[Epoch Times] Cybersecurity units from the National Guard will be activated in 14 U.S. states to help counter any threats to election officials’ networks ahead of, during, and following the Nov. 8 elections, according to reports. Part of the problem or part of the solution?
The 14 include battleground states Arizona, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, as well as Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, New Mexico, New York, Washington, and West Virginia, Politico reported.
Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh, the commander of the Washington Air National Guard, said at a virtual media briefing on Nov. 4 that not every state is doing it, but states that are activating these units "have invested in cyber talent and cyber missions for years," according to outlet Statescoop, which reports on technology-related news in government.
"If you don’t have a cyber unit in your state, you’re not in a good position to help them protect elections," Welsh said. I wonder if my state has a cyber-security unit, and if they know their pronouns?
He added that the National Guard’s participation in election cybersecurity activities "does add an air of credibility to what’s out there," noting that the National Guard "is still one of the most trusted institutions in the United States." Maybe. I await the after action report.
Posted by: Bobby ||
11/07/2022 08:22 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
“National Guard Cybersecurity Units”
WTF??
When, who, where, how…?
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 8:34 Comments ||
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#2
Er huh......Im thinking this might be going beyond established law and the constitution.
#3
The internet backbone is not a state-level responsibility.
How did this happen?
What country are we living in?
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 9:56 Comments ||
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#4
There would be no need for any network if we went back to paper ballots.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/07/2022 11:30 Comments ||
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#5
Somehow I have trouble associating weekend warriors with crack cyber security teams. I could be wrong but the Chinese PLA has had an entire division dedicated to cyber warfare for decades and I'd bet the National Guard is a bit behind in terms of capability.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/07/2022 11:55 Comments ||
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#7
If we used a paper balloting system, run by accountable state officials, and tabulated then in each state, there could be NO CYBERSECURITY THREAT since you CAN"T HACK PAPER!!!!!!!!!
There is no sane explanation for why we have rendered out most sacred act, the vote, to vulnerabilities from foreign or domestic interference through the internet. Old fashioned poll watchers usually moderated the degree of demokrat cheating in the deep blue cities where districts had 100% turnout and more registered voters than total population. Stiffer enforcement and voter fraud penalties will mostly solve that problem.
#8
Sorry NMBS, the Dems in Ill. had been doing just that for many years. Ballot Box stuffing (now known as ballot harvesting) has been a time honored cheating method for a long, long time.
Truly we live in an age of miracles. Thank you, President Trump
[IsraelTimes] Despite having no Jewish students enrolled, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Marrakesh inaugurates house of worship alongside mosque as symbol of tolerance.
[OilPrice] Natural gas consumption in China may fall this year for the first time in two decades, albeit moderately, because of the slowdown in the economy, Reuters has reported, citing officials from state energy companies.
According to a researcher with CNOOC, gas demand in the country could see a one percent decline this year, to 363.6 billion cubic meters. China is also expected to cede to Japan the title of the world’s biggest LNG importer as lockdowns have sapped demand for energy this year.
Winter demand for gas is also seen as weaker than usual, at between 168 billion and 190 billion cubic meters.
However, this does not mean that all gas imports will decline, according to the report. Imports of liquefied natural gas, which is more expensive, are already on the decline but pipeline gas imports from Russia and the Central Asian republics are on the rise.
"Our winter supply policy is stabilizing piped gas imports from Central Asia, boosting volumes from Russia, and increasing domestic production," a PetroChina official told Reuters.
The higher imports will be used both directly and to fill storage, which currently equals just 7 percent of China’s total demand or 26 billion cubic meters. The gas from storage will be used at the height of heating season this winter if necessary.
Domestic gas production is also rising as the government pushes the energy industry to reduce its reliance on imported commodities. Despite these efforts, however, imports have been on the rise over the last decade, as has local gas production, Reuters’ John Kemp noted in a recent column.
Domestic production of natural gas has been rising at an annual rate of some seven percent over the past decade, turning into the world’s fourth-largest gas producer. Yet demand rose by a rate of around 11 percent during the same period.
[INSIDER] Twitter is the latest high-profile company to get hit with layoffs this year after its new owner, Elon Musk, ordered a 50% headcount reduction.
Major American businesses have picked up the pace of firing in 2022.
Peloton has laid off thousands of employees this year. Real estate firm Re/Max slashed 17% of its workforce. Even traditionally layoff-resistant companies like Netflix have made cuts, and now companies that saw a pandemic-era boom, like Shopify, are cutting hundreds of jobs.
The reason, broadly, is twofold: business growth is slowing, while labor costs are increasing. The combination is causing American companies across a variety of industries to slash headcount.
Here are some of the most notable examples so far:
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/07/2022 6:32 Comments ||
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#2
A bit difficult to blame Musk's Twitter actions on Biden.
Btw I have questioned Musk's firing frenzy, and here you go
Posted by: European Conservative ||
11/07/2022 6:48 Comments ||
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#3
...I would call attention to one thing that all the companies mentioned have in common: they are primarily online companies (with the qualified exception of ReMax).
It's been pointed out elsewhere that Mr. Musk may have inadvertently struck a second blow against the Net-tatorships: by taking an axe to Twitter's workforce, he has provided cover to others who want to desperately trim their manning but didn't dare be the first (I'm lookin' at you, Meta).
#4
#2 A bit difficult to blame Musk's Twitter actions on Biden.
We're told Biden is in charge of the nation's economy when things are going well. So, he's gets the shit when it's not. Twitter was overstaffed, and spending $ on labor that was apparently not doing enough to justify - if he can cut that many and still operate
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/07/2022 7:10 Comments ||
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#5
Personally I think presidents have a rather limited influence on the economy unless they really want to screw it up (which they can!)
Most internet companies are young, had too much money on their hands, had an aggressive growth policy and therefore hired too many people. My point was that it takes more than a week to find out who's redundant and who's not.
Implementing new strategies and policies also takes some time. Selling bluechecks for 8 dollars is quite dumb, because all they are going to prove is that you have 8 dollars. That defies their purpose and makes them obsolete.
No wonder people are testing the system by posing as "therealElonMusk" etc.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
11/07/2022 7:19 Comments ||
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#6
That defies their purpose and makes them obsolete.
No. Instead of Twitter picking and choosing who's blue checking, he's made it egalitarian.
The left-libs, the perverts and the liberal Globalists want TWTR to validate their POV, present it as superior, give it the same imprimatur of Establishment validity that New York Times bylines (used to) provide.
A level playing field in the public square does not privilege anyone. That’s the whole point. Liberal Globalists can’t understand this.
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 7:50 Comments ||
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#8
For liberal Globalist blue checks, right thinking is based on membership in a club — the club of the “right” people, what used to be called The Establishment. To them a blue check is just another way to brag that you’re connected to the right people.
In the US, that’s the Swamp — the east coast DC and media elite + the left coast’s Hollywood + Big Tech vermin.
In Europe, liberal Globalists like to brag that they’re connected to mediocre EU corruptocrats like Ursula von der Leyen. No wonder they stand up for the blue check bullshit.
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 8:00 Comments ||
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#9
Spread a rumor that the rest of Silly Con Valley is secretly backing Musk's takeover to provide cover for their own layoffs.
Watch the fun.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/07/2022 8:04 Comments ||
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It started Day One with the Keystone Pipeline cancellation
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/07/2022 8:37 Comments ||
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#12
The idea of the Twitter bluecheck had (imo) little to do with vanity, it simply proved that you are who you say you are.
Twitter benefits from this, so do the users who now know that a certain Mr. De Santis really is the governor of Florida tweeting.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
11/07/2022 8:44 Comments ||
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#13
Btw Facebook (Meta, or whatever) is the most useless company on earth. The day it croaks I'll break out the champagne.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
11/07/2022 8:47 Comments ||
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#14
Well, I think it reduces a twitter user's credibility as a voice in the wind to what it should be. Just another voice. I think it's a good thing.
It doesn't matter you're a deSantis or a Musk or Joe Smith or the guy who lives in a dorm room. You're all equally unimportant and anything you say in the twitterverse is hereon just noise.
For too long it has been a platform for campaigning and causes and influencing public opinion. So much so, that governments and officials had begun to lazily depend on it instead of getting out there and getting shit done, shaking hands and hearing their voters in person.
A small change, but it reduces the power of twitter to influence in the long run. Now, you'll see total idiots make stupid jokes from the name of your favourite suited deity, gradually they shall be stripped off their charisma. And we don't need charisma. We need men with spine.
Also, as people here have suggested, the blue thingy was a mark of 'eliteness' that has just been devalued to an $8 subscription. That declares twitter is no more in the business of knighting opinionated people for being unequal to others. As a platform it equalizes everything subtly.
The profits from this will not be immediate, and 'experts' will opine that it's a stupid move. But this is the future. Everyone is important but that makes them all equally unimportant.
#18
Like many business sectors, the tech sector has gotten itself balled up in looking for "the next big thing," AKA fad.
Fads don't have legs from an economic standpoint, though they may make a few people rich short term.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/07/2022 11:49 Comments ||
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#19
One of the consumer tech sector's big problems is their ince$tu0u$ relationship with the media
Remember how the media wet themselves over the Segway?
It was going to change everything. They told us it was.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
11/07/2022 11:56 Comments ||
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#20
Personally I think presidents have a rather limited influence on the economy unless they really want to screw it up (which they can!)
And so Joe Biden has starting on Day 1 of his administration when he cancelled Keystone Pipeline along with a whole bunch of oil leases. He (or more likely his handlers) had to know what the result would be so, yeah, he really wanted to screw it up.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/07/2022 12:04 Comments ||
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#21
Overnight we went from energy independence to begging the Soddies, Ruskies and Venezuelans for more oil. A casual, objective observer might go so far as to call it deliberate sabotage of the American economy. Maybe this whole war in Ukraine thingy is merely cover so Biden can blame inflation on Putin. Wouldn't put it past him.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
11/07/2022 12:09 Comments ||
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#22
Selling bluechecks for 8 dollars is quite dumb, because all they are going to prove is that you have 8 dollars.
No, it is a quick check on your Real World Identity because it is tied to a bank account in some way. It makes it harder for the spambots, in other words, not impossible -- just harder.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
11/07/2022 12:26 Comments ||
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#26
^ so what? Everyone’s having a good laugh, Musk included. He can and does laugh at himself. He explicitly said that he would restore satire and comedy to Twitter. He’s succeeded.
The whole point of TWTR is NOT to instruct or get at truth. It’s to entertain. It’s no more important to our society than MAD magazine was, or the old Laugh-In television show.
If we stopped taking TWTR seriously — stopped pretending it’s somehow a legitimate and credible news outlet — we’d be far better off.
TWTR should be positioned as a cross between TikTok and a product placement vehicle for consumer brands. IOW, like mass-market TV sitcoms from the 1960s, with a splash of MAD and National Lampoon.
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 12:35 Comments ||
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#27
"He explicitly said that he would restore satire and comedy to Twitter. He’s succeeded."
By deleting accounts that make fun of him? But no, Twitter isn't just about entertainment. It's providing (almost) real life info from all over the world. It can be very useful (sometimes).
Posted by: European Conservative ||
11/07/2022 12:40 Comments ||
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#28
It looks like intelligence operations masquerading as legitimate businesses are hardest hit. It's almost like the CIA budget couldn't afford overpaying Stelter any longer. How are the spooks going to influence us, if we reject the Metaverse? Hopefully, their think tanks have something better planned than BLM riots.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
11/07/2022 12:43 Comments ||
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#29
TikTok’s spectacular success has come at the expense of TWTR, Meta/FB, Snap and the other social media outlets. TikTok is eating their lunch because TikTok is a JOKE: it’s fun for people. They enjoy it.
No one pretends that TikTok is Changing The World / Connecting The World / Saving The World. It’s just a time waster, nothing more— and an incredible fibancial and commercial success.
I’ll bet Musk and his brain trust will sit this and restore Vine & it’s short form, silly videos to prominence. That’s the way forward.
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 12:45 Comments ||
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#30
* Musk and his brain trust will get this and restore Vine & it’s short form, silly videos to prominence
Dorsey wisely bought Vine but his incompetent product people trashed it. Huge missed opportunity, which TikTok capitalized upon
Posted by: Billy B ||
11/07/2022 12:47 Comments ||
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#31
product placement ads
Brandon could make a fortune from “Scratch ‘n’ Sniff” ads. The SmellaVerse!
Quick! Someone call Gwyneth’s agent and get to work on pre- & post-roll S ‘n’ S ads for her patootie candles
Posted by: Big Brother Is Sniffing You ||
11/07/2022 12:54 Comments ||
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#32
I've from "reliable scources" that if you get laid off you should learn to code.
[Townhall] Last December, the Biden administration's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) relaxed safety regulations that allowed for dangerous chemical abortion pills to made available online and by mail without an in-person visit. This is despite how data shows such a method was much more dangerous than surgical abortions. It was also revealed that the FDA relied on incomplete data when making the decision. It's sadly not surprising, then, how women and even providers have been going about getting these pills has been further distorted since then.
Last week, FiveThirtyEight provided provided coverage for Aid Access, a Dutch international group that sends over chemical abortion pills where it's illegal.
Such coverage acknowledges that "Aid Access occupies a kind of legal gray area," but mentions the group claims to follow the law. When it comes to laws against this method it's also mentioned that, "these laws are difficult to enforce and individuals are rarely prosecuted, essentially creating a legal loophole for groups like Aid Access and the people who use their services."
While the piece includes the pro-abortion argument that pro-life laws don't change the supposed "need for abortion," it doesn't include any pro-life counterarguments. There's also no mention of the dangerous side effects of such a method. In fact, the coverage promotes the method by using one-sided information that claims this method "is effective and low risk."
At one point, such coverage even seemingly promotes illegal abortions:
[Gateway Pundit] During his latest rally in Miami, Florida, Trump cleared the air regarding his comments about DeSantis during his rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
As the Gateway Pundit reported yesterday, while speaking to a packed out crowd in Pennsylvania, Trump called the Florida governor "Ron DeSanctimonious".
Many Trump supporters were surprised the 45th president would take a shot at DeSantis just a couple of days before Florida’s gubernatorial election.
Well, it appears Trump has changed his mind for now about DeSantis because, during his rally in Miami, Trump urged Floridians to vote for DeSantis.
Trump was quoted saying "The people of Florida are going to reelect the wonderful, the great friend of mine, Marco Rubio to the United States Senate. And you’re going to reelect Ron DeSantis as your governor of your state."
#9
"Mitt and a few other crypto Democrats don't count."
Why do you think Trump called DeSantis out?
Word on the Street is that DeSantis is working behind the scenes with Paul Ryans Team and the Bush Dynasty to be the anointed GOP Establistment candidate for 2024, like Jeb was their man in 2016.
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/07/2022 12:55 Comments ||
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#11
Why do you think Trump called DeSantis out?
I suspect Trump asked DeSantis if he wanted to be his VP and thus have the best shot in 2018 and he thought DeSantis answer was a bit sanctimonious.
Then I suspect Trump thought that Desanctimonious was clever turn of phrase. A gentle jib to test the reaction. Turns out Republicans don't want the two fighting and that the phrase was kind of lame, so he started to walk it back the next day.
#12
Word on the Street is that DeSantis is working behind the scenes with Paul Ryans Team and the Bush Dynasty to be the anointed GOP Establistment candidate for 2024, like Jeb was their man in 2016.
DeSantis isn't that stupid. To side with Bush's and the pre-Trump GOP is a career ender. His real choices are join with Trump as VP or wait it out until 2028.
#13
To side with Bush's and the pre-Trump GOP is a career ender
Not to hear the Bush's and Never-Trumpers tell it, LOL. They're Conservatively Conserving the Republic and Saving Democracy!
Posted by: Frank G ||
11/07/2022 13:33 Comments ||
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#14
Headline from CTH"
"DeSantis Megadonor, Billionaire Head of Citadel Investments Ken Griffin, Explains Why He Purchased Ron DeSantis for 2024 and What He Expects from His Investment"
[Gateway Pundit] Former Attorney General Bill Barr didn’t want accountability at the DOJ and the FBI. He proved this by his actions for two years by not addressing the massive corruption in these institutions.
By not addressing the corruption, the DOJ and FBI have only gotten worse.
Bill Barr now says he was hoping that there’d be accountability at the FBI. This guy had two years to address the massive corruption at the FBI and DOJ but he didn’t. Now we have a DOJ and FBI that arrest innocent protesters from Jan 6, throw them in jail for nearly two years without court dates, place crimes on them that are way overstated, and force them into plea deals by placing them in isolation and beating them up in the DC gulag.
In an interview with Byron York, former AG Barr made the following shocking statements.
#1
People forget about the difficulty of doing investigations of government action.
TMany witnesses need to be interviewed, many more than once. Typically witnesses are uncooperative, manage to forget key points, etc. Terrabytes of information in emails, documents, etc.
It is a hard slug.
A lot of rantburg readers were dissapointed at the speed of the IG's review and this was narrower than the investigation by a special counsel.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
11/07/2022 8:05 Comments ||
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#2
/\ It is a hard slug.
Reading this I had an image of a huge banana slug with 'FBI' on its side and a very tough skin. Perhaps a dump truck full of salt would be necessary? But yes, it would take a 'hard slog' to batter through the walls of institutional Omerta and get significant reform.
#3
Once an institution has a majority of 2nd-tier and 3rd-tier career middle management bent towards a political direction, it takes years to unwind the attitudes that they use to undermine appointee directions and intent. As a first hand veteran of this at a state civil service level for example, the veneer of paper thin obedience is often comedic. I appeared at work on day to find my office door still dripping wet to discover that there had been an adhoc demonstration early that morning to splatter the nametag on the door with "Holy Water" in hopes of moderating the demonic influence within. You can't fire civil servants in California, but you can move them around under the guise of temp assignments and even lateral promotions. Once group-think meets intransigent guidance cloaked with good manners, things slowly change.
#4
Do a"Musk" to the FBI amd DOJ. I.e., fire the entire FBI and DOJ, lock them all out, then do a selective and vetted rehire of a few and hire new agents as needed.
This would be the fastest way to clean the depts up.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[OilPrice] Natural gas consumption in China may fall this year for the first time in two decades, albeit moderately, because of the slowdown in the economy, Reuters has reported, citing officials from state energy companies.
Buying a house, starting a family, travel ? 
[Gateway Pundit] During his latest rally in Miami, Florida, Trump cleared the air regarding his comments about DeSantis during his rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
[Gateway Pundit] Former Attorney General Bill Barr didn’t want accountability at the DOJ and the FBI. He proved this by his actions for two years by not addressing the massive corruption in these institutions. 
