Anna Garraway

U.S. Scrambles To Prevent Export Curbs On China Chips From Disrupting Supply Chain – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/u-s-scrambles-to-prevent-export-curbs-on-china-chips-from-disrupting-supply-chain-reuters/ OAKLAND, Calif./NEW YORK Oct 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. is scrambling to tackle unintended consequences of its new export curbs on China’s chip industry that could inadvertently harm the semiconductor supply chain, people familiar with the matter said. By late Tuesday, hours before a new restriction took effect, South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS) said it got authorization from the United States to receive goods for its chip production facilities in China without additional licensing imposed by the new rules. The Biden administration had planned to spare foreign companies operating in China such as SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics Co (005930.KS) from the brunt of new restrictions, but the rules published Friday did not exempt such firms. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com As published, the rules require licenses before U.S. exports can be shipped to facilities with advanced chip production in China as part of a U.S. bid to slow China’s technological and military advances. And as of midnight Tuesday, vendors also cannot support, service and send non-U.S. supplies to the China-based factories without licenses if U.S. companies or people are involved. As a result, even basic items like light bulbs, springs, and bolts that keep tools running may not have been able to be shipped until vendors are granted licenses. And without the minute-by-minute support the foundries need, they could begin shutting down, one source said. “Our discussions with the Department of Commerce led to an approval to supply equipment and items needed for development and production of DRAM semiconductors in Chinese facilities without additional licensing requirements,” SK Hynix said in a statement. The company said the change would help avoid disruptions to the supply chain and that the authorization is for a year. Another source said the temporary fix was until a longer-term solution could be worked out. At least one other non-Chinese company received a similar authorization, a third source said. A U.S. Commerce Department spokesperson did not directly respond to a request for comment on the authorizations, but said the department hopes to get input from stakeholders about the rule and may consider changes. A White House spokesperson also did not respond to a request for comment. “Unless the authorization was issued, a variety of equipment and other suppliers would have had to pull their personnel from the fabs in China,” one of the sources said. The U.S. planned to review licenses for non-Chinese factories in China hit by the new restrictions on a case-by-case basis, but even if approved that could create delays in shipments. Licenses for Chinese chip factories were likely to be denied. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.(2330.TW) and Intel Corp (INTC.O) also operate chip factories in China. The Chinese chip facilities are not expected to get any reprieve. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting By Jane Lanhee Lee and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Kim Coghill and Richard Pullin Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tech Help For Refugees Exciting | News, Sports, Jobs – Alpena News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/tech-help-for-refugees-exciting-news-sports-jobs-alpena-news/ Technology can be an amazing thing. Just ask seventh-grader Arsenii Kiselov and his sister, sixth-grader Daiana Kiselova, who arrived in Alcona County with their mother about a month ago from Ukraine, thanks to a group of families in the area sponsoring Ukrainian refugees. While the children only speak Ukrainian, Christie Thomas, Alcona Middle School/High School principal, told News staff writer Julie Riddle for a recent story that technology is helping them thrive at school. To communicate with the Ukrainian students, their teachers use earbuds that translate words of a speaker, sending them into the hearer’s ear in a different language with only a few seconds delay. The teachers also make use of a translation app that turns spoken English into written Ukrainian words, and vice versa and Google Translate technology to help translate websites and documents for the kids. A whole world of difference shrunk to nothing by software and hardware, right here in Northeast Michigan. We say thanks to the families sponsoring the Ukrainian refugees fleeing the horrid war there, and we say well done to the staff in Alcona Community Schools who are using technology to make sure the kids have a chance at succeeding in class. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Latest Gaming News: ‘Overwatch 2’ Technical Issues Continue To Devastate While An Upcoming Video Game Announcement Comes From An Unlikely Source – We Got This Covered https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/latest-gaming-news-overwatch-2-technical-issues-continue-to-devastate-while-an-upcoming-video-game-announcement-comes-from-an-unlikely-source-we-got-this-covered/ Image via Blizzard Here we are again for yet another gaming news round-up, courtesy of We Got This Covered. Last time, the Twitchcon was all the rage as Megan Thee Stallion twerked with Master Chief while Twitch streamer and pornographic actress Adriana Chechik broke her back after misjudging a leap into the foam pit. Today in the gaming world, Blizzard’s reputation is on the line as Overwatch 2 launch complaints still aren’t handled, meanwhile the announcement of an upcoming video game originates from a unconventional source and Overwatch‘s D.Va achieves her dream of global fame, but not in the way she wanted. There’s never a dull day for gamers, especially not with Blizzard getting a false start and exciting new projects around every corner. Without further ado, let’s get the ball rolling on today’s eventful coverage. Overwatch 2 continues to crash and burn as technical issues place the launch at a stand-still Image via Blizzard Just under a week ago, Overwatch 2 launched as a free-to-play rebrand. Originally thought to be sequel, Overwatch 2 was more of a replacement for the original, revamping the characters, environments, graphics and more. Around the same time that Overwatch 2 launched, Overwatch shut down its servers indefinitely, confirming that all activity would migrate to the latest release. As if Blizzard weren’t already in hot water over the decision to ice Overwatch, the clunky launch made matters worse after enthusiastic players began experiencing multiple debilitating technical issues. If it wasn’t servers crashing, it was locked content and annoying bugs. Even after Blizzard addressed the issues and promised to fix them, it became a game of whack-a-mole, wherein one issue was fixed and another seemed to arise out of nowhere. This time, it was a pesky bug that locked several characters, preventing players from choosing them out of the starting line-up. It seems as if the Overwatch 2 beta isn’t living up to the standards of its predecessor. The creative team behind YouTube phenomenon Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared have announced an upcoming video game Image via YouTube YouTube and Channel 4’s comedy series Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared was created by Becky Sloan, Joe Pelling, and Baker Terry. Using a combination of puppetry, animation, and live-action, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared parodies programmes such as Sesame Street while contrasting childlike themes such as anthropomorphic puppets against disturbing themes such as graphic violence and dark humor. Beginning as a web series, Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared eventually migrated to Channel 4, where it became a worldwide phenomenon and expanded into a television series. According to NME, the crew behind DHMIS has announced a new initiative, Blink Games, as well as the intent to launch a new video game. Blinklink, the conglomerate that owns Blink Games, is a London-based company who previously worked on music videos for Iron Maiden and Dua Lipa. As of yet, there are no conceptual details as to what Blink Games has in store, but the likelihood is that DHMIS has inspired them to work on a psychological horror. In other Overwatch news, D.Va plays to win after jumping to the top of Pornhub searches Image via Blizzard It’s no secret that D.Va, the 19-year-old Korean and former professional gamer, has been the primary object of attraction since Overwatch made an initial appearance in 2016. As off-putting as it is, Hana Song has been sought-after by the community much like many female anime characters. It isn’t uncommon for anime fans or gamers to develop a harmless crush on a fictional animated character, but especially where D.Va is concerned, it isn’t entirely appropriate for Overwatch fans to pine after her. After all, she’s 19. Obviously, Blizzard made the decision to give Hana Song a mature, developed and voluptuous model, so the blame can’t fall entirely on the audience themselves, but after Kotaku reported that D.Va began appearing in Pornhub searches, it became safe to assume that someone, somewhere, might have taken things a little too far. While D.Va finally achieved her dream of worldwide fame, no one could have ever expected this, but anything can happen with Overwatch. On one hand, there’s technical issues overtaking the launch and on the other, D.Va has made history on Pornhub. Who would have guessed it?

Now-Fired Texas Police Officer Charged In Shooting Of Teen Who Was Eating In McDonald’s Parking Lot – CBC News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/now-fired-texas-police-officer-charged-in-shooting-of-teen-who-was-eating-in-mcdonalds-parking-lot-cbc-news/ A former San Antonio, Texas, police officer was charged Tuesday with two counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer in last week’s shooting of a teen who was eating a hamburger in his car in a McDonald’s parking lot. The teen had begun driving away when the officer opened fire. James Brennand, 25, who was fired after the shooting, was charged in the Oct. 2 shooting of Erik Cantu, 17, according to a police statement. He turned himself in to police Tuesday night and remained in custody, said Police Chief William McManus. Cantu’s family said in a statement Tuesday that there was no improvement in his condition. “He is still unconscious and is on life support,” the statement said. “The last two days have been difficult, and we expect more difficulty ahead, but we remain hopeful.” Brian Powers, the family’s lawyer, said it is “an incredibly difficult time for them.” Brennand, a rookie officer, reported that the vehicle in which Cantu sat had evaded him the night before during an attempted traffic stop. Brennand said he suspected the vehicle had been stolen. In body camera footage released by police, Brennand opens the car door and tells Cantu to get out. The car drives backward, door open, and the officer fires multiple times into the vehicle. He continues to shoot as the car drives away. Former San Antonio police officer James Brennand fires his pistol at a car with Cantu inside in this Oct. 2 body camera video. (San Antonio Police Department/The Associated Press) Charges against teen dropped Investigators quickly determined that the use of deadly force was unwarranted, Brennand was swiftly fired, and charges against Cantu of aggravated assault and evading arrest were dropped. A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the vehicle was actually stolen. Brennand is charged with two counts of assault because there was a passenger in the car. The passenger was unharmed. In a news conference Tuesday evening, the police chief defended the department’s training and said the failures were those of the individual officer. In an appearance on CNN earlier Tuesday, McManus said he expected Brennand to be charged with aggravated assault for the shooting, or murder should Cantu die. McManus said Brennand’s body camera video was “horrific.” “There is no question in anybody’s mind looking at that video that the shooting is not justified,” McManus said. San Antonio police chief William McManus speaks to the media on June 27. McManus told CNN the body camera video of the Oct. 2 shooting was ‘horrific.’ (Kaylee Greenlee Beal/Reuters) Police officials and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press. Brennand, who has no published telephone number, could not be reached for comment. According to his family’s statement, Cantu’s condition is in stark contrast to that provided earlier by police officials. In the wake of the shooting, police said Cantu was hospitalized and in stable condition. “We’d like to correct any misrepresentations that Erik is in ‘stable condition’ or he is ‘going to be fine.’ That is not true. Every breath is a struggle for Erik. We ask for everyone’s continued prayers for our son,” read the family’s statement.

Letter To The Editor: A Path Forward For Short-Term Rentals In The City Of Greenville – Greenville Journal https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/letter-to-the-editor-a-path-forward-for-short-term-rentals-in-the-city-of-greenville-greenville-journal/ Guest Contributor October 11, 2022 Stock By Yasha Rodriguiez, JD, Ph.D., and Luis Enrique Ramos-Santiago, Ph.D. The city of Greenville has generated a lot of buzz in the past few years as one of the best places to live and visit. But if it wants to remain on those best places to live, then our leadership needs to do something about the rising number of short-term rentals proliferating within our 29.92 square miles. While in theory, the idea of an Airbnb is a way for people looking for a different travel experience to visit a new place works, the actual implementation of it is a failure. When Airbnbs were first becoming a concept, people were supposed to rent out rooms in their house. The owner was onsite. However, that has morphed into a vacation home type model where the owner buys a house in a popular city to simply rent out to vacationers. Now it’s not even a person with a vacation home trying to make more money. Corporate entities are buying up houses in Greenville just to use them as Airbnbs or other short-term rentals. These short-term rentals exist in a strange place in our city codes and regulations. They are zoned as a hotel/motel, but have almost none of the regulations of an actual hotel or motel. There is no on-site security and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance is barely enforced. While the city does have rules for bed and breakfasts, for some reason short-term rentals are not under that category. The short-term rental conundrum creates myriad problems for Greenvillians. The first is that people and companies with larger bankrolls can outbid first-time homebuyers, people on fixed incomes and people in blue-collar jobs. An already tight real estate market is amplified when these people have to try and outspend a company not even located in Greenville. What is better for the health of Greenville neighborhoods — a family living in a home or a weekly rotation of bachelor parties? That question leads in to the second problem: noise and property damage. Now, only a small portion of people who stay at these short-term rentals are going to cause problems. However, the onus shouldn’t be on people living in the neighborhood to file noise complaints every week in the hopes that six months down the road that a nuisance business may or may not be shut down. But noise isn’t the only issue. There is parking as the renters will plant their cars and trucks on streets that don’t allow them, blocking shared driveways and simply creating traffic delays from moving in and out every few days. Then there [are] people dropping their detritus of pets and late-night beer runs in neighborhood sidewalks and yards. Now, yes, residents do this as well, but it goes up with “tourists” who have no interest in the neighborhood. So what is the solution? An absolute ban? No, Greenville should not go that route. But it can strengthen its current codes by making some of the following changes. The property must be the owner’s primary residence as indicated by tax records and supporting application. Put in quota for allowable number of short-term rentals in neighborhoods and cap licenses when a specified number is reached The property owner must be present on the property when the property is rented. Guests are limited to one family or four unrelated persons. Violators face loss of operational permit and a fine of $1,087.00 per day. Put a ban on changing residential houses to short-term rentals in special emphasis neighborhoods or areas zoned commercial. These are not draconian changes. They actually come from the city of Charleston, which has long had to deal with more tourist volume then Greenville can even imagine. It seems to me that the Charleston ordinance strikes a balance in favor of quality of life for residents, a balance that accepts the reality of short-term rentals but limits the nuisance factors. If a city is not forward thinking and if a city does not take bold and decisive action, a problem can quickly become a nightmare. This is a battle no residents want, but it is one in which we must engage. It would seem to go without saying that a city, or better yet communities, cannot be built on the foundation of short-term renters. My hope is that, if short-term rentals must be a reality, Greenville should adopt a Charleston-like approach. Yasha Rodriguez and Luis Enrique Ramos-Santiago are Greenville city residents. Rodriguez is an independent property specialist. Ramos-Santiago has decades of experience as an architect and urban planner. Previous Article Subscribe Subscribe now to our newsletter By checking this box, you confirm that you have read and are agreeing to our terms of use regarding the storage of the data submitted through this form. You May Also Like

LIVE: With 2,139 New Covid Cases, India’s Active Caseload Stands At 26,292 – Hindustan Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/live-with-2139-new-covid-cases-indias-active-caseload-stands-at-26292-hindustan-times/ Live Updated on Oct 12, 2022 09:31 AM IST Breaking news October 12, 2022 live updates: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Follow all the updates here: Oct 12, 2022 09:31 AM IST India reports 2,139 new Covid cases in 24 hours With 2,139 new Covid cases, India’s active caseload stands at 26,292. Oct 12, 2022 08:34 AM IST Nirmala Sitharaman meets American counterpart Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday in a meeting with her American counterpart Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed a range of issues, including bilateral relationships, the global situation as well as India’s upcoming G-20 Presidency. Oct 12, 2022 07:35 AM IST Rahul Gandhi resumes ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Challakere Town Congress MP Rahul Gandhi resumes ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Challakere Town, Chitradurga in Karnataka. The Yatra which began on September 7th from Kanniyakumari has covered a distance of 905 km so far. It will pass through a total of 12 states, to culminate in J&K. Oct 12, 2022 06:26 AM IST Spaceship successfully deflected asteroid in test to save Earth, says NASA NASA said it had succeeded in deflecting an asteroid in a historic test of humanity’s ability to stop an incoming cosmic object from devastating life on Earth. Read more here Subscribe to our best newsletters President Murmu on a 3-day visit to Tripura & Assam; to launch several projects Published on Oct 12, 2022 09:08 AM IST President Murmu will inaugurate the Tripura State Judicial Academy and lay the foundation stone for the Tripura National Law University at Narsingarh in Agartala on Wednesday She will flag off the special extension of the Guwahati-Kolkata-Guwahati train up to Agartala on Thursday. (President of India | Facebook) Russian FSB to allow India access to detained IS bomber Published on Oct 12, 2022 09:05 AM IST While Russia will take approval from Uzbekistan before giving access to Islamic State bomber, the Indian security agencies are keen to dig out the local link who was to supply explosives and target to the terrorist. ‘Not easy when you are most powerful country’: Jaishankar on India-US ties Updated on Oct 12, 2022 09:04 AM IST Jaishankar said the relationship between India and the United States is deeper than the politics of the day and all 5 US Presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, have been consistent on this issue, despite the differences among them. Morning brief: People residing in Jammu for over a year can register as voters Published on Oct 12, 2022 08:57 AM IST Here are today’s top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. 1,800 Bangladesh civil servants to be trained at NCGG by 2025: Govt Published on Oct 12, 2022 08:48 AM IST The NCGG was set up in 2014 by the government of India as a top-tier institution in the country, focusing on policy reforms, training and capacity building Watch: Rahul Gandhi’s push-up challenge with Shivakumar, Venugopal and a boy Updated on Oct 12, 2022 07:20 AM IST Only Rahul Gandhi’s push-up form was correct while the others were half-pushups, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala observed as Rahul Gandhi’s push-up challenge video went viral. People residing in Jammu for over a year can register as voters. Details Updated on Oct 12, 2022 07:13 AM IST The order comes amid serious concern expressed by almost all political parties, except the BJP, over the inclusion of non-locals as voters. LIVE: With 2,139 new Covid cases, India’s active caseload stands at 26,292 Updated on Oct 12, 2022 09:31 AM IST Breaking news October 12, 2022 live updates: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. ‘Because he didn’t join BJP?’: TMC, BJP tussle over Sourav Ganguly Updated on Oct 12, 2022 06:10 AM IST Did the Trinamool have any role when Sourav Ganguly took over as the BCCI president? BJP’s Dilip Ghosh asked and a TMC, BJP tussle began with Sourav Ganguly exiting the BCCI. CBI files charge sheet against DMK leader Published on Oct 12, 2022 12:42 AM IST The CBI has filed a charge sheet against DMK leader A Raja for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of ₹5 ByPress Trust of India, New Delhi Story Saved New Delhi 0C Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Cashion Finds Offensive Spark Against Watonga – Kingfisher Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/cashion-finds-offensive-spark-against-watonga-kingfisher-times/ NATHAN NABAVI (with ball) moves away from one tackle while looking upfield during his team’s 48-8 win over Watonga last Friday. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone.shootproof.com] “Rough Rider Night” in Cashion proved to be rough going for Watonga. The Wildcats returned to district action last Friday with a 48-8 win over the visiting Eagles. The hosts were paying tribute to Roy Cashion, the town’s namesake, as he was one of the first to sign up for Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in the Spanish- American War. Killed during the charge on San Juan Hill, Cashion is believed to be the first Oklahoman to die in battle on foreign soil. Cashion wore special uniforms with “Rough Riders” emblazoned on both the jerseys and helmets. They scored early and often in them. The Wildcats led 41-0 at halftime as five different players scored the six touchdowns. Cooper Frazee got it going with a 21-yard score. Max Brown followed up with his first of three TDs on the night. Brown hauled in a 74yard touchdown pass from Chance Acord, his first of four TD’s on the night. Acord ended the first with a 20-yard scoring pass to Camden Maroney. Brown struck again in the second quarter when he scored on a 92-yard run. Acord threw his third touchdown by connecting with Seth Gilbert from 23 yards. Jackson Vandruff capped the half by picking off a pass and returning it 45 yards for a touchdown. Brown and Acord got together one last time with a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Acord was 15 of 20 for 221 yards. The Wildcats added another 230 rushing yards. Frazee ran for 61 yards and Nathan Nabavi another 53. Brown’s big TD run helped him to 105 rushing yards on just two carries. That allowed him to pull the double-dip on passing the century mark in rushing and receiving. Brown’s four receptions led to 140 yards through the air. Jake Branson led the defense with 10 tackles. Brown and Timmy Jones had seven each. Cashion is now 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in District A-3. The Wildcats travel to play Christian Heritage Academy on Thursday. CHA just handed Minco its first loss of the year, 28-7. The Crusaders (5-2, 2-1) were earlier defeated by Crescent in district action.

Penn State Receives 2 Midseason Big Ten Honors | News, Sports, Jobs – Altoona Mirror https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/penn-state-receives-2-midseason-big-ten-honors-news-sports-jobs-altoona-mirror/ The Associated Press Second-year coach Bret Bielema and his Illinois football team are achieving at a rate not seen in the program in a long time. A very long time in some cases. The No. 24 Illini (5-1, 2-1) are ranked for the first time since 2011, out to their best start since ’11, coming off their first win over Iowa since 2008 and a sweep of the Hawkeyes and Wisconsin in the same season for the first time since 1989. “I knew it was coming, I think other people around us knew it was coming. Now we’re in the real world,” Bielema said. “The thing that’s really fun for our guys is they are thirsty, they’re hungry, they’re excited.” Bielema and his Illini are well represented in The Associated Press’ Big Ten midseason awards. Bielema is the pick for top coach of the first half of the season, Illinois is the most surprising team and quarterback Tommy DeVito is the most surprising player in voting by AP sports writers who cover the conference. Before Bielema arrived, the Illini had averaged 2.5 conference wins per year since the Big Ten went to the current East-West divisions in 2014. Road wins over a top-10 Penn State and a West-leading Minnesota highlighted Bielema’s first season, but few predicted the Illini’s rise this year. They were sixth in the seven-team West in the preseason media poll. Illinois has allowed six or fewer points in three games and leads the nation in scoring defense at 8.0 per game. Its points-against average is its lowest since 1950. The Illini are on track to post their best marks in rushing defense (67.2 ypg) since 1964 and in total defense (228 ypg) since 1966. The offense has found a steady hand in DeVito, who had plenty of scars to show from his four years at Syracuse. No quarterback in the Bowl Subdivision was sacked more than DeVito in his 19 games as the Orange’s starter, and he left the team at midseason last year after losing the job. DeVito announced his transfer to Illinois in December and beat out Art Sitkowski in preseason camp. He has limited his mistakes as Chase Brown, whose 879 rushing yards lead the nation, has been the main attraction. DeVito injured his ankle in the first half against Iowa last week and he’s questionable for Saturday’s home game against West Division co-leader Minnesota. “It’s going to be a big game on Saturday,” Bielema said, “because we’ve made it a big game.” DEFENSIVE PLAYER CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (5-0, 2-0). The son of Pittsburgh Steelers great Joey Porter has taken his game to a higher level and is one of the nation’s top lockdown cornerbacks. Purdue threw Porter’s way 14 times in the season opener, according to Pro Football Focus, and he broke up five passes. Opponents have targeted him just eight times since, and he’s given up just one catch in the last three games. His 10 pass breakups are tied for second nationally. FIRST-YEAR FRESHMAN RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State. The nation’s No. 1 running back in the 2022 recruiting class is one of the Big Ten’s top breakaway threats. He leads the nation with five runs of at least 40 yards, with three of them going for touchdowns. His 7.35 yards per carry rank fifth. He’s the third-leading first-year freshman rusher with 92.6 yards per game. OFFENSIVE PLAYER QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten). The Buckeyes’ quarterback has established himself as the Heisman Trophy front-runner after being a finalist last year. Stroud leads the nation in touchdown passes (24), passer rating (207.5) and yards per attempt (10.9). He has fumbled just once in six games after coughing up the ball six times in 12 games last season. Last week he threw for 361 yards and a school record-tying six touchdowns against Michigan State. FIRST-YEAR TRANSFER WR Charlie Jones, Purdue (4-2, 2-1). His move to the Boilermakers was genius. He reunited with his childhood friend in quarterback Aidan O’Connell and has caught 50 passes for 603 yards and seven touchdowns. Last year, in 14 games for Iowa, he had 21 catches and three TDs. He’s been targeted 69 times and has dropped just one ball, according to PFF. MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM Michigan State was the AP’s midseason surprise team in 2021 after starting 7-0 and earning a top-10 ranking. Things have changed for Mel Tucker and the Spartans (2-4). They’ve lost all four of their games against Power Five teams and they’re winless in their first three conference games for the second time in 16 years. Injuries have plagued the defense, which is giving up 445 yards per game, and the offense has been held under 300 yards in two of its three conference games. HOTTEST SEAT Kirk Ferentz of Iowa (3-3, 1-2) has been skewered for his stubborness in how he deals with the worst offense in the country. Complicating matters is that his son, Brian Ferentz, is the offensive coordinator. Ferentz has built up plenty of capital over 24 years as head coach, and the Hawkeyes are the defending West champions, but the fan base’s patience is wearing thin. BIGGEST INJURY It’s scary to think how prolific Ohio State’s offense could be if it had a healthy Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the top returning receiver in the country. A hamstring injury has limited the AP preseason All-America first-team pick to four catches for 36 yards over two games. He’s missed the last three games and could be ready to play against Iowa after this week’s open date. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Meta Is Desperately Trying To Make The Metaverse Happen – MIT Technology Review https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/meta-is-desperately-trying-to-make-the-metaverse-happen-mit-technology-review/ The star of Tuesday’s Meta Connect, the so-called “state of the union” for the company formerly known as Facebook, was Meta Quest Pro. Meta’s newest virtual-reality headset clocks in at a whopping $1,499.99. That’s a significant price jump from its previous iteration, Meta Quest 2, which could be yours for $399.99—not exactly cheap, but still in triple-digit territory. That price hike, coupled with Meta’s insistence throughout the virtual event that the company envisioned the metaverse as a “next-generation social platform” accessible to everyone, sort of feels like a blatant contradiction. Even if you are among the lucky few who can shell out a grand and a half for a virtual-reality headset, would you really want to? That’s the question Meta seems to be grappling with. While the headset price jumped, nearly all the company’s other big moves are aimed at a common and simple baseline: making the metaverse something people actually want to use.  Meta’s metaverse hasn’t exactly had a smooth year. Less than a year ago, founder Mark Zuckerberg rebranded what was then Facebook in an effort to show that the company was pivoting to what he believed was the future of our digital lives. Since then, Meta has been saddled with hiccups and gaffes, including a much-ballyhooed avatar of Zuckerberg that got memed to oblivion, a report suggesting that the company’s employees were less than enthused about the metaverse, and allegations of virtual sexual assault. So its current strategy seems to be to release a string of updates to see what might get people interested—a “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks” approach, if you will.  Besides the Meta Quest Pro, the company also announced at the event that it was going to open up Horizon Worlds, the social media platform within Meta’s metaverse, to mobile and desktop users, so people without a headset will be able to access the virtual world. That’s a notable step: it’s a tacit admission that VR headsets aren’t taking off as quickly as the company would like. Without a critical mass of people who understand what the metaverse feels like or even is, Meta can’t hope to have its products adopted. Opening its virtual worlds to the formats consumers are comfortable with (their text messages, their browsers, the company’s beleaguered Instagram platform) gives people who aren’t open to shelling out $399.99—much less $1,499.99—a way to experience the new world. What’s also made the metaverse a hard sell is the disorienting experience of being a floating, legless torso, and Meta announced that it won’t be that way anymore. Previously, Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, said in an Instagram AMA that full-body avatars were difficult to implement, particularly because VR tracking usually comes from someone’s real-life eyes and hands. “Tracking your own legs accurately is super hard and basically not workable just from a physics standpoint with existing headsets,” he said in February. But Zuckerberg (or, rather, his leggy avatar) announced at the event that the company was going to use artificial intelligence to map out legs in the metaverse, allowing avatars the ability not only to walk and run but also to wear digital clothing for their legs (a marketplace that Zuckerberg has said he is eager to participate in; Roblox, a gaming platform I’ve written about before, currently has a comfortable share of the market). This would be a huge step to improving how users think about movement in the metaverse and how they decide to represent themselves there. META But even with legs, and even with the ability to roam the metaverse without a headset strapped to your face, the key question remains: Is Meta’s metaverse something people will actually buy into? It’s worth noting that even employees at Meta are skeptical about the company’s vision, with one going so far as to say the amount spent on these projects to date made him “sick to [his] stomach.” A free, shareable version of the metaverse accessible via weblink will open the previously closed world up to people who may not have hundreds of dollars to burn, and it’s a huge move toward democratizing the space. It might lead people to buy Meta’s claim that talking to a cartoon version of your boss is totally cool—and, more broadly, that the metaverse really is the next digital plane on which we’ll conduct our lives.  But it might also do the opposite: people might hop on the link and find that even in its now full-bodied state, the metaverse, er, doesn’t have legs.

These Were The Top Selling Baby Items From Day 1 Of Amazon’s Secret Sale! – 22 Words https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/these-were-the-top-selling-baby-items-from-day-1-of-amazons-secret-sale-22-words/ Amazon’s secret sale has kicked off, and that means a day’s worth of sales and new top items. One of the hottest sale categories was baby items and we’ve got a list that’s packed full of those top sellers so you don’t have to miss out on something great! Whether you’re looking for yourself, grandkids, or a friend’s baby shower, this list has got something you’ve got to have. Even if you’re not looking for anything in particular you should check it out. You never know what might come in handy. I don’t even have babies yet and I love to scroll baby things, so that’s not a prerequisite, but if you’re planning to have one or your friends are at that stage of life, you really can’t beat this list. Baby monitors, diaper bags, bottle warmers, and more! Take a scroll and see what you can find. You will love our editor’s curated product picks! FYI: We are an Amazon affiliate partner and may get a share of the sale of your purchase (at no cost to you). 21% Off! Don’t Let This Deal Pass You By! Save 21% on this incredible baby monitor! No more sneaking quietly into your little one’s room only to risk them waking up at the sound of the door closing. Now, you can keep an eye on your little gifts from any room of your house and rest easy knowing your eyes are always on them. Save 30% On Everyone’s Favorite Car Seat This is one of the most popular car seats and is obviously one of the most popular Amazon baby buys right now. It makes sense that it’s so popular because it’s one of the safest car seats out there, and it looks pretty comfy, too. Grab it now while it’s still 30% off! This Humidifier is 34% Off! Humidifiers are a great way to keep your wee ones healthy and happy and it’s pretty affordable too at a whopping 34% off. Not only does it keep the humidity level right where it belongs, it also works as a diffuser and a gentle night light to keep them soothed. Cover Your Baby Basics Babies need a lot of stuff, but if you’re scrolling this list, that’s not new info! But some of that stuff is a must and it’s a must as soon as the baby arrives. Fortunately, this terrific kit has everything you need to take care of your little bundle of joy. 35% Off! Create a Pleasant Atmosphere Babies need a great sleep environment, too, you know. And if you have a difficult sleeper, you’ve got to get this great, and portable, sound machine! Especially now, while it’s 35% off — an unbeatable discount. It plays five different sounds and comes with three light levels so you can create the best sleep environment possible. Breastfeeding Isn’t Easy But 30% Off Is Great Breastfeeding is a pain. Sometimes, literally. It can be quite a challenging task and one that doesn’t always work the first time out of the gate. Fortunately, this great breastfeeding essentials box has everything you need to care for clogged ducts, chapped nipples, and sore breasts. Grab it while it’s 30% off! 10% Off! Get Your Crib Looking Right Can’t forget the crib! You need a sheet and a blanket, bare minimum, but a crib without a skirt just looks sort of sad. Fortunately, you can just get this bundle and you’ll have everything you need in one purchase. Take 10% off now — don’t miss this great deal! 20% Off! Wipe It Down You can never have too many wipes as a parent. Not just for changing diapers, but for all the other sorts of messes that kids tend to get into as they grow. Don’t even get me started on mealtime messes. Go ahead and stock up on these great water wipes while they’re 20% off and you can thank me later. Take 59% Off This Must-Have Baby Hack Give your hips a rest with this absolutely wild hack product. This takes the weight and pressure off your hips but keeps your baby in the right place while you go about your day. This is an awesome option for a sports game or a big event. It even has a phone holder! Grab it now while it’s 59% off. Keep Your Little Ones Looking Neat This is the ultimate baby grooming kit. Pretty much everything in this kit is something you’ll need for the baby years. From nail clippers to nose suckers, you’ll find all you need in here to make sure your baby looks neat and put together, even if you’re too busy to do the same for yourself. The Ultimate Diaper Bag is 45% Off! Not only is this a cute diaper bag, but it’s also got tons of storage so you can store all of those many baby essentials, and it has a giant, attached changing table. This incredible bag is 45% off and you’ve got to grab this ASAP before the deal ends. 54% Off! Make Tummy Time the Best Time Babies don’t always love tummy time, but it’s something they’ve got to do, unfortunately. Luckily, though, you can make it something they might actually enjoy with this inflatable, interactive pad that’s currently on sale — 54% off! Your little ones will love smooshing and pushing the little aquatic critters inside. Make Sure They’re Well-Read Literacy is so important, and you’ve really got to get it started at an early age. Just kidding! I mean, it is important, but these books aren’t really something babies read. They just chew on them, bat them around, and enjoy those fun, crinkling, squeaking sounds that come from them. Your New Favorite Bowls These bowls are pretty much the coolest! They suction to whatever surface they’re on so you don’t have to worry about your kiddos dumping all of the good and delicious food you made them right on the floor. Plus, they’re super easy to clean so your post-mess work is a snap. 20% Off! Warm Your Bottles on the Go It’s not easy to warm bottles when you’re traveling; hotel bathroom sinks don’t always warm up quickly or completely enough and microwaving can cause those dangerous hot spots. This travel bottle warmer makes the process so much simpler and it can go with you wherever you go, and it is 20% Off. 60% Off! You Can’t Afford Not to Get These Great Teethers Teething is probably the worst part of being a baby. At least from an outsider’s perspective. It just looks super painful and the babies are so pitiful and sad and no one can do anything to help. Fortunately, these great teething tubes give them something chewy to ease the pain. Get them now while they’re 60% off! Save 52% Take Care of That Pesky Snot You’ve got to grab this super popular nasal aspirator while it’s hot. And while it’s 52% off! Babies aren’t capable of blowing their noses, but they do have to deal with snot when they’re sick. This aspirator pulls all that gross stuff out and lets them breathe a little easier at night. Swaddle Them Up Right for 29% Off! This swaddle is so dang cute! Can’t you just see your little one wrapped up in this, all snuggled up tight? 29% off makes it just about impossible to resist. Your little one is going to love the tight and secure feeling that comes with being bundled into its fuzzy embrace. 20% Off! Let Them Chew Away Teethers are a must-have for your little ones. Teething is no fun for anyone involved, but these chewable toys make it a little easier. The silicone makes these toys, now 20% off, soothing to those raw and new gums and helps give them something to chew on that’s not their sweet, chubby little fingers. The Ultimate Baby Monitor for 28% Less Money There’s no way to actually keep yourself sane as a parent, but this amazing Owlet monitor sock allows you to keep an in-depth eye on them. This lets you monitor your baby’s heart rate, movement, how many times they wake up, and the temperature of the room while they’re in there. Did I mention it’s on sale for 28% off? 39% Off! Keep Your Baby Close Baby-wearing is an underrated way to carry your little one around. This sling keeps them close and tucked close and it allows your hands to remain free for errands, work, or whatever else your day brings. Be sure to grab this great, and comfy, sling now while it’s 39% off! Save 11% and Keep an Eye On Your Bundle of Joy This awesome car gadget really changes the game on car seat viewing. It’s not your usual car seat mirror, it actually uses a camera to let you know what’s going on back there when you can’t have eyes on your kiddos yourself. And get it now, because you can’t beat this 11% savings deal!

First Mover Asia: Will Bitcoin Remain In The Doldrums? Signals Are Mixed; Major Cryptos Are Mostly Flat – CoinDesk https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/first-mover-asia-will-bitcoin-remain-in-the-doldrums-signals-are-mixed-major-cryptos-are-mostly-flat-coindesk/ James Rubin is CoinDesk’s U.S. news editor based on the West Coast. Good morning. Here’s what’s happening: Prices: Bitcoin and a number of major cryptos traded sideways on Tuesday. Insights: Bitcoin has been trading sideways for weeks, but the latest Consumer Price Index inflation data may stir the largest crypto by market cap from its current slumber. ● CoinDesk Market Index (CMI): 938.43 +0.1% ● Bitcoin (BTC): $19,068 +0.1% ● Ether (ETH): $1,284 +0.3% ● S&P 500 daily close: 3,588.84 −0.7% ● Gold: $1,672 per troy ounce +0.3% ● Ten-year Treasury yield daily close: 3.94% +0.05 Bitcoin, ether and gold prices are taken at approximately 4pm New York time. Bitcoin is the CoinDesk Bitcoin Price Index (XBX); Ether is the CoinDesk Ether Price Index (ETX); Gold is the COMEX spot price. Information about CoinDesk Indices can be found at coindesk.com/indices. Bitcoin and Ether Continue Their Recent Holding Patterns Bitcoin remained in its recent holding pattern on Tuesday as investors continued their nervous vigil for the latest inflation signals. The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization was recently trading at about $19,050, up ever so slightly over the past 24 hours. BTC continued to occupy the lower part of the $19,000 to $21,000 range it has occupied for much of the past month, a sign of ongoing market fears about rising prices and the prospect of a steep recession. Markets’ current rootedness comes as the release of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes on Wednesday and the latest Consumer Price Index on Thursday near. A surprise in either could move prices, although Federal Reserve bankers in their recent remarks have reiterated their commitment to prioritize staunching inflation, which they view as the biggest threat to the economy. The CPI is widely expected to fall slightly to 8.1% annually, not enough to reverse current central bank monetary hawkishness. The month-to-month price action is expected to inch upward. “Everyone is expecting another 75 bps [basis point increase] in November,” Benoit Bosc, global head of product at crypto trader and market maker GSR Markets, told CoinDesk TV. Ether was recently changing hands below $1,300, off slightly from Monday, same time. The second largest crypto in market value has hovered over this threshold for much of October. Most other major cryptos were recently flat, albeit a little more to the red with APE down more than 6% and POLY and XLM each falling about 5%. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is probing Yuga Labs, the creator of the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection, over whether sales of its digital assets violate federal law, according to a Bloomberg report, citing an unnamed source close to the matter. CHZ was recently up more than 4%. The CoinDesk Market Index (CMI), a broad-based market index that measures the performance of a basket of cryptocurrencies, was flat. Equity markets continued their recent losing streak with the tech-heavy Nasdaq declining 1.1% and the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average falling a few fractions of a percentage point. The Nasdaq returned to bear market territory for the second time this year, meaning it is down at least 20% from a previous peak. Safe-haven gold was swept up in the decline of riskier assets, sinking 0.3%, while the yield on a 10-year Treasury, which travels inversely from crypto prices, rose to 3.94%, near its 2022 high. Later this week, early third quarter earnings reports from PepsiCo, BlackRock and JPMorgan Chase are expected show weakenings. Amid the current economic down notes, the International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast, warning that “the worst is yet to come.” Late Tuesday, Mango Markets, a decentralized finance platform hosted on the Solana Blockchain, appears to have been hacked for over $100 million. The exploit was the second in less than a week, following an $80 million breach last week of Binance’s BNB blockchain. GSR’s Bosc struck an optimistic note noting that bitcoin’s price had fallen far further than the Nasdaq and S&P this year and so would likely improve sooner than the indexes as economic conditions rebound. “There’s better potential for crypto to decouple and for things to look better for crypto earlier than they will for the macro environment,” he said, although he added that any progress was unlikely to occur for another six months. He added: “It’s becoming clear that there are more and more buying opportunities especially for those [protocols} which are revenue generating and offer good value, pretty similar to the kind of TradFi opportunities that followed the great financial crisis in 2009.” Biggest Gainers Biggest Losers The bitcoin market has been sending mixed signals. On the one hand, the amount of bitcoin active on exchanges hit a four-year low earlier this week. Typically, low balances on exchanges signify a coming price rally as traders have bought and are ready to HODL in order to benefit from an increase in price. BTC balance on exchanges (Glassnode) Other data points supporting a rally include the amount of bitcoin active during the past year, which hit another all-time high of 65.9%, according to Glassnode. The number of addresses holding over 0.1 coins has also increased, per Glassnode data, which shows the strength of conviction of bitcoin’s resilient “minnows.” The inconsistency likely reflects an uncertain and unprecedented macroeconomic climate in which indicators have often been pointing in opposite directions and investors remain averse to risk. Regardless, crypto markets are currently drawing less attention, at least for the time being, as the world waits for clear signals about inflation and the economy. In a recent note, CryptoQuant highlighted the amount of leverage in the bitcoin market even as new users are not materializing. “The estimated leverage ratio reached an all-time high. This shows the dominance of derivative market activity because of the lack of new retail investors,” CryptoQuant wrote. “However, the relatively ‘neutral’ funding rate seems to be the reason why the price movement has not yet found its direction despite this week’s substantial exchange outflows and high leverage ratio.” Investors will be scrutinizing the next release of the U.S. Consumer Price Index on Oct. 13 to see if the inflation data will move the markets. CryptoQuant thinks it will, given the high leverage in play. Let’s see if this breaks us out of bitcoin’s sideways trading trap. In case you missed it, here is the most recent episode of “First Mover” on CoinDesk TV: Tron founder Justin Sun joined “First Mover” to discuss what could be one of the largest takeovers in crypto history – About Capital’s acquisition of crypto exchange Huobi Global. Benoit Bosc of GSR Markets provided crypto markets analysis as investors await the next CPI report. Plus, “First Mover” did a deep dive into U.S. crypto legislation. BNB Smart Chain to Perform Hard Fork as Fix for $100M Exploit: The “temporary urgent patch” release will take occur at around 08:00 UTC on Oct. 12. BNY Mellon Starts Crypto Custody Service: The custodial lender earlier this fall received approval from financial regulators in New York to begin holding bitcoin and ether for certain customers. New Metis Rollup Tech Addressees Ethereum Scalability for Businesses: The layer 2 platform’s team includes the mother of Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin. Ripple Builds New Partnerships in France and Sweden Despite Crypto Bear Market: Ripple inked deals with Paris-based payment provider for online marketplaces Lemonway and Swedish money transfer provider Xbaht. Sign up for Crypto for Advisors, our weekly newsletter defining crypto, digital assets and the future of finance. By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk product updates, events and marketing and you agree to our terms of services and privacy policy. DISCLOSURE 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 . James Rubin is CoinDesk’s U.S. news editor based on the West Coast. James Rubin is CoinDesk’s U.S. news editor based on the West Coast.

Russia’s Latest Attacks On Ukraine Are A ‘show Of Weakness,’ Says Former U.S. Ambassador To NATO – CNBC https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/russias-latest-attacks-on-ukraine-are-a-show-of-weakness-says-former-u-s-ambassador-to-nato-cnbc/ Russia’s latest attacks on Ukraine aren’t a show of strength, but a “show of weakness” that reflects its inability to advance and seize Ukrainian territory, said Kurt Volker, a distinguished fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that he ordered long-range missile strikes on a number of locations in Ukraine targeting military, energy and communications facilities. “Putin’s goal was to take over Ukraine, replace the government, have someone in Ukraine that was subordinate to Moscow. That’s simply not going to happen,” the former U.S. ambassador to NATO (2008-2009) told CNBC’s “Capital Connection” on Tuesday. “Ukrainians have made tremendous inroads taking territory back. This is the kind of thing that Putin has to resort to.” “He’s not actually able to affect the course of the war anymore.” Volker, who was also U.S. special representative for Ukraine negotiations (2017-2019), added that Russia’s increasing aggression is an expected reaction to Ukraine’s resistance. Last Saturday, an explosion obliterated part of the bridge linking the Russian mainland to Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014, in what appeared to be a strategic move to disrupt a key supply route for Russian troops. Though Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for the attack, Volker said “we have to assume they were behind it.” “We are going to see continued efforts by the Ukrainians to make sure that Russian forces deployed in Ukraine are unable to sustain themselves, and that they have a very difficult winter … This lays the conditions for Ukraine to take back its territory later this year, and more next year.” The West needs to do “a lot more” to help Ukraine with their defenses to these unpredictable attacks and end the war more quickly, he added. Nuclear weapons Putin’s explicit threats to use nuclear weapons have called into question the risk of an impending nuclear conflict. Volker said the possibility of Putin using nuclear weapons can never be ruled out, but he will have more to lose than gain. “It does not serve any military objective that Putin has to use nuclear weapons. It will actually make the territory he’s attacking uninhabitable … and blow back on his own forces in ways that will weaken his own military capabilities.” Others have taken a similar view. Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commanding general for the U.S. Army in Europe, told CNBC earlier this month that although the nuclear threat is “absolutely a credible” one because Russia has thousands of nuclear weapons, it’s unlikely that Putin will resort to it given the lack of a battlefield advantage. Volker added that even the Russian military may not support Putin should he call for nuclear weapons to be deployed. “The Russian military knows full well that crossing the nuclear threshold is a big deal for the West and other nuclear powers, including China. I have no doubt that it would draw a direct response against Russian military, which they certainly don’t want.” “Would they even follow an order, if given that order by Putin? And would Putin give such an order, if he’s concerned about the reliability of his military?”

Apple To Rollout 5G Software Update In December – The Indian Express https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/apple-to-rollout-5g-software-update-in-december-the-indian-express/ Under pressure to push out software updates to enable 5G services on iPhone in India, Apple Wednesday said it was start rolling out the software update needed to users in December. Top government officials were scheduled to meet Apple, Samsung and other smartphone makers to nudge them to prioritise the 5G update for the Indian market where Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced launch of services on October 1. “We are working with our carrier partners in India to bring the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as network validation and testing for quality and performance is completed. 5G will be enabled via a software update and will start rolling out to iPhone users in December,” Apple said in a statement Wednesday. Apple is known to be finicky about user experience and this could be why it will take time to test the services available in India and how it works on its devices. At the moment, Apple’s iPhone 14, iPhone 13, iPhone 12 series phones as well as the iPhone SE (3rd generation) models are compatible with 5G. These devices will be getting the software update in December. While network providers have announced the launch of 5G services, smartphone makers will still need to test how their devices are performing on the bands available in India. They will need to check for bugs and incorporate fixes in their software updates to ensure the user experience is not impacted. Speaking to indianexpress.com last week, Airtel Chief Technology Officer Randeep Sekhon has said Apple is currently testing 5G in India and the network has “set up special networks for them to test”. Most of the other handset manufacturers are already supporting the 5G services rolled out by Airtel, Sekhon had said.

GRAPHIC: Ex-Texas Cop Charged Over Shooting Teen Eating Hamburger – WWNY https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/graphic-ex-texas-cop-charged-over-shooting-teen-eating-hamburger-wwny/ SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A now-former San Antonio police officer was charged Tuesday with two counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer for shooting and gravely wounding a teen who was eating a hamburger in his car in a McDonald’s parking lot. James Brennand, 25, was charged in the Oct. 2 shooting of Erik Cantu, 17, according to a police statement. He turned himself in to police Tuesday night and remained in custody, said Police Chief William McManus. Cantu is still unconscious and on life support, his family said Tuesday. Brennand, a rookie officer, reported the vehicle Cantu was sitting in had evaded him the night before during an attempted traffic stop. Brennand said he suspected the vehicle was stolen. In body camera footage released by police, Brennand opens the car door and tells Cantu to get out. The car drives backward, door open, and the officer fires multiple times into the vehicle. He continues to shoot as the car drives away. Investigators quickly determined that the use of deadly force was unwarranted, and Brennand was fired. Charges against Cantu of aggravated assault and evading arrest were dropped. Brennand is charged with two counts of assault because there was a passenger in the car. The passenger was unharmed. In a press conference Tuesday evening, the police chief defended the department’s training and said the failures were those of the individual officer. In an appearance on CNN earlier Tuesday, McManus said he expected aggravated assault charges would be filed, and murder charges in the event Cantu dies. McManus said Brennand’s body camera video of the Oct. 2 shooting was “horrific.” “There is no question in anybody’s mind looking at that video that the shooting is not justified,” McManus said. Police officials and the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press. Brennand has no published telephone number and could not be reached for comment. Cantu’s condition, as related in his family’s statement, is in stark contrast to what police officials said in the wake of the shooting: that Cantu was hospitalized in stable condition. “We’d like to correct any misrepresentations that Erik is in ‘stable condition’ or he is ‘going to be fine.’ That is not true. Every breath is a struggle for Erik. We ask for everyone’s continued prayers for our son,” the family said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Seek Out New Zealand For Your Next Vacation! – KOIN.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/seek-out-new-zealand-for-your-next-vacation-koin-com/ Skip to content KOIN.com Portland 66° Portland 66° Search Please enter a search term. Primary Menu News Wildfire Watch 2022 Coronavirus Eye on NW Politics Your Local Election Headquarters Is Portland Over? Oregon Washington Politics from The Hill Special Reports Crime National Washington DC Entertainment Mainstream Weedia Positive Vibes Where We Live Northwest Grown Hispanic Heritage Month BestReviews BestReviews Daily Deals Automotive News Press Releases Top Stories Jo Ann Hardesty shows support for affordable housing … Motorcyclist dies after crash in Salem intersection; … Watermelons cover highway after semi rolls in Massachusetts Video Ex-Texas cop charged over shooting teen eating hamburger Newsletters Weather Air Quality Weather Alerts Closings and Delays Weather Radar Pet Walk Forecast Weather Photos Oregon and Washington Weather Webcams Eye on Climate Earthquakes Ski Conditions KOIN 6 Weather Kids Traffic Traffic Cams Video KOIN 6 Live Newscasts KOIN Live Stream Events CBSN CBS Shows TV Listings AM Extra Move it Monday Mayor Monday Tech Tuesday Wallet Wednesday Foodie Friday Sports High School Spotlight Portland’s CW Everyday Northwest Community Northwest Lifestyle Sponsor Giving Contests Choose Local Eye on the Northwest SOLVE Local Events About Us Meet the Team Regional News Partners Work for Us Advertise with Us Contact Us ReportIt KOIN 6 News Mobile Apps Newsletters KOIN 6 Text Alerts KOIN, KRCW EEO Public File Report About BestReviews Jobs Find a Job Post a Job Work for Us Search Please enter a search term. EDNW Sponsor by: Ashley Howard Posted: Oct 11, 2022 / 04:42 PM PDT Updated: Oct 11, 2022 / 04:42 PM PDT by: Ashley Howard Posted: Oct 11, 2022 / 04:42 PM PDT Updated: Oct 11, 2022 / 04:42 PM PDT New Zealand is welcoming back tourists with open arms after such restricted travel from the pandemic. Trending Stories Measure 114 could have major effect on gun control Gov. candidates react to polls, Biden’s visit New details released on Biden’s Portland trip Woman hit, killed in jet ski crash identified Coast Guard stops 17-foot boat on Willamette River

Cybercrime Is The Biggest Threat Facing Corporate Australia Today – Tech Business News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/cybercrime-is-the-biggest-threat-facing-corporate-australia-today-tech-business-news/ Why latest guidelines spell danger for Australia’s Cybersecurity Cybercrime is the biggest threat facing corporate Australia today, costing the economy more than an estimated $3trillion. With the sophistication, agility, and frequency of attacks increasing (one every 8 minutes in Australia), it’s encouraging to see the federal government implementing new legislation in response. However, while the intention is to better protect Australia’s critical infrastructure, this new cybersecurity framework could do the opposite.  Originally designed in 2018 the reformed ‘Critical Infrastructure Protection Act 2022’ came into effect in July this year. With an improved framework for handling cyber threats, it includes an array of measures to which Australian businesses and services must adhere.  In theory, the new act is imperative for safeguarding a modern Australia. Its existence provides a benchmark for IT and OT professionals across a greater variety of industries, and ensures security is a collective responsibility.  The importance of addressing this responsibility cannot be overstated in an environment of increased cyber threats to essential services and businesses over the past few years – including federal parliamentary networks, the medical sector, universities, and key software businesses.   Take the most recent attack on Optus’ network as an example, which has seen millions of customers potentially affected, with full names, date of births and contact details stolen. While Optus was covered by insurance, it’s a reminder that sufficient scenario planning and risk mitigation is integral to preventing these increasingly sophisticated attacks. Potentially one of the largest attacks Australia has seen to date, it’s a warning to us all that cybersecurity has never been more critical.   The introduction of the new act then is a positive sign that Australia is taking cybersecurity threats more seriously. However, some of the amendments foreshadow an evolution of increasingly stringent rules that could become unrealistic and unachievable – ultimately threatening system effectiveness and integrity. One such update is the change to incident reporting deadlines. In line with the new law, organisations are now required to notify the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASCS) within 12 hours of becoming aware of an incident. Failure to comply can result in fines starting at $11,000.   Not only could this have implications for smaller businesses, which often have fewer resources to identify and manage attacks on their assets, it detracts from what should be the priority of risk management. The standard 12-hour reporting deadline also doesn’t take into consideration the challenges and processes of different industries – finance vs the food sector, for example. The sophistication and complexity of cybercrimes mean that, in many instances, the time it takes to correctly identify an attack and potential solution is also difficult to predict. On a global scale, reporting time for incidents was previously around 72 hours, meaning deadlines have reduced from three days to one. The risk in this continued reduction of reporting times is that requirements may get so low – potentially to immediate notification or ‘zero hours’ – that it’s simply unsustainable. Organisations must have adequate time to identify a breach, investigate the incident and produce an accurate report without fear of potentially devastating legal, cost and brand ramifications. While the latest guidelines hint at a stricter framework in future, the current requirements are achievable for organisations that are prepared. For any organisation, whether 300 or 30,000, the key to effectively managing cyber-security is understanding responsibilities and having a clear plan.  To implement the most effective cybersecurity, you must first have visibility over all your systems. At Schneider, we work with businesses daily to understand their unique challenges and ensure open lines of communication. We also have dedicated cybersecurity leads to ensure clearly defined roles and responsibilities.  To practice what we preach, we upskill our people through mandatory annual cybersecurity certification, and we have a customer-facing Cybersecurity Virtual Academy, an online resource providing educational cybersecurity content, as well as opportunities to engage with industry experts through webinars and Q&As. We also partner with other leaders in the cybersecurity space to help our customers best leverage the investment they’ve made in their existing IT environment. Whether you’re a start-up, SME, or global enterprise, the new guidelines are an important reminder that investing in cybersecurity is not just the right thing to do, but critical for your business. Nikki Saunders Nikki is the cybersecurity EcoSystem Program Manager, Pacific, Schneider Electric

Rio Grande Cancer Foundation Opens The Pink Boutique This Saturday For Special Event – KVIA https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/rio-grande-cancer-foundation-opens-the-pink-boutique-this-saturday-for-special-event-kvia/ EL PASO, Texas – The Rio Grande Cancer Foundation opens The Pink Boutique this Saturday from 10 am to noon at the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation, 616 North Virginia, Suite D. Admission is free. For breast cancer patients there will be great prices on mastectomy garments, you can get a free flu shot courtesy of Walgreens, spin Rocky’s Wheel of Prizes and grab a snack at the Fox Auto Team’s Sweet Treat Shop. Enter the raffle for $5.00 and you could win the grand prize of a Pink Boutique Total Wine Experience for you and up to 20 of your friends. The Pink Boutique is one of a number of projects from the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation. The foundation is the largest of its kind dedicated to supporting our local cancer community for any type of cancer at any stage of the journey. The Foundation initiates projects promoting healthy living, quality of life, education, support services, prevention, awareness and early detection because cancer support is more than treatment.  Among the Foundation’s programs are PATS – Patient Assistance/Transportation Services, providing financial assistance for medically related cancer expenses. (Physician referral required, recipient must be a resident of El Paso County.) Four Seasons Beauty Program which gives out wigs, hats, scarves, mastectomy garments and lymphedema sleeve support, free of charge. The Men’s Health Initiative Awareness provides prevention, early detection and support for male related cancers. Bee Sun Smart Skin Cancer awareness and prevention, particularly in children, through classroom activities, educational programming and sunscreen dispensers for outdoor events. The Classroom Series brings diverse and fun events focused on healthy eating and cooking, stress relief and yoga classes, all free of charge. The Foundation also produces the Good 2 Know Daily Social Media blog and weekly newsletter of current healthy living tips, recipes and personal stories to inspire your journey to wellness. And the Cancer Help Center is a user-friendly, one-stop website with free information and resources for those recently diagnosed with cancer. For more information you can contact the Rio Grande Cancer Foundation at 915-562-7660.

Kevin Durant Reveals Current ‘Vibes’ Of Brooklyn Nets Team – Sports Illustrated https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/kevin-durant-reveals-current-vibes-of-brooklyn-nets-team-sports-illustrated/ According to KD, things are good in Brooklyn for now With bad vibes much of last season, and the worst vibes possible throughout most of this summer, the Brooklyn Nets are looking to flip the script. According to star forward Kevin Durant, the vibes are good for now, but that only matters if they stay good when things get tough. Led by Durant, the Nets also boast Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, leaving them optimistic about their talent. This of course only matters if the vibes are right. “The vibes have been straight but who knows what the vibes will be if we hit a skid or if we’re not playing well or if somebody gets injured. That’s what makes a team is how we stick together through those times,” Durant said. From what Durant has revealed regarding his trade request this summer, the team’s inability to fight through adversity was one of his concerns. According to him, even when they were depleted by injuries and league protocols last year, Brooklyn should not have gone on such a skid. Alluding to that with these comments, Durant wants this year’s team to stick together even when things go poorly. Scroll to Continue As he put it, a team is made during their ability to stick together during tough times. Last year’s Brooklyn team did not show an ability to do this, and while the vibes are good so far this year, Durant wants that to remain the case. If it does, this team has the talent to be a problem in the Eastern Conference. Related Articles: Rate the Trade: Kyle Kuzma to the Brooklyn Nets Practice Footage of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons Revealed New Potential Trade Target For Brooklyn Nets Revealed In This Article (1)

Meet The Metaverse Creators: 3D Artist & Art Director Malloy – NFT Plazas https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/meet-the-metaverse-creators-3d-artist-art-director-malloy-nft-plazas/ The first time I heard about the creator Malloy was when I was digging in Decentraland data sheets. According to the stats, Malloy is one of the most successful creators in Decentraland, especially if we were to count how many items he has sold over his time here. All the people I talked to have recommended Malloy as someone who can do incredible things. He is a 3D artist and art director. He has worked in-house in the games industry during the new console gold rush frenzy (first games to market) and has been an outsource artist, indie game developer, and design consultant since then. I am talking to him today, not for the first time! Tell us a little about what has changed since you learned about the Metaverse and what you can do here. I entered the Metaverse space in March 2021 before the insanity of the “NFT Summer” was ramping up. The attraction was the concept of scarce digital assets that the artist could not only be a manufacturer but also a distributor and publisher. The evolution of that attraction is now how to embolden the value of the game asset regardless of the “hype” social factors that play into it. An asset should sell itself without the need of populism, and I don’t think NFTs in games have even scratched the surface of their potential. Creating digital fashion does sound like a challenge. So why did you choose Decentraland as a platform? I came across Decentraland a long while before I created my first asset and what drew me to it was the concept of the project and the ideology. You are one of the most successful creators in Decentraland. Please share your thoughts about it. Did you have a goal when you published your very first wearable? I find that statement a little jarring due to my work being mainly uncredited and for 3rd parties. Although I was only made aware of the numbers involved in the trading of my wearables recently, I am humbled. I think the most accomplished feeling I’ve had is making assets for myself, but the most joy I have had making wearables has been in collaboration with my business partner, Sam, making wearables enjoyed by many citizens of Decentraland over various events that have gone on over the last one and a half years.  Ironically my goal when I started out was to see if, as a 3D artist, it was possible to not be at the mercy of traditionally established dependencies (working for middlemen or studio producers). However, increasingly, we see the rise of the “metaverse consultant” charging ridiculous fees for their services and subcontracting to the real talent for peanuts. The long and short of it, my goal was to see if the technology/platform could be used to fight the swathe of abusive business practices conducted in established industries. It appears it can! But collectors should be vigilant in regards to whom they part with their hard-earned money. The profiteering middleman or the talent? Starting something on your own can be overwhelming. What would you advise for someone who is still in doubt? Share your “work in progress” with the community. It reveals the authenticity of you as an artist and establishes rapport. It is what I did, and I was approached by multiple people (including the Foundation, of whom I am very grateful for subcontracting myself and Sam to create wearables for their outstanding events!). You never know who is looking in Discord or on Twitter, don’t be afraid of people stealing your ideas at the expense of people not knowing your worth as an artist. Do you remember your very first Decentraland experience? Can you tell us a little bit about it? I think it was like for many others, Wonderzone & Tominoya Casino, haha, but I then went to Discord and found super cool scenes like the Puzzle Museum, etc. I know that the community in Decentraland is very strong. Have you ever met any of them IRL, and how do you feel about your anonymity in the space? I am pretty open. I think anonymity helps to feel a sense of protection from abusers. For others, it serves as a protection to abuse others. So I figure I’d rather be transparent as I have no intention to abuse anyone, but I respect others’ needs for privacy. I have had the joy of meeting many DCL citizens in person at the NFTxROADS event in Valencia. I can’t wait to meet up with people again and chat about nerdy/art stuff! What is your inspiration, and how do you manage your creative process? My creative process is often at the mercy of my ambition. Luckily I have a great business partner who keeps me anchored. I am inspired by many things, including the historical repertoire of game art styles, but mainly I am inspired to push boundaries, not just be the first to execute something like a silly badge of honor to gloat about, but something that utilizes NFTs to give power to the collector other than to just sell it. Digital fashion inspires me in that capacity, also. If you could say just one thing about what is the key to digital creativity? What would it be? Think about the technology and how it can be utilized in new dynamics and not in a gimmicky way to make quick cash. But a way that digital assets can be enjoyed by people in a way where their purchases aren’t just a weak excuse for wealth extraction. How do you see the future of digital wearables? I believe in the future. Maybe this is naïve and even a little pessimistic, but people will prefer to tune into the digital worlds over the real one (it’s already been happening for the last 20 years), but with digital asset scarcity and certificate of ownership, digital wearables will be highly coveted items that not only give people a sense of identity and social status but also affect their experience within these digital worlds. The expanse of experience is highly desirable in any circumstance. It’s why folks enjoy roller coasters or partake in various mind-altering state drugs. Decentraland is ahead of the curve on this by means of decentralized application of utility to digital wearables. Newer flashy projects with stock assets will crop up, but the infrastructure of Decentraland takes time and an organic democratic process that other projects haven’t even started to conceive. Most other “metaverses” are still trying to monopolize at the expense of the digital wearable buyer to appease VC expectations. How do you see the future of the Metaverse(s)? I see the future of Metaverses being like a street of 100 coffee shops. People will try each of them out now and again but will ultimately stick to their favorite one until it goes out of business. Then move on to the next. The real question will be, can they redeem the loyalty card they’ve fully stamped in the previous shop, and who funds these franchises? Does the retail user’s money go back into an ecosystem that serves them (in this hilarious parallel, the coffee bean growers?) and the project or increasingly pays out to a series of individuals who happened to be early (investors at the expense of every worker in the hierarchy)? Go decentralized and fight for it 3 Listen to the Twitter Spaces talk with Lina and Malloy Here Want more? Connect with NFT Plazas Join the Weekly Newsletter Join our Discord Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram *All investment/financial opinions expressed by NFT Plazas are from the personal research and experience of our site moderators and are intended as educational material only. Individuals are required to fully research any product prior to making any kind of investment. Fashion editor, founder of an online magazine Abstract Stylist and global tech PR for cybersecurity companies.

The Best Anti-Prime Early Access Sale Deals Happening At Best Buy – The Verge https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-best-anti-prime-early-access-sale-deals-happening-at-best-buy-the-verge/ Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale isn’t the only place where you can find marked-down tech products. Best Buy is participating with deals of its own, many of which price-match what we’re seeing at Amazon’s Prime member-exclusive event. By and large, searching on Best Buy for any of the deals currently live on our main post should pull up a price match. Similarly, its deals are also in effect for two days, lasting through tomorrow, October 12th. So, whether it’s more convenient to shop at Best Buy or you’d prefer to spend your money at a brick-and-mortar location, here are the best anti-Prime Day deals happening at Best Buy. Best Buy’s Flash Sale deals The best deals on TVs, monitors, and home entertainment The 55-inch LG B2 OLED TV is a great deal at $979.99. It offers an amazing picture, HDMI 2.1 and a 120Hz refresh rate, but it can’t get quite as bright as the C2 lineup. It’s just $3 pricier at Best Buy than at Amazon. $976.99 The B2 is one of LG’s latest OLED TV models. It sits in the middle of its offering, boasting a high 120Hz refresh rate feature that’s not present in the more affordable A2. It also has HDMI 2.1 ports for fast-paced content, like gaming. Sony’s 55-inch A80J OLED 4K TV with Google TV software is $999.99 at Best Buy (originally $1,899.99). This deal isn’t being offered at Amazon. Sony’s 27-inch Inzone M9 4K gaming monitor with full array local dimming has received a rare $100 discount. It’s discounted to just $799.99 right now at Best Buy (matching Amazon’s price). Read our review. Insignia (Best Buy’s in-house brand) has a huge 70-inch F30 4K TV with Amazon’s Fire TV software built-in for $419.99 ($230 off). Don’t expect stunning quality compared to pricier TVs, but this could be a great fit for someone’s needs. Plus, it includes an Amazon Echo Show 5 (second-gen) smart display at no additional cost. This free add-on is also the case for smaller F30 model, like the 55-inch priced at $279.99 ($170 off). $279.99 This 2020 model of Insignia’s Fire TV Edition 4K TV includes HDR10 for a more contrast-rich picture. It has three HDMI ports, too, with support for HDMI ARC and eARC, allowing you to send sound through an HDMI cable instead of audio cables. $699.99 Vizio’s Elevate is a high-end soundbar with unique rotating side speakers that turn upwards when playing surround sound audio. Vizio’s high-end Elevate soundbar — which comes with two satellite speakers, a wireless subwoofer, and two rotating, upward-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos — is discounted to just $699.99 ($300 off). This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the $300 price cut, but it’s well worth mentioning here. Read our guide to the best soundbars. The best deals on headphones and earbuds You can buy Apple’s second-gen Apple AirPods with a wired charging case for $99.99, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen on the earbuds at Best Buy ($10 more than Amazon’s price). These normally sell for around $129. Read our review. Sony’s high-end WH-1000XM5 over-ear, noise-canceling headphones have received a $50 price cut at Best Buy, costing $349.99 at Best Buy. They’re far from the most affordable model on sale this week (just scroll down a little), but it’s still a nice price reduction. Google’s affordable Pixel Buds A-Series are even cheaper today Best Buy, costing $69.99, which is only $3 more than Amazon (normally $99.99). $151.99 Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are the company’s first earbuds to include active noise cancellation. But that’s not the only thing that makes them Google’s best buds yet: the Pixel Buds Pro combine impressive sound, great battery life, and good comfort — all without the connection issues of earlier models. Bose’s awesome, noise-canceling QuietComfort 45 are down to $229, a $100 price cut. This matches Amazon’s price. Read our review. Google’s Pixel Buds Pro have been marked down to $159.99 ($40 off). Read our review. Sony’s LinkBuds wireless earbuds, which offer an open-ring style so you can hear both the outdoors and your music, are down to $129.99 ($50 off, $2 more than Amazon). Read our review. The Sony LinkBuds S, which do away with the open-ear design of the aforementioned LinkBuds and offer noise cancellation, are on sale for $129.99 ($70 off, $2 more than Amazon). The Beats Fit Pro, some of our favorite earbuds for running, are back down to $159.99 ($40 off). Read our review. $159.95 Our favorite fitness earbuds, the Beats Fit Pro, feature soft flexible fins that keep them anchored in your ears during vigorous workouts. Their excellent sound has plenty of bass to keep you motivated in the middle of a long run. Jabra’s Elite 7 Active wireless earbuds are $109.99 ($60 off). These workout-friendly buds support active noise cancellation and Jabra’s handy multipoint connectivity. This price is $10 cheaper than Amazon. The same goes for the Jabra Elite 7 Pro, which are $119.99 at Best Buy as opposed to $129 at Amazon. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 over-ear, noise-canceling headphones have dropped to $269 (originally $400). This model offers some of the best ANC tech to date. These match Amazon’s price. Read our review for more info. The best streaming device and smart speaker deals The latest Apple TV 4K (32GB) is down to $109.99, the best price we’ve seen yet (originally $179). If you want 64GB of storage, the cost is $129.99. Read our review. Both of these prices match Amazon’s. $109.09 The latest Apple TV 4K houses the A12 Bionic processor and features faster performance with HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6, and Thread support. Amazon’s wall-mountable Echo Show 15 is $169.99 during this sale ($80 off). It was already handy for watching along with recipes, but it’ll soon be even more handy by being able to operate as a Fire TV device. Best Buy has the same price as Amazon here. Verge Deals on Twitter / Join over 50,000 followers and keep up with the best daily tech deals with @vergedeals Follow us! Tablet, laptop, and e-reader deals The ninth-generation iPad with 64GB of storage and Wi-Fi capabilities is $269.99 (originally $329). Keep in mind that this model may soon become outdated if Apple announces newer versions sometime in October, as is expected. The 2022 iPad Air with the M1 processor, 64GB of storage, and Wi-Fi connectivity is $519.99 ($80 off). If you want more storage, the 256GB model is on sale for $669.99 ($80 off). Read our review. This matches Amazon’s low price. $519.99 The latest iPad Air retains the iPad Pro-esque redesign of the 2020 model but does away with the A14 Bionic processor in favor of Apple’s lightning-fast M1 chip. It also comes in one of five colors and boasts a 12MP front-facing camera with support for Apple’s Center Stage feature. Apple’s latest iPad Mini with USB-C charging and 64GB of storage is $399.99 at Best Buy. While we’ve seen this $100-off deal before, it’s always nice to see it come back. $99.99 Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite has a 6.8-inch E Ink display with adjustable color temperature for nighttime reading. It also boasts a faster processor, additional battery life, IPX8 waterproofing, and — finally — a USB-C port. Amazon’s latest, ad-supported Kindle Paperwhite with 8GB of storage is on sale for $99.99 instead of $139.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is just $5 shy of the discount we saw during Prime Day (you know, the one in July). Read our Kindle Paperwhite review. $74.99 The 2021 Fire HD 10 is the largest of Amazon’s Fire tablets. Unlike the previous generation, it sports a 1080p display and 3GB of RAM, which is plenty if you’re streaming, browsing, or consuming Amazon content. Of all the budget-friendly tablets in Amazon’s current Fire lineup, the Fire HD 10 is the one we typically recommend, thanks to its sharp 1080p display and relatively good performance. You can currently buy it with ads and 32GB of storage for $74.99 at Amazon and Best Buy, a 50 percent discount. Read our review. You can also buy the ad-supported, 32GB Fire HD 10 Plus — which features support for wireless charging and more RAM than the base model — for $104.99 ($75 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Apple’s 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD is on sale for just $799.99, matching its lowest price to date. It debuted for $999. Read our review. Best Buy has the same price as Amazon. $799 The MacBook Air is Apple’s entry-level laptop, which comes outfitted with the company’s new M1 chip in one of three different colors (silver, space gray, and gold). The newer 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD is $1,049 at Best Buy, following a $150 discount — the lowest price so far. Read our review. $1049 The redesigned MacBook Air is a thin, lightweight device powered by Apple’s latest chip. The M2 model also touts a 1080p webcam and a better display than its predecessor, while retaining features like long battery life and MagSafe charging. Smart home tech deals Amazon’s Smart Plug that can let you control any “dumb” device plugged into it with Alexa voice commands is just $12.99 ($12 off), matching Amazon’s price. Smart thermostats can be pricey. That doesn’t apply to Amazon’s, which you can currently get for $41.99 (usually $59.99) at Best Buy, as well as Amazon. This model is surprisingly good, considering its low price. Read our review. $41.99 Developed in partnership with Resideo, the Amazon Smart Thermostat allows you to control the temperature of your home through Alexa voice controls and remotely via an app. Smartwatches, wearables, and fitness tech deals The Apple Watch Series 8 (GPS, 41mm) is currently $50 off, bringing the price down to $349. This is the latest model, which has new temperature sensors for tracking your cycle, as well as a new high-g accelerometer and gy...

Solana-Based Decentralized Finance Platform Mango Hit By $100 Million Exploit – CoinDesk https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/solana-based-decentralized-finance-platform-mango-hit-by-100-million-exploit-coindesk/ Sam is a reporter at CoinDesk focused on decentralized technology, DeFi and DAOs. He owns ETH, BTC and MATIC. Mango, a decentralized finance platform hosted on the Solana blockchain, has been exploited for over $100 million. The exploit was initially reported on Twitter by blockchain auditors OtterSec, who say “the attacker was able to manipulate their Mango collateral.” “The [MGNO] governance token was valued for far more than it should be,” OtterSec’s Robert Chen told CoinDesk. “With that, [the attacker] was able to take out large loans against it and then drain Mango’s [liquidity] pools. It’s like a lending-borrowing race: if you have overvalued collateral, you can then borrow against that collateral, and that’s what they did.” According to Chen, it remains unclear how, exactly, the attacker managed to inflate MNGO’s value in the eyes of the Mango protocol, though there are already several theories floating around on Twitter suggesting how the heist could’ve been pulled off. Mango confirmed the exploit in a Tweet on Tuesday, stating that it was “investigating an incident where a hacker was able to drain funds from Mango via an oracle price manipulation.” The drained funds remained, at press time, on the Solana blockchain. In similar cases, centralized exchanges like Coinbase, Binance and Kraken – the only entities with enough liquidity for someone to cash out amounts this large – have blacklisted offending addresses. In its initial statement, Mango said it was “taking steps to have third parties freeze funds in flight” and “disabling deposits on the front end as a precaution.” Mango is a decentralized crypto exchange on the Solana blockchain that offers users the ability to make spot trades and loans. Mango’s MNGO token was down over 42% in the past 24 hours amid fears that the platform may have been exploited, according to price data from CoinMarketCap. CoinDesk has reached out to Mango for comment. Tuesday’s exploit was the second major decentralized finance attack in less than a week, coming hot on the heels of an $80 million hack last week of Binance’s BNB blockchain. This is a developing story and will be updated. UPDATE (Oct. 11, 2022 23:30 UTC): Adds tweet from Mango. UPDATE (Oct. 11, 2022 23:42 UTC): Adds MNGO price information. UPDATE (Oct. 12, 2022 00:30 UTC): Adds quote from OtterSec’s Robert Chen. UPDATE (Oct. 12, 2022 00:50 UTC): Adds additional tweet from Mango. Sign up for The Node, our daily newsletter bringing you the biggest crypto news and ideas. By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk product updates, events and marketing and you agree to our terms of services and privacy policy. DISCLOSURE 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 . Sam is a reporter at CoinDesk focused on decentralized technology, DeFi and DAOs. He owns ETH, BTC and MATIC. Sam is a reporter at CoinDesk focused on decentralized technology, DeFi and DAOs. He owns ETH, BTC and MATIC.

Factbox: Support For Taiwan Included In Massive U.S. Defense Bill – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/factbox-support-for-taiwan-included-in-massive-u-s-defense-bill-reuters/ A helicopter carrying Taiwan’s flag flies by Taipei during the National Day celebrations in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan October 10, 2022. REUTERS/Ann Wang WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) – The United States could soon offer billions of dollars in military financing for Taiwan, fast-track weapons sales and increase military coordination, as China exerts pressure on the democratically governed island. The Senate included much of the expansive “Taiwan Policy Act of 2022” in the $817 billion National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, on which debate began on Tuesday. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the Taiwan legislation in September, sparking anger from Beijing. China considers Taiwan to be its territory and has never Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com renounced using force to bring it under its control. It was not immediately clear which Taiwan provisions would make it into the final version of the NDAA, but senators and Senate aides said many would become law if the NDAA is passed as expected this year. Here are some highlights: TAIWAN MILITARY FUNDING The Taiwan bill includes $6.5 billion in grant assistance over five years to bolster Taiwan’s military capabilities, and authorizes up to $2 billion in loans. The grants would be contingent on Taiwan increasing its own defense spending, and could give Washington extra sway in Taiwan’s defense procurement given U.S. military planners’ desire to see the island prioritize mobile equipment that could better survive a Chinese assault than large-scale systems. The bill also takes steps to track and expedite delivery of military equipment to Taiwan. TRAINING AND STOCKPILES It requires the State Department and Pentagon to expand joint military training in order to improve the island’s defenses and increase interoperability with U.S. forces. Defense analysts say increasing the two militaries’ ability to operate together would be critical in responding to any Chinese attack should the United States choose to do so, as President Joe Biden recently suggested. POSSIBLE SANCTIONS AGAINST CHINA The bill lays out specific sanctions for the president to impose in the event of “significant escalation in aggression” against Taiwan by China, language intended to increase U.S. deterrence. That would include sanctions against high-ranking Chinese Communist party members, government officials and agencies, as well as state-owned and controlled banks. Other sanctions would block and prohibit property-related transactions in the United States and bar those targeted from obtaining visas to enter the country. CONTROVERSIAL PROPOSALS Some elements of the Taiwan measure have raised concerns about increased tensions with China at the State Department and White House. Congressional aides said these are unlikely to make it into the NDAA. For example, the bill calls for Taiwan to be treated as a “major non-NATO ally” to facilitate the transfer of defense materials and services. And it would require Washington to assess renaming its de facto U.S. embassy from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to the Taiwan Representative Office. Critics say that change would be largely cosmetic and sure to antagonize Beijing while not materially aiding Taiwan. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Patricia Zengerle, Michael Martina and Josie Kao Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Intel Plans Thousands Of Job Cuts In Face Of PC Slowdown – Bloomberg https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/intel-plans-thousands-of-job-cuts-in-face-of-pc-slowdown-bloomberg/ We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.

Five Years Later, Still No Justice For Family Of Teen Killed In Distracted Driving Crash – KSAT San Antonio https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/five-years-later-still-no-justice-for-family-of-teen-killed-in-distracted-driving-crash-ksat-san-antonio/ SAN ANTONIO – More than five years after the death of Emily Zaltsman, the man accused of killing the teen in a September 2017 distracted driving crash has still not gone to trial. Paul Soechting, 27, is accused of driving his Jeep Rubicon into the back of the car Emily was riding in while it was at a standstill in traffic on Loop 1604, crushing the 13-year-old inside the backseat. A witness told San Antonio police Soechting appeared to be looking down at his phone prior to the wreck. Investigators noted that Soechting’s vehicle did not brake before striking the back of the Lexus sedan driven by Emily’s grandfather, case records obtained by KSAT Investigates reveal. Despite a mountain of evidence against Soechting, including cell phone and vehicle crash data, his manslaughter case has languished in court. The case has been assigned a trial date 15 times since Soechting was indicted in 2018, and 15 times that date has come and gone without a jury being selected. Soechting’s trial date has been set and then reset 15 times since his indictment in 2018. (KSAT) Soechting is free on bond while waiting for trial. He was arrested in Comal County in June 2020 on unrelated criminal charges. Prosecutors disposed of one of the charges. Judge Frank Castro, whose court is presiding over the Bexar County case, blamed the delayed trial on a long list of reasons ranging from COVID court stoppages to him prioritizing cases in which defendants are in jail awaiting trial. “I think closure is a very real thing. It’s not going to bring Emily back. That’s not going to ever happen, but I do believe justice needs to be served and everyone does deserve to have that,” said Emily’s mother, Karin Zaltsman. Emily’s last day Karin Zaltsman spent Emily’s last day alive substituting at her daughter’s school: Rawlinson Middle School. “I actually got to be in her classroom teaching history for her. I got to eat lunch with her and a friend,” said Zaltsman. But hours after the school day ended, Zaltsman learned that her daughter and father had been in a car wreck. After arriving at University Hospital, Zaltsman was given the worst news imaginable. A photograph shows the damage to the Lexus sedan rear ended by Paul Soechting. (KSAT) “They said, ‘the mother’s here.’ And I just knew, that’s not a good sign,” said Zaltsman. “Left side was waiting room, right side was consultation room and they said, ‘why don’t you come over here.’ And I was just like, ‘I don’t want to go in that room. It’s not the good room.’” Emily, a multi-sport athlete, honor roll student and member of the orchestra who wanted to one day become a doctor, died of severe trauma to her head, her autopsy report shows. “I think about all her friends that are in their first two weeks of college and I know Emily would have most likely been at UT, or A&M, or somewhere,” said Zaltsman during an interview last month at her home. Emily’s grandfather was seriously injured in the crash but has since recovered. He is still unable to speak about the incident, Zaltsman said. He and Soechting settled a civil lawsuit over the crash out of court in December 2018, Bexar County court records show. A history of distracted driving Soechting, who is deaf and does not speak, communicated with SAPD investigators using sign language with a family member who arrived at the scene. Soechting stated he was looking at a tall flag on the other side of the freeway and when he looked back to his lanes of traffic, he slammed on his brakes prior to the collision but was unable to stop. Soechting at first agreed to show officers his phone, but then had to be told to put it down after it appeared he was deleting data from the phone, SAPD records show. A witness told police a much different story about Soechting’s actions immediately before the wreck. A woman riding on a motorcycle said Soechting passed them on the right a mile before the crash. “She said she looked directly at him for what appeared to be about 10 seconds as he was passing them and he was texting the entire time,” an SAPD report states. “I could see his eyes looking down at the phone,” the woman told police. Just four and a half months before the fatal crash, in April 2017, Soechting caused another distracted driving collision near Seguin, state records show. First responders in Guadalupe County responding to the intersection of W. Kingsbury Street and FM 464 found Soechting in a rolled-over Ford Explorer. The crash investigation revealed that Soechting had run a red light, causing a vehicle driving through the intersection to crash into the passenger side of his vehicle. Soechting later stated to investigators that he was checking his mirrors prior to the crash and looked up to see that the light had turned red, Texas Department of Transportation records show. Judge Castro defends court backlog In late June 2020, Soechting was arrested by New Braunfels police on charges of marijuana possession under two ounces and unlawful carry of a weapon. Prosecutors in the marijuana case filed a non-prosecution affidavit in January 2021, clearing Soechting of criminal wrongdoing in that case. The unlawful carry of a weapon charge is pending, and Soechting is tentatively scheduled to appear in court in Comal County in early November, court records show. In Bexar County, Soechting’s manslaughter case is assigned to the 399th District Court and Judge Frank Castro. Bexar County Judicial Management data for the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the latest bar graph data made available for felony court caseloads, shows that Castro had a pending case backlog that was nearly 300 cases higher than that of the next nearest judge. Judge Castro’s active caseload had reached 1,647, the bar graph data shows. Judge Frank Castro’s active caseload topped all felony court judges in Bexar County, according to Judicial Management data for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021-22. (KSAT) Judge Castro’s backlog was under 500 cases at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but had risen to nearly 1,100 by March of last year, data shared with KSAT Investigates shows. By late March of this year, that caseload had soared to over 1,500, records show. Judge Frank Castro of the 399th District Court. (KSAT) Judge Castro released a lengthy statement defending his court’s backlog and county officials said he has made an effort in recent weeks to address it. In a written statement, Judge Castro told KSAT: “Paul Soechting’s case was indicted over four years ago, however, COVID stopped jury trials for over two of those four years. Both the state and defense have disclosed to me this is a complicated case that needed more time for phone experts, deaf interpreters, and other issues. It should also be noted both the state and defense have agreed on all resets both parties have requested. I have given jury trial priority to cases where the defendants are in jail and Mr. Soechting has been and is currently on bond. I have tried many cases to juries when COVID restrictions have allowed and at this point in time I am within five inmates of being the third best district court out of ten in regards to jail population. It is also my understanding my court has resolved all our pending capital murder cases. Now that my jail population is under control, I am in a better position to give more attention to bond cases. In fact, in the past few weeks my court has significantly reduced our pending cases. I strongly feel in the next month that pending number will continue to drop and be more aligned with the next closest court. In addition, the judge of that next closest court which is the 186th and myself are the judges of the Felony Veterans Treatment Court (FVTC). The FVTC is a specialty court that helps local veterans with histories of military trauma who have been charged with felonies. It is a very intensive court that takes a lot of our attention and time. The judge of the 186th will be retiring in a few months and I will be the only judge running the FVTC for some time. We preside over the FVTC for no additional pay or benefits other than to help our local veterans in this program. The majority of the criminal district judges are not running specialty courts. Prior to running the FVTC and towards the end of the first year of COVID my court was the top court in lowest pending cases. Lastly, this case is set for trial on October 18th and I intend to have this case tried on that date so both sides can have their day in court. However, as in every case sometimes scheduling issues arise with the attorneys or with pending inmate cases taking priority over bond cases.” Ana Amici, general administrative counsel for the criminal district courts, said via email Castro’s pending caseload was back down to around 1,200 cases as of Sept. 25. “Additionally, when the number of cases to be indicted into the court are considered, the 399th overall numbers are on par with other courts’ overall caseloads. When considering both indicted and unindicted cases, the 399th overall caseload is within 40 cases of the next closest court’s current caseload,” Amici told KSAT on Sept. 28, five days after KSAT first contacted Judge Castro about his court’s backlog. Amici did not respond to a request from KSAT for updated bar graph data showing the caseloads in all Bexar County felony courts. Therese Huntzinger, one of Soechting’s criminal defense attorneys, said Judge Castro is “rightfully so” giving preference to cases in which the defendant is not free on bond. Amici said via email an agreed motion for continuance signed by both the state and defense was denied by the court Tuesday. She declined to speak about Soechting’s past driving issu...

Cruise Vancouver: Sail Roundtrip To Hawaii At A Steal – Vancouver Is Awesome https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/cruise-vancouver-sail-roundtrip-to-hawaii-at-a-steal-vancouver-is-awesome/ This sailing includes all of your drinks, meals, entertainment, and transportation on a luxury ship. Best of all, you never have to take a flight as the cruise sails you there and back. Vancouverites looking to visit the Hawaiian Islands this year can enjoy a two-week vacation at a steal — but most of it won’t be on land.  Princess Cruises is currently offering a round-trip sailing out of Vancouver to Hawaii that allows locals to travel to the tropical destination without spending big bucks on hotel fees or flights. While hotels and resorts on any of the islands cost hundreds of dollars each night for accommodation alone, the cruise works out to just over $150 CAD per day and includes all of your meals, transportation, and entertainment, too.  The 15-day Hawaiian Islands cruise departs the Canada Place terminal on Oct. 18 and spends five days at sea before visiting its first port of call, Honolulu, Oahu, on Oct. 24. The following day, guests will visit Kahului, Maui. After that, the cruise stops in Hilo, Hawaii on Oct. 26 and makes its final stop in Kona, Hawaii on Oct. 26. Guests spend five more days on the lavish vessel before disembarking in Vancouver on Nov. 2.  Date Port Arrive Depart Tuesday, October 18 Vancouver, B.C., Canada   4:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 19 At Sea     Thursday, October 20 At Sea     Friday, October 21 At Sea     Saturday, October 22 At Sea     Sunday, October 23 At Sea     Monday, October 24 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 7:00 a.m. 11:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 25 Kahului, Maui, HI 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 26 Hilo, Hawaii, HI 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Thursday, October 27 Kona, Hawaii, HI 7:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Friday, October 28 At Sea     Saturday, October 29 At Sea     Sunday, October 30 At Sea     Monday, October 31 At Sea     Tuesday, November 1 At Sea     Wednesday, November 2 Vancouver, B.C., Canada 7:30 a.m.   Cruise from Vancouver with Princess Cruises to Hawaii The total for two guests in an interior stateroom works out to $5,046.30 CAD including all taxes and fees, which works out to $2,523.15 CAD per person. Since the cruise is 15 days long, this works out to a per diem cost of $168.21 CAD. Not only does that cost include your transportation on a beautiful five-star vessel, but it also includes meals, entertainment, snacks, and lodging. The only thing it doesn’t factor in is alcohol, but you may opt to purchase a drink package that can reduce the cost of your spending. The cruise ship is the five-star Crown Princess, which offers four swimming pools, seven hot tubs, a live theatre, tennis, mini-golf, renowned spa treatments, movies under the stars, a jogging track, a video arcade, and much more.  Photo via Princess Cruises Book your cruise with Princess Cruises online.  Early this year, I sailed on another cruise line’s first voyage to Vancouver since the onset of the pandemic. Read my experience sailing from San Diego in April.

Football, Dramas Lead Nielsen’s Weekly Top 20 List | Business News | Wfmz.com – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/football-dramas-lead-nielsens-weekly-top-20-list-business-news-wfmz-com-69news-wfmz-tv/ NEW YORK (AP) — Here’s the Nielsen company’s list of the 20 most-watched prime-time television programs for the week of Oct. 3-9: 1. NFL Football: Cincinnati at Baltimore, NBC, 15.88 million. 2. “NFL Pregame,” NBC, 11.85 million. 3. NFL Football: L.A. Rams at San Francisco, ESPN, 10.86 million. 4. “The OT,” Fox, 10.46 million. 5. “Football Night in America,” NBC, 8.96 million. 6. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 7.62 million. 7. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 7.35 million. 8. College Football: Texas A&M at Alabama, CBS, 7.15 million. 9. “The Equalizer,” CBS, 6.98 million. 10. “FBI,” CBS, 6.97 million. 11. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 6.96 million. 12. “NCIS,” CBS, 6.92 million. 13. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 6.75 million. 14. “The Voice” (Monday), NBC, 6.56 million. 15. “The Voice” (Tuesday), NBC, 6.47 million. 16. “Blue Bloods,” CBS, 6.4 million. 17. “Ghosts,” CBS, 6.21 million. 18. “FBI: International,” CBS, 5.97 million. 19. “Chicago PD,” NBC, 5.95 million. 20. “Fire Country,” CBS, 5.91 million. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

MyMichigan Health Adds To Sports Medicine Team – Radioresultsnetwork.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/mymichigan-health-adds-to-sports-medicine-team-radioresultsnetwork-com/ As part of MyMichigan Health’s ongoing commitment to bringing comprehensive sports medicine care to athletes of all ages and levels of competition, MyMichigan recently expanded its experienced sports medicine team to include fellowship-trained Primary Care Sports Medicine Specialist Richard Giannotti, Jr., D.O., and Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon Teresa Hall, D.O. With this team expansion, additional sports medicine coverage is being offered at MyMichigan Medical Centers in Alma, Clare and Mt. Pleasant. MyMichigan also offers comprehensive sports medicine care services in both Bay City and Midland. As sports medicine specialists, Drs. Giannotti and Hall are dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of injuries, disorders and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. They enjoy collaborating to help people attain their goals, whether that’s returning to sports or exercise after an injury, reaching the next level of athletic performance, or simply living life as pain-free as possible. Dr. Giannotti completed his medical degree from Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis.  He went on to complete his residency in family medicine at Munson Medical Center and a fellowship in primary care sports medicine at Auburn University. Dr. Giannotti’s philosophy of care in sports medicine can be traced back to his father and his godfather. “From a young age, my father instilled in me the importance of practicing what you preach,” he said. “With that in mind, I strive to always live out the counsel and advice I give patients, which is to lead an active and healthy lifestyle rooted in physical activity, nutrition, and proper recovery and rehabilitation. “From childhood, my godfather would recite the parable of “The Lion and Gazelle,” which ends with – it doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or gazelle when the sun comes up you’d better be running. My goal is to do everything I can to ensure patients can “wake up running,” which to me is participating in physical activities that bring joy, happiness and health to their lives.” Dr. Hall completed her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She went on to complete her residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Michigan Health-West and a fellowship in orthopedic surgery sports medicine from the State University of New York at Buffalo, also known as the University at Buffalo. Dr. Hall’s philosophy of care is to listen closely to her patients to understand what is afflicting them and to create relationships built on mutual trust. “I take time to understand my patients’ goals of treatment and plans for the future and then customize a treatment plan based on their individual wants and needs,” she said.  According to Dr. Hall, the most satisfying part of her job is using her hands to diagnose and treat patients and then helping them get back to their desired activity, at any level. “I really enjoy working with athletes through high school and following their career into collegiate sports,” she added. “I’ve worked with professional athletes in football, hockey and lacrosse, as well as NCAA division 1 athletes.” In addition to treating recreational athletes of all ages, MyMichigan Health currently has sports medicine collaborations with Central Michigan University Athletics, Alma College, Northwood University, Mid Michigan College, the Great Lakes Loons, as well as more than 13 local high school athletic programs. MyMichigan also assists with sports medicine coverage during the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, the Dow Tennis Classic, many and other local events. It also boasts WellSport, the area’s only primary care sports medicine program. Those who would like additional information about Drs. Giannotti and Hall or MyMichigan’s comprehensive musculoskeletal services may visit www.mymichigan.org/msk.

Former Angels Staffer Eric Kay Sentenced To 22 Years In Connection To Pitcher Tyler Skaggs’ Death – CBS Sports https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/former-angels-staffer-eric-kay-sentenced-to-22-years-in-connection-to-pitcher-tyler-skaggs-death-cbs-sports/ Getty Images Former Angels communications director Eric Kay was sentenced to 22 years in prison in connection to the drug-overdose death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in 2019. Kay was found guilty in February for the distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The 27-year-old pitcher was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas on July 1, 2019 with traces of fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol in his system. Kay was accused of obtaining oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl and distributing them to players. The trial included testimonies from current and former MLB players who said they had received opioid pills from him. These players included Matt Harvey, C.J. Cron, Mike Morin, and Cam Bedrosian. According to testimony and court documents, Kay also used the drugs himself.  CBS News Forth Worth reported that Judge Terry Means said he was “dreading” the sentence for Kay, because he thought the 20-year minimum was excessive. However, the judge changed his mind after recorded phone calls from prison and emails allegedly showed Kay disparaging the jury, Skaggs, his family and prosecutors. Means added two more years to the sentence for the “refusal to accept responsibility and even be remorseful for something you caused,” as reported by the Washington Post. “We are very grateful to everyone who worked so hard to investigate and prosecute Eric Kay. Today’s sentencing isn’t about the number of years the defendant received,” read a statement released by Skaggs’ family after the sentencing.  “The real issue in this case is holding accountable the people who are distributing the deadly drug fentanyl. It is killing tens of thousands of people every year in our country and destroying families along with it. We will continue the fight to hold responsible those who allowed Kay to provide a deadly drug to Tyler. But for their actions, Tyler would still be with us today.”

Minting Supercars In The Metaverse | Video – CoinDesk https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/minting-supercars-in-the-metaverse-video-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 .

Meta’s Headset Makeover Yields A $1,500 Toy In Search Of A Purpose – CNN https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/metas-headset-makeover-yields-a-1500-toy-in-search-of-a-purpose-cnn/ This story is part of CNN Business’ Nightcap newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free, here. New York CNN Business  —  It’s easy to feel down about the state of the world, what with that looming global recession, the pandemic, those people who insist they unironically love candy corn … and so on. All of that is enough to make anyone curious about this metaverse thing Mark Zuckerberg keeps touting as the future of the internet. This is the digital destination where Zuck expects us to spend more and more of our time — at work, but not really, or hanging out with avatar friends at not-real coffee shops. He’s so convinced of this future that last year he renamed Facebook, the company he founded, to Meta, and is plowing billions of dollars into building the hardware that will transport us there. On Tuesday, Meta unveiled its latest effort in that mission, the Meta Quest Pro headset. As my colleague Rachel Metz reports, this thing is slick, powerful, and much improved from earlier iterations. And still super impractical. In short: It’s a cool gadget in search of an audience. Per Rachel: It can display text and fine details in VR, making it possible to read even small type with ease. It can track your eyes and facial features, giving you a sense of connection with other people in virtual spaces: If you arch your eyebrows or they puff up their cheeks in real life, so too will the VR avatars. And it can be used as a mixed-reality headset, showing you a view of the world around you in color while letting you interact with digital objects — whether you’re painting on an ersatz easel or putting on a faux mini-golf course. But it costs $1,500 — nearly four times that of the company’s cheapest Quest 2 headset. That might be OK for deep-pocketed professionals like architects and designers, or perhaps for the well-to-do VR faithful who are emotionally invested in the metaverse idea. But for normies, that’s a lot of dough. Too much, you might say, in an economy that’s hobbled by high prices and potentially tumbling into a recession. For that price, you could buy two Xbox Series X gaming consoles and still have money left over for brunch. You could buy a top-of-the-line iPhone and a flight to Denver. Heck, you could skip the gadgets, book a flight to Italy and sip some very real, delicious wine food for a few days all for the price of a single Quest Pro, which promises… I dunno, some nice graphics? Time will tell: Customers can pre-order the headset starting today and it’ll ship later this month. BIG PICTURE As Rachel notes, the Quest Pro may not be the Tickle Me Elmo of the 2022 holiday season (Gen Zers, you can ask your parents about that one). But its improved design is a milestone for Zuck and his Meta dream, which cost the company $2.8 billion in losses the second quarter alone. The lenses are thinner, the headset itself less front-heavy than earlier iterations, and it reportedly does a better job blending the real and virtual spaces around the user. Which all sounds like a step in the right direction, if you’re someone who believes the right direction is ultimately one in which our lives eventually revolve even more than they do now around being digitally connected to one another. Lyft shares tumbled 12% while Uber’s sank 10% after the Biden administration announced a new proposed labor rule that could reclassify gig workers — the bulk of those companies’ drivers — as employees. Such a change, which the rideshare companies have fought in the past, could entitle millions of gig workers across industries to benefits such as minimum wage and overtime pay. A constant theme of the 2020s so far is that nothing is quite as expected. Not our politics, not our grasp of Covid-19, and, perhaps more than anything else, you can pretty much throw out what you thought you knew about the US labor market. See here: The pandemic’s upheaval of global supply chains pushed manufacturers at home to ramp up production as it got harder and harder (and took longer and longer) to move goods around the globe. Suddenly the domestic producer that used to cost more made a lot more sense than the cheaper one overseas. The upshot is that US factories are suddenly humming, my colleagues Chris Isidore and Christine Romans report. Last week, the September jobs report showed US manufacturers added another 22,000 workers. And right now, the nearly 13 million people employed in American factories make up the industry’s largest workforce since the Great Recession that began in 2007. It’s not all good news (because, honestly, what is these days?). The problem now is finding enough skilled workers to keep up. And it’s not just a problem of pay. Wages are up an estimated 5% this year in manufacturing — that’s not keeping up with inflation, but it is in line with the national average. Factory jobs also tend to pay more than other private sector jobs overall — about $65,000 annually, according to the Labor Department. So, what gives? For one, you can’t just let factories decline for years and then expect them to snap back to peak production with the flip of a switch. “I think we’re in uncharted territory,” said Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. “For every 100 jobs openings in the sector we only have 60 people who are looking. I think it’ll take quite a while to fill that pipeline.” Then there’s the perception problem: Factory life conjures images of an industry in decline, as it was for so long between 2007 and 2020. That’s a tough reputation to reform. “We often take a look at the images of manufacturing and we see the sparks flying … and perhaps it’s a little bit dingy, dark,” says Eric Esoda, CEO of a not-for-profit manufacturing consultancy. “But by and large our manufacturing jobs today are high tech.” Bottom line: The labor story in America remains one where the narrative of recent history doesn’t quite hold. In most downturns, we’ve seen manufacturing decline, giving it a bad rap as a job that’s going extinct. Factories aren’t alone. And managers are going to have to figure out the right combination of pay (humble suggestion: raise it), benefits and growth potential if they want to attract any of the millions of people (especially women) who are opting out of the labor force completely. Enjoying Nightcap? Sign up and you’ll get all of this, plus some other funny stuff we liked on the internet, in your inbox every night. (OK, most nights — we believe in a four-day work week around here.)