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Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies are warmly spiced, with crisp edges and soft centers—perfect for holiday decorating and eating. Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar ¾ cup unsulfured molasses 1 large egg Instructions Mix dry ingredients : In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Cream butter & sugar : In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add molasses and egg. Combine : Gradually add dry mixture until dough forms. Chill dough : Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll & cut : Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake : Place on parchment-lined sheets and bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, until edges are set. Cool & decorate : Let cool com...

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Global Technology Outage Causes Major Disruptions Worldwide

 


A widespread technology outage on July 19, 2024, has caused significant disruptions across various sectors globally. The outage, primarily affecting Microsoft services, grounded flights, knocked banks and hospital systems offline, and took media outlets off the air.

The issue, which was not a result of a cyberattack, stemmed from a faulty update deployed by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. This update affected computers running Microsoft Windows, leading to cascading problems in airline communications, banking systems, and media broadcasting.

Airlines in the U.S., Europe, and Asia experienced severe delays as they lost access to check-in and booking services. Banks in South Africa and New Zealand reported outages in their payment systems, while hospitals and doctor’s offices faced challenges with appointment systems. Media outlets in Australia were pushed off air for hours.

Microsoft has been working to reroute impacted traffic to alternate systems to alleviate the issue and has observed a positive trend in service availability. However, the disruptions have highlighted the global dependence on a few key technology providers and the potential vulnerabilities in such a centralized system.

This incident underscores the critical need for robust contingency plans and diversified technology solutions to mitigate the impact of such widespread outages in the future.


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