Newark Airport's Floppy-Disk Era Needs to End
This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, an official badge of Bloomberg Opinion's opinions. Sign up here.
Tell me, reader, do you know anyone who still uses floppy disks? I don't. In fact, I haven't seen one of those babies in 20+ years. It seems crazy that anyone would still be reliant on a technology that came of age in 1978 and was phased out in 2010, right? Right.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Smartest High-Yield Midstream Stocks to Buy With $2,000 Right Now
Key Points Energy Transfer offers a strong combination of a high yield and solid potential growth. Enterprise Products Partners is a solid "sleep-well-at-night" stock. Genesis Energy has the potential to be a strong turnaround story. 10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer › If you're looking to put $2,000 to work in this market, midstream energy stocks are a smart place to look. They tend to offer stable, fee-based cash flows, have high yields, and are seeing good growth opportunities. The sector is also trading well below historical valuations compared to a decade ago, despite the companies being in better financial shape. Let's look at three smart midstream investment options to buy right now. Energy Transfer In my view, Energy Transfer (NYSE: ET) is one of the most compelling risk/reward stocks in the market today, which is why it's one of my largest personal holdings. It combines a high yield, improving financial profile, and solid growth opportunities. Despite this, it also trades at one of the lowest valuations in the space. The company has spent the past few years improving its balance sheet and getting in better financial shape, and now it's set to reenter growth mode. It cut its distribution back in 2020 to get its debt under control, and since then, it's used free cash flow to help fund growth and lower its leverage. Its leverage is now at the low end of its targeted range, and management recently called its balance sheet the strongest it's ever been. That gives it flexibility as it enters growth mode, something it didn't have during its last big investment cycle. At the same time, 90% of its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) is fee-based, with many contracts structured as take-or-pay. That gives it a recurring revenue stream that is largely insulated from commodity prices. Last quarter, its distributable cash flow (operating cash flow minus maintenance capital expenditures) covered its distribution by more than 2x, which leaves plenty of room for continued hikes. Management has already raised the distribution for 14 straight quarters, taking it back above pre-cut levels, and is targeting 3% to 5% annual growth going forward. Energy Transfer is also back in growth mode, with $5 billion in growth project spending planned this year compared to $3 billion last year. This includes projects aimed at supplying natural gas to artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports, which are two secular trends just getting started. Despite all of this, the stock trades at a forward enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiple of just 8, which is the most common method for valuing midstream stocks. That's too cheap for a stock with this kind of financial strength, a 7.5% yield, and strong upside potential. As such, this is a stock that belongs in long-term portfolios. Enterprise Products Partners Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) is the type of company you can build a portfolio around. In fact, it's one of the stocks that I've held the longest. It has a long track record of distribution growth, operates in attractive markets, and runs a conservative balance sheet. It's not a stock that is going to double in a year, but it can provide you with a steady, rising income stream over a long period of time. Enterprise has increased its distribution for 26 straight years, and it has a current yield of around 6.9%. It raised its payout nearly 4% last quarter, and I would expect it to increase it by a similar percentage moving forward. That's the kind of compounding that adds up in a big way over time. Enterprise's business is also built for consistency. Historically, around 85% of cash flow comes from fee-based contracts, with many of them structured with take-or-pay terms and annual inflation escalators. This helps provide steady cash flows even in volatile energy markets. One of Enterprise's strongest areas is natural gas liquids (NGLs), where it's one of the biggest integrated players in the country. It operates across the entire value chain -- from gathering to processing to exports -- and demand for NGLs continues to grow globally. The company has always run a conservative balance sheet. Leverage sits at just over 3x, and the distribution is well covered with a 1.7x coverage ratio. It largely self-funds growth, so there's no need to tap the capital markets for every project. For long-term investors, Enterprise is a "sleep-well-at-night" stock. Genesis Energy Genesis Energy (NYSE: GEL) doesn't have the massive integrated midstream systems that Energy Transfer and Enterprise have, nor their track records. However, it's in the midst of a strategic shift that could unlock a lot of value. For investors willing to stomach a bit more risk, it has strong potential upside. One of my best midstream investments of all time was Crestwood (since bought by Energy Transfer), and Genesis has similar vibes. The company's big move came when it sold its soda ash business, bringing in $1.4 billion in proceeds. Genesis immediately used that to clean up its balance sheet, retiring high-cost debt and preferred units. UBS estimates that this move will save the company $84 million a year in interest expense and preferred dividends, helping lead to a meaningful boost to cash flow. The company's focus will now shift to its offshore pipeline assets. Two large deepwater projects in the Gulf of Mexico with connections to its offshore pipeline system are set to come online soon. Together, they could add up to $150 million in annual operating profit. At the same time, its marine transportation business is on track for record earnings this year, while offshore volumes are recovering from prior mechanical issues. All of this positions Genesis for much stronger cash flow going forward. Right now, the stock's yield sits at around 3.9%, but as these new projects ramp up, Genesis should have room to raise the distribution materially over time. This isn't the safest midstream stock you can buy, but it may have some of the biggest upside, even after its strong run this year. Do the experts think Energy Transfer is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Energy Transfer make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,048% vs. just 180% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 867.59%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $652,133!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,056,790!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Energy Transfer, Enterprise Products Partners, and Genesis Energy. The Motley Fool recommends Enterprise Products Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Smartest High-Yield Midstream Stocks to Buy With $2,000 Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
27 minutes ago
- Forbes
‘You No Longer Decide'—Microsoft Deletes Passwords In 10 Days
Your passwords are about to disappear. You now have just ten days before Microsoft starts deleting your passwords. Do not leave it too late and be sure to save your data. But before you do, there's a new warning that might change your mind on what to do next. First, as to what's behind Microsoft's new deletions. The company is on a mission to delete passwords for more than a billion users as the 'password era is ending.' As part of that, it has already stoped autofilling passwords from its Authenticator app and in August those passwords will be deleted from its systems. While Microsoft's Authenticator will still continue to store passkeys, users are urged to use Edge instead as a password manager, and data will automatically move across. But Proton has now warned that 'the direction is clear: core features are being consolidated inside a single ecosystem, with fewer options for users.' 'This isn't just about passwords,' Proton says, 'it's about control. When switching becomes harder, choice disappears.' The security firm has published a new blogpost in which it warns 'Microsoft is pushing users deeper into its walled garden.' Microsoft confirms that 'from August 2025, your saved passwords will no longer be accessible in Authenticator.' It has added a 'Turn on Edge' button in Authenticator, and says 'your saved passwords (but not your generated password history) and addresses are securely synced to your Microsoft account, and you can continue to access them and enjoy seamless autofill functionality with Microsoft Edge.' According to Proton, 'this means if you want to keep using Microsoft's password management features, you'll need to step further into Microsoft's walled garden and submit to Edge's data collection. And while this might look like a technical update, it reflects the inescapable logic of walled gardens: It's a clear shift toward its own ecosystem that restricts choice under the guise of convenience or security.' As for Authenticator itself. Proton says it 'was a simple, dedicated tool that allowed users to store and autofill logins across platforms. Like most Microsoft products, Authenticator collected data, but wasn't equipped to track across the internet.' 'You no longer decide how your information is handled or where it's stored. That decision gets made for you,' Proton suggests. 'Microsoft appears to be imitating Google's playbook with Chrome(new window). It can now tie your accounts to your browsing history and track you much more effectively.' There is a conflict here. Deleting passwords and replacing them with passkeys is the right answer. Passwords are not secure — even with two-factor authentication (2FA). But Proton says 'behind the careful phrasing is a simple truth — features that once worked anywhere now only work wherever Microsoft wants you to be.' This isn't just about Microsoft, it's 'a broader pattern in Big Tech. Apple's passkeys sync exclusively through iCloud. Google continues to tie identity and login services to its entire ecosystem. And now, Microsoft, after attempting to build its own walled gardens with Windows 365 and OpenAI, is limiting password management to Edge.' So is this a genuine concern — that 'gradually choice erodes, and systems that once worked broadly start to work best only when you're locked inside one company's walled garden.' To an extent, of course it is. That's why Apple's and Google's walled gardens are under regulatory pressure in the U.S. and Europe. 'Once you're in the walled garden, these companies move swiftly to monetize you at every opportunity.' But the undeniable truth is that users are more secure within a walled garden ecosystem that makes it difficult if not impossible for attackers to break into a trusted device. That's Apple's longstanding mantra and others are catching up fast. Even Samsung is now doing the same with Knox Matrix. Passkeys are one element — the linkage of security to hardware clearly steers towards control by hardware and OS developers. In the short term, you need to use what's available and add passkeys to all your key accounts. You should also delete passwords which continue to provide access to your accounts. But you should also keep Proton's warning in mind. This is about balance.
Associated Press
33 minutes ago
- Associated Press
AngelAi Goes All-in With Poker Legend Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi to Champion Housing Equality
In a bold move that bridges the worlds of high-stakes poker and high-impact social innovation, AngelAi partnered with Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi, who had a historic victory at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Wednesday, where he claimed the coveted World title, a $10 million prize and entry into the hall of fame. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / July 19, 2025 / Mizrachi, known for his relentless precision, discipline, and strategic brilliance, has a winning mindset that mirrors AngelAi's mission: breaking barriers to fair and low-cost housing. With AngelAi on his shoulder, The Grinder is proving that at the poker table and in our mission to provide equal access to housing finance, Nothing is Beyond 'The Grinder' Mizrachi WSOP Champion 'We're inspired by Michael's tenacity and his commitment to excellence,' said Pavan Agarwal, CEO and creator of AngelAi. 'Just as he dominated the WSOP with focus and finesse, we're leveraging AI to help everyday people win in the housing market-by making affordability and fairness the new standard.' AngelAi uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence to empower communities, streamline housing access, and advocate for transparency in real estate. The partnership with Mizrachi amplifies this mission, aligning his championship mindset with AngelAi's drive to champion customer success. About AngelAi and Celligence: AngelAi has been developed by Celligence International, LLC, one of the fastest-growing fin-tech and Ai companies. Celligence has engineered a novel Ai that is evolving and self-generating neural cells which come together to solve complex problems. The Celligence Ai is deterministic, not merely generative, and it delivers 100% accurate and trustworthy responses, as is required for financial transactions. At Celligence, a team of brilliant engineers ('Brillianeers') is expanding the boundaries of the financial services industry through innovations in mobile applications, customer acquisition, retention algorithms, and Ai-based process automation, and is continuously filing new patents supporting our technology. Visit for terms and limitations of the Trusted Warranty. WSOP is a registered trademark of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, LLC. Contact InformationSophie MIchaels PR Manager 914 309 8221 SOURCE: Celligence / Angel Ai press release
