Marcus Hayes: Nick Sirianni’s finest hour: Without Jalen Hurts, coach leads depleted Eagles to NFC East title, 41-7, over the CowboysFiorentina also suffered a shock defeat to Empoli in the Coppa Italia. Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 LaLiga defeat at Athletic Bilbao as Kylian Mbappe missed from the penalty spot again. Alex Berenguer prodded the hosts ahead after 53 minutes before Mbappe – who failed to convert a Champions League penalty against Liverpool last week – sent his kick too close to Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Jude Bellingham appeared to have rescued a point for Real after scoring for the fourth successive league game 12 minutes from time. But Federico Valverde’s mistake two minutes later gifted Gorka Guruzeta the winner in front of a delirious San Mames crowd. On a busy night of second-round Copa del Rey action, Villarreal suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Pontevedra while there were wins for Real Betis, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia. Fiorentina went out of the Coppa Italia to Empoli on penalties on an emotional night at Stadio Artemio Franchi. Viola were back in action after Edoardo Bove’s health scare forced their weekend league fixture with Inter Milan to be abandoned during the first half. Midfielder Bove collapsed on the pitch and required emergency medical treatment. He was taken to hospital but regained consciousness in intensive care. Empoli led at half-time through Emmanuel Ekong’s fourth-minute opener before Moise Kean and Riccardo Sottil put Fiorentina ahead. Sebastiano Esposito struck 15 minutes from time to make it 2-2 and take the last-16 tie into extra time, Empoli eventually winning 4-3 on penalties. Benjamin Sesko opened the scoring and Luis Openda struck twice as RB Leipzig brushed aside Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0 in the German DFB Pokal. Second-half goals from Denis Vavro, Jonas Wind and Yannick Gerhardt saw Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 3-0. Cologne knocked out Hertha Berlin 2-1 after extra time with Dejan Ljubicic converting a penalty in the final seconds, while Augsburg prevailed 5-4 on penalties against Karlsruhe after a 2-2 draw.
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Four nights removed from another rough performance, the New York Rangers hope a few days of extra rest and practice can get them trending upward Friday night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are on a season-high four-game winning streak. The Rangers are 1-6-0 in their past seven games while getting outscored 26-11 in those losses, including 9-2 in the first period. New York stopped a five-game losing streak Saturday when Kaapo Kakko scored with 24 seconds left in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens, but there was little carryover Monday night. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.WASHINGTON — A top White House official said Wednesday at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered new details about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. FILE - The American and Chinese flags wave at Genting Snow Park ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 2, 2022. A top White House official on Wednesday said at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File) Kiichiro Sato Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that the number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could grow. The U.S. believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack, Neuberger said. “We don’t believe any classified communications has been compromised,” Neuberger added during a call with reporters. She added that Biden was briefed on the findings and the White House “made it a priority for the federal government to do everything it can to get to the bottom this.” US officials recommend encrypted messaging apps amid "Salt Typhoon" cyberattack, attributed to China, targeting AT&T, Verizon, and others. Straight Arrow News The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations that it was responsible for the hack Tuesday after the U.S. federal authorities issued new guidance. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China,” embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. The embassy did not immediately respond to messages Wednesday. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts White House officials believe the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Federal authorities confirmed in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the “low, couple dozen,” according to a senior administration official. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the White House, said they believed the hacks started at least a year or two ago. The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions. If implemented, the security precautions could help disrupt the operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future, experts say. Trump's pick to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation Kash Patel was allegedly the target of cyberattack attempt by Iranian-backed hackers. Straight Arrow News Neuberger pointed to efforts made to beef up cybersecurity in the rail, aviation, energy and other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline . “So, to prevent ongoing Salt Typhoon type intrusions by China, we believe we need to apply a similar minimum cybersecurity practice,” Neuberger said. The cyberattack by a gang of criminal hackers on the critical U.S. pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel used along the Eastern Seaboard, sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation’s aging energy infrastructure. Colonial confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the gang of hackers who broke into its computer systems as it scrambled to get the nation's fuel pipeline back online. Picture this: You're on vacation in a city abroad, exploring museums, tasting the local cuisine, and people-watching at cafés. Everything is going perfectly until you get a series of alerts on your phone. Someone is making fraudulent charges using your credit card, sending you into a panic. How could this have happened? Cyberattacks targeting travelers are nothing new. But as travel has increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so has the volume of hackers and cybercriminals preying upon tourists. Financial fraud is the most common form of cybercrime experienced by travelers, but surveillance via public Wi-Fi networks, social media hacking, and phishing scams are also common, according to a survey by ExpressVPN . Spokeo consulted cybersecurity sources and travel guides to determine some of the best ways to protect your phone while traveling, from using a VPN to managing secure passwords. Online attacks are not the only type of crime impacting travelers—physical theft of phones is also a threat. Phones have become such invaluable travel aids, housing our navigation tools, digital wallets, itineraries, and contacts, that having your phone stolen, lost, or compromised while abroad can be devastating. Meanwhile, traveling can make people uniquely vulnerable to both cyber and physical attacks due to common pitfalls like oversharing on social media and letting your guard down when it comes to taking risks online. Luckily, there are numerous precautions travelers can take to safeguard against cyberattacks and phone theft. TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP // Getty Images Hackers can—and do—target public Wi-Fi networks at cafés and hotels to gain access to your personal information or install malware onto your device, particularly on unsecured networks. Travelers are especially vulnerable to these types of cybersecurity breaches because they are often more reliant on public Wi-Fi than they would be in their home countries where they have more robust phone plans. This reliance on public, unsecured networks means travelers are more likely to use those networks to perform sensitive tasks like financial transfers, meaning hackers can easily gain access to banking information or other passwords. One easy way to safeguard yourself against these breaches is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, while traveling. VPNs are apps that encrypt your data and hide your location, preventing hackers from accessing personal information. An added bonus is that VPNs allow you to access websites that may be blocked or unavailable in the country you are visiting. To use a VPN, simply download a VPN app on your phone or computer, create an account, choose a server, and connect. Robert Nickelsberg // Getty Images Pickpockets, scammers, and flagrant, snatch-your-phone-right-out-of-your-hand thieves can be found pretty much everywhere. In London, for instance, a staggering 91,000 phones were reported stolen to police in 2022 , breaking down to an average of 248 per day, according to the BBC. Whether you're visiting a crowded tourist attraction or just want peace of mind, travel experts advise taking precautions to make sure your phone isn't physically stolen or compromised while traveling. There are several antitheft options to choose from. If you want a bag that will protect your phone from theft, experts recommend looking for features like slash-resistant fabric, reinforced shoulder straps, hidden zippers that can be locked, and secure attachment points, like a cross-body strap or a sturdy clip. For tethers, look for those made of tear-resistant material with a reinforced clip or ring. Lauren DeCicca // Getty Images In order for the previous tip on this list to work, "Find My Phone" must be turned on in advance, but remotely wiping your device isn't the only thing this feature allows you to do. The "Find My Phone" feature enables you to track your device, as long as it's turned on and not in airplane mode. This is particularly helpful if you misplaced your phone or left it somewhere since it can help you retrace your steps. While this feature won't show you the live location of a phone that has been turned off, it will show the phone's last known location. With "Find My Phone," you can also remotely lock your phone or enable "Lost Mode," which locks down the phone, suspends any in-phone payment methods, and displays contact information for returning the phone to you. If your phone was stolen, experts caution against taking matters into your own hands by chasing down the thief, since this could land you in a potentially dangerous situation and is unlikely to result in getting your phone back. Canva Strong passwords for important accounts help protect your information while you travel, but it's just a first step. The National Cybersecurity Alliance recommends creating long, unique, and complex passwords for every account and combining them with multifactor authentication to create maximum barriers to entry. If you're worried about remembering these passwords, password managers can be a vital tool for both creating and storing strong passwords. Password managers are apps that act as secure vaults for all your passwords. Some even come with a feature that allows you to temporarily delete sensitive passwords before you travel and then easily restore them once you return. Story editing by Mia Nakaji Monnier. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick. This story originally appeared on Spokeo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. KT Stock photos // Shutterstock
Cartoon: Social Media Lifecycle
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Business-to-business (B2B) payments are undergoing a period of upheaval and reinvention. Businesses are seeking faster, more efficient and secure payment solutions, and a wide range of players are stepping up to meet these demands. The winners in the market will be those that can leverage technology, partnerships, and an understanding of the needs of B2B transactions to drive growth and unlock opportunity. While challenges remain, particularly overcoming institutional inertia, this week’s top B2B trends indicate a clear movement toward using technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to streamline bookkeeping, accounting and operationals , as well as optimize B2B payment workflows. Payments Acceptance Unlike their consumer-facing counterparts, B2B payments lack a standardized payment method. The sheer diversity of payment options is both a blessing and a curse. Each comes with costs, settlement times and risks, creating a labyrinth for organizations to navigate as businesses seek to best serve their B2B partners . That’s why PYMNTS unpacked how businesses can work to align their B2B payment acceptance policies with their corporate goals. And the rising importance of payments acceptance is happening while , as announced this week, The Clearing House’s RTP® Network will allow individual transactions of up to $10 million, following increases in earlier years to $1 million from $100,000. The company said the new limit supports growth in areas like real estate, supply chain payments and B2B transactions requiring higher transaction amounts. (Same-day ACH transaction limits are $1 million.) Joint findings from Ingo Payments and PYMNTS Intelligence have highlighted that as of October 45% of ad hoc payments are sent via instant methods, up from 36% in January — and ad hoc payments can make up as much as 65% of smaller firms’ accounts receivable activity. Checks Hang On — But for How Long? But the question remains : W ill the higher instant payments limit take B2B share from traditional methods? To get a sense of how entrenched traditional payment methods have been in B2B, roughly 40% of commercial transactions remain tied to checks. Of course, the marketplace is already responding. By 2030 , the B2B payments market size is projected to hit over $170 trillion. Winning just a sliver of the paper-based 40% of B2B payments is still big business. Even payment mechanisms like blockchain are looking to capture B2B share. On Wednesday, Nuvei launched a blockchain-based payment solution for merchants across Latin America, saying it enables these businesses to make faster cross-border B2B payments and settlements. The new solution allows businesses to use a Visa -supported physical or virtual card to make payments using stablecoins from a digital asset wallet anywhere Visa is accepted. Stablecoins have surged north of a $190 billion market capitalization, jumping 46% year over year, and PYMNTS dug into why, for finance professionals, an understanding the benefits, regulations and implications is critical for integrating stablecoins into treasury operations. Still, as it relates to checks, on Wednesday (Dec. 4), the Federal Reserve Financial Services (FRFS) announced it was expanding the FedDetect Duplicate Notification for Check Services to include commercial checks as well as the Treasury checks it already included , helping financial institutions combat check fraud by enabling them to see deposit information and images of potential duplicate items for commercial checks. Digital Transformation Across B2B, digital transformation isn’t just a buzzword — it’s key to helping firms position themselves for growth. On Wednesday, QuickBooks maker Intuit launched a collaboration with Dutch payments firm Adyen . The partnership is designed to help small and medium-sized businesses ( SMB ) in the U.K. more easily manage electronic payments. Elsewhere, Briefcase has raised $3 million in a seed round to grow its AI bookkeeping and accounting automation platform , it was announced Wednesday . And working capital solution Clearco , focused on eCommerce firms, is expanding its collaboration with capital marketplace Boundless . In a Wednesday news release , the companies said they will integrate their technology to allow for a “seamless handoff” for eCommerce companies during the funding process. Back across the pond, British payments technology firm PayPoint is expanding its partnership with U.K. bank Lloyds . The collaboration, announced Wednesday, is designed to provide banking and payments services to roughly 60,000 U.K. SMBs , combining PayPoint and Handepay ’s merchant network , and Lloyds’ merchant services. Transportation industry solutions provider Transflo has introduced a fuel payment/management solution for trucking companies. The Transflo Wallet Fuel Card, announced in a Tuesday (Dec. 3) news release, is being launched in collaboration with TransConnect Services (TCS) and is designed to help trucking companies save on fuel costs and streamline operations. Compliance and Liquidity Management In the digital-first economy, community banks and credit unions, often overshadowed by their larger counterparts, are turning to digital platforms to modernize their operations and meet the demands of valuable customer segments, such as SMBs. “Today’s platforms provide financial institutions the ability to create new products and services in days versus months, allowing them to adapt and pivot quickly to meet the ever-changing needs in financial services,” Al Taylor , senior vice president of financial institutions at i2c , told PYMNTS. PYMNTS unpacked how anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) concerns, among other compliance requirements, are not merely a regulatory obligation but a strategic priority for the year ahead. And global corporations can have billions of dollars tied up in illiquid accounts , limiting their ability to reinvest, pay down debt, or optimize working capital. That’s why PYMNTS took a look at how , as industry standards like ISO 20022 create an interoperable system for payments and trade, and digital innovation continues providing real-time data, trapped liquidity may turn out to be a term of the past.
Indiana encouraged by 'total team effort' with Miami (OH) up nextIn the last three seasons, the Dallas Cowboys finished with a 12-5 record. Things took a turn for the worse in 2024 as the Cowboys will end the season with a losing record. More news: Giants' Malik Nabers Refuses to Answer Question on New York Tanking For No. 1 Pick Defensive star Micah Parsons--who experienced his first losing season with the organization-- shared his thoughts on how the team will bounce back next season. "One, we're gonna have to get healthy," Parsons told reporters. "I mean, we got 3 or 4 starters who aren't coming back until mid next season. We got to plan for that. We got to get healthy. We got to keep coming together." Dallas experienced a slew of injuries this season, the most notable being to $60 million man Dak Prescott. But the nightmarish season hit a low point on Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Cowboys 41-7. The Eagles started the game with a huge pick-six, setting the tone for the remainder of the divisional matchup. "We didn't start as good as we did those last couple of games..." Parsons said postgame, via the team transcript . "When you lose that turnover battle against the top team in the NFL , that's kind of like the outcome. We didn't play our brand of football today." A Cowboys defense that had been solid in generating pressures and turnovers in the past few weeks, looked nothing like that in Week 16. The Philadelphia offense, led by backup quarterback Kenny Pickett and later third-stringer Tanner McKee, recorded 376 yards. "Big plays, when you look at their play, they had two big runs, and three good deep shots. Other than that, we made them earn it..." Parsons said. "If you take away the scoreboard, it was about five plays that decide this game." As the Cowboys look to regroup next season, the NFC East is only going to get tougher. The Eagles, who clinched the NFC East title with their triumph today, and the Washington Commanders have both found their quarterbacks of the future. The New York Giants have a chance to do the same in the upcoming NFL draft. Parsons admitted it would be a challenge to overcome the rest of the division in the coming years. "It's going to be a very difficult next couple of years," Parsons said. The key to reclaiming the NFC East is the return of key playmakers such as Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown. However, both players are expected to miss the start of the 2025 season. For more on the NFL , visit Newsweek Sports .
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Significant milestones in life and career of Jimmy CarterBruce Cassidy became the eighth active coach in the NHL to hit the 400-win mark on Thursday when his Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights held on for a 3-2 victory at Ottawa on Thursday. But the Ottawa native had little time to celebrate. The Golden Knights jumped on a train for Montreal shortly after the contest and will continue a season-long five-game road trip against the resurgent Canadiens on Saturday night. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. The aging of the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) has significantly increased the share of the U.S. population aged 55+ during the past decade: from 24.9% in 2010, to 30.2% in 2023. And a growing number of these Americans are opting to age in place or downsize—creati... Click for more. American Cities With the Oldest Homebuyers
, /PRNewswire/ -- (NASDAQ: LPTH) ("LightPath," the "Company," or "we"), a leading provider of next-generation optics and imaging systems for both defense and commercial applications, today announced a new version of its Optical Gas Imaging ("OGI") camera platform to detect fugitive ammonia and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) emissions for industrial and manufacturing applications. LightPath's recently launched OGI Camera platform is a specialized technology utilizing infrared (IR) cameras to detect and visualize emissions, in this case the detection of ammonia and SF6. OGI cameras are capable of visualizing gases that are invisible to the naked eye by detecting the infrared energy absorbed or emitted by the gases. LightPath's purpose-built OGI camera leverages a proprietary non-germanium BlackDiamondTM BD6 lens to improve upon current technologies by offering a cost-effective, higher sensitivity and ultimately more effective solution that concurrently insulates LightPath customers from the geopolitical supply chain issues plaguing competing Germanium based solutions – such as recent ban on the export of Germanium to . SF6 is a colorless, odorless, non-flammable, and non-toxic gas, but with a 23,500 times greater global warming potential than CO2. SF6 is used in the electrical industry as a gaseous dielectric medium for electrical equipment and power systems, as well as in medical, semiconductor and other industrial industries. Ammonia is used in food and beverage manufacturing, metal and plastics fabrication, and the energy and chemical industries. "Building on our oil and gas application OGI Camera, our newest variant expands our market potential into additional industrial and manufacturing applications," said , President and Chief Executive Officer of LightPath. "This version will help detect SF6, the most potent greenhouse gas known to-date, and ammonia, which is also harmful when released into the environment. Managing gas emissions is critical for operations and are controlled by a variety of federal, state and local regulations – making OGI cameras an essential compliance tool. To meet these requirements, a wide spectrum of industries are seeking solutions that are cost effective, highly sensitive, and don't require the use of a proprietary software. "With China's recently announced ban on the export of Germanium to , it's more important than ever for U.S. companies to evaluate non-Germanium solutions for optics and imaging systems of all kinds. In this case, our OGI purpose-built camera with a non-germanium lens improves on current emissions detection technology, satisfies regulatory requirements for our clients, and provides an economical tool for multiple applications while ensuring supply chain security," concluded Rubin. LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) is a leading provider of next-generation optics and imaging systems for both defense and commercial applications. As a vertically integrated solutions provider with in-house engineering design support, LightPath's family of custom solutions range from proprietary BlackDiamondTM chalcogenide-based glass materials – sold under exclusive license from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory – to complete infrared optical systems and thermal imaging assemblies. The Company's primary manufacturing footprint is located in with additional facilities in , and . To learn more, please visit . This press release includes statements that constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "forecast," "guidance," "plan," "estimate," "will," "would," "project," "maintain," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "prospect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "believe," "continue," "opportunity," "potential," and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and/or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the impact of varying demand for the Company products; the ability of the Company to obtain needed raw materials and components from its suppliers; actions governments, businesses, and individuals take in response to the pandemic, including restrictions on onsite commercial interactions; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and a worsening of global economic conditions or low levels of economic growth; geopolitical tensions, the Russian-Ukraine conflict, and the Hamas/ war; the effects of steps that the Company could take to reduce operating costs; the inability of the Company to sustain profitable sales growth, convert inventory to cash, or reduce its costs to maintain competitive prices for its products; circumstances or developments that may make the Company unable to implement or realize the anticipated benefits, or that may increase the costs, of its current and planned business initiatives; and those factors detailed by LightPath Technologies, Inc. in its public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties, or facts materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, we do not have any intention or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. 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