Jan 31, 2019

Rand Paul wins $580,000 in lawsuit against neighbor who assaulted him

Sen. Rand Paul. Photo: Aaron P. Bernstein via Getty Images

A Kentucky jury has awarded Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) about $580,000 in damages in a lawsuit against Paul's neighbor, who assaulted the senator and broke several of his ribs in November 2017, the AP reports.

The backdrop: An attorney for Paul's neighbor, Rene Boucher, said at the time that the attack was "over a matter that most people would regard as trivial." NBC later reported, however, that animosity between the two may have been a result of "Boucher's distaste for Paul's politics, as well as those of his father," former Texas congressman Ron Paul. Boucher plans to appeal the ruling.

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Inside hackers' pivot to medical espionage

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

A wave of cyber-spying around COVID-19 medical research is once more demonstrating the perils of treating cybersecurity as a separate, walled-off realm.

Driving the news: U.S. officials recently announced an uptick in Chinese-government affiliated hackers targeting medical research and other facilities in the United States for data on a potential COVID-19 cure or effective treatments to combat the virus. Additionally, “more than a dozen countries have redeployed military and intelligence hackers to glean whatever they can about other nations’ virus responses,” reports the New York Times.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow27 mins ago - Technology

The downsides of remote work

Data: Reproduced from Prudential/Morning Consult "Pulse of the American Worker Survey"; Chart: Axios Visuals

The coronavirus pandemic has forced a large-scale experiment in working from home. It has gone well enough that many companies are expanding their remote work expectations for the foreseeable future, and remote employees want to continue to work that way.

Yes, but: The downsides of remote work — less casual interaction with colleagues, an over-reliance on Zoom, lack of in-person collaboration and longer hours — could over time diminish the short-term gains.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow42 mins ago - Economy & Business

Hong Kong's economic future hangs in the balance

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

As Beijing forces a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, the once semi-autonomous city's status as one of Asia's largest financial hubs is at risk.

Why it matters: Political freedoms and strong rule of law helped make Hong Kong a thriving center for international banking and finance. But China's leaders may be betting that top firms in Hong Kong will trade some political freedoms for the economic prosperity Beijing can offer.

Go deeper (3 min. read)Arrow47 mins ago - Economy & Business