Short Takes – 6-12-24

Intel is trucking a 916,000-pound 'Super Load' across Ohio to its new fab, spawning road closures over nine days. TomsHardware.com article. The unusual consequence of the CHIPS Act Pull quote: “Residents of southern Ohio have no timetable for how long they will be dealing with the super loads. Bruning shared that other companies are piggybacking on the super load route plans now that accommodations have already been made. "It is kind of abnormal to see this many in this close succession. Usually, you have a couple, and you may not see another load like that for years," he said. The summer of road closures is here for Ohio, thanks to Intel.” Note to author – “280 feet long” is not “stretching longer than an American football field”.

US secures Microsoft, Google commitments for free rural hospital cyber services. NextGov.com article. Pull quote: ““Part of the challenge for us we find is that we see people often want it both ways,” she said. “They don’t want regulation. They don’t want the government saying they need to do some key things to stay safe. But as attacks rise — without those key steps — companies are more vulnerable than they need to be.””

China’s dominant drone industry is a step ahead of Congress. TheHill.com article. Pull quote: “Towne, a high school teacher outside of Chicago who runs a YouTube channel and website about drones called Half Chrome, noted the Cogito drones and DJI drones have the same flight time, camera, range and software — completely identical parts, minus the brand name. The devices even use similar radio frequencies, which experts say would be impossible unless the companies shared technology.”

Bird Flu tests are hard to get. So how will we know when to sound the pandemic alarm? GovExec.com article. Pull quote: “A recent rule that gives the FDA more oversight of lab-developed tests may bog down authorization. In a statement to KFF Health News, the FDA said that, for now, it may allow tests to proceed without a full approval process. The CDC did not respond to requests for comment.”

Phone Scammers Impersonating CISA Employees. CISA.gov alert. Pull quote: “Impersonation scams are on the rise and often use the names and titles of government employees. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is aware of recent impersonation scammers claiming to represent the agency. As a reminder, CISA staff will never contact you with a request to wire money, cash, cryptocurrency, or use gift cards and will never instruct you to keep the discussion secret.”