Readit NewsNote to people outside of the US who are worried about this:
The rest of the world uses 3G/4G modems in their smart meters, they are usually also connected to a different APN than generic mobile data. Sometimes multiple meters are connected to a central hub with a physical wire (in apartment buildings for example). The hub is then the only gateway to the internet.
The hack in question is only viable because of the weird way US smart meter collection is done.
US Smart Meters use RF to shout out their values everywhere like an RF beacon. A power company vehicle drives around the neighbourhood, collecting the values, storing them and moves on.
Source: I did smart metering software for L+G.
The reason we got smart meters in Austin, TX is because they weren't even recording readings just guessing what that reading should be based on historical data.
https://texasmonitor.org/settlement-reached-on-austins-made-...
gregimba commented on Police have been quitting in droves in the last year nytimes.com/2021/06/24/us... · Posted by u/lxm
> Minneapolis, which had 912 uniformed officers in May 2019, is now down to 699.
23% of officers leaving in only a year and a half. What kind of impact will this have in 3-5 years as officers who are holding out for pensions also retire?
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CIVPART
Edit:
St. Louis Fed quote from article on unemployment
> For perspective, in June, we were short by about 7.1 million jobs compared with the pre-pandemic level. This analysis suggests that this gap will only close about half by June 2022.
https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2021/october/labor...