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The FBI is targeting a popular website for snapshotting websites on request, and may soon make it harder to get past paywalls online. The domain registrar of the site Archive.Today has reportedly been subpoenaed in an attempt to uncover the archive's owner, as first reported by 404 Media. A PDF of the subpoena posted to the Archive.Today X account late last week. The site is similar to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine, but is intended more for immediate short term access rather than maintaining a longterm record. As opposed to the Internet Archive's methodical web crawlers, Archive.Today's work quickly in response to user requests, but don't make any promises to keep website snapshots around in the future. Essentially, while the Wayback Machine is intended as a way to see how a website used to look like, Archive.Today is more about seeing how a website looks right now. A popular option for avoiding paywallsThe obvious use case is to get past paywalls or other blocks that would prevent users from just going to a website directly. Alternatively, you could use an Archive.Today snapshot to be able to read an article without supporting the site hosting it. I have had others tell me they do use Archive.Today to check historical versions of websites and articles too, although I've found it to be a little less reliable than the Internet Archive for this purpose. It's unclear why the site is being targetedWhile the FBI's subpoena doesn't reveal the exact reason for the request, it does say it "relates to a federal criminal investigation being conducted by the FBI." Given Archive.Today's potential to skirt paywalls, and similar crackdowns on tools like 12ft.io, it's possible the investigation has to do with copyright infringement. Not much is known about Archive.Today's owner, aside from the original site domain being registered in 2012 under the name of a Denis Petrov from Prague, Czech Republic. It seems the name is either common enough to throw a wrench in the FBI's investigation, or is a pseudonym. In the subpoena, the organization requests the Archive.Today owner's "name, address of service, and billing address" as well as numerous other details, including length of service and telephone records. The web registrar hosting the site had until November 29 to comply. The site is still up, for nowIn the meantime, Archive.Today (as well as mirrors like Archive.is) remains operational, and has not made a statement on the matter aside from posting the subpoena PDF to X, alongside the word "canary." Previously, the site's owner has said that they doesn't give guarantees that it will remain operational indefinitely, and that "it is an overly optimistic assumption that there will be no risks [to the archive] before I die." Perhaps the idea is that the subpoena is a canary in a coal mine? For now, it seems like the best users can do is wait and see. Archive.Today is notably not open source, meaning that any threat to individual running it could see the site and its mirrors shut down with no immediate successor. The subpoena follows news that Google has delisted 749 million URLs for literary piracy website Anna's Archive. Together, they point to an internet that might be about to get far more strict about respecting copyright. View the full article

Sleep patterns. Heart rates. Menstrual cycles. Weight fluctuations. Medication schedules. The location of major world leaders. Every morning, millions of people strap on smartwatches, open period-tracking apps, and upload their most intimate details to the cloud. We're told this data will optimize our health, help us live better lives. But there's a darker question lurking beneath the surface: Who actually owns all this information, and where exactly is the line between optimization and surveillance? First things first: What HIPAA actually protectsIn discussing this topic with friends and family, most everyone I know assumed their health data enjoys robust federal protections under HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Sadly, they're wrong. HIPAA applies exclusively to "Covered Entities," aka health plans and healthcare providers. The fitness tracker on your wrist? Not covered. The period-tracking app on your phone? Not covered. The sleep monitor beside your bed? You get the picture. "When we think we are protected and we're not—that's when we run into danger," says Ron Zayas, an online privacy expert and CEO of Ironwall by Incogni. "So when you let a company collect your health data, it is safe to assume two things: 1) you are not covered by HIPAA protections. and 2) the company is going to sell your data." The reason is simple economics. Selling user information often generates more revenue than the product itself. Your health data is intensely personal, which makes it intensely valuable. What happens when we don't own our health dataI remember firsthand when my friends and I frantically deleted apps period-tracking apps after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. What once felt like simple tools for monitoring my cycle suddenly looked a lot like potential evidence in criminal investigations. We were terrified our menstrual data could be subpoenaed to prove we'd had abortions, and this fear wasn't paranoid. As Zayas explains, governments can purchase the same data anyone else can and cross-reference it with location information from mobile phones. "When you had—or skipped—your period can imply if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant," he says. "Governments can buy this information and tie it to your recent trips to decide if you had an abortion or miscarriage." At the same time, I love all kinds of health-related "optimization." I love sharing my runs on Strava and checking my sleep score on my Garmin. Outside of my vanities, health gadgets can deliver life-changing benefits—monitoring blood sugar, tracking heart rate variability, detecting irregular sleep patterns. But what happens when that data shows you're not exercising enough, or eating poorly, or sleeping irregularly? Could your rates increase? Could you be denied coverage? Like with the period-tracking fears, the very real concern here is that same data streams that help you feel in control of your health—that make your daily life more "optimized"—can be exploited for insurance profiling, targeted advertising, or even employment decisions, if data-sharing policies aren't strictly controlled. Let's take a look at the fine print to see where exactly your data is going, and what you can do to protect yourself. The fine print nobody readsJulia Zhen, a third-party information security risk manager at a major nonprofit, says, "If you want to know what information is being gathered and/or stored—which are two distinct acts—start with the privacy policy for the app itself." On top of that, third parties like the Google app store have their own terms of service, creating multiple points of data collection to investigate. Zhen recommends a shortcut: Search for keywords like "sell" or "share" within privacy policies to quickly understand what happens to your data. "Most of the time, companies are de-identifying individuals from their data because they want to aggregate information and speak to certain demographics," she explains. That aggregation still might raise ethical concerns, but according to Zhen, it's industry standard practice these days. Using this strategy, Zhen says she has encountered privacy policies that brazenly admit to selling user data. And even when companies claim to anonymize information, the protection isn't foolproof. Jacob Kalvo, a cybersecurity expert and CEO at Live Proxies, says there still exist risks of re-identification down the line. Because even a giant like Apple can't safeguard your data once you choose to share it beyond their ecosystem. Jake Peterson, Lifehacker's senior technology editor, says, "Apple has some good privacy policies in place to keep your health data private, but if you choose to share it with outside sources, you'll lose that control." In other words, if you share medical data directly to a healthcare provider through the health app and later delete it, Apple won't retain it anymore, but you might not have control over the data your healthcare provider has collected. How to protect yourself in the digital health ageEven if you trust a company's privacy policy today, there's another threat lurking: cybersecurity breaches. "The real risk that we accept on a daily basis is hackers and cyber attacks," Zhen says. Hackers are sophisticated, and you can count on them staying ahead of security development. Even if companies don't intentionally sell your data, they can be careless. Most privacy policies acknowledge they try to protect against attacks, but breaches are endemic in the tech industry. Your carefully guarded health information could be stolen and sold on the dark web regardless of a company's good intentions. Once your data is leaked, it can be used outside your control with zero recourse. When asked about period-tracking apps in the current political climate, Zhen says these service providers "may be at a higher rate of being targeted by cyber attacks because of restrictive reproductive laws." This is important to keep in mind across platforms: What information are you willing to risk? Still, this doesn't have to mean abandoning health tech entirely. Experts agree on several protective measures: Read the damn privacy policy. Zhen's advice is to go straight to the privacy policy for every point of data collection and search for keywords like "sell" and "share." Most policies include data retention information and a contact email where you can request details about what information they hold on you. Understand what you're giving up. Before downloading an app, understand exactly what data it collects and why. When in doubt, assume the worst in every privacy policy. Practice good data hygiene. As a rule, avoid ever giving out your mobile number. Use alias email addresses you don't use elsewhere. Enable a VPN to hide your identity and location. Turn on multi-factor authentication everywhere. Don't overshare. Don't give out any more information than you need for your purposes. Does the company need to know your exact birthdate, or just a year? Do they need to know where you live? If not, don't provide the information, or feel free to lie when you can. Remember that privacy policies aren't binding contracts. Companies typically reserve the right to modify their terms whenever they want. The bottom lineThe reality is most people accept all sorts of data-collection risks daily, because modern life demands it. My goal here isn't to fear-monger, but to help make informed choices in what ultimately is a calculated gamble. If you are the kind of person who posts on social media, downloads apps to order takeout, and accepts risk as it comes with the convenience of modern tech norms, then "downloading a reputable health metrics app is usually going to be fine—so long as the privacy policy isn't directly stating they're selling your data," Zhen says. Then again, I'd argue your health data is more intimate, more permanent, and more potentially damaging than your food delivery history. If you ask me, we're conducting a massive, uncontrolled experiment in health surveillance, and we're all the test subjects. The technology offers genuine benefits—better health outcomes, earlier disease detection, personalized medicine. But we're trading something precious and poorly understood for those benefits: privacy, autonomy, and control over our most intimate information. The question isn't whether to use health tech. For many people, the benefits are too significant to ignore. The question is whether we're making that choice with full awareness of what we're giving up—and whether the companies collecting our data can be held accountable, if and when a reckoning comes. View the full article

A new research report this week found AI could 'unlock' $370 billion in profits for banks, though they're not yet ready to capture it. But big-bank executives say they are already seeing measurable results from their generative and traditional AI investments. View the full article

Artist Edel Rodriguez is famous for his satirical images of Donald The President. Since 2016, he’s produced dozens of images of the President in an ultra-simple, pop-art style. But for Rodriguez’s new cover of The New Yorker commemorating Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race, he threw that signature look out the window. The illustration, which will run on the November 17 issue of The New Yorker, shows Mamdani smiling broadly as he holds onto the hand rail on an M train headed to Queens. Around him, New Yorkers of all walks of life—including a young woman with a dog in her bag, a child with her mother, and an elderly gentleman in a fedora—jostle to board and deboard the car. The whole picture is made in expressive, sketch-like lines and depicted in toasty hues of brown and rust orange. It has a hand-drawn, humanistic quality that none of Rodriguez’s illustrations of The President possess. https://www.instagram.com/p/DQqNAoQDR04/ “With the The President stuff, I wanted to create imagery that was so visually basic and a bit dumb—for it to not have any gesture, or line, or anything soft,” he says. The images are meant to be a bit like traffic signs: all symbols and conceptual shapes, intended to get the viewer to pay attention, but not to attract real visual interest. “I actually want you to be repelled by it,” he says. Looking beyond The President During The President’s first term in office, Rodriguez published over 125 satirical illustrations and 25 magazine covers depicting the President as everything from a massive wrecking ball to a flaming trash can, always in a bright orange hue and typically with an angry-looking, wide open mouth. As an immigrant born in authoritarian Cuba, Rodriguez’s personal history is deeply tied to his work. Back in 2018, he compared The President’s rhetoric to that of Fidel Castro’s. At that time, he saw his satirical The President art as a warning of what was to come. Now, he says, those warnings have come to fruition. “The frustration with the second The President term is, like, I already warned you everything I could warn you about and you still voted for this guy,” Rodriguez says. “You’re Latino, and you still voted for this guy. What can I do now? I’m able to find a few ways to tell the story in a different manner, but the purpose of it is different in the second term.” https://www.instagram.com/p/DP6iufTjYhM/?hl=en Most recently, Rodriguez created an image of The President using the Burger King logo that reads “No King,” an image that was widely used throughout the national No Kings protests. But while he’s continuing to work on imagery of the President, he’s now looking to branch out into other projects that center “less negativity,” he says. When The New Yorker selected him to illustrate its cover of Mamdani, he saw it as an opportunity to work on something more uplifting. “The difference is night and day. I mean, it’s so much more enjoyable,” Rodriguez says, adding, “When you have an opportunity to do something more positive, it feels good. What I like about [“Mayor Mamdani”] is that it’s positive, but it doesn’t feel like propaganda. It is just showing a scene. I don’t generally like to do anything that says, ‘Vote for this guy.’” What makes Zohran Mamdani different Like many of Mamdani’s supporters, Rodriguez first learned about Mamdani through his social media content. Mamdani’s campaign team posted videos of him walking New York City, speaking casually to viewers about his vision for an affordable NYC for all. In one series of videos, Mamdani tried to pitch himself to all New Yorkers by speaking in fluent Bengla and Urdu, as well as in Spanish, a language that he’s still working to learn. Rodriguez was struck by Mamdani’s willingness to leave clips of his own Spanish-speaking errors in the final video—a move that, he says, was a rare choice from a politician that showed Mamdani is “fallible, and not perfect.” “It’s what made him so popular is that he’s very relatable in many ways,” Rodriguez says. “I think it was that idea of just riding the subway with everyone else and not taking an Uber or a black car around town, or the way he just showed up in bodegas and would do a little video.” The week before the mayoral election, that idea of Mamdani as a regular New Yorker inspired Rodriguez to reach out to The New Yorker’s longtime art editor, Françoise Mouly, with a few sketches for a potential cover. Having worked with Mouly in the past, Rodriguez says he occasionally sends her ideas “as they pop into my head,” to get her feedback and workshop together. His rough sketch first ideas included images of Mamdani subway surfing with the New York City skyline behind him; driving a cab across different boroughs; conducting the M train; and riding inside the M train as a passenger. Mouly, and The New Yorker’s editor-in-chief David Remnick, liked the last concept the best. “I have been talking to artists about the mayoral election for a while,” Mouly says. “Of course it’s a good topic for The New Yorker. Last week, Edel sent a flurry of sketches, anticipating a victory by Mamdani. All of Edel’s ideas showed Mamdani connecting with people everywhere in the five boroughs. The most succinct way to show that was the idea we went with: simply showing him with his bright and winning smile in the melting pot of the subway.” With Mouly’s final approval, Rodriguez had less than a day to finalize his illustration ahead of the November 4 election. While Rodriguez lives in New Jersey with his wife today, he previously lived in Brooklyn while attending Pratt Institute and later while serving as an art director at Time magazine. During that era, Rodriguez was a frequent subway rider—and, like most art students, had often used the commute to sketch fellow passengers. He used those memories of fellow subway passengers to fill out the scene around Mamdani. “If you’ve ridden the subway, that’s how it is,” Rodriguez says. “It’s always like, the girl with the bag and the little puppy, and maybe a punk rock kid, and maybe a Hasidic Jew, and then a mom with a kid, and a guy in a hoodie. Whatever character popped into my head as I was drawing, that’s what I drew, pretty much until I filled the page. I probably could have drawn 20 more characters.” Ultimately, Rodriguez’s work captures a quality Mamdani has managed to convey that most politicians can’t even come close to: relatability. “We’ve all been on the train—it’s totally packed, it’s not pleasant,” he says. “But if your politician or your mayor is there with you, it just makes him more relatable. I wouldn’t show Andrew Cuomo or The President that way.” View the full article

When I reviewed the Nintendo Switch 2 launched earlier this June, my assessment was that it would be worth buying eventually, but probably not right away. The console then went on to have the biggest gaming launch of all-time, so there's egg on my face, but I stand by what I said: Until now, the Switch 2 has been a great way to play enhanced Switch 1 games, but hasn't had many exclusives, so you could generally still play Nintendo's newest titles without upgrading your device (unless you're an impatient Mario Kart or Donkey Kong fan). But now, it seems that's about to change, and if you haven't gotten the Switch 2 yet, it might finally be time to take the plunge. In a financial results briefing on Wednesday, Nintendo admitted that "going forward, we will shift our primary development focus to Nintendo Switch 2 and expand our business around this new platform." That doesn't mean the original Switch is being discontinued right away, but despite the latest Pokémon game having come out for it just half a month ago, it does mean the system is getting prepped for retirement. Despite the Switch's success (154.01 million lifetime sales so far!), the transition makes sense. That console is eight years old at this point, and was already using older hardware than that when it came out. Continuing to make the latest first-party Nintendo games compatible with the original Switch as well could hold Switch 2 development back—and with such a large player base having upgraded to the Switch 2 already (the successor system has sold 10.36 million as of Sept. 30), the company probably doesn't see it as necessary. Can I still buy a Switch 1?Hardware sales won't be affected for now, if you want to play the existing original Switch library and somehow don't own one already. In the same report, Nintendo said it will continue to sell the original Switch, "while taking consumer demand and the business environment into consideration." This also lines up with Nintendo's previous behavior, as Nintendo waited three years until after the launch of the original Switch to discontinue the 3DS. When should you get the Nintendo Switch 2?Nintendo didn't give too many more hints at its plans in its briefing, but we can take the company's statement to mean that it won't start development on any new Switch 1 games that haven't already been announced. That means we probably already have a good idea of what the Switch 1's final first-party game will be—after which content for the console will probably start to dry up. And, to be fair, the Switch's swan song is fitting. Releasing on December 4, the final first-party game for Nintendo Switch is likely to be Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It's the fruition of a troubled development that has taken almost as long as the Switch lasted, with the game's announcement coming just a few months after the console debuted. Not a bad way to go. Like other recent Switch 1 games, Metroid Prime 4 is also getting a Switch 2 edition that will improve performance and add features like mouse controls, but as it stands, you won't need to upgrade to play it. If you're as stubborn as me, that means you can probably hold off on a Switch 2 until 2026, but to play Nintendo's big new releases after that, you'll need to move on. What about third-party games?The one exception to the Switch's impending retirement might be third-party games, which according to this helpful chart from redditor u/ieatdragonz, are planned through at least late next year. Even those are starting to be impacted, though, as many of these games are ports of titles that have already been released elsewhere, while more demanding third-party games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are already starting to skip Nintendo's last-gen system. Which Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives are coming out before next year?While those looking to keep up with Nintendo's games after December will probably no choice but to upgrade, there are reasons to upgrade before then, depending on your tastes. Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are both exclusive to the Switch 2, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which launched today, is also unavailable on the original Switch. Later this month, these titles will also be joined by Kirby Air Riders. If any of these games strike your fancy, they already present a compelling reason to upgrade. If not, Nintendo will probably get you at some point now that it's moved the full force of its development to its new console. What about the Switch 2's smaller player base?In moving development focus to Switch 2 games, Nintendo is making its studios' lives a bit easier, but also shrinking its active player base. More than 10.3 million players is a lot, but it's a fraction of the over 150 million players on the original Switch. That means sales for new Nintendo games could be held back by a smaller total possible audience, at least for a while. But at the same time, making its shiny new releases exclusive to its new console could also easily push sales of the new system even further. Plus, it's not like every original Switch owner is buying every new release now, anyway. At $450, the Switch 2 is an expensive bit of kit compared to its predecessor (though to be fair, the onld system recently got a tariff-related price increase that made the difference smaller), so it is unclear if its strong early performance will keep up long enough to rebuild Nintendo's player base from its last generation. But it's clear the company's going to be giving the system its all going forward, and based on recent success, it's got a lot of money to throw at it. That means that if you don't want to be left behind when the next Zelda or Mario comes out, it's finally time to consider opening up your wallet. I still prefer competing hardware like the Steam Deck, to be honest, but I also like that little red plumber, so I guess I've got no choice now but to start saving up my gold coins. View the full article

US political consultancy bought a 20% share of Global Counsel in 2024 but wants to end partnership in wake of Epstein affairView the full article

United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines said they will refund tickets for customers who will be flying starting on Friday, November 7, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, expected to affect some 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily. The reductions come amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has created a shortage of air traffic controllers, some of whom are not being paid. “Any customer traveling during this period is eligible for a refund if they do not wish to fly—even if their flight isn’t impacted,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. “That includes non-refundable tickets and those customers with basic economy tickets.” News of the refunds comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the air traffic controller shortage could result in disruptions, and would likely “lead to more cancellations.” American Airlines told Fast Company that it expects the vast majority of its customers’ travel will be unaffected, and long-haul international travel will remain as scheduled. As schedule changes are made, American said it will proactively reach out to those impacted customers. “During the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are cancelled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund, without any penalty,” American Airlines confirmed in an email statement to Fast Company. The airline also urged leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown: “We remain grateful to the air traffic controllers, TSA officers, CBP officers and other federal employees who are working right now without pay—all to get our customers where they need to be safely.” In a statement on its website, Delta Air Lines said it expects to operate most flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international flights. “We are providing additional flexibility to our customers traveling to, from or through the impacted markets during the impacted travel period to change, cancel or refund their flights, including Delta Main Basic fares, without penalty during this travel period,” it said. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines have not yet determined a refund policy, according to USA Today. Both the airlines and experts recommend using the airlines’ mobile apps for the latest information on cancelations and delays. 40 U.S. airports likely to be most affected by delays The FAA has not finalized the list of the 40 airports that will be affected by 10% flight reductions. But New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles airports are likely to be among them. Here is a preliminary list, according multiple sources including ABC News, CBS News, and USA Today: Anchorage International (ANC) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) Boston Logan International (BOS) Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Dallas Love (DAL) Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) Denver International (DEN) Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) Newark Liberty International (EWR) Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL) Honolulu International (HNL) Houston Hobby (HOU) Washington Dulles International (IAD) George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH) Indianapolis International (IND) New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS) Los Angeles International (LAX) New York LaGuardia (LGA) Orlando International (MCO) Chicago Midway (MDW) Memphis International (MEM) Miami International (MIA) Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP) Oakland International (OAK) Ontario International (ONT) Chicago O`Hare International (ORD) Portland International (PDX) Philadelphia International (PHL) Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) San Diego International (SAN) Louisville International (SDF) Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) San Francisco International (SFO) Salt Lake City International (SLC) Teterboro (TEB) Tampa International (TPA) View the full article

United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines said they will refund tickets for customers who will be flying starting on Friday, November 7, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, expected to affect some 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily. The reductions come amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has created a shortage of air traffic controllers, some of whom are not being paid. “Any customer traveling during this period is eligible for a refund if they do not wish to fly—even if their flight isn’t impacted,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement. “That includes non-refundable tickets and those customers with basic economy tickets.” News of the refunds comes after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the air traffic controller shortage could result in disruptions, and would likely “lead to more cancellations.” American Airlines told Fast Company that it expects the vast majority of its customers’ travel will be unaffected, and long-haul international travel will remain as scheduled. As schedule changes are made, American said it will proactively reach out to those impacted customers. “During the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are cancelled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund, without any penalty,” American Airlines confirmed in an email statement to Fast Company. The airline also urged leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown: “We remain grateful to the air traffic controllers, TSA officers, CBP officers and other federal employees who are working right now without pay—all to get our customers where they need to be safely.” In a statement on its website, Delta Air Lines said it expects to operate most flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international flights. “We are providing additional flexibility to our customers traveling to, from or through the impacted markets during the impacted travel period to change, cancel or refund their flights, including Delta Main Basic fares, without penalty during this travel period,” it said. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and Alaska Airlines have not yet determined a refund policy, according to USA Today. Both the airlines and experts recommend using the airlines’ mobile apps for the latest information on cancelations and delays. 40 U.S. airports likely to be most affected by delays While the FAA has not finalized the list of the 40 airports that will be affected by 10% flight reductions, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles airports will likely be among them. Here is a preliminary list, according multiple sources including ABC News, CBS News, and USA Today: Anchorage International (ANC) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL) Boston Logan International (BOS) Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG) Dallas Love (DAL) Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) Denver International (DEN) Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) Newark Liberty International (EWR) Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL) Honolulu International (HNL) Houston Hobby (HOU) Washington Dulles International (IAD) George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH) Indianapolis International (IND) New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK) Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS) Los Angeles International (LAX) New York LaGuardia (LGA) Orlando International (MCO) Chicago Midway (MDW) Memphis International (MEM) Miami International (MIA) Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP) Oakland International (OAK) Ontario International (ONT) Chicago O`Hare International (ORD) Portland International (PDX) Philadelphia International (PHL) Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) San Diego International (SAN) Louisville International (SDF) Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) San Francisco International (SFO) Salt Lake City International (SLC) Teterboro (TEB) Tampa International (TPA) View the full article

Bailey’s comments on market pricing suggest the country may settle at a higher rate than in the US or EurozoneView the full article

Michael Barr said he believes artificial intelligence will have a positive long-term impact on the economy, though it may cause job losses in the short term. View the full article

US media giant sees potential to create a leading streaming service in the UKView the full article

The government is also encouraging Isa providers to revamp their stocks-and-shares savings products View the full article

If sweating it out on a Peloton helps you stay fit, be sure to see if you’re affected by a major new recall from the exercise bike maker. Peloton issued a major recall for some bike models on Thursday, warning that the seat posts of affected models could break and potentially injure their users. The recall is based on three reports of seat post malfunctions. In two of those incidents, Peloton users were injured after falling off the bike. Though the number of incidents is very small, the recall applies to 833,000 units manufactured in Taiwan and sold in the U.S. The recall affects Peloton Original Series Bike+ units with model number PL02 and serial numbers that start with “T.” The bikes were manufactured between December 2019 and July 2022 and were sold through Peloton, Dick’s Sporting Goods, eBay, and Amazon from January 2020 through April 2025. Another 44,800 units sold in Canada were also recalled, though no falls or malfunctions were reported outside the U.S. “The integrity of our products and our Members’ well-being are our top priorities,” Peloton said in a statement provided to Fast Company. “We are taking this opportunity to make replacement seat posts available to all affected Bike+ users, and we encourage them to contact us to receive the redesigned seat post as soon as possible.” To find your bike’s serial number, look inside the front fork, behind the front fork, or behind the flywheel. Once you locate it, you can look up the serial number on Peloton’s website to see that bike model’s history. Peloton users with affected models should take a break from cycling until they are able to get a fix from the company. Happily, that fix is pretty straightforward: Peloton will send you a new seat free of charge. Just order the replacement seat post online or contact customer service by phone. Installing the new post looks pretty straightforward, and owners can follow an instructional video from Peloton to do it themselves at home. The new recall is the second time the company has had to issue a warning about the safety of its seat posts. In 2023, Peloton announced a voluntary recall of seat posts for its original Bike model, similarly sending out replacement parts due to worries about the post breaking and causing people to fall off. Peloton said the seat post problem posed a risk to users with larger builds who weighed 250 pounds or more, though no injuries were reported at the time. Peloton says that bikes manufactured after 2023 include redesigned seats that eliminate the risk associated with both seat post recalls. “At a high level, the design and quality enhancements include a fail-safe mechanism intended to ensure that in the rare event of a break, the seat will not detach from the post, mitigating the risk of injury,” a Peloton spokesperson told Fast Company. “We feel confident about the quality of our redesigned seat post. We are also committed to continuously innovating on our product quality and designs.” Peloton will report its quarterly earnings later on Thursday, though that call will likely turn toward the new recall as well, and not just be about the company’s financials. Peloton pedals in some new directions Last month, Peloton announced that it would raise prices across its subscriptions and its workout hardware. The company is also throwing its weight behind advanced tech on new high-end equipment options that integrate computer vision and AI to track users’ movement and personalize their workouts. Peloton also recently launched a new “Pro” line of commercial workout bikes, treadmills, and rowing machines designed for high-use areas like hotel gyms, where wear and tear can add up much more quickly than on an at-home machine that sees a fraction of the use. “Today’s consumers want the flexibility to work out anytime, anywhere, and that means they expect top-tier fitness amenities in the places where they live, work, and travel,” Peloton chief commercial officer Dion Camp Sanders said of the company’s new line, which paired with the launch of a new commercial business division. View the full article

Escalation of Israeli attacks has sparked fears of renewed hostilities with HizbollahView the full article

Turnover of leaders shows how hard it can be to ride out the vicious financial and tech cycles View the full article

President Donald The President unveiled a deal Thursday with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to expand coverage and reduce prices for their popular obesity treatments Zepbound and Wegovy. The drugs are part of a new generation of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity in recent years. But access to the drugs has been a consistent problem for patients because of their cost — around $500 a month for higher doses — and insurance coverage has been spotty. Coverage of the drugs for obesity will expand to Medicare patients starting next year, according to the administration, which said some lower prices also will be phased in for patients without coverage. Starting doses of new, pill versions of the treatments also will cost $150 a month if they are approved. “(It) will save lives, improve the health of millions and millions of Americans,” said The President, in an Oval Office announcement in which he referred to GLP-1 as a “fat drug.” Thursday’s announcement is the latest attempt by the The President administration to rein in soaring drug prices in its efforts to address cost-of-living concerns among voters. Drugmakers Pfizer and AstraZeneca recently agreed to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid after an executive order in May set a deadline for drugmakers to electively lower prices or face new limits on what the government will pay. As with the other deals, it’s not clear how much the price drop will be felt by consumers. Drug prices can vary based on the competition for treatments and insurance coverage. Obesity drugs have become increasingly popular, but are costly The obesity drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that affect appetite and feelings of fullness. In clinical trials, they helped people shed between 15% and 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. Patients taking these drugs usually start on smaller doses and then work up to larger amounts, depending on their needs. Because of obesity being considered a chronic disease, they need to take the treatment indefinitely or risk regaining weight, experts say. The fast-growing treatments have proven especially lucrative for drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Novo Nordisk. Lilly said recently that sales of Zepbound have tripled so far this year to more than $9 billion. But for many Americans, their cost has made them out of reach. Medicare, the federally funded coverage program mainly for people ages 65 and over, hasn’t covered the treatments for obesity. President Donald The President’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule last November that would have changed that. But the The President administration nixed it last spring. Few state and federally funded Medicaid programs, for people with low incomes, offer coverage. And employers and insurers that provide commercial coverage are wary of paying for these drugs in part because of the large number of patients that might use them. The $500 monthly price for higher doses of the treatments also makes them unaffordable for those without insurance, doctors say. Medicare now covers the cost of the drugs for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but not for weight loss alone. The President showing he is in touch with cost-of-living concerns The effort to lower costs barriers to popular GLP-1 drugs comes as the White House is looking to demonstrate that The President is in touch with American’s frustrations with rising costs for food, housing, health care and other necessities. Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia faced a drubbing in Tuesday’s election in which dour voter outlook about the economy appeared to an animating factor in the races. Roughly half of Virginia voters said “the economy” was the top issue, and about 6 in 10 of these voters picked Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor, powering her to a decisive win, according to an AP voter poll. In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won about two-thirds of voters who called “the economy” the top issue facing the state, the poll found. She defeated a The President-endorsed Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli. More than half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the top issue facing the city. The Democratic mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won about two-thirds of this group. The White House sought to diminish the effort by the previous Democratic administration as a gift to the pharmaceutical industry because the proposal did not include adequate price concessions from the drug makers. The President, instead, consummated a “belt and suspenders” deal that ensures that Americans aren’t unfairly financing the pharmaceutical industry’s innovation, claimed a senior administration official, who briefed reporters ahead of Thursday’s Oval Office announcement by The President. Another senior administration official said coverage of the drugs will expand to Medicare patients starting next year. Those who qualify will pay $50 copays for the medicine. Lower prices also will be phased in for people without coverage through the administration’s The PresidentRx program, which will allow people to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. starting in January. The officials said lower prices also will be provided for state and federally funded Medicaid programs. And starting doses of new, pill versions of the obesity treatments will cost $149 a month if they are approved. The officials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House. Doctors applaud the price drop Dr. Leslie Golden says she has roughly 600 patients taking one of these treatments, and 75% or more struggle to afford them. Even with coverage, some face $150 copayments for refills. “Every visit it’s, ‘How long can we continue to do this? What’s the plan if I can’t continue?,’” said Golden, an obesity medicine specialist in Watertown, Wisconsin. “Some of them are working additional jobs or delaying retirement so they can continue to pay for it.” Both Lilly and Novo have already cut prices on their drugs. Lilly said earlier this year it would reduce the cost of initial doses of Zepbound to $349. Dr. Angela Fitch, who also treats patients with obesity, said she hoped a deal between the White House and drugmakers could be the first step in making the treatments more affordable. “We need a hero in obesity care today,” said Fitch, founder and chief medical officer of knownwell, a weight-loss and medical care company. “The community has faced relentless barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications, which has ultimately come down to the price, despite the data we have supporting their effectiveness.” —Tom Murphy, Aaamer Madhani, and Jonel Aleccia, Associated Press View the full article

Lucy Powell says ‘trust in politics is essential’ amid signs the chancellor plans to break manifesto promiseView the full article

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage ticked up for the first time in five weeks after falling to its lowest level in more than a year last week. The average long-term mortgage rate moved up to 6.22% from 6.17% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.79%. Last week’s average rate was the lowest since Oct. 3, 2024, when it was 6.12%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week. The average rate rose to 5.5% from 5.41% last week. A year ago, it was 6%, Freddie Mac said. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The 10-year yield was at 4.09% at midday Thursday, down from 4.16% Wednesday. Lower mortgage rates boost homebuyers’ purchasing power and benefit homeowners eager to refinance their current home loan to a lower rate. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has been stuck above 6% since September 2022, the year mortgage rates began climbing from historic lows. The housing market has been in a slump ever since. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank last year to their lowest level in nearly three decades. Sales have been sluggish this year, but accelerated in September to their fastest pace since February as mortgage rates eased. Mortgage rates began declining in July in the lead-up to the Federal Reserve’s decision in September to cut its main interest rate for the first time in a year amid growing concern over the U.S. labor market. The Fed lowered its key interest rate again last week in a bid to help boost the wobbling job market. However, Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that there is no guarantee the U.S. central bank will cut again at its final meeting of 2025 in December. The Fed could also pump the brakes on more rate cuts if inflation climbs further amid the The President administration’s expanding use of tariffs, because lower rates can worsen inflation. Bond investors demand higher returns as long as inflation remains elevated, so if inflation ticks upward that could translate into higher yields on the 10-year Treasury note, pushing up mortgage rates. The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, and even when it cuts its short-term rates that doesn’t necessarily mean rates on home loans will necessarily decline. Last fall after the Fed cut its rate for the first time in more than four years, mortgage rates marched higher, eventually reaching just above 7% in January this year. At that time, the 10-year Treasury yield was climbing toward 5%. The broader pullback in rates has helped spur homeowners who bought in recent years after rates climbed above 6% to refinance their home loan to a lower rate. Mortgage rates would have to drop below 6% to make refinancing an attractive option for many homeowners. That’s because about 80% of U.S. homes with a mortgage have a rate below 6% and 53% have a rate below 4%, according to Realtor.com. —Matt Ott, AP business writer View the full article

The term brand entertainment is tough to define. For many people, it’s an oxymoron and these two words should never be in the same room as one another. For many others, though, it’s simply when brands make stuff we actually want to pay attention to. It could be a short ad, or a feature-length film, or a live event. What it isn’t is an annoying waste of time interrupting our attention from actual entertainment like TV, sports, music and movies. I’ve spent a lot of time on the Brand New World podcast looking at different ways different brands are doing this right. From WhatsApp creating a Netflix doc about the Mercedes F1 team, to Dick’s Sporting Goods formally establishing an internal entertainment studio that has already been winning Emmys. But in September, an unprecedented deal was struck between one of the world’s biggest advertisers and arguably the globe’s biggest streaming platform. AB InBev—the parent to beer brands like Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, and Corona—signed a wide-ranging partnership deal with Netflix. This will not only get these major beer brands front and center in Netflix’s push into live sports, but also get them early access to placement and integration into other Netflix programming like shows and movies. This kind of thing will have marketers drooling, but everyone else skeptically side-eyeing the idea of a bigger brand presence in entertainment, and its potential effect on the quality of our favorite movies and TV shows. So, this episode I’m talking to Jae Goodman, co-founder and CEO of Superconnector Studios, who not only helped broker the Netflix – AB InBev deal, but has also helped giants like Nike and LVMH set up their own entertainment strategies. Here he breaks down this new deal, what it means, and how it may be setting the stage for the future of brands in Hollywood. Goodman says the key to the deal is that each company respects the goals and ideals of the other, which is the lens through which any brand integration is considered: “Netflix and AB InBev have each become acutely aware of each other’s priorities. And so Netflix is great about sharing their priority projects with AB InBev, and AB InBev has been very clear about the brand ethos. Netflix is extremely aware when they read a script for a new show or when they see the next season come in for an already hit show, they already know, ‘That’s a Stella show. That’s a Corona show, that’s a Budweiser show,’ because they’re aware of the brand alignment.” Why brands should avoid Hollywood’s independent financing model: “There is a very small subset of producers who believes that brands are the answer to independently financing projects that aren’t selling on spec. And so there are some producers out there whose pitch (to brands) is essentially, ‘You give me millions of dollars, I will go make this show or this movie, and it will totally sell. We’re gonna get it into Sundance, and then there’s gonna be a bidding war.’ Independent financing of film and television is rare, and in television it’s extremely rare and it’s risky. There are professionals who put their money at risk for independent financing, it’s a whole business and it’s a challenging business, and it’s more challenged by the fact that there are fewer buyers now. So, I’m just going to say it very clearly: It is bad for both industries to have brands fully financing entertainment as a business model. There are instances where it makes sense, but it needs to be in the context of not being the primary model. It is just not a good reason to do it. There’s so much money. Maybe there’s going to be less spending on content year over year, I haven’t seen the number. But I do know Netflix is going to spend $19 billion on content this year. So when they’re going to spend $19 billion on content, tell me why every brand in town needs to go to an independent producer and fully finance a movie that’s “totally gonna sell to Netflix.” Go to Netflix first and see if they’re interested.” View the full article

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose five basis points from last week to 6.22%, while the 15-year rate increased nine basis points to 5.50% View the full article

UWM Holdings set a single-day record for rate locks in September at $4.8 billion, taking advantage of the window of opportunity leading up to the FOMC meeting. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Power tools make everything easier and your finishes more professional. You might think that connecting those power tools to an app on your phone via Bluetooth is an unnecessary upgrade—why in the world does your power drill need to be connected to your phone? The truth is that Bluetooth-connected, “smart” power tools offer a lot of real advantages, and you should definitely start thinking about upgrading your tools to include them. More controlThe biggest reason smart power tools are a good investment is the increased control they offer. If you’ve ever wasted time experimenting with the torque settings on a drill (and then forgotten those settings the next time you’re doing a similar project), you know how often you’re working blind and just figuring things out by feel. With a smart drill, you have an extremely fine amount of control. For example, Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel Drill lets you not only set a specific RPM for the drill—it allows you to set a torque range that shuts the drill off when you hit it. No more snapped or stripped screws. Smart tools like this also enable you to select or create profiles for specific jobs. You can pick the material you’re drilling into, the size of the bit, and other factors, and the app will select the ideal settings for the job. If you tweak those settings or come up with your own, you can save it as a custom profile so you don’t have to perform all that experimentation every time you tackle a similar job. Better safetyAnyone who’s worked with power tools knows how dangerous they are. I am still haunted by a power saw experience a few years ago that came very close to maiming me, and I consider myself a pretty safety-conscious DIYer. Smart tools offer a range of enhanced safety features. Smart saws like the Milwaukee Sawzall M18 Fuel can monitor vibration, temperature, and the motor’s strain and shut the tool down if it’s about to overload, overheat, or spin out of control. This not only protects your squishy bits and vulnerable fingers; it protects the tool itself. Instead of a burned-out motor or a bent guide, the tool flashes a warning and shuts down so you can safely disengage, take a breath, and start over. Milwaukee Sawzall 2822-20 M18 Fuel Reciprocating Saw w/ONE-KEY (Tool-Only) $279.00 at Amazon Learn More Learn More $279.00 at Amazon Rich dataHave you ever unearthed an old power tool and wondered if it was still in good working condition? If the battery still had enough capacity to be useful, if the tool still offered acceptable performance? With a smart power tool, you don’t have to guess. Bluetooth-connected power tools typically collect a lot of data about their condition and performance, and can tell you at if the battery’s still good (and how much use is left in the current charge), the condition of the motor, and whether it needs maintenance. You’ll be able to avoid unnecessarily replacing tools that just need a calibration or a cleaning, but you’ll also know you need to replace a tool before it fails you in a critical moment. Location trackingMost smart power tools offer a tracking feature that shows you where your tool is. While this is probably most useful for professionals who have a team deployed over a large area, if you have a habit of loaning out your tools or you’re not the only person using them, being able to see who ran off with your drill or saw is a blessing. And if you have a bad habit of leaving your tools wherever you used them last, this feature could also save you the wasted time of searching for them. Smart tools, especially if purchased from the same manufacturer, can also offer inventory tracking, showing you exactly what tools you have—or lack. Didn’t you once have a reciprocating saw? Your inventory screen can tell you, and your tracking feature can show you where it’s currently residing, so you don’t mistakenly purchase a duplicate of a tool you already own. The downside of smart power toolsSimply put, it's the price. These tools tend to be a lot more expensive than their simpler brethren. The M18 drill mentioned above costs more than $100 less if you get the non-smart version, for example. But if you use your tools a lot and need fine control over their settings and a way to monitor their condition, the extra expense might just be worth it. View the full article

The Federal Reserve Board finalized changes to its supervisory rating framework, allowing large bank holding companies to be considered "well managed," even with one deficient rating. View the full article

The erosion of freedom rarely happens overnight; it’s written into law, one ruling at a time. ACLU’s Chase Strangio lays bare how the U.S. legal system is failing its people under a growing wave of authoritarianism and systemic rollbacks of civil liberties. View the full article

If you're out of cell service in an emergency, the ability to contact 911 can be lifesaving. Now many users with older phones are getting access to emergency texting to 911 via T-Mobile's Starlink-powered T-Satellite network for free. On Wednesday, T-Mobile announced that it would open up its Text to 911 feature—which allows users to text emergency services through their phone's native messaging app when outside of coverage areas—to everyone, including AT&T and Verizon customers, at no cost. It's worth noting that many iPhone and Pixel users already have access to emergency SOS via satellite regardless of carrier, as these features are built into newer devices. Apple's Emergency SOS is available on iPhone 14 and later, while Google's Satellite SOS is available on Pixel 9 and later (excluding 9A). These devices will default to native capabilities. Verizon also supports Satellite SOS for compatible Samsung Galaxy phones. As such, T-Mobile's free service is useful mostly to those on older iPhones and Pixels as well as Motorola devices and Samsung users who have AT&T. And if you're not a T-Mobile customer, your device must be unlocked and have an available eSIM to activate Text to 911. When connected to the network, you can text 911 for emergency services as well as the 988 Lifeline and 838255, the Veterans Crisis Line. T-Mobile customers can also reach customer care via 611. How to sign up for Text to 911If you're a T-Mobile customer, you can add Text to 911 service by logging into your account and selecting the option under Manage Data & Add Ons. Otherwise, you'll need to enroll on T-Mobile's website, after which your phone will automatically connect to the emergency network ("T-Mobile TXT911") when no other coverage is available. You must enroll in advance. To use the service, compose a message in your device's native texting app, enter 911 in the phone number field, and hit send. Your location is automatically shared with first responders. View the full article