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Business
Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse
Store Closings Surge To Highest Level Since Pandemic: Why 2025 Could Be Worse Retail store closures surged in 2024, reaching their highest levels since the start of the pandemic, a new study said. A total of 7,325 U.S. stores closed in 2024, driven by inflation and an increasing shift toward online shopping, according to retail data firm Coresight Research. The closings marked the steepest decline in brick-and-mortar retail since nearly 10,000 stores closed in 2020. While 5,970 stores opened—the highest yearly number since 2012—closures outpaced openings by a net loss of 1,355 stores.  "Retailers that were unable to adapt supply chains and implement t…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud
Cash App Users To Get Refunds In $175M Order As Feds Target Fraud Cash App's parent company will have to pay $175 million for poorly protecting its users from fraud and financial crimes on the payment platform, officials said. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ordered Block to refund up to $120 million to users harmed by fraud, the federal agency said in a news release on Thursday, Jan. 16. The parent company of Cash App, which has more than 56 million accounts, must also pay a $55 million fine into the CFPB’s victims relief fund. The CFPB found that Block failed to properly investigate unauthorized transactions and deprived users of…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Microsoft 365 Raises Prices For First Time In 12 Years: Here's Why Microsoft 365 Raises Prices For First Time In 12 Years: Here's Why
Microsoft 365 Raises Prices For First Time In 12 Years: Here's Why The Microsoft 365 bundle price is increasing in the U.S. for the first time in a dozen years as the tech giant adds artificial intelligence tools into longtime products like Microsoft Word. The cost of Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions will rise by $3 per month, the company said in a blog post on Thursday, Jan. 16. It's the first price change since the software bundle launched in 2013 under the name "Office 365". Existing subscribers will see the adjustment at their next renewal. "We understand that our customers have a variety of needs and budgets, so we’re committ…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports
Meta To Cut 5% Of Lowest-Performing Workers, Zuckerberg Braces For 'Intense Year': Reports Meta will cut thousands of employees in the latest move for the controversial company that owns platforms like Facebook and Instagram, according to reports. An internal memo sent to Meta workers said five percent of low-performing employees will be terminated, Bloomberg News reported. The company that also owns WhatsApp and Threads has more than 72,000 employees, according to Meta's most recent quarterly report. A five-percent reduction would mean about 3,600 people could lose their jobs. "I've decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster,…

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by Chris Spiker
Business
AI Workforce Shake-Up: Nearly Half Of Companies Plan Job Cuts Within Years AI Workforce Shake-Up: Nearly Half Of Companies Plan Job Cuts Within Years
AI Workforce Shake-Up: Nearly Half Of Companies Plan Job Cuts Within Years Nearly half of companies worldwide are planning to cut jobs within the next few years as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and automates millions of positions, according to a new global report. The World Economic Forum’s "Future of Jobs Report 2025" outlines the seismic shifts AI will bring to the global workforce, revealing both challenges and opportunities: Job Displacement: The report says 41 percent of companies intent to downsize their workforce globally between 2025 and 2030, particularly in industries reliant on routine and manual tasks such as manufacturing, customer …

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Just Released New iOS Update Brings AI, Custom Emoji Access To iPhones, iPads Just Released New iOS Update Brings AI, Custom Emoji Access To iPhones, iPads
Just Released New iOS Update Brings AI, Custom Emoji Access To iPhones, iPads Apple has unveiled new updates that bring advanced AI and emoji tools to its iPhone and iPad devices.  Released on Wednesday, Dec. 11, iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 expand Apple Intelligence with features like ChatGPT integration, custom emoji creation, and visual design tools. Key Updates ChatGPT Integration: Siri and Writing Tools now support ChatGPT for generating content, solving problems, and enhancing productivity. Privacy settings ensure user control over data. Image Playground: This tool allows users to design custom visuals by inputting text descriptions, wit…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Former Suffolk County Congressman, Gubernatorial Candidate Lee Zeldin Named To Trump's Cabinet Former Suffolk County Congressman, Gubernatorial Candidate Lee Zeldin Named To Trump's Cabinet
Former Suffolk County Congressman, Gubernatorial Candidate Lee Zeldin Named To Trump's Cabinet President-elect Donald Trump has selected former New York congressman and gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In a statement on Monday, Nov. 11, Trump said Zeldin "will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses," adding that Zeldin will still maintain "the highest environmental standards." In a post on social media, Zeldin said, "It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator. "We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto indu…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Alleged $1.3M Scheme: CEO From Melville Accused Of Accounting Fraud, Misleading Investors Alleged $1.3M Scheme: CEO From Melville Accused Of Accounting Fraud, Misleading Investors
Alleged $1.3M Scheme: CEO From Melville Accused Of Accounting Fraud, Misleading Investors A New York resident who was the chief executive officer of digital advertising technology company Kubient fabricated documented and misled investors and auditors, according to federal authorities. The scheme by Long Island resident Paul Roberts, age 48, of Melville caused Kubient to improperly recognize more than $1.3 million in fraudulent revenue in Kubient’s financial statements at the time of the company's initial public offering, according the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams. Roberts was charged this with one count of securities fra…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
NYers Urged To Beware, Report AI Election Misinformation NYers Urged To Beware, Report AI Election Misinformation
NYers Urged To Beware, Report AI Election Misinformation State leaders are urging New Yorkers to beware purposely misleading election information generated by artificial intelligence. On Thursday, Sept. 5, New York Attorney General Letitia James released an online guide to help voters identify and report AI-generated “deepfakes” that can create videos depicting politicians saying or doing something they never did. Misinformation can also deceive voters on things like eligibility to vote, and where, when, or how to vote. “New Yorkers deserve to be well-informed, not misinformed, about their choices for the upcoming November elections,” James said…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Westchester Students Among 300 Semifinalists Nationwide In Prestigious Regeneron Competition Westchester Students Among 300 Semifinalists Nationwide In Prestigious Regeneron Competition
Westchester Students Among 300 Semifinalists Nationwide In Prestigious Regeneron Competition Dozens of students from New York have been named semifinalists in the country’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The Society for Science announced the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for 2024 on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Participants were whittled down from 2,162 applicants from 712 high schools across 46 states, Puerto Rico, and 10 other countries. Students were chosen based on their outstanding research, leadership skills, and community involvement, as well as a commitment to academics and creativity in asking scientific …

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by Michael Mashburn
Police & Fire
Police On Long Island Urge Residents To Be Vigilant Of Holiday Scammers Police On Long Island Urge Residents To Be Vigilant Of Holiday Scammers
Police On Long Island Urge Residents To Be Vigilant Of Holiday Scammers Police on Long Island reminding residents to be vigilant of scammers looking to profit during the holiday season and are offering seminars to help get the message out.  Criminals are constantly looking for new opportunities to prey on people for financial gain, and the holidays are traditionally a time when people are preoccupied and could fall victim to a scam, said the Suffolk County Police.  Scammers are also increasingly turning to artificial intelligence “spoofing” tools to clone the voices of individuals who post on social media, police said. "Scammers use th…

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by Kathy Reakes
Police & Fire
'Tis The Season For Scammers: AI Voices Increasingly Used To Victimize New Yorkers 'Tis The Season For Scammers: AI Voices Increasingly Used To Victimize New Yorkers
'Tis The Season For Scammers: AI Voices Increasingly Used To Victimize New Yorkers Police are sounding the alarm about a clever new way scammers are targeting New York residents this holiday season. In a warning issued Thursday, Nov. 16, Suffolk County Police on Long Island said scammers are increasingly using fake voices that are generated by artificial intelligence (AI) to dupe victims out of their money. To pull off the “spoofing” scam, criminals use AI tools to clone the voices of people who post on social media and then call their relatives pretending to be them. Police highlighted a recent example in which an 85-year-old Hauppauge man got a call from someone posing…

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by Michael Mashburn
News
'Deepfake' Targeted Law Proposed By NY DA 'Deepfake' Targeted Law Proposed By NY DA
'Deepfake' Targeted Law Proposed By NY DA A New York district attorney has unveiled a plan to propose new legislation that would protect citizens in the event that their personal images are digitally manipulated for sexual content. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly hopes that her proposal, called the “Digital Manipulation Protection Act,” would close any loopholes left open by the current New York State law. The proposal was announced Tuesday, April 18, alongside the news that a 22-year-old Seaford man had been sentenced for stealing and manipulating underage girls’ photos for use on a pornographic website. Earl…

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by Sophie Grieser
Lifestyle
Book Review: Are Relationships and the World Better Off When Technology Facilitates Change? Book Review: Are Relationships and the World Better Off When Technology Facilitates Change?
Book Review: Are Relationships and the World Better Off When Technology Facilitates Change? Edison in the Hood by Nadia Uddin If you had the opportunity to ask the dearly departed questions, to retract those last words said in anger, to tell them you love them, would you? Can technology solve personal communication problems? Can it solve the social ills of the world? Those questions may seem unrelated, yet they are woven into one story, Nadia Uddin’s first published novel, Edison in the Hood (October 2020). Uddin quite successfully makes the reader care about the siblings with her careful and empathetic prose. The book opens in a future not too far from our own where technology …

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Content Partner: Apperception Press
News
COVID-19: Study Discovers Link Between Virus, Brain Changes Seen In Alzheimer’s COVID-19: Study Discovers Link Between Virus, Brain Changes Seen In Alzheimer’s
Covid-19: Study Discovers Link Between Virus, Brain Changes Seen In Alzheimer’s Scientists from across the world will present their findings on how COVID-19 affects the brain this week amid a new study that has identified mechanisms by which COVID can lead to Alzheimer’s disease-like dementia. The scientists are meeting at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, which gets underway in Denver on Monday, July 26. Research that has been conducted up till now has been concerning. A Cleveland Clinic study discovered a link between infections of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and brain changes that are commonly seen in those with Alzheim…

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by Joe Lombardi
Business
Robots May Be Coming After White Collar Jobs Like 'Phil In Accounting,' New Report Says Robots May Be Coming After White Collar Jobs Like 'Phil In Accounting,' New Report Says
Robots May Be Coming After White Collar Jobs Like 'Phil In Accounting,' New Report Says In the past, when people thought about “computers taking jobs away from real people” most pictured manufacturing processes and call centers becoming robotized. While we have seen that, it’s not the only way robots are replacing people at work. Less visible are the robotics and artificial intelligence taking over white-collar jobs in fields like accounting and human resources, The New York Times just reported in an analysis of the workplace. In some studies, algorithms outperform lawyers and doctors. “The trend — quietly building for years, but accelerating to warp speed since the pan…

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by Kristin Palpini
Business
Amazon Gets FAA Approval To Deliver Packages By Drone Amazon Gets FAA Approval To Deliver Packages By Drone
Amazon Gets FAA Approval To Deliver Packages By Drone Half-hour deliveries may soon be a reality. A fleet of drones is now poised to deliver packages for Amazon  Prime now that the Federal Aviation Administration has granted the mogul company approval to deliver unmanned packages on Monday, Aug. 31. The company said that it went through a rigorous approval process, including demonstrating the safety and efficiency of its drones to FAA officials.  “This certification is an important step forward for Prime Air and indicates the FAA’s confidence in Amazon’s operating and safety procedures for an autonomous drone delivery service that w…

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by Christina Coulter
Business
New CEO Named 'For The Next Era At IBM,' Company Says New CEO Named 'For The Next Era At IBM,' Company Says
New CEO Named 'For The Next Era At IBM,' Company Says A prominent IBM executive has been named as the company’s new chief executive officer. Arvind Krishna, IBM’s current Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software, was announced as the company’s new CEO and member of its board of directors, effective as of Monday, April 6. Virginia Rommetty, IBM chairman, the company’s president and current CEO, will continue as executive chairman of the Board and serve through the end of the year, when she will retire after almost 40 years with the company. "I am thrilled and humbled to be elected as the next dhief executive officer of IBM, and a…

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by Zak Failla
Business
AI-Powered Store Of Future Unveiled By Walmart In Levittown AI-Powered Store Of Future Unveiled By Walmart In Levittown
Ai-powered Store Of Future Unveiled By Walmart In Levittown As the technology surrounding artificial intelligence and supermarket convenience continues to evolve, one retailer is already a step ahead of the game: Walmart in Levittown. The Levittown location has been developing and installing everything from artificial intelligence-enabled cameras to interactive displays, a gigantic data center and more, suggesting, in the words of the corporation, “a retail future that seems like science fiction.” This high-tech Walmart location has been dubbed the Intelligent Retail Lab (IRL), according to Business Insider. As the name implies, the location is desi…

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by Valerie Musson