Anna Davis

Bank Of America Survey: Young People 7.5x More Likely To Hold Crypto – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/bank-of-america-survey-young-people-7-5x-more-likely-to-hold-crypto-cryptonews/ Source: Unsplash Young Americans aged between 21 and 42 are 7.5 times more likely to hold crypto in their portfolios than investors over 43, a new survey from Bank of America shows. According to the survey, younger Americans with money to invest are also less interested in stocks than older investors, with the younger cohort instead viewing crypto and other so-called alternative investments as their “No. 1 choice.” An alternative investment normally refers to investments in any other asset than stocks, bonds and cash. This investment category has become increasingly popular in recent years, as many investors have seen the stock market as overvalued and risky, while bank savings have paid out interest rates far below the rate of inflation in most Western countries. Source: Bank of America “While overall [crypto] usage is low, younger people are 7.5 times more likely to hold crypto in their portfolios and five times more likely to say they understand it quite well,” the bank commented, stressing the importance of age when it comes to interest in crypto investing. In terms of where young investors go to find information about crypto investment opportunities, the bank said social media is the most popular. “Half of the younger group said they turn to social media for guidance on crypto, compared with 30% of the older group,” the BofA survey said. Meanwhile, the survey also found that a whopping 75% of investors between the ages of 21 and 42 do not believe it is possible to achieve “above-average returns” with a traditional portfolio consisting solely of stocks and bonds. Instead, the youngest group of investors are seeking to improve their returns with alternatives, including private equity, commodities, real estate, and – as already mentioned – crypto. The findings were published in Bank of America’s 2022 Private Bank Study of Wealthy Americans that was released this week. The survey was based on answers from 1,052 high-net-worth individuals in the US. In the past, Bank of America has shown some interest in crypto at the corporate level, having participated as a strategic investor in blockchain infrastructure platform Paxos‘ Series D round of funding. Last year, the major bank also made some headlines when it published its first official piece of investment research on the crypto market titled “Digital Assets Primer: Only the first inning.”

Son Of US Citizen Detained In Saudi Arabia Says His Father Is ‘nowhere Near Being Dissident’ – CNN https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/son-of-us-citizen-detained-in-saudi-arabia-says-his-father-is-nowhere-near-being-dissident-cnn/ CNN  —  The son of an American citizen imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for criticizing the Saudi government said Tuesday evening that his father is “nowhere near being a dissident.” “My father is a senior American citizen who just wants to live freely and happy in the United States where he got his education,” Saad Ibrahim Almadi’s son, Ibrahim Almadi, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront.” The US State Department confirmed earlier Tuesday that 72-year-old Saad Ibrahim Almadi has been imprisoned in Saudi Arabia after being given a 16-year sentence for tweets critical of the Saudi government. Almadi’s imprisonment was first reported by The Washington Post. Ibrahim Almadi told CNN on Tuesday that if his father had been held in Russia or Iran, “we’d see his name in the headlines every morning.” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a news briefing that officials have “consistently and intensively raised our concerns regarding the case at senior levels of the Saudi government, both through channels in Riyadh and Washington, DC, as well … as recently as yesterday.” Patel also confirmed that there was no State Department official at Almadi’s sentencing hearing, which he said was because the Saudi government moved up the hearing date without telling the US embassy and never responded to the embassy’s request to attend the hearing weeks before it was originally scheduled. The last time the US had consular access to Almadi was August 10, according to Patel. The State Department, he said, is still going through the process to determine whether Almadi will be designated as “wrongfully detained.” “Exercising the freedom of expression should never be criminalized,” Patel said. The State Department communicated with the Saudi ambassador in Washington on Monday about Almadi’s case, a US official told CNN. This headline and story have been updated with additional developments Tuesday.

FD Technologies ‘will Be Largely Shielded From UK Recession’ – The Irish News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/fd-technologies-will-be-largely-shielded-from-uk-recession-the-irish-news/ Gary McDonald Business Editor 19 October, 2022 03:00 THE head of Newry-based FD Technologies insists the group will be largely shielded from any fall-out of the UK’s economy plunging into recession. Chief executive Seamus Keating said: “A key strength for us is that 70 per cent of our business now comes from outside the UK, so we’re not dependent on the health of its economy. “Yes, it’s important we have economic stability in the UK, because that supports investment decisions. But the UK market is not our bread and butter.” He was speaking as the AIM-listed company reported an overall 15 per cent increase in revenues in the half year to August 31 to £147.4 million (up from £128 million previously), Gross profit for the period came in at £60.2m, which is 16 per cent higher on a year-over-year basis, and the company generated a pre-tax profit of £1.1 million compared to a loss of £1.6 million in the first six months of the 2021 fiscal year. “The strategy we laid out 18 months ago is delivering results, and we’re laying foundations for accelerated growth from here,” Mr Keating told the Irish News. FD Technologies, formerly known as First Derivatives, primarily provides software and services to investment banks and other financial institutions. It is focusing heavily at present on the growth of KX, its real-time continuous intelligence technology. Revenue from this segment of the business increased by 19 per cent to £37.8m, and the annual recurring revenue of KX also increased by 41 per cent, covering 71 per cent of the total revenue of the segment. The company’s focus on KX has been underlined with the recent appointment of Ashok Reddy as chief executive of that division (he is an industry veteran with three decades of experience in engineering and enterprise software). “Ashok’s appointment is already benefitting KX through his significant experience in scaling product-led enterprise technology businesses,” Mr Keating added. The services of the group’s First Derivative consulting business reported revenues of £86.2m, an increase of 22 per cent. But the one negative to the half-year report was an 8 per cent decline in sales at its MRP division, which uses predictive intelligence and cutting-edge predictive analytics to provide technology companies with a suite of account-based marketing solutions. Mr Keating said: “Part of our MRP business is in the US-led tech sector, which has cut back on some of its spending. “But my sense is that the US may not go into recession, because there’s enough demand and enough confidence for them to get inflation under control. That’s good for us, and we expect to see better growth going forward.” FD Technologies, which remains one of the north’s biggest graduate recruiters, took on 300 more people this year (it now employs more than 3,100 staff), and Mr Keating predicts there’s more to come. “We’re not forcing our people to be in the office for a set number of days a week, and they are really enjoying that level of flexibility,” he added.

Davidson County Churches, Groups And Businesses Plan Long List Of Halloween Events – Lexington Dispatch https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/davidson-county-churches-groups-and-businesses-plan-long-list-of-halloween-events-lexington-dispatch/ Skip to main content This content is only available to subscribers. Get unlimited digital access. $1 for 6 Months. Your subscription supports: Investigative reporting that makes our community a better place to work, live and play Expert coverage of high school sports teams The best tips on places to eat and things to do Daily newsletter with top news to know Mobile apps including immersive storytelling This content is only available to subscribers. Get unlimited digital access. $1 for 6 Months. Your subscription supports: Investigative reporting that makes our community a better place to work, live and play Expert coverage of high school sports teams The best tips on places to eat and things to do Daily newsletter with top news to know Mobile apps including immersive storytelling

Travel Demand Remains High, Despite Recession Fears – TravelPulse https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/travel-demand-remains-high-despite-recession-fears-travelpulse/ A new report, based on travel data sets from insights company GWI, shows the travel sector is continuing to see a strong post-pandemic rebound. It reveals that 57 percent of U.S. consumers are planning an overseas vacation within the next 12 months and 86 percent also eyeing a domestic trip. It seems, however, that they’re still somewhat trepidatious as a result of the pandemic experience, since 38 percent report that the ability to cancel or rebook without penalty is the most important factor for them when arranging their next trip, trailed by 36 percent of respondents who said they’ll be paying closer attention to hygiene standards. “The data really demonstrates that, while we’re keen to get back to regular travel, consumers are still tentative,” remarked GWI’s Chief Research Officer, Jason Mander added, Brands should take note, offer flexibility and, above all, demonstrate the overall value and experience they’re offering.” Today’s record-high economic inflation levels leading to a “cost of living crisis” and resulting concerns about an oncoming recession are also impacting consumer sentiment. As the cost of travel goes up, along with everything else, 36 percent of Americans are being price-conscious when it comes to their travel spending, according to July 2022 GWI Zeitgeist data. “While many people have jumped back into traveling after the disruption of the past couple of years, the ways in which we now live and work post-pandemic are heavily impacting travelers’ expectations,” said GWI’s CEO and Founder, Tom Smith. “That’s exactly why we have created a travel-specific data set—to help our customers stay on top of these ongoing changes, and really understand what people want and need.” Viewed altogether, U.S. travelers reported that their top priorities when planning a vacation right now are visiting family, relatives and friends (53 percent), or going on a beach or coastal getaway. However, when the data is broken down generationally, it’s evident that people in each age group have different preferences on how they want to travel. A generational breakdown of U.S. consumer data also reveals some key differences among the things that each age group is presently prioritizing when planning their vacations: Baby Boomers 69% – Cost/Value for money 67% – Good Weather/Climate 64% – Sights/Attractions to visit Gen X 65% – Cost/Value for money 63% – Sights/Attractions to visit 59% – Relaxation Millennials 58% – Fun/Excitement 56% – Relaxation 55% – Sights/Attractions Gen Z 70% – Fun/Excitement 56% – Cost/Value for money 56% – Good weather/Climate For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.

Biden To Release 15M Barrels From Oil Reserve, More Possible – 69News WFMZ-TV https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/biden-to-release-15m-barrels-from-oil-reserve-more-possible-69news-wfmz-tv/ WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will announce the release of 15 million barrels of oil from the U.S. strategic reserve Wednesday as part of a response to recent production cuts announced by OPEC+ nations, and he will say more oil sales are possible this winter, as his administration rushes to be seen as pulling out all the stops ahead of next month’s midterm elections. Biden will deliver remarks Wednesday to announce the drawdown from the strategic reserve, senior administration officials said Tuesday on the condition of anonymity to outline Biden’s plans. It completes the release of 180 million barrels authorized by Biden in March that was initially supposed to occur over six months. That has sent the strategic reserve to its lowest level since 1984 in what the administration called a “bridge” until domestic production could be increased. The reserve now contains roughly 400 million barrels of oil. Biden will also open the door to additional releases this winter in an effort to keep prices down. But administration officials would not detail how much the president would be willing to tap, nor how much they want domestic and production to increase by in order to end the drawdown. Biden will also say that the U.S. government will restock the strategic reserve when oil prices are at or lower than $67 to $72 a barrel, an offer that administration officials argue will increase domestic production by guaranteeing a baseline level of demand. Yet the president is also expected to renew his criticism of the profits reaped by oil companies — repeating a bet made this summer that public condemnation would matter more to these companies than shareholders’ focus on returns. It marks the continuation of an about-face by Biden, who has tried to move the U.S. past fossil fuels to identify additional sources of energy to satisfy U.S. and global supply as a result of disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and production cuts announced by the Saudi Arabia-led oil cartel. The prospective loss of 2 million barrels a day — 2% of global supply — has had the White House saying Saudi Arabia sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledging there will be consequences for supply cuts that could prop up energy prices. The 15 million-barrel release would not cover even one full day’s use of oil in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. The administration could make a decision on future releases a month from now, as it requires a month and a half for the government to notify would-be buyers. Biden still faces political headwinds because of gas prices. AAA reports that gas is averaging $3.87 a gallon. That’s down slightly over the past week, but it’s up from a month ago. The recent increase at prices stalled the momentum that the president and his fellow Democrats had been seeing in the polls ahead of the November elections. An analysis Monday by ClearView Energy Partners, an independent energy research firm based in Washington, suggested that two states that could decide control of the evenly split Senate — Nevada and Pennsylvania — are sensitive to energy prices. The analysis noted that gas prices over the past month rose above the national average in 18 states, which are home to 29 potentially “at risk” House seats. Even if voters want cheaper gasoline, expected gains in supply are not materializing because of a weaker global economy. The U.S. government last week revised downward its forecasts, saying that domestic firms would produce 270,000 fewer barrels a day in 2023 than was forecast in September. Global production would be 600,000 barrels a day lower than forecast in September. The hard math for Biden is that oil production has yet to return to its pre-pandemic level of roughly 13 million barrels a day. It’s about a million barrels a day shy of that level. The oil industry would like the administration to open up more federal lands for drilling, approve pipeline construction and reverse its recent changes to raise corporate taxes. The administration counters that the oil industry is sitting on thousands of unused federal leases and says new permits would take years to produce oil with no impact on current gas prices. Environmental groups, meanwhile, have asked Biden to keep a campaign promise to block new drilling on federal lands. Biden has resisted the policies favored by U.S. oil producers. Instead, he’s sought to reduce prices by releasing oil from the U.S. reserve, shaming oil companies for their profits and calling on greater production from countries in OPEC+ that have different geopolitical interests, said Frank Macchiarola, senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs at the American Petroleum Institute. “If they continue to offer the same old so-called solutions, they’ll continue to get the same old results,” Macchiarola said. Because fossil fuels lead to carbon emissions, Biden has sought to move away from them entirely with a commitment to zero emissions by 2050. When discussing that commitment nearly a year ago after the G-20 leading rich and developing nations met in Rome, the president said he still wanted to also lower gas prices because at “$3.35 a gallon, it has profound impact on working-class families just to get back and forth to work.” Since Biden spoke of the pain of gas at $3.35 a gallon and his hopes to reduce costs, the price has on balance risen another 15.5%. Follow AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterms: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Coffey’s ‘ultra-Libertarian’ Health Stance Risks Lives, Tory Ex-Minister Warns – The Guardian https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/coffeys-ultra-libertarian-health-stance-risks-lives-tory-ex-minister-warns-the-guardian/ People could die because of Thérèse Coffey’s “ultra-libertarian ideological” reluctance to crack down on smoking and obesity, a Conservative ex-health minister has warned. The strongly worded criticism of the health secretary came from Dr Dan Poulter, a Tory MP and NHS doctor who served as a health minister in the coalition government from 2012 to 2015. Poulter claims Coffey’s “hostility to what the extreme right call ‘nanny statism’” is stopping her from taking firm action against the “major killers” of tobacco and bad diet. His intervention in an opinion piece for the Guardian was prompted by Coffey making clear that she opposed banning adults from smoking in cars containing children, even though the practice was outlawed in 2015 and is credited with reducing young people’s exposure to secondhand smoke. The government’s widely anticipated scrapping of measures to curb obesity such as the sugar tax and ditching of the tobacco control plan and health inequalities white paper – both of which previous health ministers had promised to publish – have led Poulter to brand Coffey’s stance “deeply alarming”. He writes: “More smoking and more obesity means more illness, more pressure on the NHS and shorter lives, particularly amongst the poorest in society. “I am acutely concerned that the health secretary’s ideological hostility to what history shows is government’s potentially very positive role in protecting us against these grave threats to our health will exacerbate the problems they already pose. “At its worst such a radically different approach to public health could cost lives, as it will inevitably lead to more people smoking and becoming dangerously overweight.” The Guardian disclosed last week that officials in Whitehall believe that Coffey has dropped plans to publish the tobacco control plan, which was due out by the end of the year. The health secretary, who is herself a smoker, has consistently voted against moves to curb smoking since she became the MP for Suffolk Coastal in 2010 and has also accepted £1,100 in hospitality and gifts from the tobacco firm Gallaher. Coffey is ignoring the “ethical and practical” duty on governments to tackle “the great scourges of our health, notably smoking, unhealthy food and excess drinking” and has “shattered” a longstanding consensus on state intervention stretching back to the work by the then-health secretary Norman Fowler on HIV and Aids in the 1990s, Poulter added. Health charities endorsed Poulter’s remarks. Deborah Arnott, the chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “Libertarian ideology is as inadequate to improve public health as it was to drive economic growth. Just as the government’s failed economic strategy came straight from the playbook of the Institute of Economic Affairs, so does this visceral opposition to the so-called ‘nanny state’ and obsession with the free market. “It wasn’t the free market which delivered the fastest rates of decline in smoking in Europe in the first two decades of this century.” Katherine Jenner, the director of the Obesity Health Alliance, a grouping of 50 health and medical organisations, said: “The alliance shares Dr Poulter’s grave concerns. MPs don’t want their constituents living with chronic illness, and the public want it to be easier to make healthier choices. While there was some scepticism about the soft drinks industry levy when it was introduced by the Conservatives in 2018, it has led to sugar consumption falling by 30g per household per week, whilst not affecting sales. Now 71% of the public want companies to remove more sugar and salt from products.” She added: “Abandoning key obesity prevention measures is unfairly putting people at risk of developing life-limiting physical and mental health conditions. Government analysis projected that NHS costs attributable to overweight and obesity could reach £9.7bn by 2050. The health secretary can progress with these health-promoting policies and still create a freer society; free from the harm caused by unhealthy food and drink.” Coffey did not respond to Poulter’s remarks. But a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The tobacco control plan has not been scrapped and the government remains committed to its smoke free ambition by 2030. “Tackling obesity also remains a priority for the government. Having a fit and healthy population is essential for a thriving economy and we remain committed to helping people live healthier lives.”

Guardians’ Pitching Decision Backfires Vs. Yankees As Aaron Civale Serves Up Three-Run Giancarlo Stanton Homer – CBS Sports https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/guardians-pitching-decision-backfires-vs-yankees-as-aaron-civale-serves-up-three-run-giancarlo-stanton-homer-cbs-sports/ After a Monday rainout, the Guardians had the chance to start ace Shane Bieber on short rest in a win-or-go-home ALDS Game 5 against the Yankees. Instead, the Guardians stayed the course and started Aaron Civale at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees and slugger Giancarlo Stanton seemed to enjoy that decision greatly to set the tone in an eventual 5-1 Yankees win.  The Yankees will now move on to the ALCS while the Guardians’ season is over.  Stanton took Civale deep in the first with a three-run shot:  That was a 379-footer to right center clocked at 107.5 miles per hour off the bat. If it didn’t seem all that impressive, it’s because we’re spoiled by Stanton’s superhuman strength.  The next batter for the Yankees, Josh Donaldson, reached on an infield single. We’re mentioning this here because that would be the final batter Civale faced.  Civale’s final line: 1/3 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, BB, HBP, 1 K. Coincidentally, the only Yankees hitter he retired was Aaron Judge, who swung through a high curve on a 3-2 count.  “In a normal game, you can let him get his footing,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said during an in-game interview. “I’m not sure we could do that today.” Civale became just the 37th pitcher in history to last 1/3 of an inning or less in a postseason start. The most recent was Braves starter Dylan Lee in Game 4 of the 2021 World Series. He was removed with the bases loaded and one out. The Braves weren’t really planning on taking him deep in the game anyway.  That was likely the case with Civale and the Guardians here. They had well-rested relief studs in Sam Hentges, Trevor Stephan, James Karinchak and especially Emmanuel Clase — the best closer left in the playoffs, and he hadn’t thrown since Game 2. Surely the Guardians were hoping for more work and fewer runs from Civale, but their road map didn’t include extended work from him.  As it turns out, the Guardians finished the game with just those four specific relievers. Said relievers did allow two more runs, including a Judge homer off Hentges. Still, there are bound to be questions about Bieber.  Bieber had never been used before in his career on short rest. Had the Guardians won, he would’ve made a fine Game 1 starter in the ALCS. Of course, you can’t look ahead before winning. Then again, we could counter that argument by pointing out the Guardians were unlikely to win with just one run anyway. Hey, maybe they would’ve won, 1-0, with Bieber on short rest and the bullpen taking over whenever he ran out of gas. We’ll never know.  Regardless of how it went down, the Guardians are now going home for the winter after a very successful 2022 season. They shocked a good number of people by winning the AL Central and then advancing to the ALDS. They’ll look to retool in the offseason.

How Avaya Is Bringing Contact-Center Functionality To The Metaverse – ZDNet https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/how-avaya-is-bringing-contact-center-functionality-to-the-metaverse-zdnet/ Image: XH4D/Getty Images At the GITEX Global conference last week in Dubai, communications hardware and software provider Avaya showcased how its technology can be integrated into a metaverse experience. GITEX has become a premier technology conference across the globe and rivals CES for attendance.  Avaya has been a mainstay at the event for years and historically has been effective in highlighting its technology and innovation through customer use cases.  We are still in the early stages of the metaverse, so there aren’t many real-life examples. In fact, most IT leaders I talk to are interested in futuristic technology but are not sure of how to use it or what some practical business use cases are.  Here, the Avaya Dubai team collaborated with its partner, Avanza Solutions, and showcased the result at the Avaya stand at GITEX. Avanza is one of the premier digital transformation solution providers in the Gulf region. Avaya, Avanza partner to bring metaverse to life  The joint solution supports Dubai’s vision of being one of the top metaverse cities and is set to create tens of thousands of metaverse-related jobs in the next decade as the city looks to draw on the virtual environment to add to the already strong economy of the UAE.  Also: Here’s how the metaverse could transform your future job Currently, if a company wants to come and do business in Dubai, there are several tasks that need to be completed, including getting permits and applying for work visas. Instead of having to complete these tasks by driving to the government agencies and office buildings, which could take hours based on the traffic I experienced in Dubai, all the tasks can be completed in the metaverse. Some services can be done via the web, but even this can be challenging because each agency has its own website.  The interface even allows the selection of real estate, where users can go into virtual versions of buildings, design an office, and experience the many views Dubai offers.  The Dubai metaverse brings together everything required to start a business in one place: physical and virtual.  Avaya brings contact center to the metaverse  If a customer runs into problems, the user can connect with a contact center agent via the metaverse interface in conjunction with Avaya OneCloud CCaaS (contact center as a service). Customers can interact with virtual agents within the metaverse, speak to a live agent via phone call, or even use social media apps, such as Meta’s WhatsApp.  For Avaya, bringing the metaverse into its contact center wasn’t a complicated process. At GITEX, I talked to Avaya International President Nidal Abou-Ltaif about this, and he told me, “We just look at it as another channel. Avaya OneCloud CCaaS is fully cloud-native and designed to be open, so adding another channel for customer interactions can be done quickly and without any disruption.”  While Avaya’s mission during the past few years has been to create “Experiences That Matter,” the theme of its GITEX booth was “Innovation Without Disruption.” The way Avaya integrated metaverse into OneCloud CCaaS underscores that. Avaya customers can experiment with the metaverse and add contact center capabilities without having to bring in a new platform or go through a major upgrade.  Also: The metaverse is coming, and the security threats have already arrived If there is one key takeaway for business leaders from the pandemic it’s that no one knows what the future holds, which underscores the importance of business agility. An open platform like OneCloud CCaaS enables businesses to quickly adapt their customer service strategy to meet current demands without having to go through a massive upgrade.  Dubai metaverse creates a digital twin of business processes  The Dubai metaverse can be thought of as a digital twin of all government processes required to establish a business in the city.  In theory, once this is up and running, organizations could use the metaverse version of the government services to augment or even replace the physical ones.  Ideally, citizens and businesses would have access to all services in a hybrid mode where the web, metaverse, or physical services would all give an identical experience.  One of the unique aspects of the Gulf region is that the public sector drives innovation and sets the standard for private companies. In the US or western Europe, we often see government agencies lag in technology, sometimes by as much as a decade. I have been to Dubai several times and have been impressed with the level of technology adoption across the city. Drones, robots, video cameras, and IoT are commonly used to improve people’s lives, and now the metaverse is coming.  It’s interesting to think about where else Avaya could take this technology. At last year’s GITEX, Avaya demonstrated a real estate application built with Dubai-based real estate company EMAAR Properties, which had built an application prospective buyers could use to tour buildings and talk to agents virtually. This was designed for the pandemic, but like everything else in the world, once a process goes digital, it’s hard to go back. It would make sense to bring something like the EMAAR-based application together with the metaverse and allow buyers to talk to agents, bankers, property managers, or other people in the metaverse.  This example of a digital twin is also used to deliver city services that could be replicated in other industries, such as retail, higher education, real estate, and gaming.  The metaverse is coming, and it was good to see a practical example at the Avaya stand at GITEX. The “innovation without disruption” theme Avaya used at the show is important because new technology often has lengthy adoption cycles; any kind of disruption to the business has customer service, revenue, or other implications.

6 Best Nonstick Pans Of 2022 – Top-Rated Nonstick Pans – Delish https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/6-best-nonstick-pans-of-2022-top-rated-nonstick-pans-delish/ Sarah Ceniceros Everyone knows the tragedy (and horrible burning smell) of getting food stuck to your skillet. But you don’t have to suffer through breakfasts of charred scrambled eggs and blackened pancakes. You may love your stainless steel cookware, but any professional chef will tell you—everyone should own at least one nonstick pan. Another benefit of owning a nonstick pan is that it doesn’t require a lot of oil or butter to prevent sticking, which leads many to think it’s the most healthy cookware to use. To settle the score on the healthiest type of nonstick pan, we turned to the Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab, Nicole Papantoniou, who has nearly a decade of experience professionally testing kitchen tools and gadgets. “I don’t like saying that the pan itself is healthy because it’s a pan and you don’t eat it,” Papantoniou quipped. “But cooking with a nonstick pan allows you to use less oil, which leads to a consumption of fewer calories, so it could be healthier because of that. You also tend to use a lower cooking temperature with nonstick pans, and some think that cooking food at lower temperatures is healthier than blasting it with heat.” Regardless of your reasoning, picking up one of these kitchen essentials is bound to get you jazzed about all the pan-fried salmon, fluffy French omelets, and sizzling skillet recipes like lemon-herb chicken and potatoes you’ll be making—all with minimal cleanup and no sticking, shredding, or scorching. Inexpensive, long-lasting nonstick pans. We have recommendations for the best frying pans for every type of cook, but if you’re looking to outfit your whole kitchen, you’re in luck! Whether you’d prefer to spring for a whole nonstick or ceramic cookware set or you want to splurge on a sleek, buy-it-for-life cast iron skillet, we’re here to offer a helping hand. Our top picks How we picked these products To find the best nonstick pan, we turned to our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute, who have identified the best and highest-rated brands and put them to the test. Their team of on-staff experts—which includes all types: engineers! data analysts! registered dietitians!—rigorously put everyday products to the test (and then more and more tests) in their New York City-based labs to determine which ones you can trust. From frying and scrambling over 120 eggs to searing 15 steaks, these Kitchen Tech Experts put a plethora of pans (in fact, 80 nonstick cookware sets and 15 additional nonstick pans) through rigorous tests to analyze their user-friendliness, durability, cleanability, weight, heat distribution and retention, ergonomics, and ability to balance on a stovetop. After reviewing their findings and discussing their road tests in-depth with Papantoniou, we’ve determined that these are the best nonstick pans you can buy in 2022. 1 Best Nonstick Pan OXO Good Grips Pro Hard Anodized Nonstick 10-inch Frying Pan 2 Best Budget Nonstick Pan Tramontina PRO Fusion 10-Inch Aluminum Nonstick Fry Pan 3 Best Splurge Nonstick Pan Le Creuset Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Pro 10-inch Fry Pan 4 Most Durable Nonstick Pan Ninja C30026 Foodi NeverStick Premium 10¼-inch Fry Pan 5 Best Ceramic Nonstick Pan GreenPan Valencia Pro Hard Anodized Ceramic Nonstick 10-inch Frying Pan 6 Best Stainless Steel Nonstick Pan Made In Made In 10-inch Non Stick Frying Pan 7 Are nonstick pans safe? Nonstick pans have gotten a bad rap from those ugly rumors of toxicity, but the truth is, these are not the nonstick cookware sets you grew up hearing about. They are lightweight, affordable, convenient, and perfectly healthy (as long as you heed the manufacturer’s recommendations). Nonstick cookware gets its signature slick, nonreactive surface from a synthetic coating like perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) or the FDA-approved polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Even if these chemical compounds don’t sound familiar, you’ve likely heard of their more popular brand name: Teflon. But before you start worrying about carcinogens and chemicals, it’s important to note that PFOAs and PTFEs are inert (a.k.a. they won’t react with chemicals inside or outside your body). Not only are these compounds safe to cook with, but also, let’s not forget why “Teflon” is practically synonymous with “durability.” However, that doesn’t mean your nonstick pans will last forever, even if some brands claim otherwise. Papantoniou provided some insight on how often you should replace your nonstick pans: “You likely need to replace your nonstick pan every couple of years. Over time the nonstick coating starts to wear, and any time you see a nick or scratch on the surface, you’ll want to replace it because it compromises the integrity of the pan,” she said. Some brands tout having the longest-lasting nonstick cookware, but she explained, “It’s less about the brand and more about the pan’s construction. Some have more layers than others, for example, which makes for a better nonstick pan.” Between shopping for a nonstick pan with the right materials and caring for it properly, you can get a good 5-10 years out of it before its time to shop around for a replacement. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your nonstick pan: You should never—ever—use nonstick cooking spray on a nonstick pan. It may seem counterintuitive, but these sprays gradually leave a film on the nonstick surface that is nearly impossible to remove, and therefore compromises the coating’s integrity over time. However, you still need to put oil, butter, or some kind of fat in a nonstick pan. (Trust us, it’s healthier in the long run if you do than if you don’t!) “You never want to heat a nonstick pan without anything in it, so using oil helps you not overheat it ultimately,” Papantoniou advised. “And in terms of cooking, it’s not needed per se, but it definitely makes things taste better.” Meanwhile, there is a spray you can use on your nonstick pan: Nonstick repair spray. To repair a nonstick coating and make your nonstick pan, well, nonstick again, this nifty spray should do the trick—just keep an eye out for any scratches. Unless otherwise permitted by the manufacturer, do not use metal utensils with your nonstick pan or put in the dishwasher. Metal utensils can of course cause scratches and scuffs that threaten the longevity of nonstick coatings, but harsh soaps, high pressure, and scalding temperatures can cause equally disastrous results. Some manufacturers may say it’s okay, but it’s best to avoid using nonstick pans over high heat to prevent damage or the release of harmful odors or chemicals. Instead, consider cooking with low to medium-low heat. (And in the event cooking on high heat is unavoidable, try not to do so for longer than 30 seconds.) When the time comes to send your nonstick pan off to pasture, Papantoniou had some advice for what you can do once you’ve determined it’s time to throw away your old, scratched, and ineffective nonstick pans: “Check your manufacturer’s instructions to see what the best disposal process is. Some metals are recyclable, but with the coatings, it can depend, so always check the manufacturer’s instructions.” 8 How do you choose a nonstick pan? Whether you’re a longtime nonstick fan looking to replace your trusty pan or you’re a nonstick novice, we’re here to make sure you don’t get burned by crummy cookware. These versatile pans are already plenty affordable, but you also want to ensure they meet your needs in the kitchen. First and foremost, it’s important to know what makes a good nonstick pan. “I like a nonstick pan that has some heft to it, so it’ll sit on your burner without toppling, and ones that take a little bit longer to heat up, so you don’t risk getting to that 450º F temp fast, which is typically the maximum temperature recommended for using nonstick pans,” Papantoniou explained. “I like coatings that say they can be used with metal utensils, not necessarily because I want to use metal utensils, but because it’s a good indicator that they’re more durable. And cleanup is really important too—pans that have some grit to them, which makes them more durable, are actually harder to clean.” When selecting a nonstick pan, construction is key. But there are a lot of factors to choose from, such as weight, materials, and design features. Pans with more heft can get you a good sear on a steak, but they’re not as easy to lift and flip. Meanwhile, more lightweight pans can be less durable and heat up too quickly. Papantoniou had some pointers if you’re struggling to choose a nonstick pan: “I think the main thing to consider is, how are you going to use it? Are you looking for something to just make eggs in the morning, or are you looking to cook a whole meal for your family? Because that will determine the size—an 8-inch pan is good for a single portion of eggs and breakfast foods, whereas 10 inches is a good average size, and our test kitchen likes 12 inch pans for cooking in bigger batches. The second thing I would look for is material. Do you want a standard nonstick pan that lasts a little longer, or do you want a ceramic pan that can somewhat handle higher temperatures? And then the other thing is heft. If you’re looking for something lightweight, it’ll heat faster and it’s easier to handle, whereas if you go with something heavier, it’ll be more durable.” Kaitlin Mahar Contributing Writer Kaitlin Mahar is a California-based freelance writer covering the shopping and lifestyle beats.

BitKeep Crypto Wallet Exploited For $1 Million – Here’s What You Need To Know – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/bitkeep-crypto-wallet-exploited-for-1-million-heres-what-you-need-to-know-cryptonews/ Crypto hacks are becoming more common, and the latest victim is BitKeep – crypto wallet that supports more than 30 blockchain networks.  During the early hours of Tuesday morning, BitKeep announced that its Swap product had been hacked of $1 million of BNB Chain and Polygon-based tokens. The company tweeted that its development team had managed to stop the hacker. BitKeep also tweeted that it had suspended the Swap service to prevent any further security breaches. Blockchain security and analytics data company PeckShield stated that the hackers had exploited the swap/router of the multi-chain wallet – integrating several features in one location.  PeckShield informed BitKeep investors that they should use its Revoke.Cash platform to ensure they do their part in preventing hackers from stealing any other funds. The blockchain security company discovered that the hacker had transferred 190 tokens via the Binance Smart Chain network. Fortunately for investors, BitKeep is adamant about keeping investor funds safe. While several hacked crypto companies haven’t compensated investors for losses, BitKeep is taking a different approach. BitKeep Wallet tweeted that users’ assets are secure and those that suffered losses in the Swap security incident will be fully compensated. The wallet provider will launch a compensation portal within 3 working days for victims to apply for a refund. The provider also stated that it will compensate 100% of the stolen assets. Crypto investors have every right to feel jittery about their assets because 2022 has proved to be a doozy. Reports reveal that crypto hackers have looted over $3 billion. If that wasn’t bad enough, October has set the record for the highest total amount hacked in one month. It’s believed that more than $700 million has been stolen from DeFi protocols in October. And the worst part is that we still have almost two weeks until November.

French Company Pleads Guilty To U.S. Charge Of Paying Terror Groups – The Washington Post https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/french-company-pleads-guilty-to-u-s-charge-of-paying-terror-groups-the-washington-post/ NEW YORK — Global cement company Lafarge will pay the U.S. government nearly $780 million for conspiring with Islamic State militants to run a production plant in war-ravaged Syria during its civil war — a move that helped bolster the terrorist group’s meager finances, officials said Tuesday. A top executive of Lafarge, which was acquired by Swiss-based Holcim in 2015, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn to a count of conspiring to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, admitting that Lafarge knowingly engaged in a deal with Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and the al-Nusrah Front (ANF), a Syrian Islamist militia, in 2013 and 2014. The guilty plea marked the first time a corporation was prosecuted under a U.S. statute that prohibits a person or entity from assisting foreign terrorist groups, officials said. The Justice Department has a broad ability to bring such cases in U.S. courts even if the conduct generally occurred abroad but also involves at least one wire transaction locally. Justice Department officials said Tuesday that the two groups obtained at least $6 million in payments from Lafarge. The payoffs allowed Lafarge to operate the plant in the Northern region of Syria, near the Turkish border, and bought them protection from the militias. The Islamic State also made more than $3 million directly through the sale of cement it obtained at the end of Lafarge’s operation there starting in late 2014. In total, Lafarge agreed to forfeit $687 million and pay $91 million in criminal fines to the United States. U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz, who accepted Lafarge’s guilty plea, said the case “impacts global communities [and] the national security of the United States,” as well as victims of the terrorists. Lafarge, which is based in France, had dealings with ISIS at a time when the group was responsible for capturing and killing journalists and aid workers in the devastated region. Justice Department officials said the company paid for access to the plant and for protection from ISIS at a time when other corporations were fleeing Syria. The Islamic State even issued stamped driving permits for Lafarge workers to get access to the plant. “To the brothers at the checkpoints of Qarah Qawzak Bridge, may Allah keep you safe,” a translation of the permit read. “Kindly allow the employees of Lafarge Cement Company to pass through after completing the necessary work and after paying their dues to us.” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said at a news conference Tuesday that Lafarge and its Syrian subsidiary were responsible for providing significant funds to ISIS, which “otherwise operated on a shoestring budget.” “This conduct by a Western corporation was appalling and has no precedent or justification,” Peace said. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said greedy intentions by Lafarge fueled rampant violence. “In its pursuit of profits, Lafarge and its top executives not only broke the law, they helped to finance a violent reign of terror that ISIS and [ANF] imposed on the people of Syria,” Monaco said. In France, six former executives and Lafarge are facing pending criminal charges in connection with their relationships in Syria. Those six people were referred to in court papers in the New York case but were not named. “We deeply regret that this conduct occurred and have worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve this matter,” Lafarge said in a statement. The conduct did not involve “Lafarge operations or employees in the United States and none of the executives who were involved in the conduct are with Lafarge or any affiliated entities today,” the statement also said.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580 Review, Grand Luxury And Technology – Torque News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-2022-mercedes-benz-s580-review-grand-luxury-and-technology-torque-news/ As I am reviewing the 2022 Mercedes-Benz 580S, I am thinking, who to recommend this very expensive car. I don’t know. Perhaps the supper wealthy (although I believe people should live humbly and not extravagantly). So why test this expensive vehicle that only a few people can afford. The good news, in fact, is that most of the new technologies that one can find in the 2022 Mercedes S580will be echoed in our cars within a few years. So we are discovering them in advance, even if it means test-driving it for a week for this review. The S-Class is a benchmark for luxury, comfort, innovation and technology. Even today, it is aimed at the ultra-wealthy, but with the introduction of the 2022 EQS EV, the large electric sedan, I seriously wonder whether it can still present itself as the true flagship of Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Benz S Class is one of the most revered cars in automotive history. Countless technologies and innovations were initially introduced in one or another generation of the S-Class. The first S appeared in 1951, but the principle of the limousine at Mercedes-Benz dates back to 1903. Exterior At the front, the S-Class has the manufacturer’s most advanced optical units. Powerful, 1 million pixel matrix laser illumination elements frame oncoming vehicles to prevent glare. The radiator grille changes a little in its shape, and we still retain the traditional silver star in the bonnet ornament. The S580 is long, and that’s normal considering its vocation. If ever the optics of owning a 5,289 millimeter car intimidates you, count on the “short” S500 at 5,119 millimeters. Even if it is completely revised, it maintains its semi-circular roof arch. For the rest, everything is smooth with a character line in the upper part that stretches over the entire body. The S580 looks like a limousine. As the Mercedes S580 is longer than the S550 Its S500, my test car’s longer wheelbase allowed for spectacular rear-seat clearance. Even the doors to give access to it are excessively large. And the two doors open very widely. Under the hood, the 2022 Mercedes S580 offers a noteworthy arsenal. Torque News got the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in our car. Its power: 496 horsepower and some 21 additional horsepower with the EQ Boost function. It is a very light hybrid mode. The 9-speed gearbox is installed in addition, as is the all-wheel drive. In addition, the directional rear wheels are an additional element for driving assistance. When you buy a car like this the fuel economy probably will not interest you. But we should care and be caring people. The 2022 Mercedes-Benz S580 gets 19 miles per gallon and 16/25 city/high MPG respectively. Interior What defines first and foremost an S-Class is the luxury of its cabin. This W223 is no exception. The interior design mixes high quality materials. The finish borders on obsession, and for once in a modern Mercedes-Benz, it doesn’t crack. Comfort is obvious, front or rear. There’s very little you can’t do with these seats. Heated and ventilated, of course, but we also offer several different massage styles. Adjustable in all directions, we find our account. It’s not so much the engine that impresses with its novelty, it’s more the interior comfort of driving. Imagine, a car so quiet that it’s like being in a sound booth. A high-end sound system is also in order. A large central screen displays the controls in a system called MBUX whose ergonomics are intuitive, and voice commands easy to use. Speaking of the MBUX: the MBUX Interior Assist, which recognizes gestures as well as hand movements towards the touchscreen or touchpad and highlights or activates the desired content, is one of the novelties in the 2022 S580. Another notable addition to the 2022 model year, is the availability of the company’s E-Active Body Control in the lineup. The augmented reality navigation function and voice commands also receive some updates to be even more natural. AR navigation now projects a sharper readout on the head-up display. Of course, the fluidity, graphics, sharpness and handling of all screens and cameras cannot be faulted Basically, the car simply acts as a personal assistant. An additional example: at the bottom of the screen, the S580 has a fingerprint reader that allows it to recognize you and associate you with a predetermined profile. Put your finger down, the seat will position itself for you, the heater will adjust and you’ll have your favorite station. The Burmester Surround 4D audio system distributes all the sound through 30 loudspeakers distributed throughout the cabin. The atmosphere is subdued by the ambient lighting which consists of fiber optics distributed every 1.6 centimeters. You will find more than 250 all around you.. Inside, the experience appeals to minimalism and quality. The leathers remind us of the most classic Mercedes, real leathers, very luxurious and with a thick texture. The same can be said of the wood finishes and metallic textures. In other words, the focus is much more the sensory experience, what you can touch and see. For the same reason, Mercedes worked a lot on the user experience: doors with soft opening and closing, soft cushions on the headrests, state-of-the-art ambient lighting, etc. Regarding the trunk, both body options (the S500 and S580) cover a total of 550 liters in the internal combustion versions. This figure is reduced to 350 liters in the plug-in hybrid. In addition, the trunk is not upholstered in its upper part, with exposed sheet metal. It does have lighting, a 12 V socket, some fasteners and various bags with cables and accessories. Another great novelty is that the S-Class has more than 50 electronic devices that can be updated over-the-air (wirelessly). As for driving, softness is in order, silence too, but the power develops without any hesitation. The Mercedes S580 is a giant in its world. By its dimensions of course, but above all by its disconcerting ease in offering comfort and softness. Among the models that aspire to rival the S-Class we find other sedans in its class, including Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS and Genesis G90. However, given the aspirations of the S-Class and the possibility of accessing very exclusive versions under the Maybach emblem, the S-Class can also be considered as a rival to the Bentley Flying Spur and Rolls-Royce Ghost. P.S. The 2022 Mercedes-Benz S 580 that Torque News reviewed came with AMG floor mats, but this was not the AMG S 580. I guess Mercedes Benz USA likes to throw a couple of AMG items to make the car look “cooler.” Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube. Reference: Ma Beauce, RPMWeb,

Denton To Vote On City Referendum To Decriminalize Marijuana – The Dallas Morning News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/denton-to-vote-on-city-referendum-to-decriminalize-marijuana-the-dallas-morning-news/ Update: Updated at 4:20 p.m. to include a statement from a policy expert at SMU Dedman School of Law. Residents in the city of Denton have the opportunity to vote on a referendum this upcoming election to decriminalize marijuana in the city’s jurisdiction. However, the proposal on the ballot isn’t as blunt as it seems. Proposition B would not legalize marijuana, but rather adopt an ordinance into the city’s charter that discourages arrests and citations and prohibits city funds from being used to test substances for low-level charges. The referendum comes just weeks after President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession charges and at the same time as five different states vote to legalize the drug recreationally this election. “All we’re trying to do is protect our residents while we wait for the state to get its act together,” said board member and an elector with Decriminalize Denton, Nick Stevens. The proposition, if approved, would amend the city code to end citations and arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, with the exception of offenses that are part of felony narcotics or violent felony investigations. The ordinance doesn’t stop a police officer from confiscating suspected marijuana, but it does stipulate they should not arrest people for misdemeanor offenses. However, state officers could make arrests in Denton jurisdiction and it does not make state law obsolete for city officers. Texas law already grants police officers the discretion whether to arrest low-level offenders or issue a citation and release. The Denton Record Chronicle reported former Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon unofficially aligned with the latter policy. Dixon stepped down from his position earlier this year to accept the assistant city manager position, and was replaced by Doug Shoemaker October 3. Shoemaker did not respond to a request for a comment on if he will adopt a similar stance to the old chief. The ordinance also prohibits a “smell test” to be a probable cause for search or seizure, except for felony investigations. Additionally, city funds would not be used to test a substance to be identified as marijuana except for in cases of felony level investigations. Texas legalized hemp, but not marijuana in 2019, resulting in the need to test substances before prosecuting charges. Jamie Beck, first assistant criminal district attorney for Denton County, said testing substances is a costly effort and led to a drop in marijuana cases the DA’s office prosecuted. She added the DA will continue to prosecute marijuana charges brought to the office. “Will this proposition make our marijuana cases decline in the city of Denton? I would imagine it would, but it doesn’t affect the overall County and it doesn’t affect our office,” she said. Malia Brink, senior policy attorney at SMU law school’s Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center, said the clearest impact of the ordinance would be to bar prosecution for misdemeanor possession in the City’s municipal court. “But it would also send a powerful message from the community to all officials – whether formally bound by the Ordinance or not – that criminal prosecution of marijuana possession is not a priority,” she said in a written statement. The ordinance would not apply to Texas Women’s University and the University of North Texas jurisdictions, The Denton Record Chronicle reported. Stevens described the ordinance as a way to address a larger racial justice, medical and economic issue. “Black and brown residents are disproportionately punished under the law and we’re trying to remediate that crisis,” he said. A 2020 ACLU report showed Black people were nearly three times more likely than white people to be arrested in Texas for marijuana possession. Stevens advocated for marijuana use for veterans and others suffering from PTSD or chronic pain as a safer alternative to alcohol and pharmaceutical drugs. He finally outlined the issue as economic because while Texans can be fined for possessing marijuana, it is legal recreationally in 19 states. He emphasized Decriminalize Denton and the ordinance is supported by members of both political parties. “This is one thing that most Texans agree on,” he said. “We’re trying to prove that when Texans can unite over popular issues, that’s better for our state.” A recent poll from The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler found 83% of Texans (both Democrats and Republicans) support legalizing medical marijuana in the state. Sixty percent supported legalizing the drug for recreational use. City councilmember Jesse Davis opposed the adoption of the ordinance saying it could give people the “wrong ideas in dangerous ways.” “You got to remember, it’s still an illegal product,” he said. His main concern was the ordinance would result in miscommunication to ill-informed citizens who would believe marijuana and THC products to be legal in Denton and at its college campuses, where the ordinance doesn’t apply. Davis was also concerned an increase in moving the drug into the city would accompany the referendum’s passage. “We’re gonna have an increase in the illicit trade,” he said. “The trafficking of marijuana, it’s just gonna go up, and that’s going to result in more violent crime.” The Dallas Police Department stopped making arrests for small amounts of marijuana (less than 2 ounces) in 2021, after a report found the department arrested unproportionable numbers of people of color for offenses. Related:What to know about Biden’s marijuana pardons, including who’s eligible and who’s not Additionally, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot’s office stopped prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana charges in January 2019. The city of Denton passed a similar ordinance in June when its city council voted to de-prioritize enforcing Texas’s abortion ban. The ordinance was brought to the ballot through a petition started by Decriminalize Denton that received 3,000 signatures, Stevens said. The city council then voted in July to put the measure to the people this upcoming election. “It’s going to take normal average residents to start at the local level in order to push the state to do the right thing,” Stevens said. “And I really think that we’re gonna do that.” Isabella Volmert, Breaking News Fellow. Isabella Volmert reports breaking news as part of a one-year fellowship for The Dallas Morning News. She is a recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame where she studied English and journalism. She previously served the DMN as a breaking news intern, and has worked at the South Bend Tribune and the Missourian of Washington, Missouri. isabella.volmert@dallasnews.com @isabellavolmert

SnowPak Announces New Colorado Ski Resort Partner – GlobeNewswire https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/snowpak-announces-new-colorado-ski-resort-partner-globenewswire/ Littleton, Oct. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Littleton, Colorado – SnowPak proudly announces a wholesale partnership with Telluride ski resort for the 2022/23 ski season. This new partnership allows SnowPak access to Telluride’s ski products to expand its product offering of Colorado resorts in its online mountain travel booking platform. “Telluride is one of the top ski resorts in Colorado, and SnowPak is very excited to work with them directly. SnowPak currently works with amazing resorts like Breckenridge, Vail, and Aspen, so adding Telluride to the company ski resort portfolio makes sense,” said Jack Lee, Communications Director for SnowPak. Under this wholesale agreement, SnowPak and its connected travel agent representatives can distribute and package Telluride ski passes with other ski vacation travel products such as ski lodging, equipment rentals, ski lessons, and transportation services. The pandemic has dramatically impacted the ski travel industry as a whole. The ski resort industry has been heavily focused on mountain operations to maintain a safe environment for its guests for the past three ski seasons. The SnowPak Vacations – Telluride Ski Resort partnership is a sign that ski resorts are shifting their focus back to attracting destination skiers. “Destination ski travel was hit hard, but demand has picked up this ski season with many inquiries about Colorado ski packages. It looks like ski vacations are now coming back in a big way as a winter getaway option,” said Mark Liang, Chief Product Officer of SnowPak. “The partnership with Telluride ski resort is a major step forward in meeting that demand. SnowPak has a lot of customers who are looking for a ski vacation to Colorado, and Telluride is definitely at the top of the list.” SnowPak is one of North America’s biggest ski tour operators specializing in Colorado ski vacations. Telluride ski resort is one of the top ski resorts in Colorado, voted the best in North America for the 2021/22 season by Canyon News. SnowPak’s goal is to make destination ski vacations accessible to new skiers. ### For more information about SnowPak, contact the company here: SnowPak Jack Lee 1 (800) 891-2256 jack@snowpak.com 9878 W Belleview Ave, Suite 5008, Denver CO 80123

Netflix Rebounds From Recent Subscriber Losses With 3Q Gain – 69News WFMZ-TV https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/netflix-rebounds-from-recent-subscriber-losses-with-3q-gain-69news-wfmz-tv/ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix reversed its recent subscriber losses with a summertime gain that management is hoping to build upon with the upcoming launch of a cheaper version of the video streaming service that will include ads for the first time. The Los Gatos, California, company disclosed Tuesday that it picked up 2.4 million subscribers during the July-September period, a comeback from a loss of 1.2 million customers during the first half of the year amid stiffer competition and soaring inflation that’s squeezing household budgets. Netflix now boasts 223 million subscribers, enabling the company to at least temporarily reclaim the mantle as the world’s largest video streaming service. Walt Disney Co. eclipsed Netflix in August when it reported its service had 221 million subscribers, a number that will be updated Nov. 8 when Disney is scheduled to report its summertime results. “After a challenging first half, we believe we’re on a path to reaccelerate growth,” Netflix predicted in a shareholder letter accompanying the third-quarter results. The uptick in subscribers also helped Netflix earn $1.4 billion, or $3.10 per share, a 4% dip from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 6% from last year to $7.93 billion. The subscriber gains, earnings per share and revenue all topped analyst projections compiled by FactSet. Netflix’s shares surged nearly 13% after the latest numbers came out. Even so, the stock has still lost more than half its value so far this year, reflecting worries that Netflix’s best days have passed. Now that Netflix is growing again, it will be aiming to accelerate the momentum with its first ad-supported plan that debuts in the U.S. and 11 other markets in early November. The new option will cost $7 per month in the U.S., less than half the price for Netflix’s most popular $15.50-per-month plan without commercial interruptions. “Netflix still has a lot of room to grow and capture the share in a price-sensitive market,” Investing.com analyst Haris Anwar said in a sign of renewed optimism about the company’s prospects. In a possible sign Netflix isn’t expecting the ad-backed plan to be an immediate hit, management is forecasting it will add 4.5 million subscribers during the October-December period. Although that would be Netflix’s biggest quarterly gain this year, it would still be down from the 8.3 million subscribers added during the same holiday-season period last year. Netflix is apparently hoping to de-emphasize Wall Street’s long-running focus on its subscriber growth by stopping to provide forecasts about how many customers it expects to add from one quarter to the next. Management disclosed Tuesday that its subscriber projection for the current quarter will be its last, but that it will continue to predict earnings and revenue in hopes investors will pay more attention to those figures. Although investors have generally been enthusiastic about Netflix’s expansion into the advertising market, one major concern is whether the additional revenue generated from selling commercials will be enough to offset the losses from current subscribers who switch to the cheaper option from higher prices they are currently paying. Netflix is projecting revenue of nearly $7.8 billion for the quarter covering the holiday season that traditionally spurs more advertisers, slightly below what analysts had been anticipating, according to FactSet. If Netflix delivers on its revenue forecast, it will translate into a 4% increase from the same time last year. By comparison, Netflix’s posted a year-over-year revenue gain of 16% in its 2021 holiday-season quarter. But an analysis by the research firm Insider Intelligence foresees advertising contributing a significant chunk of Netflix’s revenue. Next year, Netflix should bring in more than $830 million from advertisers in the U.S. alone, followed by more than $1 billion in the U.S. in 2024, according to Insider Intelligence. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Introducing The SELF Well-Read Book Club—and Our First Official Pick! – Self https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/introducing-the-self-well-read-book-club-and-our-first-official-pick-self/ Around the office we talk a lot about what we’re reading—and I don’t think that’s just because we’re editors and writers. For so many of us, reading is a true form of self-care. At various points in my life, plowing through a book has even felt like medicine: I can’t count how many times I got through anxious weeks or months by escaping in a good story. As I’ve gotten older and become more curious, reading has also become a way for me to challenge my beliefs, expand my awareness, and simply live well. I’m always looking to work on myself and suck all there is out of life. (And, whenever possible, make life feel a teensy bit easier.) If you’re still reading this, I’m betting you feel the same. So I’m pleased to introduce the SELF Well-Read Book Club! Each month we’ll announce a new pick that we’ll read right alongside you and hundreds of other SELF readers. The books we read will span a range of topics—from mental health and self-help to fitness, relationships, and healthy living. By staying in the loop, you’ll get access to SELF content that complements our pick of the month, intimate Instagram Live chats with the author, exclusive excerpts, and more. So let’s jump right in! Our November Well-Read Book Club pick is—drumroll please—Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built for Us, by athlete, activist, and mental health advocate Alison Désir. Running While Black—which comes out today—is part memoir, part cultural critique, and part call to action: Désir shares her own story of becoming a Black distance runner in an unwelcoming white space while taking her readers through gut-wrenching accounts of what it means to be both Black and a runner at large, from national news stories like that of Ahmaud Arbery to troubling encounters and experiences she’s had throughout her life. The stories (and histories) Désir weaves together are captivating, eye-opening, and often even uncomfortable in their raw honesty and personal perspective. That’s all to say: This story is important, and we can’t wait to read it all together. By the way, you may be familiar with some of Désir’s work already: She founded Harlem Run and Run 4 All Women. In 2017, she ran from New York City to Washington, DC, to raise money for Planned Parenthood. We also honored her in our 2017 SELF Healthy Living Awards. And on top of it all, Désir remains a leading expert and coach in the sport, incorporating her knowledge of running and that of mental health care (Désir has a master of education in counseling psychology) to change how all of us can work to make the sport a healing space for everyone. So what now? First, buy the book here or here. Then, mark your calendars—we’ll be doing an Instagram Live Q&A with author Alison Désir on Wednesday, November 16 at 11 a.m. EST at @selfmagazine. If you’re curious to get a taste of what this month’s pick is all about, read an exclusive excerpt from the book here. And for related reading from SELF on the subject of race and fitness, see below. Welcome to the Club—it’s so good to finally be here! Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport That Wasn’t Built for Us Recommended Reading for Running While Black What It Means to Be Black in Fitness 7 Ways to Heal Your Relationship With Exercise and Movement A Pep Talk for Anyone Who Wants to Work Out Right Now But Feels Like Fitness Isn’t for Them Wellness Has a Race Problem Fit for Us: An Open Letter to the Fitness Industry How People of Color Can Find Joy and Respite in the Outdoors Between the Pandemic and Anti-Black Violence, Running Is No Longer the Refuge It Used to Be The Moment I Actually Believed I Was a Runner, According to 14 Runners 11 Running Groups to Help You Find Your Community on the Roads How to Find an Inclusive Run Club Hey, Fellow Fitness Pros: Yes, Speaking Out Against Anti-Blackness Is Our Lane 17 Excellent Black-Owned Fitness Brands to Shop and Support 101 Online Mental Health Resources for Marginalized Communities

Drew Sanders, Ricky Stromberg On Sporting News Midseason All-America Team – SWARK Today – SWARK Today https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/drew-sanders-ricky-stromberg-on-sporting-news-midseason-all-america-team-swark-today-swark-today/ razorback FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders and center Ricky Stromberg each earned a spot on Sporting News’ 2022 Midseason All-America college football team, the organization announced Tuesday. The Razorbacks are one of five teams to place multiple players on the list.    Sanders paces the SEC and ranks second nationally in sacks (6.5) and forced fumbles (3) this season. The Denton, Texas, product is the first Arkansas defender with three or more forced fumbles in a season since DL McTelvin Agim (3) and DL Armon Watts (3) in 2018. Sanders has a team-leading four games with 10+ tackles, including a pair of multi-sack efforts, and ranks fourth in the league in total tackles with 63. With the help of Sanders, Arkansas leads the conference in sacks (21.0) and sacks per game (3.0). Stuffing the stat sheet in Arkansas’ SEC opener vs. South Carolina, Sanders recorded 11 total tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup. Since 2000, only two SEC defenders have registered double-digit tackles with 2+ sacks, 2+ forced fumbles and at least one pass breakup in a game: Sanders (Arkansas) vs. South Carolina in 2022 and Greg Hardy (Ole Miss) vs. Alabama in 2007.  Stromberg anchors a dominant Arkansas offensive line that blocks for the SEC’s leading rusher, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, who has amassed 870 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns so far this season. Behind Stromberg’s blocking, the Razorbacks have recorded a 100-yard rusher in a program-record eight consecutive games dating back to the 2021 season. The Razorbacks rank second in the league in rushing yards per game (240.0) and average 488.57 yards of total offense per game in 2022. Playing in 542 offensive snaps at center this season, Stromberg has allowed zero sacks or quarterback hits. Stromberg helped Arkansas’ offensive line control the line of scrimmage against BYU Saturday, paving way for 644 yards of total offense – its most since compiling 676 yards at Ole Miss in 2021. Stromberg blocked for an offense that totaled 277 yards on the ground with two touchdowns while protecting QB KJ Jefferson, who completed a career high 29 passes for 367 yards and five passing touchdowns against the Cougars.  Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status.  Following a bye week, Sanders, Stromberg and the Hogs travel to Auburn for an 11 a.m. CT kick on Saturday, Oct. 29. The game will air on SEC Network. For ticket information, call the Razorback Ticket Center at 479-575-5151 or click here.

Sixth Wall CEO On Barriers To Metaverse Mass Adoption – CoinDesk https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/sixth-wall-ceo-on-barriers-to-metaverse-mass-adoption-coindesk/ Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated . The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG .

The Gadget Guy Shares Luxury Gadgets You Should Own – WISH TV Indianapolis, IN https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/the-gadget-guy-shares-luxury-gadgets-you-should-own-wish-tv-indianapolis-in/ The Gadget Guy David Novak joined us Tuesday on “Life.Style.Live!” with a look at a few fun gadgets to add a little bit of luxury to your lifestyle. Perfectly Snug Smart Topper (Dual Zone) – Air-Conditioned Mattress Topper  Starts at $949, perfectlysnug.com   Sleep cool and dry all night long with the Perfectly Snug Smart Topper. This smart air-conditioned mattress topper boasts Controlled Airflow with adjustable temperature settings for a cooled or heated airflow, improving sleep. The Smart Topper also sports a Dual-Zone Climate Control function, which allows each sleeper to independently control the temperature on each side of the bed. Moreover, the Smart Topper can also accurately monitor a person’s body temperature via built-in sensors, and automatically adjust the cooling/heating temperature to fit any sleeper’s ideal climate. Lastly, it also boasts foot heaters at the bottom for each sleeper, and everything can be controlled by Perfectly Snug’s app.   Mode Electric Toothbrush   $150, m0de.com   Keep your oral health in check with the Mode Electric Toothbrush. This smart electric toothbrush is IPX7 waterproof rated, and comes equipped with soft tapered bristles that gently clean the surface of your teeth, gums, and everything in between. It also features a powerful Sonic Vibrations Mode that can run at 38,000 vibrations per minute, making it capable of removing up to 10 times more plaque than any typical toothbrush. It also has a 2-minute built-in Brushing Timer that reminds you to clean all 4 quadrants of your teeth, as well as a built-in Nightlight for illumination during nighttime. The battery, charged by the included wireless charging dock, lasts for 30-days on a single charge.    UVCeed UVC Mobile Sanitizer – Smartphone-Enabled UVC-Light Sanitizing Device   Around $150, uvceed.com   Keep surfaces clean and germ-free with the UVCeed UVC Mobile Sanitizer. This Smartphone-enabled Sanitizing Device has mercury-free LED UVC light that kills bacteria, germs, and viruses on just about any surface within seconds, including COVID-19. Compatible with MagSafe phones and MagSafe phone cases, simply attach the device to the back of your phone, then turn on the UVCeed App, and follow the on-screen instructions to operate the device by simply pointing it at the surface you’re looking to sanitize. Then you press and hold the App’s Button, and the device will irradiate its mercury-free LED UVC light to disinfect that surface, all the while, showing you in real-time the level of sanitation within the surface you’re disinfecting.   Goliath Defender Backpack – Rain-Proof & Tear-Proof Outdoors Tactical Backpack   Goes for $189, goliathbackpacks.com   For outdoors enthusiasts, check out the Goliath Defender Backpack. This military-grade outdoors tactical backpack is offered in 32L or 42L versions. The larger can even house a large axe and even has the capability of carrying Big Axes. It also has a tear-proof and rain-proof construction, thanks to high-grade ballistic nylon and its waterproof zippers. Best of all, it features a belt strap for extra support, plus an Internal Velcro Separation System, a 17″ Laptop Sleeve, and a MOLLE System for carrying extra pouches and essential survival gear. Finally, the Velcro front allows you to attach any Velcro-padded gear or patches.   CookingPal Multo – Smart Multi-Functional Cooking System & Food Processor   Priced at $999, cookingpal.com   Make your cooking easier, learn new recipes, and take your cooking skills to the next level with the CookingPal Multo. This smart multi-functional cooking system features 15 different cooking functionalities, which can replace most kitchen appliances and cooking tools, and also includes a Smart Cooking Timer, plus 2 Cleaning Modes. Thanks to built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, you can control the system remotely, either via its included LCD Smart Kitchen Hub or via the CookingPal App, and there’s also support for voice controls. Best of all, you’ll get access to an ever-expanding digital recipe library that’s updated weekly, and features over 400 smart-guided digital recipes that are all crafted by professional chefs.   For more information, click here. © 2022 Circle City Broadcasting I, LLC. | All Rights Reserved.

Bitcoin (BTC) Vs Cardano (ADA) Vs The Hideaways (HDWY) – Price Analysis By Top Traders – Cryptonews https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/bitcoin-btc-vs-cardano-ada-vs-the-hideaways-hdwy-price-analysis-by-top-traders-cryptonews/ Bitcoin (BTC) is the top cryptocurrency in the market, followed by other coins like Cardano (ADA). Lately, BTC seems to suffer from price declines, dropping 72% during the crypto winter.  After one final decline in the cryptocurrency market, the price of BTC may have reached the end of its correction.  Cardano (ADA) is gaining popularity for its NFTs. The same goes for The Hideaways (HDWY), a new crypto project focusing on luxury real estate NFTs.  Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index Painted Red Since reaching a peak of $25,211 in August  2022, the price of BTC has been falling inside a declining wedge. The decline brought the price to a low of $18,125 in September.  Currently, BTC is trading at $19,416, marginally higher than in previous months but not much of a big leap.  The coin’s RSI is down in the red line at 39.89, overcoming the 30-mark indicator, indicating the possibility of a bullish trend. Cardano NFTs Steals The Show Cardano (ADA) is putting more effort into improving its NFTs, gaining positive feedback from investors. Given the financial potential of digital collectibles, the network promised to make this project one of the highlights of its roadmap. According to a reputable analyst, this work will not go in vain because ADA NFTs are now the best NFTs on the market. There are over 56,0000 NFTs launched in the Cardano platform, minting millions of NFTs. Cardano already has a developing ecosystem of NFT minting engines and marketplaces.  The Hideaways NFTs Is The Future Of Crypto And Potential Top 10 Market Cap Coin Investors have been eager to invest in crypto projects with real-world utilities, and their dreams finally came true with The Hideaways ($HDWY). It’s a platform that lets users access properties worldwide backed by NFTs. The Hideaways ecosystem enables users to access real estate properties around the globe with generous benefits. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won’t get with traditional real estate investment.  HDWY also have locked liquidity forever, which is super bullish. And by accessing investment property from anywhere in the world needs super security – our analysts love this.  With HDWY, you can receive a minimum of 20% of rental income plus money earned in $ETH, $USDC, or $USDT from events held on your property. The Hideaways smart contracts are also audited by SolidProof, ensuring a secure and fraud-free transaction.  The simple maths of it is, the $240 trillion property market is so big that if The Hideaways (HDWY) even grabs just 0.1% of that – they’ll be worth $100bn dollars. Over 100x from its current price.  This is your chance to be early to a crypto, instead of buying it on big exchanges where early investors are ready to dump on you. Switch the tables and be early to The Hideaways (HDWY).  For More Information About The Hideaways Next Presale, Visit: Website: https://www.thehideaways.io/  Presale: https://ticket.thehideaways.io/register  Telegram: https://t.me/thehideawayscrypto  Twitter: https://twitter.com/hdwycrypto

U.S. Seeking To Make It Harder For Iran To Sell Drones To Russia – Reuters https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/u-s-seeking-to-make-it-harder-for-iran-to-sell-drones-to-russia-reuters/ WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) – The United States will continue to take “practical, aggressive” steps to make it harder for Iran to sell drones and missiles to Russia, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Tuesday, adding that Washington had a number of tools to hold both Moscow and Tehran accountable. Patel, speaking at a daily press briefing, said such measures could include sanctions and export controls. “We will continue to take practical, aggressive steps to make these weapons sales harder, including sanctions, export control actions against any entities involved,” Patel said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is something the entire world – especially those in the region – should view as a profound threat.” A drone is launched during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on August 25, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS Ukraine has accused Russia of using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in attacks in recent weeks. Iran denies supplying them and on Tuesday the Kremlin also denied using them. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Iran has promised Russia it would supply them with surface to surface missiles, in addition to more drones. read more The U.S. State Department assessed that Iranian drones were used on Monday in a morning rush hour attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, a U.S. official said. White House spokesperson Karinne Jean-Pierre also accused Tehran of lying when it said Iranian drones were not being used by Russia in Ukraine. The United States in September imposed sanctions on an Iranian company it accused of coordinating military flights to transport Iranian drones to Russia and three other companies it said were involved in the production of Iranian drones. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk and Doina Chiacu, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Reuters Science News Summary – Devdiscourse https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/reuters-science-news-summary-devdiscourse-8/ Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Apollo, Gemini astronaut James McDivitt dies at age 93 James McDivitt, a former U.S. astronaut who commanded some of NASA’s earliest and most ambitious missions in space, died in his sleep last week at age 93, NASA said in a statement on Monday night. McDivitt, who was selected for NASA’s second astronaut class in 1962, was the commanding pilot for the U.S. space agency’s Gemini 4 mission in 1965 and Apollo 9 in 1969, a mission that helped pave the way for the first human lunar landing. Virgin Orbit to launch first satellite in Europe within six weeks – Branson Richard Branson’s small satellite service provider Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc will be doing its first launch from European soil within the next six weeks, its founder said on Tuesday. “Virgin Orbit can launch satellites into space from anywhere in the world into any orbit at a days notice,” Branson said during a press conference in Milan. (With inputs from agencies.)

Top Five Remains The Same In Week Eight Of State Rankings – Katy Times https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/top-five-remains-the-same-in-week-eight-of-state-rankings-katy-times/ By Tyler Tyre, Sports Editor The top five of the Dave Campbell’s Texas Football state rankings remained the same this week, as four of the top five teams won and Katy had its bye week. The Tigers remained at No. 5 in the state after their bye, while Southlake Carroll stayed at No. 4, Duncanville remained at No. 3, Westlake stayed at No. 2 and North Shore remained the top ranked team in Class 6A. CLASS 6A Rank School (Record) Week 8 Prv rank 1 Galena Park North Shore (7-0) W: Beaumont West Brook, 56-7 1 2 Austin Westlake (7-0) W: Dripping Springs, 29-10 2 3 Duncanville (6-0) W: Mansfield, 38-3 3 4 Southlake Carroll (7-0) W: Keller Central, 49-3 4 5 Katy (7-0) Idle:, 5 6 Denton Guyer (7-0) W: Denton Braswell, 62-7 6 7 Humble Atascocita (6-1) W: Humble, 58-0 7 8 Cibolo Steele (7-0) W: San Marcos, 49-14 8 9 Allen (6-1) W: McKinney, 31-28 9 10 Arlington Martin (6-1) W: Arlington Sam Houston, 69-14 10 11 DeSoto (6-1) W: Mansfield Lake Ridge, 86-26 11 12 Spring Westfield (6-1) W: Aldine Eisenhower, 64-0 12 13 Alvin Shadow Creek (7-0) W: Alvin, 52-0 13 14 Dallas Highland Park (7-0) W: Irving Nimitz, 51-6 14 15 SA Northside Brennan (6-1) W: SA Northside Stevens, 59-0 15 16 Prosper (6-1) W: McKinney Boyd, 49-16 18 17 Dripping Springs (6-1) L: Austin Westlake, 29-10 16 18 Austin Vandegrift (6-1) W: Round Rock, 30-22 17 19 Trophy Club Nelson (7-0) W: Keller, 45-17 22 20 Rockwall (7-1) W: North Forney, 63-14 20 21 Klein Collins (7-0) W: Klein Forest, 28-17 21 22 North Crowley (7-0) W: Weatherford, 47-27 23 23 New Caney (7-0) W: Conroe Grand Oaks, 44-0 24 24 Round Rock (6-1) L: Austin Vandegrift, 30-22 19 25 Humble Summer Creek (4-3) W: Humble Kingwood, 56-7 25 Dropped out: None

There For You Then. Here For You Now. – TravelPulse https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/there-for-you-then-here-for-you-now-travelpulse/ Copyright © 2022 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000

Biden Looks To Increase Oil Supplies Ahead Of Midterm Voting – 69News WFMZ-TV https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/biden-looks-to-increase-oil-supplies-ahead-of-midterm-voting-69news-wfmz-tv/ WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden — a president who wants to move past fossil fuels — is rushing to increase oil supplies ahead of next month’s midterm elections. Administration officials have teased that additional oil can be released from the U.S. strategic reserve as part of a response to recent production cuts announced by nations in OPEC+. The prospective loss of 2 million barrels a day — 2% of global supply — has had the White House saying that Saudi Arabia sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledging that there will be consequences for supply cuts that could prop up energy prices. Multiple White House officials say that the U.S. strategic reserve contains roughly 400 million barrels of oil, and Biden could order an additional release as early as Wednesday, when chief of staff Ron Klain said he is set to deliver remarks on his administration’s efforts to lower gas prices. Still, reserves are at their lowest levels since 1984 after Biden in March announced the release of 180 million barrels over six months. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss plans publicly ahead of a White House announcement. Bloomberg News reported Monday that the administration is moving toward an additional release of 10 million to 15 million barrels. That range would not cover even one full day’s use of oil in the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration. Biden has pledged to speak about his plans to reduce gasoline prices this week. Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said that a past release of oil from the U.S. strategic reserve contributed to a decline in prices at the pump this summer. That decline ended last month as prices began to rise again, though they’ve eased somewhat in the past week. Bernstein suggested to Fox News Sunday that the reserve is large enough that the White House could tap it again. “There are still 400 million barrels of oil in the strategic reserve — it is more than half full,” Bernstein said, adding that Biden had not yet made a final decision on releasing more barrels. Biden still faces political headwinds because of gas prices. AAA reports that gas is averaging $3.87 a gallon, up from a month ago when falling prices at the pump suggested that the president and his fellow Democrats were faring better in surveys. An analysis Monday by ClearView Energy Partners, an independent energy research firm based in Washington, D.C., suggested that two states that could decide control of the evenly split Senate — Nevada and Pennsylvania — are sensitive to energy prices. The analysis noted that gas prices over the past month rose above the national average in 18 states, which are home to 29 potentially “at risk” House seats. Even if voters want cheaper gasoline, expected gains in supply are not materializing because of a weaker global economy. The U.S. government last week revised downward its forecasts, saying that domestic firms would produce 270,000 fewer barrels a day in 2023 than was forecast in September. Global production would be 600,000 barrels a day lower than forecast in September. Because fossil fuels lead to carbon emissions, Biden has sought to move away from them entirely with a commitment to zero emissions by 2050. When discussing that commitment nearly a year ago after the G-20 leading rich and developing nations met in Rome, the president said he still wanted to also lower gas prices because at “$3.35 a gallon, it has profound impact on working-class families just to get back and forth to work.” Since Biden spoke of the pain of gas $3.35 a gallon about 11 months ago and his hopes to reduce costs, the price has risen another 15.5%. Follow AP’s coverage of the 2022 midterms: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Exercise During Chemo Helps Your Heart, Lungs Recover – HealthDay News https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/exercise-during-chemo-helps-your-heart-lungs-recover-healthday-news/ TUESDAY, Oct. 18, 2022 (HealthDay News) — When you are getting chemotherapy, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. Now, new research suggests it should be the first. Exercising during chemotherapy is safe, improves long-term cardiac and respiratory function and may help ease some of the ravages of treatment, Dutch researchers report. If you can’t exercise during chemotherapy, then you should start after treatment to get your heart function back to normal, they added. “These findings suggest that the most optimal timing of physical exercise is during chemotherapy,” said senior study author Dr. Annemiek Walenkamp, a medical oncologist at the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. “However, initiating an exercise program after chemotherapy is a viable alternative when exercising during chemotherapy is not possible,” Walenkamp said. “We hope health care providers guide patients to engage in exercise interventions during anti-cancer treatment.” During chemotherapy, peak oxygen uptake, a predictor of heart health, typically declines by up to 25%, the researchers noted. Cancer treatment can also affect quality of life and cardiac and respiratory fitness. Not only that, it can trigger extreme fatigue and cardiovascular death, they added. For the study, Walenkamp and her colleagues looked at the benefits of exercise among patients in a tailored exercise program. The patients suffered from breast cancer, colon cancer, testicular cancer or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. All were to undergo chemotherapy. The participants were randomly selected to take part in a 24-week exercise program either during or after treatment. Exercise included a stationary bicycle, weight machines, free weight lifting and badminton. In the end, the researchers found that those who exercised during chemotherapy felt less tired and exercised more. In addition, they also had better heart and breathing function and greater muscle strength. Those who began exercising after three months of chemotherapy also showed some improvement. Both groups were back to their normal cardiorespiratory fitness one year after completing the exercise program, the researchers found. The report was published Oct. 18 in the journal JACC: CardioOncology. “This study is an important addition to the field of exercise oncology,” said Dr. Eric Yang, director of UCLA’s cardio-oncology program. He was not part of the study, but reviewed the findings. “Exercise has yielded many benefits in our field of cardiology, and given the advances made in cancer treatments where more and more patients are living longer and surviving with their disease, it is important to evaluate strategies to optimize their heart health and quality of life,” Yang said. Although cancer treatments now have less toxic effects, treatment can still damage the heart, he explained. “Because of many common side effects, such as fatigue, low blood cell counts, nausea and low energy, this directly and indirectly affects one’s ability to normally exercise and maintain a daily routine, and thus affects cardiovascular reserve and health,” Yang said. Exercise is important to help counter the negative effects on the heart that cancer treatment can cause, he pointed out. “It is important to not throw heart health to the wind, now that more and more evidence is emerging that these few years of treatment can put them at increased risk of cardiovascular events in the long term,” Yang said. Cancer treatment is changing, and patients are advised to be concerned with their overall health, not just their cancer, he said. “The old era where it used to be where you were told to just focus on your cancer treatments, eat what you want, rest, is becoming outdated,” Yang said. “This, amongst many other studies, has shown it is safe to exercise, with some caution towards high-intensity regimens.” He hopes patients will maintain as much of a healthy lifestyle as they can during chemotherapy. “I encourage patients to maintain as much normalcy as possible and tolerated during their treatments,” Yang said. “I understand that they cannot necessarily exercise to the same degree as they used to before their cancer treatments, but I emphasize to them and their families that exercise and healthy eating is paramount and will be a great investment to their quality of life in the long run. And, as this study demonstrates, if you can’t exercise during your treatments, start after — it’s better late than never.” More information For more on cancer and exercise, see the American Cancer Society. SOURCES: Annemiek M.E. Walenkamp, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands; Eric Yang, MD, director, UCLA Cardio-Oncology Program; JACC: CardioOncology, Oct.18, 2022

Local Teams Battle For State Bid In SRV Tournament – Ontario Argus Observer https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/local-teams-battle-for-state-bid-in-srv-tournament-ontario-argus-observer/ PAYETTE COUNTY — On Saturday, the local teams within the Snake River Valley conference gathered at various locations to compete in the SRV District Tournament to determine which teams would represent the conference at the state tournament. In the SRV, the top two teams will automatically earn a bid to the state tournament, whereas the third place team will advance to the state play-in game to battle for their slot in the state tournament bracket.

Snoop Dogg Visual For ‘Crip Ya Enthusiasm’ Hit The Metaverse – The Hype Magazine https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/snoop-dogg-visual-for-crip-ya-enthusiasm-hit-the-metaverse-the-hype-magazine/ Rhyme Report Published on October 18th, 2022 | by Jerry Doby Snoop Dogg officially dropped a groundbreaking visual for his track “Crip Ya Enthusiasm”, from his recent album, B.O.D.R. (Bacc on Death Row). The video was written & Directed by Jesse Wellens and James Defina from Astro Project, the content studio that tells stories utilizing cutting edge technology, high- level creative talent and then “gamifies” it. The digitally animated video takes fans into an inspired spin-off world of the infamous hit show, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’. A visionary and trailblazer, Snoop joined forces with Astro Project, to bring this visual into the Metaverse to leverage blockchain and Web3 to unlock endless possibilities. Fans can grab and mint one of the 10,000 Astro donuts created at AstroProject.io , where they can unlock and download ownable content, including gamified content and assets used from the music video to explore, interact and discover unique unlocks in the Astro Donuts virtual locations and use the Larry Dogg avatar. Explore in Web3: https://www.astroproject.io/ Snoop Dogg released B.O.D.R. in February 2022, after the announcement that he had acquired the Death Row Records brand, of which he was a founding member and was his debut label. B.O.D.R. was the first album through Death Row Records, now under Snoop Dogg’s ownership. B.O.D.R. is available everywhere here. Featured Image: Snoop Dogg performs at Rupp Arena on November 20, 2021 in Lexington, Kentucky.Courtesy of Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images. Tags: Metaverse, Snoop Dogg About the Author Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine and internationally published arts & entertainment journalist. Connect with Jerry on Twitter and Instagram at @jerrydoby_ Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture and the United States Press Corps. Partner at THM Media Group, Inc.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Tips For Beginners – GameSpot https://dentoncountynewsonline.com/ghostbusters-spirits-unleashed-tips-for-beginners-gamespot/ Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the latest asymmetrical experience to grace our gaming libraries. Acting like a sequel of sorts to the most recent film, it features a ton of fan-favorite references. It also sports the typical PvP elements this genre is known for. The player controlling the ghost will need to haunt a given location while avoiding their proton pack-carrying rivals. The four Ghostbusters, on the other hand, will need to work together to trap the ghost player in a manner that doesn’t result in major property damage. Whether you’re looking to scare the pants off NPCs or hunt down ghosts with friends, victory doesn’t come easy. Ghosts have a nice arsenal of tricks to contend with. The same goes for the Ghostbusters and their upgradable equipment. The players that learn how to utilize these items/abilities at the right time will usually come out on top. Below are a few tips that’ll help you get through the beginner stages of Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. Ghostbusters Coordinate attacks Like other games of this ilk, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed encourages teamwork over going rogue. It’s obvious, based on the four-player set up, that each ghostbuster should do their part to help trap the ghost. What isn’t so obvious is how one should go about working within the group; crossing the streams is only half the battle. There are multiple factors to reckon with during a given match. One thing you’ll need to remember early on is that it takes a decent amount of time to swap between your P.K.E. Meter and proton pack. Because of this, it can be tricky to tether a ghost with your beam once they’ve been located without help. Teamwork is key in catching ghosts. The P.K.E. meter is used to hunt down the ghosts and their rifts–portals that allow them to respawn after being captured. It can also be used to stun a ghost, knocking them out of a possessed person/object, essentially making them vulnerable for a few seconds. Manually switching to your proton pack takes too long as the stun will wear off before you can start tethering. Tossing out your trap first speeds up the process because that action auto-switches your held item to the pack. But neither option is as quick as letting someone else toss out a trap or start blasting with their pack; it’s possible to trap a ghost within seconds of stunning them if everyone is properly prepared to do their part. Basically, you’ll want to coordinate your attacks whenever you can. Share the stream In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, there are some aspects to the tethering system that aren’t explained during the tutorial. The main one being that the first person to tether a ghost is in charge of their movement. In order to tether a ghost, you’ll need to shoot them with your proton beam long enough to wrap them up. It’s at that point that you can start guiding them towards a trap to be captured. The first person to tether the ghost is the one moving them around. The others are there to offer support by increasing the time in which the ghost is tether; they basically make it harder for them to escape. This is important to know for two reasons. The first has to do with your team composition. It’s easier to guide the ghost to a particular trap if you know who is controlling them. If teammate A is the first to tether the ghost, I know that I should toss my trap towards them and not teammate B. The other reason has to do with overheating proton packs. You can only continuously blast the ghost for so long before needing to vent your pack. This will release the ghost if you’re the only person there. However, if you were the first person to tether them and another player joins in, you’ll be able to pass the reins over to that teammate by letting go. The main tether is passed on to the next player(s) based on the order in which they started shooting, allowing you time to “reload.” Remember the gear cart It’s important to remember the gear cart. Located near the starting position of a given map, the gear cart is where you’ll find extra items, namely replacement traps and powerful secondary gadgets. The main reason you’ll want to remember the equipment cart is because of your traps. If a ghost destroys one during play, the only way to get another is to trek back to the cart. This can be a pain on some of the bigger maps, especially when you’re first starting out. Making sure to mentally mark the location is key early on. Some gadgets will need to be unlocked before becoming available. The other reason you should prioritize the gear cart is because of the game’s secondary gadgets. These items can significantly improve your chances of catching the ghost. The V.A.D., for example, is a grappling hook that can quickly pull you up to a higher floor while The Ionizer Pods can slow ghosts that are caught in their particle clouds. Using them in tandem, it’s possible to prevent a ghost from fleeing before a teammate (using the V.A.D.) can quickly ascend to your location. Calm NPCs In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, it’s a ghost’s job to haunt a place. This is done in several different ways. One of which is scaring NPCs enough to send them running from the building. In order to counter this, the ghostbusters will need to reassure these people that everything will be okay. Let them know you’re on the job! Normally, this is done by walking up to a scared NPC and talking to them, prompting a quick-time event. All you have to do is talk to them for the duration. If you time your button presses so that the bar is activated over the green areas of the wheel, however, you’ll give that NPC a bit of shielding. This temporary layer of protection will make it harder for them to be scared in the future. The great thing about this feature is that you don’t have to wait until a given NPC is about to lose their cool. You can speak to them when they’re completely calm, granting them the shield from the start. Complete side hustles Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed has an account progression system. A lot of the items (and ghost variants) are locked until you’ve leveled up. While most of your XP will come from how well you do in matches, there are ways to help speed up this process, one of which is the activation of contracts known as Side Hustles. Separate from daily challenges–only one can be activated at a time–these side ventures often require you to complete multiple steps before they’re done. That said, they offer a lot of XP. Some even give cosmetic rewards as well. Another way to speed up the leveling process is by collecting spores, mold, and fungi found scattered around the game’s maps. Collecting these easy-to-find but often overlooked items will net you bonus points at the end of a match. The more you collect, the more you’ll earn. What makes this worthwhile, though, are the collection-based thresholds. Once you hit 25%, for instance, you’ll get a one time bonus of 10,000 XP. Ghosts Read the room When playing as a ghost, it’s your job to fully haunt a place. This is reflected in two haunt meters located at the top of the screen; one is for the entire building and one is for the room you’re currently in. The goal is to get the building to 100% haunted and escape the premises before the ghostbusters can catch you. There are few different ways to accomplish this goal. Scaring NPCs and haunting furniture–making them move on their own–will certainly do the trick. The thing to keep in mind, though, is that the overall building percentage is tied to its individual rooms. You can scare random folks all over the map and slowly move the needle. Or you can scare everyone out of a given area, significantly speeding up the haunting process. This, of course, is easier said than done. With the ghostbusters chasing you about, focusing on one room can be dangerous; you’re going to have to flee the area from time to time. To combat this, make a note of the room’s percentage and leave. Haunt somewhere else. Just make sure to come back to that room to finish up. Again, it’s better to fully haunt one or two rooms at a time as opposed to randomly scaring NPCs scattered about the map. Break line of sight Thanks to the ghostbusters’ P.K.E. Meter, it can be hard to hide from them. They’ll track you all over the map. The good news for ghost players though, is that this gadget isn’t as accurate as you’d expect. It has some limitations, mostly notably the inability to differentiate between floors. The P.K.E. Meter will lead the ghostbusters to your location eventually. If you manage to get away from them, the best thing to do is to break their line of sight and then change floors; either go up to the second story or down to the basement level. The P.K.E. Meter will note the direction you went in but not what floor you’re on. This will give you much needed time to fool your pursuers. By haunting a few items–making them give off your essence–before leaving the area, you’ll send the ghostbusters after random objects instead of you after reaching the correct floor. Don’t panic It’s important not to panic when you’ve been ensnared. There are quick-time events that can help you detether yourself, one of which activates right before you’re sucked into a trap. Make sure to pay attention to the onscreen prompts. The last thing you’d want to do is to wildly button-mash any and everything as you’re being attacked. Another thing you can do, once you’ve broken free, is to steal a ghostbuster’s trap. If you’re fast enough, you’ll be able to snag it and escape with it in tow. Once away from your attackers you can then destroy the trap, forcing that player to return to the gear cart for another. Protect the rifts If the ghostbusters do manage to capture you, all hope isn’t lost. As a ghost, you’re given three rifts to use as spawn points per matc...