Latest news with #SanRafael
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Cyberattack On Whole Foods Supplier Disrupts Supply Chain Again
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 11: A shelf is seen bare in the frozen foods section of a Whole Foods ... More store on June 11, 2025 in San Rafael, California. United Natural Foods, the primary food distributor to Whole Foods, has paused deliveries to Whole Foods stores after a cyberattack crippled its system. Some Whole Foods stores are experiencing empty shelves and freezers. (Photo by) On June 5, 2025, a cyberattack forced United Natural Foods Inc., the primary distributor for Whole Foods Market, to shut down its systems and halt deliveries to more than 30,000 grocery stores across North America. Nearly two weeks later, the company is still operating on a limited basis, relying on workarounds and manual processes. This was not a minor glitch but a direct hit to the digital backbone of the food supply chain. Grocery stores were deemed essential infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic, with workers hailed as frontline heroes. Now, in 2025, the breach at UNFI raises a chilling question: what a biological virus could not shut down, could a cyberattack succeed in crippling? If malicious actors can freeze the software that moves food, they can empty shelves, disrupt lives and trigger cascading economic impacts. 'Food security is national security,' one lawmaker warned earlier this year. Congress appears to agree and has introduced the bipartisan Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025. What happened, and what could have been done to stop it? Whole Foods Market locations across the U.S. experienced product shortages after a cyberattack on ... More its primary distributor, United Natural Foods Inc., disrupted supply chains in June 2025. UNFI, based in Providence, Rhode Island, is North America's largest publicly traded wholesale grocery distributor. The company operates more than 50 distribution centers and supplies approximately 30,000 locations, including supermarkets, independent grocers and food service providers. On June 5, the company detected unauthorized activity on its systems and immediately activated its incident response plan. As a precaution, it took portions of its network offline, which disrupted order processing, fulfillment and shipment capabilities. Law enforcement and external cybersecurity experts were called in to assist with the investigation. The outage was swift and severe. Automated systems for ordering and inventory went dark, forcing cancellations of employee shifts and a return to manual processes. Business operations were impacted across the board, resulting in significant delivery delays. UNFI did not publicly disclose the breach until June 9, when it filed an 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company warned that disruptions would continue and outlined its reliance on manual workarounds to maintain critical grocery shipments while digital systems remained down. The downstream impact on retailers was immediate. Whole Foods Market, which depends heavily on UNFI, saw noticeable shortages in key categories. Refrigerated and perishable sections in many stores went empty. Store employees posted apology signs for out-of-stock items and explained delays. Customers posted photos of empty shelves across multiple locations. Independent grocers and regional chains also reported missed or delayed shipments. Many scrambled to find backup suppliers. Some succeeded, but others simply ran out of stock, leaving consumers with fewer options. Even the United States military's Defense Commissary Agency was affected. Fifty-three commissary stores reported delays. While some mitigated the issue with manual ordering, many still faced inventory shortfalls. A single breach had turned into a national supply chain shock. With just-in-time inventory models and limited buffers, grocers were vulnerable to even short-term digital outages. The result was fewer choices for shoppers and deeper concerns for the industry. As of mid-June, UNFI has not confirmed the source or type of cyberattack. The company has avoided calling it ransomware, and no group has claimed responsibility. Still, experts widely agree that the attack shares several characteristics typical of ransomware events, including a full system shutdown, containment procedures and prolonged disruption. While unproven, the consensus is that ransomware is the most likely explanation, especially given the sharp rise in attacks against the food and retail sectors. In similar cases, attackers have encrypted systems and demanded payment in exchange for restored access. On a June 10 earnings call, UNFI Chief Executive Officer Sandy Douglas said only that the company was managing through the incident and focused on safe restoration. The company has shared few details. It remains unclear whether any data was stolen or whether negotiations are ongoing. The lack of attribution could indicate behind-the-scenes engagement with law enforcement, which is common in complex ransomware cases. Until the investigation is complete, the grocery sector remains on high alert. The breach underscores just how vulnerable essential supply chains have become. The attack on UNFI is part of a broader trend of attacks on the food supply chain. Recent high-profile incidents include: Cybercriminals have proven they can cause real-world consequences across the food sector. 'The cyberattack on United Natural Foods is not an isolated incident but part of a growing trend,' said Jeff Wichman, incident response director at Semperis. The risk is no longer hypothetical. The attack has sparked urgent conversations throughout the grocery industry. Key priorities include: Cybersecurity is no longer optional. Food supply chains are essential and increasingly targeted. Resilience must be a top priority across every tier of the industry. By mid-June, UNFI had resumed shipments from most distribution centers and made progress restoring systems. Still, many operations rely on manual processes, and product shortages persist in some regions. The impact is ongoing and visible. This breach should serve as a turning point. Whole Foods and other retailers must invest in both digital defenses and supply chain resilience. Distributors must act with urgency. In the business of feeding families, downtime is unacceptable. The next attack could hit harder and spread faster. The time to prepare is now.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
William T. Bagley, CFTC's Beleaguered First Chairman, Dies at 96
William T. Bagley, a veteran California legislator who moved to Washington to preside over the chaotic first years of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as its founding chairman, has died. He was 96. He died on June 9 at his home in San Rafael, California, said his wife, Diane. He had dementia for a number of years, she said.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Dozens of Marin GOP members celebrate Army's 250th birthday with pancake breakfast
Dozens of members of the Marin GOP gathered in San Rafael bright and early on Saturday to celebrate the Army's 250th birthday and President Trump's birthday. "Let's just have a breakfast, let's have people come out, casual, people talk, get to know each other," John Turnacliff, the chair of Marin GOP, told CBS News Bay Area. He said members of the group are feeling optimistic about the Trump administration. "Everybody I talked with when we're asked, 'Are you getting everything you expected from President Trump being elected?' I would say, 'I'm getting everything I expected, and way more,'" Turnacliff said. "I absolutely love what America stands for. I believe it's worth fighting for," Julie Zeller, a member of the Marin GOP, told CBS News Bay Area. She has also been following recent developments of protests against the Trump administration. "I definitely agree in free speech, and that is one of the beauties of our Constitution and what our founding fathers gave us. I absolutely agree with them voicing their dissatisfaction with how things are going. I do not agree with any violence whatsoever, that very much concerns me," she said. She, along with other members of the group, said they are feeling energized, and during times of tension, want to find solutions of unity and not division. "I'm a believer that it takes two wings to fly a straight course. You need a right wing, and you need a left wing. And right now, we just have a left wing and we're going in circles on a lot of issues," Frank Drouillard, the treasurer of Marin GOP, said. "They oppose everything Trump. They oppose everybody that supports Trump, and I think that is very sick for our country." Members of the Marin GOP group said they will continue to show their support for Mr. Trump, nearly 3,000 miles away.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- CBS News
Former San Rafael paraeducator suspected of sexually assaulting student in 2023
San Rafael Police on Tuesday said they arrested a former paraeducator on suspicion of sexually assaulting a student in 2023. Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old San Rafael resident Isai Nicodemo Rodas. The alleged incidents happened in late 2023 while Rodas worked as a paraeducator, similar to a teacher's assistant, at Marin's Community School in San Rafael, police said. Police said they learned during their investigation that Rodas initiated inappropriate contact with a student, and he is suspected of sexually assaulting the student on at least three separate occasions off-campus. Rodas was 20 when the alleged sexual assaults happened, and the victim was 16, according to police. The Police Department became aware of the alleged incidents when the Marin County Office of Education contacted them on June 6 — Marin's Community School is a Marin County Office of Education program. The Education Office told investigators as soon as they learned of it, police said. Rodas left the MCOE in June 2024 and joined the San Rafael City School Board of Education in December. Police said that while he is part of the Education Board, he has never worked for San Rafael City Schools. There have been no reports of misconduct involving SRCS students, police said. The SCRS Administration and Board is working to suspend Rodas from his responsibilities indefinitely while the investigation is ongoing. Rodas was booked on suspicion of sexual assault with a minor with three years of age difference, child molesting and sexual battery, police said.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Former San Rafael paraeducator charged with sexually assaulting student
(KRON) — A former paraeducator and current board of education member at San Rafael City Schools (SRCS) has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a student on at least three separate incidents, said the San Rafael Police Department. ID theft duo nabbed with burglary tools, stolen items tied to 30 victims: Livermore police SRPD said Isai Nicodemo Rodas, 22, of San Rafael, was taken into custody and booked into the Marin County Jail for several charges including sexual assault with a minor with 3 years of age difference, child molesting, and sexual battery. San Rafael PD said it was alerted of the encounters on Friday by officials with the Marin County Office of Education. Investigators believe the inappropriate contact started in late 2023 while Rodas was employed as a paraeducator, a role similar to a teacher's assistant, at Marin's Community School in San Rafael. 'The inappropriate contact escalated to at least three separate incidents of sexual assault that occurred offsite from the school campus,' said police. Rodas was 20 years old at the time while the victim was 16 years old. Rodas left MCOE in June 2024. Police said assistance services and resources have been provided to the victim, whose identity will remain confidential. 'While Rodas never worked for San Rafael City Schools (SRCS), he is currently a member of the SRCS Board of Education, having joined in December 2024,' said Sergeant Justin Graham of the San Rafael Police Department. 'Currently, we have no knowledge of any misconduct involving SRCS students. SRCS Administration and Board will work to suspend Mr. Rodas' Board duties for the foreseeable future, pending the outcome of this matter.' Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call San Rafael Police at (415) 485-3000. Tips can also be made online at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
