Sep 18, 2017

Report: Equifax faces criminal probe over stock sales

Shannon Vavra

The DOJ has launched a criminal investigation into the Equifax breach, because three of its executives sold stock in the company after the company found out it had been hacked and before the company disclosed the breach, Bloomberg reports, citing "people familiar with the investigation."

  • The Securities and Exchange Commission is also said to be weighing in on the investigation.
  • Equifax and those executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment. They have previously said those executives "had no knowledge that an intrusion had occurred at the time they sold their shares."
  • The personal identifying information of as many as 143 million Americans was compromised in the Equifax breach.

Why it matters: Stocks fell 35% after the breach was disclosed, but were little changed before that, in effect, making those stock trades beneficial for those top execs.

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Axios

South Korea on red alert as coronavirus cases soar past 600

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus has spread to more nations as South Korea and Italy in particular scramble to deal with spikes in their countries.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed at least 2,446 people and infected almost 79,000 others, mostly in mainland China. South Korean President Moon Jae-said country would increase its infectious disease alert to red, the highest level possible, the New York Times reports, as the number of cases in the country jumped to 602 and the death toll to five. Italy's government announced emergency measures Sunday after infections rose to 79.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 20 mins ago - Health
Axios

Bernie Sanders wins Nevada caucus

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders waves to supporters at a campaign rally on Friday in Las Vegas. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders is projected to handily win the Nevada Democratic primary caucus, becoming the clear frontrunner among 2020 Democratic presidential primary election candidates.

Why it matters: Nevada is the first state with a diverse population to hold a nominating contest, highlighting candidates' abilities to connect with voters of color — particularly Latino voters.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 46 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Rebecca Falconer

Heat wave melts 20% of snow cover from Antarctic island in days

The effects of February's record heat wave on Eagle Island in Antarctica. Photo: NASA

Antarctica's Eagle Island now has a side that's almost ice-free following this month's searing heat wave in the region, images released by NASA show.

Why it maters: "The warm spell caused widespread melting on nearby glaciers," NASA said in its report. It's the third major melt event of the 2019-2020 Southern Hemisphere summer, following warm spells in January and last November, according to the United Nation's World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Go deeperArrow3 hours ago - Energy & Environment