This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily Newsbrief for Tuesday, December 6th, 2022. I hope you all had a good weekend with you and yours! Now let’s get you caught up on the news: 
 
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https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-ccp-linked-hackers-stole-20-million-in-covid-benefits?utm_campaign=64487
 
CCP-linked hackers stole $20 MILLION in Covid benefits from US
 
The Secret Service announced that hackers linked to the Chinese government stole at least $20 million in U.S. Covid relief funds, primarily those meant to help small businesses and unemployed Americans, NBC reports.
 
The theft from the Chengdu-based hacking group which goes by the name APT41 is the first instance of pandemic fraud tied to a foreign government that the U.S. has publicly acknowledged, and it may just be the tip of the iceberg.
 
The secret service declined to comment on any other potential instances of state-sponsored fraud, but said that there are more than 1,000 ongoing investigations into the stealing of Covid relief funds involving domestic and international cyber criminals, acknowledging that APT41 is "a notable player."
 
It is unclear at this point whether the Chinese government directed APT41 to commit this fraud or simply looked the other way.
 
"I've never seen them target government money before," the head of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, John Hultquist said. "That would be an escalation."
 
The Secret Service considers APT41 to be a "Chinese state-sponsored, cyber threat group that is highly adept at conducting espionage missions and financial crimes for personal gain."
 
Officials believe that the primary purpose of state-sponsored groups like this is to gather sensitive information from American individuals, businesses, and institutions that could be used by the Chinese for espionage purposes.
 
At this point in time, law enforcement officials and counterintelligence experts and almost certain that every American has had all or most of their personal data taken by the Chinese government in one way or another.
 
Labor Department Office of Inspector General has estimated that more than $160 billion of the $872.5 billion set aside for Federal pandemic unemployment funds has potentially been siphoned off by cybercriminals, though some individual states estimate higher amounts.
 
There are other estimates that put that number as high as $350 billion.
 
https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-country-considers-banning-electric-vehicle-travel-amid-energy-crisis-report
 
European Country Considers Banning Electric Vehicle Travel Amid Energy Crisis: Report
 
Switzerland is considering banning electric vehicles for non-essential travel this winter as the continent deals with an energy crisis sparked by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
 
The Telegraph reported that government officials have already drafted plans to conserve energy that could include limiting heat in buildings to no more than 68 degrees Fahrenheit and reducing the number of hours stores can be open.
 
Stricter measures could be enacted, including banning large indoor gatherings like sporting events, concerts, and theatre events, the report said.
 
Switzerland relies heavily on hydroelectric power, which constitutes nearly two-thirds of its energy supply, the excess of which it exports during the time of year that it can generate the most electricity from rain and snowfall, the report said. It then typically is forced to import energy during the rest of