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DOJ Charges Chinese Citizens With Hacking

Federal prosecutors unsealed charges against five Chinese citizens reportedly linked to the Chinese intelligence community, accusing them of computer hacking crimes in an attack on more than 100 international companies. Earlier this week, the DOJ arrested two Malaysian businessmen accused of conspiring with the Chinese hackers.

Venezuela Implicated In Crimes Against Humanity

In a report released Wednesday, UN investigators accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government of crimes against humanity; namely extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions. The UN team found that Venezuela's security services have engaged in a pattern of systematic violence aimed at suppressing political opposition and generally terrorizing the population since 2014.

Hurricane Sally Meets The Gulf Shores

Sally made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Alabama and Florida on Tuesday. Some areas experienced intense flooding after more than 30 inches of rain, causing a bridge in downtown Pensacola, FL, to collapse (photo) and leaving more than 550k homes and businesses without power. Sally is forecasted to head inland across Alabama overnight Wednesday before reaching Georgia on Thursday and the Carolinas on Friday.

More: The mayor of Orange Beach, AL, told the Associated Press that one person is confirmed dead and another missing in the aftermath of the storm.

Worth Noting: The Pentagon Inspector General released a report on Wednesday stating the former civilian head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency sexually harassed two women in his office for seven years. Learn more.

👑 You Should See Me in a Crown… Barbados is removing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state to become a republic by November of next year.

Retail Details

Overall U.S. retail sales rose 0.6% in August, representing the fourth straight month of gains, the Commerce Department reported on Wednesday. The Department also revised its 1.2% increase in July down to 0.9%. The economic recovery continued to be strong for some retailers, while others have struggled. (Chart)

Point Of Interest

The Federal Reserve concluded its two-day policy meeting by voting to keep short-term interest rates targeted at 0%-0.25%. All but four of the 12 individual Fed members released projections indicating that they would vote to keep rates anchored near zero over the next three years, the first time the committee forecast its outlook for 2023.

Let It SNOW

Cloud company Snowflake (SNOW) began trading Wednesday on the NYSE in the largest ever software IPO. Snowflake initially priced its IPO at $120 per share on Tuesday (raising ~$3.4B), which valued the company at $33.3B. On Wednesday, shares of Snowflake began trading at $245 per share and closed at $253.93, valuing the company at $70.4B (a 111% increase).

🏈 A B1G Deal… the Big Ten will kick off its football season the weekend of Oct. 24 after the league’s presidents and chancellors voted unanimously to resume competition under strict medical protocols.

​🍔🍟🥤 I’m Lovin’ It… McDonald’s is reporting some ingredient shortages tied to the fast-food chain’s collaboration with Travis Scott, featuring a Quarter Pounder burger, Sprite, and fries dipped in BBQ sauce.

New Product Launches: Sony revealed the PS5 price ($399) and release date (Nov. 12). | Facebook unveiled the Oculus Quest 2 ($299), a smaller, more affordable follow-up to the original VR headset.

Farm Alarm

Last Saturday, farmer Lane Unhjem of Crosby, ND, was working in his fields – where he produces durum wheat and canola – when his combine harvester caught on fire. Lane jumped out of the vehicle and tried desperately to save his machine, but as the frantic farmer scrambled to fight the flames, he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the nearest hospital.

Recognizing that the laid-up Lane could not afford to lose precious harvesting time while he recovered from cardiac arrest, more than 40 of his neighbors gathered at the farm to help finish the job, bringing with them almost a dozen combines. In just over seven hours, the compassionate community members tended to more than 1,000 acres of Lane’s farmland.

No Country For Young Wombats

When the Black Summer fires began to ravage the rainforests of Gippsland, Australia, last December, Sharon Small and her daughter Emily had just recently rescued a trio of baby wombats. The two women, who care for dozens of wombats through the Goongerah Wombat Orphanage, had to leave most of their marsupials behind when they evacuated from their ranch to an apartment in Melbourne – but decided to take the newborns with them to the city.

Throughout the duration of the country’s wildfires and subsequent pandemic lockdowns, Sharon and Emily looked after joeys Beatrice, Bronson, and Landon – whose mother was hit by a car – in a cramped, but cozy, one-bedroom apartment. Sharon and Emily, who have since returned to their ranch, will release the young wombats back into the wild when they are ten months old.

Old Dog, New Tricks

In 2015, professional dog trainer Chuck Avery of Casa Grande, AZ, was diagnosed with lymphoma and told that he had just a few years to live. Still battling the terminal illness five years later, Chuck never complains about his health and instead channels his energy toward ensuring long, happy lives for previously unwanted and aggressive animals.

Six days a week, Chuck volunteers at the Valley Humane Society, where he teaches troubled dogs necessary obedience skills to one day be adopted by a loving family. In recognition of his salvation of hundreds of canines, fellow Humane Society volunteer Shelley Novotny teamed up with the local CBS 5 News Pay it Forward Program to present Chuck with a $500 gift card.

Prowess Project

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