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'Coordinated Cyberattack' Hits More Than 30 Minnesota Water Systems
Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times,
A “coordinated cyberattack” targeted more than 30 community water systems in Minnesota on July 26 and July 27, the state’s information technology agency said in a statement.
Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) stated on July 28 that it activated its incident response capabilities immediately after learning of the attack. MNIT stated that an investigation remains active, and responders continue to “assess affected systems.”
“At this time, they are not aware of any active requests from Minnesota cities to have their residents modify their drinking water usage,” the agency stated.
John Israel, MNIT assistant commissioner and Minnesota chief information security officer, said such attacks require “a coordinated, whole-of-government response.”
“[The agency] is working side by side with our partners to share intelligence, support affected communities, and help utilities restore operations safely while strengthening defenses against future attacks,” he said.
Emily Zimmer, a spokesperson for the agency, told Reuters in an email that while the investigation remains ongoing, “the timing, methods of access, and targeted infrastructure share characteristics with other coordinated cyber incidents our federal partners have observed involving critical infrastructure.”
Zimmer said the agency could not yet discuss formal attribution or specifics of the incidents. She noted that the agency used the term “attack“ to describe the situation ”because investigators identified unauthorized access with malicious intent directed at these systems.”
The FBI said in a statement that it was aware of the incident and was in contact with the victims “to resolve the matter.”
In a June 16 article about safeguarding critical water infrastructure, Microsoft stated that while cyberattacks typically “wreak havoc” on digital systems, at a water utility, a network breach “can move quickly into the physical realm.”
“Online systems can give an attacker access to operational technology—physical equipment like pumps, sensors, and chemical treatment systems,” it stated.
It stated that local utilities make prime targets because of their size and that most U.S. water utilities are tiny operations.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 97 percent of the nation’s 156,000 public water systems serve fewer than 10,000 customers.
While it is not yet clear who is responsible for the attacks, Iranian-linked hackers have, for years, targeted U.S. water systems to varying levels of success.
Handala WarningIran’s state-run Press TV, which the U.S. Treasury has sanctioned for acting as a propaganda arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported on July 23 that the Handala hacking group warned that it will continue targeting U.S. industrial control systems.
Handala is one of several public personas used by a hacking unit operating under the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) as part of the agency’s psychological operations, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
An April 7 U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) advisory warned that Iranian-affiliated hackers were attacking internet-facing programmable logic controllers, computer devices used to interact with machinery and other critical infrastructure networks, manufactured by Rockwell Automation.
The group said on July 23 that attacks targeting programmable logic controllers and supervisory control and data acquisition systems represented only a portion of its capabilities and warned that wider campaigns could target sectors including water, electricity, and transportation networks, Press TV reported.
A July 22 update to the advisory expanded the scope of the targeting to include devices manufactured by Schneider Electric, Siemens, and potentially other manufacturers.
CISA stated in its advisory that some hacking activity resembles operations previously attributed to CyberAv3ngers, also known as the Shahid Kaveh Group, which is affiliated with the Cyber Electronic Command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
CISA acting Director Nick Andersen told The Epoch Times by email: “CISA is aware of multiple potential incidents affecting local water utilities and is coordinating with the EPA and other government and industry partners to understand the scope and provide any information or technical support to help critical infrastructure owners and operators protect their systems.”
On June 11, the cybersecurity company Dataminr issued an alert about Handala, stating that the hacking group had claimed to have compromised California Water Service (Cal Water), one of the largest investor-owned water utilities in the United States, serving approximately 2 million customers across 100 California communities. The hackers published 5 gigabytes of data.
“CISA’s updated reporting shows a worrying expansion in Iran-linked critical infrastructure targeting focused on the United States,” Joe Slowik, director of threat research and cyber engineering at Dataminr, said in a July 27 blog post on the company’s website.
CyberAv3ngers struck a small water utility in Aliquippa, Pa., in November 2023, gaining control of a device at the Municipal Water Authority, according to a 2025 report by the Maryland Cybersecurity Council.
According to Xylem, a global water technology provider, there’s “no lack of examples” of cyberattacks involving water systems.
In October 2024, New Jersey-based American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States, which serves more than 14 million people in 14 states and on 18 military installations, had to shut down computer systems due to a cyberattack.
In January 2024, the Russian hacktivist group Cyber Army of Russia Reborn claimed responsibility for attacks on water facilities in the United States and Poland. In Muleshoe, Texas, one breach resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of gallons of water.
Authorities have assessed that a Chinese Communist Party state-sponsored cyber group known as Volt Typhoon is seeking to pre-position itself on IT networks for disruptive or destructive cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure.
In a 2024 statement, CISA said that Volt Typhoon uses hacking techniques that avoid installing malware, which can be relatively easily detected, and instead rely on built-in tools that are harder to spot.
This means that they exploit weak admin passwords, factory-default logins, and unpatched internet-connected devices
In a January report from the Congressional Research Service, Chris Jaikaran, a specialist in cybersecurity policy, said that the U.S. Intelligence Community assesses that China is “the most active and persistent cyber threat” to U.S. institutions.
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AI Exhaustion? Samsung Earnings Beat Expectations But Stock Abruptly Reverses Kneejerk Gains
Samsung Electronics delivered another good quarter last night, underscoring that the AI infrastructure boom appears to continue to funneling enormous profits toward the companies supplying the memory chips powering. Shares were up 10% at one point but finished the session red.
The South Korean technology giant reported second-quarter revenue of 171.5 trillion won and operating profit of 89.5 trillion won, according to CNBC, beating analyst expectations of 79.3 trillion won and marking another record quarter. Operating profit surged more than eighteen-fold from a year ago, while revenue more than doubled, driven overwhelmingly by demand for AI memory.
The company's memory division once again carried the business, posting record DRAM and NAND sales as hyperscalers and enterprise customers continued racing to build AI infrastructure. According to CNBC, Samsung said it is rapidly expanding production of next-generation HBM4 memory, has already shipped its first HBM4E samples to major customers, and continues investing aggressively in new fabrication facilities and advanced research to keep pace with demand.
Samsung now believes industry supply constraints will likely persist through at least 2028 as AI workloads expand beyond today's large language models into increasingly compute-intensive agentic AI applications. The company said demand for general-purpose computing is accelerating alongside AI, while customers are increasingly seeking multi-year supply agreements to lock in memory capacity years in advance.
Samsung also indicated that AI infrastructure spending remains remarkably healthy heading into the second half of the year. Management expects continued strength across server DRAM, enterprise SSDs and high-bandwidth memory, noting it has already finalized supply agreements with five of the world's largest data center operators while negotiations continue with several more major customers.
Despite this, shares posted a loss for the day on Thursday as investors continue showing caution related to deals in the AI/hyperscaler space. Domestic rival SK Hynix reported record profits of its own earlier this week and also disappointed investors.
Per Reuters, SK Hynix posted operating profit of 60.5 trillion won, up more than six-fold from a year earlier, yet fell short of lofty Wall Street expectations after slower-than-anticipated HBM4 shipments delayed revenue recognition. Investors responded harshly, sending the shares sharply lower despite management insisting demand from AI customers remains exceptionally strong.
This could be starting to show just how unforgiving the AI trade has become. Neither company is describing weakening demand. Samsung sees chip shortages lasting until 2028, while SK Hynix says customers continue requesting additional memory supply and is signing five-year agreements to secure future business.
Tyler Durden Thu, 07/30/2026 - 08:55US Savings Rate Tumbles Despite Lowest Jobless Claims Data In 57 Years
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits remained near its lowest levels since 1969 last week at just 197k (below the 200k exp)...
Continuing jobless claims are also falling back to cyclical lows...
Additionally, both income and spending are also trending higher...
But overall, the savings rate is tumbling...
So, the 'low hire, no fire' economy leaves Americans still spending but higher prices are forcing savings to be drawn down to maintain quality of life.
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Headline PCE 'Deflates' In June, First Time Since COVID
After three months of significant acceleration in prices, The Fed's favorite inflation indicator - Core PCE (a measure of price changes in consumer goods and services that excludes volatile food and energy costs) - was expected to slow in June data released today.
And it did - more than expected - Core PCE rose 0.1% MoM (below the 0.2% MoM expected) pulling the YoY rise down from +3.4% to +3.3%...
The headline PCE saw 0.1% MoM drop in June - its first 'deflationary' print since April 2020 (COVID)
Services once again dominated the MoM rise in PCE prices...
And of course, while this is June data, we have seen oil prices rise since then (as Iran reignited), but it's not enough to trigger a rebound in the PCE Energy sub-index...
Seems like Warsh was warranted in his hawkish hold?
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IRGC Strikes Jordan Again After 2-Hour US Bombardment Kills Iranian Troops, Civilians - Hormuz Traffic Creeps Higher
In the wake of the overnight fresh round of US airstrikes on Iran, which resulted in destruction and casualties especially along coastal areas, Iran's military has retaliated once again especially on Jordan.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it completed a "heavy" wave of strikes on the Islamic Republic, in response to "attempted missile attacks" on American bases in the region earlier this week. This US wave lasted two hours, the Pentagon said, striking "military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities".
via Iran state mediaIt accused Iran of a "surprise attack" the prior night, Tuesday, but said that "all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted."
As a result of the US bombing, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRTC) said three of its troops were killed in a missile attack, according to semi-official Tasnim. The three IRGC members died while "defending Iran’s borders and people" in what it described as a "brutal attack by the criminal terrorist regime of the United States."
Iranian officials are also saying that US bombardment of Qeshm island has killed a family. In Qeshm island, the Director General of Crisis Management of the Hormozgan Governorate said search and rescue efforts are underway amid mounting casualties there.
"So far, two children have been pulled out from under the rubble and transferred to medical centers, and efforts are ongoing to rescue three other members of this family," Mehrdad Hassanzadeh said.
Iran launched ballistic missiles at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in response to US strikes, but Jordan says it intercepted all five missiles. pic.twitter.com/25MxHgn1LR
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 30, 2026In response Iran says it has again targeted a US airbase in Jordan, and claims to have taken out three F-35 stealth fighters, though there's been no indication of this from the Pentagon side. According to details via Al Jazeera:
In a statement directed to Jordan, the IRGC says in response to a US attack on Qeshm island that killed two parents and their child, aerospace fighters targeted a ramp and maintenance shed at the al-Azraq airbase, which hosts US F-35 fighter jets, with several ballistic missiles, state news agency Fars reports.
The IRGC said that it had completely destroyed three F-35 aircraft and caused “heavy damage” to three others.
The IRGC stated that "A number of enemy officers and technical and maintenance personnel were also killed in this attack. Our region is no place for the infanticidal army that cruelly slaughters innocent families in the middle of the night while they sleep."
They added that the war will continue until "the last American occupier is expelled from the Islamic lands" and that Muslims in Jordan and the region want this too.
Aftermath of US attack on a residential area of Iran's Qeshm Island:
Footage shows aftermath of a US missile strike on civilian residences in Qeshm.
As a result of the US attack on homes in Qeshm's Chah-Tangu, three members of the family were killed, while two of their children sustained injuries and were taken to a hospital for ongoing care. pic.twitter.com/43vjC6qjw5
Despite the new fighting, shipping data surprisingly suggests an uptick in transit in the Strait of Hormuz. "Shipping across the crucial Strait of Hormuz has picked up in recent days despite a continuation of hostilities in the Middle East, with the US claiming its navy escorted some tankers across the waterway," Bloomberg writes.
But this still constitutes a tiny trickle compared to pre-war normal times:
The Al Areesh openly exited the Persian Gulf early Thursday carrying a liquefied natural gas cargo from Qatar, the country's first shipment in three weeks, while the liquefied petroleum gas carrier CYH Yongchun appeared to transit the strait with its transponder off, according to ship-tracking data.
Fourteen commodity vessels crossed Hormuz in both directions on Wednesday, data from market intelligence firm Kpler shows, up from single digits last week. The figures may still be revised with new information. A crude supertanker has also been provisionally booked at nearly $500,000 per day to collect a cargo at an unnamed Persian Gulf port next week for delivery to China.
Simultaneously the Bab El Mandeb strait is getting choked off to Saudi shipping and is being squeezed by Yemen's Houthis. Per a Bloomberg note, the British marine insurance market has widened the area in the Red Sea it deems as high risk in the wake of new Houthi targeting of foreign vessels.
Iran may be responsibility for Wednesday's unprecedented alleged (and still subject to contradictory reporting) drone attack on a tanker docked at Egyptian port:
Two Iranian sources said the drone strike on the U.S.-owned LNG vessel in Egypt was intended to demonstrate that Iran could disrupt global shipping and energy supplies more broadly if it chose to escalate.
Source: NYT pic.twitter.com/UWWyK6oCkH
However...
NYT didn't even say they are Iranian "source". Just two Iranian "individuals", whom NYT thinks their statements are important to manufacure a narrative. pic.twitter.com/F1kqJ15yzl
— Monjed Al-Tarifi منجد الطريفي (Uncivilized) (@MonjedTarifi) July 30, 2026The Lloyd's Market Association expanded the areas where underwriters can charge war risk premiums after a meeting earlier this week. Per Bloomberg:
Listed area in the Red Sea increased to 25.5 degrees north, but doesn’t include Egyptian territorial waters. That would, however, include Saudi Arabia’s port of Yanbu, which has been a vital lifeline for the kingdom’s oil exports
“The decision today to amend those Listed Areas reflects the recent escalation by the Houthis and their attacks on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea,” said Neil Roberts, Head of Marine and Aviation at the Lloyd’s Market Association
President Trump is said to be 'exasperated' by the situation and frustrated at his advisors' inability to agree on war strategy, meanwhile.
BREAKING: Trump exploded and lost his temper during a security meeting, shouting and cursing out of frustration over the military options presented to him and the lack of progress toward a deal with Iran, per NBC News.
A US official adds "after all this time, there is no unity"…
NBC on Thursday cites that "The president is exasperated" citing a Trump ally. "I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult to get the Iranians to agree to a deal.” The source added "there was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint."
Reported new Iran strikes on Kuwait as well on Thursday...
Video shows the aftermath of missile strikes from US forces in Kuwait on targets in Abadan, Iran, with fires burning following the attacks tonight. pic.twitter.com/eFAu0iqamV
— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) July 30, 2026As a reminder, University of Chicago political scientist and foreign policy realist author Robert Pape that the war will stumble along and likely expand even through the midterms: "The victory rhetoric [from Trump] doesn't match escalation reality," he said. "It is out of sync." Then he emphasized: "I think it will actually be after the midterms," he said. "Between now and January, this is not going to be over."
Tyler Durden Thu, 07/30/2026 - 08:35