TOPEKA (AP) —The Mega Millions top prize has grown again to an estimated $640 million after there was no winner of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/district-of-columbia-us-virgin-islands-lotteries-3903b40088f0aaf80e06d0d7179227f3">the lottery’s latest giant jackpot</a>.

The numbers drawn late Friday night were: 10, 24, 48, 51, 66 and gold Mega Ball 15.

The estimated $640 million jackpot in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing is an estimated $328 million.

The jackpot is the seventh largest in the game's history, Mega Millions said in a statement.

Four tickets matched all five white balls to garner the second prize level in the drawing. A ticket sold in South Carolina included an optional multiplier making it worth $2 million. Two tickets in California and one in North Carolina also were second-tier winners, Mega Millions said.

Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.

The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18.

Mega Millions is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-alabama-alaska-lotteries-business-86424cf8e2b7cccf8ae9d06f6652d559">played in 45 states</a>&nbsp;as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1689430765536.jpeg" alt="FILE - A Mega Millions wagering slip is held in Cranberry Township, Pa., Jan. 12, 2023. The Mega Millions jackpot has grown again, to at least an estimated $640 million, after there was no winner Friday night, July 14. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)" />
 <figcaption>FILE - A Mega Millions wagering slip is held in Cranberry Township, Pa., Jan. 12, 2023. The Mega Millions jackpot has grown again, to at least an estimated $640 million, after there was no winner Friday night, July 14. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA (AP) —The Mega Millions top prize has grown again to an estimated $640 million after there was no winner of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/district-of-columbia-us-virgin-islands-lotteries-3903b40088f0aaf80e06d0d7179227f3">the lottery’s latest giant jackpot</a>.The numbers drawn late Friday night were: 10, 24, 48, 51, 66 and gold Mega Ball 15.The estimated $640 million jackpot in the next drawing would only be distributed to a winner who chooses an annuity paid over 29 years. Nearly all grand prize winners opt to take a cash payout, which for Tuesday night’s drawing is an estimated $328 million.The jackpot is the seventh largest in the game's history, Mega Millions said in a statement.Four tickets matched all five white balls to garner the second prize level in the drawing. A ticket sold in South Carolina included an optional multiplier making it worth $2 million. Two tickets in California and one in North Carolina also were second-tier winners, Mega Millions said.Despite the game’s long odds of 1 in 302.6 million, players continue to purchase tickets as the size of the grand prize grows.The last time a Mega Millions player hit the top prize was April 18.Mega Millions is&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/religion-alabama-alaska-lotteries-business-86424cf8e2b7cccf8ae9d06f6652d559">played in 45 states</a>&nbsp;as well as in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mega Millions jackpot grows to $640M, among highest in lottery game’s history

WASHINGTON (AP) — No fingerprints or DNA turned up on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-suspicious-substance-cocaine-bd7a792357a85453cf55b6c955ff1b4f">baggie of cocaine found in a lobby at the White House</a>&nbsp;last week despite a sophisticated FBI crime lab analysis, and surveillance footage of the area didn’t identify a suspect, according to a summary of the Secret Service investigation obtained by The Associated Press. There are no leads on who brought the drugs into the building.

The full statement from the Secret Service on the investigation says: 

&nbsp;"On the evening of July 2, officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division found an unknown substance inside a vestibule leading to the lobby area of the West Executive Avenue entrance to the White House."

"The substance was located inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing."

"Following the discovery, safety closures were implemented around the White House. This response was designed to ensure that the found substance was not a chemical or radiological material that threatened the security of the White House. As such, the substance was field tested and preliminarily determined to not be a hazardous compound."

"Testing conducted by the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department indicated that the found powder tested preliminarily positive for the presence of cocaine. The substance and packaging were treated as evidence and sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which analyzed the item for any biothreats. Tests conducted at this facility came back negative and gave formal confirmation that the substance was not biological in nature."

"The substance and packaging underwent further forensic testing. The substance was analyzed for its chemical composition. The packaging was subjected to advanced fingerprint and DNA analysis. Both of these analyses were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's crime laboratory given their expertise in this area and independence from the investigation."

"While awaiting the FBl's results, the Secret Service investigation into how this item entered the White House continued. The investigation included a methodical review of security systems and protocols. This review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance and developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found. The focal point of these actions developed a pool of known persons for comparison of forensic evidence gleaned from the FBI’s analysis of the substance's packaging. "

"On July 12, the Secret Service received the FBI’s laboratory results, which did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons. &nbsp;Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals. The FBl's evaluation of the substance also confirmed that it was cocaine."&nbsp;

"There was no surveillance video footage found that provided investigative leads or any other means for investigators to identify who may have deposited the found substance in this area. Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered. At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence"

"The U.S. Secret Service takes its mission to protect U.S. leaders, facilities, and events seriously and we are constantly adapting to meet the needs of the current and future security environment."

The presence of cocaine at the White House prompted a flurry of criticism and questions from Republicans, who requested a briefing Thursday on the probe. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden believed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-cocaine-west-wing-secret-service-6b8aae2c55e5c1ecf860a70a0533dbed">it was “incredibly important” for</a>&nbsp;the Secret Service to get to the bottom of how the drugs ended up in the White House.

Biden wasn’t there at the time of the discovery. He was at Camp David with members of his family for the holiday weekend.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-suspicious-substance-cocaine-bd7a792357a85453cf55b6c955ff1b4f">The complex was briefly evacuated</a>&nbsp;as a precaution when the white powder was found. The fire department was called in to test the substance on the spot to determine whether it was hazardous, and the initial test came back negative for a biohazard but positive for cocaine.

The Secret Service is responsible for securing the White House and is leading the investigation. The bag was sent for a secondary, more sensitive lab analysis. Homeland Security’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center analyzed the item for any biothreats. Tests conducted at the facility came back negative and gave formal confirmation that the substance was not a biological threat.

The lobby is also open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work in the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list. There were tours on the day, a Sunday, the drugs were found, as well as on the two preceding days.

The cocaine and packaging underwent further forensics testing, including advanced fingerprint and DNA work at the FBI's crime laboratory, according to the summary. The FBI also did chemical testing.

Meanwhile, Secret Service investigators put together a list of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the drugs were found. Anyone who comes through the White House must give identifying information and pass through security before entering.

But the lab results didn't turn up latent fingerprints or DNA, so agents can't compare anything to the possible suspect pool. White House staff are fingerprinted; participants in tour groups are not.

Video of the West Executive street lobby entrance did not identify the person or provide any solid investigative leads, the Secret Service said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688508095664.png" alt="U.S. Secret Service agents found the white powder during a routine White House sweep on July 2- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Secret Service agents found the white powder during a routine White House sweep on July 2- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — No fingerprints or DNA turned up on the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-suspicious-substance-cocaine-bd7a792357a85453cf55b6c955ff1b4f">baggie of cocaine found in a lobby at the White House</a>&nbsp;last week despite a sophisticated FBI crime lab analysis, and surveillance footage of the area didn’t identify a suspect, according to a summary of the Secret Service investigation obtained by The Associated Press. There are no leads on who brought the drugs into the building.The full statement from the Secret Service on the investigation says: &nbsp;"On the evening of July 2, officers from the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division found an unknown substance inside a vestibule leading to the lobby area of the West Executive Avenue entrance to the White House.""The substance was located inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing.""Following the discovery, safety closures were implemented around the White House. This response was designed to ensure that the found substance was not a chemical or radiological material that threatened the security of the White House. As such, the substance was field tested and preliminarily determined to not be a hazardous compound.""Testing conducted by the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department indicated that the found powder tested preliminarily positive for the presence of cocaine. The substance and packaging were treated as evidence and sent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, which analyzed the item for any biothreats. Tests conducted at this facility came back negative and gave formal confirmation that the substance was not biological in nature.""The substance and packaging underwent further forensic testing. The substance was analyzed for its chemical composition. The packaging was subjected to advanced fingerprint and DNA analysis. Both of these analyses were conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's crime laboratory given their expertise in this area and independence from the investigation.""While awaiting the FBl's results, the Secret Service investigation into how this item entered the White House continued. The investigation included a methodical review of security systems and protocols. This review included a backwards examination that spanned several days prior to the discovery of the substance and developed an index of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the substance was found. The focal point of these actions developed a pool of known persons for comparison of forensic evidence gleaned from the FBI’s analysis of the substance's packaging. ""On July 12, the Secret Service received the FBI’s laboratory results, which did not develop latent fingerprints and insufficient DNA was present for investigative comparisons. &nbsp;Therefore, the Secret Service is not able to compare evidence against the known pool of individuals. The FBl's evaluation of the substance also confirmed that it was cocaine."&nbsp;"There was no surveillance video footage found that provided investigative leads or any other means for investigators to identify who may have deposited the found substance in this area. Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered. At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence""The U.S. Secret Service takes its mission to protect U.S. leaders, facilities, and events seriously and we are constantly adapting to meet the needs of the current and future security environment."The presence of cocaine at the White House prompted a flurry of criticism and questions from Republicans, who requested a briefing Thursday on the probe. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden believed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-cocaine-west-wing-secret-service-6b8aae2c55e5c1ecf860a70a0533dbed">it was “incredibly important” for</a>&nbsp;the Secret Service to get to the bottom of how the drugs ended up in the White House.Biden wasn’t there at the time of the discovery. He was at Camp David with members of his family for the holiday weekend.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/white-house-suspicious-substance-cocaine-bd7a792357a85453cf55b6c955ff1b4f">The complex was briefly evacuated</a>&nbsp;as a precaution when the white powder was found. The fire department was called in to test the substance on the spot to determine whether it was hazardous, and the initial test came back negative for a biohazard but positive for cocaine.The Secret Service is responsible for securing the White House and is leading the investigation. The bag was sent for a secondary, more sensitive lab analysis. Homeland Security’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center analyzed the item for any biothreats. Tests conducted at the facility came back negative and gave formal confirmation that the substance was not a biological threat.The lobby is also open to staff-led tours of the West Wing, which are scheduled for nonworking hours on the weekends and evenings. Those tours are invitation-only and led by White House staff for friends, family and other guests. Most staffers who work in the complex can request an evening or weekend tour slot, but there is often a long wait list. There were tours on the day, a Sunday, the drugs were found, as well as on the two preceding days.The cocaine and packaging underwent further forensics testing, including advanced fingerprint and DNA work at the FBI's crime laboratory, according to the summary. The FBI also did chemical testing.Meanwhile, Secret Service investigators put together a list of several hundred individuals who may have accessed the area where the drugs were found. Anyone who comes through the White House must give identifying information and pass through security before entering.But the lab results didn't turn up latent fingerprints or DNA, so agents can't compare anything to the possible suspect pool. White House staff are fingerprinted; participants in tour groups are not.Video of the West Executive street lobby entrance did not identify the person or provide any solid investigative leads, the Secret Service said.

Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe without a suspect

WASHINGTON —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website published advice for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/joe-rogan-trans-women-competing-womens-sports-become-forced-compliance" target="_blank">trans and non-binary individuals</a>&nbsp;on seeking guidance on how to "chestfeed" their infants.

Kansas United State's Senator Roger Marshall was quick to criticize the recommendation and and the agency.

On social media, Marhall wrote, "As a physician who has delivered over 5,000 babies and encouraged every mom to breastfeed, it is evident the CDC has placed politics and its social agenda ahead of science and the health of newborns."

"Also, the CDC is in direct conflict with the FDA for marketing a drug, Domperidone, for milk production. This drug is NOT legally approved or sold in the U.S. In fact, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/fda-talk-paper-fda-warns-against-women-using-unapproved-drug-domperidone-increase-milk-production">FDA warns agains</a>t giving Domperidone to women for promoting lactation."

"In my opinion, the CDC has lost all credibility. A biological male filled with hormones and a concoction of other drugs that could harm a baby should NEVER try to naturally feed a newborn. When will the Left wake up and realize what they are doing to our country?"

WASHINGTON —The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website published advice for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/joe-rogan-trans-women-competing-womens-sports-become-forced-compliance" target="_blank">trans and non-binary individuals</a>&nbsp;on seeking guidance on how to "chestfeed" their infants.Kansas United State's Senator Roger Marshall was quick to criticize the recommendation and and the agency.On social media, Marhall wrote, "As a physician who has delivered over 5,000 babies and encouraged every mom to breastfeed, it is evident the CDC has placed politics and its social agenda ahead of science and the health of newborns.""Also, the CDC is in direct conflict with the FDA for marketing a drug, Domperidone, for milk production. This drug is NOT legally approved or sold in the U.S. In fact, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/information-drug-class/fda-talk-paper-fda-warns-against-women-using-unapproved-drug-domperidone-increase-milk-production">FDA warns agains</a>t giving Domperidone to women for promoting lactation.""In my opinion, the CDC has lost all credibility. A biological male filled with hormones and a concoction of other drugs that could harm a baby should NEVER try to naturally feed a newborn. When will the Left wake up and realize what they are doing to our country?"

Kansas U.S. Senator rips CDC over trans chest feeding newborns

By FRANK BAJAK, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and LARRY FENN Associated Press

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The confidential documents stolen from schools and dumped online by ransomware gangs are raw, intimate and graphic. They describe student sexual assaults, psychiatric hospitalizations, abusive parents, truancy — even suicide attempts.

“Please do something,” begged a student in one leaked file, recalling the trauma of continually bumping into an ex-abuser at a school in Minneapolis. Other victims talked about wetting the bed or crying themselves to sleep.

Complete sexual assault case folios containing these details were among more than 300,000 files dumped online in March after the 36,000-student Minneapolis Public Schools refused to pay a $1 million ransom. Other exposed data included medical records and discrimination complaints.

Rich in digitized data, the nation’s schools are prime targets for far-flung criminal hackers, who are assiduously locating and scooping up sensitive files.

Often strapped for cash, districts are grossly ill-equipped not just to defend themselves but to respond diligently and transparently when attacked, especially as they struggle to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-covid-46cb725e08110f8ad3c1b303ec9eefad">help kids catch up from the pandemic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-chicago-race-and-ethnicity-a178d2dbe5d8e10d155b3f740da39609">grapple with shrinking budgets</a>.

Months after the Minneapolis attack, administrators have not delivered on their promise to inform individual victims. Unlike for hospitals, no federal law exists to require this notification from schools.

The Associated Press reached families of six students whose sexual assault case files were exposed. The message from a reporter was the first time anyone had alerted them.

“Truth is, they didn’t notify us about anything,” said a mother whose son’s case file has 80 documents.

Even when schools catch a ransomware attack in progress, the data are typically already gone. That was what Los Angeles Unified School District did last Labor Day weekend, only to see the private paperwork of more than 1,900 former students — including psychological evaluations and medical records — leaked online. Not until February did district officials disclose the breach’s full dimensions.

The lasting legacy of school ransomware attacks, it turns out, is not in school closures, recovery costs or even soaring cyberinsurance premiums. It is the trauma for staff, students and parents from the online exposure of private records — which the AP found on the open internet and dark web.

“A massive amount of information is being posted online, and nobody is looking to see just how bad it all is. Or, if somebody is looking, they’re not making the results public,” said analyst Brett Callow of the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.

Other big districts recently stung by data theft include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sandiegounified.org/data_security">San Diego</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmschools.org/news_release/dmps-notifies-individuals-of-data-security-incident/">Des Moines</a>&nbsp;and Tucson, Arizona. While the severity of those hacks remains unclear, all have been criticized either for being slow to admit to being hit by ransomware, dragging their feet on notifying victims — or both.

ON CYBER SECURITY, SCHOOLS HAVE LAGGED

While other ransomware targets have fortified and segmented networks, encrypting data and mandating multi-factor authentication, school systems have been slower to react.

Ransomware likely has affected well over 5 million U.S. students by now, with district attacks on track to rise this year, said analyst Allan Liska of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisecurity.org/about-us/media/press-release/new-ms-isac-report-details-cybersecurity-challenges-of-k-12-schools">Nearly one in three U.S. districts</a>&nbsp;had been breached by the end of 2021, according to a survey by the Center for Internet Security, a federally funded nonprofit.

Just three years ago, criminals did not routinely grab data in ransomware attacks, said TJ Sayers, cyberthreat intelligence manager at the Center for Internet Security. Now, it’s common, he said, with much of it sold on the dark web.

The criminals in the Minneapolis theft were especially aggressive. They shared links to the stolen data on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and the dark web, which standard browsers can’t access.

The Minneapolis parents informed by the AP of the leaked sexual assault complaints feel doubly victimized. Their children have battled PTSD, and some even left their schools. Now this.

“The family is beyond horrified to learn that this highly sensitive information is now available in perpetuity on the internet for the child’s future friends, romantic interests, employers, and others to discover,” said Jeff Storms, an attorney for one of the families. It is AP policy not to identify sexual abuse victims.

Minneapolis Schools spokeswoman Crystina Lugo-Beach would not say how many people have been contacted so far or answer other AP questions about the attack.

Despite parents' and teachers' frustration, schools are&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BrettCallow/status/1661073335604871168?s=20">routinely advised by incident response teams</a>&nbsp;concerned about legal liability issues and ransom negotiations against being more transparent, said Callow of Emsisoft. Minneapolis school officials apparently followed that playbook, initially describing the Feb. 17 attack cryptically as a “system incident,” then as “technical difficulties” and later an “encryption event.”

The extent of the breach became clear though when a ransomware group posted video of stolen data, giving the district 10 days to pay the ransom before leaking files.

The district declined to pay, following the standing advice of the FBI, which says ransoms encourage criminals to target more victims.

SCHOOLS SPEND TECH BUDGETS ON LEARNING TOOLS, NOT SECURITY

During the COVID-19 pandemic, districts prioritized spending on internet connectivity and remote learning. Security got short shrift as IT departments invested in software to track student engagement and performance,&nbsp;<a href="https://cs.uchicago.edu/news/uchicago-and-nyu-research-team-finds-edtech-tools-could-pose-privacy-risks-for-students/">often at the expense of privacy and safety</a>, University of Chicago and New York University researchers found.

Cybersecurity money for public schools is limited. As it stands, districts can only expect slivers of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/09/16/biden-harris-administration-announces-1-billion-funding-first-ever-state-and-local">$1 billion in cybersecurity grants</a>&nbsp;that the federal government is distributing over four years.

Minnesota’s chief information security officer, John Israel, said his state got $18 million of it this year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/state-and-local-cybersecurity-grant-program-frequently-asked-questions">to divvy among 3,600 different entities</a>. State lawmakers provided an additional $22.5 million in grants for cyber and physical security in schools.

It’s already too late for the mother of one of the Minneapolis students whose confidential sexual assault complaint was released online. She almost feels “violated again.”

“All the stuff we kept private,” she said, “it’s out there. And it’s been out there for a very long time.”

By FRANK BAJAK, HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and LARRY FENN Associated PressKANSAS CITY (AP) —The confidential documents stolen from schools and dumped online by ransomware gangs are raw, intimate and graphic. They describe student sexual assaults, psychiatric hospitalizations, abusive parents, truancy — even suicide attempts.“Please do something,” begged a student in one leaked file, recalling the trauma of continually bumping into an ex-abuser at a school in Minneapolis. Other victims talked about wetting the bed or crying themselves to sleep.Complete sexual assault case folios containing these details were among more than 300,000 files dumped online in March after the 36,000-student Minneapolis Public Schools refused to pay a $1 million ransom. Other exposed data included medical records and discrimination complaints.Rich in digitized data, the nation’s schools are prime targets for far-flung criminal hackers, who are assiduously locating and scooping up sensitive files.Often strapped for cash, districts are grossly ill-equipped not just to defend themselves but to respond diligently and transparently when attacked, especially as they struggle to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-covid-46cb725e08110f8ad3c1b303ec9eefad">help kids catch up from the pandemic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/covid-health-chicago-race-and-ethnicity-a178d2dbe5d8e10d155b3f740da39609">grapple with shrinking budgets</a>.Months after the Minneapolis attack, administrators have not delivered on their promise to inform individual victims. Unlike for hospitals, no federal law exists to require this notification from schools.The Associated Press reached families of six students whose sexual assault case files were exposed. The message from a reporter was the first time anyone had alerted them.“Truth is, they didn’t notify us about anything,” said a mother whose son’s case file has 80 documents.Even when schools catch a ransomware attack in progress, the data are typically already gone. That was what Los Angeles Unified School District did last Labor Day weekend, only to see the private paperwork of more than 1,900 former students — including psychological evaluations and medical records — leaked online. Not until February did district officials disclose the breach’s full dimensions.The lasting legacy of school ransomware attacks, it turns out, is not in school closures, recovery costs or even soaring cyberinsurance premiums. It is the trauma for staff, students and parents from the online exposure of private records — which the AP found on the open internet and dark web.“A massive amount of information is being posted online, and nobody is looking to see just how bad it all is. Or, if somebody is looking, they’re not making the results public,” said analyst Brett Callow of the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft.Other big districts recently stung by data theft include&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sandiegounified.org/data_security">San Diego</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dmschools.org/news_release/dmps-notifies-individuals-of-data-security-incident/">Des Moines</a>&nbsp;and Tucson, Arizona. While the severity of those hacks remains unclear, all have been criticized either for being slow to admit to being hit by ransomware, dragging their feet on notifying victims — or both.ON CYBER SECURITY, SCHOOLS HAVE LAGGED While other ransomware targets have fortified and segmented networks, encrypting data and mandating multi-factor authentication, school systems have been slower to react.Ransomware likely has affected well over 5 million U.S. students by now, with district attacks on track to rise this year, said analyst Allan Liska of the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisecurity.org/about-us/media/press-release/new-ms-isac-report-details-cybersecurity-challenges-of-k-12-schools">Nearly one in three U.S. districts</a>&nbsp;had been breached by the end of 2021, according to a survey by the Center for Internet Security, a federally funded nonprofit.Just three years ago, criminals did not routinely grab data in ransomware attacks, said TJ Sayers, cyberthreat intelligence manager at the Center for Internet Security. Now, it’s common, he said, with much of it sold on the dark web.The criminals in the Minneapolis theft were especially aggressive. They shared links to the stolen data on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram and the dark web, which standard browsers can’t access.The Minneapolis parents informed by the AP of the leaked sexual assault complaints feel doubly victimized. Their children have battled PTSD, and some even left their schools. Now this.“The family is beyond horrified to learn that this highly sensitive information is now available in perpetuity on the internet for the child’s future friends, romantic interests, employers, and others to discover,” said Jeff Storms, an attorney for one of the families. It is AP policy not to identify sexual abuse victims.Minneapolis Schools spokeswoman Crystina Lugo-Beach would not say how many people have been contacted so far or answer other AP questions about the attack.Despite parents' and teachers' frustration, schools are&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/BrettCallow/status/1661073335604871168?s=20">routinely advised by incident response teams</a>&nbsp;concerned about legal liability issues and ransom negotiations against being more transparent, said Callow of Emsisoft. Minneapolis school officials apparently followed that playbook, initially describing the Feb. 17 attack cryptically as a “system incident,” then as “technical difficulties” and later an “encryption event.”The extent of the breach became clear though when a ransomware group posted video of stolen data, giving the district 10 days to pay the ransom before leaking files.The district declined to pay, following the standing advice of the FBI, which says ransoms encourage criminals to target more victims.SCHOOLS SPEND TECH BUDGETS ON LEARNING TOOLS, NOT SECURITY During the COVID-19 pandemic, districts prioritized spending on internet connectivity and remote learning. Security got short shrift as IT departments invested in software to track student engagement and performance,&nbsp;<a href="https://cs.uchicago.edu/news/uchicago-and-nyu-research-team-finds-edtech-tools-could-pose-privacy-risks-for-students/">often at the expense of privacy and safety</a>, University of Chicago and New York University researchers found.Cybersecurity money for public schools is limited. As it stands, districts can only expect slivers of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/09/16/biden-harris-administration-announces-1-billion-funding-first-ever-state-and-local">$1 billion in cybersecurity grants</a>&nbsp;that the federal government is distributing over four years.Minnesota’s chief information security officer, John Israel, said his state got $18 million of it this year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cisa.gov/state-and-local-cybersecurity-grant-program-frequently-asked-questions">to divvy among 3,600 different entities</a>. State lawmakers provided an additional $22.5 million in grants for cyber and physical security in schools.It’s already too late for the mother of one of the Minneapolis students whose confidential sexual assault complaint was released online. She almost feels “violated again.”“All the stuff we kept private,” she said, “it’s out there. And it’s been out there for a very long time.”

Ransomware criminals are dumping kids' private files online after school hacks

SEATTLE (AP) — Need Plan B? Tap your credit card and enter B6.

Since last November, a library at the University of Washington has featured a different kind of vending machine, one that's become more popular on campuses around the country since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">ended constitutional protections for abortion</a>&nbsp;last year. It's stocked with ibuprofen, pregnancy tests and the morning-after pill.

With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-idaho-birth-control-bd238c572da10d812ef5ba93f1860fc5">some states enacting abortion bans</a>&nbsp;and others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-charlie-baker-massachusetts-67ae91877315527cb5f5166cf2b91d8a">enshrining protections</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-stockpile-1c1c7c107882f7a25a181af79a1f6790">expanding access to birth control</a>, the machines are part of a push on college campuses to ensure emergency contraceptives are cheap, discreet and widely available.

There are now 39 universities in 17 states with emergency contraceptive vending machines, and at least 20 more considering them, according to the American Society for Emergency Contraception. Some, such as the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, are in states where abortion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-oklahoma-supreme-court-medical-emergency-74841ced6cc1f247dc9bcf00d5d2403a">is largely banned</a>.

Over-the-counter purchase of Plan B and generic forms is legal in all 50 states.

The 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade “is putting people’s lives at stake, so it makes pregnancy prevention all the more urgent,” said Kelly Cleland, the ASEC's executive director. “If you live in a state where you cannot get an abortion and you can’t get an abortion anywhere near you, the stakes are so much higher than they’ve ever been before.”

Washington this year became first U.S. state to set aside money — $200,000 to fund $10,000 grants that colleges can obtain next year through an application process — to expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emergency-contraception">access to emergency contraceptives</a>&nbsp;at public universities and technical colleges through the automatic dispensers.

The University of Washington's machine was installed after a student-led campaign. It offers boxes of generic Plan B for $12.60, about a quarter of what the name-brand versions sell for in stores, and more than 640 have been sold.

The drug is even cheaper in some machines than it is in UW’s, as low as $7 per box. That’s because it is sold at just above wholesale cost, compared with pharmacy retail prices that might go up to $50.

In Illinois and New York, lawmakers are developing legislation that would require at least one vending machine selling emergency contraceptives on state college campuses.

In Connecticut, Yale had to drop plans to install an emergency contraceptive vending machine in 2019 after learning it would violate state law.

But this year the state approved a measure allowing Plan B and other over-the-counter medications to be sold from vending machines on campuses and other locations.

The machines can't be placed in K-12 schools or exposed to the elements, and they must have temperature and humidity controls and include plans for power outages and expired items.

“This just enables people to have better access and easier access,” said Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, one of several Republicans in Connecticut's Democratic-controlled General Assembly who supported the measure. “You may need Plan B, as we all know, in the middle of the night, and you won’t have access to a pharmacy until the morning.”

Although the morning-after pill has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter sale, many stores and pharmacies keep it behind the counter or locked up, require identification for purchase and make the experience of purchasing it intimidating.

“There is a stigma associated with getting access to these medications,” said Zoe Amaris, a University of Washington pharmacy student and board member of UW Pharmacists for Reproductive Education and Sexual Health. “Having a vending machine is so easy. You don’t need to go to a pharmacy. You don’t need to go through your health care provider.”

Plan B is more effective the sooner it is taken, and vending machine access could be particularly crucial for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-birth-control-emergency-contraception-bd43c175ff60b83eef43ba146c0bf3f3">victims of rape</a>&nbsp;when pharmacies are closed. The anonymity the machines afford may also be important to some assault victims.

“When you have a vending machine, it takes away a lot of those barriers," Cleland said. “Students can go on their own terms to get it when they need it.”

SEATTLE (AP) — Need Plan B? Tap your credit card and enter B6.Since last November, a library at the University of Washington has featured a different kind of vending machine, one that's become more popular on campuses around the country since the U.S. Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">ended constitutional protections for abortion</a>&nbsp;last year. It's stocked with ibuprofen, pregnancy tests and the morning-after pill.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Reproductive health care products, including Plan B, are available from a new vending machine located in the Odegaard Library cafe (first floor). The machine is a partnership with UW&#39;s Pharmacists for Reproductive Education and Sexual Health RSO and the Kelley-Ross Foundation. <a href="https://t.co/smyWSoDdJ7">pic.twitter.com/smyWSoDdJ7</a>&mdash; UW Student Life (@uwstudentlife) <a href="https://twitter.com/uwstudentlife/status/1628119834977517569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>With&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-legislature-idaho-birth-control-bd238c572da10d812ef5ba93f1860fc5">some states enacting abortion bans</a>&nbsp;and others&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-us-supreme-court-health-charlie-baker-massachusetts-67ae91877315527cb5f5166cf2b91d8a">enshrining protections</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/washington-abortion-pills-stockpile-1c1c7c107882f7a25a181af79a1f6790">expanding access to birth control</a>, the machines are part of a push on college campuses to ensure emergency contraceptives are cheap, discreet and widely available.There are now 39 universities in 17 states with emergency contraceptive vending machines, and at least 20 more considering them, according to the American Society for Emergency Contraception. Some, such as the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, are in states where abortion&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-oklahoma-supreme-court-medical-emergency-74841ced6cc1f247dc9bcf00d5d2403a">is largely banned</a>.Over-the-counter purchase of Plan B and generic forms is legal in all 50 states.The 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade “is putting people’s lives at stake, so it makes pregnancy prevention all the more urgent,” said Kelly Cleland, the ASEC's executive director. “If you live in a state where you cannot get an abortion and you can’t get an abortion anywhere near you, the stakes are so much higher than they’ve ever been before.”Washington this year became first U.S. state to set aside money — $200,000 to fund $10,000 grants that colleges can obtain next year through an application process — to expand&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emergency-contraception">access to emergency contraceptives</a>&nbsp;at public universities and technical colleges through the automatic dispensers.The University of Washington's machine was installed after a student-led campaign. It offers boxes of generic Plan B for $12.60, about a quarter of what the name-brand versions sell for in stores, and more than 640 have been sold.The drug is even cheaper in some machines than it is in UW’s, as low as $7 per box. That’s because it is sold at just above wholesale cost, compared with pharmacy retail prices that might go up to $50.In Illinois and New York, lawmakers are developing legislation that would require at least one vending machine selling emergency contraceptives on state college campuses.In Connecticut, Yale had to drop plans to install an emergency contraceptive vending machine in 2019 after learning it would violate state law.But this year the state approved a measure allowing Plan B and other over-the-counter medications to be sold from vending machines on campuses and other locations.The machines can't be placed in K-12 schools or exposed to the elements, and they must have temperature and humidity controls and include plans for power outages and expired items.“This just enables people to have better access and easier access,” said Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, one of several Republicans in Connecticut's Democratic-controlled General Assembly who supported the measure. “You may need Plan B, as we all know, in the middle of the night, and you won’t have access to a pharmacy until the morning.”Although the morning-after pill has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter sale, many stores and pharmacies keep it behind the counter or locked up, require identification for purchase and make the experience of purchasing it intimidating.“There is a stigma associated with getting access to these medications,” said Zoe Amaris, a University of Washington pharmacy student and board member of UW Pharmacists for Reproductive Education and Sexual Health. “Having a vending machine is so easy. You don’t need to go to a pharmacy. You don’t need to go through your health care provider.”Plan B is more effective the sooner it is taken, and vending machine access could be particularly crucial for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-birth-control-emergency-contraception-bd43c175ff60b83eef43ba146c0bf3f3">victims of rape</a>&nbsp;when pharmacies are closed. The anonymity the machines afford may also be important to some assault victims.“When you have a vending machine, it takes away a lot of those barriers," Cleland said. “Students can go on their own terms to get it when they need it.”

Morning-after pill vending machines gain popularity on college campuses post-Roe

ROME (AP) — Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rome-europe-science-health-coronavirus-629ccdd23325871f91d40a2fc566c592">the Colosseum in Rome</a>, a crime that resulted in hefty fines in the past.

<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/OGYe1Z4EbQ0?feature=share">Click here to watch </a>the video

The message reading “Ivan+Haley 23” appeared on the Colosseum at a time when Romans already were complaining about hordes of tourists flooding the Eternal City in record numbers this season. A fellow tourist, Ryan Litz, of Orange, California., filmed the incident and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OGYe1Z4EbQ0">posted the video on YouTube</a>&nbsp;and Reddit.

The video received over 1,500 social media views and was picked up by Italian media. Litz told The Associated Press on Tuesday he was “dumbfounded” that someone would deface such an important monument.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the writing carved into the almost 2,000-year-old Flavian Ampitheater “serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility.” He said he hoped the culprits would be found “and punished according to our laws.”

Italian news agency ANSA noted that the incident marked the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c519adca7ca74ef88196540976084104/Rome-with-a-view:-Colosseum-opens-its-top-levels-to-public">the Colosseum</a>. It said whoever was responsible for the latest episode risked $15,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said she hoped the tourist would be sanctioned “so that he understands the gravity of the gesture.” Calling for respect for Italy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rome-ancient-temples-julius-caesar-726e7c504f4a173dbe6ba322fbfabc18">culture and history</a>, she vowed: “We cannot allow those who visit our nation to feel free to behave in this way.”

Litz, who is on a two-month backpacking trip through Europe, said he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum on Friday when he saw the person “blatantly carving his name" in the Colosseum wall. Litz told the AP he took out his phone to film the man because he was so shocked at what he was doing.

“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’" Litz recalled. “And all he could do is like smile at me.”

Litz, a recent graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, said he tried to get a guard to take action, but neither the guard nor his supervisor did anything, even after Litz identified the man and offered to share the video.

He said he decided to post the video online the following morning, after he had calmed down. While saying he appreciates graffiti and art, “carving your name seems like a pretty selfish act.” He said visitors to foreign countries cannot repay their hosts "with blatant disrespect like this.”

Outside the Colosseum on Tuesday, other visitors agreed.

"We have to preserve what we have," said Diego Cruz, an American student. “There is a rich history here. It helps us learn from the past.

Güldamla Ozsema, a computer engineer visiting from Turkey, said his country also had difficulty protecting its monuments from disrespectful tourists.

"I really get angry with them, with this behavior,” Ozsema said.

Italian tourism lobby Federturismo, backed by statistics bureau ISTAT, has said 2023 is shaping up as a record for visitors to Italy, surpassing pre-pandemic levels that hit a high in 2019.

In 2014,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/id-bd4780ece28d449aaca5a7ca97e1fcc3">a Russian tourist was fined</a>&nbsp;20,000 euros ($25,000) and received a four-year suspended jail sentence for engraving a big letter ‘K’ on a wall of the Colosseum.

The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they carved their names in the monument.

ROME (AP) — Italy’s culture and tourism ministers have vowed to find and punish a tourist who was filmed carving his name and that of his apparent girlfriend in the wall of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rome-europe-science-health-coronavirus-629ccdd23325871f91d40a2fc566c592">the Colosseum in Rome</a>, a crime that resulted in hefty fines in the past.<a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/OGYe1Z4EbQ0?feature=share">Click here to watch </a>the videoThe message reading “Ivan+Haley 23” appeared on the Colosseum at a time when Romans already were complaining about hordes of tourists flooding the Eternal City in record numbers this season. A fellow tourist, Ryan Litz, of Orange, California., filmed the incident and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OGYe1Z4EbQ0">posted the video on YouTube</a>&nbsp;and Reddit.The video received over 1,500 social media views and was picked up by Italian media. Litz told The Associated Press on Tuesday he was “dumbfounded” that someone would deface such an important monument.Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano called the writing carved into the almost 2,000-year-old Flavian Ampitheater “serious, undignified and a sign of great incivility.” He said he hoped the culprits would be found “and punished according to our laws.”Italian news agency ANSA noted that the incident marked the fourth time this year that such graffiti was reported at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/c519adca7ca74ef88196540976084104/Rome-with-a-view:-Colosseum-opens-its-top-levels-to-public">the Colosseum</a>. It said whoever was responsible for the latest episode risked $15,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.Tourism Minister Daniela Santanche said she hoped the tourist would be sanctioned “so that he understands the gravity of the gesture.” Calling for respect for Italy’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rome-ancient-temples-julius-caesar-726e7c504f4a173dbe6ba322fbfabc18">culture and history</a>, she vowed: “We cannot allow those who visit our nation to feel free to behave in this way.”Litz, who is on a two-month backpacking trip through Europe, said he had just finished a guided tour of the Colosseum on Friday when he saw the person “blatantly carving his name" in the Colosseum wall. Litz told the AP he took out his phone to film the man because he was so shocked at what he was doing.“And as you see in the video, I kind of approach him and ask him, dumbfounded at this point, ‘Are you serious? Are you really serious?’" Litz recalled. “And all he could do is like smile at me.”Litz, a recent graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, said he tried to get a guard to take action, but neither the guard nor his supervisor did anything, even after Litz identified the man and offered to share the video.He said he decided to post the video online the following morning, after he had calmed down. While saying he appreciates graffiti and art, “carving your name seems like a pretty selfish act.” He said visitors to foreign countries cannot repay their hosts "with blatant disrespect like this.”Outside the Colosseum on Tuesday, other visitors agreed."We have to preserve what we have," said Diego Cruz, an American student. “There is a rich history here. It helps us learn from the past.Güldamla Ozsema, a computer engineer visiting from Turkey, said his country also had difficulty protecting its monuments from disrespectful tourists."I really get angry with them, with this behavior,” Ozsema said.Italian tourism lobby Federturismo, backed by statistics bureau ISTAT, has said 2023 is shaping up as a record for visitors to Italy, surpassing pre-pandemic levels that hit a high in 2019.In 2014,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/id-bd4780ece28d449aaca5a7ca97e1fcc3">a Russian tourist was fined</a>&nbsp;20,000 euros ($25,000) and received a four-year suspended jail sentence for engraving a big letter ‘K’ on a wall of the Colosseum.The following year, two American tourists were also cited for aggravated damage after they carved their names in the monument.

🎥Officials vow to find, punish tourist who vandalized Colosseum in Rome

The Wichita Police Department reported that Michael Camp was located by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and is safe, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The silver alert has been canceled.

SEDGWICK COUNTY –&nbsp;The Wichita Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Wichita man, according to a media release from the KBI.

The whereabouts of 74-year-old Michael A. Camp are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.

Michael was last seen at his residence in the 200 block of S. Mars, around 3 a.m. on Thursday, June 22. He is likely driving a dark blue 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe bearing Kansas Tag 777COJ.&nbsp; He may have traveled to the Butler County, Kansas area.

Michael is a white male who is around 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and white hair. He was last known wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Michael has Alzheimer’s disease.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687466434539.png" alt="Michael A. Camp-photo Wichita PD" />
 <figcaption>Michael A. Camp-photo Wichita PD</figcaption>
 </figure>The Wichita Police Department reported that Michael Camp was located by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, and is safe, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The silver alert has been canceled.-----------SEDGWICK COUNTY –&nbsp;The Wichita Police Department requested that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing Wichita man, according to a media release from the KBI.The whereabouts of 74-year-old Michael A. Camp are unknown, and the public’s assistance is requested to help locate him.Michael was last seen at his residence in the 200 block of S. Mars, around 3 a.m. on Thursday, June 22. He is likely driving a dark blue 2020 Hyundai Santa Fe bearing Kansas Tag 777COJ.&nbsp; He may have traveled to the Butler County, Kansas area.Michael is a white male who is around 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He has brown eyes and white hair. He was last known wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Michael has Alzheimer’s disease.

KBI: Statewide Silver Alert canceled: missing Kansas man found safe

Coast Guard: Debris field has been found in search for missing sub

HALIFAX (AP) —Teams racing to find the missing Titan submersible have detected&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titan-titanic-submersible-sound-0a6cdf7fdd6d2b2ffff1f8b25f081faf">underwater noises</a>&nbsp;in the search area. But it won’t be easy to find the source of that sound in the “noisy” ocean.

There are many other potential sources of sound underwater, including from fish, other animals and of course human-made instruments, according to Matt Dzieciuch, an ocean acoustics expert at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

While the Coast Guard said search teams heard banging noises at 30-minute intervals, it’s still unclear whether the banging noises were a true signal of life.

Usually, an underwater vehicle will have a device called a pinger that can correspond with the surface and make it easier to locate, Dzieciuch said. But it’s unclear whether the Titan submersible was using one.

The search team is facing additional challenges because sound gets bent as it travels underwater, due to how pressure and temperature change at different depths, Dzieciuch said. That can create echo-like effects and make it hard to locate the source of a particular sound.

HALIFAX (AP) —Underwater mountains and valleys. Deep-sea water pressure. Weather conditions. And a search area twice the size of Connecticut – in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep – with few clues about the Titan’s location.

The crews tasked with finding the Titan, which was reported overdue Sunday night, are facing all those challenges and more to locate the submersible amid the North Atlantic waters.

While undersea search efforts are nothing new –&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-world-war-ii-international-news-japan-us-news-95f892b78ec44fbd8b4de02c4ad71792">a 2019 expedition found two lost Japanese aircraft carriers</a>&nbsp;that went down in World War II’s historic Battle of Midway around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands – looking for the 22-foot-long (6.7-meter) carbon-fiber vessel amid the vast ocean is far more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.

Those Japanese aircraft carriers were exponentially larger than the Titan – and still they were lost for decades after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/hi-state-wire-us-news-ap-top-news-world-war-ii-international-news-f026d20d928143ddadfc3df0f3d36f77">June 1942 air and sea battle.</a>

“I’ve seen large vessels hiding within extreme geology so searching for smaller objects requires more detailed scrutiny as opposed to searching for a sunken (cruiser) or aircraft carrier,” wrote Robert Kraft, a deep-sea explorer who was part of the 2019 expedition, in an email to The Associated Press from aboard his latest voyage.

HALIFAX (AP) —Remote-operated robots that are typically used for undersea exploration will instead be critical to any hope of finding the Titan.

There were two such remotely operated vehicles — or ROVs – in North Atlantic waters on Wednesday, with more on the way.

Designed to scan the sea floor in real time, the ROVs are outfitted with cameras and travel to depths many other vessels cannot.

ROVs have been used for undersea exploration since at least the mid-1980s, according to deep-sea explorer Katy Croff Bell, who is president of Ocean Discovery League.

The vessels are expensive to use and their method of data collection can be slow and painstaking, which is partly why scientists know so little about the ocean floor even after years of exploration.

But the ROVs might be the only way to find the Titan after the submersible vanished Sunday on a dive to the wreckage of the Titanic.

“ROVs are essential to the search and rescue mission,” Bell said. “Really the only way you’re going to be able to recover anything from the deep sea floor in real time.”

HALIFAX (AP) —The daunting search and rescue effort for the Titan is rushing experts and specialized underwater equipment together by land, by air and by sea to find the submersible before its oxygen runs out.

A remotely operated vehicle that can scan the sea floor, known as an ROV, was flown to Canada on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at the Titanic site on Thursday morning.

“The equipment that is onsite and coming is the most sophisticated in the world and certainly capable of reaching those depths,” said Sean Leet, chief executive of Canadian Horizon Maritime company.

The company and the Mi’kmaq band co-own the Polar Prince, which is the research vessel that launched the Titan.

“We are praying for our friends onboard the Titan submersible,” said Miawpukek First Nation Chief Mi’sel Joe. “We want them to come home safely. We ask everyone across Canada and the world to pray with us that we can find and rescue the Titan.”

HALIFAX (AP) —A Canadian surveillance vessel has detected underwater noises in the area where rescuers are searching for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-wreckage-missing-submersible-62fadef7a55af0022e3dc75df862a5c1">submersible that went missing in the North Atlantic</a>&nbsp;while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-missing-submersible-passengers-7eb1e80c03a47062fb8ff82f6251a33e">bringing five people down</a>&nbsp;to the wreck of the Titanic, authorities said Wednesday.

Coast Guard officials were bringing in more ships and other vessels to search the more narrowly defined area, though the exact location and source of the sounds has not yet been determined. The full scope of the search was twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles deep, said Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District.

“This is a search and rescue mission, 100%,” Frederick said. “When you’re in the middle of a search and rescue case, you always have hope.”

But even those who expressed some optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface — assuming it's still intact — before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out.

The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan submersible went missing on Sunday is prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol.

After a Canadian military surveillance aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area, a robotic vessel was sent to scour the region but had so far “yielded negative results,” the Coast Guard wrote on Twitter.

The Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be. The vessel is estimated to have as little as a day's worth of oxygen left if it is still functioning.

Three search vessels arrived on-scene Wednesday morning, including one that has side-scanning sonar capabilities. Authorities pushed to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the submersible is found.

The Coast Guard statement about detecting sounds underwater came after Rolling Stone reported that search teams heard “banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes.”

The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible’s hull to be detected by sonar.

“It sends a message that you’re probably using military techniques to find me and this is how I’m saying it," said Frank Owen, a submarine search and rescue expert. "So, that’s really encouraging if that’s the case.”

Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of The Explorers Club, wrote an open letter to his club’s adventurers, saying he had “much greater confidence” about the search after speaking to officials in Congress, the U.S. military and the White House.

However, no official has publicly suggested they know the source of the underwater noises.

Meanwhile, questions remain about how teams could reach the lost submersible, which could be as deep as about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface near the watery tomb of the historic ocean liner. Newly uncovered allegations also suggest there had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/0e5fc9a0313938fdf408b1459538d9ef">significant warnings made about vessel safety</a>&nbsp;during its development.

Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert.

Authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-wreckage-missing-submersible-62fadef7a55af0022e3dc75df862a5c1">reported the 22-foot carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night</a>, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s.

The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it put to sea around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission.

Owen said the estimated 96-hour oxygen supply is a useful “target” for searchers, but is only based on a “nominal amount of consumption the average human might consume in doing certain things.” Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to “do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this 96 hours.”

Chris Brown, a British adventurer who paid a deposit to go on the Titan voyage but later withdrew because of what he called safety concerns, said word that the searchers have heard sounds is both good news and bad news.

“If the sounds are coming from below the water indicator then that indicates that they may be alive in the water, but now we’ve got time pressures in getting them up to the surface,” Brown told ABC’s “Good Morning America” Wednesday.

The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon.

Aaron Newman, who has been a passenger on the Titan, told NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday that if the submersible is below a couple hundred meters and without power, the passengers are in complete darkness and it's cold.

“It was cold when we were at the bottom,” he said. “You had layered up. You had wool hats on and were doing everything to stay warm at the bottom.”

Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature is just above freezing, and the vessel is too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable, he said.

“I am sure it is horrible down there,” Karson said. “It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger.”

Meanwhile, documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed.

David Lochridge, OceanGate’s director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the company’s testing and certification was insufficient and would “subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.”

The company insisted that Lochridge was “not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan.” The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan.

The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as “a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators,” also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGate’s chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported on those documents.

The search for the missing vessel has drawn international attention. In Dubai, where the missing British adventurer Hamish Harding lives, Crown Prince Hamadan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum wrote: “Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home.”

Others aboard include Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country. In Pakistan's port city of Karachi, employees at his firms said they prayed for the two's safe return, as did government officials. French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet also was on the vessel.

Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance of the submersible underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space, "two environments where in recent past we’ve seen people operate in hazardous, potentially lethal environments,” Murrett said.

“I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but that’s just not the case," he said.

HALIFAX (AP) —Underwater noises detected by a surveillance aircraft provided a measure of hope Wednesday as search vessels working against long odds scoured the North Atlantic for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">a submersible</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-wreckage-missing-submersible-9f0e66fc1df5d9f1e8d262dc7ce0135e">vanished while bringing five people down</a>&nbsp;to the wreck of the Titanic.

But even those who expressed some optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface — assuming its still intact — before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out.

After a Canadian military surveillance aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area, an robotic vessel was sent to scour the region but had so far “yielded negative results,” the Coast Guard wrote on Twitter.

The U.S. Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be. The vessel is estimated to have as little as a day's worth of oxygen left if it is still functioning.

Three search vessels arrived on-scene Wednesday morning, including one that has side-scanning sonar capabilities.

Authorities pushed on Wednesday to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the sub is found.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-missing-submersible-passengers-7eb1e80c03a47062fb8ff82f6251a33e">Lost aboard the vessel</a>&nbsp;are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert.

Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature is just above freezing, and the vessel is too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable.

“I am sure it is horrible down there,” he said. “It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger.”

HALIFAX (AP) —A Canadian military surveillance aircraft detected underwater noises as a massive operation searched early Wednesday in a remote part of the North Atlantic for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">a submersible</a>&nbsp;that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-wreckage-missing-submersible-9f0e66fc1df5d9f1e8d262dc7ce0135e">vanished while taking five people down</a>&nbsp;to the wreck of the Titanic.

A statement from the U.S. Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be, though it offered a glimmer of hope for those lost aboard the Titan as estimates suggest as little as a day's worth of oxygen could be left if the vessel is still functioning.

The Coast Guard wrote on Twitter that a Canadian P-3 Orion had “detected underwater noises in the search area.” Searchers then moved an underwater robot to that area to search. However, those searches “have yielded negative results but continue.”

Sound may help, or hinder, search for missing Titanic sub

HALIFIX (AP) —Rescuers in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean raced against time Tuesday to find&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">a missing submersible</a>&nbsp;before the oxygen supply runs out for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">five people</a>&nbsp;who were on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic.

Despite an international rescue effort, U.S. Coast Guard officials said the search covering 10,000 square miles (26,000 square kilometers) had turned up no signs of the lost sub known as the Titan, but they planned to continue looking.

Authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-wreckage-missing-submersible-62fadef7a55af0022e3dc75df862a5c1">reported the carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night</a>, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Aboard were a pilot, renowned British adventurer Hamish Harding, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert.

The submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it put to sea at roughly 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission.

That means the oxygen supply could run out Thursday morning.

CBS News journalist David Pogue, who traveled to Titanic aboard the Titan last year, said the vehicle uses two communication systems: text messages that go back and forth to a surface ship and safety pings that are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate that the sub is still working.

Both of those systems stopped about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged.

"There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless,” Pogue told CBC on Tuesday.

The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. One system is designed to work even if everyone aboard is unconscious, Pogue said.

Experts said the rescuers face steep challenges.

Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said submersibles typically have a drop weight, which is “a mass they can release in the case of an emergency to bring them up to the surface using buoyancy.”

“If there was a power failure and/or communication failure, this might have happened, and the submersible would then be bobbing about on the surface waiting to be found,” Greig said.

Another scenario is a leak in the pressure hull, in which case the prognosis is not good, he said.

“If it has gone down to the seabed and can’t get back up under its own power, options are very limited,” Greig said. “While the submersible might still be intact, if it is beyond the continental shelf, there are very few vessels that can get that deep, and certainly not divers.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687279790385.png" alt="Photo courtesy Oceangate Expeditions" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Oceangate Expeditions</figcaption>
 </figure>HALIFIX (AP) —Rescuers in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean raced against time Tuesday to find&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">a missing submersible</a>&nbsp;before the oxygen supply runs out for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-shipwreck-titan-submersible-search-deepsea-atlantic-a89dbd2f6d3edd7e4a52566e451a5e6d">five people</a>&nbsp;who were on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/JmH8e47zuI">pic.twitter.com/JmH8e47zuI</a>&mdash; OceanGate Expeditions (@OceanGateExped) <a href="https://twitter.com/OceanGateExped/status/1670876600152526848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Despite an international rescue effort, U.S. Coast Guard officials said the search covering 10,000 square miles (26,000 square kilometers) had turned up no signs of the lost sub known as the Titan, but they planned to continue looking.Authorities&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/titanic-wreckage-missing-submersible-62fadef7a55af0022e3dc75df862a5c1">reported the carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night</a>, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Aboard were a pilot, renowned British adventurer Hamish Harding, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert.The submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it put to sea at roughly 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission.That means the oxygen supply could run out Thursday morning.CBS News journalist David Pogue, who traveled to Titanic aboard the Titan last year, said the vehicle uses two communication systems: text messages that go back and forth to a surface ship and safety pings that are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate that the sub is still working.Both of those systems stopped about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged."There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless,” Pogue told CBC on Tuesday.The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. One system is designed to work even if everyone aboard is unconscious, Pogue said.Experts said the rescuers face steep challenges.Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said submersibles typically have a drop weight, which is “a mass they can release in the case of an emergency to bring them up to the surface using buoyancy.”“If there was a power failure and/or communication failure, this might have happened, and the submersible would then be bobbing about on the surface waiting to be found,” Greig said.Another scenario is a leak in the pressure hull, in which case the prognosis is not good, he said.“If it has gone down to the seabed and can’t get back up under its own power, options are very limited,” Greig said. “While the submersible might still be intact, if it is beyond the continental shelf, there are very few vessels that can get that deep, and certainly not divers.”Even if they could go that deep, he doubts rescuers could attach to the submersible.By Tuesday morning, an area totaling 10,000 square miles had been searched, the U.S. Coast Guard tweeted.The Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, which was supporting the Titan, was to continue conducting surface searches with help from a Canadian Boeing P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, the Coast Guard said on Twitter. Two U.S. Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft also conducted overflights.The Canadian military dropped sonar buoys to listen for any possible sounds from the Titan.Concannon, who said he was supposed to be on the dive but could not go, said officials were also working to get a remotely operated vehicle that can dive to a depth of 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) to the site as soon as possible.OceanGate’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/arts-and-entertainment-environment-and-nature-science-f73cc9d0dbced13398bc04bf388e6eba">expeditions to the Titanic wreck site</a>&nbsp;include archaeologists and marine biologists. The company also brings people who pay to come along, known as “mission specialists.” They take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the submersible.The Coast Guard said Monday that the Titan carried a pilot and four “mission specialists." However, OceanGate's website suggests that the fifth person may be a so-called “content expert” who guides the paying customers.Authorities have yet to formally identify those on board, though some names have been confirmed, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who, according to the company, was serving as a member of the crew.Rush told The Associated Press in June 2021 that the Titan’s technology was “very cutting edge” and was developed with the help of NASA and aerospace manufacturers.“This is the only submersible – crewed submersible – that’s made of carbon fiber and titanium,” Rush said, calling it the “largest carbon fiber structure that we know of,” with 5-inch-thick carbon fiber and 3.25-inch-thick titanium.Harding, who lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, was one of the mission specialists, according to Action Aviation, a company where Harding serves as chairman.Harding is a billionaire adventurer who holds three Guinness world records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel. In March 2021, he and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo descended to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench. In June 2022, he went into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.Also on board were Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, according to a family statement. The Dawoods belong to one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their eponymous firm invests across the country in agriculture, industries and the health sector.Shahzada Dawood also is on the board of trustees for the California-based SETI Institute that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence.French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet was also aboard, according to David Gallo, a senior adviser for strategic initiatives and special projects at RMS Titanic. Gallo identified Nargeolet, a friend who has led multiple expeditions to the Titanic, on Tuesday during an interview with CNN.Greg Stone, a longtime ocean scientist based in California and a friend of Rush, called the lost submersible “a fundamentally new submarine design” that showed great promise for future research. Unlike its predecessors, the Titan was not spherical in shape.“Stockton was a risk taker. He was smart ... he had a vision. He wanted to push things forward," Stone said.The expedition was OceanGate’s third annual voyage to chronicle the deterioration of Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew. Since the wreckage’s discovery in 1985, it has been slowly succumbing to metal-eating bacteria.OceanGate’s website described the “mission support fee” for the 2023 expedition as $250,000 a person.Recalling his own trip aboard the Titan, Pogue said the vessel got turned around looking for the Titanic.“There’s no GPS underwater, so the surface ship is supposed to guide the sub to the shipwreck by sending text messages,” Pogue said in a segment aired on “CBS Sunday Morning.” “But on this dive, communications somehow broke down. The sub never found the wreck.”___

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