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Google workers arrested after nine-hour protest in cloud chief's office 2024-04-17 22:17:00+00:00 - Nine Google workers were arrested on trespassing charges Tuesday night after staging a sit-in at the company's offices in New York and Sunnyvale, California, including a protest in Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian's office. The arrests, which were livestreamed on Twitch by participants, follow rallies outside Google offices in New York, Sunnyvale and Seattle, which attracted hundreds of attendees, according to workers involved. The protests, led by the "No Tech for Apartheid" organization, focused on Project Nimbus — Google and Amazon's joint $1.2 billion contract to provide the Israeli government and military with cloud computing services, including artificial intelligence tools, data centers and other cloud infrastructure. Protesters in Sunnyvale sat in Kurian's office for more than nine hours until their arrests, writing demands on Kurian's whiteboard and wearing shirts that read "Googler against genocide." In New York, protesters sat in a three-floor common space. Five workers from Sunnyvale and four from New York were arrested. "On a personal level, I am opposed to Google taking any military contracts — no matter which government they're with or what exactly the contract is about," Cheyne Anderson, a Google Cloud software engineer based in Washington, told CNBC. "And I hold that opinion because Google is an international company and no matter which military it's with, there are always going to be people on the receiving end... represented in Google's employee base and also our user base." Anderson had flown to Sunnyvale for the protest in Kurian's office and was one of the workers arrested Tuesday. "Google Cloud supports numerous governments around the world in countries where we operate, including the Israeli government, with our generally available cloud computing services," a Google spokesperson told CNBC, adding, "This work is not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services." The demonstrations show Google's increased pressure from workers who oppose military use of its AI and cloud technology. Last month, Google Cloud engineer Eddie Hatfield interrupted a keynote speech from the managing director of Google's Israel business stating, "I refuse to build technology that powers genocide." Hatfield was subsequently fired. That same week, an internal Google employee message board was shut down after staffers posted comments about the company's Israeli military contracts. A spokesperson at the time described the posts as "divisive content that is disruptive to our workplace." On Oct. 7, Hamas carried out deadly attacks on Israel, killing 1,200 and taking more than 240 hostages. The following day, Israel declared war and began implementing a siege of Gaza, cutting off access to power, food, water and fuel. At least 33,899 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since that date, the enclave's Health Ministry said Wednesday in a statement on Telegram. In January at the U.N.'s top court, Israel rejected genocide charges brought by South Africa. The Israeli Ministry of Defense reportedly sought consulting services from Google to expand its access to Google Cloud services. Google Photos is one platform used by the Israeli government to conduct surveillance in Gaza, according to The New York Times. "I think what happened yesterday is evidence that Google's attempts to suppress all of the voices of opposition to this contract are not only not working but actually having the opposite effect," Ariel Koren, a former Google employee who resigned in 2022 after leading efforts to oppose the Project Nimbus contract, told CNBC. "It's really just creating more agitation, more anger and more commitment." The New York sit-in started at noon ET and ended around 9:30 p.m. ET. Security asked workers to remove their banner, which spanned two floors, about an hour into the protest, according to Hasan Ibraheem, a Google software engineer based in New York City and one of the arrested workers. "I realized, 'Oh, the place that I work at is very complicit and aiding in this genocide — I have a responsibility to act against it,''" Hasan Ibraheem, a Google software engineer based in New York City, told CNBC. Ibraheem added, "The fact that I am receiving money from Google and Israel is paying Google -- I am receiving part of that money, and that weighed very heavily on me." The New York workers were released from the police station after about four hours. The nine arrested workers in New York and Sunnyvale told CNBC that, during the protest, they were locked out of their work accounts and offices, placed on administrative leave, and told to wait to return to work until being contacted by HR. The workers were also protesting their labor conditions — namely "that the company stop the harassment, intimidation, bullying, silencing, and censorship of Palestinian, Arab, Muslim Googlers — and that the company address the health and safety crisis workers, especially those in Google Cloud, are facing due to the potential impacts of their work," according to a release by the campaign. "A small number of employee protesters entered and disrupted a couple of our locations," a Google spokesperson told CNBC. "Physically impeding other employees' work and preventing them from accessing our facilities is a clear violation of our policies, and we will investigate and take action. These employees were put on administrative leave and their access to our systems was cut. After refusing multiple requests to leave the premises, law enforcement was engaged to remove them to ensure office safety."
Biden admin, U.S. ports prep for cyberattacks as nationwide infrastructure is targeted 2024-04-17 21:44:00+00:00 - Cranes rest idle while waiting for a ship to dock to remove cargo containers in Los Angeles Harbor on March 14, 2024. In a 2023 report , the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration warned that U.S. ports are vulnerable to cyber attacks due to the multiple stakeholders involved in the operation of the port, with risks identified related to facility access, terminal headquarters, operational technology systems such as communication systems and cargo handling equipment, positioning, navigation, and timing services, which would impact vessel movements and complex logistics systems at port facilities, and sharing between ships and ports of network connections and USB storage devices, among other technology. The first seaport in the United States to establish a Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) in 2014, the Port of Los Angeles, according to Seroka, fought the highest number of recorded cyberattacks against the port in 2023, with the CSOC stopping 750 cyber intrusion attempts. "More needs to be done across the ports, and supply chain," said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka, who has been fighting for years for a robust federal cybersecurity plan. "The executive order has elevated the discussion." Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, cited President Biden's signing in February of an executive order to strengthen the cybersecurity of U.S. ports . The nation's port system is the main point of entry for trade, employs 31 million people, and generates over $5.4 trillion for the U.S. economy. A top Biden cybersecurity official urged the nation's ports in a joint call on Wednesday to have their data encrypted, rapidly patch any vulnerabilities in critical systems, and have a well-trained cyber team as hacks targeting key U.S. infrastructure increase. Neuberger, who advises Biden on cybersecurity, digital innovation, and emerging technologies, noted that the executive order has given the Coast Guard the ability to respond to attacks, instituted mandatory reporting of cyberthreats, and turning away ships that could pose national security danger. One of the key areas of concern for the Biden administration and the executive order is the security of Chinese-manufactured cranes. Over 80% of all cranes operating at the ports in the United States are manufactured in China and some of the software used to operate those cranes is installed in China, which could compromise the crane's security, creating fears about a "trojan horse" for spying or controlling ports remotely. Neuberger noted that ports can tap funds from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021 to support the building of U.S. shipping cranes by a U.S. subsidiary of the Japanese industrial company Mitsui. State-linked hackers attacking U.S. physical operations Foreign hackers are increasingly targeting U.S. infrastructure across vital services, from transportation to food supply and health care. In February, the FBI warned Congress that Chinese hackers have burrowed deep into the United States' cyber infrastructure in an attempt to cause damage. FBI Director Christopher Wray said Chinese government hackers are targeting water treatment plans, the electrical grid, transportation systems and other critical infrastructure inside the U.S. On Wednesday, Google's cybersecurity firm Mandiant released a report that included analysis of a Russian-linked hacking group and a January attack of a water filtration plant in a small Texas town, Muleshoe, where a water tank overflowed as a result of a cyber intrusion. "The town may be small but it is located in an arid part of Texas and is near Cannon AFB in Clovis, New Mexico," said Adam Isles, head of cybersecurity practice for Chertoff Group, describing the location of the water filtration plant as "concerning." In November of last year, US officials said Iran was behind a cyberattack at a Pennsylvania water plant. Biden administration officials recently warned the nation's governors about the threat to water systems. "Water is among the least mature in terms of security," Isles said. The American Association of Port Authorities, which lobbies on behalf of the nation's major container ports, has said in the past there is no evidence to the support the remote control claims about Chinese-manufactured crane cyber vulnerabilities, characterizing the comments as "sensational." When asked for an update on the review of the 200 plus cranes, Neuberger referred CNBC to the Coast Guard. In an email to CNBC, a Coast Guard spokesperson said that as of a few weeks ago, 92 of the more than 200 cranes manufactured in China were evaluated. Public comments over the executive order's rulemaking began February 21 and will end on April 22. Isles said it is important to identify the critical safety and business systems at the nation's ports. "We can't protect everything, so you have to identify the high-value assets at the port," he said. "You need to identify what is central to operating a port or central to an adversary." Isles says once the assets are identified, you need to have a continuous diagnosis of the operations and networks checking on their durability. "We need to assume these systems will be compromised at some point and need to address not only the minimal operating capacity but its resiliency and survivability. This helps achieve an offense-informed defense in cybersecurity," he said. Equally important, Isles stressed, is deterrence. "There needs to be accountability for offenders." The ten-year anniversary of the Port of Los Angeles CSCO is in September. The CSOC currently monitors the port's own technology environment to prevent and detect cyber incidents, and it became the first port to achieve ISO 27001 information security management certification in 2015. Activity at the Port of Los Angeles is picking up, with its first-quarter performance and March 2023 container activity released on Wednesday, and showing a 19% improvement in container volumes, and eight consecutive monthly periods of growth.
Caitlin Clark Will Make $76,000 A Year At The WNBA: Journalist Asks 'Is This Even A Living Wage?' - Nike (NYSE:NKE) 2024-04-17 21:43:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... The Indiana Fever drafted Caitlin Clark with the first overall pick in the WNBA draft Monday night. Clark, the University of Iowa phenom who helped increase ticket prices, viewership and the overall attention of women's college basketball during her time at Iowa, earned millions of dollars through Name Image and Likeness deals. Clark will earn just under $80,000 before taxes in her first year with her rookie WNBA contract. While she can also secure endorsement deals, many have questioned the fairness of her salary, with some critics calling it unfair. For the draft, Clark collaborated with designer brand Prada, sporting their sunglasses, jewelry, and clothing. While the details of the endorsement are undisclosed, it's probable that Clark made a decent chunk of change from that deal alone. In addition to Prada, Clark has worked with brands like Nike Inc NKE, Gatorade, State Farm and more. Read Also: Caitlin Clark’s $76K WNBA Salary Leaves Even President Biden Befuddled With Startling Gender Pay Gap: What Gives? However, unless Clark can single-handedly boost WNBA viewership, it’s highly likely that she will compete in front of smaller audiences throughout her professional career. More than 20 million people tuned into the recent Iowa vs South Carolina NCAA Women's National Championship game. In comparison, less than one million people viewed last year's WNBA finals matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty according to Sports Business Journal. Still, Clark, the biggest star in women's basketball and arguably the most popular women's athlete in the country right now, is set to make a lot more money than her base salary of $76,000. But, just taking into account her salary, let's compare it to other average incomes straight out of college. Caitlin Clark's WNBA rookie salary: $76,000 Computer sciences: $75,900 (via Indeed) Engineering: $74,000 (via Indeed) Business: $61,000 (via Indeed) Agriculture & natural resources: $58,000 (via Indeed) Communications: $56,000 (via Indeed) Many commentators have criticized Clark's salary, with some calling it unfair. CBS News' Lisa Ling posted on Meta Platform's Instagram, calling it “bull****” and asking if it was enough to make ends meet. "Steph Curry makes more per game than what Caitlin Clark is making for 4 years!" Ling wrote in her caption. "It's bull****! With the toll sports and travel take on women's bodies, is this even a living wage?" It’s important to note that the NBA drives significantly more revenue than the WNBA, making NBA owners and teams more able and willing to pay its athletes millions of dollars. The NBA does pay $15 million a year to the WNBA to help promote the growth of the women's game and make sure that the league is able to stay afloat. Now Read: ‘Fundamentally Unfair:’ Tesla Board Chair Urges Shareholders To Vote Again On Elon Musk’s Voided Pay Package Photo: Shutterstock
Biden says Trump 'doesn't deserve to be the Commander in Chief for my son' 2024-04-17 21:36:00+00:00 - U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Unitedsteel Workers headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 2024. President Joe Biden on Wednesday choked up as he blasted Donald Trump, saying the presumptive Republican presidential nominee "doesn't deserve to be the Commander in Chief for my son." Biden's scathing comment referenced both his late son Beau Biden, who served as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard, and Trump reportedly calling dead U.S. servicemen in a French cemetery "suckers and losers" when he was president. The incumbent Democrat made the remarks during a speech to a group of United Steelworkers union members in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "But one of the things that I was, as I was doing it today, I was reminded of what my opponent said in Paris not too long ago," Biden said. "They asked him to go visit American grave sites. He said 'no.' He wouldn't do it. Because they were all suckers and losers," Biden said, citing the reports about Trump's rationale. "I'm not making that up. The staff who were with him acknowledge it today. Suckers and losers. That man doesn't deserve," Biden said, pausing for several seconds as he choked up before adding, "to be the Commander in Chief for my son." A spokesman for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Biden's statement. Beau Biden, who was Delaware's attorney general, served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps in the National Guard. He spent a year on active duty in the Guard, which included seven months of being deployed in Iraq, starting in 2008. Beau Biden died from brain cancer in 2015, when his father was vice president in the administration of former President Barack Obama. In October, Trump's former White House chief of staff John Kelly confirmed to CNN details from a 2020 article in The Atlantic that included dismissive comments about members of the U.S. military. The Atlantic article, written by Jeffrey Goldberg, opens with a description of then-President Trump canceling a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, just outside of Paris, in 2018, claiming that rain prevented a helicopter from flying him, and that the Secret Service would not drive him there. "Neither claim was true," Goldberg wrote. "Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day," Goldberg wrote.
Unveiling Nintendo's April 2024 Indie World Showcase: What's In Store - Nintendo Co (OTC:NTDOY) 2024-04-17 21:34:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... Nintendo ADR NTDOY recently unveiled a diverse array of charming indie titles in their latest Indie World showcase, spanning various genres and styles. Despite the absence of anticipated updates like Hollow Knight: Silksong, the showcase still managed to captivate with its delightful offerings. See Also: Apple Greenlights Delta Emulator: Dive Into Retro Gaming On Your iPhone Today From heartwarming adventures to quirky simulations, here’s a roundup of the games featured: Little Kitty, Big City (May 9) – Take on the role of a playful feline exploring a bustling city, engaging in adorable cat antics and helping other animals along the way. Yars Rising (Coming later this year) – Embark on an exploration-led action-adventure as Yar, navigating through multiple environments to uncover the secrets behind a mega-corporation. Refind Self: The Personality Test Game (Summer release) – Guide an android on an exploration-based journey to discover their identity, making decisions that shape their personality along the way. Sticky Business (Available now) – Manage a sticker shop, creating custom labels and fulfilling customer requests while learning about their personalities. Antonblast (Timed exclusive release on November 12) – Dive into a high-speed action-platformer, wielding a powerful hammer to reclaim stolen collectibles from the devil. Valley Peaks (Scheduled for release this year) – Play as an anthropomorphic frog technician, climbing and swinging through a lofi world to set up radio towers and fulfill town requests. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (Launching on May 16) – Solve puzzles in a nightmarishly surreal adventure set in an old central European hotel, uncovering mysteries along the way. Europa (Expected this year) – Explore the terraformed moon of Jupiter as an android named Zee, solving puzzles and uncovering the fate of humanity. TMNT Splintered Fate (Arriving on Switch in July) – Embark on a roguelike adventure inspired by Hades, battling iconic villains as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in drop-in, drop-out multiplayer. Cat Quest III (Coming on August 8) – Join the adorable cats on a swashbuckling adventure across the Purribean, battling pi-rats and leveling up with a friend. Stitch (Exclusive release on launch day) – Engage in therapeutic puzzle-solving through handmade embroidery, creating beautiful designs with a variety of challenges. SteamWorld Heist II (Launching on August 8) – Strategize in tense turn-based gunfights and engage in real-time naval combat as you lead your SteamBots through thrilling missions. Read Next: Ready To Tip Your Favorite Game Developers? Former Blizzard President Says You Should Image credits: Shutterstock
Japan showed off the destroyer it's turning into an aircraft carrier for F-35 stealth fighters 2024-04-17 21:30:53+00:00 - Japan says first modification work on its newly converted light aircraft carrier has been completed. JS Kaga was helicopter carrier identified as a destroyer refitted with to carry F-35 jets. The Kaga will now undergo sea trials, and its results will help with the upgrades on another ship. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time. Advertisement Japan is showing off the first changes made to one of its helicopter-carrying destroyers to turn it into a light aircraft carrier capable of operating F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters. JS Kaga's successful modification will pave the way for another of its helicopter carriers, JS Izumo, to also be converted into an aircraft carrier. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force announced the completion of the first special modification work on the Kaga earlier this month. In a post on X, it showed off the carrier, which now features a flight deck designed to operate and launch F-35 jets. The first special modification work on the destroyer ”KAGA” was completed as planned on March 29. The JMSDF will continue to systematically carry out the necessary modifications to the “IZUMO” class destroyer in order to acquire the operational capability of the F-35B. pic.twitter.com/JTaLkjRWu5 — Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (@jmsdf_pao_eng) April 6, 2024 The JMSDF noted in the post that it was still upgrading another vessel, the Izumo lead-in-class helicopter carrier, to be able to launch and recover F-35s. Once both ships are able to operate the jets, Japan will have a capability it hasn't seen since World War II. Advertisement And it'll need it, too. As of October 2023, Japan is still planning to acquire more than 147 F-35s — 105 F-35As and 42 F-35Bs. Related story Japan began to dramatically overhaul its Self-Defense Force in October 2021, creating its first amphibious military unit since WWII and launching a new class of modern frigates. It also announced the conversion of the two Izumo-class helicopter carriers into light aircraft carriers. The upgraded Japanese warship resembles a US Navy big-deck amphibious assault ship, which the sea service and the Marines have previously explored using as light so-called "lightning carriers" in reference to F-35. Although Japan has a long history with flattops and its navy was one of the first to use aircraft carriers effectively, the ongoing upgrades mark a milestone for it in the modern maritime era. Advertisement The project is also an opportunity in US-Japanese relations amid concerns about aggression from China, as Japan builds carriers that could eventually host American jets as well as its own, as it demonstrated back in October 2021 when two US Marine Corps F-35Bs landed on and took off from the deck of the Izumo. In 2018, Japan said China was engaging in "unilateral, coercive attempts to alter the status quo based on its own assertions that are incompatible with existing international order." It's issued other complaints since. The aircraft, designated AX-6, is the second F-35A assembled at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ F-35 Final Assembly & Check-Out (FACO) facility in Nagoya, Japan and is the first to be assigned to the JASDF’s 3rd Air Wing, 302nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Misawa Air Base, Japan. Courtesy of the F-35 Joint Program Office China's growing military power has prompted worries from US military leaders and lawmakers, while the continued buildup of its navy, the largest in the world, has raised alarms about the US' faltering shipbuilding and what's needed for the future. Earlier this month, China expressed concerns about Japan's partnerships and growing capabilities, particularly the potential that it could work with Australia, the UK, and the US on nuclear-powered submarines in the AUKUS security agreement. Advertisement "Given Japan's not-too-distant history of militarist aggression, Japan's military and security moves are closely watched by its Asian neighbors and the international community," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "Japan needs to seriously reflect on its history of aggression, stop its involvement in small military and security groupings, and truly embark on a path to peaceful development," she said.
Krystal Biotech is on the Move, Here's Why the Trend Could be Sustainable - Krystal Biotech (NASDAQ:KRYS) 2024-04-17 21:28:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... While "the trend is your friend" when it comes to short-term investing or trading, timing entries into the trend is a key determinant of success. And increasing the odds of success by making sure the sustainability of a trend isn't easy. The trend often reverses before exiting the trade, leading to a short-term capital loss for investors. So, for a profitable trade, one should confirm factors such as sound fundamentals, positive earnings estimate revisions, etc. that could keep the momentum in the stock alive. Investors looking to make a profit from stocks that are currently on the move may find our "Recent Price Strength" screen pretty useful. This predefined screen comes handy in spotting stocks that are on an uptrend backed by strength in their fundamentals, and trading in the upper portion of their 52-week high-low range, which is usually an indicator of bullishness. There are several stocks that passed through the screen and Krystal Biotech, Inc. KRYS is one of them. Here are the key reasons why this stock is a solid choice for "trend" investing. A solid price increase over a period of 12 weeks reflects investors' continued willingness to pay more for the potential upside in a stock. KRYS is quite a good fit in this regard, gaining 30.5% over this period. However, it's not enough to look at the price change for around three months, as it doesn't reflect any trend reversal that might have happened in a shorter time frame. It's important for a potential winner to maintain the price trend. A price increase of 1.9% over the past four weeks ensures that the trend is still in place for the stock of this company. Moreover, KRYS is currently trading at 81.6% of its 52-week High-Low Range, hinting that it can be on the verge of a breakout. Looking at the fundamentals, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than the 4,000 stocks that we rank based on trends in earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises -- the key factors that impact a stock's near-term price movements. The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Another factor that confirms the company's fundamental strength is its Average Broker Recommendation of #1 (Strong Buy). This indicates that the brokerage community is highly optimistic about the stock's near-term price performance. So, the price trend in KRYS may not reverse anytime soon. Loading... Loading... In addition to KRYS, there are several other stocks that currently pass through our "Recent Price Strength" screen. You may consider investing in them and start looking for the newest stocks that fit these criteria. This is not the only screen that could help you find your next winning stock pick. Based on your personal investing style, you may choose from over 45 Zacks Premium Screens that are strategically created to beat the market. However, keep in mind that the key to a successful stock-picking strategy is to ensure that it produced profitable results in the past. You could easily do that with the help of the Zacks Research Wizard. In addition to allowing you to backtest the effectiveness of your strategy, the program comes loaded with some of our most successful stock-picking strategies. To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Even Joe Biden Is Surprised By Caitlin Clark Making $76K 2024-04-17 21:28:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... Caitlin Clark's salary has made its way into the Oval Office. On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden called for equal pay between elite men and women in sports. He didn't mention Caitlin Clark by name, but it was clear who he was talking about. "Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all" Biden posted. "But right now we're seeing that even if you're the best, women are not paid their fair share. It's time that we give our daughters the same opportunities as our sons and ensure women are paid what they deserve." Many were surprised by the straightforward news that Clark will earn just $76,535 as her WNBA salary this season. That's the rookie salary locked in by the collective bargaining agreement, which was agreed to by the players and owners in January 2020. Clark, who was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in Monday's WNBA Draft, will see her salary increase annually as part of a four-year, $338,056 deal, which stems from the league's collective bargaining agreement. For comparison, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft is making $12 million this season as part of a four-year $55 million rookie scale contract. Speaking to reporters on Monday night, commissioner Cathy Engelbert discussed the league's upcoming media rights deal and corporate sponsorship opportunities, which could bring more revenue to the league and as a result increase player salaries in future labor deals. Players can opt out of the current CBA after the 2025 season, but even if the new media rights deal eclipses $100 million as Engelbert hopes, it's going to take a long time for Biden's hope for WNBA salaries to rival the NBA's. "For the WNBA specifically, I would say that, even though it's been around for now 27 years, it's still a startup league compared to the NBA" Clara Wu Tsai, the New York Liberty co-owner, told The Washington Post in November. "And when you look at the economics of the WNBA, almost along all dimensions, from team revenues to player salaries, the economics are one-one hundredth that of the NBA. So, if the WNBA grew to just 10 percent of the size of the NBA, that would still be a 10x return on investment." Clark will still make plenty of money from endorsements, which includes the likes of Nike, Hy-Vee, and State Farm. At Iowa, Clark's NIL valuation was over $3 million, according to recruiting service On3. In March, The Athletic reported Clark's sneaker deal could exceed $1 million annually, and she could also make money playing overseas if she chooses. Clark can also make up to $250,000 serving as an ambassador for the WNBA under provisions in the CBA designed to both market players and put more money in their pockets. Biden's basketball fandom might not exceed that of former President Barack Obama, who Biden served as vice president under, but he's shown his interest in the game over the years. In 2014, he called then-Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis to congratulate him on a game-winner against Pittsburgh. (Biden went to law school at Syracuse.) And a year ago, his wife, Jill, invited Clark's Iowa team after losing to LSU in the national championship game, which she attended. Her husband tweeted an invite to LSU, with no mention of Iowa. The post Even Joe Biden Is Surprised By Caitlin Clark Making $76K appeared first on Front Office Sports.
TikTok Owner ByteDance's Tech Arm Collaborating with Sui Builders on Web3 Gaming, SocialFi 2024-04-17 21:28:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... TikTok owner ByteDance's enterprise technology services subsidiary, BytePlus, is partnering with Mysten Labs to enhance web3 gaming and SocialFi offerings on Sui, Mysten's blockchain network, as announced in a Wednesday morning blog post by the project's foundation. BytePlus will collaborate with Mysten Labs to offer various services to Sui, including recommendation solutions and augmented reality products. Read the full story at The Block.
Port of LA Opens Promenade to Connect Community to Waterfront 2024-04-17 21:28:00+00:00 - Loading... Loading... The Port of Los Angeles recently opened a waterfront promenade on its property, giving the nearby community unprecedented access to the water and sweeping views of the port's activities. The $77 million Wilmington Waterfront Promenade is the second phase of connecting the Wilmington community, located adjacent to the port, to the waterfront. The 9-acre promenade opened in February after more than three years of construction. Until this project, which port officials have deemed "transformational for the Wilmington community" the industrial space wasn't accessible to the public. The port in 2011 opened a 30-acre park, previously a brownfield site, providing a buffer between the port and neighborhood. The next phase of the project includes constructing a pedestrian bridge and developing 12 acres of green space at the nation's busiest container port. The port in February processed more than 780,000 containers, a 60% increase over last year. The project's goal was to maximize the views of the water "to embrace that it is a working port" Dina Aryan-Zahlan, the port's deputy executive director of development, told FreightWaves. The promenade, hailed by port officials "as the window to the waterfront" of the working port, includes amenities such as picnic space, a floating dock and green space. Previously, the land contained empty buildings and a parking lot, Aryan-Zahlan said. Wilmington, home to some 33,000 residents, is a majority Hispanic community and contains the third-largest oil field in the contiguous United States. "The idea was to open that whole space up for the community to have access to what is our waterfront" said port Community Relations Director Cecilia Moreno. "I think we're the only community that doesn't have a beach that's right up against the water." Moreno, a Wilmington native, previously served as the Wilmington community affairs advocate for the port. She said she was mesmerized during her tour of the promenade. "We just froze" she said, adding that since the grand opening in February, many visitors have had the same awestruck and joyous reaction. Philip Dugdale, who has worked on the project since 2016 and is the co-director of Sasaki's New York design firm, said architects wanted to provide spaces for the community to engage with the water, with the human experience forefront in design choices. In contrast to the industrial aspects of the port, he said designers created a lush, green space. "It's reconnecting the community with the water" he said. The post Port of LA opens promenade to connect community to waterfront appeared first on FreightWaves.
Actors who portray Disney characters at Disneyland poised to take next step in unionization effort 2024-04-17 21:26:00+00:00 - Workers who bring Disney characters to life at the entertainment giant's West Coast amusement parks said on Wednesday they have gathered enough signatures to unionize. More than two-thirds of roughly 1,700 eligible Disney performers, including those who dress in character at meet-and-greets and parades at Disney's Southern California theme parks, said they have signed their union authorization cards and election petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and are ready to move on to the next step. In lieu of voluntary recognition from the House of Mouse, that next step would be to hold a vote on union representation, which will likely happen in May or June, they said. "We love the work we do," the workers said in a statement Wednesday. "We are proud to be a part of one of the greatest legacies in modern entertainment. We believe improving our collective working conditions will have a direct impact on not only cast members' lives, but the caliber of entertainment we offer at Disneyland Resort." The workers said they also have asked The Walt Disney Company to recognize their union, which they are calling "Magic United," but have not received a response. Magic United's main demands include higher pay, a safe and sanitary workplace and transparency in scheduling and rehiring, according to the group. "We support our cast members' right to a confidential vote that recognizes their individual choices," Disney officials said in a statement Wednesday. Most of the more than 35,000 workers at Disneyland Resort, home of the company's first theme park, already have unions. Parade and character workers announced their plans to unionize in February to address safety concerns and scheduling, among other issues. The union would be formed under Actors' Equity Association, which already represents theatrical performers at Disney theme parks in Florida. Disney workers who portray characters have been non-union employees since Disneyland first opened in 1955, but "have watched other workers in the park unionize all around them," Equity President Kate Shindle said in the statement. "They deserve a voice in their workplace, and meaningful negotiations over wages, benefits and working conditions," she added. Union membership has been on a decades-long decline in the United States, but organizations have seen growing public support in recent years amid high-profile contract negotiations involving Hollywood studios and Las Vegas hotels. The NLRB, which protects workers' right to organize, reported more than 2,500 filings for union representation during the 2023 fiscal year, the highest number in eight years. Disney has a major presence in Anaheim, where it operates two theme parks — Disneyland and Disney California Adventure — as well as a shopping and entertainment area called Downtown Disney. Disneyland, the company's oldest park, was the world's second-most visited theme park in 2022, hosting 16.8 million people, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM.
Prosecutors seek to ask Trump about civil fraud, E. Jean Carroll cases and more if he testifies in hush money case 2024-04-17 21:26:00+00:00 - Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office said in a court filing Wednesday that they plan to ask Donald Trump about the costly verdicts and findings of wrongdoing in his numerous civil cases if the former president decides to testify in the criminal case — though the permissibility of that line of questioning remains to be seen. The prosecutors said they intend to ask Trump about the judgment in New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud suit against him and his company, as well as a pair of verdicts in lawsuits brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The judgments in the three cases total almost $550 million and include findings that Trump committed fraud in the AG's case and that he is liable for sexual abuse and defamation in the Carroll case. District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office also plans to mention findings by the judge in the civil fraud case that Trump violated a gag order and "testified untruthfully under oath" during the trial. Prosecutors said they want to be able to bring up those findings — which Trump is appealing — "to impeach the credibility of the defendant" if he takes the witness stand. Trump said last week he "absolutely" plans to testify but is under no obligation to do so. If he does take the stand, prosecutors would also like to ask him about the verdict in the DA's successful criminal tax fraud prosecution of the Trump Organization and a settlement his Trump Foundation struck with the AG's office in 2019. A federal judge ordered Trump to pay $2 million in damages in that case after the foundation admitted in a settlement that Trump had misused foundation funds to help his 2016 presidential campaign, settle personal legal disputes and buy portraits of himself. They also want Judge Juan Merchan to allow them to ask about a Trump lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and others that resulted in Trump and one of his lawyers being sanctioned and ordered to pay $937,989 in fees for filing a frivolous, bad-faith lawsuit. The judge in that case handed down the penalty after having found that "Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries. He is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process, and he cannot be seen as a litigant blindly following the advice of a lawyer. He knew full well the impact of his actions." Prosecutors made the disclosure ahead of a type of hearing called a Sandoval hearing, which is tentatively scheduled for Friday. Sandoval hearings are designed to allow defendants to make informed decisions about whether to testify by providing pretrial determinations of the permissible scope of cross-examination by prosecutors. Trump's attorneys told the judge in a letter last month that they will argue the DA's office should be barred "from asking about these items." The trial, the first criminal trial against a former president, was off Wednesday, but it resumes with jury selection Thursday. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to a porn star during the closing days of the 2016 presidential election. He faces up to four years in prison if he is convicted.
Ex-'Real Housewives' star posted photos of son on Jan. 6 that led to riot charges 2024-04-17 21:24:59+00:00 - A Trump-supporting former star of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" was cited in court documents in her stepson's arrest in connection with his alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. Sigalit “Siggy” Flicker's stepson, Tyler Campanella, was arrested on Wednesday and faces five misdemeanor charges, NBC News reported. Flicker herself has not been accused of wrongdoing and, as NBC News notes, has said she was in Florida during the insurrection. But her posts about her stepson's activities that day appear to have inadvertently played a role in his arrest: According to the Statement of Facts document, the FBI identified Campanella from open-source videos and images on social media platforms, including from Flicker's Instagram account on Jan. 6, that "appears to indicate that Tyler Campanella is at the Capitol." In those images, Campanella is seen inside the Capitol wearing a hoodie and a "Trump 2020" hat. The FBI also traced Campanella's phone records, locating him inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6, the document said. His phone was associated with Flicker's account. Flicker, who was on “RHONJ” for a brief two-season run before leaving in 2017, is an avid Trump supporter. On social media, Flicker shares glossy photos of herself posing with the former president, declarations of her support for him, right-wing sentiments and Islamophobic posts. She has also referred to Alina Habba, a Trump attorney who often goes on cable news to defend him, as her "bestie."
Hack on a Texas water system may be the first of its kind by Russian hacking group 2024-04-17 21:22:02+00:00 - Russian hackers caused a Texas town's water tank to overflow in a suspected hack earlier this year. Cybersecurity experts say the likely culprit is Sandworm, a Russian hacking group. The US earlier accused Sandworm of attacks on hospitals in Pennsylvania in 2017. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time. Advertisement In January, Russian hackers caused a small Texas town's water tank to overflow in what was a rare but worrying attack on US infrastructure. The Russian hacking group Sandworm is likely responsible for the attack on the water system in Muleshoe, Texas, the cyber-security firm Mandiant said on Wednesday. Mandiant called the group a "dynamic and operationally mature threat actor that is actively engaged in the full spectrum of espionage, attack, and influence operations." This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in .
Airline executives predict a record summer and even more demand for first class 2024-04-17 21:22:00+00:00 - While the aviation industry has been in the spotlight lately for a host of safety issues, airline executives say there is no sign of slowing demand for flights. United Airlines "as an airline and as an industry" will carry record numbers of travelers this summer, the carrier's Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella said on an earnings call Wednesday. "Demand continues to be strong, and we see a record spring and summer travel season with our 11 highest sales days in our history all occurring this calendar year," Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said on his company's call a week earlier. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines report results on April 25. Air travel demand has been resilient despite persistent inflation that has weighed on household budgets, as well as a spate of high-profile safety issues that have sparked congressional hearings and have become the butt of jokes from late-night television to TikTok. Public and regulatory scrutiny of the industry increased after a door plug blew out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 in January. That sparked a new safety crisis for Boeing and slowed its deliveries of new planes to airlines. United Airlines itself is undergoing a safety review with the Federal Aviation Administration after several incidents this year, including a tire that fell from one of its older Boeing 777s. Airlines, which make the bulk of their money in the spring and summer, have also been grappling with higher costs of fuel and labor, with fresh contracts giving pilots and other workers large raises after years of stagnant pay. Nonetheless, demand for international trips and rebounding corporate travel have helped boost global carriers. Both Delta and United's second-quarter forecasts outpaced Wall Street estimates. Customers appear willing to pay up for first class and other cabins above standard coach, executives said. Nocella said on the earnings call Wednesday that the airline could further segment the front of the plane, much like United and other airlines have done with coach. "You have many teams of people working on how to further innovate and provide more and more choice and to monetize that choice on our behalf, obviously, in the future," he said. Delta, meanwhile, has said premium revenue growth has outpaced sales from standard coach for years. Delta, United and American have announced upgraded first- and business-class cabins as well as more and larger lounges to accommodate swelling numbers of travelers willing to pay up for higher-priced tickets or elite status or high-fee rewards credit cards. Delta is slated to open a new, more exclusive tier of airport lounge later this year. Domestic-focused and low-cost airlines are scheduled to report results in the coming weeks. Some of those carriers have struggled in recent months because of higher capacity, limited airplane availability and higher costs.
Highlights: Senate rejects impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Mayorkas 2024-04-17 21:20:00+00:00 - Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said that the House's impeachment of Mayorkas was political and that it would have set a worse precedent to move forward with a trial. "This is a different process than we would run other impeachments," he said. "I judge the danger of normalizing the House impeachment process as much graver than the 'dangerous setting of the process/precedent in the Senate.' There was nothing close to high crime or misdemeanor. ... Everyone knows it. It would be irresponsible for us to treat it as serious exercise." Murphy was the lead Democratic negotiator on a bipartisan border bill that Mayorkas helped craft earlier this year, but which Republicans rejected. "The irony of all of this is that Mayorkas was in the room for all the negotiations at the request of the Republicans who just voted to proceed to an impeachment trial. ... If we’ve done a trial, and you’d gotten to a final vote, many of those Republicans would have voted against impeachment, I acknowledge that. But Mayorkas was in the room because of the credibility he has with Senate Republicans," Murphy said. "That’s why it’s so wild to me that he is such a subject of animosity for House Republicans because, in the Senate, he seems to have a decent amount of credibility, notwithstanding legitimate disagreements Senate Republicans have with Biden’s immigration policy."
Tom Cotton’s public protest hypocrisy could end very, very badly 2024-04-17 21:19:04+00:00 - Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., must have trouble tracking his views on public protest. In a 2020 New York Times op-ed, the Arkansas Republican senator called for the military to be mobilized to crush the “orgy of violence” he said was engulfing the country during the protests following George Floyd’s murder (in fact, the overwhelming majority of those protests were peaceful). Four years on, Cotton has decided that law enforcement and the military are insufficient tools to deal with protesters. It’s time to mobilize the vigilantes. After activists campaigning for a cease-fire in Gaza blocked traffic in a number of cities Monday, Cotton tweeted, “I encourage people who get stuck behind the pro-Hamas mobs blocking traffic: take matters into your own hands to get them out of the way. It’s time to put an end to this nonsense.” He then repeated the sentiment on Fox News, adding that “if something like this happened in Arkansas on a bridge there, let’s just say, I think there would be a lot of very wet criminals that have been tossed overboard, not by law enforcement but the people whose road they’re blocking.” If blocking traffic is bad, that should apply equally to anyone who does it, no matter what cause they’re advocating. There’s a good case to be made that blocking traffic is a counterproductive protest tactic. Not only is it as likely to alienate people as it is to win them over, and it can go beyond a nuisance to being a genuine threat to public safety. But if blocking traffic is bad, that should apply equally to anyone who does it, no matter what cause they’re advocating. That must be what conservatives like Tom Cotton think, right? Wrong. Cotton and other conservatives believe that public protest in general — and blocking traffic in particular — is perfectly admirable when conservatives do it, but a dire threat when liberals do it. Worse, Republicans are increasingly advocating violence as a response to liberal activism — violence committed by both the state and ordinary people. Let’s recall what happened in February 2022, when a group of Canadian truckers angry at public health measures during the pandemic shut down traffic in much of the capital city of Ottawa and blockaded the Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit and Ontario, through which a huge proportion of the commercial traffic between the two countries flows. How did American conservatives react then? They were positively joyous. “I’m all for it,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. “Civil disobedience is a time-honored tradition in our country, from slavery to civil rights to you name it. Peaceful protest, clog things up, make people think about the mandates.” Fox News devoted hour after hour to celebratory coverage of the protests. The truckers “are taking a stand for freedom, human dignity and autonomy, and for liberty,” said Sean Hannity. Tucker Carlson called it “the single most important human rights protest in a generation.” And Cotton? He criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for invoking emergency powers to deal with the disruption caused by the truckers’ blockade, and Americans for supporting him. Liberals, Cotton said, “celebrated the BLM rioters in 2020 … whereas these Canadian truckers have shut down some traffic and set up bouncy houses in their capital city. The hypocrisy of these liberals knows no bounds.” It takes a hypocrite to know one, I suppose. Trump, of course, has long made clear his belief that any liberal protest should be met with violence from both the state and ordinary people. That celebration of disruptive protests came on the heels of a number of Republican-controlled states, including Oklahoma and Florida, passing laws that not only increased penalties for protesters who block traffic but provided civil immunity for those who drove their cars into protesters. And earlier this week, the Supreme Court left in place a lower court decision upholding three appalling laws in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, which make the organizer of a protest liable if anyone who attends commits an illegal act, even if the organizer had nothing to do with it. The laws might still be overturned, but in the meantime they make organizing almost any kind of public protest in those states a terrible risk. In fact, it’s hard to find Republicans who will say loudly that in any demonstration, if protesters break the law then they ought to be stopped only by the appropriate authorities, not by vigilantes. Look at how they reacted to the case of Kyle Rittenhouse, who went to Kenosha, Wisconsin, with an AR-15 when he heard there would be an anti-police brutality protest there. After Rittenhouse fatally shot two people — later claiming he did so in self-defense — conservatives made him into a hero, complete with standing ovations at conservative conferences and an invitation to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Donald Trump. (A jury acquitted Rittenhouse of five charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, but a wrongful death suit from one of the victims' parents is ongoing.) Trump, of course, has long made clear his belief that any liberal protest should be met with violence from both the state and ordinary people. “If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you?” he told the crowd at one of his rallies, just one of many times he has said similar things. And according to his former defense secretary, when protests against police brutality grew in Washington, he asked, “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” Yet he calls the insurrectionists of Jan. 6 heroes and promises to pardon them. The prevailing belief on the right is that even nonviolent liberal protest is inherently illegitimate, and if it inconveniences you in the slightest, you should meet it with force. Faced with this advocacy for vigilantism, we have to remind ourselves that the First Amendment was never meant to be easy; you can’t say you’re an advocate of free speech if the only speech you’re willing to tolerate is your own. Yes, sometimes protests get out of control. But the answer to that is for anyone who commits a crime to be punished — not by a mob or a self-appointed crusader wielding his car as a weapon, but by our legal system. If we abandon that, the fallout will be far worse than being stuck in traffic.
Arizona GOP defies Trump, refuses to repeal 160-year-old abortion ban 2024-04-17 21:16:19+00:00 - Trump said last week a near-total, Civil War-era abortion ban in Arizona had gone too far. But Republicans Wednesday shut down an attempt to repeal it. The law makes providing or helping with an abortion punishable by up to five years in prison. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time. Advertisement Arizona Republicans shut down an attempt by Democrats to repeal a contentious abortion ban from 1864 that was reinstated by the state's Supreme Court earlier this month. Democrats attempted to introduce a bill Wednesday that would repeal the ban during a state House legislative session, NBC reported. But two votes moving to discuss the bill failed. Related stories "I would ask everyone in this chamber to respect the fact that some of us believe that abortion is, in fact, the murder of children," Republican House Speaker Ben Toma said, according to NBC. The ban has gotten pushback from many in the GOP, including former President Donald Trump and Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake — both of whom are seeking reelection later this year. (That said, Lake praised the ban while campaigning for governor two years ago.) Advertisement Trump, for his part, said last week that the ban had gone too far. "That'll be straightened out," he said. "And I'm sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason." The law effectively bans abortion — including in cases of rape and incest — except if a pregnant person's life is in danger. It makes providing or helping someone get an abortion a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Prior to the ban, abortions in Arizona were allowed through 15 weeks of pregnancy.
China just proved why Congress wants to ban TikTok 2024-04-17 21:08:03+00:00 - A bill to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok is making its way through Congress. Legislators are concerned about ByteDance's ties to China given how much user data Tiktok collects. The Chinese Embassy reportedly lobbied against the bill. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time. Advertisement China proved the point of the TikTok ban bill through Congress after officials from the Chinese Embassy reportedly lobbied against it recently. News of the adversarial nation's pressure against the bill was reported Wednesday by Politico after more than a year of congressional deliberation on the matter. The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill in mid-March that, if enacted, would require TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest from the app within 180 days or risk getting banned in the US. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in .
A top Republican Senate candidate's story about accidentally shooting himself just got weirder 2024-04-17 20:58:09+00:00 - The story of GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy's gunshot wound has seemingly taken on a new turn. Sheehy told WaPo that he lied about a shooting that he initially said occurred at a national park. But in newly-released documents, a park visitor "called park dispatch" to report a gunshot. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . You can opt-out at any time. Advertisement Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy apologized for the discharge of a firearm at the state's Glacier National Park in October 2015, a revelation uncovered by The Washington Post after Sheehy's recent admission that he lied about being shot in the park. Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and the leading Republican to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November, recently told The Washington Post that he received a gunshot wound in his right arm while serving in Afghanistan, not during a shooting at Glacier National Park. The GOP candidate told The Washington Post that he lied about his Colt .45 revolver falling to the ground and discharging in order to shield his former platoon members from being questioned about what he said was a 2012 shooting that occurred overseas. Sheehy previously told the newspaper he was unsure if his bullet wound came from friendly fire or an enemy. Advertisement But after filing a Freedom of Information Act request, The Washington Post obtained National Park Service documents from 2015 where Sheehy said that a shooting had occurred at Glacier National Park. "As a highly trained and combat experienced wounded veteran, I can assure you this was an unfortunate accident and we are grateful no other persons or property were damaged," he said at the time. "Due to my ongoing security clearance and involvement with national defense related contracts, I request leniency with any charges related to this unfortunate accident." The newly-released National Park Service report said that "a park visitor called park dispatch" and stated that a firearm had discharged at Glacier National Park, which seemingly contradicts Sheehy's current statement that he was shot in Afghanistan. Related story The National Park Service summary didn't reveal the name of the individual who reported that a firearm had discharged at the park, according to The Post. Advertisement Sheehy in his 2015 National Park Service statement said that he retained a weapon in his car in case a bear posed a threat, adding that his firearm fell to the ground as he reloaded the vehicle. "My deepest apologies for any inconvenience this incident caused," he said in the statement at the time. Daniel Watkins, an attorney for Sheehy, said in a letter to The Post that the ranger didn't reveal that he had spoken to an aforementioned park visitor as part of his probe. And Watkins suggested that hospital staff in Kalispell, Mont., told park dispatchers about the incident at Glacier National Park after Sheehy's initial lie about the shooting. "The released reports corroborate the information we have provided, and they confirm Mr. Sheehy's recollection of what took place," Watkins said in the letter. Advertisement The Montana Senate race is poised to be one of the closest contests in the country this fall. Tester, now in his third term, is running for reelection in a state with a decidedly conservative tilt. Still, the lawmaker has successfully fought back his GOP opponents over the years, beginning with his first Senate election in 2006. Republicans have touted Sheehy, the founder of Bridger Aerospace, as one of their most promising Senate recruits. Business Insider has reached out to the Sheehy campaign for any further comment.