Today in News History
On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1933, David Storey, English author, playwright, and screenwriter (died 2017) was born. In 1956, The Dartmouth workshop is the first conference on artificial intelligence. In 1969, Oleg Serebrian, Moldovan political scientist and politician was born. In 1970, Andrei Tivontchik, German pole vaulter and trainer was born. In 1983, Liu Xiang, Chinese hurdler was born. In 1985, The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Moscow and Sydney. In 2003, French DGSE personnel abort an operation to rescue Íngrid Betancourt from FARC rebels in Colombia, causing a political scandal when details are leaked to the press. In 2020, Grant Imahara, American electrical engineer, roboticist, and television host (born 1970) passed away. In 2020, Zindzi Mandela, South African politician, diplomat, and third daughter of Nelson Mandela (born 1960) passed away. In 2024, Thomas Matthew Crooks, American student, known for attempting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump (born 2003) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.
Ransomware negotiator hired to represent victims was working for the attackers

Six years in prison for man who sold out the very victims he was hired to represent.
Narrative Intelligence Brief
This article was published by Ars Technica, a source frequently categorized with a Unknown bias based in United States of America. Our narrative intelligence engine continuously monitors coverage from this outlet to track framing, bias, and rhetorical patterns. Our initial algorithmic scan of this specific piece did not flag high-confidence rhetorical techniques, suggesting a generally straightforward reporting style or neutral framing. By understanding the editorial perspective of Ars Technica, readers can better contextualize the information presented and compare it across our broader media matrix to find the real narrative.
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Analysis Methodology
This narrative analysis was generated using the CoDataLab Global Intelligence Engine. Our proprietary AI scans thousands of cross-border sources to identify sentiment patterns, framing techniques, and potential media bias. While AI provides the data-driven foundation, our objective is to empower readers with additional context beyond the standard headline.The content displayed above is a structured summary designed for rapid information processing. For the full original report, please visit the source outlet.More Coverage
Discussion
How other outlets are covering this story
Compare narratives across 31 related reports from 31 sources. Real Narrative News aggregates the coverage spectrum so you can see who emphasises what — bias tags reflect the outlet, not the story.
Coverage bias distribution
31 sources
Left 29%
Center 29%
Right 29%
The Next Web
· Jul 3, 2026
Researchers say an AI agent just ran a ransomware attack from start to finish, with no human at the keyboard
Ransomware has always needed a skilled human somewhere in the loop. Security firm Sysdig says that just changed. It has documented what it calls the first ransomware attack run from start to finish by an AI agent, with no human at the keyboard. The researchers named the attacker JADEPUFFER, and say a large language model [] This story continues at The Next Web
ZDNet
· Jul 7, 2026
Why this fully agentic ransomware attack is giving researchers nightmares
JadePuffer could be the first reported case of a ransomware attack driven by AI from start to finish. How can businesses respond?
The Hacker News
· Jun 22, 2026
New OXLOADER Loader Uses Malicious Google Ads to Deliver CastleStealer
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new campaign that delivers CastleStealer by means of a previously unreported malware loader dubbed OXLOADER. According to Elastic Security Labs, the campaign leverages malicious Google Ads as a starting point to distribute the malware. Evidence indicates that the threat actor is likely Russian-speaking and financially motivated, owing to the
Just the news
· Jun 22, 2026
FBI believes ransom note in Nancy Guthrie disappearance could come from kidnapper
Shortly after Guthrie's disappearance, ransom notes were sent to news outlets that the bureau deemed credible. The first requested Bitcoin or cryptocurrency in exchange for Guthrie, who is the mother of TODAY show host Savannah Guthrie.
TechCrunch
· Jul 6, 2026
The ‘first’ AI-run ransomware attack still needed a human
An AI agent carried out the technical execution of a real-world ransomware attack for the first known time, but new details show a human still chose the victim, set up the infrastructure, and supplied stolen credentials — meaning it wasn't quite the fully autonomous cybercrime debut that last week's headlines suggested.
The Register
· Jul 7, 2026
Fake IT bods on Microsoft Teams coax workers into installing malware
Unit 42 says attackers are posing as helpdesk staff and persuading employees to hand over remote control before dropping EtherRAT trojan
Proto Thema - English
· Jul 11, 2026
11-hour Berlin hostage drama ends as special forces free supermarket cashier
An armed man's 11-hour siege of a Berlin supermarket concluded early Saturday when SEK officers negotiated the release of the cashier he had held at gunpoint, with the gunman's identity and motive undisclosed by authorities The post 11-hour Berlin hostage drama ends as special forces free supermarket cashier appeared first on ProtoThema English.
USA TODAY
· Jul 2, 2026
FBI says three Nancy Guthrie ransom notes are fake amid probe
FBI says ransom notes tied to Nancy Guthrie case are fake as investigation continues and forensic evidence is analyzed. Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/06/30/nancy-guthrie-kidnapping-ransom-notes-fbi/90763009007/ Sign up for our newsletter for the day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/
Wired
· Jun 23, 2026
Dialog Claims It Was Hacked. A Misconfigured Website Left Its Members Exposed
The private events group, cofounded by Peter Thiel, says a “criminal” hacker is behind a breach that exposed members’ personal details. WIRED found no evidence a break-in was needed to access the files.
Hindustan Times
· Jun 30, 2026
Why didn't Nancy Guthrie's family pay original ransom request? What federal law enforcement said, ‘Would not advise…’
A reporter has revealed what he has learned from federal law enforcement sources about ransom requests amid the search for Nancy Guthrie.
Irish Star
· Jun 26, 2026
Chilling new ransom note claims to have video of Nancy Guthrie 'on the day she died'
A disturbing new ransom note from an individual claiming to have footage of Nancy Guthrie and her kidnapper has been sent demanding crypto currency in exchange for the video
Jezebel
· Jul 7, 2026
Taylor Swift’s Dream MSG Wedding Had a Nightmare Guest: An ICE Contractor
Steven J. Demetriou is the executive chair of Amentum, which runs an ICE detention facility in the midst of a humanitarian scandal.
Daily Post Nigeria
· Jul 7, 2026
FCT Police arrest notorious kidnappers, recover N8.2m ransom, fully tinted vehicles
Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Police Command have arrested six suspected members of a notorious kidnapping syndicate and recovered the N8.25 million ransom allegedly paid by the family of one of their victims. The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed the breakthrough during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday. Sanusi said the [] FCT Police arrest notorious kidnappers, recover N8.2m ransom, fully tinted vehicles
Quadrant Magazine
· Jun 23, 2026
Hollywood Hack, Complete Rat
Hollywood Hack, Complete Rat
Us Weekly
· Jul 1, 2026
FBI Addresses Report Claiming All Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Are Fake
An FBI spokesperson is shutting down a viral report claiming that three ransom notes pertaining to the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s missing mom, Nancy Guthrie, are fake. “The FBI and its task force partners have received several ransom notes over the course of this investigation. Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy,” []
The Economic Times
· Jun 22, 2026
The 'Boss Scam': Hackers target CEOs and firms
The 'Boss Scam': Hackers target CEOs and firms
The Independent
· Jul 1, 2026
The Nancy Guthrie mystery takes another turn as FBI says all ransom notes were fake: report
An FBI official told Reuters that the agency believes the two ransom notes reported in February, along with a more recent message from someone claiming to know the identity of Nancy Guthrie’s alleged abductors, were fake communications
Fortune
· Jul 10, 2025
How a deepfake of Marco Rubio exposed the alarming ease of AI voice scams
With just 15 seconds of audio, hackers can now launch convincing deepfake scams—targeting CEOs, employees, and even world leaders.
Fark
· Jul 9, 2026
Police solve cold case [Amusing]
[link] [0 comments]
Utusan Malaysia
· Jul 2, 2026
Santa Claus ‘kantoi’ ajak polis buat hubungan terlarang
KENNER: Seorang lelaki bernama ‘Santa Claus’ merupakan antara individu yang ditahan dalam satu operasi penyamaran polis berskala besar bagi menangkap pemangsa seksual kanak-kanak. Claus, yang sebelum ini dikenali sebagai George Quigley, ditahan di Kenner, sebuah kawasan pinggir bandar New Orleans, selepas didakwa mengatur pertemuan secara bersemuka dengan seorang detektif yang menyamar sebagai remaja lelaki berusia ... Read more The post Santa Claus ‘kantoi’ ajak polis buat hubungan terlarang appeared first on Utusan Malaysia.
Vanguard News
· Jul 13, 2026
Gunmen kidnap Oyo school headmaster, demand N30m ransom
According to the victim's son, Mr Abiola Owoade, his father was returning from a visit to his farm when he was intercepted and abducted by the armed assailants. The post Gunmen kidnap Oyo school headmaster, demand N30m ransom appeared first on Vanguard News.
Washington Examiner
· Jul 1, 2026
FBI finds Nancy Guthrie ransom notes were fake: Report
The FBI believes all the supposed ransom notes sent to Nancy Guthrie’s family were not genuine, according to a recent report. An FBI official told Reuters that two ransom notes that appeared in early February, shortly after Guthrie’s kidnapping, and a more recent third message claiming to know the identities of the kidnappers, didn’t come []
Yonhap News Agency
· Jun 24, 2026
Election officials raided over ballot shortage in June 3 local elections
SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- A joint police and prosecution team on Wednesday raid...
Digital Trends
· Jul 6, 2026
AI agent reportedly carried out an entire ransomware attack on its own
Security researchers say an autonomous AI agent carried out a complete ransomware attack, adapting to failures and executing the intrusion with minimal human intervention.
The Daily Beast
· Jul 2, 2026
Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Case Jolted by New Ransom Note Revelation
Don Arnold/WireImageThe FBI is rebutting explosive claims that none of the ransom notes in the kidnapping case involving 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie are genuine. The agency’s Phoenix field office said Wednesday that while some ransom notes sent to news outlets after Guthrie, the mother of NBC’s Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, vanished from her Tucson, Arizona. home turned out to be fake, others remain under investigation.“Some have been deemed to be extortion attempts without legitimacy,” the office’s post on X said. “Other ransom demands may potentially be legitimate and are still being investigated as such.”Read more at The Daily Beast.
TwistedSifter
· Jun 21, 2026
A Hotel Employee Caught Two Fraudsters Trying to Book a Room With Stolen Credit Cards — and Stopped Them Cold
They weren't about to fall for this scam! The post A Hotel Employee Caught Two Fraudsters Trying to Book a Room With Stolen Credit Cards — and Stopped Them Cold appeared first on TwistedSifter.
DNyuz
· Jun 26, 2026
Bombshell TMZ email claims to have video of Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers: report
A source who claims knowledge of the identities of Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers claims to have enough evidence to deliver them up to authorities on a “silver platter.” TMZ received an email from the source claiming to have video showing the “main guy” with the mother of NBC News broadcaster Savannah Guthrie on the day the []
Off The Press
· Jun 22, 2026
One of the Nancy Guthrie ransom notes apologized for her heartbreaking death
One of the chilling ransom notes sent to Nancy Guthrie’s heartbroken family included a disturbing apology for accidentally killing her, according to a dramatic new report. The disturbing Feb. 6 email was sent to TMZ from the same IP address as earlier blackmail letters that were packed with eerie details about the night Guthrie – []...Click to read more
Inc.com
· Jun 27, 2026
iPhone Users: Be Aware of This New ‘Apple High Alert’ Scam
The scam is designed to make you act quickly—and turn over sensitive information to bad actors. Don’t fall for it.
NDTV
· Jul 10, 2026
Hackers Exploit Software Flaw To Steal Rs 7.34 Crore From Gujarat Bank
CID officials said the hackers exploited a flaw in the banking software, which they suspect may have affected 14 to 15 other banks across the country.
Euronews
· Jul 2, 2026
Alleged member of hacking group 'Scattered Spider' arrested in Finland
Scattered Spider, also known as “Octo Tempest,” “UNC3944,” or “0ktapus,” is a group of criminal cyber actors that attempts to extort ransoms from companies.
Topics:
Related coverage for "Ransomware negotiator hired to represent victims was working for the attackers": The Next Web — Researchers say an AI agent just ran a ransomware attack from start to finish, with no human at the keyboard. ZDNet — Why this fully agentic ransomware attack is giving researchers nightmares. The Hacker News — New OXLOADER Loader Uses Malicious Google Ads to Deliver CastleStealer. Just the news — FBI believes ransom note in Nancy Guthrie disappearance could come from kidnapper. TechCrunch — The ‘first’ AI-run ransomware attack still needed a human. The Register — Fake IT bods on Microsoft Teams coax workers into installing malware. Proto Thema - English — 11-hour Berlin hostage drama ends as special forces free supermarket cashier. USA TODAY — FBI says three Nancy Guthrie ransom notes are fake amid probe. Wired — Dialog Claims It Was Hacked. A Misconfigured Website Left Its Members Exposed. Hindustan Times — Why didn't Nancy Guthrie's family pay original ransom request? What federal law enforcement said, ‘Would not advise…’. Irish Star — Chilling new ransom note claims to have video of Nancy Guthrie 'on the day she died'. Jezebel — Taylor Swift’s Dream MSG Wedding Had a Nightmare Guest: An ICE Contractor. Daily Post Nigeria — FCT Police arrest notorious kidnappers, recover N8.2m ransom, fully tinted vehicles. Quadrant Magazine — Hollywood Hack, Complete Rat. Us Weekly — FBI Addresses Report Claiming All Nancy Guthrie Ransom Notes Are Fake. The Economic Times — The 'Boss Scam': Hackers target CEOs and firms . The Independent — The Nancy Guthrie mystery takes another turn as FBI says all ransom notes were fake: report. Fortune — How a deepfake of Marco Rubio exposed the alarming ease of AI voice scams. Fark — Police solve cold case [Amusing]. Utusan Malaysia — Santa Claus ‘kantoi’ ajak polis buat hubungan terlarang. Vanguard News — Gunmen kidnap Oyo school headmaster, demand N30m ransom. Washington Examiner — FBI finds Nancy Guthrie ransom notes were fake: Report. Yonhap News Agency — Election officials raided over ballot shortage in June 3 local elections. Digital Trends — AI agent reportedly carried out an entire ransomware attack on its own. The Daily Beast — Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Case Jolted by New Ransom Note Revelation. TwistedSifter — A Hotel Employee Caught Two Fraudsters Trying to Book a Room With Stolen Credit Cards — and Stopped Them Cold. DNyuz — Bombshell TMZ email claims to have video of Nancy Guthrie’s kidnappers: report. Off The Press — One of the Nancy Guthrie ransom notes apologized for her heartbreaking death. Inc.com — iPhone Users: Be Aware of This New ‘Apple High Alert’ Scam. NDTV — Hackers Exploit Software Flaw To Steal Rs 7.34 Crore From Gujarat Bank. Euronews — Alleged member of hacking group 'Scattered Spider' arrested in Finland


