Short Takes – 9-14-23

GOP threats to McCarthy come into sharper focus. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Gaetz dismissed McCarthy’s opening of an impeachment inquiry Tuesday as a “baby step,” warning that if McCarthy puts a “clean” stopgap bill to fund the government on the floor, he will call motions to vacate the chair to force recall votes on McCarthy’s Speakership every day.”

Russian Navy Shipyard Targeted by Missile Strikes in Sevastopol; Two Vessels Hit. WSJ.com article. Pull quote: “The damage done to the Sevastopol dry docks complicates Russia’s ability to maintain its fleet. The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, said in remarks at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv over the weekend that strikes on military-industry sites deep inside Russia have become a priority. He pointed to several drone attacks on a plant in the city of Bryansk that is Russia’s main source of chips used for Iskander missiles, and to what he described as acts of sabotage at other facilities.”

Safety Zone; Hurricanes, Tropical Storms, and Other Storms With High Winds; Captain of the Port Zone Virginia. Federal Register CG NPRM. Not specifically related to Hurricane Lee. Summary: “The Coast Guard is proposing to establish a safety zone for the navigable waters of the Sector Virginia Captain of the Port (COTP) Zone, to be enforced in the event of hurricanes, tropical storms, and other storms with high winds. This action is necessary to ensure the safety of the waters of the Sector Virginia COTP Zone. This proposed rulemaking would establish actions to be completed by industry and vessels within the COTP Zone before hurricanes, tropical storms, and other storms with high winds threatening the State of Virginia make landfall, and afterwards as well. We invite your comments on this proposed rulemaking.” Comments due October 16^th, 2023.

Caesars Says Cyberattack Stemmed from Third-Party Vendor Compromise. Duo.com article. Pull quote: “Caesars did not disclose the name of the third-party IT support contractor. Cybercriminals in the past have found success in targeting third-party vendors, and then using that compromise to subsequently gain unauthorized access to downstream client data. The 2022 cyberattack on Okta, for instance, stemmed from a breach by the Lapsus$ group of a third-party contractor, managed support service provider Sitel. In an ensuing investigation into the incident, Okta said that it had cut ties with Sitel and was re-evaluating how it works with outside service providers.”

FAA says it may grant a launch license for SpaceX’s Starship by the end of October. CNN.com article. Pull quote: “The space agency plans to use Starship to land its astronauts on the surface of the moon for the first time in half a century. That mission, called Artemis III, is scheduled to lift off as soon as December 2025. But officials are already questioning whether Starship will be ready in time.”

Offense is the New Defense in Pentagon's Revamped Cyber Strategy. VOANews.com article. Pull quote: “"The cyber domain is one that is constantly being updated, patched, modified as technology changes," she told Pentagon reporters while briefing them on the updated cyber strategy. "So outside of an armed conflict, there is a need for us in the department to remain engaged with the cyber domain, to be able to deny adversaries advantageous positions."”

Health risks can linger after COVID-19. ScienceNEwsDigest.org article. Pull quote: “Even two years after infection, people who had COVID-19 were at higher risk for health issues ranging from heart disease to gastrointestinal problems, the team found. Patients with milder infections — about 120,000 people — were at higher risk for 24 of the 77 medical issues, while patients who were initially hospitalized for severe COVID-19 were at higher risk for 50 of the 77 issues. That suggests worse symptoms in the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection can contribute to a greater chance of developing long COVID. Initially hospitalized patients also had higher risks of hospitalization or dying in the two years following their COVID-19 infections, the team found. For patients with milder infections, those risks tapered off.”