The Birmingham Ballet’s annual holiday production of “The Nutcracker” is really going to the dogs. This year, their “Mutt-cracker” performance, featuring 29 canine dancers, included a standout performance from a dog named Pig, a three-year-old border collie mix who suffers from short-spine syndrome. Although some 46.3 million American households own dogs, few are quite like…
Data Breach Exposes Sensitive U.S. Army Doctor Information
Sensitive information from the U.S. military’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM) medical employees was exposed in a recent data breach. Over 11 GB of data was released and included information such as Social Security numbers and addresses from SOCOM staff members. Potomac Healthcare is the company responsible for employing the medical workers whose information was stolen….
Malicious Software, Hackers Present New Threats For Google Account Holders and Cell Phone Users
People across the world rely on email accounts to keep in constant contact with others. And while we’d like to think that access to these accounts is secure due to the safeguards we’ve put in place, nothing could be further from the truth. A study conducted in 2013 found that an average of 82,000 new…
New Computer System Targets Uninsured Drivers in Tennessee
For Tennessee drivers out on the roadways without insurance, it’s time to straighten up — as they soon could be identified much more easily by law enforcement. According to the Insurance Research Council, one out of every seven motorists is currently uninsured in the United States. The Tennessee Department of Revenue (DOR) has developed a…
Buying a Home in 2017? Prepare for These New Changes to the Housing Market
Potential home buyers, be prepared. 2017 is shaping up to present a whole new experience for those looking to purchase a house, especially for the one-third who are first-time home buyers. First off, their mortgage rates will likely be higher than usual, thanks to president-elect Donald Trump. Just this week, mortgage agency Freddie Mac reported…
Audit Hits U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission for Faulty Cyber Security Protection
Now that so many of our day-to-day transactions, financial and otherwise, are conducted on line, more and more emphasis is being placed on cyber security. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) was recently hit with penalties after an internal audit. The audit found that the commission failed to correctly identify whether futures and swaps…
Florida Man Posed as Dentist, Performed Unlicensed Dental Procedures Without Anesthesia
A 53-year-old Florida man is now facing charges after practicing dentistry without a proper license. Procedures performed include tooth extraction without anesthesia and handmade dentures for patients who couldn’t afford specialized dental care. It’s not uncommon for people to have their wisdom teeth extracted, as there’s only room in the mouth for 28 teeth, but…
Electoral College Ultimately Votes Trump To Be the 45th President of the United States
On Monday, Dec. 19, the Electoral College cast their votes to make the ultimate choice in our democracy — who would become president. While the electors generally agree with the popular vote when it comes to the President-elect, this was not the case in the contest between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hilary Clinton,…
Nissan’s ‘Rogue One’ Promotion Shoots for the Stars
Nissan’s promotional partnership with the newest Star Wars film, Rogue One, may have been somewhat unexpected, but ended up being a wild success for the car company. The partnership was announced in August and began with a stroke of luck on Nissan’s part: the auto company’s top-selling U.S. model, the Rogue compact crossover, was slated…
U.S. Proposes Requiring Vehicles to Communicate With One Another on the Road
The U.S. Department of Transportation proposed on December 13 that requiring every new vehicle to be able to “communicate” with other cars on the road with short-range wireless technology could help avoid tens of thousands of car accidents annually. Neglecting vehicles costs the U.S. economy over $2 billion every year, and can lead to more…