Secret Service dismantles threat around UN capable of crippling NYC cell service
The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a massive hidden telecom network in New York. Investigators say the system could have crippled cell towers and jammed 911 calls. The cache included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards. It was located within 35 miles of the United Nations. The network could have blacked out cellular service, especially during the United Nations General Assembly. Officials have not uncovered a direct plot against the assembly. Forensic analysis is ongoing, and authorities suspect nation-state actors. The operation highlights new risks to the invisible infrastructure of modern cities.
High school students' scores fall in reading and math
A decade-long slide in high school students’ performance in reading and math persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 12th graders’ scores dropping to their lowest level in more than 20 years. That's according to results released Tuesday from an exam known as the nation’s report card. Eighth-grade students also lost significant ground in science skills, according to the results from the National Assessment of Education Progress. The assessments were the first since the pandemic for eighth graders in science and 12th graders in reading and math. They reflect a downward drift across grade levels and subject areas in previous releases from NAEP.
US national debt reaches $37 trillion
The U.S. government’s gross national debt has surpassed $37 trillion, setting a new record. This highlights the rapid acceleration of debt on America’s balance sheet and the increasing cost pressures on taxpayers. The Treasury Department reported this update on Tuesday. The national debt reached this level years sooner than pre-pandemic projections due to heavy borrowing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts warn that the growing debt could lead to reduced living standards and increased interest rates. The Joint Economic Committee estimates another trillion dollars could be added in about 173 days.
Jen Pawol breaks MLB's gender barrier as first female umpire
Jen Pawol has made history as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the major leagues. Pawol worked as the first base umpire for Saturday’s first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. She enjoyed a quiet first inning. Pawol will work third base in Saturday night’s second game of the doubleheader and will be in the spotlight when she calls pitches behind the plate in Sunday’s final game of the series. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough and Braves bench coach Walt Weiss greeted Pawol when lineups were exchanged at home plate.
Tom Lehrer, song satirist and mathematician, dies at 97
Tom Lehrer, a song satirist who gained a popular following in the 1950s and ’60s lampooning marriage, politics, racism and the Cold War, and then largely abandoned his music career to return to teaching math at Harvard and other universities, has died at 97. His songs included “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park,” “The Old Dope Peddler,” “Be Prepared” in which he mocked the Boy Scouts and “The Vatican Rag,” in which Lehrer poked at the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church. But he attacked in such an erudite, even polite, manner that almost no one objected. Longtime friend David Herder said Lehrer died Saturday at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The risks and rewards of tokenization as crypto heavyweights push for it
The financial world is buzzing about tokenization, a process using blockchain to turn real-world assets like stocks or real estate into digital tokens. Advocates say this could revolutionize investing, making it cheaper, more transparent, and accessible to everyday investors. Robinhood recently launched tokenized stock trading in Europe and offered tokens linked to private companies like OpenAI, sparking controversy. Critics warn tokenization could bypass U.S. securities laws, risking investor protections. The SEC has urged caution, emphasizing legal obligations. While some see tokenization as a game-changer, others fear it could lead to unregulated markets reminiscent of the 1920s.
Louisiana cancels $3 billion coastal restoration project
Louisiana is officially canceling a $3 billion coastal restoration project funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project aimed to rebuild over 20 square miles of land in southeast Louisiana to combat erosion and sea level rise. Conservation groups supported the project as a science-based solution to climate change. However, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry opposed it, citing harm to local oystermen and the fishing industry. On Thursday, a coalition of federal agencies overseeing the settlement funds declared the project "no longer viable" because of litigation and a suspended federal permit after the state halted work.
Investors snap up growing share of US homes as traditional buyers struggle to afford one
Real estate investors are buying a larger share of U.S. homes as high prices and borrowing costs deter traditional buyers
'Click-to-cancel' rule, intended to make canceling subscriptions easier, is blocked
A “click-to-cancel” rule, which would have required businesses to make it easy for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions and memberships, has been blocked by a court days before it was set to go into effect. The Federal Trade Commission’s changes required businesses to disclose when free trials or other promotional offers will end and let customers cancel recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them. The rule was set to go into effect on Monday, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit said the FTC made a procedural error in its related cost analysis.
Websites hosting major US climate reports taken down
Websites displaying legally mandated U.S. national climate assessments seem to have disappeared. The reports tell state and local governments and everyday people what to expect in a warming world and how to prepare for it. Scientists say the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives. Websites for the national assessments and their parent agency — the U.S. Global Change Research Program — were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere. The White House says the information will be housed in NASA to comply with the law, but gave no further details.
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