Edition 44: weighing the odds (and the customers) at restaurants
(This newsletter was sent to email subscribers on August 19, 2020.)
Happy Wednesday, muggles. Tech giant Apple is comparing apples to pears, filing a lawsuit over a small startup’s pear logo by saying it looks too similar to the apple logo. This isn’t the first time Apple has opposed other fruit-related logos, but “Prepear,” an app for cooking recipes, is trying to raise funds to defend against the tech giant. Meanwhile, we’re giving these stories a fighting chance.
GOVERNMENT
Report finds two Dept. of Homeland Security officials are serving illegally
Fri Aug 14
The Government Accountability Office released a report saying President Trump’s top two officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are serving illegally.
What makes the appointments illegal?
When Kirstjen Nielsen was forced out of her position as Secretary of Homeland Security, the administration skipped over the correct order of succession to name an acting secretary, invalidating any appointments made by the Acting Secretary.
Who is serving illegally?
- Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of DHS
- Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, deputy secretary
What happens next?
It’s unclear because the Government Accountability Office can’t enforce its findings and because the Trump Administration is rejecting the findings. Democrats in the House have called for Wolf and Cuccinelli to step down.
From Acciyo:
Looks like alarms were raised on this in 2019, but Wolf and Cuccinelli were still appointed a month later! We found this article through our own product Acciyo, a free browser plugin that automatically shows articles previously published on the topic you’re currently reading.
SOURCES: The New York Times, Associated Press, CNN
CYBERSECURITY
Canadian government suffers cyberattack
Mon Aug 17
Over the weekend, the Canadian government was hit by hundreds of thousands of attempted cyberattacks. The attackers targeted 12 million accounts and were able to access more than 11,000 of them.
How did the attackers do it?
By “credential stuffing,” which uses lists of previously stolen usernames and passwords from other sites to gain access to accounts
What was affected?
- The Canada Revenue Agency, which was providing benefits to millions during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Government services to apply or redirect payments, but it has since been contained.
The lesson…
Don’t use the same username and passwords for multiple sites. The hackers only gained access to usernames and passwords that were previously stolen on non-government sites. And unlike actual keys, these can be used to break in digitally within seconds.
CHINA
Chinese restaurant apologizes for weighing customers
Mon Aug 17
A restaurant chain in China had diners weigh themselves and then suggested menu items based on the results, but as you can imagine… people were not happy.
Why did this happen?
It was part of a “clean plate” campaign announced last week by the President to reduce food waste because of potential weather and pandemic-related food shortages. Besides weighing customers, the restaurant also posted signs that read, “be thrifty and diligent” and “clean your plate.”
What are other businesses doing to reduce food waste?
- A catering association is encouraging customers to order one fewer dish than the number of people eating
- Apps which show people eating a lot of food have warned video creators they could be blocked if they keep promoting excessive eating
SOURCES: CNN, BBC, New York Post
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That’s all for today. Have a magical week.✨
