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💻☠️ Hacker Tries to Poison Water

A computer hacker gained remote access to the water system of a city near Tampa Bay, FL, on Friday and tried to pump a “dangerous” amount of sodium hydroxide (also known as lye) into the drinking water.

• Federal investigators said an operator monitoring the water plant in Oldsmar, FL, noticed two separate breaches where the hacker took control of the computer system’s mouse and opened various functions on the screen, changing the sodium hydroxide levels from 100 parts per million to more than 11,100 parts per million (the changes were immediately reverted).

Investigators are unsure where the attack came from. The FBI, along with the Secret Service and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, are investigating the case.

📝 Report on Kobe Bryant’s Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board released a report yesterday determining last year’s helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others was caused by the pilot’s decision to fly into thick clouds against federal regulations. The report noted the January 26 crash was preceded by the aircraft climbing and then descending rapidly in a left turn, a series of actions it said signified the ‘spatial disorientation’ that comes from limited pilot visibility.

🦠 On the Origins of COVID

Scientists from the WHO and Chinese health bodies jointly presented preliminary findings yesterday after two weeks of investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan. The WHO team said it’s “extremely unlikely” the virus leaked from a Chinese lab and that initial findings suggest the virus was first introduced to humans via an animal like a bat or other small mammal, though further targeted research is necessary.

More: China at first did not allow the WHO mission to enter the country until the global health agency lodged a protest with Beijing. The team was let in last month.

⚖️ Impeachment Roundup

Lawyers on both sides presented their opening arguments in the Senate’s impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump yesterday.

• The Senate voted 56-44 to reject arguments by ex-President Donald Trump’s attorneys that holding an impeachment trial of a former president is unconstitutional, with six Republicans joining all 50 Democratic senators.

Tomorrow, the chamber is expected to start consideration of the “incitement of insurrection” article of impeachment sent by the House.

📝 Robinhood Faces Wrongful Death Suit

The family of Alex Kearns, a 20-year-old novice stock trader who killed himself after mistakenly believing he had a negative balance of over $730K, filed a lawsuit against Robinhood on Monday claiming the stock-trading platform’s business practices “directly” led to Alex’s death. The complaint seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the parents and sister of Alex Kearns for wrongful death, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and unfair business practices. (Full lawsuit)

More: Read Robinhood’s statement published June 16 after Kearns’ death.

Even More: Robinhood is also the subject of dozens of class-action lawsuits for restricting users’ ability to buy (but not sell) several stocks last month, including GameStop.

🚀 Starlink Blasts Off

SpaceX began accepting preorders yesterday for its Starlink satellite internet service. The preorders are “fully refundable” and available for $99 in the U.S., Canada, and the UK, with the fine print noting that “placing a deposit does not guarantee service.” The company said orders may take up to six months to fulfill depending on the customer’s location.

🪐 Mars Milestone

The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Mars mission entered the red planet’s atmosphere yesterday afternoon and sent a signal back to Earth 204 days after it first launched. With the successful entry, the UAE becomes the first Arab country and fifth globally to reach Mars.

More: Experts estimated the chance of successfully entering Mars’ orbit at ~50% since around half of all Mars missions ultimately fail.

Even More: China’s first independent interplanetary mission, Tianwen-1, is due to enter Mars’ orbit later today.

In Other News…

💰 Reddit raised over $250M in a funding round valuing the company at $6B (2x its last funding round in Feb. 2019).

💉 Uber is launching a pilot program in Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and El Paso, offering free rides to Walgreens stores and clinics to expand COVID-19 vaccine access for underserved communities.

📺 Super Bowl LV was watched by a total of 96.4M viewers according to Nielsen ratings, down from last year’s 102M total viewers. The broadcast broke records as the most live-streamed NFL game ever, up 65% over last year’s Super Bowl.

🐶🍦 A Grand Ol’ Time

Image via Reddit.

After nearly a year of distancing from his family, this 93-year-old was thrilled to finally meet his “great-grandpuppy” that was adopted mid-2020. They visited his favorite ice cream spot to celebrate receiving his vaccination.

Paying it forward...

• After giving up all her birthday presents and asking for monetary donations instead, one 12-year-old in California gifted $700 to the homeless man who returned her grandmother’s wallet – which had found its way into a dumpster just days before.
• NYC’s Girl Scout Troop 6000 is the first of its kind: a troop dedicated to serving kids in the city’s shelter system. Providing a sense of community to homeless youth, 100% of their cookie sales go back to providing resources for the girls’ families.

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