I Prayed have prayed
Father, we speak peace over this situation. Give our government officials wisdom as they handle this heavy situation. We ask Your protect over all those affected by these gas shortages and for Your divine sovereignty to cover this situation.

Update:

According to The Gateway Pundit, “Colonial Pipeline Wednesday afternoon announced it restarted its operations at 5 PM ET.

“Following this restart, it will take several days for the product delivery supply chain to return to normal. Some markets served by Colonial Pipeline may experience, or continue to experience, intermittent service interruptions during the start-up period. Colonial will move as much gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel as is safely possible and will continue to do so until markets return to normal,” Colonial Pipeline said in a statement.

. . . Gas shortages and long lines at gas stations in Southeastern states are being reported after “hackers” shut down the Colonial Pipeline over the weekend.

The largest US refinery shut two crude units in Port Arthur, Texas this weekend after hackers caused the Colonial Pipeline to shut down. . . .

According to the FBI, the “DarkSide” hacker gang began attacking the pipeline operator on Friday and stole massive amounts of data.

“The FBI confirms that the Darkside ransomware is responsible for the compromise of the Colonial Pipeline networks. We continue to work with the company and our government partners on the investigation,” the “premier” law enforcement agency said in a statement on Monday. . . .

In a few short days a cyberattack caused states of emergency up and down the Eastern seaboard. How did this happen? What should we do? Who is behind the nefarious DarkSide? Here is a collection of key stories to inform your prayers.

17 States in Crisis

According to Fox 5 New York,More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day Tuesday. . . .

The Colonial Pipeline, the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S., delivering about 45% of what is consumed on the East Coast, was hit on Friday with a cyberattack by hackers who lock up computer systems and demand a ransom to release them. The attack raised concerns, once again, about the vulnerability of the nation’s critical infrastructure.

A large part of the pipeline resumed operations manually late Monday, and Colonial anticipates restarting most of its operations by the end of the week, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said. . . .

S&P’s Oil Price Information Service put the number of gas stations encountering shortages at more than 1,000.

“A lot of that is because they’re selling three or four times as much gasoline that they normally sell in a given day, because people do panic,” said Tom Kloza, an analyst with S&P. “It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.” . . .

The pipeline runs from the Texas Gulf Coast to the New York metropolitan area. The states most dependent on the pipeline include Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, Kloza said.

In Virginia, 7.7% of the state’s nearly 3,900 gas stations reported running out of fuel Tuesday, according to Gasbuddy.com, which tracks supply. In North Carolina, 8.5% of almost 5,400 stations were out, the company said. . . .

To ease brief shortages, the White House is considering temporarily waiving a law that says ships delivering products between U.S. ports must be built and manned by Americans.

The Transportation Department also is relaxing some workforce requirements and enlisting railroads to deliver fuel inland. And the Environmental Protection Agency lifted some fuel quality requirements on an emergency basis. . . .

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp suspended state taxes on motor fuels through Saturday. Georgia collects a gasoline tax of 28.7 cents per gallon and a diesel tax of 32.2 cents per gallon. . . .

Scattered gas stations in metro Atlanta were out of fuel Monday and Tuesday. In Georgia, nearly 6% of about 6,400 stations had run out of fuel, Gasbuddy.com said.

In Florida, drivers in some areas faced long lines, and 3% of gas stations had run out.

The state’s governor, Ron DeSantis, declared a state of emergency Tuesday evening in response to the gasoline. The move activates the Florida National Guard, as needed, and directs state emergency management officials to work with federal and local officials.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam also declared a state of emergency. . . .

Citgo’s Fairfax, Virginia, terminal ran out of premium reformulated gasoline, and its Richmond, Virginia, terminal was out of unleaded regular, according to the American Automobile Association, citing a shipper bulletin, . . .

American Airlines rerouted two long-haul flights from Charlotte, North Carolina, because of possible shortages. Passengers flying to Honolulu will have to change planes in Dallas, and those heading to London will stop in Boston to refuel.

Southwest and United flights carried extra fuel on flights to Nashville, Tennessee, Baltimore and some other airports in case jet fuel was unavailable at those airports. Normally airlines load only enough fuel for a single flight, because topping off adds to the plane’s weight and hurts mileage. Most planes can carry enough fuel for a round trip, but the extra fuel burn costs money. . . .

How should the U.S. respond?

According to The Epoch Times, “The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday issued temporary waivers of certain fuel standards to increase the supply of gasoline in areas whose reformulated gasoline has been impacted by the shutdown. In particular, it waived the federal Reid vapor pressure requirements for fuel sold in Reformulated Gasoline areas of District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The waiver will continue through May 18.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had declared an emergency declaration for 17 states and Washington, D.C. on May 10 to allow flexibility for truckers to transport fuel.

Northam’s emergency declaration (pdf) will allow state agencies to relax state requirements or regulations to mitigate the impact of the shutdown. It also will provide more flexibility and funding for state and local governments to make sure there is adequate fuel supply, according to his office. . . .

The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline, carrying gasoline and diesel from refineries in Texas, is the source of nearly half of the fuel supply on the U.S. East Coast.

The Biden administration projected that the pipeline would restart in a few days and urged drivers not to hoard. . . .

As of May 10, the national gas price average jumped six cents to $2.96. AAA said that if the trend continues, an increase of three more cents would mean the national average is the most expensive since November 2014, when average prices were at $2.99 and higher. . . .

The Fascinating DarkSide of Ransomware

According to The Daily Mail, “Newt Gingrich on Monday night said Joe Biden should be authorized to ‘order the killings of anybody overseas’ who was found to be behind attacks on America’s infrastructure, describing the cyberhack of the Colonial Pipeline as ‘an act of war’. . . .

Hackers from DarkSide, a Russia-based network of cybercriminals, were said by the FBI to be behind the ransomware attack. On Monday they said they were mistaken to cause ‘societal consequences’, and only sought money. They said they would not target critical infrastructure again, and wanted no part in any geopolitical battles.

But Gingrich said that the United States needed more power to go after those responsible. . . .

‘It’s an act of war against the United States to do stuff like this.

‘We need to react to it as an act of war, and the American people are going to look at their representatives and their senators and say, if you don’t fix this, your successor will. I won’t put up with it, and I won’t put up with you if you don’t fix it.’

Gingrich, 77, the former Speaker of the House, said it was pitiful that the U.S. was falling prey to such attacks. . . .

In the last few months in the United States, ransomware gangs have attacked large businesses, schools and universities, local governments, hospitals and the police.

Last week Christopher Krebs, the former top cyber official in the Department of Homeland Security, told Congress that the ransomware emergency in the U.S. was a ‘digital dumpster fire.’

Appearing before the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection & Innovation, Krebs – who was fired by Donald Trump for stating that the November election was free and fair – said that the U.S. had a growing problem. . . .

Gingrich said that Congress needed to act. . . .

The cyberextortion attack that forced the shutdown of America’s largest fuel pipeline was carried out by a criminal gang known as DarkSide that is believed to based out of Russia where they are given free rein to target Western countries.

DarkSide is made up of veteran cybercriminals but insists it is not political. Like many others, however, DarkSide seems to spare Russian, Kazakh and Ukrainian-speaking companies, which does suggest a link to Russia.

Ransomware rackets are now dominated by Russian-speaking cybercriminals who are shielded – and sometimes employed – by Russian intelligence agencies, according to US officials.

Cyber experts say Russia gives free rein to hackers who target the US and European countries.

DarkSide has already boasted that it has been paid millions of dollars in ransom from 80 companies across the US and Europe.  . . .

The US last month slapped sanctions on Russia for malign activities including state-backed hacking. The Treasury Department said Russian intelligence has enabled ransomware attacks by cultivating and co-opting criminal hackers and giving them safe harbor.  . . .

DarkSide, which cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity, said in a statement posted on the dark web that their only goal was to ‘make money’ and not create problems for society.

‘We are apolitical, we do not participate in geopolitics,’ the statement read. ‘Our goal is to make money and not creating problems for society.’

DarkSide cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity. Pictured above is a statement posted on the dark web in October last year detailing some of their donations

DarkSide cultivates a Robin Hood image of stealing from corporations and giving a cut to charity. The group has posted receipts from donations it claims it has made to US charities in the wake of ransom attacks. . . .

According to data security firm Arete, DarkSide finds vulnerabilities in a network, gains access to administrator accounts and then harvests data from the victim’s server and encrypts it.

The software leaves a ransom note text file with demands.  . . .

Ransoms average more than $6.5 million and the attacks lead to an average of five days of downtime for the business.  . . .

Ransom software works by encrypting victims’ data and typically hackers will then offer the victim a key in return for cryptocurrency payments that can run into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

If the victim resists, hackers threaten to leak confidential data in a bid to pile on the pressure.

According to some experts, DarkSide’s code is standard ransomware but Div said that what does set them apart is the intelligence work they carry out against their targets beforehand.   . . .

Law enforcement has been largely powerless to stop the global epidemic of ransomware because experts say the cybercriminals are largely shielded by Russia. . . .

Karen Kazaryan, CEO of the software industry-supported Internet Research Institute in Moscow, told the outlet that Russian authorities have a simple rule. . . .

The nation’s top security agencies, including the FBI and the Pentagon, were rocked by an unprecedented breach when it emerged SolarWinds had been hacked in December.

US officials have said the attackers were likely from Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service. . . .

Do you think this is cyberterrorism? Share in the comments below!

(Excerpt from The Gateway Pundit, Fox 5 New York, The Epoch Times, & The Daily Mail. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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maureen
May 13, 2021

Father, we are desperate for you in every area of our country. Shine Your light on the truth of this matter and on all the corruption that is trying to take over the USA.
May this be a RED FLAG to all who have woken up to the agenda of the current administration:
“To ease brief shortages, the White House is considering temporarily waiving a law that says ships delivering products between U.S. ports must be built and manned by Americans.” How could this affect our national security? Reveal any secret agenda here, Father of Truth, before this law is waived.
Lord God, Joe Biden warned us this would be a “dark winter”. What did he know? You know the hearts of men. There are so many questions that need YOUR ANSWERS. You say whoever lacks wisdom, let him ask of God and it will be given to him. Thank you for hearing our prayers, positioning Your people and giving them Your wisdom in order to save this country and turn it back to you.

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Jerry Hanchey
May 13, 2021

The cyber attack on the Colonial pipeline is no different than the 9/11 attack. It is an act of war. Such an attack on any business entity in the U.S. must be considered an act of terrorism. Our country must strike back and end the threat of cyber attacks.

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Karen
May 13, 2021

I can not agree more with Ms. Pauline! It is time for the church to Rise up today with the Mighty Strength the Lord has provided each of us. Push back, be vocal, stop wearing a Mask! Speak up for the Unborn, the children.
Time for people to know that “God” is on us, in us and for us.

After reading this article, it stated that the Ransomware Darkside was like “Robin Hood” … The only people that they are giving the money to is “Treasonous” enemies Foreign and Domestic. I wonder if Hunter Biden received any of these funds?

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CN
May 13, 2021

The present weak willed and weak minded government administration and their appointed utopian ideologists who work for them are every bit as much to blame as the hackers.
Why? While our arrogant and gullible ideologists are focused on their “agendas”, it simply means they aren’t paying attention or purposely ignoring the things that matter. This present administration has been warned repeatedly of major cyber issues affecting all aspects of our society. They knew of issues being addressed and tackled by the former administration but now plead ignorance even though transition teams warned them. Keep in mind that one of the first things the Biden administration did within 30 days was give China access to our electrical grids across the USA. There was NO good reason given other than the lie they made up as to “why”.
We have to accept the reality that the present administration is 10 steps behind in everything – by design. They have employees in key positions whose job is to do everything within their power to steer America towards socialism using any chaotic means possible to do so. That includes knowing what imminent threats there are and “ignoring them”. Why – because fearful people are easier to control.
We must continue dilegently to pray for revival, repentance, changes of heart, conviction, exposure of schemes, real justice carried out, removal of evil and ungodly officials and for the righteous of God to fill positions to serve God and the people.

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    Noel
    July 21, 2021

    THANK you, CN! You are SO SPOT ON! It can’t be emphasized enough how critical it is for America to HUMBLY be in: CONSTANT, FERVENT PRAYER, attentive listening for- and obeying God’s will.

    “Term limits” comes to mind, but I don’t think it’s quite that simple. God, in his infinite wisdom, can see ALL aspects of all complex situations, and especially (all) those that we have created in ruining his magnificent creations.*

    Anyhow, CN, I can’t thank you enough for this post and all that went into it. I sure hope that you are a professional journalist, writer or whatever. You certainly are diligent, discerning and effective in researching and relating truth, which IS what God is all about. God bless you and Godspeed.

    *[Ephesians 3:20] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%203%3A20&version=NIV

Mimi
May 13, 2021

When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up an army against him. Father God, we cry out to You with repentance and ask for Your forgiveness for our nation, which has foolishly turned from You. This is Your nation and was founded to give You glory. Have You begun to withdraw Your hand of protection so that we would repent and return to You? Is this the beginning of tribulations? Is this Your rightful judgement? You are merciful to get our attention and turn us from our wicked ways. We have our own sin to blame. Work in us and in this country that we would recognize our sin and turn from them. We do not deserve Your forgiveness, but You are our only Hope. We pray humbly in the name of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

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    Noel
    July 21, 2021

    Mimi, BEAUTIFUL! THANK you for your devotion in thoughtfully wording this ELOQUENT prayer!

    How desperately we need God’s reproof (through His withdrawing His hand). If it IS the beginning of tribulations, or His rightful judgement, PRAISE GOD and His necessary and glorious majesty and sovereignty, without which would make today’s utter chaos look like the devil’s “child’s play”!

    It melts my heart that He is INDEED merciful to get our attention and turn us from our wicked ways. As I see it, predominantly PRIDE in SOOOO MANY small and large ways! And, although even the most holy and righteous of us might have started out fervent, Satan has slyly distracted, deceived, manipulated, oppressed and entrapped us (and continues to do so), AS LONG AS WE ALLOW HIM TO. Hopefully, James 4:7*, among other scriptures, will quickly and, actually, rather simply, help redirect us (if we will allow so). Another, OF COURSE, is 2 Chronicles 7:14**. By the way, your opening sentence sounded like a scripture verse I’d heard before, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Please advise. Mimi, thank you, again, and again, times infinity, for putting my heart on paper! What an INCREDIBLE GIFT you have! GOD BLESS YOU, AND GODSPEED.

    * https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204%3A7&version=NIV
    ** https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+7%3A14&version=NIV

Toni Kushner
May 13, 2021

The Church must “fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him…” He knew the cross would bring salvation to many and I believe that the suffering the Church may be entering into will bring a Harvest. Are we ready? May we be discerning and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the Harvest is ready. May the church ” arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you”.

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Jim Reed
May 13, 2021

Please pray for a revival and/or A Great Awakening in the U.S.A. by the grace of God Almighty. Amen. This is our ONLY hope. Amen again.

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    Noel
    July 21, 2021

    Thanks, Jim Reed, You’re right. Please see my replies to CN and Mimi. God BLESS you and Godspeed.

Pauline
May 13, 2021

It has just begun! With this weak, Marxist, Socialist leaning administration in power in the United States, it is no telling what we are about to see and go through!! Surely, by the first 100 days of this administration and the executive orders put in place, you can see CLEARLY which way our government and country is going! While ALL of this kind of turmoil is going on, they are pushing CRITICAL RACE THEORY, MANDATORY VACCINATIONS, MORE ABORTION, paid for by taxpayers, and their MARXIST agenda on America. They are “changing our language” to the “wokeness, shaming” culture! “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing.” Covid has been used, Big Tech has been used, Teachers unions have been used, to scare many, many, into submission! The church, as a whole, has been deceived. Even pastors, believers, have “drank the koolaid.” I don’t know about you, but I am appalled that many Christians have complied with all their “rules and regulation” without any pushback at all! BUT…….They were counting on us being silent! I personally do not plan on being quiet and doing nothing. I am praying, daily, but I also know we have to get to school board meetings, contact our politicians, run for office, do everything we can to stand against this evil! Christian involvement has NEVER been more important than now! What we are going through has happened before in countries that used to be strong. We cannot sit back and watch our children and our grandchildre’s country be destroyed! They deserve better.

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    Noel
    July 21, 2021

    Thank you, Pauline. You are a thousand percent right. Please read and consider my replies to CN & Mimi. God BLESS you and Godspeed.

brian
May 13, 2021

It is amazing how none of this nonsense happened on President Trump’s watch. This is just another piece of evidence as to how inept that the Biden administration truly is. Lord, please, make a way for Your will to be done once again in this nation. Please, foil the attempts for evil to prevail in this land. In Jesus’ name.

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    Noel
    July 21, 2021

    Thank you, Brian. While I agree with your sentiments, I think I might disagree semantically on two points.

    1. Although (MY) President Trump’s intentions were the BEST, in many ways, (it seems to ME) he unintentionally laid the groundwork, and the consequences. First, (imho) I’ll NEVER understand why he never even began to drain the swamp, as promised. (That’s the very promise the left was battling him on, in the form of all of these stupid rabbit-hole distractions.)

    2. Again, imho, the Biden administration isn’t inept (incompetent?). They know EXACTLY what they’re doing. Whether complicated and technical, like the gas hacking or fundamental, like ALL of the social-engineering attacks (racism, abortion, child-homosexuality/transgenderism, critical race theory, cancel culture, etc.), their PRIDEFUL pursuit to CONTROL, manipulate, distract, deceive, etc. is all VERY intentionally calculated, and so far, pretty masterfully executed. Little do they know, and they most likely DO KNOW, that ONLY GOD is and ever will be in CONTROL. They are just intent on believing otherwise. (Just because they choose not to believe this doesn’t mean they won’t be affected by it.)

    Brian, I can’t help but believe that God WILL make a way for His universal will (of AGAPE LOVE, for our good and HIS GLORY) to be done universally, not just in this nation. For Him to do that, He cannot contradict His own standards (thereby contradicting His very self). So, until we return to Him*, it is UNLIKELY, even though heartbrokenly, that He will foil the attempts for evil to prevail in this land.

    * 2 Chronicles 7:14 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Chronicles+7%3A14&version=NIV

    Thanks, again, Brian, for your sincere heartful prayer. God BLESS you and Godspeed.

Megan
May 13, 2021

I don’t trust anything coming out of the FBI. They are part of the dark side themselves. They seem to blame Russia when in fact it could be them doing the dirty deed. Most of the FBI is corrupt.

37
    Mimi
    May 13, 2021

    I have wondered the same myself. Certainly government agencies we have relied on for protection have shown themselves to lack integrity and no longer have credibility. We wrestle not with flesh and blood….
    We know who is behind these attacks amongst many others….
    the father of lies, the enemy of our souls, bent to destruction of a nation that once honored God. My prayer is that we may we return to God with all our hearts and restore Him to preeminence in this nation, which is His rightful place.

    27
Joni Debord
May 13, 2021

yes but it also sounds like a very politically motivated and politically supported activity. All roads appear to lead back to Russia…

10
Vickie
May 13, 2021

Dear Lord, I pray peace over this situation and that it would be resolved soon. Give our leaders wisdom and discernment. I pray for protection for people who are affected by this situation and may Your Divine intervention cover the situation. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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