bomb

Hackers take control of Tampa mayor's Twitter account, announce airport bomb threat

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Feb. 21, 2019, 4:21 PM GMT

By David K. Li

A hacker took control of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s Twitter account on Thursday morning, spewing racist slurs, posting child pornography and making a bomb threat, officials said.

Buckhorn's verified Twitter feed has more than 50,000 followers and all of his tweets were later removed.

"Earlier this morning we noticed someone hacked Mayor Buckhorn's twitter account, this was clearly not Mayor Buckhorn," the city's official Twitter feed said at 7:12 a.m. ET. "Upon noticing the hack we immediately began investigating these reprehensible tweets."

Tampa police are investigating and city officials urged residents to take routine safety measures, such as changing passwords.

"We will work with @TampaPD as well as all investigators to figure out how this breach was made," according to the city. "We urge residents to change their passwords and continue to alert officials when they see an unlikely change in account activity."

The mayor’s Twitter account was seized at about 4 a.m., NBC affiliate WFLA reported, with an initial post of: “Hacked by @MeeZoid @CxlvxnSwag @SheepKiller69 you can’t touch US," followed by a racial slur.

The hacker claimed to have planted a bomb at Tampa International Airport: "@FlyTPA I have hidden a bomb in a package somewhere at the Tampa international airport. Looking forward to seeing some minorities die."

TIA officials said the threat wasn't credible but said they had still taken "appropriate action" to ensure passenger safety.

David K. Li is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

Huawei founder says "5G is not an atomic bomb," thanks Trump administration for "promoting" his company

Chinese tech giant, Huawei, has been at the forefront of 5G – the latest generation of mobile technology that's faster, smarter and more powerful than the current standard. They've secured roll-out contracts with nearly 30 countries.

A notable exception is the U.S., which considers the company to be a national security threat.

"They've been regarding 5G as the technology at the same level of the – some other military equipment. 5G is not an atomic bomb," Huawei founder and president Ren Zhengfei told "CBS This Morning" co-host Bianna Golodrgya in his first TV interview with an American journalist. 

5G is the latest high-speed mobile innovation, promising to multiply wireless internet speeds and increase coverage. "Now we are rolling out 5G and soon we'll welcome 6G. And in the future, I said there will be new equipment that is suitable for the United States," Ren said.

But U.S. intelligence agencies are concerned about Huawei's 5G growth.

"It is so much faster and it allows such a larger data flow that it significantly enhances the capabilities of an intelligence service to steal data," former CIA acting director and CBS News national security contributor Michael Morell said.

"5G is going to allow a much larger number of devices to be connected to the internet. When you connect more devices, you create more platforms from which an intelligence service can spy from," Morell added. The Trump administration has warned its allies it may reconsider its military relationships with countries that use Huawei.  "We cannot ensure the defense of the West if our allies grow dependent on the East," Vice President Mike Pence said last week at the Munich Security Conference. "Do you view that as a threat?" Golodryga asked Ren.

"First of all, I would like to thank them because they are great figures," Ren said, adding, "5G was not known by common people. But now, these great figures are all talking about 5G… And we're becoming more influential and getting more contracts."

"I sense a little bit of sarcasm there," Golodryga responded.

"Oh, please tell them – I'm actually thanking them for promoting us," Ren said.

On Thursday morning, Mr. Trump tweeted he wants to see 5G technology in the U.S., but added, "American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind." 

Huawei president says he would defy Chinese law on intelligence gathering

Despite warnings from the Trump administration, some of our European allies, including Germany and the U.K., are reportedly considering allowing Huawei to build their high-speed infrastructure.

Some Americans already rely on Huawei technology, like Mike Kilgore, who runs a wireless provider servicing more than 11,000 square miles of rural Montana.

"It's technologically advanced, it's reliable as all get out, and it's affordable," said Kilgore, CEO of Nemont Telephone Cooperative and president of the Rural Wireless Association. "We've heard of the security concerns, we've heard of the allegations of the connections to the Chinese government, but… nobody has ever produced any evidence related to that."  As the Trump administration weighs a ban on all Chinese telecoms in the U.S., Kilgore is worried his company wouldn't survive, leaving his community essentially without service. "If you did not have the ability to dial 911 from a cell phone, I just, I can't… that turns my stomach," Kilgore said.

For Ren, despite all the criticism from the administration, he knows his company's future in America is in the president's hands.

"For President Trump, I think he is a great president because in a very short period of time, he was able to reduce the tax rate," Ren said.

"You speak very highly of President Trump, yet he is likely to issue an executive order banning your company from doing any business in the United States. How do you square the two?" Golodryga asked.

"Well, we have never had many sales in the United States. But we didn't give up our efforts in this country," Ren responded with a laugh.

CBS News reached out to the Justice Department, but they did not provide comment.

Huawei CEO: "We will never" provide Chinese government with any information

Homes Evacuated, Bomb Squad Called For Possible Explosives

SAN DIEGO, CA – The discovery of possible military ordnance in a Mira Mesa home prompted the evacuation of a half-dozen residences in the neighborhood while authorities investigated.

The potentially explosive or incendiary materials were found in a cluttered house in the 10900 block of Avenida del Gato and the bomb squad was called to the scene around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the San Diego Fire- Rescue Department.

Police cleared everyone out of six homes on the street and called in a bomb squad, SDFRD spokesman Jose Ysea said.

None of the items in the home proved hazardous, fire officials said. The 14 adults and one child who were evacuated from the nearby homes were allowed to return around 6:30 p.m.

The contents of the house included several hundred rounds of ammunition and at least a dozen military ordnance left behind by a deceased relative of the family, said Capt. Jeff Ring, commander of the SDFRD bomb squad.

"We found approximately a dozen of several different types of ordnance," Ring said. "There were mortar rounds, shoulder rocket launch-type shells and various handgun ammunition."

By 8 p.m., bomb squad personnel and firefighters had cleared from the scene.

--City News Service.