Brian Williams backs out of Letterman appearance
NEW YORK – Embattled NBC News anchor Brian Williams is backing out of scheduled appearance on David Letterman’s “Late Show” on Thursday.
That news from NBC came Sunday, a day after Williams said he was stepping away from NBC’s “Nightly News” as the network looks into the anchor’s admission that he had told a false story about being on helicopter hit by a grenade while reporting on the Iraq war.
Williams had spread the story of his helicopter being under attack during a previous “Late Show” interview with Letterman. He apologized for the statements on Wednesday, and NBC News launched an internal investigation Friday.
Since Williams’ apology, questions also have been raised about his claim that he saw a body or bodies in the Hurricane Katrina floodwaters that hit New Orleans in 2005.
Concerns remain with latest NFL concussion deal
PHILADELPHIA – The potential $1 billion settlement of NFL concussion claims appears close to winning final approval.
U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia has asked for only a few tweaks from the two sides this week.
The settlement would resolve thousands of lawsuits that accuse the NFL of hiding what it knew about the link between concussions and long-term brain injury.
The lead lawyers say the deal gets money more quickly to struggling ex-players as they deal with dementia and other health problems.
But critics say it doesn’t go far enough to help men battling depression and mood disorders.
Automakers fail to fully protect against hacking
WASHINGTON – Automakers are cramming cars with wireless technology, but they have failed to adequately protect those features against the real possibility that hackers could take control of vehicles or steal personal data, according to an analysis of information that manufacturers provided to a senator.
Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., asked automakers a series of questions about the technologies and any safeguards against hackers built into their vehicles. He also asked about how the information that vehicle computers gather and often transmit wirelessly is protected.
Markey posed his questions after researchers showed how hackers can get into the controls of some popular cars and SUVs, causing them suddenly to accelerate, turn, sound the horn, turn headlights off or on and modify speedometer and gas-gauge readings.
The responses from 16 manufacturers “reveal there is a clear lack of appropriate security measures to protect drivers against hackers who may be able to take control of a vehicle or against those who may wish to collect and use personal driver information,” a report by Markey’s staff concludes.
Nearly all new cars on the market today include at least some wireless entry points to these computers, such as tire pressure monitoring systems, Bluetooth, Internet access, keyless entry, remote start, navigation systems, WiFi, anti-theft systems and cellular-telematics, the report said.
Associated Press
