 Matt Williams Questioned by Police in L.A.
LOS ANGELES , CA -- L.A. city law enforcement
officials last night took local waiter and aspiring actor
Matt Williams into custody for questioning in connection
with the Evans Business Solutions data theft case.
Acting on information provided by law enforcement
in Houston, Texas, officers arrested Williams at his
place of employment—the Italian Cafe "Basil's"—as he
was finishing his evening shift. Williams initially claimed
no knowledge of Evans Business Solutions.
The Los Angeles Reporter,
however, has published information linking Matt to the Houston-based
software company. This information has been verified by Evans
spokesperson Daniel Thompson. "Mr. Williams
was a programmer on our staff from 2000 to 2003. We were
forced to let him go in December of last year following a
series of incidents related to his interaction with other
staff," explained
Thompson.
Even more damaging for Williams is the role that he played
at the software company. "Mr. Williams was a member of the development
team for our new product beginning in 2002 and continuing
until his departure," said
Thompson. "Some results of investigation suggest that research data
went out the door when Williams did."
Although Evans appears to have
drawn strong connections between Williams and the data theft,
law enforcement officials caution that Williams is merely
a subject of interest and has not been charged with any crime
at this time.
Williams
left Texas for Los Angeles to
pursue a lifelong dream of becoming an actor when he was let go by Evans. He has since
been working in cafes while trying to break into auto insurance commercials.
Today
Williams admitted to working for Evans but denies any involvment
in a scheme to filter research data out of the company. He claims to
know of Extar Systems—the Santa Clara-based rival of Evans and beneficiary
of the data theft—only as a competitor to Evans.
Specialists
from the Houston Police Department will be arriving in Los Angeles later
today to assist in questioning.
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NSS Members Energized
by World's First Private Spaceflight
MOJAVE, CA -- The
world witnessed the dawn of a new space age today, as
investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen and Scaled Composites
launched the first private manned vehicle beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
The successful launch demonstrated that the final frontier
is now open to private enterprise.
Under the command of test pilot Mike Melvill, SpaceShipOne
reached a record breaking altitude of 328,491 feet (approximately
62 miles or 100 km), making Melvill the first civilian to
fly a spaceship out of the atmosphere and the first private pilot to
earn astronaut wings.
Paul
Allen and his team at Scaled Composites made
history with the first private sector spaceflight on June
21. They are eyeing the $10 million "X Prize," a
purse meant to promote civilian innovation.
This
flight begins an exciting new era in space travel,” said
Paul G. Allen, sole sponsor in the SpaceShipOne program. “Burt
Rutan and his team at Scaled Composites are part of a new
generation of explorers who are sparking the imagination
of a huge number of people worldwide and ushering in the
birth of a new industry of privately funded manned space flight.”
The historic flight also marks the first time
an aerospace program has successfully completed a manned
mission without government sponsorship. “Today’s
flight marks a critical turning point in the history of aerospace,” said
Scaled Composites founder and CEO Burt Rutan. “ We have redefined
space travel as we know it.”
“Our success proves without question that manned space flight
does not require mammoth government expenditures,” Rutan declared. “It
can be done by a small company operating with limited resources
and a few dozen dedicated employees.”
A large crowd watched the momentous flight live
from the grounds of the Mojave Airport, joining millions
of others around the world who tuned in by television, radio, and the
internet. Dignitaries attending the event included U.S. Representative
Dana Rohrabacher, the Commanding Officer of Edwards Air Force Base, General
Pearson and the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center, Admiral Venlet;
former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Konrad Dannenberg, one of Werner Von
Braun’s lead scientists on this country’s
original space development effort. Hundreds of media representatives
were also on hand to record history in the making.
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Health Insurance Providers Consider New Approach:
Appendage Insurance
WASHINGTON, DC -- In an effort
to reform the way Americans buy health insurance, and
in an effort to make their operations all the more lucrative,
health insurance providers are considering a new "a la carte" style
of coverage that would require individuals to anticipate
which parts of their body might become injured down the road.
Known by the snazzy
though somewhat long name "Appendassurance," a
la carte health coverage aims to further break down the traditional
divisions of what is covered and what is not.
"We were looking for
an even more ludicrous way to determine what medical needs
to cover," explained
Benjamin Ratchford III, "and
we finally hit upon this after spending a late night in a
bar ordering various appetizers."
This
man failed to purchase "right
leg insurance" and is now left with a huge pile of unpaid medical
bills.
Ratchford, a medical doctor who sits on the advisory board
for HospiAid Health Insurance, Inc., outlined the program's
six-step process like this:
1) The consumer sits down with pen and paper and begins
brainstorming to determine the most likely ways they may
become sick or injured in the future and identifies which
parts of the body may be afflicted.
2) After reviewing the 600-page handbook, the
consumer then determines which individual appendage coverage
plans they should purchase. Failure to choose "Torso Coverage," for
example, would mean that heart and lungs are not covered.
3)
After purchasing plans, the consumer is then insured for
any medical attention required for the given appendage with coverage
up to a generous 30% of the fees.
4) When medical attention is required,
the consumer calls HospiAid 72 hours in advance and provides
the automated system with their 32-digit policy number. Approval is then
given for treatment within 96 hours.
5) Upon receiving approval, the consumer—now the patient—can visit the doctor or check into
the hospital where they should pay the full fees in advance. The doctor
provides the patient with a rebate form that must be mailed within 24
hours.
6) The patient receives a rebate check for 30% of the fees*
in 8 - 12 weeks.
*Percentage of reimbursement may vary. Reimbursement
may be paid in the form of grocery coupons. Void in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto
Rico, and where prohibited by law. Must be 18 and in good health to claim
reimbursement.
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Other Nation/World Stories
Be sure to uncover all the clues...
Issue 1
Data Theft and Loss an Important
Issue for American Corporations
A special committee organized to investigate a growing trend of corporate
data theft has released its report. It finds that data theft occuring in
American corporations is a real cause for concern. :: View
full story.
Nationwide
Moving Sidewalk Network Sought
Transportation officials announced today that they are in the initial stages
of development for a network of moving sidewalks that will enable Americans
to travel anywhere in the country without moving their arms or legs. :: View
full story.
Evans Business Solutions
Goes Automated on iSeries
Evans Business Solutions, the Houston-based software company known for their
accounting technology, recently took steps to remedy system disruptions that
were costing the company big money. :: View full
story.
Issue 2
Foreign Officials Warn of Attempts
to Hack Key American Corporations
A special international agency today announced that they have monitored attempts
by Islamic militant groups to hack into the computer networks of several
major American corporations. :: View full story.
Manheim
Taps StandGuard Anti-Virus for Protection
In a perfect world, there would be no viruses. In
reality, news of viruses increases week after week; and the
outlook calls for more targeted and malicious attacks. In
the face of such risks, the world’s top companies are taking
steps to ensure that their systems remain clean and their customers protected.
:: View full story.
After
Ted, Other Airlines Consider Offshoots
With the initial positive reaction to United Airlines'
new low-cost carrier, "Ted," other
airlines are considering similar moves. :: View
full story.
Issue 3
Virus writers unleash first ever
Mac OS X Trojan
Proving that even platforms thought to be safe from
virus attacks eventually draw the attention of hackers, virus
writers last week launched MacOS/Amphimix, an MP3 file housing
a Trojan. It is the first known virus to target Apple's UNIX-based
operating system. :: View full story.
Precious Metal Investors Get Gas,
Rejoice
Investors looking to diversify and add stability to their portfolios have
long latched on to gold. Now they are abandoning the precious metal in favor
of something with even more value: gasoline. :: View
full story.
Federal Regulators Note that More
Data Laws Needed
Eight federal regulators recently announced their conclusion that additional
laws safeguarding the integrity of corporate data are needed. :: View
full story.
Issue 4
Matt Williams Questioned by Police in L.A.
L.A. city law enforcement officials last night took local waiter and aspiring actor Matt Williams into custody for questioning in connection with the Evans Business Solutions data theft case. :: View full story.
NSS Members Energized by World's First Private Spaceflight
The world witnessed the dawn of a new space age today, as investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen and Scaled Composites launched the first private manned vehicle beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. :: View full story.
Health Insurance Providers Consider New Approach: Appendage Insurance
In an effort to reform the way Americans buy health insurance, and in an effort to make their operations all the more lucrative, health insurance providers are considering a new "a la carte" style of coverage. :: View full story.
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