Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Ravie LakshmananAug 20, 2026Hacking News / Cybersecurity News A lot of this week’s trouble starts with something trusted doing exactly what it was allowed to do. Signed drivers get turned against defenses. Legitimate apps help malware blend in. A weak header check opens a path to code execution. Elsewhere, exposed systems, old bugs, odd hiding tricks, and AI-assisted exploit research keep lowering the effort needed to cause damage. Nothing here needs much decoration. The small gaps are doing enough work already. The threats change every week. Subscribe, and we’ll alert you when each new ThreatsDay Bulletin is out. Signed driver…

In brief Bitcoin climbed above $72,000 Thursday after gaining nearly 15% since Monday. Analysts pointed to Treasury bond purchases, policy headlines, and a massive short squeeze as drivers of the rally. With much of the short squeeze exhausted, analysts are watching spot demand, technical levels, and Treasury yields. Bitcoin’s rally above $72,000 wiped out billions of dollars in bearish bets, but analysts say it will need fresh buyers to keep climbing.Bitcoin reached its highest price since June on Thursday after gaining nearly 15% since Monday, with more than $3 billion in crypto short positions liquidated. That’s the largest liquidation of…

Last week’s total solar eclipse offered more than a spectacular view. It also produced an unusual atmospheric effect that gave the Sun’s outer atmosphere a striking golden appearance. During a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely blocks the bright disk of the Sun, making the much fainter solar corona visible. The corona is the Sun’s extremely hot outer atmosphere, and during most eclipses it appears white or silvery. Some people watching last week’s eclipse did see this familiar pearly color. In Spain, however, observers were treated to something different. The corona took on an unusually rich golden hue. Why the…

Wednesday, American Oversight and the American Historical Association (AHA), along with Freedom of the Press Foundation and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), filed a response brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, urging the court to reject the Trump administration’s latest attempt to evade the Presidential Records Act (PRA), and instead affirm a district court order requiring administration officials to comply with the law while the underlying lawsuit proceeds. The filing comes after the Trump administration appealed a May 20, 2026, decision from Judge John D. Bates, which found the groups were likely to…

A State Department program that would see defense tech companies Palantir and Anduril provide expertise on digital freedom-of-speech issues is raising eyebrows among some experts—even if it’s unclear specifically what Palantir and other partners involved would actually work on. Under the Freedom Tech Excellence Program (FTEP), in late July, private-sector employees would work limited-term assignments at the U.S. agency in areas including “freedom of expression protections in the digital age,” “countering unlawful digital surveillance and online scams,” “privacy-enhancing technologies,” “responsible governance of emerging technologies,” and “safeguarding children and other users online,” according to a press release. A State Department program…

The United States on Thursday warned allies and China to join President Donald Trump’s new campaign to isolate the Iranian economy, vowing that Washington would “collapse this regime” in Tehran. Iran branded the US threats as “economic terrorism” and said they would fail. Under fire at home over the impact of the war and with crucial midterm elections looming, Trump had on Wednesday promised the “most crushing” economic operation ever against Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed the president’s comments, doubling down on economic pressure on Tehran as Trump’s unpopular war drags towards the six-month mark. “Any remaining tie…

Zwischen globalen Krisen und wirtschaftlichen Sorgen fühlen sich viele Menschen überfordert, obwohl sie ihr persönliches Leben oft positiv bewerten. Rixa Fürsen spricht mit dem sächsischen Pfarrer Justus Geilhufe über diese Diskrepanz und den gesellschaftlichen Umgang mit ständigen Negativschlagzeilen. Isolierte Filterblasen auf Plattformen wie Telegram und ein fehlender Austausch mit Andersdenkenden verschärfen die Spaltung demnach zunehmend. Inmitten eines massiven Vertrauensverlusts in große Institutionen versucht die Kirche, im ländlichen Ostdeutschland wieder Räume für echte Begegnungen zu schaffen. Geilhufe erklärt, warum gelebte Gemeinschaft und feste Riten gerade jetzt für den sozialen Zusammenhalt so essenziell sind. Genau wegen dieser gesellschaftlichen Relevanz vor Ort gerate…

Nevada, get ready for the robotaxis. The Nevada Transportation Authority unanimously approved three permits Thursday that will allow Tesla, Uber, and Waymo to operate commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, home to Las Vegas. Together, these permits would deploy up to 8,000 robotaxis across the county over the next 12 months. Tesla’s permit allows it to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis, while Waymo is allowed operate up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles over the next year. Uber was also approved for 1,000 robotaxis, which it will operate through partnerships with Hyundai subsidiary Motional and Zoox. Zoox already holds an autonomous vehicle…

In brief CME Group Chairman Terry Duffy and Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara clashed during a CFTC roundtable in Washington, D.C. Duffy singled out Kalshi while questioning whether prediction markets face the same regulatory scrutiny as established exchanges. The clash comes amid a fight between federal and state regulators over prediction markets. A CFTC roundtable on prediction markets turned heated Thursday when CME Group Chairman Terry Duffy and Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara traded insults over market manipulation and regulation.The confrontation unfolded during a Commodity Futures Trading Commission meeting in Washington, D.C., as executives from traditional finance, crypto, and prediction…

Reading Time: 7 minutes This story is part of a collaboration between Wisconsin Watch and Door County Knock, exploring the factors that make pet ownership in Door County a pricey challenge. Read Wisconsin Watch’s story here. Click here to read highlights from the story Pet owners told Door County Knock about how they struggled to find rental properties that accept their furry friends. Places that do often charge additional deposits tack on monthly charges per pet ranging from $25 to $75 or more and implement weight and breed restrictions. Officials with the Wisconsin Humane Society say 24% of people who…