Deadly bombs detonated in Jerusalem; the European Union voted to declare Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an act of terrorism; and gas thieves steal hundreds of gallons. These stories and more highlight the noon rundown for Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022.
Deadly bombs detonate in Jerusalem
A teenager is dead and 19 others injured after bombs exploded at two busy bus stops in the capitol city of Jerusalem.
Officials described the bombing as a “double terrorist attack.” They said the bombs were remotely detonated and were packed with nails. They also said they are searching for other explosive devices throughout the city.
EU declares Russia a state sponsor of terrorism
“We move on the resolution recognizing the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism. The vote is closed and it is broadly adopted. Congratulations,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said.
The European Union took a vote today to declare Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an act of terrorism. The vote makes it easier for the EU to later prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin during a war crimes trial.
The move was mostly symbolic but sets the stage for potential legal consequences for Russian leaders.
Tax filing sites send data to Facebook
Tax season is just a few months away and millions of people use online tax filing services like H&R Block, Tax-Act And Tax-Slayer. But a new report has alleged personal information from tax returns filed on these websites is being transmitted to social media giant Facebook.
The report comes at a time of heightened concern over consumer privacy. The built-in code on these tax filing sites is allegedly collecting names, email address, incomes, refund amounts and other data.
The information is reportedly transmitted to Facebook for “advertisement algorithms” purposes.
Alex Jones to pay $45 million despite state cap
There are new developments in one of the many Alex Jones trials.
In August, Jones was ordered to pay $45 million to families of Sandy Hook victims. But with the trial taking place in Texas, that number was questioned.
State law caps punitive damages at $750,000 per plaintiff. That is a lot less than the $45 million. But a Texas judge has called it a “rare” case and allowed the exception to override the state cap.
Jones is expected to appeal.
Thieves hack gas pumps and change prices
Skilled hackers are targeting gas stations. They aren’t going after card skimmers inside the machines–they are going after the entire system.
Tech-savvy thieves are stealing thousands of gallons of gas by hacking a gas station’s software.
The thieves are reportedly using a remote device that allows them to bypass payment or change the price of gas to one cent per gallon. A person in Houston was arrested for allegedly stealing 800 gallons of gas for 8 dollars. That’s just a penny per gallon.
Earlier this year, 50,000 gallons of gas were stolen at a Colorado station.