VP Harris announces more than $100 mln to support auto workers
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday announced more than $100 million in funding and resources to support American auto workers and small auto suppliers.
Historic contracts secured by the United Auto Workers with the Big Three Detroit automakers and recent organizing victories ensure that these jobs will provide comparable wages, retirement security and respect at work, the office of the VP said in a statement.
US State Dept broadens security vendor list amid Microsoft hacking woes
SAN FRANCISCO, May 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of State has been working with a range of security vendors beyond Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab since China-linked hackers stole tens of thousands of the department's emailsby breachingthetechgiant's network last year, a senior official said.
That hack, which compromised some 60,000 State Department emails, including those of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, was one of the worst in recent years against a federal agency and triggered much criticism of Microsoft. The Cyber Safety Review Board slammed the company last month for its lack of transparency.
"It's not even that the software they gave me wasn't secure. It's that the keys to the kingdom were in the corporate network and their corporate network wasn't secure," Kelly Fletcher, the department's chief information officer said on the sidelines of the RSA Conference in San Francisco on Monday.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/vp-harris-announces-more-than-100-mln-
Seasonal US fuel demand hits pandemic lows, weighs on refining margins
NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) - U.S. gasoline and diesel demand are at their weakest seasonal level since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday, pulling refiners' margins for making the products to multi-month lows.
The 4-week average demand for gasoline stood at 8.63 million barrels per day (bpd) in the week ended May 3, the lowest reading for the start of May since 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic decimated demand for transportation fuels.
Four-week average demand for distillate fuels, which includes diesel and heating oil, stood at 3.60 million bpd, also the weakest seasonal level since the pandemic, according to the EIA.
Some analystshavesaid theweakeningdemand for these products could be an indicator of stagnating economic activity, while others say it highlights a growing share of renewable fuels replacing conventional fossil fuels.
Souce:
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/seasonal-us-fuel-demand-hitspandemic-lows-weighs-refining-margins-2024-05-08/
US asylum change aims to speed up some rejections at Mexico border
WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - A new U.S. asylum change announced on Thursday aims to more quickly reject asylum seekers caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border if they pose certain criminal and national security concerns, a limited move to cut down on crossings.
A proposedregulationwouldallowasylumofficers to deny claims of migrants convicted of a serious crime, linked to terrorism or posing other dangers to public safety, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a press release. The rejections could take place in days instead of a process that can take years, DHS said.
Reuters and other outlets reported the plans on Wednesday.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-asylum-change-aims-speed-up-somerejections-mexico-border-2024-05-09/
FBI working towards nabbing Scattered Spider hackers, official says
SAN FRANCISCO, May 10 (Reuters) - The U.S. FBI is working towards charging hackers from the aggressive Scattered Spider criminal gang who are largely based in the U.S. and western countries and have breached dozens of American organisations, a senior official said.
The young hackers grabbed headlines last year when they broke into the systems of casino-operators MGM Resorts International (MGM.N), opens new tab and Caesars Entertainment (CZR.O), opens new tab, locking up the companies' systems and demanding hefty ransom payments. From health and telecom companies to financial services, they have hacked a range of organisations over two years, piling pressure on law enforcement agencies to thwart them.
"We are working towards charging individuals where we can with criminal conduct, in this case, largely around the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act," Brett Leatherman, the FBI's cyber deputy assistant director, told Reuters in an interview.
Souce:
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fbi-working-towards-nabbing-scattered-spiderhackers-official-says-2024-05-10/