Business briefs: CVS photo site users at risk
NEW YORK – CVS says investigators have confirmed the company that manages their photo website was indeed hacked this summer, possibly resulting in the theft of some CVS customer information.
The nation’s second-largest drugstore chain’s photo website has been shut down since July after the breach was detected. The photo sites of Rite Aid, Costco and Wal-Mart Canada also were affected.
The Rite Aid and Wal-Mart Canada sites remain shut down, while the Costco site has restarted limited operations.
Staples Inc., the parent company of Canada-based PNI Digital Media, which manages all of the sites, says it appears that the hackers used malware to capture user information on PNI servers.
But it says that there’s no sign that hackers accessed user photos or pin numbers.
Disney ending Osborne Family lights
ORLANDO, Fla. – Darth Vader’s in. Santa Claus is out.
Walt Disney World on Friday announced this will be the last year of the Osborne family’s Christmas lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights has been a Christmas tradition at Disney World for the past 20 years.
Disney officials say the theme park is unable to put on the lights after this year because of plans to use the space for new Stars Wars and Toy Story themed areas.
Former Jared Fogle associate in court
INDIANAPOLIS – An Indiana man whose criminal case led to federal charges against former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle has appeared in court for an initial hearing on child exploitation charges.
A federal magistrate asked 44-year-old Russell Taylor during Friday’s hearing if he understands the charges he faces and advised him of the maximum penalties. Taylor was then remanded back into federal custody.
Taylor is expected to plead guilty Dec. 10 to child exploitation and child pornography charges. He’s admitted using hidden cameras to produce child pornography involving 12 minors.
Prosecutors say their investigation of Taylor led to charges against Fogle, who they say received child pornography from Taylor, the former head of Fogle’s Jared Foundation.
Fogle has agreed to plead guilty to receiving child pornography and paying for sex with minors.
U.S., Russia oil output expected to fall
PARIS – Oil supply from the United States, Russia and other non-OPEC countries is expected to drop sharply next year – possibly the steepest decline since the Soviet Union collapsed – because of low prices, the International Energy Agency forecast Friday.
In its latest monthly report, the IEA says non-OPEC production is expected to drop nearly half a million barrels to 57.7 million barrels a day. It said that would be the largest annual drop since 1992, when non-OPEC supply shrank 1 million barrels after the USSR fell apart.
Amid booming U.S. production and high OPEC output, the benchmark price of oil plunged from over $100 last year to about $45 this week. Global oil demand has also grown, but not enough to absorb the high supply.
The agency forecast global oil demand would grow this year to a five-year high of 1.7 million barrels a day, before dropping to 1.4 million next year.
The low price is particularly hurting U.S. production, with the decline in output speeding up over the summer, the IEA said. Russian and North Sea supply is also forecast to shrink.