And we’re back! Views went on a six-week hiatus, and nothing happened while we were gone, right? Only a long-overdue and incredibly important fight for social justice and equity, continued economic hardship and job loss, a major resurgence in COVID-19 in the US, and a dramatic shift in the polls toward Uncle Joe.
For us, this is a reminder that sometimes the first rules of politics prevail — especially in a crisis, do your job. The economy cannot recover when there is a raging pandemic, and the President will face an uphill political battle as long as he fails to lead an effective national response to the twin health and economic crises facing our nation. So what comes next?
7 Things That Will Shape the 108 days until the election
7. The #Veepstakes (Selina for Veep!)
6. Cognitive Decline aka the Battle of the Septuagenarians
5. Canned Conventions
4. Debate Drama
3. The Politics of Masks (Please, everyone, wear one in public!)
2. Surprise thy Name is October
1. SARS-COV-2 and the Race for a Vaccine
Tech Takes
1. Vice President Biden this week delivered a major address on climate in which he called for major investment in policies to support green jobs, reduce emissions, and promote environmental justice. For the EV aficionados out there, this includes increased incentives for consumers to purchase EVs and a plan to replace the US Government’s fleet of vehicles with electric vehicles.
2. Meanwhile, Facebook, facing withering criticism, is reviewing its policy on political ads in advance of the November election, and may ban them in advance.
Cyber Corner
Twitter Hack Highlights Vulnerabilities for November
To say that the entire globe dodged a bullet this week is an understatement.
This week, hackers dubbed the “ChucklingSquad” used the high-profile accounts of dozens of political and corporate leaders for a bizarre social engineering attack that would make royalty in Nigeria proud. As the Twitterer in chief — @realdonaldtrump – has shown, Twitter is the official broadcast channel of many. What if hackers used their attack for real mayhem, instead of tomfoolery?
The Twitter hack should make us all pause. A manipulated tweet that appears to be sent by a Presidential candidate could turn the tide of an election or the economy. When we look at election security, the need to look beyond voting booths and vote collection and counting is critical.
Is Time Ticking on Tik Tok in the US?
When members of both sides of the political aisle agree on something in today’s environment, you know you are in trouble. First President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo hinted at a Tik Tok ban because of its acquisition of personally identifiable information and ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
In addition, former Obama cybersecurity official Kiersten Todt (and current Vrge client) took to the airwaves of Bloomberg West to highlight the concerns she has with Tik Tok. The ability of the Chinese government to access Tik Tok data and combine it with data accessed through other hacks is at the top of her list of concerns.
Meanwhile, a number of corporations including Amazon and Wells Fargo demanded their employees delete Tik Tok from their work phones.
Rebukes from Republicans, Democrats and corporations are a triple whammy that could see Tik Tok’s story end with a very unhappy dance video.
The Musts – Read, Watch & Listen
- Why We’re Losing the Battle With Covid-19
- Nominations Open For 2nd Annual .ORG Impact Awards
- Stamped from the Beginning (or Stamped for YAs)
Maybe Don’t Watch…
Listen
- In ‘Perry Mason,’ Matthew Rhys Lives Out His Boyhood Noir Fantasies — Spoiler Alert, Matthew Rhys is Welsh. Mind. Blown.
- Song of Summer 2020: Which Hit is the Early Favorite?
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: A Hunger Games Novel
Must Watch
- #blackAF – Humor coupled with perspective on the cultural issues of our time
- Hamilton – Your obedient servant, A. Ham
- The Old Guard on Netflix w/Charlize Theron
