combined forward-reverse osmosis unit, providing a continuous supply of potable water with multiple safety mechanisms to ensure astronaut wellbeing,” Sofia Etlin, a research staff member at Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell University, and the study’s first author, explained in a statement.For decades, astronauts on lengthy spacewalks have had to empty their bladders into what are effectively space diapers, but the new system allows them to recycle and reuse the water they expel.Image credit: Karen Morales (left) and Claire Walter (right)The timing is important too. In 2025 and 2026, NASA is planning for the Artemis II and III missions to that will orbit the Moon and then land a crew near the south pole, respectively. The expectation is that other crewed missions could set off for Mars by the early 2030s. However, based on current options, those astronauts will have a less then appealing situation facing them when they carry out spacewalks.Astronauts have long bemoaned the lack of comfort and hygiene of the existing toilet options. The maximum absorbency garment (MAG) that they current use – which was developed in the late 1970s – is essentially a multilayered diaper made of super absorbent polymers.“The MAG has reportedly leaked and caused health issues such as urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal distress. Additionally, astronauts currently have only one liter of water available in their in-suit drink bags. This is insufficient for the planned, longer-lasting lunar spacewalks, which can last ten hours, and even up to 24 hours in an emergency,” Etlin added.Astronauts have also asked that the time needed to fill and de-gas the in-suit drink bags be reduced, and that a separate supply of non-caffeinated high-energy drink be added too. These objections and requests allowed Etlin and colleagues to design a urine-catching device which includes a multilayered undergarment made of flexible fabric.This is connected to a collection cup with options for different genitals, which is made of molded silicone. The cup’s inner face is lined with polyester microfibers or a nylon-spandex blend that draws urine away from the body towards the cup. The waste is then sucked by a vacuum pump, activated by a RFID tag that reacts to moisture.Once the urine has been collected, it is diverted to a urine filtration system that recycles it. This system has an 87 percent efficiency and operates through a two-step integrated and reverse osmosis filtration system. It uses a concentration gradient that removes water from the waste and a pump that separates that water from salt. The now purified water is them enriched with electrolytes and pumped to a drink bag in the suit.Remarkably, the suit can collect and purify 500 ml of urine in only five minutes.The backpack system is light and compact, weighing approximately 17.6 pounds (8 kilograms). The system also has integrated control pumps, sensors and a liquid-crystal display screen.Now that the prototype has been created, the design can be tested in various simulated conditions.“Our system can be tested in simulated microgravity conditions, as microgravity is the primary space factor we must account for. These tests will ensure the system’s functionality and safety before it is deployed in actual space missions,” concluded Dr Christopher E Mason, a professor at the same institute as Etlin and the study’s lead author.The paper is published in the journal Frontiers in Space Technologies.

This week on Break It Down we report live from a rocket launch, freeze-dried skin gets us a step closer to bringing back mammoths, “polar rain” auroras seen on Earth in a first, two lion brothers should star in their own Disney movie, a complete larynx transplant for a cancer patient, and the people fighting for the survival of the world’s most endangered language. Available on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Amazon Music, and more.So sit back, relax, and let's Break It Down...LinksAriane 6Woolly mammothRecord-breaking lionsIncredible auroraLarynx transplantEndangered languageBear "supermom"Animals drivingTBQs Climate change and health

Most of us will have seen a tumbleweed. Well, not necessarily in real life, but as a long-standing prop in cowboy movies, or in your brain when someone asks you a question during a Friday afternoon meeting. We know what they look like – but do you know what they actually are?TikTok user whatsinthekoolaid was shocked to find out that they are not in fact made up of sticks, as were several other people in the comments of a video captioned “everything is a lie” – an understandable description under the circumstances.“I was under the impression that tumbleweeds were like collections of sticks on the road that just kind of found each other and then rolled around like a desert snowball, like an outside dust bunny,” said the TikTok creator.      IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.Others who commented on the video thought the same, while some even said that they didn’t know tumbleweeds were even real.But as the video goes on to explain, tumbleweeds are in fact very real, but they aren’t a spherical mass of stuck-together sticks – they’re plants.Many different plant species can be considered tumbleweeds, but the one best known to the US is the Russian thistle (Salsola tragus), which begins its life very much rooted into the ground. It then grows into a large, round shape that looks a bit like a prickly green bush.As the plant ages, it becomes weak near its base and, eventually, breaks off. Then, with a gust of wind, the Russian thistle dies, but a tumbleweed is born.That’s not the end of the story, however. Yes, the plant is technically dead, but the tumbleweed is about to ensure the survival of the species; the characteristic behavior of roly-polying with reckless abandon is actually a seed dispersal technique.As the tumbleweeds rolls and bounces along the ground, pushed by the wind, its seeds are left behind on the ground, germinating with far less complex requirements than many plants.Given the Russian thistle can produce and carry in the region of 20,000 to 250,000 seeds, this makes for a rather effective way of having surviving offspring in large numbers, and given that the wind can take tumbleweeds pretty much anywhere, far and wide too.That’s great news for the Russian thistle – but not so much in other ways. Not only is it considered to be an invasive species in the US, having been accidentally introduced in the 1870s, but the lack of control over where it goes can end up being a fairly massive pain in the ass.“Tumbleweed tornados” – tumbleweeds caught up in dust devils – can cause visibility problems on roads, and attempting to get rid of the pests by burning them can end up with the same thing but with the added pizzazz of fire.    They can also get more than just a bit in the way, as residents of towns in Utah and Nevada found out earlier this year when high winds brought literal stacks upon stacks of tumbleweeds into the streets, in an incident appropriately dubbed “Tumblemageddon”.

Friendship and service can form unbreakable bonds, especially in the unique circumstances faced by Marines Dalton Stone and Isaac Weon. Their story began in Okinawa, Japan, where they met and developed deep connections with their German Shepherd partners while serving in a canine unit. Stone and Weon’s journey from comrades to civilians highlights not only... The post Marines reunite with former service dogs they were forced to leave behind appeared first on Animal Channel.

Every morning, like clockwork, a soft knock echoes through Autumn’s door. This isn’t the sound of a typical visitor but rather a unique friend—a crane named Carl. Carl, with his sleek feathers and curious eyes, makes his daily rounds to see his human companion. This charming ritual has become a cherished part of Autumn’s day,... The post Crane shows up on human friend’s doorstep so she can introduce her ‘babies’ appeared first on Animal Channel.

A U.S. Department of Defense briefing given July 10 at Fort Liberty in North Carolina described two prominent pro-life organizations as “terrorist groups,” a characterization that brought swift rebuke from national and local pro-life leaders. A slide from the anti-terrorism awareness briefing was posted on social media late on July 10 by DOD whistleblower Samuel Shoemate, who received it from a U.S. Army soldier who was in the training meeting at Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg. The slide has garnered 1.5 million views on X. “The briefing was simply a class on how to be a gate guard and what to look for when on duty,” the Army soldier told Blaze News on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “Gate guard duty is something all of us have to do from time to time. It was presented by a DOD civilian, not an anti-terrorism officer.” The offending slide was titled “Terrorist Groups” and included the logos of National Right to Life and Operation Rescue. It described them as pro-life but also said they “oppose Row [sic] v. Wade” and are tied to “bombings of clinics” and “attempted murders.” It also showed an image of a “Choose Life” license plate from New York. Choose Life license plates are available in a variety of designs in 33 states and the District of Columbia, according to Choose Life America Inc. The plates have raised more than $29 million for crisis pregnancy centers. The pro-life slide came directly after a section on ISIS, the Islamic State jihadist terror group responsible for mass shootings and suicide bombings around the globe. ISIS was headed for nearly a decade by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who blew himself up in 2019 as U.S. forces moved in on him in Syria. A briefing given to soldiers at Fort Liberty in North Carolina described pro-life organizations as "terrorist groups."Photo by Samuel Shoemate, used with permission “It’s pretty unsettling that they’d try and conflate pro-life groups to the level of ISIS, but this is the kind of thing we now see all the time,” the Fort Liberty soldier told Blaze News. “We’re regularly given briefings that include stuff like, ‘If your co-workers are expressing support for the Second Amendment, keep an eye on them. They could be a danger,’” he said. Shoemate said he fears using terrorism designations with pro-life groups and others could increase the chances of military forces one day being used against conservative Americans. “I am fully tinfoil-hatted on the idea that at some point our military will be turned against the American people, and I don't mind that being used as a quote,” he said. “I truly believe — at some point — we're getting to that. And the idea behind that is that we have to purge constitutionally-minded individuals from the military.” Shoemate said he is confident the material in the slide was not the work of just one individual. “Nobody’s trying to do anything underhanded and sneak stuff into slideshows, because they would get crushed by their command,” he said. “So there’s a very high likelihood — and I say this with great confidence — that the O-6 garrison commander, or at least a deputy, knew about this and approved the slideshow.” 'It’s not extreme to try to save children, and yet this is their rhetorical game.' Army officials at Fort Liberty quickly distanced themselves from the presentation and its characterization of pro-lifers as terrorists. “After conducting a commander’s inquiry, we determined that the slides presented on social media were not vetted by the appropriate approval authorities,” read a statement posted by Fort Liberty on X, “and do not reflect the views of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense.” The training presentation was developed by “a local garrison employee,” the statement read, and “these slides will no longer be used and all future training products will be reviewed to ensure they align with the current DoD anti-terrorism guidance.” Shoemate said this type of ideological information is increasingly being pushed in military service academies and institutions of higher learning. “It's an ideology. It is this idea to push through through all outlets in the American purview this idea that anything right of center — which they call, of course, extreme right-wing — is very frowned upon in the military now,” Shoemate said. “One of my favorites that we got years ago was from an older brigade commander out of Fort Benning who told a roomful of company commanders that references to the Constitution are a dog whistle for white supremacy.” The presentation brought immediate condemnation from National Right to Life, which called it “deeply offensive” and contrasted it with the Biden administration’s support for unlimited abortion. “In a presentation that is deeply offensive to pro-life Americans across the nation, Fort Liberty promoted outright lies about National Right to Life in a demonstration of lazy scholarship,” NRL president Carol Tobias said in a statement. “In our over 50-year history, National Right to Life has always, consistently, and unequivocally condemned violence against anyone.” 'The DOD has pegged us as domestic terrorists for a long time.' Tobias questioned “how a license plate that raises funds for pregnancy resource centers could be construed as a symbol of terrorism.” “Only under the Biden administration can peaceful law-abiding citizens and their peaceful activities be considered ‘terrorism,’” Tobias said. “The Biden administration promotes the deaths of preborn babies and advocates for unlimited abortion, but peaceful pro-life Americans are labeled ‘terrorists.’” Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said the type of language used in government training materials is meant to chill speech and discourage people from going to abortion clinics and peacefully praying for unborn babies and their mothers. “It’s not extreme to try to save children,” Pavone said, “and yet this is their rhetorical game.” The DOD has a history of besmirching pro-life groups, according to Dan Miller, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin near Milwaukee. “The DOD has pegged us as domestic terrorists for a long time,” Miller told Blaze News. “Pro-lifers in general have been listed as domestic terrorists by the Obama administration. There was a small blip with [President Donald] Trump in there, but now with [President Joe] Biden, they’re back to the same old game.” The characterization of these groups as terrorists is the latest in a pattern of attacks on conservative and religious groups that oppose abortion and defend the lives of unborn children. The U.S. Department of Justice has aggressively indicted and pursued sidewalk counselors and pro-life volunteers for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. On May 31, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sentenced 75-year-old Paulette Harlow of Kingston, Massachusetts, to two years in prison for allegedly conspiring to blockade a D.C. abortion clinic in October 2020. Harlow was the 10th pro-life defendant sentenced in the case. Dan Miller (left), director of Pro-Life Wisconsin, stands outside the Affiliated Medical Services abortion clinic in Milwaukee.Photo by Dan Miller, used with permission Miller said pro-life groups are about saving lives, not taking them, and they don’t condone or use violence. “It’s tried-and-true civil disobedience,” he said. “Mahatma Gandhi did it. Martin Luther King did it. The pro-life movement did it up to a point, up until [President Bill] Clinton established the FACE Act to basically crush the rescue movement.” The FACE Act makes it a federal crime to use force, the threat of force, or physical obstruction to block access to abortion centers. Blocking entrances to abortion mills has occurred, although protests are more likely to consist of volunteers praying outside the buildings or trying to counsel women walking into the clinics. Pennsylvania pro-life advocate Mark Houck was acquitted by a federal jury in January 2023 after he was charged with a FACE Act violation for shoving a “clinic escort” who he said was verbally harassing his son outside a Planned Parenthood clinic on Oct. 13, 2021. He faced up to 11 years in prison if he had been convicted. Shoemate, a retired Army chief warrant officer, said these materials could have impacts beyond the spread of left-wing talking points. “What alarmed me the most is not only that they decided to throw down on the National Right to Life — which is absolutely ridiculous — but the real issue is the license plate they threw on [the slide], which is a vanity plate that many pro-life people put on their car,” Shoemate said. “I can speculate here and say, I got a mom and she's driving on post with this [pro-life] vanity plate on the front of her car and gets pulled over and harassed because some unaware E-3 or E-4 is working the gate says, ‘I was told that this is a terrorist threat.’”