1 - White House News in Chinese (weebly.com)
Hackers breached computers at the US Treasury Department and possibly other federal agencies.
US cybersecurity agency warns of 'grave threat' after 'critical infrastructure' hacked
Dec. 18 - US authorities have expressed increased alarm about a long-undetected intrusion into computer systems around the world that officials suspect was carried out by Russian hackers.
The nation's cybersecurity agency has warned of a "grave" risk to government and private networks, after federal agencies and "critical infrastructure" were hacked in a sophisticated attack.
It was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in an unusual warning message.
The Department of Energy acknowledged it was among those hacked.
Microsoft also confirmed it had found evidence of intrusion in its internal systems, but there was nothing to suggest customer data had been accessed.
If authorities prove the attack was carried out by Russia, as experts believe, it would create a fresh foreign policy problem for US President Donald Trump in his final days in office.
Mr Trump, whose administration has been criticised for eliminating a White House cybersecurity adviser and downplaying Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has made no public statements about the breach. continue to read
Key points:
US cybersecurity agency warns of 'grave threat' after 'critical infrastructure' hacked
Dec. 18 - US authorities have expressed increased alarm about a long-undetected intrusion into computer systems around the world that officials suspect was carried out by Russian hackers.
The nation's cybersecurity agency has warned of a "grave" risk to government and private networks, after federal agencies and "critical infrastructure" were hacked in a sophisticated attack.
It was hard to detect and will be difficult to undo, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in an unusual warning message.
The Department of Energy acknowledged it was among those hacked.
Microsoft also confirmed it had found evidence of intrusion in its internal systems, but there was nothing to suggest customer data had been accessed.
If authorities prove the attack was carried out by Russia, as experts believe, it would create a fresh foreign policy problem for US President Donald Trump in his final days in office.
Mr Trump, whose administration has been criticised for eliminating a White House cybersecurity adviser and downplaying Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, has made no public statements about the breach. continue to read
Key points:
- The Department of Energy and the Treasury Department were among the agencies infiltrated
- Cybersecurity officials are yet to clarify how significant the attacks were, and what infrastructure was successfully targeted
- The UK has also issued a warning for those using the software thought to have been exploited by the hackers
DECEMBER 17, 2020
Russian President Putin Holds Year-End News Conference
Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual year-end news conference in Moscow. For more than four hours, he answered a wide range of questions on the economy, foreign interference, relations with the U.S. and Europe, and whether he would run again in 2024. This 90-minute portion from the news conference began with a question on how his government is handling the coronavirus pandemic and the distribution of vaccines. President Putin said he had not yet taken the vaccine, but reassured the public it was safe and reliable. Following the event, he stopped to talk to a small group of reporters as he was headed out of the building, answering more questions on working with the incoming Biden administration and loosening restrictions during the pandemic.
Russian President Putin Holds Year-End News Conference
Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual year-end news conference in Moscow. For more than four hours, he answered a wide range of questions on the economy, foreign interference, relations with the U.S. and Europe, and whether he would run again in 2024. This 90-minute portion from the news conference began with a question on how his government is handling the coronavirus pandemic and the distribution of vaccines. President Putin said he had not yet taken the vaccine, but reassured the public it was safe and reliable. Following the event, he stopped to talk to a small group of reporters as he was headed out of the building, answering more questions on working with the incoming Biden administration and loosening restrictions during the pandemic.
In this Monday, July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y.
U.S. FDA advisory panel sets stage for Moderna vaccine authorization
Dec. 18 - A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday overwhelmingly endorsed emergency use of Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine, virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation.
The committee voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks in people aged 18 and older, one week after the same panel backed a similar vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE, leading to an FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) a day later.
The FDA is expected to grant the EUA as early as late Thursday or Friday, providing another ray of hope to a nation that has lost more than 300,000 lives to COVID-19 – including a one-day high of 3,580 deaths on Wednesday – while record numbers of patients threaten to overwhelm U.S. hospitals and health care workers. continue to read
U.S. FDA advisory panel sets stage for Moderna vaccine authorization
Dec. 18 - A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday overwhelmingly endorsed emergency use of Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine, virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation.
The committee voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks in people aged 18 and older, one week after the same panel backed a similar vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE, leading to an FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) a day later.
The FDA is expected to grant the EUA as early as late Thursday or Friday, providing another ray of hope to a nation that has lost more than 300,000 lives to COVID-19 – including a one-day high of 3,580 deaths on Wednesday – while record numbers of patients threaten to overwhelm U.S. hospitals and health care workers. continue to read
Trump Says He Has ‘Nothing To Do With Potential Prosecution Of Hunter Biden’
Dec. 17 - President Donald Trump clarified Thursday morning that he is not involved in the Justice Department investigation into President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
“I have NOTHING to do with the potential prosecution of Hunter Biden, or the Biden family,” Trump tweeted. “It is just more Fake News. Actually, I find it very sad to watch!”
I have NOTHING to do with the potential prosecution of Hunter Biden, or the Biden family. It is just more Fake News. Actually, I find it very sad to watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2020
The Associated Press claimed Wednesday that Trump wants a special counsel to be named in the Hunter Biden investigation, effectively ensuring that President-elect Biden cannot dismiss it after being sworn in Jan. 20. Some White House aides reportedly warned the president that his public comments on the investigation could politicize the legitimate probe into Biden’s tax affairs and potentially cause problems for the president once he leaves office. (RELATED: President Trump Reportedly Seeking Special Prosecutor To Investigate Hunter Biden)
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Dec. 17 - President Donald Trump clarified Thursday morning that he is not involved in the Justice Department investigation into President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
“I have NOTHING to do with the potential prosecution of Hunter Biden, or the Biden family,” Trump tweeted. “It is just more Fake News. Actually, I find it very sad to watch!”
I have NOTHING to do with the potential prosecution of Hunter Biden, or the Biden family. It is just more Fake News. Actually, I find it very sad to watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2020
The Associated Press claimed Wednesday that Trump wants a special counsel to be named in the Hunter Biden investigation, effectively ensuring that President-elect Biden cannot dismiss it after being sworn in Jan. 20. Some White House aides reportedly warned the president that his public comments on the investigation could politicize the legitimate probe into Biden’s tax affairs and potentially cause problems for the president once he leaves office. (RELATED: President Trump Reportedly Seeking Special Prosecutor To Investigate Hunter Biden)
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PBS NewsHour full episode, Dec. 17, 2020
Dec 18, 2020
Thursday on the NewsHour, Thursday on the NewsHour, new details on a dangerous cyber attack in the U.S., President-elect Biden names key climate officials for his administration, examining the many historical reasons for reluctance surrounding immunizations in communities of color, and a look at solutions for treating and preventing childhood trauma.
Dec 18, 2020
Thursday on the NewsHour, Thursday on the NewsHour, new details on a dangerous cyber attack in the U.S., President-elect Biden names key climate officials for his administration, examining the many historical reasons for reluctance surrounding immunizations in communities of color, and a look at solutions for treating and preventing childhood trauma.
