CBS News
Trump, Vance potential targets in broad China-backed hacking operation
Federal authorities believe China-backed cybercriminals may have attempted to tap into phones or networks used by former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News. Officials are concerned the hackers could have infiltrated telecommunication systems and then targeted the candidates, the sources said.
The breadth of the potential cyber operation and what information the alleged hackers might have compromised remains unclear. The sources said the campaign was recently alerted that phones used by the candidates may have been among the targets of a cyber campaign.
The news was first reported by the New York Times.
The Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment. The Trump campaign declined a request for comment by CBS News.
A source familiar with the investigation told CBS News the potential targeting of Trump and Vance was part of a broad cyber attack that targeted officials from both major political parties and law enforcement recently notified potential victims. Law enforcement is currently treating the hack as an act of espionage, not as an attempt at campaign influence, another source said.
CBS News
Many North Carolina students return to class for first time since Hurricane Helene
Valle Crucis, North Carolina — In the hills of Watauga County in western North Carolina, the ride for Valle Crucis Elementary School students was filled with excitement Friday. They were among several thousand North Carolina students who returned to school for the first time since Hurricane Helene tore through portions of the state about a month ago, carving a path of destruction.
“I was worried about them because of the hurricane,” one Valle Crucis student said of his fellow classmates. “And I was super happy, super-duper happy to see them.”
Helene filled Valle Crucis Elementary, a K-8 school, with 4 feet of muddy water and swamped the school buses parked outside the school. As a result, classes are being temporarily held at an old conference center located about a mile from the damaged school.
“Students, faculty and families have been through trauma,” said Watauga County Schools Superintendent Leslie Alexander. “Getting kids back is the first step to normalcy, but we have to realize that people have been through a lot.”
When Helene hit, 459 schools in 28 North Carolina districts were affected. Schools in five of those districts remain closed. Some may not open until early November.
Many students are still carrying a heavy mental load, the pain of losing a loved one or their home, or in some cases, both. At least 98 people were killed by Helene in North Carolina, according to numbers compiled by CBS News, and the hurricane was responsible for at least 217 deaths across six states.
On Friday, extra counselors were on hand at Watauga County schools for any staff and students who wanted to talk.
“For the first couple weeks, I started to feel anxiety from not seeing anyone, so it was really refreshing when I heard that this week we were going back to school,” 12-year-old Valle Crucis student Georgia said.
Georgia was with her parents, James and Heather, when their home began to flood and their community was washed away.
“When the rain stopped and we went and walked around,” Heather said of her daughter. “She said, ‘I’m not learning academically right now, but I’m learning a lot about survival.'”
CBS News
E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders widens
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CBS News
Fake election-related videos being spread on social media
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