2 Oct 2024

Cybersecurity head says there’s no chance a foreign adversary can change US election results

by | posted in: Politics | 0

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and ALI SWENSON

WASHINGTON (AP) — Security for America’s election systems has become so robust that Russia, Iran or any other foreign adversary will not be able to alter the outcome of this year’s presidential race, the head of the nation’s cybersecurity agency said Wednesday.

Jen Easterly told The Associated Press in an interview that voting, ballot-counting and other election infrastructure is more secure today than it’s ever been.

“Malicious actors, even if they tried, could not have an impact at scale such that there would be a material effect on the outcome of the election,” said Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Federal agencies have warned of growing attempts by Russia and Iran in particular to influence voters before the Nov. 5 election and election conspiracy theories have left millions of Americans doubting the validity of election results.

Easterly said those efforts are primarily aimed at sowing discord among Americans and undermining faith in the security of the nation’s elections.

U.S. officials have spent recent months warning through criminal charges, sanctions and public advisories that foreign adversaries are ramping up their efforts to influence the White House contest between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

The Biden administration last month seized more than two dozen Kremlin-run fake websites and charged two Russian state media employees in a scheme to covertly fund right-wing influencers.

Last week, three Iranian operatives were charged with hacking Trump’s campaign in what the Justice Department says was part of a sweeping effort to undermine the former president and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral system.

Intelligence agencies and tech companies have tracked both Russian and Iranian actors using fake websites and social media profiles to spread misinformation, stoke division and potentially sway American voters. Iran and Russia have sought to influence past U.S. elections through online disinformation and hacking.

Easterly noted that China also was “very interested” in influencing the 2024 election.

Beyond the influence campaigns, she said her agency had not detected any activity targeting election systems.

“We have not seen specific cyber activity designed to interfere with actual election infrastructure or processes,” Easterly said.

Related Articles

National Politics |


Prosecutors: Trump ‘resorted to crimes’ after losing 2020 election in failed bid to cling to power

National Politics |


Alaska resource projects and landscapes are again in the crosshairs of a presidential election

National Politics |


‘The white-hot laser of hate’ is trained on Springfield, Ohio. How long will it last?

National Politics |


Pennsylvania town grapples with Trump assassination attempt ahead of his return

National Politics |


Pennsylvania Republican in key swing-state Senate race backs using military to fight fentanyl

The prevalence of election misinformation has become a widespread concern, with secretaries of state and some larger local election offices establishing specific efforts to combat it.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, a Democrat who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, last week wrote a letter to Easterly that urged the agency to take further steps against election misinformation and disinformation, including coordinating with social media platforms to combat false claims.

In the interview, Easterly acknowledged “a very convoluted, very confusing information environment,” and said her agency works with election officials to promote accurate information. However, she also made it clear that her agency does not monitor social media sites or attempt to moderate their content.

“That is not our role,” she said.

She encouraged voters who question how elections are run to contact their local election office and even volunteer to serve as poll workers so they understand the process and the safeguards already in place.

“There will be a lot of information out there in the coming months. It will be up to every voter to be able to understand the signal from the noise,” Easterly said. “That trusted signal is coming from your state and local election officials.”

2 Oct 2024

US bans new types of goods from China over allegations of forced labor

by | posted in: News | 0

By DIDI TANG

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that it would ban the import of goods from a Chinese steel manufacturer and a Chinese maker of artificial sweetener, accusing both of being involved in the use of forced labor from China’s far-west region of Xinjiang.

The action broadens the scope of the U.S. effort to counter products from entering the country that the government says are tied to human rights abuses.

The additions to the entity list under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act marks the first time a China-based steel company or aspartame sweetener business have been targeted by U.S. law enforcement, DHS said.

“Today’s actions reaffirm our commitment to eliminating forced labor from U.S. supply chains and upholding our values of human rights for all,” said Robert Silvers, undersecretary of Homeland Security for policy. “No sector is off-limits. We will continue to identify entities across industries and hold accountable those who seek to profit from exploitation and abuse.”

The federal law that President Joe Biden signed at the end of 2021 followed allegations of human rights abuses by Beijing against members of the ethnic Uyghur group and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has refuted the claims as lies and defended its practice and policy in Xinjiang as fighting terror and ensuring stability.

The new approach marked a shift in the U.S. trade relationship with China to increasingly take into account national security and human rights. Beijing has accused the U.S. of using human rights as a pretext to suppress China’s economic growth.

Enforcement of the law initially targeted solar products, tomatoes, cotton and apparel, but over the last several months, the U.S. government has identified new sectors for enforcement, including aluminum and seafood.

“That’s just a reflection of the fact that sadly, forced labor continues to taint all too many supply chains,” Silvers told a trade group in June when marking the two-year anniversary of the creation of the entity list. “So our enforcement net has actually been quite wide from an industry-sector perspective.”

He said the law “changed the dynamic in terms of putting the onus on importers to know their own supply chains” and that its enforcement had showed that the U.S. could “do the right thing” without halting normal trade.

Since June 2022, the entity list has grown to a total of 75 companies accused of using forced labor in Xinjiang or sourcing materials tied to that forced labor, Homeland Security said.

Baowu Group Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co. Ltd and Changzhou Guanghui Food Ingredients Co. Ltd. were the Chinese companies newly added to the list.

2 Oct 2024

Here’s what’s new at the Twin Cities Marathon this year

by | posted in: Society | 0

Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon weekend kicks off Friday with some new twists in its 41st year.

One new event people can expect is the Best of the Midwest Invitational, a “race within a race” taking place during the marathon. Professional and aspiring Midwest athletes, who were chosen through an online application process, will race for a chance to win cash prizes.

Local athletes including Emma Lee, of St. Paul, Kim Horner, of Maplewood, Kevin Lewis, of Minneapolis, and Danny Docherty, of St. Paul are expected to run in the invitational. Invitational participants will lead the front of the marathon pack and will compete for a special $20,000 prize purse; they’re also eligible for the overall professional prize money.

Participants represent the Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Also new to the marathon is the inaugural TC Half Marathon for More, where 200 registered participants will run the final 13.1 miles of the marathon — which stretches from Nokomis Beach to the State Capitol — as part of a fundraising effort to support TC Kids Run Free, which invests in youth running for children under 18, and other Twin Cities in Motion projects.

For some people cheering on the race participants, this weekend will be a competition as well as the Diane and Alan Page Community Cheer Challenge is expected to have 40 cheer zones along the race course. That’s the most in the history of the challenge, which was founded in 2022 by Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famer and Twin Cities in Motion supporter Alan Page.

Participants in the Community Cheer Challenge can win prizes and a donation to a charity of choice. Although applications to participate in the Community Cheer Challenge are closed, people are are encouraged to join in and help motivate athletes. A map of cheer zones can be found at tcmevents.org/dapccc.

Runners and road closures

Over 28,000 people are expected to participate in this weekend’s festivities, which officially begin with the Health and Fitness Expo at the St. Paul RiverCentre, beginning at 11 a.m. Friday until Saturday evening, where marathon participants pick up their packets and are able to visit over 75 exhibits.

Participants doing the Twin Cities 5K and 10K runs will do so on Saturday beginning at the State Capitol. Families also can get in on the action Saturday with the Medtronic Twin Cities Family Events, consisting of the KARE 11 Family Mile, iHeartRadio Half Mile and the Diaper Dash.

The route map for the 2024 Twin Cities Marathon, scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. The marathon starts in downtown Minneapolis and will conclude at the State Capitol in St. Paul. (Courtesy of Twin Cities in Motion)

There will be a sold-out crowd for the Twin Cities 10-Mile Run and the Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, with 12,000 people participating in the 10-miler and 9,000 people participating in the marathon.

Related Articles

Local News |


Haunted mazes, jack-o’-lantern festivals, fall arts: A roundup of Twin Cities Halloween events

Local News |


Your guide to the St. Paul Art Crawl this weekend

Local News |


Skywatch: A great mix of summer and autumn stars, with possibly a bright comet

Local News |


Homes by Architects Tour debuts ‘Small Projects Showcase’ — including a ‘Tiny Tudor’ in St. Paul

Local News |


NAMIWalks takes place Saturday and this high schooler wants to raise awareness

Drivers this weekend should expect road closures near the Capitol starting 9 a.m. Thursday, with a part of Summit Avenue east of Snelling Avenue to close Saturday.

Parts of downtown Minneapolis will be closed to vehicle traffic early Sunday, but will reopen on a rolling basis as the marathon and 10-mile run proceed down their respective routes.

People can use Interstates 94 and 35 to get around the metro area on Sunday and are encouraged to be aware of meters and no parking signs along and near race courses, and to use public transportation if possible.

For more information on this weekend’s festivities, visit the marathon’s website, tcmevents.org.

2 Oct 2024

Minneapolis to host NCAA wrestling in 2028, regional basketball in 2027

by | posted in: Adventure | 0

The Twin Cities will host the 2027 NCAA men’s basketball tournament first- and second-round games at Target Center and the 2028 NCAA wrestling championships at U.S. Bank Stadium.

It will be the first time the men’s March Madness tournament will be held at Target Center; Minneapolis most recently hosted the early-round games at the Metrodome in 2009. The 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four was at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The two upcoming tournaments will be hosted by the Gophers and Minnesota Sports and Events, the NCAA said.

“Minneapolis continues to be a top choice for hosting premier sporting events,” Wendy Blackshaw, President and CEO of Minnesota Sports and Events, said in a statement. “After the pandemic upended the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 2020, MNSE sought to re-secure the event for Minnesota as soon as possible. We are proud to deliver on that goal, and we look forward to hosting a championship that will be unlike any other.”

The wrestling championship will move from an arena to a stadium in 2028. It will be a reboot of the 2020 tournament that was set for U.S. Bank Stadium before it was canceled due to COVID-19.

Target Center hosted U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials and 2024 Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball tournaments earlier this year and the women’s Final Four in 2022.

“Target Center has hosted some of the biggest events in college basketball during the last three years,” Amy Rahja, Target Center’s assistant general manager, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to host the NCAA Men’s Tournament and showcase March Madness in Minnesota.”