'Small' high-altitude balloon of unknown origin flying over Western US, Pharmacy cyberattacks...

Update 2/24/24: Department of Defense says high-altitude balloon detected over Western U.S. is hobbyist balloon 

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'Small' high-altitude balloon of unknown origin flying over Western US, poses 'no threat' to national security: officials  The US government is tracking a high-altitude balloon of unknown origin — and officials insist that it is not a security threat.

   The balloon, flying at an altitude between 43,000 and 45,000 feet, was determined to be “not maneuverable” and poses no threat to national security, the North American Aerospace Defense Command told The Post on Friday. 

   The nation’s airspace watchdog described it as “small” and said its fighter jets intercepted the balloon over Utah.

High-Altitude Balloon of Unknown Origin Sweeps Across Western US...The US military is assuring everyone the balloon poses no threat.   “The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security. NORAD will continue to track and monitor the balloon,” NORAD said in a statement. “The FAA also determined the balloon posed no hazard to flight safety.”

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Many local retail pharmacies have warned of delays and an inability to send orders through insurance plans after a cyberattack on UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare 

Pharmacies warned of long waits for customers and U.S. military clinics worldwide have been affected after a cyberattack against one of the country’s largest prescription processors rolled into a third day of downtime.

Health industry experts said that a cyberattack against Change Healthcare, part of insurer UnitedHealth Group’s Optum business, could have severe and lasting consequences should outages continue past the weekend.