Trump Administration Cuts 10,000 Jobs at U.S. Health Agencies Amid Controversy

A staggering 1.7 billion passwords were leaked on the dark web in 2024, according to cybersecurity researchers at Fortinet. This surge reflects an alarming 500% increase in infostealer malware activity over the past year, targeting individual devices rather than centralized databases. Infostealers, programs specifically designed to extract sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and session tokens, operate through active infections on users' machines. Once installed, they can scan for credentials stored in browsers and digital wallets. The resulting data is often sold by initial access brokers to other cybercriminals, enabling widespread exploitation, including attacks on personal bank accounts and corporate networks. Fortinet's 2025 Global Threat Landscape Report highlighted several rampant infostealers, including RedLine, Vidar, and Raccoon. Users are urged to adopt a mix of strong security habits, such as using password managers, enabling two-factor authentication, and maintaining updated security software to mitigate risks associated with this growing threat. Experts suggest that maintaining vigilance against phishing attempts and avoiding dubious downloads are essential steps to protect personal information from cybercriminals.

NASA has unveiled a breathtaking image of a black hole consuming a star in an event known as a Tidal Disruption Event (TDE), which occurred 600 million light-years from Earth. The image was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and features a bright dot representing the burst of radiation emitted during the star's destruction. According to NASA's post on X, "A black hole revealed itself from 600 million light-years away when it ripped apart and swallowed a star." Yuhan Yao, a lead study author at the University of California, Berkeley, stated that this is the first offset TDE identified by optical sky surveys, hinting at the potential for discovering wandering black holes in the future. TDEs occur when a star strays too close to a black hole, resulting in its debris being stretched and heated, producing intense bursts of energy. Ryan Chornock, an associate adjunct professor at UC Berkeley, emphasized that these events are crucial for detecting massive black holes that are otherwise difficult to observe.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Microsoft founder Bill Gates accused billionaire Elon Musk of jeopardizing global health by cutting funding to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Gates stated that these funding cuts threaten to revive diseases like measles, HIV, and polio. "The picture of the world's richest man killing the world's poorest children is not a pretty one," Gates remarked, urging Musk to witness the effects of such financial decisions firsthand. Gates also announced his commitment to give away 99% of his wealth through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a pledge of an additional $200 billion over the next two decades. The foundation has already donated over $100 billion to combat global health and poverty issues. According to his blog, Gates stated the foundation plans to cease operations by December 31, 2045, emphasizing, "There are too many urgent problems to solve for me to hold onto resources." With a personal fortune of $168 billion, Gates remains one of the wealthiest individuals globally and aims to address significant societal challenges through his philanthropic efforts.