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1. Marriott Confirms New Data Breach
Marriott International has confirmed to tech news outlet CyberScoops that a hacker accessed its computer network in an extortion attempt that targeted an individual hotel. The incident occurred about a month ago, and Marriott has notified law enforcement.
Databreaches.net reports the incident occurred at the BWI Airport Marriott hotel in Baltimore.
When reached for comment, a Marriott spokesperson stated, that Marriott is aware of “a threat actor” who used social engineering to trick an associate at a single Marriott hotel to provide access to the associate’s computer, but the hacker did not gain access to Marriott’s core network.
“Our investigation determined that the information accessed primarily contained non-sensitive internal business files regarding the operation of the property,” the spokesperson said. “The incident was contained to a short period of time. Marriott identified and was investigating the incident before the threat actor contacted the company in an extortion attempt, which Marriott did not pay. The company is preparing to notify 300 to 400 individuals regarding the incident. Marriott has also notified law enforcement and is supporting their investigation.”
2. New York Hotel Workers Group, Industry Association Reach Deal on Gun Ban
The New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which represents hotel workers in the state, and the Hotel Association New York City have reached an agreement to ban firearms except those carried by law enforcement officers from hotels represented by the hotel association, the New York Post reports. The deal with HANYC means guns, concealed or not, are not allowed in roughly three out of every four hotel rooms in the city.
Each hotel covered by the agreement is responsible for letting prospective guests know about the ban through signs, email, website notices or staff on site, the article states. The staff can have security or police remove guests who violate the rule.
“Public accommodations and tourism hubs may always be targets for people with guns to commit terrible acts of violence, but by achieving this agreement to keep guns away from these vulnerable areas, we can better ensure the security of workers and customers while also promoting the economic recovery of the hospitality sector,” said Rich Maroko, president of the New York Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which represents hotel workers.
“HANYC strongly believes in the safety of its customers and employees — and so we are partnering with the Hotel Trades Council to ensure that firearms do not enter into city hotels unless carried by bonafide, on-duty law enforcement officials,” said Vijay Dandapani, president and CEO of the association.
3. Ashford Hospitality Trust Has Reduced Debt by $1.1 Billion
In a video interview with HNN’s Dana Miller, Ashford Hospitality Trust President and CEO Rob Hays said his company has been making progress in reducing its debt load, deleveraging by about $1.1 billion over the past 18 months. The company will likely sell a few more assets to further reduce its debt.
"We made a lot of progress on that,” he said. “We still have a little ways to go; however, the debt markets are a little choppy right now. Our stock price isn't in a place where we're raising equity, so right now, it's mostly being patient."
4. UK’s Finance, Health Ministers Resign
Both Rishi Sunak, the chancellor of the exchequer, and Sajid Javid, the health secretary who oversees Britain’s pandemic response, resigned from their positions following the latest scandal to hit Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration, the Washington Post reports. The two said in their resignations they had lost faith in Johnson’s leadership after revelations about his deputy chief whip and Johnson’s knowledge of past misconduct.
Johnson had appointed lawmaker Chris Pincher in February to deputy chief whip, a role tasked with keeping party members in support of the prime minister and his agenda, the newspaper reports. Pincher resigned last week after saying in a letter to Johnson he had drank too much and embarrassed himself and other people at a gathering. The U.K. press has reported he allegedly tried to grope several men.
The issue here is Johnson reportedly knew about a 2019 investigation into similar complaints about Pincher but appointed him to the position anyway, the article states. Johnson had initially tried to deny knowing about the misconduct before Simon McDonald, the former head of the diplomatic service, accused him of misleading the public.
5. US Job Openings Dip to 11.3 Million in May
The U.S. Bureau of Statistics reported the number of job openings decreased to 11.3 million in May from 11.4 million in April, the Washington Post reports. Approximately 4.3 million Americans quit or changed jobs in May.
While overall hiring slowed slightly with 6.5 million workers in May compared to 6.6 million in April, layoffs remained near record lows, the article states.
“There’s a whirlwind of recession chatter, but the U.S. labor market continues to be quite strong,” said Nick Bunker, an economist at the jobs site Indeed. “Demand for workers might be stagnating, but it’s still at very elevated levels. The labor market is not signaling a recession.”