Category: The Washington Free Beacon
The Last Time New York Hit Rock Bottom
Jonathan Mahler’s first book, the 2005 Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, was a work of historical journalism that re-created the summer and fall of 1977. Mahler interweaved the story of the New York Yankees World Series-winning season with the chaotic events in the city that year, including the Son of Sam murders, the massive city-wide blackout that summer, and the free-for-all mayoral election that featured Ed Koch, Mario Cuomo, and Bella Abzug.
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A Book So Bad It Shattered Liberals’ Faith in DEI
Karine Jean-Pierre can’t stop making history. Earlier this year, the former White House press secretary became the highest-ranking openly queer, French-born black woman with a hyphenated surname to publicly renounce the Democratic Party for being mean to Joe Biden. She is the only black female lesbian immigrant to publish a book about her time in the Biden administration. It is the worst political memoir ever written in the history of the English language.
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Dan Osborn Campaign Staffer Called To Defund Police and Attended Anti-Cop Rally With Severed Pig Heads
Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn, a self-described centrist, has pledged to “stand up” for police officers and to ensure the “safety and security of our communities.” One of Osborn’s first campaign hires has called to defund police departments and attended an anti-police rally in Omaha that featured severed pig heads.
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Last Exit Before Superstardom
Bruce Springsteen writes happy music with sad lyrics. The exceptions to this are the two 1980s albums that sandwiched his happiest record of all. Born in the U.S.A., which came out in 1984, was preceded by Nebraska, from 1982, and Tunnel of Love, from 1987. Tunnel of Love is more than sad. It sounds like tricyclic antidepressants set to music: minor chords and moany lyrics in a padded cell of synths and numbly metronomic drum programming. Nebraska is also more than sad. It is tragic, and bare and raw where Tunnel of Love is overstuffed and dull.
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The Disastrous KJP New Yorker Interview
The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner recently interviewed former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre by phone regarding her new book,…
Japan at the Crossroads
Japan is by nature a rather conservative country and has managed to preserve many of the most cherished aspects of…
Eastern Horizons: New Alliance Architecture for Israel
Reports of Israel’s global ostracism are greatly exaggerated. Even before the current cease-fire reduced the sound and the fury of…
Federal Judge Rules Trump Cannot Enforce Voter Registration Proof-Of-Citizenship Order
‘The judge found this requirement illegal.’
This city bought 300 Chinese electric buses — then found out China can turn them off at will
A city had a rude awakening when it tested its electric buses for security flaws.
Some cities have gone all-in on their dedication to renewable energy and electric public transportation, but discovering that a jurisdiction does not actually control its own public property likely was not part of the idea.
‘In theory, the bus could therefore be stopped or rendered unusable.’
This turned out to be exactly the case when Ruter — the public transportation authority for Oslo, Norway — decided to run tests on its new Chinese electric buses.
Approximately 300 e-buses from Chinese company Yutong made their way to Norway earlier this year, with outlet China Buses calling it a “core breakthrough” in Chinese brands’ global reach.
Yutong offers at least 15 different types of electric buses ranging from 60- to 120-passenger capacity.
As reported by Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten on Tuesday, Ruter conducted secret testing on some of its electric buses over the summer. It decided to look into one bus from a European manufacturer, as well as another from Yutong, to address cybersecurity risks.
The test results were shocking.
RELATED: Cybernetics promised a merger of human and computer. Then why do we feel so out of the loop?
Photo by Li An/Xinhua via Getty Images
Investigators discovered that the Chinese-built buses could be controlled remotely from their homeland, unlike the European vehicles.
Ruter reported that the Chinese can access software updates, diagnostics, and battery systems remotely, and, “In theory, the bus could therefore be stopped or rendered unusable by the manufacturer.”
The details were described by Arild Tjomsland, who helped conduct the tests. Tjomsland is a special adviser at the University of South-Eastern Norway, according to Turkish website AA.
“The Chinese bus can be stopped, turned off, or receive updates that can destroy the technology that the bus needs to operate normally,” Tjomsland reportedly said. He additionally noted that while the buses could not be steered remotely, they could still be shut down and used as leverage by bad actors.
Pravda Norway described the situation as the Chinese government essentially being able to decommission the buses at any time.
Photo by Lyu You/Xinhua via Getty Images
Norway’s transport minister praised Ruter for completing the tests and said the government would initiate a risk assessment related to countries “with which Norway does not have security policy cooperation.”
Ruter’s CEO, Bernt Reitan Jenssen, said the company plans on working with authorities to strengthen the cybersecurity surrounding its public infrastructure.
“We need to involve all competent authorities that deal with cybersecurity, stand together, and draw on cutting-edge expertise,” Jenssen said.
As a temporary fix, Ruter revealed the buses can be disconnected from the internet by removing their SIM cards to assume “local control should the need arise.”
There was no word as to whether the SIM cards are upsized for buses.
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Republican candidate narrows the gap in NJ governor race with the help of key Dem endorsements
Democrats were expected to sail through the New Jersey gubernatorial race, but preliminary polls show the GOP candidate is narrowing the gap.
Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli was at a nine-point disadvantage behind Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill back in August, according to RealClearPolling. In a matter of weeks, Ciattarelli has managed to narrow Sherrill’s advantage from nearly double digits to just 3.6 points.
‘He is the right person to lead New Jersey in the right direction.’
Ciattarelli secured an endorsement from President Donald Trump, who called him “a terrific America First Candidate.” At the same time, the Republican has earned endorsements from local Democrats, which may have helped Ciattarelli close in on Sherrill’s lead.
“Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World?” Trump asked in a recent Truth Social post. “VOTE REPUBLICAN for massive Energy Cost reductions, large scale Tax Cuts, and basic Common Sense!”
RELATED: Kelsey Grammer endorses Republican in dead-heat NJ governor race
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Although securing support from the MAGA base is key, New Jersey’s traditionally blue voting record makes bipartisan endorsements key in the gubernatorial race.
Ciattarelli recently received an endorsement from New Era Democrats President Celia Iervasi, who emphasized the issue of affordability and taxes.
“As life continues to become unaffordable for the working class, and New Jersey continues to be one of the highest-taxed states in the country, Jack is the right person that is needed to make life more affordable for the residents of the Garden State,” Iervasi said. “We look forward to joining a coalition of organizations that are supporting Jack in the upcoming election and know that he is the right person to lead New Jersey in the right direction.”
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Iervasi is just one of several Democrats and Democrat supporters who have thrown their support behind Ciattarelli. Democrats like North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco, North Bergen Commissioner Allen Pascual, Dover Mayor Jim Dodd, Branchville Mayor Anthony Frato, Branchville Councilman Jeff Lewis, and former Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Anthony Vainieri have all come out in support of the Republican candidate.
Garfield Mayor Everett Garnto also endorsed Ciattarelli as he announced that he was changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.
“It’s not just Republicans who are crying out for change,” Ciattarelli told a crowd following Garnto’s endorsement. “It’s unaffiliated, independent voters and yes, even moderate Democrats who’ve come to the realization that this current administration has failed.”
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