Année : 2024

Investors seeking affordable yet promising cryptocurrencies are turning their attention to five standout altcoins priced under $1, each poised for explosive growth in 2025. Kaspa, Stellar, Rollblock, TRON, and Hedera offer innovative solutions and strong use cases, making them top contenders for significant breakouts. These low-cost coins combine cutting-edge technology with high growth potential, attracting savvy traders eager to capitalize on the next crypto surge. Discover why these altcoins are worth adding to your portfolio.
Rollblock is emerging as a top investment opportunity for traders seeking up to 100x returns in early 2025. Combining the best features of centralized and decentralized gaming, Rollblock operates on its Ethereum-backed ecosystem, drawing significant investments from Bitcoin whales during Stage 9 of its presale. Analysts predict up to 880% returns for early investors before the token officially launches on the open market.
Traders are excited about Rollblock because it prioritizes trust and transparency. Unlike traditional iGaming platforms, Rollblock ensures secure and fair gameplay through Ethereum-backed encryption. Every transaction is recorded on the blockchain, ensuring users’ data is protected from third-party interference.
Rollblock also rewards its investors through a revenue-sharing model. Traders who provide liquidity can earn weekly passive income with staking rewards of up to 30% APY. This mechanism, combined with a buyback and burn system, is expected to cause a deflationary effect on the $RBLK token, increasing its value over time. Each week, a portion of Rollblock’s profits will repurchase $RBLK tokens, with 60% permanently destroyed and the remainder supporting the staking community.
Kaspa (KAS) continues to gain attention as a high-performance Layer-1 blockchain, using its innovative blockDAG architecture to enhance scalability and speed. Over the past month, Kaspa has risen by 2.8%, reaching a price of $0.15. The token shows strong momentum, backed by institutional interest and positive short-term chart indicators.
Analyst Alex Clay recently tweeted about a potential 5x breakout for Kaspa after 371 days of accumulation. The analyst outlined price targets for traders to watch for Kaspa, including $0.280430, $0.395145, and $0.511035. Chart analysis confirms this optimism with a healthy upward trendline that will probably offer support for Kaspa in the long term.
Stellar has seen a 30-day price increase of 140.98% because of the Bitcoin rally. Analysts believe this upward momentum isn’t over. EGRAG CRYPTO, a prominent analyst, notes that Stellar’s current price movement resembles its explosive rise in 2020 when it broke above its EMA and surged by 3,100%. EGRAG predicts that Stellar could rally by 360%, reaching $2.27 in the coming weeks.
Currently trading at $0.4524, Stellar has seen a 0.99% increase during the day. The altcoin’s trading volume has risen by 46.15%, indicating a potential shift in market control to buyers. With Stellar’s RSI remaining neutral, analysts think there’s still time to grow before Q4 ends as Bitcoin will continue to trade above $100k.
TRON’s price suffered a correction following a 100% rally last week. The surge occurred after the introduction of martial law in South Korea pushed investors away from centralized markets. As one of the largest decentralized exchange platforms, TRON became a primary choice for these investors.
However, the rally quickly reversed as the political situation in South Korea calmed. TRON dropped 35% this week and now shows less than 30% net growth from its previous rally. The altcoin has been losing value since reaching an all-time high of $0.42 in early December.
Despite this, TRON recently saw a 1,900% increase in DeFi transaction volume. The token’s trading volume remains strong, with billions of dollars traded daily. However, these positive metrics haven’t been enough to offset the weak price performance. TRON is now trading around $0.25 and further price corrections could cause a sell-off.
Hedera’s price soared in the last few weeks, bringing its market cap to over $10.8 billion. But the token is currently below its 50-day moving average. Hedera’s price has jumped more than 800% since November 2024 though the price needs more aggressive investor interest.
Despite its innovative technology and partnerships with major players like Google and IBM, Hedera struggles to maintain its gains. By 2025, experts project Hedera to be worth $0.63 to $0.76. However, for now, Hedera’s growth is slowed by weakening sentiment and short-term resistance.
Kaspa, Stellar, Tron and Hedera are all top altcoins. However, none of these altcoins possess as many unique offerings as Rollblock. Rollblock’s GameFi model and revenue-sharing model are set to attract holders of Kaspa, Stellar, Tron, and Hedera in 2025.
The presale price of $0.0415 is expected to rise rapidly, as experts predict a 50x rally due to a potential supply crunch. Rollblock has also strengthened its credibility by updating its gaming license with Gaming Anjouan, further solidifying its potential to disrupt the gaming industry.
Discover the exciting opportunities of the Rollblock (RBLK) presale today!
Website: https://presale.rollblock.io/
Socials: https://linktr.ee/rollblockcasino
 
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Bitcoin ETFs hit by record $671.9M outflows in 1 day  Cointelegraph
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Billy Markus, one of the two founders of the original meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin launched in 2013, has published a post where he commented on the massive price fall faced by Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin, along with the rest of the crypto market over the last 24 hours.
On social media Markus is widely known under the alias Shibetoshi Nakamoto. In this post, the popular ‘WAGMI’ acronym was mentioned, which is supposed to be bullish and optimistic.
Known for his playful, ironic and, frequently, sarcastic comments related to crypto market volatility, Markus responded in his typical manner. Publishing a post with a chart, where three top ten cryptocurrencies, including one created by him – Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin – Markus wrote in his X post in capitals: “SO GLAD I QUIT MY JOB.”
SO GLAD I QUIT MY JOB pic.twitter.com/5GDztFIJal
In that screenshot, Bitcoin dropped below the $98,000 level but in the past hour, the world’s flagship crypto has extended its crash by going down to $96,076 per coin. Overall, since Thursday, this constitutes a 6.45% decline from the $102,000 price mark.
Shibetoshi Nakamoto’s brainchild Dogecoin has crashed harder, falling by almost 17% from $0.36668 to $0.30491, where it is currently changing hands.
The second biggest cryptocurrency by market cap, Ethereum, has experienced an 11.2% crash, rapidly declining from $3,711 to $3,301 as of this writing.
The crypto market has faced stunning losses as $1.2 billion worth of crypto has been wiped out. Among those, the liquidations of long positions constituted the majority of the losses – $1.07 billion triggered by the speech of the Fed Reserve chairman Jerome Powell that the US central bank intends to drastically reduce interest rate cuts. The next coming easing is to be 25 basis points rather than 100 as was expected by crypto fans and the financial community in general.

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In the comment thread, an X user wrote a popular acronym WAGMI, which means “we’re all gonna make it” used for encouraging and adding optimism in troublesome periods of time not only concerning the crypto or traditional financial markets but events in the world and individual lives in general.
Shibetoshi Nakamoto reacted by posting an animated GIF to agree with that statement. But that response also seems rather ironic.
pic.twitter.com/X0d1zOIJWu
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are not investment advice; they are provided for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. Every investment and all trading involves risk, so you should always perform your own research prior to making decisions. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. We do not recommend investing money you cannot afford to lose.

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By Annalisa Merelli
Dec. 20, 2024
General Assignment Reporter
Too many new moms are dying in the U.S.
Exactly how many, however,  is harder to establish.

After years of neglect, the issue of maternal mortality is finally getting attention in policy and politics, as well as in the media, with headlines drawing attention to figures that show the maternal mortality rate has, at least according to some measurements, doubled in the past two decades.
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But some recent papers and media stories have questioned whether the crisis is more one of perception, raising concerns about whether overcounting and poor data have led to fear-mongering. An essay published in The Atlantic, criticizing the “doom and gloom” attitude about the state of maternal health in the U.S., argued: “Things aren’t getting worse for women; we’re just getting better at tracking what’s going on.”
It’s true that the data varies: Various sources estimate that the rate of maternal mortality per 100,000 live births in 2020 was 23.8 (per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics System); 24.9 (according to the CDC’s Prevention’s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System); and 18.4 (according to the 38 states reporting to the CDC’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee). Some data sources classify deaths as maternal mortality only up to 42 days postpartum, while others categorize them as such up to a year after the person has given birth. Variations in death certificates over time make accurate historical comparisons impossible. And the absolute numbers of maternal deaths are small enough (typically under a thousand per year, and 861 in 2020) that even one or two miscategorized deaths make a difference. 
Yet even without definitive data, there are undeniable facts. Maternal mortality in the U.S. is several times higher than in comparable countries. Racial inequity plays a huge role in maternal health outcomes. And Black women in particular face three to four times the risk of dying of pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts, irrespective of their income or educational status.
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The upshot: Improving maternal data collection and analysis is important. But experts who study the issue say that shouldn’t overshadow the fundamental work of understanding why maternal mortality deaths are happening and how they can be prevented.
“We can’t let ourselves get distracted by discrepancies around data and distract ourselves from how poorly we perform in the United States, and also the extent to which there are disparities across different, racial groups, payer groups, language groups,” said Amanda Williams, clinical innovation advisor at the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, an organization co-founded in 2005 by the state of California and Stanford University to improve maternal health. 
“By any standard, we really have a problem,” said Eugene Declerq, a professor of community health sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health and a leading maternal mortality data expert. “And you can’t solve it by ignoring it.”
While data is important, experts say, so is the qualitative side of maternal mortality — that is, not just whether or not a new mother died, but how, and why, and what led to such an outcome.
This side of the issue is perhaps best captured by the work of state maternal mortality review committees, which serve as medical and social investigation teams, taking every case reported as a potential maternal death in a state — even in very large states, deaths are rarely more than 100 per year — and studying whether it could be considered a maternal death, and if it could have been avoided.
The key question is whether the person would have died had she not gotten pregnant in the previous year.  “And trying to determine that in a death that happens five months after the baby was born is really, really challenging,” said Declercq, who sits on the Massachusetts review committee. “Then we also have to wrestle with, ‘was it preventable?’ And you often end up with this dilemma: it would be preventable if we had a functional social system that helped take care of her back when she was 17 and first started having a problem with drugs.”
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Such questions apply to many other potential causes of death. A woman who is killed by her domestic partner: Was her being pregnant, or a new mother, a factor? A new mother falls asleep at the wheel after work: Would parental leave have prevented her death? 
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Maternal health advocates believe that one reason it took so long for these deaths to be acknowledged as a serious health issue is that maternal mortality sits at the intersection of many systemic ills: racism, economic inequality, poor access to health care, misogyny. 
Addressing maternal mortality “was never about one thing — it’s about a revolution,” said Joia Crear-Perry, the founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, one of the country’s leading maternal health advocacy and policy organizations. 
Focusing on data accuracy in order to argue that maternal mortality concerns have been overblown can even be understood as backlash to the movement focused on caring for mothers, according to Michelle Drew, a midwife, maternal health advocate, and the director of Ubuntu, a collective of health care and community workers serving Black families in Delaware.
Black women have been at the forefront of the movement to recognize and address the maternal mortality crisis, Drew points out, and the nature of the issue makes it inherently political. “Every [case] points back to some type of bias,” she said.
The history of maternity care in the U.S. is inextricably linked to white supremacy issues, Drew said. For instance, at the turn of the 20th century, white doctors used racist stereotypes to question the competence of Black midwives, with the intent of profiting from childbirth. 
Those who aren’t convinced that there is a crisis now wouldn’t be compelled by stronger data either, said Crear-Perry: “I don’t know what number is going to make [them] care about it.” 
There is no way to successfully improve the state of maternal health in the U.S. without embracing bigger reform, which is what ends up making the issue controversial, according to Crear-Perry and Declercq. 
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This is particularly evident when making international comparisons. “The difference in those other countries is very often that they have universal health insurance, they have paid leave, they have all these other things that make life more livable for a pregnant woman and her family,” said Declercq. “That’s right in the policymakers’ wheelhouse,  and then that’s uncomfortable because that’s real expenditures.” 
Some of the advocacy for better maternal health in the past few years has already delivered important policy progress, Williams noted. “Expansion of Medicaid, paid family leave, increased funding in maternal health, better funding for pregnancy mortality review committees — these are steps that are being taken that are meaningful moves in the right direction,” she said.  
An overfocus on quantifying maternal deaths also risks overshadowing another important issue: The much larger number of women who nearly die, or get severely ill, during and shortly after pregnancy. 
Data on this problem is even more elusive. Estimates suggest there are between 50 and 100 near misses for every maternal death, and about 60,000 cases annually of severe maternal morbidity cases — unexpected labor and delivery outcomes with serious short- or long-term consequences. 
Focusing on near misses offers better insight into what could be done differently, medically and beyond, to save mothers’ lives. A vast majority of maternal deaths, or more than 80% of cases, are preventable.
“I’ve been an OB-GYN for over 20 years, and I can count on one hand the number of maternal deaths that I have been even tangentially associated with,” said Williams. “But when it comes to severe maternal morbidity … that’s something that’s happening once or twice a month. It’s 1% to 2% of births.”
Conditions Williams sees in her patients include eclampsia, seizures, and sepsis, all of which could result in death if they occurred, say, in a hospital with fewer resources, or where the staff was less skilled. Every near miss, said Williams, offers an opportunity to understand how a death was prevented — and what goes wrong when the mother can’t be saved. 
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In many cases, “if the patient had someone to call, or knew the warning signs, or did not feel stigmatized about getting care for her drug treatment, or if she lived in a town that was closer to a major hospital, she would not have lost her life,” said Williams. “These are all things that are solvable if we have the political will to do so.”
Annalisa Merelli
General Assignment Reporter
Annalisa (Nalis) Merelli is a general assignment reporter at STAT. Her interests are ever-expanding, but she is especially drawn to the coverage of reproductive and maternal health, and their intersection with health equity.
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Snakes in popular culture and religion? It’s a love-hate relationship  South China Morning Post
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WORLD Radio – Mufasa stumbles, Sonic races ahead
Disney’s Mufasa confuses the Lion King legacy, while Sonic the Hedgehog 3 delivers an action-packed, all-ages thrill
Characters (from left) Sarabi, Mufasa, and Rafiki in a scene from Mufasa: The Lion King Associated Press / Disney

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Friday, December 20th.
Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.
Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.
MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown.
Coming next on The World and Everything in It: what’s happening in theaters.
It wasn’t long ago that PG-13 superhero movies ruled the box office. But this year family-friendly movies have proven to be the big winners. Four of the top five released this year carried a milder PG. And this weekend two more highly anticipated family movies arrive in theaters.
EICHER: Here’s arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino on Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
COLLIN GARBARINO: This weekend, Disney returns to the pride lands with a prequel to The Lion King, telling the story of how Mufasa came to rule everything he could see from Pride Rock.
Let’s not call the 2019 version of The Lion King a live-action remake—maybe photorealistic works better. Regardless, it wasn’t a hit with critics who complained it didn’t break new ground. Fans, on the other hand, didn’t care, and the movie set records grossing 1.6 billion dollars world wide. This prequel breaks plenty of new ground, but I’m not sure I like the direction it takes.
MUFASA: Why are you following us?
SARABI: I was hoping to find my pride.
MUFASA: What happened to them?
SARABI: The outsiders happened.
In this story, the young Mufasa doesn’t come from a kingly family… In fact, he loses his family at the beginning of the movie. The lost lion cub is then adopted by another pride, gaining a new brother Taka who we all know will grow up to be the wicked Scar. But then Mufasa’s new family is attacked by a group of killer lions bent on conquering everything they come across.
MUFASA: Back to the trees.
TAKA: We’re trapped. We have to swim.
MUFASA: No! We have to fight.
TAKA: If we fight we die.
MUFASA: But if we swim we drown.
The two brothers embark on a quest to find a new home beyond the horizon where the circle of life is respected.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of this twist that makes Mufasa an adopted brother of Scar and makes both of them immigrants to the pride lands. It doesn’t jibe with some of the dialogue from the earlier films. And it doesn’t fit the original’s Hamlet-on-the-Serengeti feel.
Hamilton fans will be interested to know that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote a half dozen original songs for this prequel. A few of them are quite good.
MUSIC: [I Always Wanted a Brother]
Some, however, fall flat due to weak vocal performances. Mads Mikkelsen, who plays the evil lion king pursuing Mufasa and Taka, is especially painful to listen to.
And speaking of these evil lions, they’re all white. Could that be some kind of commentary on European colonialism? I’m not sure.
RAFIKI: Sometimes, when the people most like you don’t love you, it is the hurt that can cause the greatest pain. And this pain can lead you to hate everything.
Mufasa offers muddled thinking on the nature of evil, and really just about everything else. The movie turns the circle of life into respecting others rather than dying and being born. It also takes swipes at patriarchy, and the youthful Mufasa seems dedicated to democracy rather than monarchy. But, you know, he still ends up being the lion king.
I guess the film’s OK, but it doesn’t really know what it’s about, and it somehow still manages to get a little preachy at the end.
However, the other big movie of the weekend definitely understood the assignment.

Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, in a scene from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Associated Press / Paramount Pictures and Sega of America, Inc.
SONIC: Is this a race?
TAILS: You’re going down.
KNUCKLES: It is my destiny to claim the role of family champion, hedgehog.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 reunites the speedster from Sega’s video game franchise with his trusty friends Knuckles and Tails, along with their adopted human parents played by James Marsden and Tika Sumpter.
Earth is being threatened by a new super powered alien, and this one looks suspiciously like Sonic himself.
SONIC: Are you guys seeing this?
TAILS: He looks just like you.
KNUCKLES: Impossible.
SHADOW: You’re a colorful bunch.
SONIC: Uh. Excuse me. Why do you look like me?
Keanu Reeves voices Shadow, a teleporting hedgehog who can unleash enough chaos energy to destroy the planet.
SONIC: We don’t want to fight you.
KNUCKLES: Actually, Sonic, I would like to fight.
Jim Carrey also returns as Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Carrey’s over the top performance defines the film. If you like his brand of humor you’ll love Sonic 3, but if you don’t, you’ll want to steer clear since he gets about twice as much screen time as anyone else—partially due to his playing two members of the Robotnik family.
DOCTOR ROBOTNIK: It’s impossible.
GRANDPA ROBOTNIK: Is it?
DOCTOR ROBOTNIK: It couldn’t be.
GRANDPA ROBOTNIK: Couldn’t it?
DOCTOR ROBOTNIK: I’m…
GRANDPA ROBOTNIK: Are you?
This film is just 110 minutes of zany fast-paced adventure in which an adolescent blue hedgehog continually cracks jokes and makes pop culture references. It doesn’t gesture at any grand themes, other than the typical kids’ movie lesson that family and friends are important and that, if you can, you should try to save the world from utter destruction.
SHADOW: This ends now.
But of course, Sonic’s race won’t end with this film. An end credits scene introduces another colorful friend who will launch Sonic and the gang into their next fast-paced adventure.
I’m Collin Garbarino.
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through its Office of Economic Security, Supply Chain Resilience Center (SCRC), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), released a white paper on subsea cable security and resilience. It summarizes key insights and policy directions from discussions with the Departments of Defense, Justice, Commerce, Treasury, State, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Intelligence Community, alongside stakeholders from the subsea cable industry, including owners, operators, vendors, and manufacturers.
The white paper, ‘Priorities for DHS Engagement on Subsea Cable Security & Resilience,’ underscores that subsea cables are the backbone of global internet and telecommunications, handling about 99 percent of intercontinental data traffic. These cables are essential for phone calls and financial transactions, making their security and resilience critical to Americans’ daily lives. The paper addresses the security, economic, and regulatory aspects of this crucial telecommunications infrastructure and identifies opportunities for DHS and federal government partners to bolster U.S. leadership in the critical sector.
The agencies sought to improve the U.S. government’s understanding of threats to and vulnerabilities of the subsea cable ecosystem from a variety of industry perspectives, share and discuss the U.S. government’s policy priorities for cable infrastructure, and identify opportunities to strengthen the security and resilience of subsea cable systems cooperatively. 
To address the changing landscape, the DHS has pinpointed three key priorities for better coordination and collaboration: strengthening public-private coordination mechanisms, streamlining U.S. permitting, licensing, and regulatory processes, and clarifying federal roles and responsibilities in emergency management and incident response.
“Many federal agencies have crucial equities and complex operational roles related to or directly dependent on the security and resilience of subsea cables,” Christa Brzozowski, assistant secretary for trade and economic security, said in a media statement. “The SCRC leveraged its position as a hub where industry and government can come together and guided an industry-informed discussion across the federal interagency on current and future challenges facing subsea cables and opportunities to mitigate these issues.”
“Securing subsea cable infrastructure requires real partnership between government and industry—and this white paper reflects shared priorities that link public national security outcomes to private investment and innovation,” David Mussington, executive assistant director for infrastructure security at CISA, said. “Enduring public-private partnership is an essential foundation to ensure that national and economic security interests and resources are incorporated and accounted for across many diverse stakeholders.”
While industry representatives provided many insights into the dynamics of the subsea cable market, this paper outlines a few key takeaways and common themes that highlight opportunities for DHS and its federal partners to improve coordination and collaboration with the private sector; streamline permitting, licensing, and regulatory processes; and clarify federal roles and responsibilities for cable emergency management and incident response. 
The DHS is prioritizing a comprehensive strategy to maintain and enhance the nation’s leadership in the subsea cable industry, recognizing its critical role in global communications and economic stability. Central to this strategy is the promotion of secure and resilient subsea cable networks and supply chains, which involves countering threats from foreign adversaries and ensuring robust cybersecurity measures. 
DHS is committed to fostering strong public/private partnerships to leverage expertise and resources, while also streamlining federal permitting and regulatory processes to facilitate efficient development and maintenance of these vital infrastructures. Additionally, the department emphasizes the importance of developing reliable subsea cable repair capacities to ensure rapid response to disruptions. International coordination is also a key focus, aimed at increasing network resilience and route diversity to mitigate risks. Finally, DHS supports responsible innovation in cable technologies, encouraging advancements that enhance performance and security, reinforcing its position as a global leader in subsea communications.
In every country, including the U.S., subsea cable owners must secure numerous approvals to lay and operate systems, involving compliance with various laws. This complex process spans multiple jurisdictions and is costly. In the U.S., interactions with the government are typically limited to specific regulatory discussions, involving multiple agencies with different missions. This decentralized approach includes state and local authorities, leading to fragmented processes. Industry representatives find the U.S. challenging for cable landings due to shifting expectations and longer permitting timelines, now averaging over three years, which increases investment risks.
The white paper recognizes that the subsea cable industry spans multiple critical infrastructure sectors, including communications and information technology, which means that it does not fit cleanly within existing U.S. government mechanisms for engaging critical infrastructure owners and operators, such as Sector Coordinating Councils (SCCs) and Government Coordinating Councils (GCCs). “This has limited DHS’s and the U.S. government’s opportunities to gain insights from the cable industry on its unique risks and challenges.” 
It added that while some entities that own and operate U.S. cable systems are represented within either the IT or the communications SCCs, those bodies do not include other critical entities within the cable industry that, for example, build, maintain, or equip these systems. In effect, there currently exists no forum in which the full scope of the cable industry can effectively collaborate with the U.S. government to identify and address shared challenges. 
The fragmented regulatory landscape and lengthy permitting processes have deterred investment in new subsea cable systems. To maintain leadership and security in this industry, the U.S. needs predictable and transparent regulations. Improved federal coordination with the cable industry is necessary for aligning with national and economic security goals.
The DHS recognizes the industry’s need for clear contact points during incidents involving U.S. government stakeholders or when the industry cannot independently maintain or restore national connectivity. Currently, federal duties for cable protection, outage reporting, threat intelligence sharing, cable operations, and crisis response are managed through various mechanisms across multiple departments and agencies. A clear operational plan and defined emergency protocols have not been effectively communicated to the industry.
Looking ahead, the DHS will enhance subsea cable industry engagement within the U.S. government by using existing infrastructure bodies like SCCs and GCCs and exploring new forums for information exchange. This collaboration aims to incorporate industry insights into national risk management and conduct joint exercises. The CIPAC review and sector risk management plans under NSM-22 offer chances to improve stakeholder engagement, including with the subsea cable industry.
The agency will assess cable permitting and licensing, focusing on federal authorities, to reduce redundancy and clarify requirements. Collaborating with partners, DHS will evaluate coastal cable risk management practices. Through Team Telecom, DHS will support faster, transparent FCC cable licensing with consistent security requirements. This aims to enhance the reliability of licensing processes, ensure secure cable infrastructure, and promote investment aligned with national priorities.
Effective emergency management relies on planning. NSM-22 tasks CISA with supporting incident management and national continuity. DHS will lead efforts to secure subsea cables, partnering with industry to address crises. DHS will also collaborate with federal partners to analyze cable incidents, identify risks, and improve future mitigation strategies.
Last month, the DHS rolled out recommendations for the secure development and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in critical infrastructure. The ‘first-of-its-kind’ resource was crafted for all levels of the AI supply chain—cloud and compute providers, AI developers, critical infrastructure owners and operators—as well as civil society and public sector entities that protect consumers. In collaboration with industry and civil society, the alliance proposes new guidelines to promote responsible AI use in America’s essential services.
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Bitcoin whale support includes mid-$60K zone in new BTC price warning  Cointelegraph
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For many Americans, their golden years can be a time of reflection — and regret.
Since mid-September, more than 3,300 older Americans have shared their retirement regrets with Business Insider through a reader survey or direct emails to reporters. Many said they wished they’d saved more, waited longer to retire, relied less on Social Security, or been more prepared for unexpected financial setbacks, such as a layoff, a medical diagnosis, or a divorce.
“I didn’t really think about retirement in concrete terms,” one 65-year-old wrote in response to a survey question about how people wished they planned for retirement differently. “I always felt I had time. Now I’m older, wholly unprepared, and without savings or a 401(k).”
BI talked to financial planners, wealth managers, and a personal-finance writer about what younger generations could do to avoid similar financial mistakes. This story is part of an ongoing series.
The amount of money Americans need to save for retirement can vary based on lifestyle and the local cost of living. In a survey conducted by Northwestern Mutual in January, the average respondent said they thought they’d need about $1.5 million to retire comfortably. Wealth managers and financial planners encourage young people with this goal — or any others — to understand their options, start early, and take advantage of employer-match programs.
Brad Bartick, a wealth planner at Baird, said Americans should begin saving for retirement while they’re in college or in their early 20s. “Sobering though it may be,” Bartick said, “success may require you to work a second job” or “earn a higher level of training or education.”
He suggests people create a “ruthlessly honest budget” so they can identify places to cut spending and ways to pay down high-interest debt or build up an emergency fund. If money is tight, start by putting $25 to $50 per paycheck aside for retirement.
“That may not seem like much, but it is the behavior of saving — the habit, if you will — that is most important later in life,” Bartick said. “Additionally, time will reward your having started early.”
Bartick suggested that people whose workplaces offer retirement plans contribute at least the maximum dollar amount their employer will match and raise their savings rate as their salary increases.
A fact sheet published by AARP in December cited an estimate based on Census, IRS, and Federal Reserve data that about 56 million Americans in 2022 lacked access to retirement-savings plans at work. The vast majority of those people earned less than $50,000, meaning they may not have much surplus cash to save for retirement.
Judith Ward, thought leadership director and a certified financial planner at T. Rowe Price, said that not every employer clearly communicates which resources it offers, so workers may have to research what’s available. She suggests people aim to save 15% of their salary annually.
A 72-year-old who responded to the survey implored people to “always, always, always take advantage of a 401(k) program with your employer and max it out,” adding: “My mortgage was too big initially, so I didn’t participate in the program for a few years. Big mistake.”
Those lacking a retirement-savings plan at work can use individual retirement accounts, which most banks offer. Traditional IRAs offer tax breaks up front. Roth IRAs offer tax-free qualified withdrawals later in life. Bartick said higher earners should consider a Roth 401(k), as they’re likely to be in a higher tax bracket later in life and can therefore save more money.
Bartick described investing as “the great equalizer” for young people looking to build a retirement portfolio, adding that most people can open a brokerage account and invest with few barriers. While investing can be lucrative, it involves risk and isn’t a surefire way to build wealth.
Rob Williams, a managing director of financial planning at Charles Schwab, said the biggest regret he hears is that people waited too long to invest, missing out on years of compounding interest.
Retirees who didn’t save or invest enough often rely on Social Security in their later years. Several older adults told BI they regretted collecting Social Security at 62 instead of 67, when their full retirement benefits would have kicked in.
A 77-year-old survey respondent who wrote that they “took Social Security too early” said they regretted cashing in on their benefit before reaching full retirement age. They added that working a lower-paying teaching job hurt their Social Security income and retirement savings later in life.
Dozens of survey respondents said they regretted how they handled finances with their spouse. Some said they weren’t on the same page about retirement goals, while others said the death of a partner disrupted their carefully laid plans.
Ward suggested married couples consider retirement as a household and analyze finances together, even if spouses keep their accounts separate.
“One of the biggest retirement mistakes I see is when a spouse assumes they share the same retirement vision,” Ward said.
Many older adults told BI that a divorce hurt their finances. One 67-year-old survey respondent who got a divorce said they regretted “not having a 401(k) and thinking I would be OK because my husband worked hard all his life.”
A study published in the Journal of Gerontology in 2022 found that from 1990 to 2010, the divorce rate for adults 65 and older nearly tripled. A BI analysis of 2023 individual-level Census Bureau data found that divorced retirees had lower average 401(k) balances, less savings, and a lower monthly retirement income than married people.
Elizabeth Ayoola, a personal-finance writer at NerdWallet, said people could protect some of their money and retirement savings with prenuptial agreements. However, prenups typically apply only to money and assets acquired before a couple ties the knot, so they provide less protection if the couple divorces later in life. She said that including major assets or money in a trust could be an effective way to secure wealth in a divorce, and she advised couples to have transparent conversations about finances at all stages of their relationship.
A spouse’s death can also have detrimental financial ramifications. Older Americans told BI they struggled to get by without their spouses’ paychecks or Social Security income. Others said a lack of a will threw them into a complex legal battle and probate process for their spouses’ assets.
Ayoola advised couples to write a will and consider a life-insurance policy.
Some older Americans told BI that unexpected expenses or events, like medical diagnoses or layoffs, depleted their retirement savings.
One 78-year-old survey respondent wrote that her husband had heart problems and was recently laid off. She described wanting to reduce their housing costs but being unable to. “We are trapped in a large home living on Social Security and draining savings until it’s gone,” she wrote.
Dozens of older Americans said a layoff affected their retirement planning. Carly Roszkowski, a vice president of financial-resilience programming at AARP, advised older workers to continue updating their résumés and keep their skills sharp in case they’re laid off.
Younger people may want to diversify their skills and prepare to pivot careers. They may also want to build an emergency fund to support themselves or loved ones if they lose their jobs.
“Build relationships with colleagues, mentors, and industry professionals. Networking can open doors to new opportunities and provide valuable support and guidance,” Roszkowski said. “Reverse mentorship programs can be effective in organizations to help bridge generational gaps and build understanding and collaboration between different age groups.”
Several older Americans said they stopped working or used up much of their savings because of a medical diagnosis. Healthcare researchers advise investing in routine checkups, factoring medical emergencies into nest eggs, and researching government-assistance options.
When a 69-year-old survey respondent and her husband began to struggle with health issues in their 50s and 60s, she said it took a toll on their savings: “Because of our health, I had to cash in my 401(k) for medical expenses at a very early age.”
Financial planners told BI that people should analyze the value of their last-resort funding sources, like homes or life-insurance policies, so they know the total of their assets in a costly emergency. Ward said a healthy emergency fund for young people should include enough to cover three to six months’ worth of expenses. As people age, they should allocate more: Retirees should have one to two years’ worth of income, Ward said.
Sudden healthcare costs can drain emergency funds. Williams advised that people — whether they’re young or heading into retirement — research their insurance options so they can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Doug Ornstein, a director of wealth management at TIAA, argued that people paying high out-of-pocket healthcare costs in retirement “probably would have to live really bare-bones instead of being able to leave their kids some money or be able to do some trips and travel.”
Benefits counselors can also help people determine the government aid they qualify for — the money may help them conserve savings and cover bills. The National Council on Aging estimates that up to 9 million older Americans are eligible for government assistance but not enrolled.
Ayoola said that benefits like SNAP or Medicaid could help lower-income people save money over time. “I would tell them to look around for as many government resources as possible to supplement their income,” Ayoola said.
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