Sunday, November 16
Unpaid toll scams are taking a massive...toll
Ucg/Getty Images
You may have never been to Massachusetts, but you have an unpaid toll there. At least that’s what the text message you got from an unknown number says. Or the message might have something to do with unpaid postal fees (or something similar). But there is no toll and there are no postal fees. There’s only a scam that has netted criminal organizations in China more than $1 billion in three years, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Something phishy going on
The link in the scam message often takes you to a fake government website, where criminals steal any personal information you put in, like credit card or driver’s license numbers. It’s a simple idea, but it’s no simple operation to set up. According to the Wall Street Journal:China-based gangs hire gig workers in the US to set up rooms filled with networking devices and SIM cards so they can send as many messages as possible.
If the scam works, more people are hired in the US to buy things with the stolen money and ship them to China, so it’s harder to track. Those items are then sold on the black market to fund the crime operations.
It’s becoming a lot more common, too: Spam-filtering company Proofpoint says the monthly volume of toll-scam messages has more than tripled since January 2024. In a lawsuit filed this past week, Google accused one group of stealing between 12.7 million and 115 million credit card numbers, just in the US.
How do I know it’s a scam? Your Spidey sense should start tingling if you see the message is from an international number or has multiple other recipients. Also, be wary of urgent calls to action, which scammers use to get people to rush and make mistakes. The actual government will never ask you to pay via wire transfer or gift card.
If it’s a scam message, just treat it like it’s from an ex: Don’t click any links, don’t reply, and consider blocking the number.—BC
Robert Reich
This week’s cave by Senate Democrats was a setback, but we’re still winning
Friends,
I feel emotionally whipsawed. I expect you feel the same.
I was cheered by Mamdani’s election and the Democratic sweep across America.
But I was deeply upset this past week at Senate Democrats who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by caving in to Republicans.
I tell myself that this is what progress looks like in a tempestuous time — a roller coaster whose highs are higher than its lows.
This past week’s Democratic sellout was certainly a low. But the high of the November 4 elections was higher, because it changed the trajectory of the nation.
Besides, the shutdown wasn’t a total failure. It let Democrats spotlight the Republicans’ pending withdrawal of health coverage from millions of Americans. And it revealed more of Trump’s selfish cruelty when he boasted about his lavish White House ballroom and renovated Lincoln Bedroom while refusing food stamp benefits for 42 million people.
At A Glance
Charting the size of the federal workforce since 1939.
An estimated 30,000 US laundromats serve 50% of apartment dwellers with no washer.
Investors own roughly $28T in US Treasury securities, from bonds to T-bills.
How scientists study evolution using 40 years of E. coli generations.
NASA's 11 primary spacewalk spacesuits are over four decades old.
Ten of the most horrifying moments in film.
Did major investment avert the Y2K disaster, or was it never an issue?
Three key physical markers doctors use as signs of aging.
When the quarterback says "Blue 42," it's mostly about rhythm, not words.
How a Kennedy scion's murder conviction was overturned—and the best guess at who really did it.
The time an F1 team purposefully crashed one car to help a teammate win.
Semaglutides have amazing knock-on benefits—and some unexpected side effects.
Watch a pro butcher transform half a pig into eight common meat cuts.
A real-life account of eighth-century Frankish peasants Bodo and Ermentrude.
One of Alaska's homegrown musical traditions is known as Athabascan fiddling.
In The NEWS
New prosecutor takes on Georgia election interference case.
Veteran lawyer Pete Skandalakis will assume the case alleging President Donald Trump and others conspired to overturn his Georgia loss in the 2020 election. The original prosecutor, Fani Willis, was disqualified due to a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she hired. Skandalakis, who heads the nonpartisan group tasked with replacing Willis, said he took the role after several other attorneys declined.
Separately, Trump called on the Justice Department to investigate prominent Democrats and financial institutions' ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The move comes after the House released thousands of emails from the Epstein estate, some of which referenced Trump. Read our previous write-up here.
Walmart CEO to retire, will be replaced by another company veteran.
Doug McMillon will step down Jan. 31 after over a decade at the helm. The 59-year-old, who began his Walmart career as a summer associate in high school, is credited with leading the retailer's expansion into e-commerce. Walmart's market cap grew from roughly $250B to over $800B under his leadership. John Furner, who heads Walmart’s US arm and also began as a store associate, will take over Feb. 1.
Scientists break record for oldest RNA sequencing with woolly mammoth remains.
The RNA came from a roughly 40,000-year-old woolly mammoth named Yuka, whose remains were preserved in Siberian permafrost. The sequencing is significant because RNA decays more quickly than DNA, yet it offers deeper insights into how animals lived. Yuka’s RNA, for example, revealed signs of stress, supporting earlier theories he died after a cave lion attack. The oldest RNA previously sequenced came from a 14,300-year-old wolf puppy.
Blue Origin rocket sends NASA's Mars satellites to space.
Jeff Bezos' company successfully launched a rocket carrying NASA spacecraft destined for Mars, and then successfully landed the rocket's booster for the first time. Bad weather foiled a first launch attempt Sunday, and strong solar activity—responsible for the auroras seen across the US—postponed a Wednesday attempt. Data collected by the spacecraft when they enter Mars' orbit in 2027 could offer insights into why the planet, once wet and warm, became dry and dusty.
Researchers overcome immune hurdle in pig-to-human transplants.
A genetically modified pig kidney survived for 61 days in a brain-dead man, a new record. During this period, researchers collected tissue, blood, and body fluid samples at a pace not possible in living patients. The data provided detailed insights into immune reactions to the transplant, enabling the first successful reversal of a pig organ rejection using a combination of federally approved drugs.
Bad Bunny wins album of the year at Latin Grammy Awards.
The Puerto Rican singer, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, won five of the 12 awards for which he was nominated ahead of his Super Bowl halftime performance in February. His sixth studio album, "DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS," was named album of the year, marking the first time the 31-year-old took home a prize in one of the show's major categories. See the full list of winners here.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Healthwise
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2007 - the year I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's "B" cell Lymphoma and began treatment with Rituxan. The treatment lasted for 6 hours, and my schedule was once a month.
2008 - the year I discovered I had experienced a massive heart attack while walking on the treadmill at home. My body was so healthy that my heart created arteries to bypass the damage.
LAD - 100% blocked
Two major arteries on the left side - 90% blocked
2009/2010 - had my arteries cleaned out and five stints inserts over three operations at NYC Presbyterian Hospital.
2012 - the year I discovered, I had Melanoma on the bottom of my left foot, more than likely the result of being treated with Fludara and Cytoxin for my Lymphoma.
2013 - the year I had three (3) hernias repaired
2015 - the year that my wife and I retired. My career had spanned 45 years.
2016 - the year that my Melanoma metastasized to my groin (from my foot) and I began being treated monthly for two cancers.
2017 - the year I started IVIG monthly infusions to help rebuild my destroyed immune system
2019 - the year that my Melanoma metastasized to my neck, and I began radiation treatments along with Opdivo for Melanoma while receiving Triandra for my Lymphoma.
2021 - the year I had lower back surgery to fuse L2-L3-L4-L5-S1 disks together.
2016-Present - during these years, I have had over eight basil cell carcinoma cancers surgically removed from my body.
2007 - the year I turned 60
2025 - the year I turned 78
My Oncologist, my Cardiologist, and my Dermatologist are the ones who have been keeping me alive for 18 years.
Everyday above ground is a good day for me...
All roads in ancient Rome stretched far longer than previously known
This photo provided by Adam Pažout shows a fragment of a Roman milestone that was erected along the road Via
Nova Traiana in Jordan. Credit: Adam Pažout/Itiner-e via AP
As the saying went, all roads once led to Rome—and those roads stretched 50% longer than previously known, according to a new digital atlas published Thursday.
The last major atlas of ancient Roman road networks was published 25 years ago. Since then, advances in technology and other newly accessible sources have greatly expanded researchers' ability to locate ancient roadways.
Over five years, a team of archaeologists combed through historical records, ancient journals, locations of milestones and other archival data. Scientists then looked for clues in satellite imagery and aerial photography, including recently digitized photos taken from planes during World War II.
Saturday, November 15
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