Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Plus, download Insider's app for news on the go - click <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id554260576">here for iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freerange360.mpp.businessinsider">here for Android</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-guidance-trick-or-treat-celebrate-halloween-covid-coronavirus-mask-2021-10"></a><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buttigieg-2024-harris-presidential-campaign-biden-donors-2021-10">Buttigieg's 2020 donors are talking 2024. They aren't happy with Kamala Harris' performance and think a contingency plan should be ready in case Biden backs out.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tom-malinowski-stock-trades-congress-ethics-2021-10">​​Investigators say Democratic lawmaker's stock trades most likely violated federal law</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/alec-baldwin-discharged-prop-gun-rust-set-cinematographer-died-2021-10">Alec Baldwin fatally shot a person on a movie set with a prop gun, authorities say</a></li></ul>With Phil Rosen.1. ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Some Democrats are already sharpening their 2024 elbows. Officially, President Joe Biden, who is already the oldest US president to be sworn in and would be 82 years old by January 2025, is still flirting with a reelection campaign. Unofficially, top donors to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are already trashing Vice President Kamala Harris' chances.Insider has some exclusive details on what's being said at informal dinners:"There's no map in the universe that exists in which Kamala Harris could possibly win a national election," a Democratic strategist who was informed by people who attended the dinners told Insider of the tone of the room.<ul><li>Still, some of Buttigieg's top supporters don't expect a challenge: If Biden doesn't run, Harris is clearly the party's heir apparent. "In their estimation, it would take the masses gathering to push him to do it, meaning the donors of the world, the political elites," the strategist said of Buttigieg supporters' feelings.</li></ul>More than two dozen Buttigieg donors have been attending the dinners: They've been held in traditional Democratic money-raising hubs including Washington, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley. Most of the attendees were "bundlers," meaning they gathered large donations for Buttigieg and later Biden from other megadonors. One Buttigieg donor said the transportation secretary himself had cut off donor contact.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buttigieg-2024-harris-presidential-campaign-biden-donors-2021-10">Read more about how Democrats are gaming out 2024 with and without Biden running for reelection.</a>2. Key moments from Biden's town hall: Biden gave an unusually candid assessment of where things stood with his massive social-spending plan, telling viewers during a CNN town hall that he'd been forced to drop his plans for free community college and probably wouldn't be able to raise the corporate tax rate, The Washington Post reports. Asked about his infamous profane statement <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/richard-adams-blog/2010/mar/23/joe-biden-obama-big-fucking-deal-overheard">about how big a deal Obamacare was</a>, Biden said his economic plan would actually be a "bigger darn deal" than Obama's signature law. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-cnn-town-hall/2021/10/21/2bf0cb44-327c-11ec-93e2-dba2c2c11851_story.html">More from Biden on where talks stand</a>.<div type="image" title="joe biden joe manchin" height="1600" width="2560" msid="87205981" hostid="261"></div>Some key highlights:An audience of two: Biden went out of his way to try to avoid criticizing the centrist Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, whose votes he cannot lose. "Joe's not a bad guy - he's a friend," Biden said of Manchin. "She's smart as the devil," he added later of Sinema.<ul><li>But there was some prodding: Biden said he's trying to sway Manchin on a compromise for the major climate-related proposals in the legislation, saying, "There's a lot of things Joe is open to my convincing him." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-child-tax-credit-work-requirements-manchin-democrats-2021-10">Biden also said he opposed Manchin's pursuit of a work requirement</a> for the expanded child tax credit. As for Sinema, Biden said "where she's not supportive is she says she will not raise a single penny in taxes on the corporate side and/or on wealthy people." (<a href="https://twitter.com/josh_wingrove/status/1451351635599429637?s=20">The White House later clarified</a> that Biden was talking only about raising the corporate tax rate of 21%, which was lowered by the GOP's 2017 tax overhaul.)</li></ul>The Taiwan tango: Biden pledged that the US would come to Taiwan's defense if China attacked the self-governing island, which it's long claimed as its own, the BBC reports. Historically, the US has been intentionally vague on what it would do if Beijing attacked Taiwan. The White House later said Biden was "not announcing any change in our policy." <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-59005300">More on the eyebrow-raising comments</a>.3. House votes to hold Steve Bannon in criminal contempt: Lawmakers voted to hold Bannon in contempt after he defied a subpoena from the January 6 select committee, calling on him to provide documents and testimony in connection to his actions before, during, and after the insurrection. The Justice Department will now make the final decision on whether to bring charges against him. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-who-voted-steve-bannon-contempt-of-congress-2021-10">Just nine House Republicans broke with their party to support holding Bannon in contempt</a>.4. CDC head expands booster-shot availability: An influential advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unanimously voted to recommend booster shots for some Moderna vaccine recipients and all Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine recipients. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky then gave the final OK, meaning shots can now start going into millions of more arms. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-moderna-jj-boosters-now-recommended-who-should-have-one-2021-10">Here's how to know whether you should get a COVID-19 booster shot</a>.5. ​​Investigators say Democratic lawmaker's stock trades probably violated federal law: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tom-malinowski-stock-trades-congress-ethics-2021-10">Investigators found "substantial reason to believe"</a> Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey violated federal laws designed to promote transparency and defend against conflicts of interest. The House Ethics Committee will further examine whether Malinowski failed to properly disclose dozens of personal stock trades he made during 2019 and 2020, which Insider first reported in March. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9">This year, 43 congressional lawmakers have been found to have violated a law meant to stop insider trading</a>.6. White House warns of national security threats related to the climate crisis: The Biden administration sounded a dire warning over the knock-on effects of the climate crisis. US intelligence agencies and the Pentagon prepared the 37-report, which warns of increasingly severe weather events that could directly or indirectly worsen tensions between nations and spur unprecedented mass migration. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-national-security-white-house-biden-migration-tensions-report-2021-10">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said understanding climate change was necessary to help "deter war."</a>7. Alec Baldwin killed a person on a movie set with a prop gun: Baldwin discharged a prop firearm that killed one person and injured another on the set of the movie "Rust" at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Thursday, authorities said. The film's director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, 42, died after being transported to a local hospital. The film's director, Joel Souza, 48, is believed to have left the hospital after being treated. Journalists with the Santa Fe New Mexican saw Baldwin looking distraught late Thursday. <a href="https://www.insider.com/alec-baldwin-discharged-prop-gun-rust-set-cinematographer-died-2021-10">Here's what else we know</a>.8. FBI says it found Brian Laundrie's remains: Authorities confirmed that Laundrie's remains were found in the Florida reserve where he was reported missing last month. A comparison of dental records confirmed his identity. Laundrie was the sole person of interest in the killing of his fiancée, Gabby Petito, during a road trip. <a href="https://www.insider.com/brian-laundrie-remains-found-florida-reserve-2021-10">More on the news</a>.<div type="image" title="Susan Wojcicki with a magnifying glass over her face. The YouTube logo is patterned out behind her on a red background." height="1200" width="2401" msid="87205983" hostid="261"></div>9. ​​A reckoning for YouTube? YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki built a $1 trillion video empire by not being like Facebook. While other Big Tech firms have fallen under scrutiny time and again, YouTube has managed to avoid pitfalls and stave off controversy. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-scrutiny-facebook-roomba-policy-google-2021-10">But insiders say pressure is growing for Google's fastest-growing business</a>.10. Ransomware gang strikes Halloween giant: The largest candy-corn manufacturer in the US was hacked by a ransomware gang. Fortunately, Ferrara Candy - which produces Sweet Tarts, Nerds, and Brach's Candy Corn - doesn't expect the hack to affect the availability of its Halloween candy. Company-wide hacks have become more common during the coronavirus pandemic - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ferrara-largest-candy-corn-manufacturer-hacked-2021-10">apparently not even candy makers are safe</a>.Today's trivia question: Speaking of Manchin, which college football coach is lifelong friends with the senator? Email your answer and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: Woodrow Wilson is the only president to be <a href="https://cathedral.org/quick-facts/american-history/">buried at the National Cathedral</a>. He's also the only president to be buried in Washington, DC.</li></ul>That's all for now, have a great weekend!

10 Things in Politics: Dem donors snipe over 2024

Welcome to 10 Things Before the <keyword id="11907548" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="opening-bell" source="Orion">Opening Bell</keyword>. If this was forwarded to you, <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-opening-bell">sign up here.</a> Plus, download Insider's app for news on the go - <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id554260576?pt=385758&amp;ct=06292021_newsletters&amp;mt=8amp;mt=8">click here for iOS</a> and<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freerange360.mpp.businessinsider"> here for Android</a>.Let's jump in.1. Dow futures have plunged 500 points as a looming default by Chinese property giant Evergrande rattles investors. The fear is that losses suffered by creditors who provided $350 billion in debt will spread damage into the financial system. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-today-evergrande-default-loan-payment-fed-meeting-oil-2021-9">See how markets are doing now</a>. 2. The White House is gearing up to combat crypto use in ransomware attacks. Per The Wall Street Journal, the US government is preparing a slew of actions to make it more difficult for hackers to use cryptocurrencies to profit from cyber attacks. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/cryptocurrency-ransomware-attacks-hackers-biden-administration-sanctions-cyber-crime-2021-9">Some sanctions could roll out as early as next week.</a>3. Sam Bankman-Fried spoke to us about the "absolutely huge opportunity" in crypto derivatives trading. The 29-year-old billionaire CEO of FTX explained why it's a win-win for regulators and the industry, and shared <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/crypto-derivatives-huge-opportunity-us-ftx-bankman-fried-ledgerx-nft-2021-9">three more trends he's watching</a>.4. Earnings on deck: Lennar Corp, Corporación Financiera Alba, and Karoon Gas Australia are all <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">reporting.</a> 5. Big companies like Shake Shack and Marriott are facing a labor shortage. Corporate leaders have noted hiring challenges as pandemic fears, stimulus checks and controversy over vaccines have ramped up. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/shake-shack-marriott-johnson-company-executives-bemoan-painful-labor-shortage-2021-9">Here's what executives are saying about the problem. </a>6. The meme-stock boom is like the dot-com bubble, says a Moody Analytics researcher. Lily Francus warned traders not to get greedy, and dismissed the idea that retail traders spearheaded the short squeezes earlier this year.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/lily-francus-moodys-analytics-gamestop-amc-crypto-meme-stocks-bubble-2021-9"> Read the key takeaways from her recent, wide-ranging interview</a>.7. Ether should be 55% lower, a JPMorgan strategist says. Based on measures of network activity, Ether's fair value is around $1,500, far lower than its current price. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/ether-price-outlook-eth-solana-cardano-jpmorgan-blockchain-lower-competition-2021-9">Here's why he thinks blockchains such as solana and cardano are becoming more competitive with ether. </a>8. Tesla could see a boost as chip-shortage woes subside. According to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, shares of the EV company could jump 32% in the next year as semiconductor supply increases and demand for EVs rises in the next year. Ives says<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/tesla-stock-price-target-ives-wedbush-chip-shortage-china-deliveries-2021-9"> Tesla is set to benefit from the coming "green tidal wave."</a>9. Meet eight strategists calling for a stock-market correction by the end of 2021. The mood is turning bearish on Wall Street as the S&amp;P 500 extends an impressive streak without a big drop. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-correction-crash-wall-street-bearish-equities-investing-recommendations-2021-9">Read the experts' calls and their trading recommendations for a sell-off</a>. 10. Goldman Sachs is singling out stocks that are beating the market because of their histories of steady growth. These names are popular with investors due to worries about the economy and higher taxes. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-picks-to-buy-market-leaders-quality-growth-goldman-sachs-2021-9">See 17 picks on the list</a>. Compiled by Phil Rosen. Feedback? Email <a href="mailto:prosen@insider.com">prosen@insider.com</a> or tweet <a href="https://twitter.com/philrosenn">@philrosenn</a>.Sign up for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter">more Insider newsletters here</a>.

10 things before the opening bell

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Gas stations across the US are running out in the wake of a crippling cyberattack. </li><li>The Colonial Pipeline that supplies the East Coast has been down since it was hacked last week.</li><li>Its operators expect to restore service soon. In the meantime, many are panic-buying.</li></ul>More than 1,000 gas stations in eastern US states ran out of gasoline after a cyberattack knocked out a crucial US pipeline which supplies much of the region's gasoline.Price rises and panic-buying followed the news, which led to widespread shortages as operators struggled to move fuel supplies without the out-of-action Colonial Pipeline.According to the app GasBuddy, as of late Wednesday the worst-hit states were North Carolina, where 16% of stations were out of gas, Georgia, where 10.4% were empty, and Virginia, where 10.2% had run out. The figures were an increase on those released only 5 hours previously, with the percentage of gas stations that were empty in North Carolina increasing by 2% in North Carolina and about 1% in Georgia and Virginia respectively. Citing data from S&amp;P's Oil Price Information Service, <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/gas-stations-run-out-of-fuel">The Associated Press</a> reported that at least 1,000 gas stations had run out of gasoline by Tuesday. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-gas-lines-shortages-price-rises/">People told CBS News</a> that at some gas stations in South Carolina lines were more than an hour long. Some motorists recorded long lines snaking out of gas stations. The crunch in fuel supply was caused by a ransomware attack on Friday that forced the closure of part of the Colonial Pipeline. The 5,500-mile network supplies about 45% of the East Coast's fuel. The Biden administration has said the pipeline will be working again in the next few days, and has urged Americans not to stockpile fuel. "We are asking people not to hoard," US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm told reporters at the White House. "Things will be back to normal soon."Colonial in a statement said it hopes to re-open the pipeline by Friday. It has taken a delivery of an extra 2 million barrels in fuel to deploy when the pipeline is opened, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-fuel-supplies-tighten-energy-pipeline-outage-enters-fifth-day-2021-05-11/">reported Reuters. </a>The shortage has seen prices for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-colonial-pipeline-cyberattack-is-prompting-fuel-outages-2021-5">unleaded gas rise to an average of $2.99 a gallon</a>, the highest since 2014, The American Automobile Association said.

More than 1,000 gas stations ran dry, with massive lines, after a cyberattack knocked the crucial fuel pipeline to the East Coast

Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.I hope you enjoyed your weekends and found some time to honor the incredible <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/interactive/2021/photos-memorial-day/">sacrifice of our fallen heroes.</a>Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li>Trump's not backing down from the "big lie." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-expects-to-be-reinstated-as-president-august-2021-6">In fact, he reportedly expects to return to the White House this summer</a>.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-beef-pork-processing-capacity-at-risk-with-ransomware-attack-2021-6-1030484756">Up to one-fifth of US beef and pork capacity may be shut down after a ransomware attack</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/campaign-matching-donations-democrats-republicans-bogus-gimmick-2021-5">Politicians are abandoning a bogus fundraising gimmick</a>.</li></ul>One thing to look out for today: President Biden gives an update on the state of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign at 1:15 p.m. Eastern.1. HERE WE GO AGAIN: Former President Trump doesn't just believe in the false claim that he won the presidential election. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-expects-to-be-reinstated-as-president-august-2021-6">He is now reportedly telling allies that he expects to return to office by August</a>, a completely outlandish outcome that would be laughed out of any room ... if not for the fact that the same voices whose lies fed the deadly Capitol riot have been pushing this claim for months.<ul><li>The latest: "Trump has been telling a number of people he's in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated by August (no that isn't how it works but simply sharing the information)," <a href="https://twitter.com/maggieNYT/status/1399707794375426051?s=20">The New York Times' Maggie Haberman tweeted.</a></li></ul>How we got here, again: The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-trump-lawyer-sidney-powell-tells-qanon-crowd-trump-can-be-reinstated-as-president-2021-5">lawyer Sidney Powell</a>, who once represented Trump's campaign, and <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mike-lindell-stands-prediction-donald-trump-will-back-white-house-august-1587885">MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell</a> have both pushed the bizarre "reinstatement" claim that has no basis in the Constitution or reality. Former national security advisor <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-flynn-said-us-should-have-a-coup-like-myanmar-2021-5">Michael Flynn went even further over the weekend.</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-flynn-said-us-should-have-a-coup-like-myanmar-2021-5">Flynn appeared to call for a violent coup: </a>"It should happen here," Flynn said in response to a question at a QAnon conference in Dallas on why a violent military-led coup like the one in Myanmar "can't happen" in the US. (Flynn now claims he's never encouraged a violent overthrow of the government. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/31/politics/michael-flynn-qanon/index.html">Here's the video</a>.) </li></ul>"I don't think anyone is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told reporters last month. It was clear then and remains clear now that is simply not true. Trump, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-trump-republicans-threathen-spinoff-gop-party-liz-cheney-vote-2021-5">the "titular head" of the GOP</a>, continues to claim the election was stolen from him. <ul><li>States also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/all-the-attempts-by-state-and-local-gop-to-review-2020-election">continue to provide fodder</a> for Trump's claims: The GOP-led audit of Arizona's election continues. A firm without<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/observers-of-arizona-audit-allege-software-malfunctions-security-violations-2021-6"> any election audit-related experience</a> is leading the probe as people pursue outrageous conspiracies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maricopa-county-election-auditors-searching-for-bamboo-in-the-ballots-2021-5">trying to detect if there is bamboo in ballots</a>.</li><li>Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, State House Speaker Robin Vos <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/05/27/wisconsin-robin-vos-election-fraud/">hired retired police officers and an attorney</a> to investigate election fraud, though he says he's not trying to change Biden's election win. His announcement came the same week the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission released a report <a href="https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/out-of-3-3-million-votes-cast-27-referred-for-voter-fraud-in-presidential-election/article_6da01373-c33c-5649-88db-7bc4f656a4b6.html">finding scant evidence of possible voter fraud.</a></li></ul><div type="image" title="biden tulsa greenwood survivors Getty" height="1667" width="2500" msid="83171468" hostid="261"></div>2. Biden commemorates 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre: The president visited Oklahoma on the anniversary of when a white mob <a href="https://www.insider.com/tulsa-race-massacre-black-wall-street-buried-covered-up-buried-2021-5">burned what was known as "Black Wall Street"</a> and killed as many as 300 people. "We can't just choose to learn what we want to know, and not what we should know," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-oklahoma-100th-anniversary-tulsa-race-massacre-2021-6">he said</a> of efforts over the years to "erase" the racist violence. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-plan-racial-wealth-gap-on-tulsa-100th-anniversary-2021-6">Biden also unveiled new initiatives to tackle the racial wealth gap in the US.</a>3. Politicians are abandoning a bogus fundraising gimmick: Out of more than 150 political committee solicitations Insider reviewed in late May, only a handful still used "match" gimmicks. Just a month before, at least three dozen of the same committees did. The promise to match donations came under scrutiny after the Justice Department called out a political scam artist's use of the ploy. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/campaign-matching-donations-democrats-republicans-bogus-gimmick-2021-5">There are still some holdouts, including fundraising messages tied to Trump and another to Michelle Obama.</a>4. Up to one-fifth of US beef and pork capacity may be shut down after ransomware attack: JBS USA, the world's largest meat-processing company, said it realized on Sunday that it was the target of an "organized cybersecurity attack," and that resolving the attack could delay some of its business. The FBI is investigating what happened. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/us-beef-pork-processing-capacity-at-risk-with-ransomware-attack-2021-6-1030484756">"Even one day of disruption will significantly impact the beef market and wholesale beef prices," a livestock trade publication wrote.</a>5. Harris tasked with leading voting-rights efforts: Biden tasked Vice President Kamala Harris to lead efforts to pass federal voting rights legislation. Democrats' sweeping legislation, known as HR 1, has stalled in the Senate along with another proposal named after the late Rep. John Lewis that would restore parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/06/01/biden-taps-harris-to-tackle-voting-legislation-491516">Harris' portfolio of issues continues to expand.</a><ul><li>Here's how a former Pence aide responded to the news:</li></ul><a href="https://twitter.com/Alyssafarah/status/1399833314601623552?s=20"><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2021 06 02 at 3.47.33 AM" height="594" width="1202" msid="83171470" hostid="261"></div></a>6. Many countries are getting left behind in the vaccine race, taking a toll on healthcare workers: Vaccine inequality is impacting the mental health of healthcare workers, which could further contribute to worker shortages across the globe, former CDC Director Dr. Tom Kenyon told Insider. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vaccine-inequality-is-taking-toll-mental-health-workers-2021-6">"There's kind of two worlds right now, our world, which is getting ready to open up and 'normalize,' and the low-income country world where that's not even on anyone's radar," Kenyon said.</a><div type="image" title="Polar bears in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" height="1544" width="2200" msid="83171472" hostid="261"></div>7. Biden administration suspends oil leases in Alaska wildlife refuge: The decision to suspend oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge reverses a Trump administration decision, reigniting a decades-long political fight over a remote region that is home to polar bears and other wildlife - and a rich reserve of oil. Per the Associated Press: <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-arctic-wildlife-refuge-oil-gas-drilling-biden-b9f20088957d42e99b791ff94169198f">"Environmental groups and Democrats cheered the Interior Department order, while Alaska's all-Republican congressional delegation slammed it as misguided and illegal."</a>8. Democrats easily hold House seat in New Mexico election: State Rep. Melanie Stansbury defeated a fellow state lawmaker in a special election to replace Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the AP reports. Stansbury's victory was never really in doubt as Biden carried the district by 23 points and Haaland by 16 points last November. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-new-mexico-elections-government-and-politics-1e9fe17fc506e465e1562f79bbb1eaff">Her victory means Democrats' slim majority remains unchanged.</a>9. Fauci was freaked out by his overnight fandom: "Our society is totally nuts," Dr. Anthony Fauci wrote in an email last year after being forwarded an article called "'Cuomo Crush' and 'Fauci Fever' - Sexualization of These Men Is a Real Thing on the Internet." Thousands of Fauci's emails were published by The Washington Post and BuzzFeed after records requests, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/our-society-is-totally-nuts-fauci-emails-show-reaction-attention-2021-6">providing insight into the disease expert's personal and professional actions during the pandemic.</a>10. Eating out might cost more than it used to: Small-restaurant owners nationwide have had to increase their prices because of labor shortages, higher wages, and rising costs of staple foods - including chicken wings and cooking oil. Some owners have had to pass these increased costs onto customers, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurant-prices-labor-shortage-worker-wages-food-2021-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">bumping up the cost of eating out.</a>Today's trivia question: <a href="https://twitter.com/bsw5020/status/1399897675772968963?s=20">The first-ever national ad about ALS will air today</a>. The Yankees made history when they did what for Lou Gehrig? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Friday's answer: Before it was used to refer to hit Hollywood movies, <a href="https://time.com/5776406/blockbuster-meaning/">"blockbuster" referred to allied bombing during WWII that leveled entire blocks.</a></li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: Trump says he'll be president again by August

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="8890092" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="trevor-reed">Trevor Reed</keyword> got a long prison sentence over claims he drunkenly assaulted Moscow police officers.</li><li><keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> is expected to bring up Reed's case while meeting with <keyword id="43440" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vladimir-Putin">Vladimir Putin</keyword> on Wednesday.</li><li>In an NBC News interview this week, Putin called Reed "just a drunk" who "got himself s---faced."</li></ul>During a recent interview, <keyword id="6358826" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword>n President Vladimir Putin called a US Marine veteran who is imprisoned in Russia a "drunk" who "got himself s---faced and started a fight."Trevor Reed was sentenced last July to nine years in prison after being convicted of assaulting two Russian police officers while drunk in 2019. Last month he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trevor-reed-family-says-has-coronavirus-russia-refused-vaccinate-2021-5">tested positive for COVID-19</a> in prison.John Sullivan, the US ambassador to Russia, <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-u-marine-sentenced-9-120355612.html">called the case</a> against the 29-year-old "flimsy," and Reed's family has called on President Joe Biden to intervene.Biden and Putin are set to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-will-warn-putin-the-us-will-respond-forcefully-blinken-2021-6">meet in Switzerland on Wednesday for their first summit</a> since Biden became commander in chief, and the US president is expected to bring up Reed's imprisonment with his Russian counterpart, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-talks-hacking-navalny-capitol-riot-ahead-biden-summit-n1270640">NBC News reported</a>, citing Secretary of State Antony Blinken.But in an interview <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/transcript-nbc-news-exclusive-interview-russia-s-vladimir-putin-n1270649">with NBC News</a> that aired Monday, Putin said Reed's sentence was fair and labeled him a drunk."Your guy - the - Marine - he's just a drunk and - a troublemaker," Putin said, according to an NBC News translation. "As they say here - he got himself - shitfaced and - started a fight. Among other things, he - he hit a cop. It's - it's nothing. It's just a common crime. There is nothing to it."Putin did eventually tell the interviewer Keir Simmons, however, that he was open to a prisoner swap.<div type="image" title="Biden" height="700" width="1400" msid="83539428" hostid="261"></div>In an interview with CNN's "New Day" later Monday, Reed's parents called Putin's remarks "offensive" and "difficult to hear" and called on Biden to bring him home."He's being held as a pawn to try and leverage concessions in a political dispute between our two countries in which he has no part," Paula and Joey Reed wrote in a statement, per CNN.Biden has not addressed Reed's case publicly, but the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, said in May that the US had raised the case "at the highest level," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/families-seek-americans-release-ahead-biden-putin-summit-2021-06-14/">Reuters said</a>.At <a href="https://uk.usembassy.gov/secretary-blinkens-meeting-with-russian-foreign-minister-lavrov/">a May meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov</a>, Blinken asked that Russia release Reed and Paul Whelan, another US Marine veteran, who was accused of spying and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paul-whelan-russia-imprisons-us-marine-veteran-accused-espionage-2020-6">sentenced last year to 16 years in prison</a>."The secretary reiterated President Biden's resolve to protect American citizens and act firmly in defense of US interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us or our allies," the State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. "This includes the release of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed so that they are able to return home to their families in the US."Intelligence sources told Insider last year that Russia <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-paul-whelan-detention-bait-prisoner-swap-viktor-bout-2020-6">could be trying to use Whelan's detention to lure then-President Donald Trump</a> into a prisoner swap.Biden is also expected to press Putin <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-will-warn-putin-the-us-will-respond-forcefully-blinken-2021-6">over a spate of ransomware attacks on major US companies</a> conducted by hackers with suspected links to Russia.

In interview ahead of Biden meeting, Putin called a US Marine veteran imprisoned in Russia a 'drunk' who 'got himself s---faced'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The hackers who attacked SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and more are believed to be Russia-based.</li><li>Experts say the Kremlin allows them to carry out cybercrime as long as they don't target <keyword id="6358826" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword>.</li><li>President Biden is expected to question the Russian president on Wednesday over the recent cyberattacks.</li></ul>The number of cyberattacks carried out against the US has increased recently, and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colonial-pipeline-ransomware-america-cybersecurity-biden-coalition-hack-2021-5">online perpetrators</a> have one thing in common: they are believed to be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jbs-cyberattack-fbi-accuses-revil-russia-linked-ransomware-group-2021-6">linked to Russia.</a>Hackers have found a safe haven in Russia to carry out their attacks, as the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-ransomware-cyber-crime/2021/06/11/e159e486-c88f-11eb-8708-64991f2acf28_story.html">Washington Post </a>reported. That's because they work without any repercussions from Moscow, which seemingly grants them leniency as long as they don't target Russia or its allies.Cybercriminal networks "in Russia seem to exist with the tacit blessing of the Russian state," <a href="https://faculty-directory.dartmouth.edu/vs-subrahmanian">V.S. Subrahmanian</a>, director of Dartmouth's Institute of Security, Technology, and Society, told Insider. "As long as they do not carry out nefarious activities in Russia itself, they seem to be protected from severe prosecution."<h2>Why Russia takes a 'hands-off' approach</h2>An underground network of hackers has sprouted up in Russia in recent decades, the Post reported, driven by animosity for western countries after Russia fell on hard times following the Soviet Union's collapse.One former hacker-turned-analyst told the paper he turned to hacking to find money after studying information security in college, and more educated youth in Russia are turning to cybercrime since "there is so much money to be made."Experts told the Post that cybercriminals might not only be working out of Russia because the Kremlin is allowing them to - they may even be working for the government in some cases. However, Subrahmanian said there isn't currently any evidence that the cybercriminals do Moscow's bidding."There's just too much of this going on right now for this not to have at least implicit hands-off policy by the Russian state," he said. "And at the very worst, it could be an explicit go-ahead. We just don't know which of the two."DarkSide, which is believed to be linked to Russia, successfully targeted America's largest fuel pipeline in May, leading to gas shortages and price surges across the eastern seaboard for a week. The largest meat supplier in the world, JBS, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jbs-paid-11-million-ransom-after-cyberattack-threatened-us-meat-supply-2021-6">was hit with a ransomware attack that same month</a> and eventually paid $11 million in bitcoin to the cyberhackers.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jbs-cyberattack-fbi-accuses-revil-russia-linked-ransomware-group-2021-6">The FBI has accused a hacking unit called REvil</a>, which is connected to Russia, of conducting the JBS attack.And months before, foreign hackers were able to spy on private companies, including the Department of Homeland Security, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solarwinds-hack-explained-government-agencies-cyber-security-2020-12">through an attack on the IT firm SolarWinds.</a>Subrahmanian said there are even less-publicized hacks that tied to Russia, like a May ransomware attack on the insurance company CNA, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cna-financial-hackers-40-million-ransom-cyberattack-2021-5">which shelled out $40 million to regain control of its systems.</a>But regardless of how - if at all - involved Russia is in cybercriminals' activity, the state profits from it, he said."Russia benefits greatly from different kinds of chaos in the Western world," and that is a key aspect in the nation's influence operations, said Subrahmanian."Cyberattacks and weakening us economically is yet another instrument in what's known today as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-bureaucratic-change-sign-of-military-return-to-irregular-warfare-2021-1">gray zone warfare."</a><h2>The US needs to send a strong message, experts say</h2><div type="image" title="Biden Putin" height="1470" width="1959" msid="83558258" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-faces-huge-obstacles-in-fixing-trump-damage-to-alliances-at-g7-2021-6">President Joe Biden will meet with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. </a>He's expected to ask what - if anything - Russia intends to do to fight cyberhackers based in the country, something it historically hasn't done.Putin has denied that the attackers behind the recent US attacks are based in Russia."We have been accused of all kinds of things," Putin told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-talks-hacking-navalny-capitol-riot-ahead-biden-summit-n1270640">NBC News</a> in an interview this week. "Election interference, cyberattacks and so on and so forth. And not once, not once, not one time, did they bother to produce any kind of evidence or proof. Just unfounded accusations."Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cybersecurity-cold-war-us-russian-china-solarwinds-microsoft-2021-3?r=kc-sub">America isn't in a cyberwar with Russia and China - it's actually the most sophisticated spy game in human history. And the US is much stronger than it looks.</a>US-Russia ties are strained at the moment, given the latest series of cyberattacks linked to Moscow as well as Russia's interference in both the 2016 and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/odni-2020-election-interference-report-2021-3">2020 US presidential elections.</a> Biden will likely not follow his predecessor, former President Donald Trump's, warm approach to Putin upon his visit. Subrahmanian said he'd like to see President Biden deliver a stern message to the Russians that the US will not stand for this and that it will take action unilaterally against facilitators of these attacks "in much the same way we carry out actions against terrorists."However, he said he doubts that "we're gonna see much action from Russia unless it's backed up with some explicit threats, and we don't have that many threats," given Russia's nuclear power and its large-standing military.A senior White House official told <a href="https://time.com/6072786/biden-putin-geneva-summit/">Time</a> that Biden could remind Putin that the US could target the Russian president's personal fortunes overseas with its own cyber capabilities."The whole goal is to have [Putin] come away saying, 'The Americans are onto us and have us encircled,'" the unnamed said. Subrahmanian said another option for the US is to take covert action and infiltrate both dark web networks and state websites to deny them the money they hope to make through these attacks. By doing so, federal officials could also have a better idea of how connected Russia is to these cyberhackers, he said."It's a slippery slope, and that's why I'm being a little cautious, but certainly covert action against the specific places known to harbor large numbers of cybercriminals is a possibility," as is capturing them and bringing them to the US, he said, though no option would be easy."I'm not calling for airstrikes - I'm calling for cyber strikes," Subrahmanian said.

Experts say Russia gives hackers a 'tacit blessing' to attack foreign nations - as long as they don't target Russia or its allies

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP Sen. <keyword id="906095" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Roy-Blunt">Roy Blunt</keyword> on Sunday said the US should treat <keyword id="6358826" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword> as a "criminal enterprise." </li><li>"They harbor criminals, they don't appreciate the rule of law or any kind of level of personal freedom," he said.</li><li>His comments follow recent cyberattacks in the US.</li></ul>Sen. Roy Blunt said Sunday that the United States should treat Russia as a "criminal enterprise" following recent cyberattacks in the US.Blunt, a Republican from Missouri, made the comments during an appearance on NBC <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword>' "<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-june-6-2021-n1269779">Meet the Press</a>" when asked by moderator Chuck Todd about how the US should respond to Russian aggression."Remember, 2016, as late as early 2017, we had cyber defense capabilities, but we didn't have the authority - the president had never given the authority - for cyber offense," he said. "And so when we did push back, we pushed back pretty hard. In 2018, it stopped."I think to some extent, Chuck, you really have to treat Russia like it's virtually a criminal enterprise," Blunt, who earlier this year announced his intent to retire from the Senate at the end of his term, added. "You know, they harbor criminals, they, they don't appreciate the rule of law or any kind of level of personal freedom. And I do think we have to push back. When there's no, no penalty, there's no sanctions - hard to find who's doing it." The White House last week said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-says-russian-criminals-likely-behind-jbs-cyberattack-2021-6">it believed that Russian criminals were likely responsible for a cyberattack</a> on the world's largest meat producer, JBS. The Russian government has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colonial-pipeline-hack-darkside-says-will-introduce-moderation-future-targets-2021-5">denied being linked to recent cyberattacks in the US</a>, including the May attack on Colonial Pipeline by ransom group DarkSide, which caused gasoline shortages and price hikes on the East Coast. Hackers also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/suspected-chinese-hackers-breached-nyc-mta-computers-2021-6">infiltrated New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority in April</a>, The New York Times first reported, though the group behind the hack reportedly has links to the Chinese government. The hackers did little damage and did not access train controls, according to MTA officials.South Carolina Sen. <keyword id="257375" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Lindsey-Graham">Lindsey Graham</keyword>, also a Republican, on Sunday made similar remarks about Russia and the recent attacks on the US cyberinfrastructure."Our critical infrastructure is very exposed and we need to harden it but more than anything else, we need to go on offense. You can only play defense so long," <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/557058-graham-its-time-for-the-russians-to-pay-a-price-for-cyberattacks">Graham said during an appearance on "Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren."</a>"It's time for the Russians to pay a price here because none of this would happen without their looking the other way or actively encouraging it," he continued. Biden will take his <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bidens-first-trip-abroad-whirlwind-of-meetings-with-allies-rivals-2021-6">first foreign trip as US president this month</a>, where he will meet with world leaders from across the globe, including a meeting with Russian President <keyword id="43440" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Vladimir-Putin">Vladimir Putin</keyword> on June 16.In an interview with the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fbi-director-compares-ransomware-challenge-to-9-11-11622799003">Wall Street Journal</a> published last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency was investigating 100 different types of ransomware and said many of them linked back to Russia."If the Russian government wants to show that it's serious about this issue, there's a lot of room for them to demonstrate some real progress that we're not seeing right now," Wray told the Wall Street Journal.

GOP Sen. Roy Blunt says the US should 'treat Russia like it's virtually a criminal enterprise' amid cyberattacks

Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>. Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-top-advisors-white-house-klain-2021-6">Meet the 7 people who make up Biden's inner-circle huddle</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netanyahu-rivals-deal-oust-israel-prime-minister-after-12-years-2021-6">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be days away from being ousted</a></li><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/02/business/jbs-beef-cyberattack.html">The FBI says a Russian group was behind the cyberattack on a meatpacking giant</a></li></ul>With Jordan Erb1. INSIDE THE ROOM: President Joe Biden regularly meets with just seven staffers out of a roster of hundreds. These senior advisors are lifers in Bidenworld, trusted campaign alums, and a couple of newer additions.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-top-advisors-white-house-klain-2021-6">Insider took a look at these often agenda-less meetings where Biden gets frank advice behind closed doors.</a>Here's a look at the some of the people who are in the room:The understated lifer: Mike Donilon, senior advisor, has been described as "fluent in Bidenese," and he's said to be the last person to look at every speech or presidential communication before it goes to the Resolute Desk.<ul><li>Key quote: "I call him the president's secret weapon. He's very quiet, very low profile, very low key, not ever, ever wanting to be in front of a camera," Moe Vela, an aide to Biden during his vice-presidential years, said of Donilon.</li></ul>The veteran campaign hand: Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, deputy chief of staff, served as Biden's general-election campaign manager and became the first woman to successfully lead a Democrat into the White House.<ul><li>Her current portfolio is expansive: "It's honestly tough to even pinpoint her involvement because what she says and does touches on everything, providing critical advice to the president," a White House aide said.</li></ul><div type="image" title="GettyImages 1229308789" height="1666" width="2500" msid="83202010" hostid="261"></div>A relative newcomer to Bidenworld whom the president wants by his side: Cedric Richmond, senior advisor to the president and director of the Office of Public Engagement, was the national cochair of Biden's campaign while also serving in Congress. He's now involved in inequality issues but has been involved in other critical issues, including Biden's sweeping pandemic-relief law.<ul><li>Biden notices when he's not there: "He's one of the people that the president turns to most often to ask his opinion," a White House aide said, "and if he's not in the room, the president will say, 'Can somebody get Cedric?' Or, 'Where's Cedric?'"</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-top-advisors-white-house-klain-2021-6">More on Biden's tight inner circle here.</a>2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu potentially days away from ouster: Rivals of Netanyahu say they have reached an agreement to form a broad coalition government that some say is united on little more than removing the nation's longest-serving prime minister. But Netanyahu is not out yet. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netanyahu-rivals-deal-oust-israel-prime-minister-after-12-years-2021-6">His loyalists could leverage their power to delay a vote on the new government, giving him time to claw his way back</a>.<ul><li>More details: Under the agreement, Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu protégé who is viewed as further right than his old ally, would lead Israel until 2023. If things go according to their plan, Yair Lapid, a centrist, would then take over until 2025. The agreement would also mark the first time an Arab party had joined a governing coalition.</li></ul>3. Clock may be running out on an infrastructure deal: "Patience is not unending, and he wants to make progress," the White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, told reporters, among a series of signals the Biden administration has sent that bipartisan talks need to bear fruit soon. In a sign of the stalemate, Biden's Wednesday meeting with Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, her party's top negotiator, ended without any public sign of progress, The Washington Post reports. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-republicans-infrastructure/2021/06/02/f6c7f658-c3b4-11eb-9a8d-f95d7724967c_story.html">White House officials now point to June 9 as a critical date</a>.<ul><li>Democrats also have a tougher path now thanks to a key decision: The Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, advised Democrats that they could move their infrastructure package through the budget-reconciliation process on a party-line vote only once this year - a major blow for Biden. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-parliamentarian-elizabeth-macdonough-infrastructure-chuck-schumer-biden-2021-4">Democrats had hoped to break the massive proposal into smaller bills each capable of passing with just Democratic support</a>.</li></ul>4. FBI says Russian group was behind cyberattack of meatpacking giant: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/02/business/jbs-beef-cyberattack.html">The group, known as REvil, is one of the most prolific and sophisticated ransomware organizations</a>. It has been linked to attacks against nearly two dozen Texas cities and even Apple, The New York Times reports. JBS is responsible for about one-fifth of all US beef and pork processing capacity, and the disruption from the attack caused the Agriculture Department to delay a daily price report. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/jbs-says-meatpacking-operations-will-be-back-to-normal-today-2021-6-1030488044">JBS says its operations are now back to normal</a>.5. Prosecutors are reportedly investigating whether Rep. Matt Gaetz obstructed justice: Federal prosecutors are said to be investigating whether the Republican lawmaker obstructed justice during a phone call he had with a witness in the sex-crimes investigation surrounding him, according to Politico. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing, and a spokesperson said he did not break any laws in this case. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prosecutors-examine-whether-matt-gaetz-obstructed-justice-politico-2021-6">More on the latest turn in the scandal</a>.<ul><li>From Harry Potter-themed sex games in Florida to a DOJ sex-trafficking investigation: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/matt-gaetz-timeline-allegations-sex-trafficking-joel-greenberg-doj-investigation-2021-5">A timeline of accusations against Matt Gaetz</a></li></ul><div type="image" title="stonks" height="619" width="825" msid="83202013" hostid="261"></div>6. Meme stocks are soaring (to the moon) again: Among the retail favorites gaining steam were Bed Bath &amp; Beyond, GameStop, and Virgin Galactic. Shares of AMC Entertainment led the pack. On Wednesday, the stock surged as high as 126% to about $72 before paring some gains. Retail traders have remained bullish on the company despite a stock dump Tuesday by the hedge fund Mudrick Capital. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/meme-stocks-surge-amc-gamestop-blackberry-bed-bath-and-beyond-2021-6-1030488843">More on the latest surge here</a>.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/amc-stock-price-valuation-bigger-than-these-10-companies-2021-6-1030488921">AMC's epic 3,325% year-to-date rally now makes it bigger than 10 well-known companies</a>7. Educational agency backed by Betsy DeVos lost recognition for signing off on a college that seemed fake: Biden's Education Department canceled its recognition of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges &amp; Schools for approving a school that a report found had no evidence of faculty or students but received federal funds anyway. DeVos, the Trump administration education secretary, stood by ACICS and affirmed that the agency had followed proper procedure when choosing to accredit the school. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/acics-betsy-devos-loses-recognition-reagan-national-university-student-loans-2021-6">ACICS had also accredited now-defunct for-profit schools that were accused of defrauding students</a>.8. Trump reportedly nixed his blog because people mocked its low readership: The 45th president's "beacon of freedom" is dead after 29 days, or just under three Scaramuccis. An advisor to the former president told The Post that his boss was miffed at the jokes about its dismal performance. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-deleted-blog-upset-it-was-mocked-report-2021-6">Trump is still said to be trying to start his own social-media site</a>.9. FDA advises against eating cicadas if you're allergic to shellfish: Cicadas are in the same animal family as shrimp and lobsters. If you're not allergic to shellfish, <a href="https://www.insider.com/fda-advises-people-allergic-to-seafood-not-to-eat-cicadas-2021-6">my colleague collected some recipes for easy home cooking. I'll leave it to you to see whether they are the fruit of the trees</a>.10. Want free beer and a chance to win tickets to the next Super Bowl? Get vaccinated: The White House released a list of incentives that companies would offer if 70% of the country got vaccinated - including free beer for everyone over the age of 21 from Anheuser-Busch. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-covid-19-vaccine-incentives-free-beer-tickets-2021-6">Here are all the goodies companies are offering if America reaches that goal</a>.Today's trivia question: What was Susan B. Anthony talking about when she said, "[This] has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world"? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: The Yankees made Lou Gehrig the first player to have his number retired on July 4, 1939, the day of <a href="https://baseballhall.org/discover/retired-numbers-date-back-to-lou-gehrig-day#:~:text=Most%20baseball%20fans%20know%20that,face%20of%20this%20earth%E2%80%9D%20speech.">his famous "luckiest man on the face of this earth" speech</a>.</li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: The power players in Biden's inner circle

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9341761" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boogaloo-bois">Boogaloo Bois</keyword> members planned to attack Washington, DC, landmarks before Joe Biden's inauguration.</li><li>"Operation Stormbreaker" was detailed in police and <keyword id="6355946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fbi">FBI</keyword> memos leaked following a ransomware hack.</li><li>The memos show law enforcement remained on high alert, though the extremists' plans were scrapped.</li></ul>Newly leaked intelligence memos demonstrate how concerned law enforcement in Washington, DC, was about the <keyword id="5924267" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="boogaloo">Boogaloo</keyword> Bois' - a right-wing militia group seeking to incite a second Civil War - plans for violence ahead of President Joe Biden's inauguration.The plans, called "Operation Stormbreaker," involved targeting landmarks, government buildings, power plants, and other civic institutions in DC on January 19, the memos show.Members of the Boogaloo movement and QAnon adherents called the date "National Popcorn Day," when they planned to follow up the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol with another wave of violence.Intelligence memos detailing the Boogaloo movement's plans were prepared by the DC Metropolitan Police Department Intelligence Division and include notes from the FBI. <a href="https://gizmodo.com/hackers-say-they-stole-250gb-of-internal-documents-from-1846767867">Babuk, a ransomware hacking group, released the memos</a> Thursday in a cache of what it claims are 250 GB of data stolen from MPD.The FBI declined to comment. MPD didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment, but <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5deq/hackers-leak-personal-data-of-washington-dc-police-officers">has commented on other leaked documents</a> and confirmed their veracity.Alex Friedfeld, a researcher specializing in far-right movements for the Anti-Defamation League's Center on <keyword id="139533" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="extremism">Extremism</keyword> and a former New York Police Department terrorism intelligence analyst, reviewed portions of a memo and told Insider it resembled a legitimate police intelligence report.The cache of files includes several memos that show Boogaloo members planned a schedule, priority list, and communications strategy for attacking DC buildings and landmarks. An FBI memo issued on January 18 and included in the leak shows a map of targets it says originated from a Boogaloo chat group.<div type="image" title="Operation Stormbreaker map" height="2219" width="3000" msid="82636252" hostid="261"></div>The plan appears to have been scrapped ahead of the scheduled attacks. But the memos show the FBI and MPD remained concerned that information circulating about the plan online still might have resulted in attacks against the White House, the US Treasury, the World Bank, the Lincoln Memorial, and other DC landmarks.<div type="image" title="Operation Stormbreaker target list" height="669" width="547" msid="82636254" hostid="261"></div><h2>Members of the movement are preparing for Civil War</h2>The files show the degree to which the FBI and MPD were concerned about right-wing extremist violence in the city following the January 6 insurrection, where hundreds of people stormed the Capitol building after then-President Donald Trump falsely said the 2020 election results were falsified and Congress should reject them.Numerous people charged in the riot were members of right-wing extremist groups, <a href="https://www.insider.com/oath-keepers-capitol-attack-plans-trump-direction-court-filings-2021-2">including the Oath Keepers</a>, <a href="https://www.insider.com/far-right-extremist-groups-focus-fbi-investigates-capitol-siege-2021-1">Three Percenters</a>, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/4-proud-boys-shared-intelligence-with-the-fbi-2021-4">Proud Boys</a>.The Boogaloo refers to <a href="https://www.insider.com/boogaloo-bois-protest-far-right-minneapolis-extremist-guns-hawaiian-shirts-2020-5">a loosely organized extremist movement</a> that <a href="https://www.adl.org/boogaloo">anticipates a second Civil War that will tear the United States asunder</a>.<div type="image" title="boogaloo bois boojhadeen" height="1660" width="2214" msid="82636257" hostid="261"></div>Some seek to actively incite such a war, while other members are more passive. Friedfeld said the number of supporters who participate in in-person activities is "probably in the hundreds, maybe low thousands." After <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53244339">Facebook banned the movement</a> from its platform, where some groups had around 10,000 members, its online presence became scattered among online communities with up to a few hundred members each, Fairfield said.Unlike many other right-wing extremist groups, Boogaloo members are not typically supportive of Trump and did not have a major presence at the Capitol on January 6.Members of the group "just liked the chaos" of the riot, Friedfeld said."They saw the anger, they saw this desire by ordinary Americans to use violence to achieve political objectives, and thought, 'this is a Trojan horse that we can piggyback on to push the civil war along,''" Friedfeld told Insider.As far back as November, members of the Boogaloo movement had planned protests around the country for January 17. Members of the group anticipated high tension throughout the country regardless of who was ultimately elected president, and they sought to exploit it, Friedfeld said.<div type="image" title="The Boogaloo Boys stand on the steps of the Capitol Building during a rally on October 17, 2020 in Lansing, Michigan." height="749" width="998" msid="82636259" hostid="261"></div>Planned protests were curtailed following the January 6 insurrection as extremist groups worried about crackdowns from law enforcement, according to Friedfeld, and they were ultimately sparsely attended."A lot of these movements were split in the wake of January 6. You had a large cohort that believed that now is not the time for protesting, that actually it was going to be false-flag operations or traps," Friedfeld said. "So a lot of militia leaders were encouraging followers not to attend any protests."An intelligence memo dated January 20 and included in the cached of leaked documents said there was only a "minor skirmish" between "Boogaloos and BLM activists," but that it was "nothing significant."<h2>Boogaloo Bois planned violence in the wake of the <keyword id="10562031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Capitol-Riot">Capitol riot</keyword></h2>Boogaloo members discussed their plans on a website called Tree of Liberty, which <a href="https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/ovh-drops-hosting-contract-tree-liberty-site-used-far-right-boogaloo-movement/">has repeatedly been taken offline as web services companies refuse to host it</a>. A January 17 intelligence memo says the website included posts saying its members should attack Jews, who they described as "lizards," while DC law enforcement was busy with the Capitol lockdown.Posts on the site also described <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ashli-babbitt-profile-capitol-riot-qanon-death-2021-3">Ashli Babbitt, a QAnon adherent killed by police during the insurrection</a>, as "the first martyr of their modern movement," according to the memo.The site also had announced it would be locked for the next seven days, with an announcement stating, "I don't need to tell you why, buckle up, God speed," the January 17 memo says.<div type="image" title="boogaloo bois virginia" height="2028" width="2704" msid="82636261" hostid="261"></div>A later intelligence memo, dated January 19, says that the FBI's Kansas field office would lead an investigation into the Boogaloo Bois' target map. A representative for the field office didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Another memo, dated January 20, said that the administrator of the Telegram channel where the map circulated was "a right-wing extremist located in Charlotte, NC." A representative for the Charlotte FBI field office directed Insider to the Washington, DC field office, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Members of the Boogaloo Bois were inspired by the violence on January 6 and sought to replicate the chaos, according to Friedfeld."The Boogaloo Bois, after the insurrection, looked at it and thought, 'Why wasn't that us? That could be us. That should have been us," Friedfeld said.The intelligence memos also reference details about the activities of other extremist groups in the district ahead of Biden's inauguration. While the Capitol was on high alert in anticipation of violence, the day was largely quiet.The Justice Department has <a href="https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1">so far publicly charged nearly 500 people</a> in connection with the January 6 insurrection, including dozens of reported members of extremist groups.Members of the Boogaloo Bois have maintained a low profile since Biden's inauguration and since Attorney General Merrick Garland has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-supremacist-groups-pose-rising-us-threat-garland-says-2021-05-12/">vowed to address domestic extremism</a>. One person with ties to the group has <a href="https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/subleski-pleads-guilty/417-c6769e07-e8d9-4a83-a9d5-e9e031bb33f7">pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a riot in Louisville</a>, Kentucky. Several other members <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/another-boogaloo-bois-member-guilty-to-conspiracy-sell-weapons-hamas-2021-5">pleaded guilty to a scheme involving training with and attempting to sell weapons to Hamas</a>, the extremist group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iron-dome-israel-intercept-gaza-rockets-photo-2021-5">currently exchanging fire with Israel</a>.

Leaked memos show police were concerned about Boogaloo Bois' plans to attack major landmarks in DC ahead of Biden's inauguration

Good morning! I hope you all had a nice Mother's Day weekend. Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>, your weekday look at the biggest stories in DC and beyond. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>.Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-chris-wray-profile-biden-doj-justice-department-garland-barr-2021-5">FBI Director Chris Wray barely survived the Trump era. Here's what his job is like now.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/april-jobs-report-bidens-stimulus-infrastructure-fight-republicans-trillions-gop-2021-5">April's disappointing jobs report is setting the stage for an infrastructure fight</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-face-masks-seasonal-flu-2021-5">Fauci said it's 'quite possible' that masks become a seasonal item</a></li></ul>One thing to look out for today: President Joe Biden is set to speak about the economy at 1:15 p.m. ET.1. A NEW ERA AT THE FBI: FBI Director Chris Wray barely survived the Trump era. He threatened to quit once, and Attorney General Bill Barr ran interference for him multiple times, including last spring when President Donald Trump had loyalists ready to replace Wray and another top bureau official.Insider spoke with nearly a dozen current and former Department of Justice officials about Wray and what life would be like for him under a very different boss.Here's a peek at what we found:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-barr-threatened-to-quit-trump-attempts-fire-chris-wray-2021-5">Barr threatened to resign when he learned of the plot to oust Wray:</a> Barr walked out of a White House meeting with Bill Evanina, a top counterintelligence official in the administration, who would have been Wray's replacement. The Trump national security official Kash Patel would have been the new FBI deputy director.Attorney General Merrick Garland is very different from Barr: Barr was known as "the Buffalo" for his hard-charging ways. Garland is a soft-spoken former federal judge who, like Wray, was once a line prosecutor.<ul><li>Key quote: "Barr is a force of nature and pure id," a former Justice Department official told Insider. "Garland may be finding himself having a similar experience to Wray's: They're thoughtful, reserved institutionalists who are doing their best to guide institutions they cherish through a highly politically charged time in our nation's history, having to navigate the currents in both directions."</li></ul>While Wray is seen as very different from his more famous predecessors: "He's not an icon like Mueller or Comey," a former top FBI official told Insider, referring to Robert Mueller and Jim Comey. "He's very much a traditional, by-the-book, knows-where-he-fits-into-the-organization kind of FBI director."Officials say Wray and Garland's relationship will be shaped by the DOJ's efforts to address domestic terrorism: "You don't control what comes at you as attorney general, and that relationship has to work really well for the department to be working really well," said Jamie Gorelick, a former deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-chris-wray-profile-biden-doj-justice-department-garland-barr-2021-5">Read more about what tricky issues former officials say lay ahead for Wray and the White House.</a>2. It's unclear when a major gas pipeline will be fully online, meaning you could pay more at the pump: There's no estimate for when most of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest gasoline conduit to the US East Coast, will restart after a devastating cyberattack on Friday, Politico reports. A prolonged shutdown could wreak havoc on gas prices as financial futures last night jumped to nearly $2.22 a gallon, their highest mark in years. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/05/09/colonial-pipeline-shutdown-cyberattack-486425">Colonial has confirmed it was the target of a ransomware attack</a>.3. Hundreds of pandemic victims' bodies remain in refrigerated trucks in New York City: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/750-covid-19-victims-still-stored-trucks-new-york-city-2021-5">The bodies of as many as 750 COVID-19 victims are still being stored</a> more than a year after the height of the city's coronavirus outbreak, The City reports. A New York official said most of the remains could end up being buried on Hart Island, where for the past 100 years the city has buried those who lack funds for a private burial. <a href="https://www.thecity.nyc/missing-them/2021/5/6/22423844/new-york-covid-victims-still-in-trucks-on-brooklyn-pier">The City's analysis found one in 10 New Yorkers who died of COVID-19 last year was buried on the island</a>.<div type="image" title="Jim Clyburn" height="3712" width="5568" msid="82519410" hostid="261"></div>4. Key Democrat hints at a deal over police reform: The House majority whip, Jim Clyburn, suggested that he would support new police legislation even if it didn't include an overhaul of qualified immunity, the legal protection for officers that has reportedly been a sticking point in bipartisan negotiations. Clyburn said he didn't "want to see us throw out a good bill because we can't get a perfect bill." <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/09/rep-clyburn-says-qualified-immunity-doesnt-have-be-part-policing-reform-bill/">His comments are a departure from other Democrats who want to see the doctrine changed or eliminated</a>.5. Kevin McCarthy officially backed Liz Cheney's ouster: The top House Republican said he supported Rep. Elise Stefanik replacing Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican, publicly confirming his reported private frustrations with Cheney and paving the way for her ouster. "As conference chair, you have one of the most critical jobs as a messenger going forward," McCarthy said on Fox News. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mccarthy-cheney-trump-stefanik-republican-conference-chair/2021/05/09/f9b9f476-b0ed-11eb-a980-a60af976ed44_story.html">Cheney could be removed from her post as early as this week</a>.6. These are the stocks lawmakers are trading: Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican who has bemoaned Big Tech, bought up to $50,000 in Amazon stock earlier this month. Democratic Rep. Kathy Manning's husband, Randall Kaplan, made $1 million to $2 million worth of hedge fund investments in early March. Half of the investment was with Melvin Capital LP, the hedge fund involved in the GameStop short squeeze.And Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, took a more novel approach to generate some extra money. She worked a harvest for Three Sticks Winery in California. The senator earned $1,117.40 as an intern.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kyrsten-sinema-coca-cola-boycott-stocks-congress-pete-sessions-2021-5">Read the rest of our exclusive roundup here.</a>7. April's disappointing jobs report is setting the stage for an infrastructure fight: Democrats and Republicans came to opposite conclusions on why the economy added just 266,000 jobs in April, a disappointing figure that was far lower than experts expected. President Joe Biden and Democrats argue that his $4 trillion infrastructure plans are necessary to getting Americans back to work at pre-pandemic levels. The GOP, in contrast, sees more evidence of why any more major spending should be halted. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/april-jobs-report-bidens-stimulus-infrastructure-fight-republicans-trillions-gop-2021-5">More on the fight that will play out over the coming months</a>.8. Six people were killed at a birthday party in Colorado: The police say a man opened fire, killing his ex-girlfriend, five others, and himself in Colorado Springs. Officers say children and adults were enjoying the party at a mobile home when the attacker entered, though no children were harmed. <a href="https://www.insider.com/colorado-birthday-party-mass-shooting-leaves-7-dead-including-suspect-2021-5">This comes nearly seven weeks after 10 people were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado</a>.9. Fauci said it's "quite possible" that masks become a seasonal item: Face masks and other efforts helped lead to a "practically a nonexistent flu season," Dr. Anthony Fauci said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Fauci said people might elect to wear masks in the years to come to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses like seasonal flu. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-face-masks-seasonal-flu-2021-5">More on his comments here</a>.10. No horsing around. A cloud hangs over the Triple Crown after a positive drug test: The Kentucky Derby champ Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test, raising questions about its Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, whom rivals have previously accused of cheating. The horse tested positive for betamethasone, an injectable corticosteroid that is used to reduce pain and swelling in joints. Baffert denied that he or anyone on his team injected the drug. <a href="https://www.insider.com/kentucky-derby-drug-test-medina-spirit-failed-2021-5">Churchill Downs said Medina Spirit would be stripped of the Derby title if a second test confirmed the drug's presence</a>.<ul><li>It's not clear whether Medina Spirit will be able to run in this weekend's Preakness: The Baltimore race is the second leg in the famed Triple Crown. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/05/09/kentucky-derby-winner-medina-spirit-positive-test-bob-baffert/">Pimlico Race Course said it was reviewing the case</a>.</li></ul>Today's trivia question: What did a Western Union telegraph marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad say? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Friday's answer: FDR was the first US president <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/what-are-some-interesting-facts-about-presidents-first-ladies">whose mother could vote for him</a>.</li></ul>

10 Things in Politics: Inside the Biden-era FBI

<ul class="summary-list"><li>One of the top entertainment law firms in the US — Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks — was recently the target of a ransomware attack. </li><li>REvil, the group behind the attack, on Thursday doubled their ransom to $42 million, Page Six reported.</li><li>They also threatened to release "dirty laundry" on President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> if the amount wasn't paid.</li><li>They did not elaborate on what the material might be. Sources told Page Six that Trump had never been a client of the firm.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>A hacker group that stole 756 gigabytes of data from one of top US entertainment law firms has doubled their ransom to $42 million, and threatened to release "dirty laundry" on President Donald Trump if the money is not paid. <div type="image" title="carnegie hall tower" height="3000" width="2000" msid="75757284" hostid="261"></div><keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="news">News</keyword> of the hack on New York-based law firm Grubman, Shire, Meiselas and Sacks broke last week.The firm represents clients across the entertainment industry including Lady Gaga, Drake, Elton John, Madonna, Robert De Niro, LeBron James, The Weeknd, and Priyanka Chopra.Its founder, attorney Allen Grubman, was called "the most powerful attorney in the music business" by <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/allen-grubman-law-firm-hack">Vanity Fair</a> in 2015. Hacking group REvil, also known as Sodinokibi, originally asked for $21 million not to release the information.They say their cache includes contracts, nondisclosure agreements, phone numbers, email addresses, and private correspondence, according to <a href="https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/law-firm-hacked-clients-lady-gaga-bruce-springsteen-1234603831/">Variety</a>. On Thursday they doubled the ransom, threatening to also leak damaging information on Trump, <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/05/14/la-law-firm-hackers-double-ransom-demand-threaten-donald-trump/?_ga=2.199413806.1613833861.1589527884-955740704.1585555234" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a> reported. "The ransom is now [doubled to] $42,000,000 … The next person we'll be publishing is Donald Trump. There's an election going on, and we found a ton of dirty laundry," the <keyword id="11094" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hackers">hackers</keyword> said in a new message on Thursday."Mr Trump, if you want to stay president, poke a sharp stick at the guys, otherwise you may forget this ambition forever. And to you voters, we can let you know that after such a publication, you certainly don't want to see him as president … The deadline is one week."Grubman, we will destroy your company down to the ground if we don't see the money," the hackers wrote. Page Six said that Grubman is refusing to negotiate with the hackers. An unnamed source told the outlet: "His view is, if he paid, the hackers might release the documents anyway. Plus the FBI has stated this hack is considered an act of international terrorism, and we don't negotiate with terrorists." Grubman doesn't appear to be a supporter of the president either. According to <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Allen+Grubman&amp;min_date=01%2F01%2F2019&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F20201%2F2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Election Commission filings</a>, in 2019 and 2020 he contributed to the presidential campaigns of Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Business Insider contacted the White House for comment on the hackers' threats, but did not immediately receive a response Friday morning.<div type="image" title="allen grubman martha stewart deborah grubman" height="1333" width="2000" msid="75757288" hostid="261"></div>The law firm gave a statement to Page Six saying that "our elections, our government and our personal information are under escalating attacks by foreign cybercriminals."It said that "law firms are not immune from this malicious activity." "We have been informed by the experts and the FBI that negotiating with or paying ransom to terrorists is a violation of federal criminal law. Even when enormous ransoms have been paid, the criminals often leak the documents anyway."The same group targeted UK-based currency exchange company Travelex in January, which paid $2.3 million in bitcoin to get its stolen files back, according to the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/travelex-paid-hackers-multimillion-dollar-ransom-before-hitting-new-obstacles-11586440800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wall Street Journal</a>. Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/revil-hackers-threaten-trump-dirty-laundry-taken-from-law-firm-2020-5">Business Insider</a>

Hackers who stole files from a law firm to stars like Lady Gaga and Drake doubled their ransom to $42 million and threatened to release 'dirty laundry' on Trump

Good morning! Welcome back to <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">10 Things in Politics</a>, your weekday look at the biggest stories in DC and beyond. <a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/10-things-in-politics">Sign up here to receive this newsletter</a>.Send tips to <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a> or tweet me at <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentGriffiths">@BrentGriffiths</a>.Here's what we're talking about:<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-trump-republicans-threathen-spinoff-gop-party-liz-cheney-vote-2021-5">Anti-Trump Republicans spook GOP with the threat of a spinoff 3rd party</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-is-giving-1-million-lottery-jackpots-to-vaccinated0adults-2021-5">Ohio is offering $1 million jackpots for vaccines</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/liz-cheney-fundraising-campaign-trump-impeachment-mccarthy-2021-5">Jeb Bush and Elon Musk's brother are quietly funding Liz Cheney</a></li></ul>One thing to look out for today: President Joe Biden plans to meet with a group of GOP senators and two Cabinet members to discuss his infrastructure plan at 1:30 p.m. ET.1. PARTY ON?: A coalition of anti-Trump Republicans is threatening a move that could upend American politics. An organizer told my colleagues they planned to release an open letter today titled "A Call for American Renewal." They are not calling for an explicit split yet <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-trump-republicans-threathen-spinoff-gop-party-liz-cheney-vote-2021-5">but warn the party of Lincoln may need an alternative if Republicans continue to follow former President Donald Trump</a>.<ul><li>Key quote: "The current GOP leadership has bought into this hook, line, and sinker, and only fealty to Trump matters at this point among those leaders," said former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey. She was among the Republicans who endorsed Biden in 2020.</li></ul>Their effort is also meant as a show of solidarity to Rep. Liz Cheney, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-vote-to-oust-rep-liz-cheney-from-leadership-2021-5">who was ousted from her House leadership post</a> on Wednesday after calling out Trump's lies about the 2020 presidential election.<ul><li>The letter is expected to be signed by roughly 100 Republicans, including former members of Congress and top party officials: They plan on hosting a town-hall-style meeting next month to further map out their agenda and to recruit prospective primary challengers.</li></ul>Not surprisingly, current Republican officials warned that splintering the party would have disastrous consequences. Insider spoke with numerous lawmakers about the movement.<ul><li>Among those opposed are lawmakers that supported Trump's impeachment: "I don't think it's a good idea. I'm going to stay in the Republican Party," Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said, adding that if the party splintered, "we will not be politically viable."</li><li>Others point out that third parties have historically struggled: "That's much more of the fever dream in the press - that's something that isn't actual political reality," Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said of the movement.</li></ul>The fight over Trump's role shows no signs of abating: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-cheney-do-everything-keep-trump-from-white-house-video-2021-5">Cheney remained defiant after her ouster via a short voice vote</a>. "I will do everything I can to ensure that the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office," she told reporters. Meanwhile, her campaign is quietly being boosted by top Republicans <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/liz-cheney-fundraising-campaign-trump-impeachment-mccarthy-2021-5">including former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida and the Trump administration Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen</a>.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-trump-republicans-threathen-spinoff-gop-party-liz-cheney-vote-2021-5">Read more about the identity crisis afoot in the GOP.</a>2. Biden says Israel "has a right to defend itself" amid worst fighting in years: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-netanyahu-spoke-about-israel-hamas-conflict-2021-5">Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the conflict between Israel and Hamas</a>. But not everyone in the Democratic Party agrees with the president. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York slammed the White House. She wrote on Twitter that statements like Biden's "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aoc-slams-biden-on-israel-saying-his-statements-dehumanize-palestinians-2021-5">imply the US will look the other way at human rights violations</a>."<ul><li>The latest on the ground: Israel says it assassinated 10 senior militants and continues to strike targets in the Gaza Strip, The New York Times reports. Hamas and its allies are also firing rockets. Israel claims more than 1,000 have been launched from the Gaza Strip. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/world/middleeast/israeli-palestinian-conflict-gaza-hamas.html?action=click&amp;module=Spotlight&amp;pgtype=HomepageHomepage">More than 67 Palestinians, including 16 children, have died since the fighting began Monday</a>.</li></ul>WATCH: <a href="https://www.insider.com/al-aqsa-mosque-compound-israel-palestine-conflict-2021-5">Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is at the center of escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians.</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/al-aqsa-mosque-compound-israel-palestine-conflict-2021-5"><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2021 05 13 at 3.15.02 AM" height="964" width="1746" msid="82602790" hostid="261"></div></a>3. Colonial pipeline restarts operations, but gas crunch may continue for a few more days: The announcement follows widespread gas shortages across East Coast that resulted from the pipeline being taken offline by a crippling ransomware attack. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2021/map-gas-shortages/">More than 10,000 gas stations ran dry as panic buying exacerbated the shortages</a>, The Washington Post reports. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-inflation-runaway-hyperinflation-price-growth-interest-rates-fed-2021-5">Gas prices have now soared past $3 a gallon for the first time since 2014</a>.4. Speaker Nancy Pelosi still wants an infrastructure bill by July 4: Pelosi said she was "more optimistic" about bipartisan talks following a meeting between both parties' top leaders and Biden. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who was also in the meeting, said Republicans drew a "red line" on hiking corporate taxes to pay for any of the plan. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mitch-mcconnell-biden-infrastructure-talks-trump-tax-cut-red-line-2021-5">A chasm still divides the parties on the scope of an infrastructure package and how it should be paid for</a>.<div type="image" title="New York City shopping coronavirus" height="1248" width="1665" msid="82602792" hostid="261"></div>5. Stocks dip for the third day in a row: The Dow fell nearly 700 points as investors feared overheating inflation would stifle the US economic recovery. Key inflation data came in significantly higher than expected, with core inflation rising 0.9% in April. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-news-today-wrap-inflation-overheating-economic-outlook-cpi-2021-5-1030422919">This is the largest monthly increase for the core index since 1982</a>.<ul><li>Economists are bracing for the strongest US inflation in decades as the country reopens: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-inflation-runaway-hyperinflation-price-growth-interest-rates-fed-2021-5">Here's what you need to know about inflation, where it stands today, and when you should really start to worry</a>.</li></ul>6. Republican lawmaker compares some Capitol rioters to tourists: A House hearing on the deadly Capitol riot laid bare the continuing efforts of some Republicans to recast the worst attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812. Describing images of people wandering through the Capitol, Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia said, "If you didn't know the TV footage was a video from January the 6, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-rep-says-calling-january-6-insurrection-is-a-bold-faced-lie-2021-5">Normal tourists, of course, don't usually erect gallows, shout about hanging the vice president, or attack police officers</a>.7. Ohio is offering $1 million jackpots for shots: Five lucky Ohioans will win $1 million in a special lottery of those who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ohio-is-giving-1-million-lottery-jackpots-to-vaccinated0adults-2021-5">This is just the latest incentive meant to encourage people to get vaccinated</a>.<ul><li>Americans as young as 12 could start getting vaccinated today: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky gave the final OK last night to expand the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Americans ages 12 to 15 years old. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-ok-pfizers-covid-vaccine-for-12-to-15-2021-5">Biden called the news "one more giant step" toward ending the pandemic</a>.</li></ul>8. Judge supports prosecutors' move for a longer sentence for Derek Chauvin: Judge Peter Cahill found that Chauvin's killing of George Floyd was especially cruel and met multiple aggravating factors that would allow the state to seek a longer sentence, the Star Tribune reports. Those factors include that Chauvin "abused a position of trust and authority" and treated Floyd "with particular cruelty." <a href="https://www.startribune.com/judge-s-ruling-echoes-prosecution-s-points-setting-stage-for-chauvin-getting-longer-sentence/600056317/">Chauvin is now expected to face up to 30 years in prison</a>.9. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene reportedly aggressively confronted AOC: The encounter is said to have taken place in the Capitol on Wednesday, with The Post reporting that Taylor Greene said the New Yorker supported "terrorists." In response, Ocasio-Cortez's office called on leadership and the House sergeant at arms to "make Congress a safe, civil place for all Members and staff." <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/greene-ocasio-cortez/2021/05/12/fd61d664-b37e-11eb-a3b5-f994536fe84a_story.html">This isn't the first time Taylor Greene has confronted one of her Democratic colleagues</a>.10. Ellen DeGeneres' longtime talk show is ending: DeGeneres has announced plans to end her namesake talk show after its 19th season airs in 2022. <a href="https://www.insider.com/ellen-degeneres-show-canceled-ending-season-19-backlash-2021-5">She told the Hollywood Reporter that making the show was "not a challenge anymore."</a>Today's trivia question: What famous author was so opposed to the Mexican-American war that he refused to pay a poll tax and spent a night in jail as a result? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at <a href="mailto:bgriffiths@insider.com">bgriffiths@insider.com</a>.<ul><li>Yesterday's answer: Martha Washington is the only woman to appear on paper US currency. <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/martha-washington/martha-on-1/#:~:text=Martha%20Washington%20is%20the%20first,on%20the%20%241%20Silver%20Certificate.">She was on the $1 silver certificate that was discontinued in 1957</a>.</li></ul>

You Searched For "white house ransomware" and got 13 results

10 Things in Politics: Dem donors snipe over 2024

Brent D. Griffiths

10 things before the opening bell

Phil Rosen

More than 1,000 gas stations ran dry, with massive lines, after a cyberattack knocked the crucial fuel pipeline to the East Coast

Tom Porter

10 Things in Politics: Trump says he'll be president again by August

Brent D. Griffiths

In interview ahead of Biden meeting, Putin called a US Marine veteran imprisoned in Russia a 'drunk' who 'got himself s---faced'

Bill Bostock

Experts say Russia gives hackers a 'tacit blessing' to attack foreign nations - as long as they don't target Russia or its allies

Katie Canales

GOP Sen. Roy Blunt says the US should 'treat Russia like it's virtually a criminal enterprise' amid cyberattacks

Connor Perrett

10 Things in Politics: The power players in Biden's inner circle

Brent D. Griffiths

Leaked memos show police were concerned about Boogaloo Bois' plans to attack major landmarks in DC ahead of Biden's inauguration

Jacob Shamsian

10 Things in Politics: Inside the Biden-era FBI

Brent D. Griffiths

Hackers who stole files from a law firm to stars like Lady Gaga and Drake doubled their ransom to $42 million and threatened to release 'dirty laundry' on Trump

Ashley Collman

10 Things in Politics: Anti-Trump Republicans threaten spinoff 3rd party

Brent D. Griffiths

A key player in China and the EU's 'third industrial revolution' describes the economy of tomorrow

Elena Holodny