newsweek--2020-12-18--7 Wild Keith Richards Stories to Celebrate the Rolling Stone's 77th Birthday

If there is one man who is going to outlive all of us , it 's probably Keith Richards .
The guitarist of the Rolling Stones was born on this day in 1943 , and there 's very little that Richards has n't done as the personification of drugs , sex and rock ' n ' roll .
He 's started a fire in the original Playboy Mansion , avoided major drug charges and managed to stay awake for over a week straight once while working on the album Some Girls .
Life , his 2010 memoir , which this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wild stories about his love of music , touring the world with the Stones , his relationships with women , and several drug-laced misadventures .
He 's also given many candid interviews , sharing more information we ever knew we 'd want .
Impressively , Richards says he has n't forgotten any of the incredible events throughout his 77 years .
What better way to celebrate Richards ' birthday than sharing some legendary stories of the Stones guitarist ?
He Stayed Awake for Nine Days Straight Richards boasted that he stayed awake for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Before They Make Me Run , '' from the 1978 album Some Girls .
`` Adrenaline is the most amazing thing we have , '' he claimed in 1992 , in Rolling Stone .
`` Nine days without a wink , '' Richards continued .
`` I fell asleep standing up , eventually.… I was just putting another cassette back on the shelf , and I was feeling great , and I turned 'round and fell asleep .
I fell against the edge of the speaker .
Woke up in a pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claret ? ''
He Set the Original Playboy Mansion on Fire While touring in America in 1972 , Richards and band musician Bobby Keys lit a bathroom in the Chicago Playboy Mansion on fire while doing drugs .
Hugh Hefner used to split his time between this location and the Los Angeles house , and the Stones spent the night there while passing through .
Luckily , no one was harmed .
`` [ Saxophonist ] Bobby [ Keys ] and I played it a little far when we set fire to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Well , we did n't , the dope did .
Not our fault .
Bobby and I were just sitting in the john , comfortable , nice john , sitting on the floor , and we 've got the doc 's bag , and we 're just smorgasbording . ''
Richards continued : `` ' I wonder what these do ? '
Bong .
And at a certain point ... talk about hazy , or foggy , Bobby says , 'It 's smoky in here . '
And I 'm looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him .
And the drapes are smoldering away ; everything was just about to go off big-time ...
There was a thumping on the door , waiters and guys in black suits bringing buckets of water .
They get the door open and we 're sitting on the floor , our pupils very pinned .
I said , 'We could have done that ourselves .
How dare you burst in on our private affair ? '
'' He Was Pulled Over in a Car Filled With Drugs—and Got Away With It At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he , Ronnie Wood and two friends were pulled over by the police in 1975 while the Stones were touring in the United States .
Their car was filled with drugs , and they easily could have faced major consequences .
`` I had a denim cap with all these pockets in it that were filled with dope , '' he said .
`` Everything was filled with dope .
In the car doors themselves , all you had to do was pop the panels , and there were plastic bags of coke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oh my god , how are we going to get out of this ? ''
They were arrested .
Ultimately , they were let free after calling in some favors and participating in some photo ops with the presiding judge .
The police found nothing they could legally use against them , and there was no reason to charge them .
Richards had to pay a $ 162 fine and was slapped with a misdemeanor for reckless driving .
He also noted that 30 years later , the governor of Arkansas granted him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the car ?
`` We left it in this garage loaded with dope , '' Richards said .
`` I 'd like to know what happened to that stuff .
Maybe they never took the panels off .
Maybe someone 's still driving it around , still filled with s*** . ''
In 1967 , Richards ' Redlands home was the site of one of the most infamous drug raids of the '60s .
A tabloid had tipped off the cops , and 20 were sent to the scene of the alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marianne Faithful were caught in the acid-laced commotion .
`` I 'd never been busted before , and I 'm still on acid , '' Richards wrote in Life , realizing the policemen outside the house were there to look for drugs .
`` While we 're gently bouncing down from the acid , they 're trampling through the place , doing what they 've got to do , and none of us are taking much notice of them .
Obviously there was a shiver of the usuals , but there did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it at the moment , so we just let them walk about and look in ashtrays .
Incredibly enough , what they did come up with was only a few roaches and what Mick and Robert Fraser had in their pockets , which was a minute amount of amphetamine , bought legally by Mick in Italy , and in Robert 's case heroin tabs .
Otherwise we just carried on . ''
Perhaps the most memorable story that emerged from the bust was that police interrupted an orgy , and a Mars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( you can use your imagination where ) .
However , whether or not this part of the story is true , remains unclear .
`` How the Mars bar got into the story , I do n't know , '' Richards recalled .
`` It shows you what 's in people 's minds . ''
He Jumped Out of a Burning Building Wearing Only a Tiny T-Shirt In the 1970s , while spending the night at a house Los Angeles with Lil Wergilis , who Richards wrote in Life was `` incredibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lay '' ( and he noted that she `` has been written about as Lil `` Wenglass '' or Lil Green—her married name '' ) , a fire broke out in another room .
The only way out was jumping through a window .
`` Lil , so she said later , heard this distant bang and got up and opened the curtain a little and it was strangely bright outside .
Not right .
She opened the bathroom door and fire exploded into the room , and we had a few seconds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Richards recalled .
`` I 'm dressed in a short T-shirt only , and Lil is naked .
And we 're exposed—people are gathered , freaking out , trying to put the fire out—and this is a big story as soon as the press gets here . ''
Fortunately , Richards and Wergilis escaped unscathed , and how the fire started remains unclear .
The next day , Richards stopped by to see the damage , and found `` a large sign stuck in the blackened grass that read , 'thanks a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richards ' father died in 2002 , the rocker confessed to NME that paid tribute to his dad when asked the strangest thing he tried to snort .
`` The strangest thing I 've tried to snort ?
My father .
I snorted my father .
He was cremated and I could n't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow , '' he said in 2007 .
`` My dad would n't have cared , he did n't give a s*** .
It went down pretty well , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story ran , Richards backtracked and said he planted his ashes into a tree .
However , in 2015 , he confirmed the original details that he indeed snorted the ashes .
`` I had him in a box in England , '' he told GQ .
`` I bought this little oak sapling , my idea being that he was gon na fertilize the tree , but when I pulled the top off of the box , wafts of Dad landed on the table .
And my dad knows I 'd always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there .
So I just [ mimes snorting cocaine off his finger ] and had a line of dad . ''
Chuck Berry Once Punched Him in the Face Richards recalled this encounter during a 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon .
He said that he went into Chuck Berry 's dressing room after a gig and grabbed his guitar .
As a result of giving into temptation , he got a fist to the face .
`` He went up to collect the money , I think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was laid out in its case like , 'Aw , c'mon , Keith , ' you know , 'just a touch .
Just let me give you an E chord , ' '' he mimed playing a guitar .
`` He walks in and goes , 'nobody touches my guitar ! '
and pang ! ''
Richards threw his head back like he got socked in the face .
`` That 's one of Chuck 's biggest hits , '' the guitarist quipped .

If there is one man who is going to outlive all of us, it's probably Keith Richards. The guitarist of the Rolling Stones was born on this day in 1943, and there's very little that Richards hasn't done as the personification of drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll. He's started a fire in the original Playboy Mansion, avoided major drug charges and managed to stay awake for over a week straight once while working on the album Some Girls.
Life, his 2010 memoir, which this writer highly recommends, is packed with wild stories about his love of music, touring the world with the Stones, his relationships with women, and several drug-laced misadventures. He's also given many candid interviews, sharing more information we ever knew we'd want. Impressively, Richards says he hasn't forgotten any of the incredible events throughout his 77 years.
What better way to celebrate Richards' birthday than sharing some legendary stories of the Stones guitarist?
British musician Keith Richards of the band The Rolling Stones performs on stage during a North American tour, 1981. Paul Natkin/Getty Images
He Stayed Awake for Nine Days Straight
Richards boasted that he stayed awake for over a week in order to record "Before They Make Me Run," from the 1978 album Some Girls.
"Adrenaline is the most amazing thing we have," he claimed in 1992, in Rolling Stone. "Nine days without a wink," Richards continued. "I fell asleep standing up, eventually.… I was just putting another cassette back on the shelf, and I was feeling great, and I turned 'round and fell asleep. I fell against the edge of the speaker. Woke up in a pool of blood, wondering, Is that claret?"
He Set the Original Playboy Mansion on Fire
While touring in America in 1972, Richards and band musician Bobby Keys lit a bathroom in the Chicago Playboy Mansion on fire while doing drugs. Hugh Hefner used to split his time between this location and the Los Angeles house, and the Stones spent the night there while passing through. Luckily, no one was harmed.
"[Saxophonist] Bobby [Keys] and I played it a little far when we set fire to the bathroom," wrote Richards in Life. "Well, we didn't, the dope did. Not our fault. Bobby and I were just sitting in the john, comfortable, nice john, sitting on the floor, and we've got the doc's bag, and we're just smorgasbording."
Richards continued: "'I wonder what these do?' Bong. And at a certain point... talk about hazy, or foggy, Bobby says, 'It's smoky in here.' And I'm looking at Bobby, and can't see him. And the drapes are smoldering away; everything was just about to go off big-time... There was a thumping on the door, waiters and guys in black suits bringing buckets of water. They get the door open and we're sitting on the floor, our pupils very pinned. I said, 'We could have done that ourselves. How dare you burst in on our private affair?'"
He Was Pulled Over in a Car Filled With Drugs—and Got Away With It
At the start of Life, Richards recalls when he, Ronnie Wood and two friends were pulled over by the police in 1975 while the Stones were touring in the United States. Their car was filled with drugs, and they easily could have faced major consequences. "I had a denim cap with all these pockets in it that were filled with dope," he said. "Everything was filled with dope. In the car doors themselves, all you had to do was pop the panels, and there were plastic bags of coke and grass, peyote and mescaline. Oh my god, how are we going to get out of this?" They were arrested.
Ultimately, they were let free after calling in some favors and participating in some photo ops with the presiding judge. The police found nothing they could legally use against them, and there was no reason to charge them. Richards had to pay a $162 fine and was slapped with a misdemeanor for reckless driving. He also noted that 30 years later, the governor of Arkansas granted him a pardon for the misdemeanor.
As for the car? "We left it in this garage loaded with dope," Richards said. "I'd like to know what happened to that stuff. Maybe they never took the panels off. Maybe someone's still driving it around, still filled with s***."
The Redlands Raid and Mars Bar Orgy
In 1967, Richards' Redlands home was the site of one of the most infamous drug raids of the '60s. A tabloid had tipped off the cops, and 20 were sent to the scene of the alleged crime. Mick Jagger and his girlfriend Marianne Faithful were caught in the acid-laced commotion.
"I'd never been busted before, and I'm still on acid," Richards wrote in Life, realizing the policemen outside the house were there to look for drugs. "While we're gently bouncing down from the acid, they're trampling through the place, doing what they've got to do, and none of us are taking much notice of them. Obviously there was a shiver of the usuals, but there didn't seem to be much we could do about it at the moment, so we just let them walk about and look in ashtrays. Incredibly enough, what they did come up with was only a few roaches and what Mick and Robert Fraser had in their pockets, which was a minute amount of amphetamine, bought legally by Mick in Italy, and in Robert's case heroin tabs. Otherwise we just carried on."
Perhaps the most memorable story that emerged from the bust was that police interrupted an orgy, and a Mars bar was found on Faithful's person (you can use your imagination where). However, whether or not this part of the story is true, remains unclear. "How the Mars bar got into the story, I don't know," Richards recalled. "It shows you what's in people's minds."
He Jumped Out of a Burning Building Wearing Only a Tiny T-Shirt
In the 1970s, while spending the night at a house Los Angeles with Lil Wergilis, who Richards wrote in Life was "incredibly funny, very witty and a great lay" (and he noted that she "has been written about as Lil "Wenglass" or Lil Green—her married name"), a fire broke out in another room. The only way out was jumping through a window.
"Lil, so she said later, heard this distant bang and got up and opened the curtain a little and it was strangely bright outside. Not right. She opened the bathroom door and fire exploded into the room, and we had a few seconds to jump out of the window," Richards recalled. "I'm dressed in a short T-shirt only, and Lil is naked. And we're exposed—people are gathered, freaking out, trying to put the fire out—and this is a big story as soon as the press gets here."
Fortunately, Richards and Wergilis escaped unscathed, and how the fire started remains unclear. The next day, Richards stopped by to see the damage, and found "a large sign stuck in the blackened grass that read, 'thanks a lot, Keith.'"
He Snorted His Dad's Ashes
After Richards' father died in 2002, the rocker confessed to NME that paid tribute to his dad when asked the strangest thing he tried to snort.
"The strangest thing I've tried to snort? My father. I snorted my father. He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow," he said in 2007. "My dad wouldn't have cared, he didn't give a s***. It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive." After the story ran, Richards backtracked and said he planted his ashes into a tree.
However, in 2015, he confirmed the original details that he indeed snorted the ashes. "I had him in a box in England," he told GQ. "I bought this little oak sapling, my idea being that he was gonna fertilize the tree, but when I pulled the top off of the box, wafts of Dad landed on the table. And my dad knows I'd always liked my cocaine, a snort here and there. So I just [mimes snorting cocaine off his finger] and had a line of dad."
Chuck Berry Once Punched Him in the Face
Richards recalled this encounter during a 2014 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He said that he went into Chuck Berry's dressing room after a gig and grabbed his guitar. As a result of giving into temptation, he got a fist to the face.
"He went up to collect the money, I think," Richards recalled. "His guitar was laid out in its case like, 'Aw, c'mon, Keith,' you know, 'just a touch. Just let me give you an E chord,'" he mimed playing a guitar. "He walks in and goes, 'nobody touches my guitar!' and pang!" Richards threw his head back like he got socked in the face. "That's one of Chuck's biggest hits," the guitarist quipped.
Happy birthday, Keith!


newsweek--2020-12-18--'Cyberpunk 2077': Gamers Shocked by 'Unprecedented' Removal From PlayStation Store

Cyberpunk 2077 has been removed from the PlayStation Store in a move that gamers and reporters have described as `` unprecedented . ''
Gamers playing the long-awaited release from CD Projekt Red have experienced numerous issues on the PS4 and Xbox One base consoles since its release less than three weeks ago .
Those playing on last-gen consoles faced bugs , glitches , and crashes that impacted the overall experience .
Despite the Cyberpunk team promising patch releases in January and February , Sony has decided to offer refunds to those playing on PS4 and will remove Cyberpunk 2077 from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a statement on the PlayStation website , Sony explained why it was removing the game from the store : `` SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction . ''
The Cyberpunk team then responded on Friday morning and said : `` We are working hard to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to PlayStation Store as soon as possible . ''
Despite the issues surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 and even an apology from the Cyberpunk team about the last-gen console experience , gamers and gaming industry insiders are shocked at Sony 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or @ Grummz on Twitter , said : `` I 've never seen a 'recall ' of a game at the scale of Cyberpunk 2077 before .
Every Sony copy eligible for a refund .
Store delisting .
Unprecedented . ''
Parris , a gamer and content creator , said : `` speechless at how unprecedented all of this is and all of it falls on leadership .
the devs/PR teams who have given years of hard work and passion to Cyberpunk 2077 deserved better .
2020 sucks . ''
Other gaming commentators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by management or corporate , as opposed to the faulty graphics and glitches being the fault of the developers and programmers .
Jason Schreier , video game reporter for Bloomberg News , said : `` You have to wonder : How many programmers/testers/other devs at CD Projekt Red tried to raise the alarm that the game was just not ready , only to be rebuffed or ignored by the studio 's management ? ''
Game designer and video game journalist Gary Whitta said : `` I feel terrible for the Cyberpunk devs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decade only to have ashes as their reward .
`` This is on corporate , who knew the game was n't shippable but shipped it anyway .
This will go down as one of the great unforced errors in video game history .
Alas . ''
Kallie Plagge , review editor at GameSpot , said : `` It probably goes without saying but the Cyberpunk 2077 situation is such a bummer .
`` It 's not my job to defend a company ( nor would I ) but I really feel for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never wanted this outcome .
It just sucks ! ''
Gamers who purchased the game for PS4 from PlayStation and do not want to wait for the patch releases in January and February can claim a refund from PlayStation .
It is unclear when the game will be re-added to the PlayStation Store , but if the patch releases expected early next year come with significant improvements , perhaps PlayStation will be willing to list the game sometime shortly after .

Cyberpunk 2077 has been removed from the PlayStation Store in a move that gamers and reporters have described as "unprecedented." Gamers playing the long-awaited release from CD Projekt Red have experienced numerous issues on the PS4 and Xbox One base consoles since its release less than three weeks ago.
Those playing on last-gen consoles faced bugs, glitches, and crashes that impacted the overall experience. Despite the Cyberpunk team promising patch releases in January and February, Sony has decided to offer refunds to those playing on PS4 and will remove Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store until further notice.
In a statement on the PlayStation website, Sony explained why it was removing the game from the store: "SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction." The Cyberpunk team then responded on Friday morning and said: "We are working hard to bring Cyberpunk 2077 back to PlayStation Store as soon as possible."
Despite the issues surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 and even an apology from the Cyberpunk team about the last-gen console experience, gamers and gaming industry insiders are shocked at Sony's decision.
Game designer Mark Kern, or @Grummz on Twitter, said: "I've never seen a 'recall' of a game at the scale of Cyberpunk 2077 before. Every Sony copy eligible for a refund. Store delisting. Unprecedented."
I've never seen a "recall" of a game at the scale of Cyberpunk 2077 before. Every Sony copy eligible for a refund. Store delisting.
Unprecedented. — Grummz (@Grummz) December 18, 2020
Parris, a gamer and content creator, said: "speechless at how unprecedented all of this is and all of it falls on leadership. the devs/PR teams who have given years of hard work and passion to Cyberpunk 2077 deserved better. 2020 sucks."
speechless at how unprecedented all of this is and all of it falls on leadership
the devs/PR teams who have given years of hard work and passion to Cyberpunk 2077 deserved better
2020 sucks https://t.co/hiToQ4zoj6 — Parris (@vicious696) December 18, 2020
Other gaming commentators are speculating that the game was rushed out by management or corporate, as opposed to the faulty graphics and glitches being the fault of the developers and programmers.
Jason Schreier, video game reporter for Bloomberg News, said: "You have to wonder: How many programmers/testers/other devs at CD Projekt Red tried to raise the alarm that the game was just not ready, only to be rebuffed or ignored by the studio's management?"
You have to wonder: How many programmers/testers/other devs at CD Projekt Red tried to raise the alarm that the game was just not ready, only to be rebuffed or ignored by the studio's management? — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) December 18, 2020
Game designer and video game journalist Gary Whitta said: "I feel terrible for the Cyberpunk devs, working their hearts out for a decade only to have ashes as their reward.
"This is on corporate, who knew the game wasn't shippable but shipped it anyway. This will go down as one of the great unforced errors in video game history. Alas."
I feel terrible for the Cyberpunk devs, working their hearts out for a decade only to have ashes as their reward. This is on corporate, who knew the game wasn’t shippable but shipped it anyway. This will go down as one of the great unforced errors in video game history. Alas. — Merry Whitta (@garywhitta) December 18, 2020
Kallie Plagge, review editor at GameSpot, said: "It probably goes without saying but the Cyberpunk 2077 situation is such a bummer.
"It's not my job to defend a company (nor would I) but I really feel for the individuals who worked unbelievably hard and certainly never wanted this outcome. It just sucks!"
It probably goes without saying but the Cyberpunk 2077 situation is such a bummer. It's not my job to defend a company (nor would I) but I really feel for the individuals who worked unbelievably hard and certainly never wanted this outcome. It just sucks! — Kallie Plagge (@inkydojikko) December 18, 2020
Gamers who purchased the game for PS4 from PlayStation and do not want to wait for the patch releases in January and February can claim a refund from PlayStation.
It is unclear when the game will be re-added to the PlayStation Store, but if the patch releases expected early next year come with significant improvements, perhaps PlayStation will be willing to list the game sometime shortly after.


newsweek--2020-12-18--'The Mandalorian' Season 2 Finale: What Exactly Is 'The Book of Boba Fett'?

The Mandalorian Season 2 has come to an end with a finale full of rampant fan service , as a number of familiar faces from the original Star Wars movies returned .
One of these was Boba Fett , with a final scene showing the bounty hunter ( played by Temuera Morrison ) sitting on the throne in Jabba 's palace .
Then , a title card revealed something called The Book of Boba Fett , a series set to come to Disney+ in December 2021 .
However , there are two schools of thought as to what The Book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential is that it is a new spin-off series to The Mandalorian , the third so far announced after Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic .
This would mean that there would be four Mandalorian shows airing at once .
That is a lot of Star Wars for fans to process all at once but , as a recent Disney investors ' call showed , the Mouse House is more than willing to bombard us with dozens of Star Wars series every year until the heat death of the universe .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boba Fett is actually a subtitle for The Mandalorian Season 3 , with the show moving to focus more on that other famous Mandalorian now that Din Djarin 's ( Pedro Pascal ) mission to bring Grogu to the Jedi is over .
The main evidence behind this is that The Book of Boba Fett was missing from this investors ' call .
Though this may have been in order to keep it a secret until this final reveal , it does feel conspicuous by its absence .
However , this would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information about The Mandalorian to prevent spoilers from emerging .
In Season 1 , for example , the show did not initially have any merchandise to feed the Baby Yoda phenomenon because the show 's makers refused to share details of the character with toy manufacturers before the episode that revealed the character aired .
On Twitter , fans were split over what exactly The Book of Boba Fett would be .
One wrote , for example , `` If you do n't realize the season finale of THE MANDALORIAN was meticulously planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you 're not paying attention .
THE MANDALORIAN season three and THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT are TWO SHOWS which will CO-EXIST . ''
They went on to argue that the Djarin 's story is `` just beginning . ''
The investors event , however , did suggest one way in which Boba Fett and The Mandalorian could co-exist .
At this event , it would tease that the spin-offs would all coalesce into a major crossover event , suggesting all the shows will tell different stories , but ones that meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the Arrowverse shows do every year on The CW .
Fans will have to wait for more news about The Mandalorian spin-offs , however , to see how The Book of Boba Fett will play into this .

The Mandalorian Season 2 has come to an end with a finale full of rampant fan service, as a number of familiar faces from the original Star Wars movies returned. One of these was Boba Fett, with a final scene showing the bounty hunter (played by Temuera Morrison) sitting on the throne in Jabba's palace.
Then, a title card revealed something called The Book of Boba Fett, a series set to come to Disney+ in December 2021. However, there are two schools of thought as to what The Book of Boba Fett might be.
One potential is that it is a new spin-off series to The Mandalorian, the third so far announced after Ahsoka and Rangers of the New Republic. This would mean that there would be four Mandalorian shows airing at once. That is a lot of Star Wars for fans to process all at once but, as a recent Disney investors' call showed, the Mouse House is more than willing to bombard us with dozens of Star Wars series every year until the heat death of the universe.
The second theory is that The Book of Boba Fett is actually a subtitle for The Mandalorian Season 3, with the show moving to focus more on that other famous Mandalorian now that Din Djarin's (Pedro Pascal) mission to bring Grogu to the Jedi is over.
Boba Fett could be getting his own Disney+ spin-off. Lucasfilm
The main evidence behind this is that The Book of Boba Fett was missing from this investors' call. Though this may have been in order to keep it a secret until this final reveal, it does feel conspicuous by its absence.
However, this would not be the first time Disney has withheld information about The Mandalorian to prevent spoilers from emerging. In Season 1, for example, the show did not initially have any merchandise to feed the Baby Yoda phenomenon because the show's makers refused to share details of the character with toy manufacturers before the episode that revealed the character aired.
On Twitter, fans were split over what exactly The Book of Boba Fett would be. One wrote, for example, "If you don't realize the season finale of THE MANDALORIAN was meticulously planned and co-ordinated with the Disney Investor Event, you're not paying attention. THE MANDALORIAN season three and THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT are TWO SHOWS which will CO-EXIST." They went on to argue that the Djarin's story is "just beginning."
The investors event, however, did suggest one way in which Boba Fett and The Mandalorian could co-exist. At this event, it would tease that the spin-offs would all coalesce into a major crossover event, suggesting all the shows will tell different stories, but ones that meet in a common destination, similar to what the Arrowverse shows do every year on The CW.
Fans will have to wait for more news about The Mandalorian spin-offs, however, to see how The Book of Boba Fett will play into this.


newsweek--2020-12-18--Morocco and Israel: Why Now? | Opinion

Morocco and Israel: Why Now? | Opinion

Morocco and Israel have had cooperative relations for years .
Israelis of Moroccan descent have traveled back to see where their families lived , and the small Jewish communities of Rabat and Casablanca were generally respected and left alone .
There was trade in the amount of $ 37 million in 2017 , and it is growing .
Before the pandemic , nearly 50,000 Israelis visited Morocco annually and more than 2,000 Moroccans visited Israel in 2019 .
Things were going nicely , albeit quietly—so why make it public now ?
Because both countries had something to gain—and not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sahara .
The world is changing in ways that are both positive and negative and , for rulers like Morocco 's King Mohammed VI , hiding from the negative is not a good option .
Instability in both North Africa and the second tier of African countries—Sudan , Chad , Niger , Mali , Mauritania and Nigeria—is threatening chaos .
In the best of times , those countries represent difficult amalgams of ( sometimes violently ) competing religions , multiple ( and sometimes violent ) ethnic groups , corrupt governments and poverty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ times , and flames are being stoked by Iran , ISIS , the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda .
King Mohammed VI , as a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad , has enormous standing among Muslims , particularly in Africa , and the form of Islam he promotes is entirely different from that of Iran 's mullahs , al-Qaeda or ISIS .
Al-Karaouine University is the oldest still-functioning university in the Islamic world .
Founded in 859 C.E .
by a female scholar , it has formulated family law that gives women rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizenship to children of non-Moroccan fathers .
Female chaplains , called Morchidat , work in Muslim communities around the world .
There is more , but it is enough to know that this road is a better fit for a multi-religious , multi-ethnic Africa than those envisioned by radical Islamists .
But the king needs partners—which accounts for Israel , and perhaps also for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's planned visit to Cairo .
A little history is useful here .
Israel faced a wall of rejection in the Middle East and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1948 , but in much of the rest of the post-colonial , developing world , Israel—small , post-colonial , socialist—was a partner .
Consider how Cuba—Communist Cuba under Fidel Castro—was , for a time , a friend of Israel .
Israeli agricultural workers were common , and when Israeli President Yitzhak Ben Zvi died in 1963 , Castro declared three days of official mourning .
Algerian dictator Ahmed Ben Bella subsequently canceled his trip to Havana ; Castro said he did n't care .
Under pressure after 1967 's Six Day War to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1974—angling to become chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement and under pressure from oil-rich Arab countries—did Castro cut Israel loose .
Ditto the African countries .
After 1973 's Yom Kippur War , 25 African countries severed diplomatic relations with Israel—and canceled ongoing water and agriculture projects under pressure from both the Arab League and the Organization of African Unity .
The African states knew it was a bad deal and jumped to re-establish relations following the Oslo Accords .
The 20-year hiatus did n't hurt Israel nearly as much as it did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away Israel 's advanced technology and capabilities .
At the opening of the third decade of the 21st century , it is time for a reckoning .
• The so-called `` Arab Spring '' was a disaster for the people of the region .
• U.S. policy there , and in the wars that followed , was not attuned to the needs of the people there .
• The emergence of the U.S. as an energy exporter has made the traditional Arab oil-exporting countries less powerful .
• The emergence of China as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has acquired billions of dollars of hard assets in Africa further strains shaky African economies .
• Iran 's funding and training of both Sunni and Shiite jihadists strains shaky African and Arab governments even more .
Better , then , to band together for mutual economic , political and security interests .
To wit : Sudan , having just been justly removed from the U.S. 's state sponsors of terrorism list , Egypt , Morocco , the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain , the acquiescent but not-quite-yet-ready-to-jump Saudi Arabia and the ever-hiding-under-the-covers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lineup !
Still , though : Why now ?
In part , at least , because there will soon be a change in the American administration from one that saw Iran for the evil that it is and the hegemon it aspires to be , to an American administration that has announced itself ready to figure out how to engage the mullahs .
Kudos to King Mohammed VI for seizing the opportunity .
Shoshana Bryen is senior director of the Jewish Policy Center and editor of inFOCUS Quarterly .
The views expressed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Morocco and Israel have had cooperative relations for years. Israelis of Moroccan descent have traveled back to see where their families lived, and the small Jewish communities of Rabat and Casablanca were generally respected and left alone. There was trade in the amount of $37 million in 2017, and it is growing. Before the pandemic, nearly 50,000 Israelis visited Morocco annually and more than 2,000 Moroccans visited Israel in 2019. Things were going nicely, albeit quietly—so why make it public now?
Because both countries had something to gain—and not only American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The world is changing in ways that are both positive and negative and, for rulers like Morocco's King Mohammed VI, hiding from the negative is not a good option. Instability in both North Africa and the second tier of African countries—Sudan, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and Nigeria—is threatening chaos. In the best of times, those countries represent difficult amalgams of (sometimes violently) competing religions, multiple (and sometimes violent) ethnic groups, corrupt governments and poverty. But these are not the best of times, and flames are being stoked by Iran, ISIS, the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda.
King Mohammed VI, as a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, has enormous standing among Muslims, particularly in Africa, and the form of Islam he promotes is entirely different from that of Iran's mullahs, al-Qaeda or ISIS. Al-Karaouine University is the oldest still-functioning university in the Islamic world. Founded in 859 C.E. by a female scholar, it has formulated family law that gives women rights in divorce and property ownership, and citizenship to children of non-Moroccan fathers. Female chaplains, called Morchidat, work in Muslim communities around the world. There is more, but it is enough to know that this road is a better fit for a multi-religious, multi-ethnic Africa than those envisioned by radical Islamists.
But the king needs partners—which accounts for Israel, and perhaps also for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned visit to Cairo.
A little history is useful here. Israel faced a wall of rejection in the Middle East and North Africa from before its independence in 1948, but in much of the rest of the post-colonial, developing world, Israel—small, post-colonial, socialist—was a partner.
Consider how Cuba—Communist Cuba under Fidel Castro—was, for a time, a friend of Israel. Israeli agricultural workers were common, and when Israeli President Yitzhak Ben Zvi died in 1963, Castro declared three days of official mourning. Algerian dictator Ahmed Ben Bella subsequently canceled his trip to Havana; Castro said he didn't care. Under pressure after 1967's Six Day War to sever relations, Castro refused. Only in 1974—angling to become chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement and under pressure from oil-rich Arab countries—did Castro cut Israel loose.
Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images
Ditto the African countries. After 1973's Yom Kippur War, 25 African countries severed diplomatic relations with Israel—and canceled ongoing water and agriculture projects under pressure from both the Arab League and the Organization of African Unity. The African states knew it was a bad deal and jumped to re-establish relations following the Oslo Accords. The 20-year hiatus didn't hurt Israel nearly as much as it did the people of those countries who threw away Israel's advanced technology and capabilities.
At the opening of the third decade of the 21st century, it is time for a reckoning.
The so-called "Arab Spring" was a disaster for the people of the region.
U.S. policy there, and in the wars that followed, was not attuned to the needs of the people there.
The emergence of the U.S. as an energy exporter has made the traditional Arab oil-exporting countries less powerful.
The emergence of China as a lender that calls its loans and has acquired billions of dollars of hard assets in Africa further strains shaky African economies.
Iran's funding and training of both Sunni and Shiite jihadists strains shaky African and Arab governments even more.
Better, then, to band together for mutual economic, political and security interests. To wit: Sudan, having just been justly removed from the U.S.'s state sponsors of terrorism list, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the acquiescent but not-quite-yet-ready-to-jump Saudi Arabia and the ever-hiding-under-the-covers Jordan. Plus Israel. What a lineup!
Still, though: Why now? In part, at least, because there will soon be a change in the American administration from one that saw Iran for the evil that it is and the hegemon it aspires to be, to an American administration that has announced itself ready to figure out how to engage the mullahs. Kudos to King Mohammed VI for seizing the opportunity.
Shoshana Bryen is senior director of the Jewish Policy Center and editor of inFOCUS Quarterly.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.


newsweek--2020-12-18--James Gunn, Peter Frampton and Other Celebs React to Space Force Troops Being Named 'Guardians'

Vice President Mike Pence 's announcement that members of the U.S. Space Force would be known as Guardians hit some social media users like a rocket on Friday .
The sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces , the Space Force was established by President Donald Trump in 2019 .
Trump said the Space Force would help the U.S. achieve superiority in space , which he called the `` world 's newest warfighting domain . ''
After Pence 's announcement , fans of comic books and the Marvel Cinematic Universe ribbed the nomenclature on Twitter for apparently co-opting the name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It was my honor to announce today , that the men and women of the Space Force will be known as GUARDIANS ! ''
Pence tweeted , adding `` # SemperSupra , '' the Space Force 's Latin motto which translates to `` always above . ''
Rock musician Peter Frampton criticized both the name and Trump in a Friday tweet .
`` I LOVE this movie but love nothing abt Space Force with rip off badge from StarTrek this is pitiful , '' Frampton wrote .
`` Do we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ?
It 's all about tv shows for Mr Orange .
Wait unless we can slip him into a parallel universe using The string cheese theory ? ''
Former Director of the United States Office of Government Ethics Walter Shaub asked for clarification on the name .
`` I want to be sure to use their full title accurately , so has there been any word on whether they are Earth Guardians , Space Guardians or Guardians of the Galaxy ? ''
Shaub asked .
`` And what is being done to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trekkies ? ''
MSNBC producer Andrew Paul Joyce tweeted that he looked forward to Guardian-related television advertising .
`` Ca n't wait until the first time I see a USAA ad with a Space Force `` Guardian '' explaining why they get discounted home and auto insurance for their space service , '' Joyce wrote .
According to the Space Force website , the name was chosen after a `` yearlong process that produced hundreds of submissions and research involving space professionals and members of the general public . ''
Podcast host and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described procedure involved in choosing the name .
`` Hundreds of submissions and one screening of Guardians of the Galaxy at the White House , '' Savage tweeted .
`` Proud to announce I will be a Space Force Mess Hall Guardian , '' tweeted screenwriter Dan Hernandez .
`` Such an honor to be selected to test all space food . ''
James Gunn , director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films , appeared to point his comment at Pence .
`` Can we sue this dork ? ''
Gunn tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name of Space Force members , there are roughly 16,000 Guardians currently working under the Space Force umbrella .
The first 7 enlistees into the Space Force graduated from basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas in December .

Vice President Mike Pence's announcement that members of the U.S. Space Force would be known as Guardians hit some social media users like a rocket on Friday.
The sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Space Force was established by President Donald Trump in 2019. Trump said the Space Force would help the U.S. achieve superiority in space, which he called the "world's newest warfighting domain." After Pence's announcement, fans of comic books and the Marvel Cinematic Universe ribbed the nomenclature on Twitter for apparently co-opting the name of the Guardians of the Galaxy series.
"It was my honor to announce today, that the men and women of the Space Force will be known as GUARDIANS!" Pence tweeted, adding "#SemperSupra," the Space Force's Latin motto which translates to "always above."
It was my honor to announce today, that the men and women of the Space Force will be known as GUARDIANS! #SemperSupra 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Wbzmqfy9aJ — Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) December 18, 2020
Rock musician Peter Frampton criticized both the name and Trump in a Friday tweet.
"I LOVE this movie but love nothing abt Space Force with rip off badge from StarTrek this is pitiful," Frampton wrote. "Do we need a special branch of the military for this? It's all about tv shows for Mr Orange. Wait unless we can slip him into a parallel universe using The string cheese theory?"
I LOVE this movie but love nothing abt Space Force with rip off badge from StarTrek this is pitiful. Do we need a special branch of the military for this? It’s all about tv shows for Mr Orange. Wait unless we can slip him into a parallel universe using The string cheese theory? pic.twitter.com/7yjUFBE6OD — Peter Frampton (@peterframpton) December 18, 2020
Former Director of the United States Office of Government Ethics Walter Shaub asked for clarification on the name.
"I want to be sure to use their full title accurately, so has there been any word on whether they are Earth Guardians, Space Guardians or Guardians of the Galaxy?" Shaub asked. "And what is being done to keep the other services from calling them Trekkies?"
I want to be sure to use their full title accurately, so has there been any word on whether they are Earth Guardians, Space Guardians or Guardians of the Galaxy? And what is being done to keep the other services from calling them Trekkies? https://t.co/x0ceOoR03e — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 18, 2020
Vice President Mike Pence revealed on Friday that members of the U.S. Space Force would be collectively known as 'Guardians.' Spencer Platt/Getty
MSNBC producer Andrew Paul Joyce tweeted that he looked forward to Guardian-related television advertising.
"Can't wait until the first time I see a USAA ad with a Space Force "Guardian" explaining why they get discounted home and auto insurance for their space service," Joyce wrote.
Can’t wait until the first time I see a USAA ad with a Space Force “Guardian” explaining why they get discounted home and auto insurance for their space service https://t.co/GhhH3MNPta — A.P. Joyce (@AndrewPaulJoyce) December 18, 2020
According to the Space Force website, the name was chosen after a "yearlong process that produced hundreds of submissions and research involving space professionals and members of the general public."
Podcast host and columnist Dan Savage expressed incredulity at the described procedure involved in choosing the name.
"Hundreds of submissions and one screening of Guardians of the Galaxy at the White House," Savage tweeted.
Hundreds of submissions and one screening of Guardians of the Galaxy at the White House. — Dan Savage (@fakedansavage) December 18, 2020
"Proud to announce I will be a Space Force Mess Hall Guardian," tweeted screenwriter Dan Hernandez. "Such an honor to be selected to test all space food."
Proud to announce I will be a Space Force Mess Hall Guardian. Such an honor to be selected to test all space food. https://t.co/SVC9hlQtov — Dan Hernandez (@CubanMissileDH) December 18, 2020
James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films, appeared to point his comment at Pence. "Can we sue this dork?" Gunn tweeted.
Can we sue this dork? https://t.co/9skZ8aG446 — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 19, 2020
Despite the comments about the collective name of Space Force members, there are roughly 16,000 Guardians currently working under the Space Force umbrella. The first 7 enlistees into the Space Force graduated from basic training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas in December.


newsweek--2020-12-18--Experts Increasingly View SolarWinds Breach as Attack on US, Opening Way for Retaliation

The unprecedented hack that appears to have first hit software company SolarWinds before spreading to some of the highest levels of the U.S. government is testing the definition of what constitutes cyber espionage and what the Pentagon defines as an actual attack on the nation .
If it is determined to be an attack , experts warn it would open the way for retaliation , including in the physical realm .
But defining exactly what constitutes an attack in cyberspace , even in the 21st century , remains a murky issue .
One cybersecurity expert familiar with this case argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attack , because the perpetrators did n't just sneak in , they broke in and covered their tracks by manipulating code .
`` Accessing the system was unauthorized and illegal , changing the code with malicious intent was an attack , '' the expert , who asked to remain anonymous because the individual was not authorized to speak with the media , told Newsweek .
The U.S. military has two terms to define what constitutes an act of cyberwarfare against the country by an adversary .
The first is a `` cyber attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act using computer or related networks or systems , and intended to disrupt and/ or destroy an adversary 's critical cyber systems , assets , or functions . ''
The second is a `` Computer Network Attack ( CNA ) , '' defined as a `` category of fires employed for offensive purposes in which actions are taken through the use of computer networks to disrupt , deny , degrade , manipulate , or destroy information resident in the target information system or computer networks , or the systems/ networks themselves . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said what happened in the case of the SolarWinds breach and then the subsequent malign activities would fit both categories .
`` CNA is the ability to access systems , can be considered initial access , '' the expert said .
`` Once a target is acquired then you can move laterally and continue accessing more and discovering additional vulnerabilities or pivoting .
Once you modify , disrupt , deny , destroy , or exfil , then you 're executing a cyber attack . ''
U.S. agencies have yet to use the term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident . ''
Such an incident `` is likely to cause , or is causing , harm to critical functions and services across the public and private sectors by impairing the confidentiality , integrity , or availability of electronic information , information systems , services , or networks ; and/ or threaten public health or safety , undermine public confidence , have a negative effect on the national economy , or diminish the security posture of the Nation , '' according to the Pentagon .
Despite the Pentagon 's own networks utilizing SolarWinds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no evidence of illicit intrusions as a result of what it too referred to as a `` cyber incident . ''
`` To date , we have no evidence of compromise of the DODIN , '' Vice Admiral Nancy Norton , director of the Defense Information Systems Agency commander of Joint Force Headquarters - Department of Defense Information Network ( DODIN ) , said in a statement sent to Newsweek .
`` We will continue to work with the whole-of-government effort to mitigate cyber threats to the nation . ''
A U.S. Cyber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a compromise would entail .
`` A network compromise is a known or suspected exposure of the DOD Network to an unauthorized person , '' the spokesperson said .
`` Our software supply chain source has experienced a cyber incident to their systems , but we have no indication that the DoD network has been compromised .
We continue to assess our DoD Information Network for indicators of compromise . ''
Contacted by Newsweek , the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ( ODNI ) referred to its most recent statement alongside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security 's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) .
ODNI `` is helping to marshal all of the Intelligence Community 's relevant resources to support this effort and share information across the United States Government , '' the statement read .
It said that the FBI `` is investigating and gathering intelligence in order to attribute , pursue , and disrupt the responsible threat actors , '' while also `` engaging with known and suspected victims , and information gained through FBI 's efforts will provide indicators to network defenders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further action . ''
CISA , which first issued an emergency directive on Sunday in response to the hack 's detection , `` is engaging with our public and private stakeholders across the critical infrastructure community to ensure they understand their exposure and are taking steps to identify and mitigate any compromises , '' according to the statement .
Though no culprit has been conclusively identified , unnamed U.S. officials speaking to major media outlets have identified Russia as the most likely suspect .
The Russian embassy in Washington has dismissed what it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. media to blame Russia for hacker attacks on U.S. governmental bodies . ''
`` We declare responsibly : malicious activities in the information space contradict the principles of the Russian foreign policy , national interests and our understanding of interstate relations , '' the embassy said in a statement reiterated to Newsweek .
`` Russia does not conduct offensive operations in the cyber domain . ''
But as the cyber realm increasingly appears to be the battlefield not simply of tomorrow , but of today , the debate of how to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play out .
Raj Shah , a cybersecurity entrepreneur who previously was a managing partner of the Pentagon 's Defense Innovation Unit ( DIU ) , calls it a `` thorny question . ''
`` You have to have a proportional response , or I think an adversary has to know you ca n't do that , '' Shah told Newsweek .
Though cyberwarfare has been around in some form or another for decades now , he said the true understanding of its capabilities and consequences were nascent .
`` This is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , '' Shah said .
`` Cyber and information technology is just core to all of our lives .
And it ca n't be treated as something aside national security .
We have to be clear about what our red lines are , we have to communicate those lines , and then enforce those lines .
That 's how deterrence works . ''
The need for a red line to enforce deterrence was echoed by Jamil Jaffer , senior vice president of IronNet Cybersecurity and founder and executive director of George Mason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In my view , what this merits really is a very strong response of the traditional kind paired with very clear red lines on what we might do if we are held at risk , threatened , or actually subjected to an attack where information is manipulated or destroyed , '' Jaffer told Newsweek .
`` And then we have to be willing to actually execute on a response if that happens . ''
Jaffer , who formerly served as senior counsel to the House Intelligence Committee and chief counsel to the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not necessarily have to be limited to the cyber realm , depending on what sort of damage investigations into the breach might identify .
`` If we are significantly threatened or attacked in cyberspace , we should feel comfortable responding in real space , '' he said , `` whether that 's through sanctions , or something more aggressive , and that may go all the way to an actual physical attack if the underlying threat or attack justifies such a response . ''
But Jaffer emphasized that the U.S. is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ host of options employed in prior instances of more traditional espionage remain available .
He also cautioned that the level of penetration and staying power of those behind the massive hack remain unknown , and the potential for the perpetrator to have or still be able to somehow engage in nefarious activities with some of the nation 's most valued data is similarly unclear at this point .
`` I 'm not sure some massive offensive response would be warranted on what we know today , '' Jaffer told Newsweek .
`` But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be , you might see some argue that we need to engage in preemptive self-defense . ''
`` It 's the cyber equivalent of holding a knife in your throat , potentially , '' Jaffer said .

The unprecedented hack that appears to have first hit software company SolarWinds before spreading to some of the highest levels of the U.S. government is testing the definition of what constitutes cyber espionage and what the Pentagon defines as an actual attack on the nation.
If it is determined to be an attack, experts warn it would open the way for retaliation, including in the physical realm. But defining exactly what constitutes an attack in cyberspace, even in the 21st century, remains a murky issue.
One cybersecurity expert familiar with this case argued that the SolarWinds incident was a proper attack, because the perpetrators didn't just sneak in, they broke in and covered their tracks by manipulating code.
"Accessing the system was unauthorized and illegal, changing the code with malicious intent was an attack," the expert, who asked to remain anonymous because the individual was not authorized to speak with the media, told Newsweek.
The U.S. military has two terms to define what constitutes an act of cyberwarfare against the country by an adversary.
The first is a "cyber attack," which is a "hostile act using computer or related networks or systems, and intended to disrupt and/ or destroy an adversary's critical cyber systems, assets, or functions."
The second is a "Computer Network Attack (CNA)," defined as a "category of fires employed for offensive purposes in which actions are taken through the use of computer networks to disrupt, deny, degrade, manipulate, or destroy information resident in the target information system or computer networks, or the systems/ networks themselves."
The cybersecurity expert with whom Newsweek spoke said what happened in the case of the SolarWinds breach and then the subsequent malign activities would fit both categories.
"CNA is the ability to access systems, can be considered initial access," the expert said. "Once a target is acquired then you can move laterally and continue accessing more and discovering additional vulnerabilities or pivoting. Once you modify, disrupt, deny, destroy, or exfil, then you're executing a cyber attack."
A graphic published March 14, 2019 shows the watch floor of U.S. Cyber Command's Navy 10th Fleet. Petty Officer 2nd Class William Sykes/Oliver Elijah Wood/U.S. Navy
U.S. agencies have yet to use the term, referring simply to a "cyber incident."
Such an incident "is likely to cause, or is causing, harm to critical functions and services across the public and private sectors by impairing the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of electronic information, information systems, services, or networks; and/ or threaten public health or safety, undermine public confidence, have a negative effect on the national economy, or diminish the security posture of the Nation," according to the Pentagon.
Despite the Pentagon's own networks utilizing SolarWinds, defense officials have said they found no evidence of illicit intrusions as a result of what it too referred to as a "cyber incident."
"To date, we have no evidence of compromise of the DODIN," Vice Admiral Nancy Norton, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency commander of Joint Force Headquarters - Department of Defense Information Network (DODIN), said in a statement sent to Newsweek. "We will continue to work with the whole-of-government effort to mitigate cyber threats to the nation."
A U.S. Cyber Command spokesperson clarified the definition of what a compromise would entail.
"A network compromise is a known or suspected exposure of the DOD Network to an unauthorized person," the spokesperson said. "Our software supply chain source has experienced a cyber incident to their systems, but we have no indication that the DoD network has been compromised. We continue to assess our DoD Information Network for indicators of compromise."
Contacted by Newsweek, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) referred to its most recent statement alongside the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
ODNI "is helping to marshal all of the Intelligence Community's relevant resources to support this effort and share information across the United States Government," the statement read.
It said that the FBI "is investigating and gathering intelligence in order to attribute, pursue, and disrupt the responsible threat actors," while also "engaging with known and suspected victims, and information gained through FBI's efforts will provide indicators to network defenders and intelligence to our government partners to enable further action."
CISA, which first issued an emergency directive on Sunday in response to the hack's detection, "is engaging with our public and private stakeholders across the critical infrastructure community to ensure they understand their exposure and are taking steps to identify and mitigate any compromises," according to the statement.
Though no culprit has been conclusively identified, unnamed U.S. officials speaking to major media outlets have identified Russia as the most likely suspect.
The Russian embassy in Washington has dismissed what it considered to be "unfounded attempts of the U.S. media to blame Russia for hacker attacks on U.S. governmental bodies."
"We declare responsibly: malicious activities in the information space contradict the principles of the Russian foreign policy, national interests and our understanding of interstate relations," the embassy said in a statement reiterated to Newsweek. "Russia does not conduct offensive operations in the cyber domain."
But as the cyber realm increasingly appears to be the battlefield not simply of tomorrow, but of today, the debate of how to respond to such invisible threats continues to play out.
Raj Shah, a cybersecurity entrepreneur who previously was a managing partner of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), calls it a "thorny question."
This combination of pictures shows U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and then-Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden during the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 22. President-elect Biden has vowed to "impose substantial costs" on those who compromise U.S. cybersecurity, while Trump has yet to make public comments on the recent SolarWinds hack. JIM BOURG/AFP/Getty Images
"You have to have a proportional response, or I think an adversary has to know you can't do that," Shah told Newsweek.
Though cyberwarfare has been around in some form or another for decades now, he said the true understanding of its capabilities and consequences were nascent.
"This is just the maturation of society's understanding of it," Shah said. "Cyber and information technology is just core to all of our lives. And it can't be treated as something aside national security. We have to be clear about what our red lines are, we have to communicate those lines, and then enforce those lines. That's how deterrence works."
The need for a red line to enforce deterrence was echoed by Jamil Jaffer, senior vice president of IronNet Cybersecurity and founder and executive director of George Mason University's National Security Institute.
"In my view, what this merits really is a very strong response of the traditional kind paired with very clear red lines on what we might do if we are held at risk, threatened, or actually subjected to an attack where information is manipulated or destroyed," Jaffer told Newsweek. "And then we have to be willing to actually execute on a response if that happens."
Jaffer, who formerly served as senior counsel to the House Intelligence Committee and chief counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, believed that execution did not necessarily have to be limited to the cyber realm, depending on what sort of damage investigations into the breach might identify.
"If we are significantly threatened or attacked in cyberspace, we should feel comfortable responding in real space," he said, "whether that's through sanctions, or something more aggressive, and that may go all the way to an actual physical attack if the underlying threat or attack justifies such a response."
But Jaffer emphasized that the U.S. is not at that point yet, and a host of options employed in prior instances of more traditional espionage remain available.
He also cautioned that the level of penetration and staying power of those behind the massive hack remain unknown, and the potential for the perpetrator to have or still be able to somehow engage in nefarious activities with some of the nation's most valued data is similarly unclear at this point.
"I'm not sure some massive offensive response would be warranted on what we know today," Jaffer told Newsweek. "But depending on how at-risk we perceive ourselves to be, you might see some argue that we need to engage in preemptive self-defense."
He added a chilling analogy.
"It's the cyber equivalent of holding a knife at your throat, potentially," Jaffer said.


newsweek--2020-12-18--FDA Approves Moderna COVID Vaccine One Week After Pfizer's

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) officially approved an emergency use authorization ( EUA ) on Friday for a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna , making it the second vaccine to receive such approval in one week .
In a statement released Friday evening at about 7:30 p.m. , the FDA announced that it had approved the vaccine , which contains messenger RNA from the virus to help the body create antibodies to fight COVID-19 .
`` With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19 , the FDA has taken another crucial step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is causing vast numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States each day , '' FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn , M.D .
said in a statement .
Members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee ( VRBPAC ) voted 20-1 to granted an EUA to the vaccine on Thursday .
Moderna 's medication joins a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech in the fight against COVID-19 .
States began receiving doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday .
`` To go from having a sequence of a virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in December is a remarkable achievement , '' Hildreth said .
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday that shipments of Moderna 's vaccine could begin rapidly with 5.9 million doses slated to be delivered to governors for statewide distribution .
`` We 're ready to start shipping this weekend to them for rollout Monday , Tuesday , Wednesday of next week , '' Azar said .
`` We 're ready to go . ''
Data from the FDA indicated that Moderna 's vaccine was 91.1 percent effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was exhibiting symptoms .
However , the Moderna vaccine has only been approved for use by adults .
Although Moderna has expanded testing of its vaccine to teenagers , no conclusions on the effects of the vaccine on teenagers have been reported .
Pfizer 's vaccine was approved for emergency use on individuals 16 and older .
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses for maximum efficiency .
While a second dose of Pfizer 's vaccine should be administered 21 days after the initial dose , Moderna 's is administered 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's first delivery of its vaccine consisted of approximately 100 million doses .
At a December press conference , President Donald Trump promised that the vaccine would be widely available .
`` Every American who wants the vaccine will be able to get the vaccine , '' Trump said , `` and we think by spring we 're going to be in a position nobody would have believed possible just a few months ago . ''
However , a majority of the vaccine distribution is expected to be handled by the administration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden promised that 100 million vaccination doses would be distributed during his first 100 days as president .
`` My first 100 days wo n't end the COVID-19 virus , '' Biden said .
`` I ca n't promise that .
But we did not get in this mess quickly , we 're not going to get out of it quickly .
It 's going to take some time . ''

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially approved an emergency use authorization (EUA) on Friday for a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna, making it the second vaccine to receive such approval in one week.
In a statement released Friday evening at about 7:30 p.m., the FDA announced that it had approved the vaccine, which contains messenger RNA from the virus to help the body create antibodies to fight COVID-19.
"With the availability of two vaccines now for the prevention of COVID-19, the FDA has taken another crucial step in the fight against this global pandemic that is causing vast numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States each day," FDA Commissioner Stephen M. Hahn, M.D. said in a statement.
Members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 20-1 to granted an EUA to the vaccine on Thursday. Moderna's medication joins a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech in the fight against COVID-19. States began receiving doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday.
Committee member Dr. James Hildreth called the Moderna vaccine a "remarkable scientific achievement" on Thursday.
"To go from having a sequence of a virus in January to having two vaccines available in December is a remarkable achievement," Hildreth said.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday that shipments of Moderna's vaccine could begin rapidly with 5.9 million doses slated to be delivered to governors for statewide distribution.
"We're ready to start shipping this weekend to them for rollout Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of next week," Azar said. "We're ready to go."
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday evening. iStock/Getty
Data from the FDA indicated that Moderna's vaccine was 91.1 percent effective in preventing COVID-19 cases where the patient was exhibiting symptoms. However, the Moderna vaccine has only been approved for use by adults. Although Moderna has expanded testing of its vaccine to teenagers, no conclusions on the effects of the vaccine on teenagers have been reported. Pfizer's vaccine was approved for emergency use on individuals 16 and older.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses for maximum efficiency. While a second dose of Pfizer's vaccine should be administered 21 days after the initial dose, Moderna's is administered 28 days after the first injection.
Pfizer's first delivery of its vaccine consisted of approximately 100 million doses. At a December press conference, President Donald Trump promised that the vaccine would be widely available.
"Every American who wants the vaccine will be able to get the vaccine," Trump said, "and we think by spring we're going to be in a position nobody would have believed possible just a few months ago."
However, a majority of the vaccine distribution is expected to be handled by the administration of President-elect Joe Biden. In December, Biden promised that 100 million vaccination doses would be distributed during his first 100 days as president.
"My first 100 days won't end the COVID-19 virus," Biden said. "I can't promise that. But we did not get in this mess quickly, we're not going to get out of it quickly. It's going to take some time."


newsweek--2020-12-18--Bolsonaro Says Vaccine Might Create 'Crocodiles' as Brazil Sees Second Most COVID Deaths

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly warned that the new Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine could turn people into `` crocodiles , '' while the country continues to trail only the United States for the largest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world .
Brazil recorded over 1,000 virus-related deaths on Thursday , with over 184,000 deaths since the pandemic began , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Bolsonaro announced Brazil 's vaccine distribution plans on Wednesday , saying that inoculations would eventually be provided free of charge `` for everyone who wants it , '' while insisting that he would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed that the vaccine could cause several bizarre side effects , including the transformation of humans into toothy reptiles .
`` In the Pfizer contract it 's very clear : 'we 're not responsible for any side effects . '
If you turn into a crocodile , it 's your problem , '' Bolsonaro said Thursday , according to Agence France-Presse .
`` If you become superhuman , if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice , they will not have anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reached out to Pfizer for comment .
Bolsonaro , a far-right populist who has often been compared to President Donald Trump , has consistently downplayed COVID-19 .
Early in the pandemic , he compared the virus to a `` little flu '' despite the pathogen being far more deadly than typical flu viruses .
Last month , he reasoned that `` we 're all going to die someday '' while facing mounting criticism over the country 's rising death toll .
Bolsonaro has also spoken out against making the vaccine mandatory in Brazil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the vaccine would not be mandatory but `` obligatory '' on Thursday , leaving open the possibility that those who refuse it could face fines or being banned from public areas .
The president cited his own recovery from the virus , which he contracted in July , as a reason for not personally receiving the vaccine .
`` Some people say I 'm giving a bad example , '' said Bolsonaro .
`` But to the imbeciles , to the idiots that say this , I tell them I 've already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibodies , so why get vaccinated ? ''
Medical experts are not certain that recovering from COVID-19 results in long-lasting immunity to the virus .
Antibodies and some level of immunity are likely to be present following recovery , but survivors could be vulnerable to a second bout of the illness within months .
Multiple cases of reinfection have been documented .
Bolsonaro 's bizarre comments about vaccines causing humans to change species are clearly not based in reality , although many people around the world have expressed more plausible concerns about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for use .
However , no significant life-threatening reactions have been noted for any of the vaccines that have been approved so far .
A minority of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients have experienced unpleasant but temporary side effects that posed no risk to their lives , unlike contracting the virus .
Serious allergic reactions have also been observed in a very small number of those already vaccinated , leading to recommendations against using the vaccine in people with a history of severe allergic reactions .

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly warned that the new Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine could turn people into "crocodiles," while the country continues to trail only the United States for the largest number of COVID-19 deaths in the world.
Brazil recorded over 1,000 virus-related deaths on Thursday, with over 184,000 deaths since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University. Bolsonaro announced Brazil's vaccine distribution plans on Wednesday, saying that inoculations would eventually be provided free of charge "for everyone who wants it," while insisting that he would not personally be vaccinated. The president later claimed that the vaccine could cause several bizarre side effects, including the transformation of humans into toothy reptiles.
"In the Pfizer contract it's very clear: 'we're not responsible for any side effects.' If you turn into a crocodile, it's your problem," Bolsonaro said Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse. "If you become superhuman, if a woman starts to grow a beard or if a man starts to speak with an effeminate voice, they will not have anything to do with it."
Newsweek reached out to Pfizer for comment.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the press in Brasilia, Brazil on October 14, 2020. Andressa Anholete/Getty
Bolsonaro, a far-right populist who has often been compared to President Donald Trump, has consistently downplayed COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, he compared the virus to a "little flu" despite the pathogen being far more deadly than typical flu viruses. Last month, he reasoned that "we're all going to die someday" while facing mounting criticism over the country's rising death toll.
Bolsonaro has also spoken out against making the vaccine mandatory in Brazil. The country's Supreme Court ruled that the vaccine would not be mandatory but "obligatory" on Thursday, leaving open the possibility that those who refuse it could face fines or being banned from public areas. The president cited his own recovery from the virus, which he contracted in July, as a reason for not personally receiving the vaccine.
"Some people say I'm giving a bad example," said Bolsonaro. "But to the imbeciles, to the idiots that say this, I tell them I've already caught the virus, I have the antibodies, so why get vaccinated?"
Medical experts are not certain that recovering from COVID-19 results in long-lasting immunity to the virus. Antibodies and some level of immunity are likely to be present following recovery, but survivors could be vulnerable to a second bout of the illness within months. Multiple cases of reinfection have been documented.
Bolsonaro's bizarre comments about vaccines causing humans to change species are clearly not based in reality, although many people around the world have expressed more plausible concerns about the safety of multiple vaccines being rapidly approved for use. However, no significant life-threatening reactions have been noted for any of the vaccines that have been approved so far.
A minority of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine recipients have experienced unpleasant but temporary side effects that posed no risk to their lives, unlike contracting the virus. Serious allergic reactions have also been observed in a very small number of those already vaccinated, leading to recommendations against using the vaccine in people with a history of severe allergic reactions.


newsweek--2020-12-18--Pro-Trump Group to Challenge 364K Voter Registrations in Georgia Ahead of Runoff Election

Conservative political group True the Vote announced plans on Friday to preemptively file more than 360,000 electoral challenges in Georgia before the state 's special elections are expected to occur in January .
Georgia 's run-off elections have garnered nationwide attention .
If the Democrats who are running for office—Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock—obtain victory over Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , then Democrats would be equally represented in the U.S. Senate .
However , Democrats would have a distinct advantage over Republicans in the case of a tie , as Democrat Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some observers , including President Donald Trump , have baselessly alleged that Georgia 's processes during the November election were unfairly manipulated by Democrats .
According to True the Vote founder and President Catherine Engelbrecht , the challenges could help validate the results of the January election by ensuring `` the sanctity of every legal vote . ''
`` Filing the challenges preemptively , before absentee ballots are opened , will help ensure only legal , eligible votes are counted in Georgia 's January 5 runoff elections , '' Engelbrecht said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals to challenge the validity of any voter in a Georgia county if there is probable cause that the person being challenged does not meet the requirements for voting legally .
True the Vote plans on filing 364,541 elector challenges across all 159 Georgia counties .
`` It is our hope that this historic challenge marks the beginning of the great awakening of American voters to serve our democracy by getting involved in the process , '' Engelbrecht said .
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has defended the validity of his state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential election were counted 3 times with each count finding President-elect Joe Biden the winner .
`` I know there are people that are convinced the election was fraught with problems , '' Raffensperger said in a December briefing , `` but the evidence , the actual evidence , the facts tell us a different story . ''
Newsweek reached out to Raffensperger 's office for comment .
Underlining the importance of the Senate race in Georgia , Trump campaigned on behalf of Loeffler and Perdue in December .
`` We must re-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the event in Valdosta , Georgia .
`` We ca n't let it happen to two of the greatest and most respected people in Washington . ''
Loeffler has described Warnock , her opponent in the Senate race , as a `` radical . ''
During an appearance on Sean Hannity 's Fox News program on Wednesday , Loeffler alleged that Warnock was an adherent to Marxist philosophies .
`` If we do n't vote , '' Loeffler said , `` we could see the election of America 's first Marxist senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia . ''
Warnock has dismissed Loeffler 's allegations , telling CNN in November that he `` ca n't allow himself to be distracted by Kelly Loeffler . ''
Ossoff , who is expected to face the incumbent Perdue in the January election , has not run for public office before .
Perdue has declined to debate Ossoff in the weeks leading up to the run-off .
Ossoff showed up to a scheduled debate in December which Perdue did not attend .
`` Your senator is refusing to answer questions and debate his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to , '' Ossoff said , sharing the stage with an empty lectern .
`` He believes this Senate seat belongs to him .
This Senate seat belongs to the people . ''

Conservative political group True the Vote announced plans on Friday to preemptively file more than 360,000 electoral challenges in Georgia before the state's special elections are expected to occur in January.
Georgia's run-off elections have garnered nationwide attention. If the Democrats who are running for office—Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock—obtain victory over Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, then Democrats would be equally represented in the U.S. Senate. However, Democrats would have a distinct advantage over Republicans in the case of a tie, as Democrat Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the one voting to break the deadlock.
Some observers, including President Donald Trump, have baselessly alleged that Georgia's processes during the November election were unfairly manipulated by Democrats. According to True the Vote founder and President Catherine Engelbrecht, the challenges could help validate the results of the January election by ensuring "the sanctity of every legal vote."
"Filing the challenges preemptively, before absentee ballots are opened, will help ensure only legal, eligible votes are counted in Georgia's January 5 runoff elections," Engelbrecht said in a Friday statement.
Georgia law allows individuals to challenge the validity of any voter in a Georgia county if there is probable cause that the person being challenged does not meet the requirements for voting legally. True the Vote plans on filing 364,541 elector challenges across all 159 Georgia counties.
"It is our hope that this historic challenge marks the beginning of the great awakening of American voters to serve our democracy by getting involved in the process," Engelbrecht said.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has defended the validity of his state's elections. Results of November's presidential election were counted 3 times with each count finding President-elect Joe Biden the winner.
"I know there are people that are convinced the election was fraught with problems," Raffensperger said in a December briefing, "but the evidence, the actual evidence, the facts tell us a different story."
Newsweek reached out to Raffensperger's office for comment.
President Donald Trump campaigned for GOP Senate candidates in Georgia in December before the special elections in January. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty
Underlining the importance of the Senate race in Georgia, Trump campaigned on behalf of Loeffler and Perdue in December.
"We must re-elect Kelly and David," Trump said at the event in Valdosta, Georgia. "We can't let it happen to two of the greatest and most respected people in Washington."
Loeffler has described Warnock, her opponent in the Senate race, as a "radical." During an appearance on Sean Hannity's Fox News program on Wednesday, Loeffler alleged that Warnock was an adherent to Marxist philosophies.
"If we don't vote," Loeffler said, "we could see the election of America's first Marxist senator in the country, right here in Georgia."
Warnock has dismissed Loeffler's allegations, telling CNN in November that he "can't allow himself to be distracted by Kelly Loeffler."
Ossoff is expected to face the incumbent Perdue in the January election. Perdue has declined to debate Ossoff in the weeks leading up to the run-off. Ossoff showed up to a scheduled debate in December which Perdue did not attend.
"Your senator is refusing to answer questions and debate his opponent because he believes he shouldn't have to," Ossoff said, sharing the stage with an empty lectern. "He believes this Senate seat belongs to him. This Senate seat belongs to the people."
Correction (12/19/2020, 6:15 p.m.): An earlier version of this article stated that Ossoff had not run for public office before. He previously ran and lost in a 2017 special election for Georgia's Sixth District against Republican Rep. Karen Handel. Newsweek regrets the error.


newsweek--2020-12-18--Bipartisan Officials Call Trump Out For Not Acknowledging SolarWinds Hack

Democratic and Republican lawmakers criticized President Donald Trump this week for not publicly addressing the SolarWinds cyberattack that breached several federal agencies .
Though no group has taken responsibility for the attack , experts believe state-sponsored Russian hackers are behind the breach .
Senator Mark Warner , a Virginia Democrat who serves as the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and is a co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus , described Trump 's lack of public acknowledgment of the SolarWinds hack as `` extremely troubling . ''
In a Friday statement , Warner described the cyberattack as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and said Trump was not taking the breach seriously .
`` An incident of this magnitude and lasting impact requires an engaged and public response by the U.S. government , led by a President who understands the significance of this intrusion and who is actively marshaling a domestic remediation strategy and an international response , '' Warner said .
`` As we learn about the wider impact of this malign effort—with the potential for wider compromise of critical global technology vendors and their products—it is essential that we see an organized and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troubling that the President does not appear to be acknowledging , much less acting upon , the gravity of this situation , '' his statement continued .
Warner is one of a handful of Democrats who criticized Trump for not commenting on the hack publicly .
On Thursday , Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey commented in a tweet about the president 's silence and accused him of having `` cozied up '' to Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout his time in office .
Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida also connected Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his relationship with Putin in tweets posted on Thursday and Friday .
`` It is unacceptable that the President of the United States has said nothing of a successful Russian cyber attack across multiple agencies of our govt .
For 4 years , Congress has been urging him to take Russian threats seriously .
Instead , he just keeps tweeting conspiracy theories , '' Deutch tweeted Thursday .
Deutch questioned whether Trump would `` acknowledge massive Russian hack '' before leaving office in a separate tweet on Friday .
On the other side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney also criticized Trump in connection with the SolarWinds hack .
A frequent critic of the president 's throughout Trump 's time in office , Romney described the White House 's silence over the cyberattack as `` inexcusable . ''
`` The cyber hack is like Russian bombers have been repeatedly flying undetected over our entire country , '' Romney 's statement said .
The senator listed four points of concern raised by the hack , including cybersecurity weaknesses within the U.S. and the `` inexcusable silence and inaction from the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national security re-set that prioritizes cybersecurity capabilities and defenses , '' Romney said .
Other Republicans voiced a need for retaliation but did not mention Trump specifically .
`` The methods used to carry out the cyberhack are consistent with Russian cyber operations .
But it 's crucial we have complete certainty about who is behind this , '' Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted Friday .
`` We ca n't afford to be wrong on attribution , because America must retaliate , and not just with sanctions . ''
Members of the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also issued a statement Friday calling upon the U.S. to respond `` without delay . ''
Reuters first reported about the SolarWinds hack on Sunday .
In a Monday U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing , SolarWinds said it alerted 33,000 of its customers about the cyberattack and believed fewer than 18,000 may have been compromised .
The attack affected some customers who downloaded or updated Orion products between March and June of this year , the company said in its filing .
Several federal agencies—including the State Department , the Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Treasury Department and parts of the Pentagon—are believed to be among the SolarWinds customers impacted in the attack , according to The New York Times .
Though Trump has not publicly commented on the SolarWinds hack , White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany responded to a reporter 's query about the cyberattack earlier this week .
`` We 're taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to the situation , '' McEnany said Tuesday .
She referenced an earlier directive from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shut down their Orion products immediately following reports of the breach .
`` We are taking a hard look on this and , obviously , take any sort of cyber hacks very seriously , '' McEnany continued .
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication .

Democratic and Republican lawmakers criticized President Donald Trump this week for not publicly addressing the SolarWinds cyberattack that breached several federal agencies.
Though no group has taken responsibility for the attack, experts believe state-sponsored Russian hackers are behind the breach.
Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who serves as the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and is a co-chair of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, described Trump's lack of public acknowledgment of the SolarWinds hack as "extremely troubling."
In a Friday statement, Warner described the cyberattack as a "devastating breach of U.S. networks" and said Trump was not taking the breach seriously.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers criticized President Donald Trump this week for his public silence on the SolarWinds cyberattack believed to have impacted several federal agencies. In the photo above, Trump is seen climbing into golf cart number 45 as he golfs at Trump National Golf Club on December 13, 2020 in Sterling, Virginia. Al Drago/Getty
"An incident of this magnitude and lasting impact requires an engaged and public response by the U.S. government, led by a President who understands the significance of this intrusion and who is actively marshaling a domestic remediation strategy and an international response," Warner said.
"As we learn about the wider impact of this malign effort—with the potential for wider compromise of critical global technology vendors and their products—it is essential that we see an organized and concerted federal response. It is extremely troubling that the President does not appear to be acknowledging, much less acting upon, the gravity of this situation," his statement continued.
Warner is one of a handful of Democrats who criticized Trump for not commenting on the hack publicly. On Thursday, Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey commented in a tweet about the president's silence and accused him of having "cozied up" to Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout his time in office.
Trump has still said nothing about Russia’s cyber attack against our national security. This is the violent dictator trump has cozied up to for four years. https://t.co/6f4Sc5gwiB — Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 17, 2020
Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida also connected Trump's public silence on the SolarWinds hack to his relationship with Putin in tweets posted on Thursday and Friday.
"It is unacceptable that the President of the United States has said nothing of a successful Russian cyber attack across multiple agencies of our govt. For 4 years, Congress has been urging him to take Russian threats seriously. Instead, he just keeps tweeting conspiracy theories," Deutch tweeted Thursday. Deutch questioned whether Trump would "acknowledge massive Russian hack" before leaving office in a separate tweet on Friday.
In his final days as POTUS, will Trump:⁰1) acknowledge massive Russian hack?⁰2) respond to Russian bounties on our troops?⁰3) disclose private meetings w Putin, after concealing interpreter’s notes⁰4) stop aiding Putin w disinfo & discord that raise doubts about our democracy — Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) December 18, 2020
On the other side of the aisle, Utah Senator Mitt Romney also criticized Trump in connection with the SolarWinds hack. A frequent critic of the president's throughout Trump's time in office, Romney described the White House's silence over the cyberattack as "inexcusable."
"The cyber hack is like Russian bombers have been repeatedly flying undetected over our entire country," Romney's statement said. The senator listed four points of concern raised by the hack, including cybersecurity weaknesses within the U.S. and the "inexcusable silence and inaction from the White House."
"Past time for a national security re-set that prioritizes cybersecurity capabilities and defenses," Romney said.
Other Republicans voiced a need for retaliation but did not mention Trump specifically.
"The methods used to carry out the cyberhack are consistent with Russian cyber operations. But it's crucial we have complete certainty about who is behind this," Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted Friday. "We can't afford to be wrong on attribution, because America must retaliate, and not just with sanctions."
Members of the GOP serving on the House Armed Services Committee also issued a statement Friday calling upon the U.S. to respond "without delay."
Reuters first reported about the SolarWinds hack on Sunday. In a Monday U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing, SolarWinds said it alerted 33,000 of its customers about the cyberattack and believed fewer than 18,000 may have been compromised. The attack affected some customers who downloaded or updated Orion products between March and June of this year, the company said in its filing. Several federal agencies—including the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Commerce Department, the Treasury Department and parts of the Pentagon—are believed to be among the SolarWinds customers impacted in the attack, according to The New York Times.
Though Trump has not publicly commented on the SolarWinds hack, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany responded to a reporter's query about the cyberattack earlier this week.
"We're taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to the situation," McEnany said Tuesday. She referenced an earlier directive from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which told all federal civilian agencies to shut down their Orion products immediately following reports of the breach.
"We are taking a hard look on this and, obviously, take any sort of cyber hacks very seriously," McEnany continued.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.