Latest news with #Observer
American Military News
8 hours ago
- Business
- American Military News
Duke Energy settles suit over data breach exposing thousands of customer accounts
Duke Energy has settled a class-action lawsuit over a data breach last year which exposed personal information to cybercriminals, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for Western North Carolina. The May 2024 data breach impacted thousands of customers of the Charlotte-based company, The Charlotte Observer reported in January. The case, with Matthew Saunders of St. Petersburg, Florida, as lead plaintiff, was filed in December. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed in the latest filings. There were at least 100 class members with total combined claims of over $5 million, according to the complaint. Tuesday's actions came after both sides told the federal court in March that they had reached a deal. Duke Energy also reached settlements in six other cases in the data security incident, according to court records. Saunders dropped all claims he brought against Duke Energy, according to a joint filing by both parties on Tuesday. Some of the information compromised in the data breach included names, account numbers, emails, Tax IDs and Social Security numbers, court records show. The information was used by cybercriminals who sold information to identity thieves, according to court records. Duke Energy said the claims were baseless and the company is satisfied to have the cases resolved and dismissed, spokeswoman Valerie Patterson said in a statement to the Observer. 'As we communicated to the customers who were potentially impacted by this incident, our thorough investigation revealed that no customer's personally identifiable information, as defined by state law, was exposed,' Patterson said. Duke Energy said it takes the security of its customers' information seriously and is providing free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to eligible customers that may have been impacted by this incident. 'We are pleased that many of our customers have accepted this offer,' Patterson said. Attorneys for both parties did not respond to requests for comment Thursday from the Observer. Lawyers for the plaintiffs accused Duke Energy of lacking adequate cybersecurity to protect customers from cyberattacks. They also alleged the company maintained, used, and shared personal information in a 'reckless''manner tightened and that Duke Energy transmitted personal information in a way vulnerable to cyberattacks. Data thieves engaged in identity theft and fraud because of the breach. This included the opening of new financial accounts, taking out loans, obtaining government benefits and acquiring driver's licenses using victims' names but with different pictures, according to court records. Concerns also arose about thieves committing future crimes and victims having to purchase monitoring services to protect against identity theft. Duke Energy notified data breach victims in December about the incident through email. Duke Energy is one of the country's largest energy companies. It serves 8.6 million customers in the Carolinas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, according to Duke Energy's website. Its natural gas utilities serve an additional 1.7 million in several states. The company employs 26,000 people. ___ © 2025 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Observer
a day ago
- Business
- Observer
Oman Air to join Oneworld Alliance on June 30: CEO
Muscat, June 2 Oman Air will officially join the Oneworld Alliance on June 30, after completing a nearly three-year process of integrating loyalty programmes, IT systems, and bookings with partner airlines. Speaking to the Observer, Con Korfiatis expressed his excitement about the upcoming alliance, stating, "We are pleased to be joining the Oneworld alliance on June 30, which is just four weeks away. This alliance will significantly expand our network reach through partnerships with other airlines, as we cannot fly to every destination ourselves." "We look forward to offering our customers a broader network through our alliance partners." Korfiatis also mentioned plans to increase flights to London in October, which will improve connectivity to North and South America through alliance partnerships," he added. The airline is expecting new aircraft to join their fleet, with a Dreamliner B787 arriving next week and additional 737 8 Max planes in the next 12 months. These new aircraft will allow for growth in the fleet and increased operations, with flights to Amsterdam scheduled to begin on July 1. He said, 'Apart from Amsterdam and double-daily Delhi flights, Moscow will be a year-round destination from seasonal. They're the only ones we've announced at this stage. We're always studying three to four routes at a time.' While there are no new destinations planned for the summer schedule, there will be increased capacity, including more flights to Salalah. Korfiatis also mentioned challenges in securing airport slots in India, but expressed interest in exploring opportunities beyond India. Regarding transformation within the airline, Korfiatis highlighted the goal of achieving fiscal responsibility to support future growth. The airline is ahead of target in meeting key performance indicators and aims to achieve EBIT breakeven by 2027. 'Our shareholder wants us to be fiscally responsible because they have confidence in backing us to be able to grow and do more things. We want to grow, but we didn't have the foundation for growth. It's a three to four-year journey. We do have KPIs (EBIT breakeven) which are meant to be achieved by 2027, and we are already ahead of target.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
State officials unveil secret weapon to take down dangerous invasive species: 'They picked the right breed for the job'
Officials in British Columbia, Canada, campaigning against a destructive invasive species have unveiled their secret weapon: a very good boy. Zebra mussels are native to Russia and Ukraine but have spread throughout Europe and North America. Like other invasive species, they destroy ecosystems by outcompeting native fauna for resources and reproducing in vast numbers. As the National Park Service noted, a large population can rapidly clear a body of water of its floating particles, damaging the food web. Zebra mussels spread into new areas by hitching rides on boats they attach themselves to. Because of robust preventative measures in place, they haven't yet spread to British Columbia. As the Agassiz-Harrison Observer reported, boat owners must clean off all plants, animals, and mud, drain all water, and dry their vessels before returning to the sea. But it's too easy for the naked human eye to miss a zebra mussel attached to a boat. That's where the dogs come in. Specially trained sniffer dogs can easily detect the tiny pests. The May 6 demonstration showed a German shepherd named Major finding a hidden mussel on a boat at Cultus Lake. The discovery was especially valuable since quagga and zebra mussels are hardy critters. As a local official told the Observer, mussels "can survive out of water for potentially up to 30 days." Using dogs in conservation efforts is a natural fit; helping humans comes naturally to our canine friends. Another example can be found in South Africa, where a clever border collie named Jessie sniffed out a species experts thought had disappeared 80 years ago. Dogs and local community action are a powerful combination in the fight against invasive species. In Ontario, locals came together to remove a million invasive snails from the waterways. With 225 million scent receptors (humans have only 6 million), German shepherds have one of the strongest noses among dogs. This, combined with their high intelligence, is why they're commonly used by law enforcement. Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. As a comment on a social media post about the story said, "They picked the right breed for the job." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte Launches ‘First-Of-Its-Kind' Black Innovation Hub To Empower Entrepreneurs
Charlotte, North Carolina is one of the country's premier cities when it comes to Black-owned businesses and a new effort from Cauthy Dawkins and other members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce is set to create a hub designed specifically for those businesses. According to The Charlotte Observer, the chamber acquired an unused property and has poured resources into transforming the building into what Dawkins calls a 'one-stop shop for professionals and small businesses,' in hopes of helping entrepreneurs, improving Charlotte's economic growth, and fighting food insecurity. The Innovation Center, as the property is now known, will feature an agri-tech program for farmers, event spaces for business meetings, co-working spaces for startups, entrepreneurs and nonprofits; as well as a retail store and a distribution center for small businesses. To figure out how the space could be best utilized, Dawkins visited other cities with similar hubs, cities like Atlanta, Washington D.C., and nearby Durham, North Carolina, and what he came away with from those tours ultimately led him to create a first-of-its-kind hub for Black-owned businesses and professionals in Charlotte. 'As things in the community get taken away, like federal funding and grants, we want to be a safe space,' Dawkins told the Observer. 'I wanted to create a safe space for business owners and professionals to come get elevated.' The chamber spent approximately $30,000 to acquire the building, and is in the process of launching a $3.7 million fundraising campaign to attract funding for the necessary renovations in order to accommodate the chamber's vision for the space. According to two of the chamber's advisors Kneshia Gabriel and Jeremy Johnson, the space has been needed in the city and the Charlotte metro area in general for quite some time. 'We just want to bring more locals here to help expand their experience and help them figure out what they want to do,' Gabriel told the Observer. 'It's definitely needed and I can see it being a great resource and support system for those looking to thrive in the business community,' Johnson added. According to the fundraiser for the Black Innovation Center, which is listed on the fundraising platform Give Butter, 'Charlotte is evolving. Yet too often, Black entrepreneurs are excluded from the opportunities shaping its future. The Innovation Center–CLT is a bold response—designed to close the gap, elevate ideas, and drive inclusive innovation. We're creating a dynamic space where: Black-owned businesses scale with real support, creatives build brands and media that move culture, communities grow wealth and networks—together. And your investment makes it possible.' RELATED CONTENT: 'We Needed This Forever': Black Business Hub Launches In Wisconsin
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Étienne-Émile Baulieu, ‘father of the abortion pill,' dies at 98
'I do not like abortion,' Dr. Baulieu wrote in his 1991 book, 'The Abortion Pill,' written with journalist Mort Rosenblum. 'But neither do I believe that women should be deprived of their most fundamental rights.' Dr. Baulieu, who specialized in hormone research at a French government lab, had already by the 1970s made one breakthrough discovery relating to a hormone and certain health risks. He next sought to explore new birth control methods, nearly two decades after the first oral contraceptive, Enovid, was approved for use in the United States in 1960. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Dr. Baulieu narrowed his research to sex hormones, particularly progesterone, which is essential to pregnancy because it prepares the uterus for a newly fertilized egg. Advertisement He knew that the French drug company Roussel-Uclaf — where he was a consultant on drug development — would not invest in a sex-hormone drug linked to birth control. Instead, he nudged the company to support work on a molecular compound to block cortisone, a hormone involved in blood sugar regulation, metabolism, and suppressing inflammation. Advertisement The key for Dr. Baulieu was that cortisone had a chemical structure similar to that of progesterone. Dr. Baulieu suggested that a cortisone-blocking agent, called an anti-glucocorticoid, could be useful for the treatment of burns, wounds, and glaucoma. Privately, he also hoped it would act as an anti-progesterone and prove effective in terminating early pregnancies without the need for surgery. In 1980, Roussel-Uclaf chemist Georges Teutsch synthesized RU-38486, or the 38,486th compound created at the company's labs. The compound — its molecular name shortened to RU-486 — was found to block the function of progesterone and cortisone, as Dr. Baulieu anticipated. He ultimately persuaded the company to pursue human abortion trials. He first, however, had to make the case that RU-486 was safe. Toxicity tests had caused three monkeys to become so ill that they had to be euthanized. Dr. Baulieu argued that the drug was working as it should, but that the monkeys were given doses that were too high. He told the Observer, a British newspaper, that he had 'rescued RU-486 from oblivion.' After clinical trials — first in Switzerland, then in Hungary and Sweden — Roussel-Uclaf received French approval in 1988 to market the drug to end pregnancies up to 10 weeks after a missed menstrual period. RU-486 (whose generic name is mifepristone and which was marketed as mifeprex in the United States) is followed within 48 hours by a drug known as misoprostol to induce uterine contractions. The two drugs are supposed to be prescribed by a physician and can be taken at home without medical supervision. RU-486 was the product of a team effort, but Dr. Baulieu was seen as the drug's key architect and advocate. He became known as 'the father of the abortion pill' and was a reviled target of antiabortion activists and others. Advertisement The Vatican in 1997 denounced RU-486 as 'the pill of Cain: the monster that cynically kills its brothers.' In Canada, a billboard once displayed Dr. Baulieu's picture and the words, 'Wanted for genocide.' In 1988, he was protected by bodyguards during a trip to the United States. But he also said he received messages of thanks from women who were able to end their pregnancies without a surgical procedure. In France, the antiabortion sentiment was so strong that Roussel-Uclaf halted production of the drug soon after it was approved for distribution. Protests raged outside Roussel-Uclaf headquarters in Paris. 'You are turning the uterus into a crematory oven,' demonstrators yelled, alluding to the production of poison gas for Nazi Germany by a predecessor of Hoechst, the holding company that owned Roussel-Uclaf. With drug production on hold, Dr. Baulieu traveled to Brazil for a medical conference that turned into a 'pep rally' for RU-486, the New York Times reported. By the end of the conference, the drug was reinstated by Roussel-Uclaf. Claude Évin, then health minister of France, had declared that RU-486 was 'the moral property of women.' 'Before we left Rio,' Dr. Baulieu wrote in his book, 'we opened the champagne.' The FDA approved mifepristone (pronounced mi-fuh-PRI-stone) in 2000, more than a decade after it became available in China and in Russia and other parts of Europe. (U.S. research into the drug as an abortion medication had been banned, but it was studied as a treatment for hormonal disorders including Cushing's syndrome.) The drug's delay in the United States came from fear of boycotts against Hoechst and a heavily politicized climate around the approval process. Advertisement Since Roe v. Wade and its protection of U.S. abortion rights were overturned in 2022, mifepristone has been at the center of legal questions over whether antiabortion states can block the Postal Service from delivering the drug. Mifepristone is used in more than 60 percent of abortions in the United States, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy group focusing on reproductive health. 'Ideology and machismo, alas, weigh more heavily than rationality and scientific proof,' Dr. Baulieu told the New Yorker in 2022. 'A method that makes the termination of pregnancy less physically traumatic for women and less risky to their health has always been rejected by pro-lifers: What they really seek is to harm and punish women.' He often recounted an incident from his medical residency in Paris in the 1950s. A surgeon, scraping the uterus of a woman who had self-administered an abortion, refused to render her unconscious with general anesthesia, remarking that it would 'teach her a lesson she will remember,' he said. As an authority on reproduction, Dr. Baulieu became part of a government committee that helped change French law in 1967 to allow the birth control pill. Later, during a visit to India in 1970, Dr. Baulieu was shaken when a woman begging for money shoved the body of her dead child at him. 'During that trip,' Dr. Baulieu recalled, 'I decided to aim my life's work toward finding some way to ease this sort of suffering.'
