Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has found that the networking technology company Cisco may have violated the civil rights of Middle Eastern and Muslim employees amid a wave of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim comments on internal messaging platforms at the company.In June, the EEOC, which is tasked with enforcing the US’s anti-discrimination laws, said Cisco subjected its employees to a hostile work environment, according to a letter of determination obtained by Al Jazeera.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe letter, which was first reported by Politico Pro, stemmed from a complaint filed with the EEOC in December…

The attempted attack in August involved three drones carrying explosive material spotted at or near the Leipzig-Halle Airport in eastern Germany, including one drone that was found near a Ukrainian Antonov plane used to transport munitions.  Standing alongside Wadephul, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the German government determined Russia is responsible even as investigations remain ongoing. “The attack involved tools such as the drone configuration, various components, explosives and cyber technology that we recognize from other Russian hybrid operations and its war against Ukraine,” Dobrindt said. Wadephul announced a series of domestic countermeasures, including the closure of Russia’s Bonn…

Joseph R. Biden Jr. will attend the New York ceremony on Sept. 11 commemorating the 25th anniversary of the most lethal terrorist attacks in U.S. history, filling out the group of former presidents to attend the event.Mr. Biden and Jill Biden, the former first lady, will be at the event at the World Trade Center site, the former president’s spokesman, T.J. Ducklo, confirmed on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the National September 11 Memorial and Museum declined to comment.That sets Mr. Biden apart from his successor. White House officials had initially been preparing for President Trump to be in New York…

OpenAI announced Tuesday that its forthcoming AI model, Astra, is its first to reach the company’s threshold for what it calls “critical” cyber capabilities. OpenAI says it plans to publicly release a version of Astra “soon,” but will make the model’s advanced cyber capabilities available only to select partners in its Daybreak Blue early-access program at launch.In a briefing with reporters, OpenAI safety and security leaders said the company has concluded that Astra reaches the critical cybersecurity capabilities outlined in its preparedness framework, which sets thresholds and protocols for when its AI models pose new levels of risk. The company…

By Ann O’Leary, VP, Global PolicyOpenAI supports California Senate Bill 1119, legislation that establishes meaningful safeguards for how young people use AI while preserving their access to tools that can help them learn, create, and prepare for the future. This support builds off the commitment Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and CEO, made last year when outlining the company’s principles on teens.In the absence of federal action, California has an opportunity to set a strong standard for youth AI safety.In our letter to Governor Newsom⁠(opens in a new window), we commend him, along with Senator Steve Padilla, Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks and…

Phishing actors are abusing the legitimate Faronics Deploy endpoint-management platform to gain remote administrative control over victim computers and install the ScreenConnect remote support software. In activity observed between July 21 and August 20, Faronics-themed lures reached more than 457 endpoints via emails disguised as invoices, tax documents, or other business files. Faronics Deploy is a cloud-based endpoint management platform that allows IT administrators to remotely enroll and manage computers, deploy software, and execute scripts. Researchers at managed detection and response company (MDR) Huntress say that the embedded malicious links lead to a website that profiles potential targets and guides them through…

In brief OpenClaw shipped version 2026.8.1, branded OpenClaw 2.0, built by 933 contributors including 569 first-timers. The update rebuilds the browser app, adds shared multiplayer cloud sessions, moves session storage and implements features clearly aimed at enterprise buyers. It lands as Nous Research’s Hermes Agent keeps stealing users frustrated with OpenClaw’s setup headaches. OpenClaw shipped its biggest update ever over the weekend. The team calls it OpenClaw 2.0. They also called it “accidental,” which, fine, we’ll get to that.The release notes touch installation, messaging, memory, skills, models, automations, the browser, native apps, plugins, and security—basically everything a user should know.Myriad:…

A series of winter storms swept across northern Chile in August 2026, bringing an unusual covering of snow to parts of the Atacama Desert. Snowfall in this famously dry region is not unprecedented. Similar events occurred in 2025 and 2011. However, one of the August 2026 storms stood out for its remarkable reach, spreading from the Andes across the desert toward the Pacific coast. The OLI (Operational Land Imager) aboard the NASA USGS Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites documented the dramatic change in images taken on August 6 and August 14, before and after a stretch of severe weather,…

Available for over a yearIn 2018, Becky Green gave birth to twins, born eight weeks early. Both boys developed sepsis, and only one survived. Eight years on, Becky takes us on a personal journey through the global fight against a condition that, according to the World Health Organization, is implicated in one in five deaths worldwide – more than bowel, prostate and lung cancer combined. Sepsis can begin as a simple infection and escalate within hours, overwhelming the body and causing organ failure. It is a race against time that too often goes unrecognised until it is too late. But…

Integrating knowledge of Indigenous and local communities (IPLCs) into the process of seed propagation can strengthen forest restoration outcomes in Southeast Asia, and beyond.These communities’ familiarity with their local tree species, landscapes, and ecological rhythms makes them indispensable partners in restoration efforts, the authors of a new op-ed argue.“Engaging IPLCs in the critical processes of seed production is not just a matter of improving restoration success, but also empowerment and engendering ownership,” they write.This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.See All Key Ideas Since the launch of global…