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Today: Federal court blocks Alabama's congressional map as racially discriminatory after Supreme Court remand. Romanian national sentenced to 56 months for hacking Oregon emergency management systems and selling network access on dark web. FBI warns Silent Ransom Group targeting law firms with social engineering and in-person data theft operations.
Romanian national sentenced for Oregon government hack and network access sales
Catalin Dragomir received a 56-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft and unauthorized computer access. Operating under the alias "inthematrixl" on dark web forums, Dragomir breached Oregon's Office of Emergency Management in June 2021 and sold administrative credentials to other cybercriminals. He exfiltrated employee personally identifiable information including names, email addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. The investigation linked Dragomir to breaches at 10 additional U.S. companies, causing at least $250,000 in damages. Prosecutors secured his extradition from Romania in November 2024.
DOJ dismisses ICE protester charges after prosecutorial misconduct
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros dismissed federal misdemeanor charges against ICE protesters with prejudice after discovering serious grand jury misconduct. The lead prosecutor met with a grand juror outside formal proceedings, excluded dissenting grand jurors from participation, and engaged in improper vouching by staking personal credibility on charges rather than presenting evidence. U.S. District Judge April Perry called the conduct unprecedented in thousands of grand jury transcripts reviewed during her tenure. The dismissal with prejudice bars refiling the charges.
Federal court again blocks Alabama congressional map as intentionally discriminatory
A three-judge federal panel blocked Alabama from using its 2023 congressional map, ruling it violates the Fourteenth Amendment through intentional race-based discrimination against Black voters. The ruling came after the Supreme Court remanded the case for reconsideration in light of Louisiana v. Callais. The panel concluded the Supreme Court's new standard did not change the constitutional finding that Alabama "intentionally discriminated based on race in violation of the Constitution." Alabama Solicitor General A. Barrett Bowdre immediately appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing the ruling forces voters to use a "court-drawn racially gerrymandered map" ahead of the 2026 election. Justice Sonia Sotomayor previously dissented from the Supreme Court's remand order, noting the constitutional finding of intentional discrimination was "independent of and unaffected by" the legal issues in Callais.
ADT class action filed over data breach exposing customer PII
A class action lawsuit alleges ADT, the home security and smart automation provider, failed to adequately protect customer personally identifiable information during a data breach affecting millions of customers. The complaint claims the breach exposed customers to identity theft and fraud risks.
National Debt Relief sued for spam emails with tracking pixels targeting veterans
National Debt Relief faces a class action lawsuit alleging it sent spam emails to veterans that falsely appeared to originate from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The complaint claims the company used tracking pixels to monitor consumers without consent.
Harvard Pilgrim class action alleges ghost network fraud
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care faces a class action lawsuit claiming the insurer maintained a grossly inaccurate directory of mental health providers, deceiving members about available in-network care. The complaint characterizes the inaccurate provider directory as "ghost network" fraud.
Supreme Court denies qualified immunity review in George Floyd protest excessive force case
The Supreme Court declined to hear a Michigan police officer's appeal seeking qualified immunity protection from an excessive force claim arising from a George Floyd protest. Officer Phillip Reinink shot a tear gas canister designed to be fired into the air directly at protester Sean Hart, causing injuries. The 6th Circuit ruled Hart's case can proceed. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito noted they would have ruled in favor of Reinink and granted qualified immunity.
Supreme Court declines NFL arbitration dispute in racial discrimination case
The Supreme Court denied the NFL's petition seeking to enforce its arbitration agreement in coach Brian Flores' racial discrimination lawsuit. Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated he would have granted review. The denial allows Flores' lawsuit, filed in early 2022 against the NFL and three teams, to proceed in district court.
Supreme Court summarily reverses 4th Circuit on party-presentation principle
In Margolin v. National Association of Immigration Judges, the Supreme Court reversed a 4th Circuit decision for violating the party-presentation principle. The appeals court decided a broader question the parties had not raised about whether the Civil Service Reform Act's administrative review scheme should be bypassed when "not functioning as Congress intended." The per curiam opinion held disputes over government speech policies for immigration judges must proceed through CSRA administrative review rather than in district court. Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, concurred to say the 4th Circuit was also wrong on the merits.
Dutch police arrest suspect in Ajax football club breach
Dutch National Police arrested a 35-year-old man in Buren suspected of repeatedly accessing Ajax football club's computer systems without authorization. The arrest follows a March data breach where a hacker exploited an unpatched vulnerability to access email addresses of several hundred individuals and personal information of people subject to stadium bans. Dutch broadcaster RTL reported the breach potentially exposed information belonging to more than 300,000 registered supporters and could have affected more than 42,000 season tickets. Authorities seized multiple digital storage devices during a home search.
HHS Secretary Kennedy fires U.S. Preventive Services Task Force leadership
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated the appointments of the two doctors chairing the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in letters dated May 11. The task force is a volunteer panel that works with government to determine which preventative care procedures insurers must cover without copay. HHS had already indefinitely postponed scheduled public meetings over the past year, leaving updates on cervical cancer screenings and other topics in limbo. The termination letters provided no explanation. Former task force chairman Dr. Michael Silverstein called the move "a level of government intrusion into scientific processes that I've not experienced in my 10 years on the task force." The task force was prevented from publishing its final update to cervical cancer screening guidelines and updates on maternal depression recommendations.
FBI issues warning on extortion hackers targeting law firms
The FBI issued a public advisory Tuesday warning that Silent Ransom Group (also tracked as Luna Moth, Chatty Spider, and UNC3753) is conducting sophisticated social engineering campaigns against U.S. law firms. The group, linked to the defunct Conti ransomware syndicate, has been active since 2022 and focuses on data theft and extortion rather than encryption. Recent tactics include posing as internal IT personnel via phone calls and phishing emails to obtain remote desktop access, and sending individuals to victim offices claiming to need physical computer access for backup or imaging. The group uses legitimate remote management tools and transfers stolen data through Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive to blend with normal business operations. Law firms are targeted because they hold large volumes of sensitive legal, financial, and corporate information. The group has also targeted healthcare, insurance, and financial sector organizations.
FBI releases 2025 Internet Crime Report
The FBI published its 2025 Internet Crime Report documenting cybercrime statistics and trends. The report provides data on reported incidents, financial losses, and common attack vectors.
Iranian intelligence service attributed to LA transit system hack
Israeli security firm Gambit Security attributed the March breach of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) to Iranian intelligence service MOIS. The hacking group, calling itself Ababil of Minab, claimed to have exfiltrated data and destroyed infrastructure. Gambit researchers found forensic evidence tying the group to prior Iran-backed attacks attributed to MOIS by Israel's National Cyber Directorate, including custom exfiltration tooling. The attackers erased databases, virtual machines, and storage volumes using both automated scripts and hands-on-keyboard activity, targeting virtualization, storage, and backup infrastructure to deny recovery. Additional victims include an Israeli media organization, an Israeli university, a Turkish insurance brokerage, Saudi Arabian entities, and multiple websites across restaurant, culture, digital services, and news sectors. The report warns that modern intrusion operators are moving from initial access straight into recovery layers, and that AI capabilities will soon enable any actor to execute this type of campaign.
Australian social media ban reduces teen news consumption
Research published in February 2026 surveying 1,027 young Australians aged 10-17 found that 51% of those whose social media use was significantly disrupted by Australia's December 2025 social media ban reported getting less news as a direct result. Only 26% of under-16s reported their social media use had been affected by the ban, but for those affected, news engagement dropped substantially. Young people also reported fewer opportunities to discuss news and issues that matter to them. The researchers warn that as the ban becomes more successful at removing young people from platforms, news engagement will continue to decline. This occurs as school students' civics knowledge has reached its lowest point in 20 years according to a 2025 Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority report. Most young Australians say traditional news organizations don't represent or focus on issues relevant to them.
Army Gen. Joshua Rudd orders Cyber Command modernization reviews
The new head of U.S. Cyber Command commissioned two studies to examine modernization of the military's digital warfare arm. Gen. Rudd, who took command of Cyber Command and the NSA in March, tapped MITRE to conduct a wide-ranging review examining the organization's acquisition model and "service like authorities" granted by Congress that allow it to manage and equip personnel without being an independent military branch. The evaluation will be folded into Rudd's own 90-day review expected to be completed next month. Rudd also convened senior leaders with special operations experience to conduct an internal study for "quick wins." The reviews come as the Pentagon implements "CYBERCOM 2.0," a force generation strategy aimed at boosting agility through a Cyber Innovation Warfare Center resembling other rapid acquisition offices. President Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget requests $75 million for the initiative.
FCC Chairman Carr seeks public comment on The View equal-time inquiry
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr issued a public notice seeking comment on whether ABC's The View qualifies for the bona fide news interview program exemption to the FCC's equal-time rule. The inquiry stems from The View hosting Texas Democrat James Talerico in February without platforming a Republican voice. ABC's filing notes The View received an FCC Bona Fide Exemption in 2002 and that most talk shows have been broadly exempt since 1984. The notice asks whether The View qualifies as bona fide news, whether the equal opportunities statute passes constitutional scrutiny, and whether decisions on format and participants are based on newsworthiness or attempts to oppose or support particular candidates. Critics characterize the inquiry as a censorial response to the show's criticism of the Trump administration.
Telecom industry funds covert opposition to Massachusetts community broadband
A dark money group called "Mass Priorities" operated by the Minnesota-based Domestic Policy Caucus, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that refuses to disclose its funding sources, conducted campaigns against municipal broadband efforts in Massachusetts towns including Longmeadow, West Springfield, and Southwick. Longmeadow residents voted down an $8.6 million loan for the initial phase of a $27 million fiber project that would have been funded by a $97 annual property tax increase. Mass Priorities used texts, calls, mailers, and door-to-door visits to oppose the project. The group has consistently targeted communities across the country considering building their own broadband networks. Unlike community broadband advocates, the group has no legal limitations on how much it can spend to influence voters.