Social Security checks are going to change forever in 2025. Unfortunately, life for retirees is not going to get that much better
Canucks announce injured Filip Hronek out for 8 weeks
Social critic and activist, Verydarkman, has announced the recovery of N78 million out of the N180 million allegedly stolen from his NGO’s account. This update follows his recent alarm on Instagram, where he revealed on Friday that his organization’s account had been hacked, resulting in the loss of N180 million. The announcement sparked widespread debate, with some questioning the validity of his claims. Addressing his followers in an Instagram update on Sunday, Verydarkman expressed gratitude for the progress made and provided insight into the ongoing investigation. Read also: Liverpool thrash West Ham after Man City win in Guardiola’s 500th game “Thanks to the people who called to check up on me. I also want to thank God for the process so far: we have been able to recover N78m, even though the suspect pointed out that the person he did with has run to Ghana, so hopefully, we would be going to Ghana very soon,” he said. The revelation about the suspect allegedly fleeing to Ghana suggests that the recovery process is far from over. Verydarkman’s followers and supporters continue to await further developments as efforts to retrieve the remaining funds proceed. Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate NowOnline child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it’s here to stay
Former US President Jimmy Carter dies at 100, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reportsCHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Bill Belichick spent time after his NFL exit talking with college coaches wanting his thoughts on managing new wrinkles at their level that looked a lot like the pros. The two-minute timeout. The transfer portal as de facto free agency. Collectives generating name, image and likeness (NIL) money for athletes becoming like a payroll. The impending arrival of revenue sharing. It didn't take long for Belichick to envision how a college program should look based on his own NFL experience. "I do think there are a lot of parallels," Belichick said. And that's at least partly why the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is now taking over at North Carolina. Years of rapid change at the have only increased the professionalization of college football across the country, with schools adjusting staffing to handle growing duties once seemingly more fitting for a pro team. UNC just happens to be making the most audacious of those bets, bringing in a 72-year-old who has never coached in college and asking him to build what amounts to a mini-NFL front office. But plenty could follow. "I really think there's going to be some of those guys that maybe don't have a job in the NFL anymore," Kansas State general manager Clint Brown said, "and now that this is going to be structured in a way where there is a cap that that's going to be something they're interested in." A changing college course The rapid changes in college athletics have fueled that, notably with players able to transfer and play right away without sitting out a year and be paid through NIL endorsement opportunities in the past five years. Recruiting is now just as much about bringing in veteran talent through the portal as signing recruits out of high school, mirroring the NFL with free agency and the draft, respectively. And a bigger change looms with revenue sharing, the result of a $2.78 billion legal settlement to antitrust lawsuits. Specifically, that model will allow the biggest schools to establish a pool of about $21.5 million for athletes in the first year, with a final hearing in that case set for April 2025. It will be up to schools to determine how to distribute that money and in which sports, though football's role as the revenue driver in college sports likely means a prominent cut everywhere as a direct parallel to a professional team's salary cap. Throw all that together, and it's why coaches are adjusting their staffs like Florida's Billy Napier interviewing candidates to be the Gators' general manager. "We're built to do it now," Napier said. "The big thing here is that we're getting ready to be in a business model. We have a cap. We have contracts. We have negotiation. We have strategy about how we distribute those funds, and it's a major math puzzle. "We're going to build out a front office here in the next couple of months, and it's primarily to help us manage that huge math problem," Napier added. "There'll be a ton of strategy around that. I'm looking forward to it." Still, that also explains why Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, the former head coach of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, said: "This job as a head coach is a juggernaut. There's way more to do here than I had to do in the NFL." The value of a hire And it explains why the Tar Heels are betting on Belichick to be the right fit for today's changing climate. "If I was 16 of 17 years old, a coach who came at you and won how many Super Bowls? And he said, 'Come play for me,'" said New York Giants offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu, now in his third year out of UNC. "I mean, that's pretty hard to turn down now, especially in this day and age, he's telling you to come play for him and he's offering you some money, too. I mean, you can't go wrong with that choice." The timing worked for UNC with Belichick, who was bypassed for some NFL openings after leaving the New England Patriots last year and instead spent months taking a closer look at the college game. Those conversations with coaches — some in the Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Southeastern conferences, he said Thursday — made him understand how the changes in college aligned with his pro experience. "College kind of came to me this year," Belichick said. "I didn't necessarily go and seek it out." And his mere presence in Chapel Hill makes a difference, with athletic director Bubba Cunningham saying his "visibility" would likely allow the team to raise prices for advertising such as sponsorships and signage. Belichick is also hiring Michael Lombardi, a former NFL general manager and executive, as the Tar Heels' general manager. Cunningham also said the plan is for Belichick to continue his appearances on former NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning's "Manningcast" broadcasts during Monday Night Football as well as ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" — all giving the coach the chance to promote himself and the program. Investing in football Yet these steps to reshape football at North Carolina comes with a rising price. Belichick will make $10 million per year in base and supplemental pay, with the first three years of the five-year deal guaranteed, according to a term sheet released by UNC on Thursday. That's roughly double of former coach Mack Brown, whose contract outlined about $4.2 million in base and supplemental salary before bonuses and other add-ons. Additionally, Belichick's deal includes $10 million for a salary pool for assistant coaches and $5.3 million for support staff. That's up from roughly $8.1 million for assistants and $4.8 million for support staff for the 2022 season, according to football financial data for UNC obtained by The Associated Press. And those figures from 2022 under Brown were already up significantly from Larry Fedora's tenure with the 2017 season ($4 million for assistant coaches, $2.3 million for support staff). There is at least one area where the Tar Heels are set for Belichick's arrival: facilities. UNC spent more than $40 million on its football practice complex with an indoor facility (2018) as the biggest project, while other projects include $3 million in upgrades to the locker room and weight room (2019), $14.5 million on renovations to the Kenan Football Center (2022), even $225,000 on Brown's former office (2021). Now it's up to Belichick to rethink the approach to football here for the changing times. "We're taking a risk," Cunningham said. "We're investing more in football with the hope and ambition that the return is going to significantly outweigh the investment."US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale costs in the United States picked up sharply last month, signaling that price pressures are still evident in the economy even though inflation has tumbled from the peak levels it hit more than two years ago. The producer price index — which tracks inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 0.4% last month from October, up from 0.3% the month before. Measured from 12 months earlier, wholesale prices climbed 3% in November, the sharpest year-over-year rise since February 2023. Higher food prices helped fuel the November wholesale inflation reading, which was higher than economists had expected. Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is pushing toward a vote on legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer began the process on Thursday for a final vote on the bill, known as the Social Security Fairness Act. It would eliminate policies that currently limit Social Security payouts for roughly 2.8 million people. The legislation has passed the House. The bill would add more strain on the Social Security Trust funds, which are already estimated to be unable to pay out full benefits beginning in 2035. The measure would add an estimated $195 billion to federal deficits over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS leadership on Thursday announced that the agency has recovered $4.7 billion in back taxes and proceeds from a variety of crimes. The announcement comes under the backdrop of a promised reckoning from Republicans who will hold a majority over both chambers of the next Congress and have long called for rescinding the tens of billions of dollars in funding provided to the agency by Democrats. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said improvements made to the agency will help the incoming administration and new Republican majority congress achieve its goals of administering an extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. From a 10-year-old to a Muppet to a president-elect, NYSE bell-ringers range from famous to obscure The first guest invited to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in 1956 wasn’t a company executive, a politician or a well-known celebrity. It was a 10-year-old boy, Leonard Ross, who received the honor by winning a television quiz show.Since then, business titans, political giants and global film stars have all been among those ringing the opening bell at the NYSE. Ronald Reagan rang the bell as president in 1985. Billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. - have also rung the bell. The list includes famous Muppets: Miss Piggy was once a bell ringer. Trump is named Time's Person of the Year and rings the New York Stock Exchange's opening bell NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized by Time magazine as its person of the year. The honors Thursday for the businessman-turned-politician are a measure of Trump’s remarkable comeback from an ostracized former president who refused to accept his election loss four years ago to a president-elect who won the White House decisively in November. At the stock exchange, Trump was accompanied by his wife, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Trump grinned as people chanted “USA” before he opened the trading day and raised his fist. ECB cuts rates a quarter point amid concerns of tepid growth, impact of Trump trade policies FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank is cutting interest rates by a quarter percentage point amid signs of weakening growth and concern about the impact of political chaos in France and the possibility of new U.S. import tariffs. The bank’s rate-setting committee made the decision Thursday at its skyscraper headquarters in Frankfurt to lower the benchmark rate from 3.25% to 3%. Lower rates should support growth amid signs that the post-pandemic recovery is slowing in the 20 countries that use the euro currency and concerns that U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump might impose new tariffs, or import taxes, on goods imported to the US after he is inaugurated Jan. 20. Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor The head of the Federal Aviation Administration says he will step down next month to let President-elect Donald Trump name his choice to lead the agency. Mike Whitaker announced his pending resignation in a message to FAA employees on Thursday. Since taking the helm at the FAA in October 2023, Whitaker has dealt with challenges that include a surge in close calls between planes, a shortage of air traffic controllers and antiquated equipment. He has led a tougher enforcement policy against Boeing since a panel blew off a jetliner in January. The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees NEW YORK (AP) — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is capping the fees at $5 with a rule set to take effect in October 2025, if it isn't overturned by Congress or altered under a Trump administration. President Joe Biden had called the fees, which can be as high as $35, “exploitative,” while the banking industry has lobbied extensively to keep the existing fee structures in place. Average rate on 30-year mortgage hits 6.6%, its third straight weekly decline The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. has eased for the third week in a row. That's a welcome trend for prospective homebuyers during what’s typically a less competitive time of the year for the housing market. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate dropped to 6.6% from 6.69% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.95%. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including the moves in the yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury bonds, which lenders use as a guide to price home loans. UK leader Starmer invited to EU meeting in latest sign of post-Brexit thaw LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend a meeting of European Union leaders early next year. He'll be the first U.K. leader to do so since the country’s departure from the bloc in 2020. Starmer was invited to the “informal” Feb. 3 meeting in Brussels by European Council President António Costa on Thursday. The two officials met for talks at Starmer’s office at 10 Downing St. Starmer’s office said that the prime minister was “pleased to accept the invitation and looked forward to discussing enhanced strategic cooperation with the EU, notably on defense.” Starmer was elected in July and wants to reset U.K. relations with the 27-nation EU after years of acrimony over Brexit.
Kevin O'Connell highlights key trait that set Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison apart from the rest
SMU owns second half in win over LongwoodPete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary , drank in ways that concerned his colleagues at Fox News, according to 10 current and former Fox employees who spoke with NBC News. Two of those people said that on more than a dozen occasions during Hegseth’s time as a co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” which began in 2017, they smelled alcohol on him before he went on air. Those same two people, plus another, said that during his time there he appeared on television after they’d heard him talk about being hungover as he was getting ready or on set. One of the sources said they smelled alcohol on him as recently as last month and heard him complain about being hungover this fall. None of the sources with whom NBC News has spoken could recall an instance in which Hegseth missed a scheduled appearance because he’d been drinking. "Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,” one of the former Fox employees said. On Sunday night, the New Yorker detailed concerns about Hegseth’s drinking at two jobs he held at veterans’ nonprofits before joining Fox. “A previously undisclosed whistle-blower report on Hegseth’s tenure as the president of Concerned Veterans for America, from 2013 until 2016, describes him as being repeatedly intoxicated while acting in his official capacity — to the point of needing to be carried out of the organization’s events,” the magazine reported. According to the New Yorker, Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Hegseth, responded: “We’re not going to comment on outlandish claims laundered through The New Yorker by a petty and jealous disgruntled former associate of Mr. Hegseth’s. Get back to us when you try your first attempt at actual journalism.” This account of Hegseth’s time at Fox News is based on NBC News interviews with three current and seven former Fox employees, all of whom asked not to be named due to fear of retaliation. Three current employees said that his drinking remained a concern up until Trump announced him as his choice to run the Pentagon, at which point Hegseth left Fox. “He’s such a charming guy, but he just acted like the rules didn’t apply to him,” one of the former employees said. A spokesperson for the Trump transition team said: “These disgusting allegations are completely unfounded and false, and anyone peddling these defamatory lies to score political cheap shots is sickening. As a decorated combat veteran, Pete has never done anything to jeopardize that, and he is treating his nomination as the most important deployment of his life.” Parlatore, Hegseth's lawyer, referred NBC to the statement from the Trump transition spokesperson. Fox News did not respond to requests for comment. Round-the-clock duties The former colleagues’ descriptions of Hegseth’s behavior while he was employed at Fox News raise questions about his ability to carry out the round-the-clock duties involved in managing the Pentagon and its 3 million civilian and military employees. A secretary of defense is generally working at all hours and might need to respond to a crisis that arises suddenly at night or on a weekend. In February 2023, while traveling in Manila on the kind of trip that often requires socializing with other high-level officials, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was awakened at 3 a.m. local time for a phone call about a Chinese spy balloon flying over the continental U.S. Similarly, the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in Israel began around midnight Eastern Time. And the Department of Defense is responsible for protecting U.S. cities and infrastructure from potential airborne threats similar to the 9/11 attacks. At any time, day or night, the secretary of defense might be called upon to decide whether a civilian aircraft should be shot down. The wrong decision either way could mean the death of innocent people. “For the sake of national security, I really hope he has stopped drinking,” one of the former Fox employees said. “He should not be secretary of defense,” another former Fox employee said. “His drinking should be disqualifying.” In 1989, the Senate rejected then-President George H.W. Bush’s nominee to be defense secretary, former Sen. John Tower , R-Texas, in part over concerns about Tower’s history of drinking. As a co-host, Hegseth needed to be at work early on weekend mornings. For a show that began at 6 a.m. ET, his female co-hosts would come in around 4 a.m. to prepare and have their hair and makeup done; male co-hosts typically arrived around 5 or 5:15 a.m., 45 minutes before they went on air, three sources said. One current and two former Fox employees said they felt like they needed to “babysit” Hegseth due to his drinking and late nights. “We’d have to call him to make sure he didn’t oversleep because we knew he’d be out partying the night before,” one of them said. Another said, “Morning TV is stressful, and more times than not Pete made it even more stressful.” Hegseth sometimes arrived with only 20 minutes or less before the show began, according to those three sources, stressing out his colleagues. They said Hegseth’s makeup would sometimes need to be done while he was on set because his late arrival left his colleagues with such a small amount of time. The sources could not say whether his lateness was caused solely by drinking. The whistleblower report detailed in the New Yorker alleged repeated instances of Hegseth drinking heavily at work events, including a team outing to a strip club in Louisiana in November 2014 in which he became so inebriated that he “had to be restrained” from climbing on stage to dance with the strippers. Hegseth drank heavily at some social events with Fox News colleagues as well, according to two former employees, with one of the former colleagues saying he would get “absolutely wasted.” Last month, the Monterey California police department released records of a 2017 investigation into an accusation that Hegseth sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel room following a Republican women’s convention. The accuser, identified in the records as “Jane Doe,” believed someone may have slipped something into her drink. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing and he was never charged. “This police report confirms what I’ve said all along,” Hegseth’s lawyer Parlatore told NBC News last month. “The incident was fully investigated and police found the allegation to be false, which is why no charges were filed.” Hegseth has also confirmed that he paid the woman an undisclosed settlement. Parlatore previously told NBC News that Hegseth “ultimately decided to enter into a settlement for a significantly reduced amount” at the “height of the MeToo movement.” Parlatore also said that his client was “innocent collateral damage in a lie that the Complainant was holding onto to keep her marriage intact.”
Super sub Rasmus Hojlund’s brace secured Manchester United a much-needed 2-1 comeback victory in the Europa League at Viktoria Plzen as Ruben Amorim registered his first away win as head coach. After making a promising start to life as Erik ten Hag’s successor, things were thrown off track as the shock exit of sporting director Dan Ashworth compounded back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Amorim was staring down the barrel of a damaging third straight loss early in the second half after ex-Burnley striker Matej Vydra put Plzen ahead after boyhood United fan Pavel Sulc cut out Andre Onana’s poor pass. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. But Hojlund’s introduction off the bench helped spark a turnaround in freezing conditions, with the substitute soon turning home after Amad Diallo’s effort was blocked. The visitors continued to knock on the door and two minutes from time the Denmark international met a smart Bruno Fernandes free-kick with strength, a decent touch and a thumping finish. United’s first European victory on the road since March 2023 sees them take a giant step towards the knockout stages as attention turns to Sunday’s trip to stumbling Manchester City. Thursday’s match was a huge occasion for Plzen, where red and blue light installations were put up around a brewing town that celebrated United’s visit with limited edition beers. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Fireworks filled the air before the players emerged at the compact 11,700-capacity Doosan Arena, where Onana began nervily having had a costly wobble against Forest on Saturday night. United’s goalkeeper accidentally clattered into Casemiro when meeting a free-kick, unconvincingly dealt with a throw-in and saw a pass blocked during a cumbersome all-round start by the visitors. Marcus Rashford, Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee all wasted dangerous moments, before Bruno Fernandes finally forced Viktoria’s goalkeeper into action. Allowed to gallop forwards from the halfway line, the United skipper hit a 20-yard strike that forced a good low save out of Martin Jedlicka. Plzen offered precious little in response, but Cheick Souare’s curler from the edge of the box brought hope before the break, as did a stoppage-time attempt by Vydra. They proved to be warning shots as United fell behind just three minutes into the second half. Onana’s hesitation after collecting a pass back from Lisandro Martinez was sniffed out by Sulc, who intelligently cut out a pass intended for Matthijs de Ligt and squared for Vydra to sweep home. The Doosan Arena erupted as the former Premier League striker was mobbed by team-mates. United’s rickety display continued after that gut punch, but Sulc so nearly undid his good work as the recently-introduced Hojlund met his loose pass and got away a low drive that Jedlicka saved. Mason Mount and Antony followed the Denmark international onto the field as the visitors sought a leveller that arrived in the 62nd minute. A quickly taken free-kick caught Plzen out, with play building, Diallo delightfully cutting past his man to get away a strike that was blocked and fell into the path of Hojlund to turn home. Plzen survived a panicked penalty box melee as United looked to go ahead, with players’ appeals for handball falling on deaf ears during the Red Devils’ best period of pressure. Hojlund just failed to reach a tantalising cross by Fernandes as they pushed, but Viktoria immediately went close at the other end as substitute Prince Adu crossed for Vydra to slam narrowly wide. United stepped up as they sought a winner. Viktoria’s goalkeeper spread himself well to deny Mount in the 77th minute, with Jedlicka denying him against after Alejandro Garnacho and Manuel Ugarte came on. Time was running out, but a clever set-piece provided an 88th-minute winner. Fernandes drove a low free-kick to Hojlund, who held off his man, took a touch and lashed a low left-footed strike past Plzen’s goalkeeper. United had further chances to add gloss but saw out just a second away win in all competitions this season. Hojlund and Diallo had a row after the final whistle having failed to play each other in when well placed in stoppage time.VANCOUVER — Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. “Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them,” Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. “We don’t see these types of reports going away,” Pare said. “We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There’s going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online.” Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said “the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn’t slowed down.” “The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what’s going on,” she said. THE RISE OF ‘SEXTORTION’ Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It’s been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term “sextortion” has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. “The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward,” she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. “Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence,” she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It’s not going undetected any longer, she said. “Additionally, there’s been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms.” Pare said “it’s up to each individual platform” to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. “With mandatory reporting, it’s putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported,” she said. “That being said, there are times when things don’t get located.” That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. “It’s shocking that up until now, we’ve relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we’ve just relied on them to do the right thing,” she said. “What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different.” ‘CANADA IS REALLY BEHIND’ The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split “makes sense,” noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. “There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online,” she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. “Canada is really behind,” she said. “The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon.” In the absence of national legislation, province’s have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don’t comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.’s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it’s not enough. “A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries,” she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. “We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian PressOnline child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it’s here to stay
Stoli Group's U.S. companies have filed for bankruptcy following an August ransomware attack and Russian authorities seizing the company's remaining distilleries in the country. As Chris Caldwell, the President and Global Chief Executive Officer of Stoli USA and Kentucky Owl, the two Stoli Group subsidiaries, said in a Friday filing , this comes after the August attack severely disrupted its IT systems, including its enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. The cyberattack also forced manual operations across the group, affecting key processes such as accounting, with full recovery not expected until early 2025. "In August 2024, the Stoli Group's IT infrastructure suffered severe disruption in the wake of a data breach and ransomware attack," said Caldwell. "The attack caused substantial operational issues throughout all companies within the Stoli Group, including Stoli USA and KO, due to the Stoli Group's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system being disabled and most of the Stoli Group's internal processes (including accounting functions) being forced into a manual entry mode." Caldwell added that the incident also prevented the Stoli U.S. subsidiaries from providing financial reports to lenders who claimed the two companies had defaulted on a $78 million debt. One month earlier, in July 2024, two distilleries valued at $100 million, the group's last remaining assets in Russia, were also confiscated in connection with the designation of the Stoli Group and its founder, Yuri Shefler, as "extremists." This designation was related to their humanitarian aid efforts and marketing campaigns supporting Ukrainian refugees during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Stoli Group has also spent dozens of millions of dollars as part of a long-term court battle spanning over 23 years and multiple jurisdictions, including the United States, with Russian state enterprise FKP Sojuzplodoimport over rights to the Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya vodka trademarks. This legal struggle stemmed from a March 2000 executive order by President Vladimir Putin to "reinstate and protect the state's rights" in vodka trademarks whose rights were bought by private companies in the 1990s. Shefler, the company's founder, was also forced to flee Russia in 2002 due to politically motivated and "fabricated" charges linked to his criticism of the Putin regime. Since then, Shefler was later granted asylum in Switzerland and UK citizenship after Russia's extradition requests in the 2010s were denied.
Prescription Delivery Service market is Going to Boom | Major Giants PillPack, OptumRx, 12-13-2024 07:49 PM CET | Health & Medicine Press release from: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Prescription Delivery Service market The Latest Released Prescription Delivery Service market study has evaluated the future growth potential of Global Prescription Delivery Service market and provides information and useful stats on market structure and size. The report is intended to provide market intelligence and strategic insights to help decision-makers take sound investment decisions and identify potential gaps and growth opportunities. Additionally, the report also identifies and analyses changing dynamics, and emerging trends along with essential drivers, challenges, opportunities, and restraints in the Prescription Delivery Service market. The study includes market share analysis and profiles of players such as PillPack (Amazon Pharmacy), CVS Health, Walgreens Boots Alliance, OptumRx, Express Scripts, Capsule Pharmacy, Medly Pharmacy, NowRx, GoodRx, Alto Pharmacy, Walmart Pharmacy, Kroger Pharmacy, Publix Pharmacy, Rite Aid, LloydsPharmacy, HealthWarehouse.com, If you are a Prescription Delivery Service manufacturer or key player and would like to check or understand the policy and regulatory proposals, designing clear explanations of the stakes, potential winners and losers, and options for improvement then this article will help you understand the pattern with Impacting Trends. Download Sample Report PDF (Including Full TOC, Table & Figures) 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3891597-prescription-delivery-service-market?utm_source=Tina_OpenPR&utm_id=Tina According to HTF Market Intelligence, the Global Prescription Delivery Service market is expected to grow from USD 8.0 Billion in 2023 to USD 16.5 Billion by 2032, with a CAGR of 11% from 2024 to 2032. Definition: Prescription delivery services are platforms or services designed to provide convenient home delivery of prescription medications. These services cater to patients with chronic conditions, mobility challenges, or busy lifestyles. They ensure timely timely delivery of medicines, often offering features like automatic refills, medication reminders, and consultations with pharmacists. With the rise of telemedicine and e-commerce, prescription delivery services have gained immense popularity. The market is driven by increasing demand for healthcare convenience, aging populations, and advancements in digital health technologies. Companies in this space focus on user-friendly apps, secure transactions, and compliance with healthcare regulations to build trust and reliability among users. Dominating Region: • North America, Europe Fastest-Growing Region: • Asia-Pacific, Latin America Major Highlights of the Prescription Delivery Service Market report released by HTF MI: Prescription Delivery Service Market Breakdown by Applications: Chronic Care Management, Convenience, Elderly Care, Online Pharmacy Support, Medication Adherence Prescription Delivery Service Market Breakdown by Types: Same-Day Delivery, Automated Refills, Subscription Services, 24/7 On-Demand Service, Remote Areas Delivery Revenue and Sales Estimation - Historical Revenue and sales volume are presented and further data is triangulated with top-down and bottom-up approaches to forecast complete market size and to estimate forecast numbers for key regions covered in the report along with classified and well-recognized Types and end-use industry. Have a query? Market an enquiry before purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3891597-prescription-delivery-service-market?utm_source=Tina_OpenPR&utm_id=Tina SWOT Analysis on Prescription Delivery Service Players In addition to Market Share analysis of players, in-depth profiling, product/service, and business overview, the study also concentrates on BCG matrix, heat map analysis, FPNV positioning along with SWOT analysis to better correlate market competitiveness. Demand from top-notch companies and government agencies is expected to rise as they seek more information on the latest scenario. Check the Demand Determinants section for more information. Regulation Analysis • Local System and Other Regulation: Regional variations in Laws for the use of Prescription Delivery Service • Regulation and its Implications • Other Compliances Market Factor Analysis Macro Economic Factors Impact of Inflation on Demand Cycle Ukraine War and Its Analysis FIVE FORCES & PESTLE ANALYSIS: In order to better understand market conditions five forces analysis is conducted that includes the Bargaining power of buyers, Bargaining power of suppliers, Threat of new entrants, Threat of substitutes, and Threat of rivalry. • Political (Political policy and stability as well as trade, fiscal, and taxation policies) • Economical (Interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates) • Social (Changing family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles) • Technological (Changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development) • Legal (Employment legislation, consumer law, health, and safety, international as well as trade regulation and restrictions) • Environmental (Climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability) Buy Now Latest Edition of Prescription Delivery Service Market Report 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3891597 Geographically, the following regions together with the listed national/local markets are fully investigated: • APAC (Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, India, and the Rest of APAC; the Rest of APAC is further segmented into Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka) • Europe (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe; Rest of Europe is further segmented into Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania) • North America (U.S., Canada, and Mexico) • South America (Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Rest of South America) • MEA (Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa) Some Extracts from Global Prescription Delivery Service Market Study Table of Content: Global Prescription Delivery Service Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2024 Global Prescription Delivery Service Market by Application/End Users Global Prescription Delivery Service Sales and Growth Rate (2024-2032) Global Prescription Delivery Service Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type, and Application Global Prescription Delivery Service (Volume, Value, and Sales Price) table defined for each geographic region defined. Supply Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers, Industrial Chain Analysis ........and view more in the complete table of Contents Get 10-25% Discount on Immediate purchase 👉 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/request-discount/3891597-prescription-delivery-service-market?utm_source=Tina_OpenPR&utm_id=Tina Thanks for showing interest in Prescription Delivery Service Industry Research Publication; you can also get individual chapter-wise sections or region-wise report versions like North America, LATAM, United States, GCC, Southeast Asia, Europe, APAC, Japan, United Kingdom, India or China, etc Contact Us: Nidhi Bhavsar (PR & Marketing Manager) HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited Phone: +15075562445 sales@htfmarketintelligence.com About Author: HTF Market Intelligence Consulting is uniquely positioned to empower and inspire with research and consulting services to empower businesses with growth strategies, by offering services with extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events, and experience that assist in decision-making. 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