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Webb Observes Protoplanetary Disks that Contradict Models of Planet FormationAre We on the Brink of a Crypto Boom or Just Riding the Hype? 2025 Predictions Stir the Pot!

TherapeuticsMD Inc. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors

LOOKFANTASTIC currently has a huge bargain on offer for Estee Lauder fans, and it'll arrive in time for Christmas if you select express Christmas delivery at the checkout. The Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum Set was originally priced at £111 and has been reduced to £66 saving fans a whopping 40%. The set features three advanced night repair serums, with one 30ml size and two 15ml sizes. Considering the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum will usually set you back around £89, this is a huge saving. On the LOOKFANTASTIC website, the full product description reads: " Wake up to radiant skin at home and on the go with Estée Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum Gift Set, starring a full-sized and two travel-friendly formulas. READ MORE: Marks & Spencer's £35 'purchase of the year' that 'goes with anything' READ MORE: Shoppers are snapping up Mint Velvet's 'smart casual' jumper reduced to clear in the John Lewis sale "Offering up to 72-hour hydration, the award-winning serum helps to visibly soften, smooth and plump the skin, alongside protecting it from elemental aggressors. The formula is infused with hyaluronic acid to attract and lock in moisture, while exclusive ChronoluxTM Power Signal Technology helps to support the natural synchronisation of the skin's renewal processes. Suitable for all skin types, the glow-boosting serum offers night-time nourishment to promote a replenished appearance to your complexion." In the reviews, one shopper said: "I love this serum! It’s lightweight, absorbs easily, and I use it both in the morning and at night. I got it during a Black Friday deal with an extra 10% off - such an amazing deal!" A second review read: "Amazing night serum, this set is a great value for money too." If you like the sound of this set, you can purchase it here for £66 for a limited time only, just in time for Christmas. Elsewhere, Beauty Pie is selling this 360° Radiance Concentrate Serum for £44. Alternatively, Paula's Choice is selling this Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster for £46..40 instead of £58.

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Birthdays for Dec. 28

FedEx is taking steps to streamline its operations by prioritizing its DRIVE program and separating FedEx Freight into a standalone, publicly traded company. These decisions were announced by FedEx President and CEO Raj Subramaniam Thursday (Dec. 19) during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, which saw the company’s total sales of $22 billion slip 1%. Amid these challenges, Subramaniam highlighted the ongoing success of FedEx’s DRIVE program, which he said is critical to the company’s operational improvements. Originally conceived as a structural cost optimization initiative, DRIVE has grown into a broader strategy that fosters efficiency and enhances decision-making across the business. DRIVE: A Catalyst for Growth “I’ve talked about DRIVE as our structural cost optimization program,” Subramaniam said to analysts. “The reality is that within FedEx, DRIVE has evolved to be so much more. It’s a new data and technology driven business architecture that has changed how we work across our entire enterprise, introducing more rigor and accountability to every decision we make, leading to a continuous cycle of efficiency and optimization. ” DRIVE, he added, “has clearly evolved to be how we work in this company. We have established an overarching market-leading approach to overall governance that leads to disciplined execution. This is going to stand us in good stead as a foundation for FedEx to execute as we go forward. The second thing is we also adopted a data-first digital mindset in solving problems while creating differentiation in our service offerings. The underlying technological innovation and transformation that we have created is quite profound.” The challenges faced during the quarter, including a soft global industrial economy and competitive pricing pressures, were closely linked to the need for continuous improvements, particularly through DRIVE’s data-driven approach to cost management, according to Chief Financial Officer John Dietrich . “We remain confident in our ability to offset these headwinds with the $2.2 billion from incremental DRIVE savings,” Dietrich said. “This expectation further highlights how DRIVE is fundamentally changing the way we do business. We’re improving our cost structure to enable us to profitably grow with eCommerce and are well-positioned to see significant incremental margins on our priority services once global industrial production improves.” FedEx Freight’s Separation and Future Outlook During the earnings call, FedEx also announced its decision to fully separate FedEx Freight, creating two publicly traded companies. This move aims to unlock value for shareholders while allowing the two businesses to remain strategically aligned, Subramaniam said. Each company will be able to sharpen its focus and competitiveness, better executing its priorities while continuing to invest in growth and return capital to shareholders. Each company will benefit from enhanced focus and competitiveness, he added, allowing them to execute their strategic priorities and continue investing in profitable growth while returning capital to shareholders. “We’re excited to create a leading LTL [less than truckload] pure-play, the largest carrier by revenue with the broadest network and the fastest transit times,” Subramaniam said. “FedEx Freight has deep relationships with customers who turn to us for our reliability, simplicity and choice of services. Freight has maintained its leading market share position for a long time and increased operating profit nearly 25% on average per year over the last five years.” As a separate company, Freight will be better positioned to unlock its full value potential, Subramaniam added. “Areas where we see the greatest opportunity include: first, an expanded dedicated LTL sales force led by Tom Connolly, our new VP of LTL Sales, who has nearly 30 years of experience,” he said. “We’ve already begun to build out this team and we expect to add more than 300 LTL specialists by the time of separation. “Second, an enhanced LTL-specific pricing and invoicing system that drives faster speed to market, more intuitive contracts and is more tailored to this market,” he added. “Third, improved Freight and FedEx network efficiencies focused on accelerating speed, improving coverage, optimizing touches and lowering our cost to serve. “And four, an LTL-focused automation, which will drive efficiency and reduce outside vendor spend. FedEx Freight’s portfolio of solutions, which includes both priority and economy services, is also well-positioned to benefit from the long-term market dynamics shaping the LTL industry,” Subramaniam said.Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for intel chief, faces questions on Capitol Hill amid Syria fallout

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Ambitions, bills and grudges: Reasons DeSantis for defense secretary may never happen

CHARLESTON, S.C., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to focus on winter wellness and thoughtful gifting ideas for health-conscious entertaining. Renowned Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Mia Syn shares her top recommendations to help people feel their best while enjoying all the season has to offer. COMBAT HOLIDAY CONGESTION “So many of us look forward to holiday parties and quality time with loved ones,” says Syn, “But we often find ourselves battling sinus congestion from dry air, cold weather, or seasonal allergies.” Her go-to solution? The NEW Mucinex® Sinus Saline Nasal Spray, the first-ever saline product featuring a 2-in-1 nozzle with customizable spray settings. Consumers can choose the ‘Power Jet’ to tackle tough nasal congestion or the ‘Gentle Mist’ to clear everyday congestion and soothe your nose. With its dual-nozzle technology, Mucinex® Sinus Saline Nasal Spray helps relieve congestion caused by allergens, irritants, and colds. Available at major retailers, pharmacies, and on Amazon, you can find your nearest store at Mucinex.com. Direct link: https://www.mucinex.com/ Social Media Handle: Facebook: @mucinex IG: @mucinex_us HOLIDAY TREATS WITH A HEALTHY TWIST Syn also encourages swapping ingredients in traditional holiday recipes with better-for-you alternatives. “One of my favorite holiday ingredients is Almond Breeze Almondmilk,” she shares. Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almondmilk: Versitile, plant-based milk with zero grams of sugar. Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk: Perfect for its deliciously creamy texture with less sugar and fewer calories than dairy milk. 1 Almond Breeze Almondmilk Nog: A rich holiday classic free of eggs, dairy, and lactose, boasting just 70 calories per serving. “Santa might even prefer Almond Breeze with his cookies this year!” jokes Syn. Direct link: www.AlmondBreeze.com Social Media Handle: Facebook: Almond Breeze Instagram: @AlmondBreeze Twitter: @AlmondBreeze SKINCARE MUST-HAVES FOR WINTER Cold, harsh air can wreak havoc on your skin, causing dryness and accentuating fine lines. "Nobody enjoys that itchy, uncomfortable feeling that winter brings," says Syn, a skincare enthusiast. "That’s why I turn to Mediheal—a trusted name in Korean skincare that’s been raising the bar for years." Mediheal’s toner pads have become a hit on social media, especially on TikTok, where users are swearing by their magic. Leading the charge are two fan-favorite products: Madecassoside Blemish Pads : A viral sensation in the U.S., these pads are proven to reduce blemishes, dark spots, and uneven skin tone. Clinical results show a 16% improvement in skin texture and tone within just four weeks. Collagen Ampoule Pads : Mediheal’s #1 bestseller in Korea, these pads instantly boost skin elasticity by an astonishing 106% in just one swipe. They also reduce fine lines by up to 33%, making them an anti-aging powerhouse. "Mediheal’s toner pads are absolute game-changers," Syn adds. "They’re versatile, targeting multiple skin concerns, so there’s something for everyone." With a diverse lineup of toner pads and skincare products designed to tackle winter skin woes, Mediheal cements its place as the ultimate go-to for glowing, healthy skin—even in the harshest seasons. For a limited time, the Madecassoside Blemish Pad, Collagen Ampoule Pad and Vitamide Brightening Pad will be available in festive holiday packaging—perfect for gifting to loved ones or treating yourself this season! Direct link: Mediheal Amazon Website Social Media Handle: Facebook: @Mediheal US Instagram: @mediheal_us TikTok: @mediheal_us Twitter (X): @medihealus About YourUpdateTV : YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Almond Breeze, Mediheal, and Mucinex. Media Contact: Michael O’Donnell D S Simon Media 212-736-2727 modonnell@dssimon.com A video accompanying this release is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74283b19-564e-43c4-a467-440c7d109074SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. “These companies know the harmful impact their products can have on our children, and they refuse to take meaningful steps to make them safer,” Bonta said at a news conference Monday. “Time is up. It’s time we stepped in and demanded change.” State officials haven’t provided details on the bill, but Bonta said the warning labels could pop up once weekly. RELATED COVERAGE UnitedHealthcare CEO was likely killed with a ghost gun that can be made at home Santa Ana winds return means increased fire risk, possible power shut-offs for Southern California Nvidia’s stock dips after China opens probe of the AI chip company for violating anti-monopoly laws Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 say they use a social media platform, and more than a third say that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center. Parents’ concerns prompted Australia to pass the world’s first law banning social media for children under 16 in November. “The promise of social media, although real, has turned into a situation where they’re turning our children’s attention into a commodity,” Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who authored the California bill, said Monday. “The attention economy is using our children and their well-being to make money for these California companies.” Lawmakers instead should focus on online safety education and mental health resources, not warning label bills that are “constitutionally unsound,” said Todd O’Boyle, a vice president of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “We strongly suspect that the courts will set them aside as compelled speech,” O’Boyle told The Associated Press. Victoria Hinks’ 16-year-old daughter, Alexandra, died by suicide four months ago after being “led down dark rabbit holes” on social media that glamorized eating disorders and self-harm. Hinks said the labels would help protect children from companies that turn a blind eye to the harm caused to children’s mental health when they become addicted to social media platforms. “There’s not a bone in my body that doubts social media played a role in leading her to that final, irreversible decision,” Hinks said. “This could be your story.” Common Sense Media, a sponsor of the bill, said it plans to lobby for similar proposals in other states. California in the past decade has positioned itself as a leader in regulating and fighting the tech industry to bolster online safety for children. The state was the first in 2022 to bar online platforms from using users’ personal information in ways that could harm children. It was one of the states that sued Meta in 2023 and TikTok in October for deliberately designing addictive features that keep kids hooked on their platforms. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, also signed several bills in September to help curb the effects of social media on children, including one to prohibit social media platforms from knowingly providing addictive feeds to children without parental consent and one to limit or ban students from using smartphones on school campus. Federal lawmakers have held hearings on child online safety and legislation is in the works to force companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm. The legislation has the support of X owner Elon Musk and the President-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr . Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.

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Where to Watch Furman vs. Mercer on TV or Streaming Live – Nov. 23Fans of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels have long, long, long, awaited the planned sixth entry in the series, The Winds of Winter. But after more than a decade of delays, even Martin is acknowledging the possibility that it may never come to be. “Unfortunately, I am 13 years late,” he told the outlet. “Every time I say that, I’m [like], ‘How could I be 13 years late?’ I don’t know, it happens a day at a time.” “But that’s still a priority," he continued. "A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They’re saying] ‘Oh, he’ll never be finished.’ Maybe they’re right. I don’t know. I’m alive right now! I seem pretty vital!” It's only the latest in what's been an increasingly bleak wait for The Winds of Winter, with the most recent entry in the series, A Dance With Dragons, publishing in 2011. That's the same year that HBO premiered the insanely popular TV series Game of Thrones, which is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire series and drew a lot more eyes to the world of Westeros. Martin made the reveal in November 2023 that he's written 1,100 pages of The Winds of Winter, which wouldn't be so disappointing if it weren't the same number of pages he had written a year prior. Before that, in 2022 , he said he was "about three-quarters of the way done," and that the book would likely be more than 1,500 pages. "A lot of people are already writing obituaries for me. [They're saying] 'Oh, he'll never be finished.' Maybe they're right." Most recently, this past September, Martin admitted that he hadn't made as much progress as he would've liked to, as his various TV shows "ate up" much of his time. It's also worth mentioning that The Winds of Winter isn't even set to be the final book in A Song of Ice and Fire. A seventh novel, A Dream of Spring, was set to close out the series, although many fans have all but given up hope for that . ( Note : The THR article calls The Winds of Winter the "sixth and final book" in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, but we're assuming that's just a mistake; Martin's never formally canceled A Dream of Spring publicly). Still, in a glimmer of hope, Martin did note in the interview that he could never retire, as he's "not a golfer." So hey, there's that! Even if we never get The Winds of Winter, there's plenty happening in Westeros on the TV side. House of the Dragon is still on track for four seasons , with the third expected to start production early next year. Another spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is set to arrive sometime in late 2025 , and there's even been early talk of a Game of Thrones movie . Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on Thursday struck an optimistic tone on President-elect Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth — a positive development given his reported skepticism. “Pete Hegseth went a long way today, in my opinion, in getting my full support. But I want him to be able to answer, in front of everybody else, the questions that are there,” he told reporters. Rounds also said, “I really do see a path forward for him to be successful in being accepted by the Senate for this position, but he’s got more work to do... I think he’s capable of doing that and I think the open hearings will help,” according to CNN. Rounds is one of 14 Republican senators who reportedly had concerns about Hegseth prior to his meeting with him. As is customary for cabinet nominees who are confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth is privately meeting with senators ahead of his confirmation hearing, which will likely be scheduled for next month. Hegseth began meeting with senators last week, and has spent every day so far this week meeting with them. Also over the last several weeks there has been barrage of hit pieces aimed at tanking Hegseth’s nomination, based on anonymously-sourced and unverified claims that date as far back as a decade. The latest smears have been that he has a drinking problem and mismanaged two organizations he led, but dozens who worked with Hegseth have come forward to dispute those allegations as lies and fabrications. Nevertheless, the hit pieces have caused some Republican senators to withhold support for Hegseth and float other potential nominees. However, in the past 48 hours, after Hegseth began fighting back in interviews and an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal , and Trump reiterated his support for him, in addition to several dozen of conservative media figures coming out in force for him, more senators have come onboard with their support. Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on ”X” , Truth Social , or on Facebook .NEW YORK , Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of all purchasers of securities of Xerox Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: XRX) between January 25, 2024 and October 28, 2024 . Xerox describes itself as a "company that offers workplace technology that integrates hardware, services, and software for enterprises in the Americas, and internationally." So what: If you purchased Xerox securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the Xerox class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31433 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 21, 2025 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) after a large workforce reduction, Xerox's salesforce was reorganized with new territory assignments and account coverage; (2) as a result, Xerox's salesforce productivity was disrupted; (3) as a result, Xerox had a lower rate of sell-through of older products; (4) the difficulties in flushing out older product would delay the launch of key products; (5) as a result, Xerox was likely to experience lower sales and revenue; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Xerox's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Xerox class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=31433 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xrx-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-xerox-holdings-corporation-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302314593.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.Shares of Trump Media and Technology Group dipped during midday trading on Friday after President-elect Donald Trump transferred his nearly 114.75 million shares, valued at approximately $4 billion into a revocable trust. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, the transfer, representing over half of the company’s stock, was categorised as a “bona fide gift” to the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust. It’s not clear why Trump transferred the stock. Donald Trump Jr. is the sole trustee and has sole voting and investment power over all securities owned by the trust. Trump Media shares were down about 2% at midday, to $34.68 each. At one point Friday, they were down around 6%. Trump Media shares have been extremely volatile since the company began trading in March. They reached intraday highs close to $80 on the first day of trading, then slumped to all-time lows in September when Trump and other insiders were finally allowed to sell shares after standard lock-up agreements expired. Trump has not sold any shares in the company. The company’s stock price has fluctuated wildly on news — good and bad — related to Trump. They tumbled after Trump’s conviction in a hush money trial in May, then surged after the first assassination attempt on Trump in July. They surged again after he won re-election in November, even as the company reported a $19.2 million third-quarter loss. Trump created Trump Media after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump said in November that he had no intention of selling his shares in the company, which owns the Truth Social media platform. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is the sole trustee of the trust and has sole voting and investment power over securities held by it, according to the securities filings. Trump Media has a market capitalisation of around $7.7 billion as retail traders bet on the stock as a proxy of Trump winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election. With inputs from agencies.Every day millions of people share more intimate information with their accessories than they do with their spouse. Wearable technology — smartwatches, smart rings, fitness trackers and the like — monitors body-centric data such as your heart rate, steps taken and calories burned, and may record where you go along the way. Like Santa Claus, it knows when you are sleeping (and how well), it knows when you're awake, it knows when you've been idle or exercising, and it keeps track of all of it. People are also sharing sensitive health information on health and wellness apps, including online mental health and counseling programs. Some women use period tracker apps to map out their monthly cycle. These devices and services have excited consumers hoping for better insight into their health and lifestyle choices. But the lack of oversight into how body-centric data are used and shared with third parties has prompted concerns from privacy experts, who warn that the data could be sold or lost through data breaches, then used to raise insurance premiums, discriminate surreptitiously against applicants for jobs or housing, and even perform surveillance. The use of wearable technology and medical apps surged in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, but research released by Mozilla on Wednesday indicates that current laws offer little protection for consumers who are often unaware just how much of their health data are being collected and shared by companies. "I've been studying the intersections of emerging technologies, data-driven technologies, AI and human rights and social justice for the past 15 years, and since the pandemic I've noticed the industry has become hyper-focused on our bodies," said Mozilla Foundation technology fellow Júlia Keserű, who conducted the research. "That permeates into all kinds of areas of our lives and all kinds of domains within the tech industry." The report "From Skin to Screen: Bodily Integrity in the Digital Age" recommends that existing data protection laws be clarified to encompass all forms of bodily data. It also calls for expanding national health privacy laws to cover health-related information collected from health apps and fitness trackers and making it easier for users to opt out of body-centric data collections. Researchers have been raising alarms about health data privacy for years. Data collected by companies are often sold to data brokers or groups that buy, sell and trade data from the internet to create detailed consumer profiles. Body-centric data can include information such as the fingerprints used to unlock phones, face scans from facial recognition technology, and data from fitness and fertility trackers, mental health apps and digital medical records. One of the key reasons health information has value to companies — even when the person's name is not associated with it — is that advertisers can use the data to send targeted ads to groups of people based on certain details they share. The information contained in these consumer profiles is becoming so detailed, however, that when paired with other data sets that include location information, it could be possible to target specific individuals, Keserű said. Location data can "expose sophisticated insights about people's health status, through their visits to places like hospitals or abortions clinics," Mozilla's report said, adding that "companies like Google have been reported to keep such data even after promising to delete it." A 2023 report by Duke University revealed that data brokers were selling sensitive data on individuals' mental health conditions on the open market. While many brokers deleted personal identifiers, some provided names and addresses of individuals seeking mental health assistance, according to the report. In two public surveys conducted as part of the research, Keserű said, participants were outraged and felt exploited in scenarios where their health data were sold for a profit without their knowledge. "We need a new approach to our digital interactions that recognizes the fundamental rights of individuals to safeguard their bodily data, an issue that speaks directly to human autonomy and dignity," Keserű said. "As technology continues to advance, it is critical that our laws and practices evolve to meet the unique challenges of this era." Consumers often take part in these technologies without fully understanding the implications. Last month, Elon Musk suggested on X that users submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs and other medical images to Grok, the platform's artificial intelligence chatbot, to seek diagnoses. The issue alarmed privacy experts, but many X users heeded Musk's call and submitted health information to the chatbot. While X's privacy policy says that the company will not sell user data to third parties, it does share some information with certain business partners. Gaps in existing laws have allowed the widespread sharing of biometric and other body-related data. Health information provided to hospitals, doctor's offices and medical insurance companies is protected from disclosure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, which established federal standards protecting such information from release without the patient's consent. But health data collected by many wearable devices and health and wellness apps don't fall under HIPAA's umbrella, said Suzanne Bernstein, counsel at Electronic Privacy Information Center. "In the U.S. because we don't have a comprehensive federal privacy law ... it falls to the state level," she said. But not every state has weighed in on the issue. Washington, Nevada and Connecticut all recently passed laws to provide safeguards for consumer health data. Washington, D.C., in July introduced legislation that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data. In California, the California Privacy Rights Act regulates how businesses can use certain types of sensitive information, including biometric information, and requires them to offer consumers the ability to opt out of disclosure of sensitive personal information. "This information being sold or shared with data brokers and other entities hypercharge the online profiling that we're so used to at this point, and the more sensitive the data, the more sophisticated the profiling can be," Bernstein said. "A lot of the sharing or selling with third parties is outside the scope of what a consumer would reasonably expect." Health information has become a prime target for hackers seeking to extort healthcare agencies and individuals after accessing sensitive patient data. Health-related cybersecurity breaches and ransom attacks increased more than 4,000% between 2009 and 2023, targeting the booming market of body-centric data, which is expected to exceed $500 billion by 2030, according to the report. "Nonconsensual data sharing is a big issue," Keserű said. "Even if it's biometric data or health data, a lot of the companies are just sharing that data without you knowing, and that is causing a lot of anxiety and questions." ___ ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

California to consider requiring mental health warnings on social media sitesNoneGerry Dulac: Steelers defense failed to close out a win — again

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