AdaptHealth Corp. reports a material cybersecurity incident involving patient data. A threat actor gained unauthorized access to certain cloud-based business applications, including internal patient management systems and document storage platforms, via a social engineering attack on a third-party contractor’s user session.
The company confirmed exfiltration of a stored password file tied to insurance billing and access to external electronic health record portals, affecting passwords and some patients’ personally identifiable and protected health information. The affected systems do not contain Social Security numbers or individual financial account or payment card data.
AdaptHealth has disabled the compromised account, reset credentials, added access controls, engaged external cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement. As of this report, operations and patient services have not been materially impacted, though the full scope of data involved and the financial impact remain under investigation. The company notes that cybersecurity insurance may cover certain losses.
Bayer said on Thursday it was consolidating its U.S. Roundup business in a new unit, less than a week after scoring a major legal victory that blocked thousands of state-court lawsuits related to the weedkiller.
The creation of the unit, Ruveon, is fuelling investor hopes that the German group could move closer to structural changes, including spin-offs or divestments, long sought by some shareholders.
Sebastian Bray of Berenberg said the move "may prompt investor speculation of an eventual separation of some agriculture activities from Bayer".
Stefan Wulf of brokerage ODDO BHF said setting up its U.S. glyphosate business separately would help Bayer "separate or divest the business in the future should ongoing or additional litigation make the business ... unattractive."
Bayer said Ruveon will remain a Bayer business and oversee all aspects of U.S. sales of Roundup, whose key ingredient is known as glyphosate, including pricing, production and logistics.
Bayer bought Roundup as part of its $63 billion purchase of agrochemical company Monsanto in 2018, which became a major liability due to lawsuits accusing Bayer of failing to warn users that Roundup's active ingredient causes cancer.
Shares in Bayer rose as much as 5.7% to their highest level since August 2023. They were also supported by a Deutsche Bank upgrade, with the bank saying a breakup of Bayer's portfolio was "a question of when and how, rather than if".
Bayer, the only U.S. maker of glyphosate, has said that decades of studies have shown the key Roundup ingredient is safe and does not cause cancer.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Bayer in its bid to limit the legal fallout in a case that is part of years-long litigation over the product.
"Ruveon is expected to be a more nimble and well-positioned player within its commodity-based market, which requires a specialized approach to address competitive dynamics," Bayer said in a statement.
The company added that the consolidation of the business was part of its Crop Science division's five-year plan to drive growth, resilience and profitability.
The European Union and Turkey issued a joint statement on Thursday following the High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED) that took place earlier today in Istanbul. The two sides agreed to continue maintaining "a regular, open and frank dialogue" in order to address all the potential challenges, setting up another meeting that will take place in Brussels in 2027.
Meanwhile, Ankara informed the bloc that it officially submitted its letter of intent to the European Payments Council (EPC), looking to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). "The parties agreed that Turkiye's potential participation in SEPA would enable faster, more secure, and more cost-effective cross-border payments, facilitating trade and investment between Turkiye and EU," it was written in the joint statement.
The French Foreign Ministry told Al-Arabiya on Thursday that international forces will be deployed to Lebanon at the request of the Lebanese state.
The ministry detailed that the international forces will be sent to the southern part of the country "with the support of the United States and European participation." The main aim of this move is to have the forces help the Lebanese army, the ministry explained.
Meanwhile, Israel previously insisted that it wouldn't leave the "security zones" in Lebanon, adding that it would remain there "indefinitely."
United States officials believed that Israel was planning to assassinate Iran's top negotiators, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, during Washington and Tehran's negotiations, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing current and former US officials.
According to the report, US officials even asked regional countries to warn Iran that Israel might attack the two officials to warn Iran that Israel might attack the two officials in order to prevent the negotiations from being jeopardized.
However, US authorities acknowledged that, during the most intense phase of the war, Araghchi and Ghalibaf may have been legitimate targets for Israel, which intended to overthrow the hardline Iranian government, the sources said.
Palantir Technologies Inc. CEO Alex Karp revealed that some United States government customers, with the company's help, switched to open-source AI models, according to an interview released by the Information on Thursday.
Karp detailed that the clients are choosing Nvidia Corp.'s Nemtron AI models over, for example, Anthropic's AI models. His comments come after a big fallout between the US Department of Defense and Anthropic. While Karp couldn't share which agencies in the US government were switching to Nvidia open-source AI models, the media outlet claimed that some of his remarks might have suggested that the Pentagon was at least testing them.
Talking about Nemotron, the Palantir CEO said that it provides "equal or, in some cases, superior performance on the battlefield use cases, which are mostly highly classified." Karp further mentioned that while China also offers open-source AI models, they could pose potential security risks. "We've got to fight for making sure the open models we have in America are usable," he insisted.
Five New York city beaches are under advisory amid a heatwave set to make Independence Day weekend a real scorcher.
The advisory means the water at these beaches has high levels of bacteria. The city’s Department of Health advises against swimming and wading under this warning.
Warmer temps and direct sunlight can speed up bacterial growth in beach water and sand.
The city is advising against swimming or wading in 5 NYC beaches.Getty Images
The city’s testing measures enterococci — a fecal bacteria that is generally not harmful, but could indicate more dangerous bacteria and other microbes are in the water.
It’s possible contaminated water can cause GI symptoms (like diarrhea, vomiting, cramping and pain), or infect wounds.
In the five boroughs, safe levels of enterococci are below 104 per 100 mL of water per test, or 35 on average over the month.
Sea Gate 42nd, Brooklyn: This private beach at the western end of Coney Island measured 233 / 100 mL — more than double the limit — on Monday.
Whitestone Boosters Civic Association (Boosters Beach), Queens: This private beach measured 136 Tuesday, down from 873 last week, which was over 8 times the limit. This month, they measured 56 on average.
Douglaston Manor Beach, Queens: This private beach has measured 77 on average this month, 42 over the limit. Last week, officials found 1,362 bacteria in the water — 13 times the limit — but dropped this week to just 10.
Trinity Danish Young People’s Society, Bronx: This month’s average is just over the limit at 37 at the private beach club. Last week, the bacteria levels were more than double the acceptable levels (228), but Tuesday it dropped to just 10.
White Cross Fishing Club, Bronx: This private beach, right next to Trinity Danish, measured 127 Tuesday, down from 194 last week.
If you choose to swim, the EPA recommends avoiding putting your head under the water or swallowing water.
Even if you’re just wading, keep open wounds out of the water, and wash hands after playing in sand.
These beaches are considered safe and open:
Bronx: Orchard Beach, American Turner, Danish American Beach Club, Morris Yacht Club, Schuyler Hill Civic Association, West Fordham Street Association
Brooklyn: Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, Gerritsen/Kiddie Beach, Kingsborough Community College, Sea Gate Beach Club
Queens: Rockaway Beach, Breezy Point 219th, Breezy Point Reid Ave, The Strand
Staten Island: Cedar Grove, Midland Beach, South Beach, Wolfe’s Pond Beach
Water testing generally happens once a week across the city, except at Rockaway and Breezy Point, which gets monitored twice as often.
Because the latest numbers are from several days ago, it’s possible the baking heat has made conditions even worse.
The city may close beaches if things get worse, but also if they get reports of repeated illness, or if officials spot “hazardous amounts” of floating debris, infectious waste, contaminants, or evidence of sewage or wastewater at the beach.
