U.S. officials are urging Americans to use encrypted apps to protect their communications after telecommunications companies were comprised during a recent hack from communist China that is the largest breach in history. A senior FBI official, who asked not be identified, said during a call with reporters that “people looking to further protect their mobile device communications would benefit from considering using a cellphone that automatically receives timely operating system updates, responsibly managed encryption, and phishing resistant MFA (multi-factor authentication) for email, social media, and collaboration tool accounts.” Jeff Greene, an official with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), added: “Encryption is your friend, whether it is on text messaging or you have the capacity to use encrypted voice communication.” He added that the breach was so large in scale that it was “impossible” to know when officials would have a “full eviction” of Chinese hackers from U.S. systems. The warning from U.S. law enforcement comes after Microsoft cybersecurity experts dubbed the cyberattack from the Chinese government “Salt Typhoon” with “Typhoon” denoting that the operation is Chinese and “Salt” indicating that it is a counterintelligence operation. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE The New York Times reported that the Chinese are believed to have hacked systems used by the companies to comply with court-authorized surveillance wiretaps, including Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act collection, one of the secretive measures the U.S. has to uncover networks of terrorists and spies. The Chinese hackers compromised the phones of numerous prominent individuals in politics and national security, including top elected leaders. NBC News reported that the Chinese stole call records and were able to target specific individuals and listen in to live phone calls. One of the concerns that officials had about the Chinese discovering who U.S. officials were communicating with was that it would give them a list of people to target in influence operations aimed at manipulating decision makers. Chinese hackers outnumber all of the FBI’s cyber personnel by at least 50 to 1. They are estimated to have up to 600,000 people involved in their espionage operations. “China’s hacking program is larger than that of every other major nation, combined,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who was nominated to serve as President-elect Donald Trump’s Secretary of State, said last month that the hack was the largest breach he’s ever seen.

On Wednesday, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) bowed out of the race to be the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of the Department of Justice, in the new Congress starting next year. Nadler, who has held either the chairman or ranking member position in the panel for the past several years, revealed his decision in a letter to colleagues while vouching for Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to take his place during the first half of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. “As our country faces the return of Donald Trump, and the renewed threats to our democracy and our way of life that he represents, I am very confident that Jamie would ably lead the Judiciary Committee as we confront this growing danger,” Nadler wrote. News: Rep. JERRY NADLER will be stepping down from race to be the top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee, making the difficult decision after speaking with staff and Rep. Jamie Raskin who announced his bid for the job. Here’s the letter he sent to colleagues, obtained by AP pic.twitter.com/Tgswdt8Yzu — Farnoush Amiri (@FarnoushAmiri) December 4, 2024 The announcement came amid reports of a push within the Democratic Party to pave the way for younger members to take on leadership roles after Republicans completed a 2024 election sweep that included the GOP keeping control of the House while winning back the Senate and the White House. Nadler is 77 while Raskin is 61. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Raskin, who led the January 6-focused impeachment inquiry against Trump and was a member of the now-defunct January 6 Committee, declared his candidacy to become the top Democrat on the judiciary panel earlier this week. In his own letter, Raskin spoke about combating Trump’s “MAGA” movement. “In the 119th Congress, the Judiciary Committee will be the headquarters of Congressional opposition to authoritarianism and MAGA’s campaign to dismantle our Constitutional system and the rule of law as we know it,” Raskin wrote to his colleagues, adding: “I hope to be at the center of this fight.” RELATED: Top Dem Claims He Hasn’t Seen ‘Proof’ Of The FBI Being Weaponized Against The GOP Raskin has held the role of ranking member on the House Oversight Committee for the past couple of years. With Raskin stepping away, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has expressed interest in taking his place, setting up a clash against Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). “I’m having a lot of conversations with my colleagues,” Ocasio-Cortez told reporters. “I think it’s incredibly important that we prepare ourselves fully for an incoming Trump administration as well as fighting for everyday working Americans.”

It’s Christmas time and nothing quite like the thought of being whisked away to a romantic little town with a blanket of snow and carolers. Just imagine what Stars Hollow, Connecticut, would look like right about now. Rory and Lorelai Gilmore would likely be sipping coffee at Luke’s Diner while he whips up a stack of pancakes, and shoppers stop in to warm up. Of course, we can only dream since Gilmore Girls is just nostalgia today. Well, maybe not. Walmart knows how much we love Luke and Lorelai, so they brought us a bit of Stars Hallow just in time for Christmas. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Walmart (@walmart) Luke And Lorelai Just Make People Smile In the new commercial, Lauren Graham reprises her role as Lorelai and Scott Patterson once again becomes Luke. We see Sean Gunn, as Kirk, carrying a large Walmart package into the diner to Luke standing behind the counter. A few seconds later, Lorelai makes her entrance. “Coffee, coffee, coffee, please,” she pleads. “Coming right up,” Luke says and pulls out the large blue Walmart Box. Lorelai opens it to find a Keurig coffeemaker. “Luke, you shouldn’t have,” she says with a smile. He replies, “I had to. You’re drinking me out of business.” Fans loved the commercial and shared their dreams of a reboot on Walmart’s Instagram. One wrote, “I mean..while you have the set all set up you might as well film some more.” This person agreed, “The fact that brands can still use ‘Gilmore Girls’ content as ads is proof the show is iconic!” This fan thinks Lorelai will get little use out of the Keurig. “She’ll plug this in, never use it, and go to Luke’s anyway just to drive him crazy.” We agree with this fan. “Honestly, this marketing team needs a raise. This is iconic!!!!!!!! Made my entire week!!!” This story’s featured image is by Kevin Winter/Getty Images. The post “Gilmore Girls”: Luke & Lorelai Are Back On Screen This Christmas appeared first on InspireMore.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In an era where social media often sets the tone for beauty standards, TikTok’s decision to restrict beauty filters for under-18s signals a significant shift. Teenagers will soon be unable to use filters that artificially enlarge eyes, plump lips, or smooth skin, such as the popular “Bold Glamour” filter. This move, revealed at TikTok’s safety summit in Dublin, follows rising concern about how such filters affect mental health, particularly among young girls. According to experts, the move is long overdue, as the polished images provided by these filters have led some teenagers to consider their true faces unattractive. “We’re seeing a rise in anxiety and falling self-esteem tied to the unrealistic beauty standards these filters promote,” TikTok acknowledged during the forum. While amusing effects such as bunny ears or dog noses remain unaffected, the platform believes that this step would relieve pressure on youth to conform to unrealistic standards. However, the success of this endeavor is dependent on users disclosing their true ages—a substantial obstacle given that many teenagers avoid restrictions by fabricating their birthdates. Strengthened age restrictions: a necessary move In addition to the beauty filter limitations, TikTok is stepping up in its attempts to prevent users under the age of 13 from using the platform. By the end of the year, TikTok intends to test automatic machine-learning techniques meant to more effectively identify underage users. Chloe Setter, TikTok’s lead on child safety public policy, said, “We’re hoping that this will give us the ability to detect and remove more and more quickly.” TikTok already eliminates an estimated 20 million underage accounts per quarter around the world, but regulators such as Ofcom remain wary of the platform’s ability to adequately enforce age limitations. Between June 2022 and March 2023, roughly one percent of TikTok’s monthly UK user base was deleted for being underage. As new restrictions under the UK’s Online Safety Act take effect, platforms such as TikTok are under increased pressure to maintain compliance or face large fines. “It can obviously be annoying for some young people,” Setter said, referring to cases when users were incorrectly blocked, “but we’re taking a safety-first approach.” A new era of online safety regulations TikTok’s adjustments are part of a larger wave of safety precautions being implemented across social media platforms ahead of tougher laws. The UK’s Online Safety Act, which takes effect next summer, would require “highly effective” age verification measures for users under the age of 13. The stakes are enormous, with significant penalties for corporations that fail to meet compliance rules. Other platforms are making similar changes. Roblox, a gaming platform with 90 million daily users, recently implemented limits for its youngest players, safeguarding children from violent and explicit content. Meanwhile, Instagram introduced “teen accounts” for under-18s, giving parents more control over their children’s actions, including overnight usage limits. Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, which focuses on suicide prevention, stated that these adjustments are not wholly altruistic. “It will not escape anyone’s attention that these shifts are being announced largely to comply with EU and UK regulation,” he added. “This makes the case for more ambitious regulation, not less.” Calls for more accountability While TikTok’s actions appear positive, critics contend that they fall short of solving the platform’s fundamental systemic concerns. Burrows has called for greater information about how TikTok’s age verification mechanisms would function and whether they will effectively lower the number of under-13s on the platform. “TikTok should act quickly to fix the systemic weaknesses in its design that allows a torrent of harmful content to be algorithmically recommended to young people aged 13 or over,” said Mr. Cohen. The NSPCC agreed, characterizing TikTok’s activities as “encouraging” but “just the tip of the iceberg.” Richard Collard, the NSPCC’s assistant head of policy for child safety online, emphasized the need for all social media sites to take action. “Ofcom and the government also have an important role to play in compelling tech bosses to deliver age-appropriate experiences for all their users,” Collard declared. As the regulatory landscape develops, platforms must strike a balance between user experience and strong safety measures. While TikTok’s actions represent progress, they also illustrate the difficulty of protecting young people in the digital world.The post TikTok’s ban on beauty filters for teens is a step toward safer social media first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Pakistan has quietly emerged as an unexpected global leader in solar energy adoption. By 2024, the country is forecast to add an amazing 17 gigawatts (GW) of solar power, accounting for more than a third of its production capacity. This quick rise has propelled Pakistan into the ranks of top solar adopters, alongside global powerhouses such as China, the United States, and Germany. “This is probably the most extreme case that has happened in any country in the world with the speed that it’s happening,” said Dave Jones, an energy expert at UK-based think tank Ember. The driving force behind this solar surge is simple: necessity. With an unreliable power supply, skyrocketing energy rates, and life-threatening heat waves, many Pakistanis have turned to low-cost Chinese solar technology as an alternative. The human impact: using the sun to avoid blackouts Shafqat Hussain, an Islamabad resident, says solar power has transformed his life. Hussain felt it was time to take action after a 28-hour blackout during a heatwave left his mother in the hospital with heatstroke. “There is no alternative in this country,” Hussain remarked, describing the effort to cope with Pakistan’s frequent power outages. “When you don’t have electricity, forget about air conditioning—your fans don’t work, your refrigerators are off, and you don’t even have cold water to drink.” He installed solar panels bought from China, and the effects were life-changing. His family’s energy expenditures have decreased by 80 percent, and the threat of blackouts has vanished. “We now have a sense of safety,” he explained, referring to their newfound stability in life. Growing pains: the grid struggles to adapt While the solar expansion is altering people’s lives, it is also causing problems for Pakistan’s national grid operators. With millions switching to solar throughout the day, demand for grid power has plummeted unexpectedly, disrupting operators’ capacity to manage supply and demand. “The way those power plants were planned and funded was to run a minimum number of hours,” Jones explained. “Because they’re no longer meeting those minimum hours, the electricity they do provide is becoming significantly more expensive for the remaining consumers.” The volatility also makes it difficult for grid operators to plan their energy needs. If the government believes this disruption is too great, Jones says, it may implement limits to impede the solar revolution. “What really risks happening in Pakistan now is that you have a blanket ban on any more solar coming in,” he warned. Chinese connection: solar’s global expansion Pakistan’s solar boom is part of a wider global trend driven by the falling cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, which have plummeted by 90 percent in the past 15 years. China, the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of solar panels, is responsible for much of this cost drop. “It is transformative and it’s affordable,” said Azeem Azhar, tech entrepreneur and founder of research group Exponential View. He compared the quick acceptance of solar technology to the PC revolution of the 1980s, which democratized computing. Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, the UAE, Thailand, and South Africa are all riding the wave, purchasing large quantities of Chinese solar panels. However, Pakistan’s specific constraints, including an unreliable system and variable energy prices, have made solar adoption an especially urgent priority. What’s next for Pakistan’s energy revolution? While solar power meets daytime energy needs, battery storage represents the next frontier in Pakistan’s energy change. Currently, solar panels cannot store energy for nighttime use, forcing homeowners to rely on the grid after sunset. However, this could soon change. “We haven’t yet got the price of batteries down far enough to rely on battery backup,” Azhar shared. “But that will happen in the next few years. Batteries are really, really coming down in price.” As battery technology grows more affordable, Pakistan might lessen its reliance on fossil fuels, paving the way for a more sustainable and dependable energy future. The difficulty now is to manage the changeover. Policymakers must find a method to integrate solar into the national grid without punishing consumers or slowing development. For millions of Pakistanis, like Hussain, the stakes could not be greater. “We just couldn’t survive without solar,” Hussain remarked, reflecting on his family’s transformation. As the country navigates the solar revolution, it provides a model for how necessity and creativity may work together to solve even the most difficult energy difficulties.The post Pakistan’s surge in solar me be a promising solution to blackouts first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'This is the natural way of things for Republicans in Washington'

'She will be an extraordinary Representative of our Country'

Just the perfect representation of Biden's presidency

'Did any ISIS terrorists cross the border illegally'

About 1,000 transgender activists and parental rights champions rallied outside the Supreme Court as it heard oral arguments in a case that will decide whether states may ban transgender medical interventions for children. LGBTQ+ activists with the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, the Human Rights Campaign, the Gender Liberation Movement, the Young Feminist Party, and other groups bused in protesters for the “Free to Be Ourselves Rally” on the court’s left. Medical watchdog Do No Harm hosted doctors, detransitioners, and other allies on the right side. A mother told The Daily Signal her family travelled to the rally from Arizona to support her child “Violet,” a biological male identifying as a girl. Violet told his parents he was trans “when she one and a half,” the mother claimed. “She knew since birth,” the woman said. Our One-Year-Old Daughter Told Us She Was Transgender, Says Mom Outside Supreme Court?????Hundreds of pro-transgender demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court today in Washington as the court heard oral arguments about whether states can prohibit “transgender”… pic.twitter.com/oAAvpDIpZf— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 Rich Guggenheim, director of legislation for Gays Against Groomers, said transgender procedures are a “modern-day form of conversion therapy.” He said if most children experiencing gender dysphoria are able to go through puberty, they grow out of it and identify as gay or lesbian. ?‘MODERN DAY FORM OF CONVERSION THERAPY’?Gays Against Groomers Staffer on Transgender Surgery Rich Guggenheim, director of legislation for Gays Against Groomers, speaks outside this same rally in Washington, D.C., as the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether states can ban… https://t.co/exYunVEPxA pic.twitter.com/fxCgZt0Yw1— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 January Littlejohn, senior fellow with Do No Harm, gave advice to other parents whose children are experiencing gender dysphoria. Her daughter fell prey to gender ideology in 2020, and Littlejohn affirmed her—in her biological sex. She led her daughter away from transgender medical procedures. “If we had gone along that pathway,” Littlejohn said, “she would be irreversibly harmed right now.” 'Ideology Has INFILTRATED the Medical Field’?January Littlejohn, Senior Fellow with Do No Harm, tells The Daily Signal that “the U.S. is now an outlier in how we are treating children experiencing distress over their sex.”The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in… pic.twitter.com/pkeq9Auik3— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 A family medicine doctor told The Daily Signal gender that procedures for children constitute “mutilation” and are “anti-science.” BASED Family Doctor Debunks Several Transgender Myths?Today, Dec. 4, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that will decide whether states may ban irreversible transgender medical interventions for children in U.S. v. Skrmetti. @TheElizMitchell pic.twitter.com/3XeFcOVkys— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 A mom and transgender-identifying adolescent at the rally said they want the Supreme Court to rule the Tennessee law unconstitutional because their home state, Louisiana, bans transgender procedures for minors. “The wrong puberty can kill us,” the young person who identified as transgender told The Daily Signal. “There are people here who are alive because they got access to gender-affirming care, and restricting the right to that will kill people.” The mom added that the “most pro-life thing politicians can do” is allow “gender-affirming care” because transgender kids will commit suicide without it. Trans Activist Claims ‘Puberty Can KILL Us’?? “This [puberty blocking] medication is the most PRO-LIFE thing that politicians can do,” said the mother of a mother of a young person who identifies as transgender outside The Supreme Court Wednesday morning. The U.S. Supreme… pic.twitter.com/u3wvNCei11— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) December 4, 2024 In oral arguments, Chase Strangio, the female laywer for the ACLU who identifies as male, admitted that transgender people committing “completed suicide” is extremely rare. Strangio became the first transgender person to argue before the Supreme Court. Harrison Tinsley, a California dad who won a custody battle against his ex-girlfriend who wanted to transition their son, told his story to The Daily Signal. “You just have to speak the truth and love them with all your heart,” he said. Father @Harrisontinz won a custody battle against his ex-girlfriend, who started trying transition their son when he was a baby."I got really lucky." pic.twitter.com/6kU8SrbuB7— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) December 4, 2024 Some rally attendees braved freezing temperatures in order to get a seat inside the court for oral arguments. “Puberty is also gender transition,” a trans person tells @DailySignal while preparing to spend the night outside SCOTUS before US v Skrmetti. “Being denied puberty blockers forces people to transition in a way that they are more likely to regret.” pic.twitter.com/vAA7fICCCD— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) December 3, 2024 The post What I Saw Outside the Supreme Court Amid Oral Arguments About Whether States Can Protect Minors from ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.