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The Morning Rundown™

Morning rundown: Military emails leaked; Ramaswamy running for president

Feb 22, 2023

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The U.S. military is investigating a leak of emails from a Pentagon server; a new candidate enters the 2024 presidential contest; a fourth train derailment within a month; and a massive winter storm is coming. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. 

U.S. military email server exposed

The U.S. Military’s Special Operations Command is investigating a report from a cyber security researcher that suggests a U.S. military email server was left exposed for two weeks, allowing internal emails to leak.

According to TechCrunch, anyone who knew the IP address of the server could access the data without a password until the server was secured on Monday.

A military spokesman told TechCrunch that there are no signs anyone hacked their system. TechCrunch said the server housed data that contained sensitive information but not classified material.

Ramaswamy announces presidential bid

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy announced he is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. He joins Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump.

Ramaswamy is a biotech and health care entrepreneur. The multi-millionaire describes himself as an “anti-woke” activist.

“That is why today, I’m announcing my run for president of the United States. This isn’t just a political campaign, this is a cultural movement to create a new American dream for the next generation,” Ramaswamy said during his announcement. 

In a Twitter post hours after his announcement, Ramaswamy said he would repeal federal affirmative action mandates on day one.

Ramaswamy’s early campaign has included talks of addressing a national identity crisis. He says faith, patriotism, and hard work have been replaced by gender ideology, a focus on climate change, and “COVID-ism.”

Our business correspondent Simone Del Rosario has an in-depth report on Ramaswamy’s place in corporate America. You can find that story here.

Train cars derail in Nebraska

The Union Pacific Railroad has confirmed that one of their trains carrying coal derailed Tuesday in Nebraska. More than 30 train cars were involved in the derailment. Union Pacific said there was no hazmat situation at the wreckage site. And we’re learning train derailments in this area have happened before, with four derailments occurring within the last nine months.

This is just the latest in a string of derailments that prompted Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to announce a list of rail safety reforms yesterday.

The Nebraska incident marks the fourth high profile derailment in the U.S. in less than a month. A train derailed Monday in Sacramento. Another derailed last week outside of Detroit. These follow the derailment in Ohio earlier this month that led to a hazmat situation, toxic chemical release, and evacuation. And before that, in Louisiana, a train derailment led to a chemical spill and evacuation.

Texas bill aims to ban polls at schools

Last week, Texas state Rep. Carrie Isaac, R, introduced a bill to bar polling places at any institution of higher education. Now she’s working on a bill to bar polling places at K-12 public and charter schools in the state too. The state legislator introduced the bill in the name of school safety and security.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have advocated for legislation to mandate polling sites on larger college campuses to allow more voter accessibility.

Number of strikes double in 2022

The number of strikes across the country more than doubled in 2022. And the number of workers involved jumped 60% year-over-year. That’s according to a new labor action tracker.

About 224,000 total people walked off the job in 424 strikes. That is up from 279 strikes in 2021.

Fast food workers with the “Fight for $15” campaign, and Starbucks baristas organized over 100 strikes, making up about a quarter of all strikes in the U.S. But the majority of strikes came from the education sector. About 60% of the workers striking in 2022 were educators.

More strikes occurred last year than ever before as workers exert leverage in tight labor market conditions.

Winter storm threatens parts of the U.S.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories throughout the western and north-central U.S., with up to two feet of snow expected through Thursday.

Wind gusts could also reach 50 mph, with wind chills expected to reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota, according to the Weather Service.

Schools across the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin are closed today in preparation for a storm, which is expected to bring white out conditions.

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KARAH RUCKER: TOP STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING – A NEW CANDIDATE ENTERS THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE FOR 2024. A FOURTH HIGH PROFILE TRAIN DERAILMENT WITHIN THE PAST MONTH. AND A WINTER STORM IS SET TO HIT PARTS OF THE US TODAY.

BUT FIRST – THE US MILITARY IS INVESTIGATING A LEAK OF EMAILS FROM A PENTAGON SERVER.

THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

U.S. MILITARY EMAIL SERVER EXPOSED

THE US MILITARY’S SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND IS INVESTIGATING A REPORT FROM A CYBER SECURITY RESEARCHER THAT SUGGESTS A US MILITARY EMAIL SERVER WAS LEFT EXPOSED FOR TWO WEEKS – ALLOWING INTERNAL EMAILS TO LEAK.

ACCORDING TO TECH-CRUNCH — Anyone who knew the IP address of the server could access the data without a password until the serVER WAS SECURED ON MONDAY.

A MILITARY SPOKESMAN TOLD TECHCRUNCH THERE’S NO SIGNS ANYONE HACKED THEIR SYSTEM.

TECH-CRUNCH SAID THE SERVER HOUSED DATA THAT CONTAINED SENSITIVE INFORMATION BUT NOT CLASSIFIED MATERIAL.

RAMASWAMY ANNOUNCES PRESIDENTIAL BID

VIVEK RAMASWAMY: “And that is why today, I’m announcing my run for president of the United States. This isn’t just a political campaign, this is a cultural movement to create a new American dream for the next generation.”

ENTREPRENEUR VIVEK RAMASWAMY HAS ANNOUNCED HE IS RUNNING FOR THE 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION – JOINING NIKKI HALEY AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

RAMASWAMY IS A BIOTECH AND HEALTH CARE ENTREPRENEUR. THE MULTI-MILLIONAIRE DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS AN “ANTI-WOKE” ACTIVIST.

IN A TWITTER POST HOURS AFTER HIS ANNOUNCEMENT — RAMASWAMY SAID HE WOULD REPEAL THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FEDERAL MANDATE ON DAY ONE.

RAMASWAMY’S EARLY CAMPAIGN HAS INCLUDED TALKS OF ADDRESSING A “NATIONAL IDENTITY CRISIS” HE SAYS “FAITH, PATRIOTISM, AND HARD WORK” HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY GENDER IDEOLOGY, A FOCUS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, AND “COVID-ISM.”

OUR BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT SIMONE DEL RASARIO HAS AN IN-DEPTH REPORT ON RAMASWAMY’S PLACE IN CORPORATE AMERICA.

YOU CAN FIND THAT STORY ON OUR WEBSITE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

TRAIN CARS DERAIL IN NEBRASKA

THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD HAS CONFIRMED THAT ONE OF THEIR TRAINS CARRYING COAL DERAILED EARLY TUESDAY MORNING IN NEBRASKA —

ABOUT 31 TRAIN CARS WERE INVOLVED IN THE DERAILMENT. UNION PACIFIC SAID THERE WAS NO HAZMAT SITUATION AT THE WRECKAGE SITE. AND WE’RE LEARNING TRAIN DERAILMENTS IN THIS AREA HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE. FOUR DERAILMENTS WITHIN THE LAST NINE MONTHS.

THIS IS JUST THE LATEST IN A STRING OF DERAILMENTS THAT PROMPTED DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG TO ANNOUNCE A LIST OF RAIL-SAFETY REFORMS YESTERDAY.

THE NEBRASKA INCIDENT MARKS THE FOURTH HIGH PROFILE DERAILMENT IN THE U.S. IN LESS THAN A MONTH.

A TRAIN DERAILED MONDAY IN SACRAMENTO – ANOTHER LAST WEEK OUTSIDE OF DETROIT.

THESE FOLLOW THE DERAILMENT IN OHIO EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT LED TO A HAZMAT SITUATION, TOXIC CHEMICAL RELEASE, AND EVACUATION.

AND BEFORE THAT IN LOUISIANA A TRAIN DERAILMENT LED TO A CHEMICAL SPILL AND EVACUATION.

TEXAS BILL AIMS TO BAN POLLS AT SCHOOLS

TEXAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE CARRIE ISAAC HAS INTRODUCED A BILL TO BAR POLLING PLACES AT ANY “INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION” LAST WEEK —

AND SAYS SHE’S WORKING ON A BILL TO BAR POLLING PLACES AT K-12 PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS IN THE STATE TOO.

THE STATE LEGLISLATOR INTRODUCED THE BILL IN THE NAME OF SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE – DEMOCRATS HAVE ADVOCATED FOR LEGISLATION TO MANDATE POLLING SITES ON LARGER COLLEGE CAMPUSES IN THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION..TO ALLOW MORE VOTER ACCESSIBILITY.

NUMBER OF STRIKES DOUBLE IN 2022

THE NUMBER OF STRIKES ACROSS THE COUNTRY MORE THAN DOUBLED IN 2022, AND THE NUMBER OF WORKERS INVOLVED JUMPED 60% YEAR OVER YEAR.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO A NEW “LABOR ACTION TRACKER”.

ABOUT 224,000 TOTAL PEOPLE WALKED OFF THE JOB IN 424 STRIKES, UP FROM 279 STRIKES IN 2021.

FAST FOOD WORKERS WITH THE “FIGHT FOR $15” CAMPAIGN AND STARBUCKS BARISTAS ORGANIZED OVER 100 STRIKES…MAKING UP ABOUT A QUARTER OF ALL STRIKES IN THE US.

BUT THE MAJORITY OF STRIKES CAME FROM THE EDUCATION SECTOR.

ABOUT 60% OF THE WORKERS STRIKING IN 2022 WERE EDUCATORS.

MORE STRIKES OCCURRED LAST YEAR THAN BEFORE AS WORKERS EXERT LEVERAGE IN TIGHT LABOR MARKET CONDITIONS.

WINTER STORM THREATENS PARTS OF U.S.

JONATHAN MARTIN | METEOROLOGY PROFESSOR: “Well, depending on where you are in the country, you will get a different impact from this storm that’s brewing. If you’re in northern parts of the state of Wisconsin, Michigan, into northern New England, probably pretty heavy snow. If you’re in Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, southern part of the western Great Lakes states, it’s going to be a mix of rain, sleet, freezing rain, maybe even a little bit of snow mixed in.”

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED WINTER STORM, BLIZZARD AND HIGH-WIND ADVISORIES THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN AND NORTH-CENTRAL U.S., WITH UP TO TWO FEET OF SNOW EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY.

WIND GUSTS COULD ALSO REACH 50 MPH, WITH WIND CHILLS EXPECTED TO REACH MINUS 50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT IN PARTS OF THE DAKOTAS AND MINNESOTA, ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER SERVICE.

SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DAKOTAS, MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN ARE CLOSED TODAY IN PREPARATION FOR A STORM EXPECTED TO BRING “WHITE OUT CONDITIONS.”