Monthly Archives: September 2022

Termites work through wood faster when it’s hotter out

An Asian subterranean wood-feeding termite (Coptotermes gestroi). These insects might play a greater role in the carbon cycle as climate warms. Thomas Chouvenc Termites are often thought of as pests, munching away at the foundations of homes and buildings. But in tropical forests, these master wood carvers are actually important decomposers. Termites help break down…

This ancient unpatched Python security flaw could leave thousands of projects vulnerable

A rather old unpatched Python security vulnerability has resurfaced, causing researchers to warn that hundreds of thousands of projects might be vulnerable to code execution.  Cybersecurity researchers from Trellix have recently spotted CVE-2007-4559, a flaw in the Python tarfile package, first discovered back in 2007.  However, back then, the flaw never received a patch, but…

LinkedIn Smart Links are being used to send users to phishing sites

Cybercriminals are targeting businesspeople with an elaborate phishing attack aimed at stealing sensitive data, including credit card and other payment information, researchers have found.  The attack also abuses a premium LinkedIn feature called Smart Link, which allows users of the social media site to send more than a dozen documents via a single link. Not…

Fugitive ‘Fat Leonard’ was captured at a Venezuela airport trying to flee to Russia after escaping house arrest

This undated handout picture released on September 21, 2022 by the Instagram account of Interpol Venezuela shows Malaysian fugitive Francis Leonard Glenn, known as Fat Leonard, after his capture in Maiquetia, Venezuela. Photo by Interpol Venezuela Instagram/AFP via Getty Images Fugitive ‘Fat Leonard,’ who pleaded guilty to involvement in a US Navy bribery scandal, was…

Martha’s Vineyard lawmakers call for federal investigation of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ‘political stunt’ of flying Venezuelan migrants there

Migrants gather outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church on September 15. Two planes of migrants from Venezuela arrived suddenly Wednesday night on Martha’s Vineyard. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Martha’s Vineyard lawmakers want DOJ to investigate Ron DeSantis’ transport of migrants to the island. They say the Venezuelan refugees seeking asylum were deceived and…

US stocks drop for a 3rd day as Treasury yields spike and recession fears grow after Fed rate hike

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images US stocks fell Thursday for a third straight session, with the S&P 500 hitting the lowest level since July.  Bond yields continued to mount higher as the market prepares to see more Fed rate hikes.  The Fed-policy-sensitive 2-year Treasury yield rose to 4.1% for a fresh 15-year high. US stocks…