Florida Coastal Resiliency | Electoral Vote Perils | Russian Space Tech Espionage, and more

The nature of the material on his phone is not known to PA but sources said the fact that he had the internet-enabled device meant he was held. RXG had exchanged more than 3,000 encrypted messages from his Samsung phone instructing a jihadist in Australia, Sevdet Besim, to launch “martyrdom” attacks during an Anzac Day remembrance parade in Melbourne.

Germany Charges Russian Citizen Suspected of Space Tech Espionage  (Thomas Escritt, Reuters)
Germany last year arrested and charged a Russian citizen with spying for Russia, prosecutors said on Thursday, alleging he had passed information on Europe’s Ariane space launcher vehicle to handlers from Russian intelligence. Federal prosecutors said the suspect, identified only as Ilnur N., worked as a researcher at a Bavarian university until his arrest in June last year. He has been in custody since and was charged on Dec. 9. The arrest casts a spotlight on Russian intelligence activity in Germany even as Berlin faces pressure from Western allies to take a more robust stance in support of Ukraine as Russian forces mass on its borders. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) first approached the suspect no later than autumn of 2019, the prosecutors said in a statement, adding he had told the SVR he was prepared to cooperate with them.

Facebook Sued Over Death of Federal Officer  (Ben Collins, NBC News)
A lawsuit filed on behalf of the officer’s sister argues Facebook’s recommendation system played a part in radicalizing the people accused in the killing.

Senators Plan Overhaul of Florida Coastal Resiliency Measures  (Renzo Downey, Florida Politics)
Some lawmakers want to do more than simply codify the state’s resilience efforts.

Cyberattacks Increasingly Hobble Pandemic-Weary U.S. Schools  (Associated Press)
Cyberattacks like the one that canceled classes for two days in Albuquerque’s biggest school district have become a growing threat to U.S. schools, with several high-profile incidents reported since last year. And the coronavirus pandemic has compounded their effects: More money has been demanded, and more schools have had to shut down as they scramble to recover data or even manually wipe all laptops.

Safety App for Drivers Debuts in Flood-Plagued Virginia City (Ben Finley, AP / Techxplore)
The increasing threat of sea-level rise on Virginia’s coast means that an afternoon rainstorm can strand drivers for hours, delay parents from picking up children and damage cars beyond repair – all without a tropical storm on the radar.
The city of Norfolk is trying to do something about that: Officials have partnered with the tech firm FloodMapp and the Waze traffic app to warn residents of flooded roadways in real time. The project is being launched at a time when cities around the world are trying to adapt to climate change. And it’s an example of how new technology will likely play an increasing role.
The pilot program in Norfolk went live this month after two years of development. FloodMapp CEO Juliette Murphy said the firm’s modeling has proved to be “incredibly accurate” along the streets of this low-lying city on the Chesapeake Bay.