https:// 100percentfedup.com/dhs-fbi-alert-russia-hacked-us-power-grid-obama-presidency/

While Barack Obama was busy in the White House, plotting with Black Lives Matter activists and Al Sharpton to divide our nation, the Russians were working to infiltrate our power grids…It’s good to know we have a President who takes our national security seriously, back in the White House.

In March 2014, The Russian Times (RT) published an article about the vulnerabilities of the US Power grids:

The entire US power grid could be shut down for more than a month if just nine of the over 55,000 electric substations placed throughout the nation were sabotaged by terrorists or other criminals, according to a new report.

A study by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) found that just a handful of American substations provide much of the electricity that flows to large swaths of the country, sources familiar with the analysis told Rebecca Smith of the Wall Street Journal. Aside from nuclear power plants there are no federal rules requiring utilities to be protected.

This study, though, found that disabling just nine of these substations could leave much of the country without power for weeks, or possibly even months. There are an estimated 30 “crucial” substations that rely on large power transformers to increase the electricity’s voltage, thereby giving it the capability to move long distances.

The Journal report this week is only the first time the results of the study have been made public. Some officials have known about the results for months and have admitted that they would be open to updating security around the plants as well as changing the way electricity is delivered to Americans.

Former FERC chairman Jon Wellinghoff was one of the officials who briefed top US lawmakers on the contents of the report. He recommended that officials propose new security standards for the crucial facilities no later than June.

>>686215

Yesterday, The Department of Homeland Security and FBI reported that the Russian government was responsible for a “multi-stage intrusion campaign, and had gained remote access to our energy sector networks during former President Barack Obama’s final term in office:

Reuters – The Trump administration on Thursday blamed the Russian government for a campaign of cyber attacks stretching back at least two years that targeted the U.S. power grid, marking the first time the United States has publicly accused Moscow of hacking into American energy infrastructure.

Beginning in March 2016, or possibly earlier, Russian government hackers sought to penetrate multiple U.S. critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, nuclear, commercial facilities, water, aviation and manufacturing, according to a U.S. security alert published Thursday.

The Department of Homeland Security and FBI said in the alert that a “multi-stage intrusion campaign by Russian government cyber actors” had targeted the networks of small commercial facilities “where they staged malware, conducted spear phishing, and gained remote access into energy sector networks.” The alert did not name facilities or companies targeted.

The direct condemnation of Moscow represented an escalation in the Trump administration’s attempts to deter Russia’s aggression in cyberspace, after senior U.S. intelligence officials said in recent weeks the Kremlin believes it can launch hacking operations against the West with impunity.

It coincided with a decision Thursday by the U.S. Treasury Department to impose sanctions on 19 Russian people and five groups, including Moscow’s intelligence services, for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and other malicious cyber attacks.

Russia in the past has denied it has tried to hack into other countries’ infrastructure, and vowed on Thursday to retaliate for the new sanctions.

‘UNPRECEDENTED AND EXTRAORDINARY’

U.S. security officials have long warned that the United States may be vulnerable to debilitating cyber attacks from hostile adversaries. It was not clear what impact the attacks had on the firms that were targeted.

But Thursday’s alert provided a link to an analysis by the U.S. cyber security firm Symantec last fall that said a group it had dubbed Dragonfly had targeted energy companies in the United States and Europe and in some cases broke into the core systems that control the companies’ operations

Not sure if posted already…

https:// euobserver.com/tickers/141328

SLOVENIAN PM RESIGNS OVER COURT RULING AND PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKES

Slovenian prime minister Miro Cerar unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday after the country's top court annulled a September referendum that approved a €1bn railway project - the centre-left government's biggest investment programme. Cerar has lately been under growing pressure from strikes and protests by public-sector workers including teachers, police and nurses demanding higher pay. The resignation comes a few months ahead of general election which was expected in June.

WHATS IN A NAME…

https:// m .fin24.com/Companies/Agribusiness/rupert-rothschild-vignerons-ceo-resigns-after-20-years-20180316

RUPERT & ROTHSCHILD VIGNERONS CEO RESIGNS AFTER 20 YEARS

17:55 16/03/2018

Cape Town - Schalk-Willem Joubert has resigned as CEO of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons after a career of 20 years.

During that time, he played a major role in building the winery into a premier South African brand with a portfolio of wines.

He will leave the service of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons at the end of May to pursue new opportunities in the SA wine industry.

Johann Rupert, chair of the board of directors of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, says it has been an honour to have had Joubert at the winery for two decades.

“He was with us from our first harvest in 1998 and grew with the brand through his skill as a winemaker and manager, sharing our vision of becoming a pre-eminent name in South African wine,” says Rupert.

“Schalk-Willem helped us achieve this, and everyone in the industry recognises the contribution he made. I wish him well for the future and have known him long enough to know he will make a success of whatever he chooses to take on from here.”

Resignations,,, all over the place ….

https:// www.ft.com/content/ef661f42-293a-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0

BAML’S BREXIT PLANNING HITS SNAG AS EUROPEAN HEAD

Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s European head Alex Wilmot-Sitwell has quietly resigned from the bank, throwing a spanner in the works for its Brexit planning and post Brexit leadership. Mr Wilmot-Sitwell, who was BAML’s co-president for Europe and Emerging Markets (ex Asia) for the last six years, handed in his resignation earlier this week, people familiar with the situation told the Financial Times. The bank informed staff of his departure in a memo sent just before 5pm

The Briton has been a key figure in the bank’s Brexit planning and was named as chairman of the Frankfurt-based broker dealer which will take over BAML’s EU markets business after the UK quits the bloc in 2019. It is understood that his departure was amicable and related in part to the changes to his role and BAML’s structure after Brexit. The bank is splitting its existing EU headquarters in London into a broker dealer in Frankfurt and a banking business in Dublin to serve EU clients, and a London-based entity to serve UK clients. Before joining BAML, Mr Wilmot-Sitwell was chairman of UBS’s investment bank, which was one of the biggest in the world during his time there (before being dramatically scaled back in 2012). His future plans are unclear; he has six months notice at BAML, as do most of its senior UK executives.

https:// www. columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/county-collector-resigns-as-fbi-investigates-county-funds/article_c42c2435-d595-58b6-a3d3-ca7b8a255cdc.html

Resignation

County collector resigns as FBI investigates county funds

The Associated Press

FULTON — A mid-Missouri county collector has resigned after suspicious activity was found in the county's checking account.

Callaway County officials say collector Pam Oestreich resigned suddenly Thursday and the collector's office is closed until further notice.

Prosecuting attorney Chris Wilson said in a news release that the FBI has been contacted as part of the investigation into county's checking account.

Oestreich resigned after meeting with county officials. She was serving her fourth term in office.

The county clerk currently is overseeing tax records from the collector's office. The county clerk will appoint someone to audit the records.