Feed aggregator

Dr. David Morens, a onetime senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci, pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to evade federal transparency and records requirements by concealing communications involving COVID-19 research grants.

While working at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Morens deliberately conducted government-related business through a personal email account in an effort to avoid requirements under the Freedom of Information Act and the Federal Records Act.

Federal prosecutors said Morens concealed or destroyed communications concerning COVID-19 research funding, including discussions surrounding an attempt to restore a controversial coronavirus research grant.

According to his guilty plea, Morens and two unnamed co-conspirators communicated in writing about keeping their exchanges beyond the reach of public disclosure. They used Morens’ personal Gmail account instead of his official National Institutes of Health email address, including when sharing information from NIH that was not publicly available.

The plea agreement also states that one of the co-conspirators rewarded Morens with wine for his “behind-the-scenes shenanigans” and arranged to have the gift delivered to Morens’ home in Maryland.

Prosecutors said Morens subsequently discussed an official action he could take to “deserve” the gift. That action involved writing a scientific commentary for a prominent medical journal arguing that COVID-19 originated naturally.

According to the guilty plea, the same co-conspirator also suggested that Morens could receive additional benefits, including meals at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris, New York and Washington, D.C.

The case has also drawn renewed attention to Fauci’s relationship with Morens. During a recent Senate hearing, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when questioned about his dealings with his onetime adviser.

Fauci had previously addressed Morens’ conduct during a House committee hearing in 2024, describing what Morens had done as “wrong” while maintaining that he had not been involved in those activities.

Morens could receive as much as five years behind bars. His sentencing is scheduled for November.

“Dr. Morens has taken responsibility for what he did and will continue to do so,” his defense attorney, Timothy Belevetz, said in a statement.

{Matzav.com}

Amazon is preparing for a dramatic expansion of its drone delivery network, with plans to bring the service to suburban communities across nearly 500 U.S. cities by the end of the year, potentially giving millions of additional customers access to packages delivered through the air.

The company says eligible orders could arrive at customers’ homes in as little as 30 minutes.

Amazon’s delivery drones are capable of transporting packages weighing up to five pounds.

The ambitious rollout is expected to further escalate Amazon’s competition with Walmart as the two retail giants race to offer increasingly rapid delivery options.

Both companies are building delivery networks that combine traditional drivers with drones to move customers’ purchases to their homes as quickly as possible.

Under Amazon’s new plans, its drone operation would grow to more than six times its current nationwide footprint. The expansion will reach hundreds of additional communities, including areas around Chicago, Atlanta, Cleveland and Boise.

Flights will largely be concentrated in suburban neighborhoods, avoiding dense downtown areas, skyscrapers and major airports that can complicate drone operations.

Amazon says its drones have already transported hundreds of thousands of packages this year. Even with the planned expansion, however, drones will account for only a small portion of the hundreds of millions of packages the company delivers annually.

The technology also faces significant practical limitations. Beyond the five-pound weight restriction, trees, landscaping, backyard obstacles and even inflatable swimming pools can make it difficult for drones to identify suitable locations to safely lower packages.

Amazon must also navigate regulatory requirements in each community where it intends to establish drone operations.

Another potential obstacle is noise, particularly as the number of flights increases in residential neighborhoods.

“It’s still an experiment. It’s still in test and learn mode,” said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst with Forrester.

Kodali said some customers may initially try drone delivery simply for the novelty of seeing a package arrive from the sky. Whether consumers will regularly choose the service remains uncertain, she said, while Amazon continues working to determine whether the economics of widespread drone delivery make sense.

Amazon Prime members placing orders worth more than $50 will be able to use drone delivery at no additional charge. Prime customers with smaller orders will pay $2.99 for the service.

Customers without Prime memberships will be charged $4.99 for a drone delivery.

By comparison, Prime members generally receive standard deliveries for free, while nonmembers pay a flat delivery charge on standard shipments below $35 and can pay as much as $12.99 for same-day delivery where that option is offered.

Kodali said the technology may ultimately prove particularly valuable for lightweight products that customers need quickly, such as prescription medications.

Amazon is far from alone in exploring the possibilities. DoorDash and other delivery companies are also testing drones as a way to transport food and other merchandise directly to consumers.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told shareholders in his annual letter in April that the company has gained substantial experience from operating drones at 11 locations spread across Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas.

At each site, drones depart from an Amazon warehouse and can serve an area of roughly 175 square miles. That means multiple launch facilities are necessary to provide drone coverage throughout a major metropolitan region.

“Prime Air now has a design that’ll scale plans to serve communities with 30 million customers by year-end, and expects to deliver half a billion packages by the end of this decade (with an aim to deliver inside 30 minutes),” Jassy wrote.

At the same time, Amazon is continuing to pour resources into its conventional delivery infrastructure, including warehouses, smaller fulfillment facilities positioned closer to customers and its truck fleet, as it seeks to shrink delivery times from days to hours — or even minutes.

The company has already received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and has secured waivers permitting its drones to operate beyond the visual line of sight of their pilots.

Amazon has also invested heavily in collision-avoidance and other safety technologies intended to enable its drones to detect and steer clear of aircraft and other potential hazards while making deliveries.

The federal government has proposed broader regulations that would make it easier for drone operators to conduct flights beyond a pilot’s direct line of sight, potentially opening the door to even greater use of delivery drones. Those rules, however, have not yet been finalized.

{Matzav.com}

The Justice Department announced Tuesday that 17 people connected to an Iran-based hacking operation have been charged in an extensive cyber campaign that allegedly targeted American universities, businesses and government agencies, with some of the attacks carried out for the benefit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unsealed a 14-count superseding indictment against individuals affiliated with the Tehran-based Mabna Institute, accusing the group of orchestrating a years-long series of cyber intrusions.

According to the Justice Department, the Mabna Institute has been conducting coordinated hacking operations since at least 2013, penetrating computer networks belonging to 144 universities in the United States and another 178 universities abroad.

The alleged operation extended well beyond academia. Prosecutors said the hackers also targeted at least 42 American private-sector companies, 11 foreign companies, five U.S. federal and state government agencies and two nongovernmental organizations.

“Today’s charges, which include eight additional defendants, reveal the broader network allegedly behind a sweeping, state-sponsored campaign to steal research and intellectual property from American universities, businesses, and government institutions,” Jamie McDonald, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release.

“More than eight years after making the original indictment public, these charges make clear that the passage of time will not deter us from identifying and pursuing those who target the United States from abroad.

“Cyber operations have become a central instrument of national power, and attacks on American and allied institutions carry direct consequences for our security and economic strength.

“This office and our partners will continue to protect American innovation and pursue accountability for the individuals behind these attacks.”

Prosecutors said the hackers attempted to gain access to more than 100,000 professors’ accounts around the world. Approximately 8,000 email accounts belonging to professors at American and foreign universities were successfully compromised.

The operation allegedly resulted in the theft of approximately 31.5 terabytes of academic information and intellectual property. The stolen material included scholarly journals, theses, dissertations and electronic books.

Justice Department officials said members of the hacking group obtained stolen usernames and passwords and then used those credentials to enter university computer systems.

The stolen material was allegedly monetized through websites serving customers in Iran. One site sold academic documents, while another offered customers access to compromised professors’ accounts, enabling them to enter university library systems.

Federal prosecutors said at least part of the hacking campaign was undertaken to benefit the IRGC as well as other Iranian government and university clients.

Nine of the defendants had previously been charged under seal in a seven-count indictment filed in February 2018.

That original indictment was made public the following month.

The newly unsealed superseding indictment charges the defendants with varying combinations of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, computer fraud involving unauthorized access for private financial gain, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

A conviction on either the computer-intrusion conspiracy charge or computer-fraud charge can carry a maximum prison term of five years. Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and substantive wire fraud each carry potential maximum sentences of 20 years.

Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is also offering rewards of as much as $10 million for information that helps authorities locate five of the defendants: Behzad Mesri, Mojtaba Galekuhi, Arman Kahzadian, Keyvan Fayaz and Saber Shahbazi Ballojeh.

{Matzav.com}

Jaffa Edition Hoshanos Cards are available for your shul to help make Hoshanos easier and more accessible this Sukkos.

The convenient cards feature the Hoshanos in the familiar, clear ArtScroll format, allowing mispallelim to follow along easily while circling the bimah without having to carry a full siddur or machzor.

Each shul can receive a FREE box of 75 Hoshanos Cards, making them readily available for mispallelim throughout Sukkos.

The Jaffa Edition Hoshanos Cards are being offered at no charge while supplies last. GET THEM HERE.

The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it is immediately suspending all trade, commercial activity and financial transactions with Iran until further notice, a sweeping move that comes amid renewed tensions between the two countries and accusations that Tehran fired ballistic missiles toward Emirati territory.

Afra Al Hameli, director of the Strategic Communications Department at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the action was prompted by escalating developments in the region that Abu Dhabi believes pose a danger to peace and security both in the Middle East and around the world.

Despite the dramatic economic step, Al Hameli emphasized that the UAE continues to regard dialogue, cooperation and greater regional integration as crucial tools for achieving long-term stability, peace and prosperity. She added that the Emirates remains committed to safeguarding the international financial system, following international law and maintaining established global standards.

Abu Dhabi also said it intends to continue supporting efforts aimed at protecting financial stability throughout the region and internationally.

The decision came after the UAE Defense Ministry accused Iran of firing two ballistic missiles in the direction of the country, although officials said neither projectile ultimately struck Emirati land.

“UAE air defenses detected two ballistic missiles launched from Iran toward the country, with the first falling outside the country’s territorial waters, while the second fell within the territorial waters,” the ministry said in a social media post.

Tehran rejected the allegation that it was responsible for the launches. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei called the UAE’s claims “baseless” and cautioned that “false flag operations” could be involved.

The UAE was one of several countries across the region that came under Iranian attack following the outbreak of war between Iran, the United States and Israel in late February. Those Iranian strikes ended after a ceasefire was reached and the sides signed a framework agreement in mid-June aimed at bringing the conflict to an end.

The Wall Street Journal reported in May that the UAE had secretly participated in dozens of airstrikes against Iran during the fighting, coordinating the operations with the United States and Israel. According to the report, military installations and energy infrastructure were among the targets, and Emirati operations continued even after the ceasefire was announced.

The newspaper had earlier reported that UAE forces were directly involved in attacks against Iranian infrastructure. Among the strikes attributed to the Emirates was an operation targeting a major oil refinery on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf.

{Matzav.com}

President Trump announced Tuesday night that he was putting a planned 50% tariff on most Canadian imports on hold for three days, saying the United States and Canada had reached a tentative agreement and suggesting that the long-stalled Keystone XL pipeline could be revived as part of the breakthrough.

“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, “based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!”

Trump then raised the possibility that the agreement could breathe new life into Keystone XL, the massive pipeline project that was abandoned after President Joe Biden revoked a key permit shortly after taking office in 2021.

“The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” Trump wrote.

The president followed that message by posting an AI-generated image depicting himself pulling a pipeline marked “Keystone” from the ground alongside a damaged tombstone bearing the words “Buried by Biden.”

Trump’s announcement came less than two hours before the 50% duties were scheduled to begin, averting an immediate escalation in the growing trade dispute between Washington and Ottawa. The decision followed a day of intensive discussions involving Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

First proposed in 2008, Keystone XL was designed to carry as much as 830,000 barrels of crude oil per day over roughly 1,200 miles from Alberta to Nebraska. From there, the oil would enter existing pipeline networks supplying refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

The pipeline became a major political and environmental battle during the Obama administration and was eventually stalled amid strong opposition from environmental groups. Trump later moved to revive the project during his first term, but Biden revoked a critical cross-border permit in January 2021. TC Energy, the Calgary-based company behind the project, officially abandoned it several months later.

The tariffs that Trump has now temporarily suspended would cover approximately $20 billion in Canadian goods, representing roughly 5% of Canada’s annual exports to the United States. Products including wine, hockey sticks and cement were expected to face the new duties, while critical minerals, fish, potash and energy products were among those slated for exemptions.

Canadian officials had warned that Ottawa would respond to the new U.S. tariffs with additional levies on American products, threatening to intensify a trade confrontation between two countries that exchanged approximately $880 billion in goods and services last year.

Tensions have also been evident among Canadians. A petition calling for the removal of U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, a Trump ally and onetime Michigan congressman, has accumulated nearly 218,000 signatures since July 21.

Carney had declined to publicly discuss details of the negotiations while the talks were underway.

″We are negotiating,” Carney told reporters Monday, speaking in French. “The negotiations are very intense and delicate. This is not the time to talk about negotiations in public.”

Trump first unveiled the 50% tariffs last month, shortly after he was seen speaking with Carney during the World Cup Final between Spain and Argentina. The president invoked Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 as the legal basis for the duties.

The Depression-era provision gives a president authority to impose tariffs of as much as 50% on goods originating in countries deemed to have discriminated against American businesses. The broader tariff law enacted during that period has long been criticized by economists who contend that protectionist trade measures helped deepen the worldwide economic downturn.

Trump has argued that Canadian trade policies unfairly disadvantage American products, specifically pointing to automobiles, alcoholic beverages and cheese.

Canada, along with China, was one of only two countries to impose retaliatory tariffs against the United States following Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff measures last year.

The three-day reprieve now gives Washington and Ottawa additional time to finalize the documents behind the agreement Trump announced Tuesday night, with the president’s remarks raising the prospect that a revived Keystone XL project could become a major component of a broader U.S.-Canada trade deal.

{Matzav.com}