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Dallas’ Skytale Group Names Director of Its Investment Banking Team

Dallas’ Skytale Group Names Director of Its Investment Banking Team

Miguel Mireles will help lead Skytale’s sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory engagements with a hyper-focus on enhancing the firm’s reach and expertise across multiple healthcare domains: dental, behavioral health, cardiology, infusion, musculoskeletal, and other related verticals.

Miguel Mireles, Director, Investment Banking at Skytale Group [Photo: Skytale Group]

Dallas-based investment banking and management consulting firm Skytale Group announced that Miguel Mireles has joined its investment banking team as director.

“Strengthening investment banking, one of our core services, is a key driver for Skytale’s strategic growth initiative,” Ben Hernandez, CEO and managing director at Skytale, said in a statement. “Miguel’s years of complementary experience advising both founder-owned and private equity-backed healthcare businesses directly aligns with our ability to provide more robust coverage for our clients, whose needs are increasingly complex.”

Skytale said Mireles will help lead its sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory engagements with a hyper-focus on enhancing the firm’s reach and expertise across multiple healthcare domains: dental, behavioral health, cardiology, infusion, musculoskeletal, and other related verticals.

“The future of the healthcare services market is constantly evolving through technology, business model innovation, and regulatory guidance,” Mireles said in a statement. “As a result, clients require a firm like Skytale that provides high-touch, bespoke strategic advice to ensure optimal outcomes. I look forward to expanding on the deep healthcare experience the firm has built and am confident we will continue to be in an enviable position.”

Skytale said that Mireles has more than 10 years’ experience advising primarily healthcare businesses on mergers and acquisitions, private and public equity and debt offerings, and strategic advisory transactions with an aggregate value of over $5 billion.

He comes to Skytale from Houlihan Lokey and has previous experience at Robert W. Baird and Dohmen Investment Group.

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R E A D   N E X T

  • Arhasi and Cloudbench, a Google partner and leading emerging technology consulting firm, have launched a joint AI and data foundry in Frisco, staffed with experts from top universities. The foundry aims to drive innovation in AI and Web3 technologies.

  • The firm said that Morgen Buck is a proven marketing leader and will be responsible for establishing and implementing a strategic marketing plan that will continue to elevate its overall brand, digital experience, and communications.

  • Dallas-based Skytale Group has hired Annie Hockey as head of consulting for the investment bank and management consulting firm that specializes in healthcare business. Hockey is a former entrepreneur, executive, and management consultant, and brings extensive experience both building and advising successful businesses, ranging from early stage, venture-backed startups to public and Fortune 500 companies. “Annie’s addition to the team will strengthen our existing suite of services and accelerate our ability to meet the growing demands of our clients as well as an evolving customer base including financial sponsor backed portfolio companies and family offices,” Ben Hernandez, founding partner and…

  • In 2023, founders searching for venture capital found fewer investors and less money. Pitchbook reports that the number of U.S. deals in the first three quarters of 2023 was just slightly higher than the number made during the same period in 2018.   In North Texas, it was a similar story. But even as investment markets have tightened, Dallas-based Beyond Capital is working to reverse that trend by investing in more startups. In the first quarter of 2024, it’s opening its third fund to new investors.   Beyond Capital looks for startups in need of Seed to Series A investment. What…

  • Dallas-Based Smile Doctors Raises Over $550M for Strategic Growth

    Smile Doctors, which calls itself the largest and fastest-growing orthodontic support organization in the U.S., said the raise was funded by doctors along with several large domestic and international healthcare investors.

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Honda Launches the Long-Awaited Electric Van Starting At $15,550

Honda’s NVAN e can be charged within 4 1/2 hours with a normal charging rate of 6 kilowatts, and in just 30 minutes using fast charging. (Honda)

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Honda Motor Co. is launching its long-awaited, electric van starting at $15.550 in October. The company is pushing into the commercial sector as part of their drive to have EVs, fuel cell vehicles, and EVs account for 40% of worldwide sales by the decade.

The new NVAN e will be available in four different variants that can seat from one to four passengers, the Japanese automaker announced at a launch on June 13. The vehicle is aimed at construction companies, delivery companies, and people who need extra storage space. The van can be fully charged in 4 1/2 hours with a normal charging rate of 6 kilowatts, and in 30 minutes using fast charging.

Honda is committed to electrification, despite a decline in global EV demand. Some of the world’s biggest manufacturers, including Ford Motor Co. General Motors Co. Volkswagen AG, and even Tesla Inc., have scaled back their ambitions in recent weeks.

RELATED: Honda Takes Wraps Off Class 8 Hydrogen FCEV Concept Truck

Honda’s vice-president of Japan operations, Noriyuki Takakura said that the N-VAN will be available to normal people at an affordable price.

“Thailand is one country where EVs sell well, even though we are seeing a shift in global EV trends,” he said. Honda’s commitment to carbon neutrality has not changed, he said.

Want to know more? Listen below to the daily briefing or click here for more information:

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A large chunk of Wyoming’s Teton Pass road collapses

This photo, provided by Wyoming Highway Patrol, shows a damaged portion of Teton Pass near Jackson (Wyoming Highway Patrol, via AP), on June 8, which officials described as “catastrophically failing.”

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JACKSON, Wyo. Authorities said that a large chunk of a twisting mountain road collapsed on June 8, leaving an enormous chasm and cutting off a popular commuter route between small towns of eastern Idaho and tourist destination Jackson.

Drone footage and aerial photos of the collapse reveal that the Teton Pass Road is riven by deep cracks and that a large section of pavement has disappeared. A section of the guardrail was dangling in the void and orange traffic drums marked the danger zone. The road was closed when the collapse occurred.

The section that failed attracted attention first on June 6, when a crack in the road and a drop in the road caused a motorcycle to crash.

The geologists and engineers sent to the area on that day noticed that “that crack and drop started to move quite a bit,” said Stephanie Harsha. She is a spokesperson for the District 3 of Wyoming Department of Transportation. A paving crew temporarily repaired the road and traffic started moving again that evening.

The road was closed again in the early morning hours of June 7 due to maintenance crews being sent to a mudslide that had occurred a few miles away.

Crews noticed that the damage had become more pronounced. Workers who were trying to find a way around this section of the road left for the evening. “By 5 a.m. this morning, WYDOT discovered that the entire road had failed,” Harsha stated June 8.

“We were extremely lucky that none of our crews were injured.” She said that no equipment was damaged. Now, engineers and geologists will be doing geological assessments of the pass. They’ve been watching it all day.”

The Transportation Department said via social media the road “catastrophically” failed at milepost 12.8,

It is not clear how long the road will be reopened. This road is a vital artery to people who live in Idaho and work near the Grand Teton National Park.

Harsha said that an alternate route between Jackson, Idaho and the area around Victor, Idaho, is more than 60 miles away and adds a “fair amount” to any commute.

Gov. Mark Gordon signed a executive order declaring a state of emergency. His office stated that this would allow the state to access additional resources from Federal Highway Administration in order to begin repair works.

In a press release, the Governor said that the Transportation Department is working on a “long-term solution” to rebuild this crucial road.

Gordon said, “I understand the significant impact this closure has on Teton County Residents, regional commuters, and the local economy.”

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Staff of Canadian Border Agency Agree to Tentative Labor Agreement

A truck approaches the Canada-U.S. border in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec. (Christinne Muschi/Bloomberg News)

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The federal government and unionized Canadian border agency employees reached a tentative agreement on a collective bargaining contract for more than 9500 staff, both sides announced June 11.

As late as June 11, employees of the Canada Border Services Agency threatened to strike beginning June 14, a labor action which would have caused long delays at border crossings for trucks.

According to American Trucking Associations, 5.5 million trucks will cross the 49th parallel in a northbound direction by 2023. U.S. truck exports to Canada have risen 140% since 1995.

The unions stated that the full details of the agreement would be announced on June 13 after a ratification package was made available to members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada and Customs and Immigration Union.

“Our bargaining group has been working round the clock to secure a contract that is best for our members. This tentative agreement is testament to their incredible dedication and hard work,” PSAC National president Sharon DeSousa stated.

“This is a well deserved victory for our CBSA members who safeguard our nation’s borders and ensure safety and security for all Canadians,” added she.

The unions wanted wage alignment with other law-enforcement agencies, flexible telework options and remote work, improved retirement benefits for CBSA Law Enforcement personnel, and stronger workplace protections.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat represented Canadian authorities at the talks and said that the collective agreement would include wage increases and other benefits for the employees. It said that “in the end, a fair agreement was reached for employees and reasonable for Canadians.”

“This tentative agreement shows that the best deals are always reached around the bargaining table.” This tentative agreement acknowledges the importance of Border Services employees to the safety and protection of our borders while remaining reasonable for the taxpayers, said Treasury Board President Anita Anand.

The border agency staff started talking on June 3. The unions gave the government an initial deadline of 4 p.m. EST on June 7. As the seconds ticked away from the original deadline, the two sides agreed to continue the talks with the help of a mediator. The original deadline of June 12 has been extended to 12:01 am EDT on June 14.

Before the original deadline, union representatives indicated that discussions were progressing.

DeSousa said in late June that “we are still hopeful” we can avoid a possible strike and disruptions at Canada’s borders. “No worker wants to strike, but we have set a firm date for this government to reach a fair deal.”

C.H. Mike Burkhart, Robinson Worldwide Vice President of Canada, told Transport Topics that as the discussions progressed, carriers should prepare for a slowdown in work. Workers must remain on the clock and perform all duties to their fullest.

Sheri Call, CEO of Washington Trucking Associations, told TT she expected long border lines or increased transportation costs if trucks did not make cross-border trips.

Burkhart, who is the No. 2 on Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest logistics companies in North America, said that during a 2021 labor action, trucks had to wait four to five hours. Transport Topics Top 100 List of the largest logistic companies in North America, Burkhart’s company is ranked No. 2. It manages 650,000 shipments that cross the Canadian border each year.

According to Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the top three U.S. Canada border crossings for trucks in 2023 will be Detroit, Port Huron (Mich.), and Buffalo-Niagara Falls (N.Y.).

Corey Cox, of the Tandet Group, discusses how early AI users are beginning to reap the benefits of the latest wave. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.

Before the announcement, carriers were frantically preparing to avoid bottlenecks.

Danny Cipollone is the general manager of Purolator International and head of customs brokering. He said in an email that they have contingency plans and are working with their customers and brokers to minimize any impact on cross-border service.

Purolator International, the cross-border package-and-freight arm of Mississauga-based Purolator (ranked No. 20 on TT Top 100 list) is a subsidiary of Purolator based in Mississauga (Ontario). The TT Top 100 list is a ranking of the top 100 for-hire carriers across North America.

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What reclassifying marijuana could mean for truckers, employers

The Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration on May 20 officially published its notice of proposed rulemaking that, if finalized, would reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to Schedule III.

The Biden Administration signaled its intent to move forward with such a proposal earlier this month, and the NPRM’s publication formalized that effort.

The DEA’s proposal said moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act would be “consistent with the view of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use, as well as HHS’s views about marijuana’s abuse potential and level of physical or psychological dependence.”

That, ultimately, is the difference between the two scheduling levels, as previously reported. Schedule I drugs are defined in the Act as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Those include heroin, LSD, ecstasy and, at least for now, marijuana.

Schedule II drugs, in the terms of the legislation, show “high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence,” and are considered dangerous. These include combination products with less than 15 milligrams of hydrocodone per dosage unit (Vicodin), cocaine, methamphetamine, methadone, fentanyl and more.

Drugs classified under Schedule III, how DEA is looking to classify marijuana, are those “with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” and have a lower abuse potential than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs. Currently, these include products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit, like Tylenol with codeine, as well as ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone and more.

Typically, according to Brandon Wiseman, attorney and president of Trucksafe Consulting and guest for this week’s Overdrive Radio podcast, Schedule III drugs “are still controlled in the sense that they require a prescription.” As such, having a Schedule III drug in your system is not necessarily a disqualifying factor in DOT drug testing. The driver must have a valid medical prescription for that drug, and the medical review officer (MRO) that validates the results of the drug test has to be comfortable that the use of that drug won’t impact the driver’s ability to safely operate a truck.

“Some prescription drugs will inhibit a driver’s ability to safely operate a truck,” Wiseman said in the podcast. “And so we just weed those drivers out. Those drivers aren’t going to be physically qualified. They’re not going to be able to get a med card, for example, to be able to operate.” Hear much more from Wiseman here:

Howes logoOverdrive Radio’s sponsor is Howes, longtime provider of fuel treatments like its Howes Diesel Treat anti-gel and Lifeline rescue treatment to get you through the coldest temps, likewise its all-weather Diesel Defender and Howes Multipurpose penetrating oil, among other products.According to the NPRM, which you can access for comment through mid-late July at this link, DEA and HHS last examined the issue of whether to reschedule marijuana eight years ago, in 2016, when DEA denied two petitions to do it. At the time, HHS concurred that marijuana should remain a Schedule I drug because it met the three criteria for placement in Schedule I.

In 2023, however, HHS conducted a scientific and medical evaluation of marijuana based on a comprehensive review of available data and recommended that marijuana be transferred to Schedule III.

[Related: Marijuana legalization, trucking, and the future of drug testing]

What rescheduling could mean for employer and otherwise required testing

When the DEA’s rule was released, the American Trucking Associations sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg to call attention to the potential negative impacts the rescheduling of marijuana could have on employers in trucking.

“Absent an explicit allowance for continued employer marijuana testing of safety-sensitive workers, this change may have considerable negative consequences for highway safety and safety-sensitive industries,” the group said.

ATA is concerned that reclassifying marijuana “could prohibit certain industries from screening for marijuana use by workers performing safety-sensitive roles.” The group added that “if the trucking and broader transportation industries’ ability to conduct drug testing for marijuana use is restricted, the risk of impaired drivers operating on our nation’s roadways undetected would increase, endangering all who share the road.”

Under the HHS’ Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs, under which transportation workers like truck drivers fall, regulated employers can test for Schedule I and II drugs. If marijuana were to be reclassified as a Schedule III drug, it could be precluded from drug testing of truck drivers and other transportation workers.

Evidenced by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse data, marijuana is by far the biggest reason drivers test positive and are prohibited from operating commercial vehicles. According to FMCSA data through March, since the Clearinghouse took effect in 2020 marijuana has been identified in 147,472 positive drug tests. The next highest offender is far from that level — cocaine has been detected in 40,299 positive drug tests since 2020.

Wiseman said this could create inconsistencies in how different agencies view drug testing.

“If marijuana is no longer a Schedule I substance, then arguably DOT and FMCSA lose their authorization to test for that substance,” he said. “But that then leaves open the existing regulations from FMCSA and USDOT, which clearly contemplate marijuana testing.”

Additionally, FMCSA has longstanding guidance on marijuana use by truckers.

Wiseman said at this early stage in the proposal process, it’s hard to know how it will all shake out in the long run. “We’re hoping to get some clarification, though, from either the DEA or the U.S. Attorney General on that front,” he noted.

Conflicting state laws on marijuana’s legal status, too, add a layer of complexity to the issue, Wiseman added.

“Long story short, it’s going to be a long time, I suspect, before we have concrete answers to this,” he said. “But I think even if we don’t have concrete answers in the form of some kind of rulemaking from FMCSA or the U.S. DOT, we’re probably going to have to have some interim guidance from those agencies to at least explain how they envision this working once the DEA’s rule gets passed, if it’s going to be finalized.”

There are a few scenarios that could play out during the NPRM stage of the rescheduling rule (the comment period remains open through July 22). Wiseman said he expects comments to be filed from FMCSA, the DOT, the ATA and other trucking groups. Once the comment period closes, as with all proposals in the Federal Register, the DEA will consider all of the comments filed before publishing a final rule.

“I have no doubt that we will see changes from the proposed rule to the final rule,” Wiseman said. “Whether it will include a component to address trucking is up in the air. I think that’s probably the best thing that could happen, is that there would be some kind of provision inserted to at least address trucking.”

Another potential outcome, though probably less likely, would be marijuana being treated like alcohol, where truck drivers aren’t prohibited from using it, but it has to be within certain parameters. The problem with marijuana, as Alex Lockie’s recent reporting has made clear, however, is that there isn’t currently an easy way to detect impairment.

“It’s just something that is, as I understand it, not really readily available to law enforcement,” Wiseman said of the ability to detect marijuana-use impairment. “And so really all we’re testing for on the DOT test is actually marijuana metabolites” in the urine.

If the plan is to treat it more like alcohol, though, “then we’re going to have to have a better way of detecting impairment,” he added.

[Related: Biden officially commits to marijuana regs overhaul: What CDL drivers need to know]

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Zscaler partners with NVIDIA to boost AI in cybersecurity By Investing.com

Zscaler plans to incorporate NVIDIA’s NIM inference microservices, NeMo Guardrails, and the Morpheus framework to bolster the data processing capabilities of its Zero Trust Exchange™ platform. The partnership is expected to significantly strengthen Zscaler’s ability to proactively defend against cyber threats and simplify IT and network operations.

The introduction of Zscaler ZDX Copilot, touted as a unique digital experience monitoring tool, is one of the key outcomes of this collaboration. Utilizing NVIDIA’s NeMo Guardrails, ZDX Copilot is designed to offer insights into network, device, and application performance, thereby enabling streamlined IT support and operations at an enterprise scale. NeMo Guardrails is particularly focused on ensuring the security and accuracy of smart applications that use large language models (LLMs).

Zscaler’s Zero Trust Exchange™ is reported to process over 400 billion transactions daily. By leveraging predictive and generative AI, Zscaler aims to rapidly identify and respond to threats and anomalies that were previously challenging to detect.

Furthermore, Zscaler will utilize NVIDIA Morpheus, an AI framework that assists developers in creating applications capable of filtering, processing, and classifying vast amounts of cybersecurity data. This is expected to enable real-time threat detection by optimizing AI pipelines. With NVIDIA NIM, Zscaler intends to offer scalable generative AI inferencing to enhance its data protection suite.

Punit Minocha, EVP of Business and Corporate Development at Zscaler, emphasized the importance of AI in maintaining a competitive edge in cybersecurity. NVIDIA’s vice president of strategic partnerships, Pat Lee, also highlighted the transformative impact of generative AI and accelerated computing across various industries.

News of this collaboration is based on a press release statement and marks a strategic move by Zscaler to advance its position in the cybersecurity market by partnering with NVIDIA, known for its robust AI software portfolio.

In other recent news, cloud-based information security company Zscaler has been a topic of interest following its third-quarter earnings results and subsequent analyst reports.

The company’s Q3 results exceeded expectations, reporting a 30% year-over-year increase in billings and a record operating margin, marking its first instance of GAAP profitability. Zscaler’s Dollar-Based Net Retention rate remained robust, showing strong upsell activities which contributed to a 31% year-over-year growth in customers with an annual recurring revenue of over $1 million.

Canaccord Genuity adjusted its price target for Zscaler to $220 from the previous $260, while maintaining a Buy rating. Evercore ISI also reduced the price target for Zscaler shares to $245 from $270, despite a robust fiscal third quarter performance by the company. TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating on Zscaler shares, with a steady price target of $270.00, highlighting the company’s 32% revenue growth.

Oppenheimer adjusted its outlook on Zscaler, reducing the price target on the company’s shares to $260 from the previous $290, while BMO Capital Markets raised its price target for Zscaler shares to $208 from $192.

As Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) aligns with NVIDIA to enhance its AI-driven cybersecurity capabilities, the market is taking note of the company’s financial health and growth prospects. With a significant market capitalization of $27.8 billion, Zscaler is positioning itself as a heavyweight in cloud security.

The company’s commitment to innovation and growth is reflected in the positive outlook from analysts, who expect Zscaler’s net income to grow this year. This is supported by a remarkable 37.16% revenue growth over the last twelve months as of Q3 2024, signaling strong business momentum. Additionally, Zscaler’s gross profit margin stands at an impressive 77.94%, underscoring the company’s ability to maintain profitability in its operations.

Investors are also encouraged by Zscaler’s recent performance in the stock market, with an 8.73% return over the last week. This short-term uptick complements the company’s substantial return over the last year, which analysts attribute to its strategic initiatives and market positioning. With 34 analysts having revised their earnings upwards for the upcoming period, there is a consensus that Zscaler is on a trajectory for continued success.

For those considering an investment in Zscaler, there are additional InvestingPro Tips available to provide deeper insights into the company’s performance and potential. With a total of 13 additional tips listed on InvestingPro, interested parties can use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get an additional 10% off a yearly or biyearly Pro and Pro+ subscription, ensuring they have all the information needed to make informed investment decisions.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

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North Carolina to pass a bill to crackdown on booting and towing predators

North Carolina lawmakers are examining legislation that would protect motorists from predatory booting practices and towing.

Laura Budd introduced House Bill 1024 last month ( Nonconsensual booting and Towing Reform). The bill received bipartisan approval on Wednesday to be sent to the Appropriations Committee, Finance Committee, and House Rules Committee.

Rep. Budd said NC Newsline that the bill protects consumers, North Carolinians and small businesses engaged in interstate commerce and semis as well as towing and recovery companies.

The bill calls for a Towing and Recovery Commission to be established within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The Towing and Recovery Commission will be responsible for setting the maximum fees that non-consensual towing firms can charge for booting and towing, storing, and handling commercial cargo.

The Commission will also be responsible for issuing permits to non-consensual towing firms. The permits would have to be renewed every year.

The bill also calls for the creation a website where vehicle owners can see the location of the vehicle that was towed. They can also view the hours of operation at the location, as well as the phone number of non-consensual towing businesses and the amount they must pay to retrieve their vehicle.

Other states have passed similar legislation in recent years to crackdown on predatory towers. These include Mississippi Florida and Tennessee.

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‘Introduction to Cybersecurity’ is part of Saint Bernard Summer School in Conn.


<br /> ‘Intro to Cybersecurity’ Part of Saint Bernard, Conn., Summer School<br />

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K-12 Education

A private Catholic high-school in Connecticut has added cybersecurity to its summer program. Students are now receiving a crash course on how to defend against hacking, surveillance, and attacks on computer networks.

June 14, 2024 *

Daniel Drainville The Day, New London Conn.

Shutterstock

(TNS) – After lecturing Saint Bernard School’s students about cybersecurity for a few hour Tuesday, former U.S. Navy chief Petty Officer Brian Sparks reached in his backpack and pulled 15 USB drives out.

He gave one to each student, explaining that the small size of these drives – a mere 125 Megabytes – was not intended for storing videos or photos. These were passkeys.

Ann Marie Jakubielski, the teacher of the “Intro to Cybersecurity”, summer class at the school, introduced Sparks to the use of passkeys to ward off online predators. The summer course is being offered for the first time by the school. According to a brochure, it teaches students to detect and protect against online security threats, including hacking and surveillance, as well as assaults on computer network.



Holly Cyr, Director of Programming at the school, said that the course was a welcome addition to their already vibrant summer program. Cyr said that whether or not students want to take the cybersecurity course next summer will depend upon their interest, but computer science classes in general are popular.

Sparks presented on Tuesday a condensed course he went through to earn his Navy certification in cybersecurity. He said that he provided information to the students to help them protect themselves against hackers and other predators who might try to steal their personal information.

Sparks gave out passkeys.


He explained to the class that “Passkeys” are long, complex passwords that you will never see. “They are on your device all the time, so there’s no need to worry about hackers getting them. You don’t know what they’re called, so you can never give them to anyone.”

He said that they can be physically connected to devices to unlock them.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are another preventative measure.

Sparks said that it’s “basically a tunnel encrypted with your data.” When you connect to the VPN website, all your data is encrypted.

He told the students that artificial intelligence is a growing field, which he believes both has advantages and disadvantages.

“AI’s going be a lot more effective at creating phishing emails,” he said. “But it will also be better at helping find network vulnerabilities.”

Sparks, a former Navy officer who served for 20 years before leaving the service in 2002, is now a defense contractor. He rides submarines three to four times per year and ensures that their online systems are secure.

He said that submarines present different security challenges than other Navy ships, and not just those on land. Surface ships are required to connect to the Internet for crew morale during certain hours. Subs, on the other hand, are submerged and only come up twice a week for a half-hour to access internet.

He said submarines aren’t worried about hackers, but more about disgruntled insiders who may try to do “nefarious things.”

He said the latter type of cybersecurity was “hard to combat, but you just have to keep people happy and hope they don’t do bad things.”

Sparks’ primary goal in speaking to students was to increase their interest in cybersecurity.

He said, “Or maybe they’ll be educated enough to protect themselves against online predators.” “I don’t know all the answers but I will give them the ones I have and I hope they will expand on that.”

Alessandro Johnson Paulino, a seventh-grader, and Evan Frease, who describe themselves as frequent Internet users, said that Sparks taught them a lot, including “the ways in which hackers work.”

Johnson Paulino: “So we can then like reverse-engineer it into something we can protect ourselves.” “We’ve learned so much about online safety.”

2024 The Day, New London, Conn. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




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Baltimore Shipping Channel Fully Reopens

The Chesapeake 1000 floating crane equipped with “Gus” the hydraulic grabber wrestles a 90-ton piece of residual wreckage June 7 from the Fort McHenry Federal Channel. (U.S. Army photo by Bobby Petty)

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BALTIMORE — The main shipping channel into Baltimore’s port has fully reopened to its original depth and width following the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which blocked most maritime traffic into the harbor.

Officials announced the full reopening in a news release the evening of June 10. It comes after a massive cleanup effort as crews removed an estimated 50,000 tons of steel and concrete from the Patapsco River.

The channel was blocked by wreckage of the fallen bridge, which collapsed after a containership lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns, sending six members of a roadwork crew plunging to their deaths. All of the victims were Latino immigrants working an overnight shift to fill potholes on the bridge.

The Port of Baltimore, which processes more cars and farm equipment than any other in the country, was effectively closed for several weeks while the wreckage was removed. Crews were able to reopen portions of the deep-draft channel in phases, restoring some commercial traffic in recent weeks.

Unified Command’s ongoing salvage work in the Fort McHenry Federal Channel nears its conclusion, as shown in these aerial photos taken Friday afternoon, June 7, 2024. (Maryland State Police Aviation Command) 

On May 20, the wayward cargo ship Dali was refloated and guided back to port. The vessel had been stuck amid the wreckage for almost two months, with a massive steel truss draped across its damaged bow.

After the Dali was moved, crews opened a channel that was 50 feet deep and 400 feet wide. The full federal shipping channel is 700 feet wide, which means two-way traffic can resume, officials said. They said other additional safety requirements have also been lifted because of the increased width.

Thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners have seen their jobs impacted by the collapse, prompting local and state officials to prioritize reopening the port and restoring its traffic to normal capacity in hopes of easing the economic ripple effects.

The announcement June 10 means the commerce that depends on the busy port can begin ramping back up.

Officials said a total of 56 federal, state and local agencies participated in the salvage operations, including about 500 specialists from around the world who operated a fleet of 18 barges, 22 tugboats, 13 floating cranes, 10 excavators and four survey boats.

“I cannot overstate how proud I am of our team,” said Col. Estee Pinchasin, Baltimore district commander for the Army Corps of Engineers. “It was incredible seeing so many people from different parts of our government, from around our country and all over the world, come together in the Unified Command and accomplish so much in this amount of time.”

In a statement June 10, Pinchasin also acknowledged the loss of the victims’ families.

“Not a day went by that we didn’t think about all of them, and that kept us going,” she said.

The Dali lost power shortly after leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka in the early hours of March 26. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found it experienced power outages before starting its voyage, but the exact causes of the electrical issues have yet to be determined. The FBI is also conducting a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the collapse.

Officials have said they hope to rebuild the bridge by 2028.

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FedEx to Cut Up to 2,000 Europe Jobs

FedEx announced last year that it would merge its Ground and Express units. (FedEx)

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FedEx Corp. plans to cut as many as 2,000 jobs in Europe, the latest move by the package delivery giant to streamline its global workforce and rein in costs.

The courier plans to remove and consolidate roles across its back-office and commercial operations, according to a statement June 12. The changes won’t impact customers or delivery service, FedEx said.

The plan will generate annual savings of up to $175 million beginning in fiscal 2027, FedEx said. The company anticipates pretax costs of as much as $375 million from severance and related expenses from the layoffs.

The moves, subject to country-level consultations, add to sweeping workforce reductions since FedEx revealed a plan last year to restructure its delivery networks and save billions in costs. The company in March of this year acknowledged that head count had shrunk by almost 22,000 jobs over the prior year through attrition and cuts.

FedEx ranks No. 2 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest for-hire carriers in North America.

FedEx shares were little changed as of 7:35 a.m. before regular trading in New York.

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