Anna Garraway

Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe – Southern Living https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/creamy-pumpkin-soup-recipe-southern-living/ When the cool temperatures of fall finally grace the South with crisp evenings, the craving for cozy soups hits hard. This creamy pumpkin soup delivers a big comfort food win with a surprise ingredient: roasted sugar pumpkin. While many recipes lean on a can of pumpkin puree (which is totally acceptable), this hearty pumpkin soup starts with a whole roasted sugar pumpkin, which gives the soup a rich flavor you just can’t get from a can. After you’ve picked out the perfect pumpkin, simply roast it up, scoop out the tender orange flesh, and puree it using the blender of your choice (we prefer an immersion blender) to create this exquisitely creamy soup. But surprise—there’s only a little whipping cream drizzled on top, so this harvest-hued soup is actually a healthy (and delicious) option for dinner.

Tyler Herro Agrees To Four-Year, $130 Million Extension With Heat – CBS Sports https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/tyler-herro-agrees-to-four-year-130-million-extension-with-heat-cbs-sports/ USATSI The Miami Heat have agreed to a four-year, $130 million contract extension with reserve guard Tyler Herro, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and confirmed by CBS Sports’ NBA Insider Bill Reiter. Of that total figure, $120 million is guaranteed and the remaining $10 million with be available via incentives, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. Herro is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year award winner after averaging 20.7 points per game for the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed. Despite that success a season ago, Herro’s postseason was largely disappointing. He averaged only 12.6 points per game while dealing with injuries that kept him out of most of the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami lost that series to the Boston Celtics. Afterward, Herro was the subject of trade rumors involving Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, while Herro made it clear that he no longer wants to come off of the bench.  “I would like to start,” he said in his exit interview. “It’s my fourth year (next season), so I think I’ve earned it. We’ll see what happens.”  Heat president Pat Riley made it clear that Herro would need to earn a starting job by committing defensively. “The next step for him — and I think we’re seeing this in the league — if you want to win a championship and you wanna be a starter, you really have to become a two-way player today,” Riley said in a media conference after the season. “You have to improve in certain areas of your game. … I saw improvement in his defense this year. He’s got great feet, he’s got quick feet. He just needs to get stronger, again. Add another 10 pounds of muscle mass. He just needs to get stronger from a leverage standpoint.” Unclear in this extension is how the Heat will use Herro this season. The Heat are certainly paying him like a starter, but if Miami wants to use him as a reserve again, Herro suddenly has 130 million reasons to accept it. Either way, the Heat have locked up a player they consider part of their long-term core for the foreseeable future.

EinStar, SHINING 3D’s Most Accessible 3D Scanner And Its Use In The Metaverse – 3Dnatives https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/einstar-shining-3ds-most-accessible-3d-scanner-and-its-use-in-the-metaverse-3dnatives/ 3D printing news News EinStar, SHINING 3D’s Most Accessible 3D Scanner and its Use in the Metaverse SHINING 3D is known for technologies ranging from 3D scanning to additive manufacturing, metrology and digital dentistry. Just a few days ago it unveiled a new scanning solution that it hopes will transform the 3D sector. The EinStar is the company’s most affordable portable 3D scanner, designed with the goal of making 3D scanning technology available to everyone. This new scanner highlights SHINING 3D’s aim to continue developing solutions for a booming market. In fact, according to Allied Market Research’s report, the global 3D scanning market is expected to reach a value of $16.66 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3%. This figure highlights the potential of the market and the possibilities it offers to both businesses and end users. Already in April this year SHINING 3D introduced a new scanner, the FreeScan UE Pro, which they considered to be the most multifunctional portable solution developed to date. Now, with this new milestone the company continues its mission to position itself as one of the leading manufacturers of 3D technologies, not only on an industrial level, but also for entry-level users looking for affordable 3D scanners. Rebecca Khoo, Product Manager, Professional Digitizing, explains, “Our mission at SHINING 3D is to make quality 3D digitizing technology accessible to everybody, helping enterprises and individuals to enter the realm of the digital world. EinStar has been developed, allowing everybody to digitize the world around them like never before.” This is certainly great news for the 3D scanning market, but what are the characteristics of this new solution? And what can we expect from the new EinStar 3D scanner? Photo Credits: SHINING 3D Features of the EinStar 3D Scanner The EinStar is characterized as a low-cost solution capable of delivering high quality results. It is equipped with 3 VCSEL infrared light projectors (for clear and stable scans even outdoors), 2 stereo depth cameras and an RGB camera that reproduces the true colors of the scanned object. These elements allow users to capture clear and stable scan details by generating high quality data with color texture. In terms of scan quality, the EinStar can capture high-density data in the form of a point cloud with a distance between points of up to 0.1mm. Compatible with EXStar software, the scanner integrates enhancement technology that optimizes the point cloud for complete data capture, smoothly guides the scan and improves data quality. Due to the different output formats it offers, it is ideal for a wide range of projects, industries and applications. It can be used for additive manufacturing, digital file design, virtual and augmented reality, as well as in the fields of education, culture and art. In terms of user experience, the EinStar meets all expectations. It features an ergonomic design and a clear and simplified workflow, not only for scanning, but also data post-processing. In addition, with no need for light projection during the scanning process, the EinStar is comfortable and safe for the eyes when scanning the human body. Thanks to its accessibility and ease of use, the EinStar is the perfect “plug&play” tool to enter the world of 3D scanning for the first time, and even experience 3D modeling in a simple and efficient way. The versatility of this new 3D scanner allows you to take your ideas and creativity to the next level. 3D Scanning in the Metaverse To test the capabilities of the 3D scanner, artist Will Huff decided to implement it in his project to explore the Metaverse. This concept refers to an immersive digital world where space is not material, but a hyper-real 3D representation seen through virtual reality. Huff’s goal in bringing the two ideas together was to get a copy of himself in this virtual space, so the EinStar was the most appropriate choice. To do this, Will Huff started with the 3D scanning process and his subsequent analysis of the scanned model in Unreal Engine. Later, he carried out the customization of the model for the Metaverse in Metahuman. The main goal was to have a 3D scanned model that had the real data of the scanned person and then to be able to customize it and transform it into an avatar for the Metaverse. Photo Credits: Will Huff Huff adds, “The EinStar is a great addition to SHINING through these full line of 3D scanners. It’s a full featured and versatile scanner based on 18 years of research and development in the field of high precision 3D digital products. The software EXStar is equally impressive, capable of handling large sets of point clouds. There are so many use cases for the AI and star in the metaverse. But you know what? I’m going to leave that for you to discover.” If you want to get a closer look at the features of this new 3D scanner and how to use it, you can visit the SHINING 3D website HERE or follow them on social media (@einstar3d). What do you think of the EinStar from SHINING 3D? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel. *Cover Photo Credits: SHINING 3D

30 Smart Things Trainers Use To Make Dogs Behave Better – Bustle https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/30-smart-things-trainers-use-to-make-dogs-behave-better-bustle/ Dogs are the best. (Sorry, cat people.) Setting aside that they’re cute, loyal, and protective of their owners, the fact of the matter is that they make every day better just by being around. Naturally, you want the best for them in turn, whether that means feeding them only organic food, bathing them with shampoo that’s more expensive than yours, or sacrificing an hour of your time each day to go for a walk. Sometimes, though, your pup might exhibit some unseemly behaviors. Thankfully, there are simple steps you can take to help your pooch behave better, and you just need a few inexpensive tools to get started. Read on to see expert-recommended toys, snacks, and accessories from Amazon designed to turn your good dog into the best dog. 1 This Training Whistle That’ll Help Teach Behavioral Commands If you find that your dog isn’t really responding to voice commands, try a training whistle, like this one by SportDOG. Dr. Amanda Takiguchi, a veterinarian, dog trainer, and founder of the blog Trending Breeds, swears by one. “The only ‘tools’ I ever need to train my dogs are a collar, a lead, a whistle, and me!” she says. “I train my dogs to working trials standard. Tracking, searching, obedience, and agility.” Although this whistle is high-pitched (hence why your dog is more likely to respond to it), it doesn’t have a little ball inside, so it won’t make that annoying trill sound. Also, you can adjust your volume to be quieter when your pup is close to you. 2 A Set Of Clickers To Help Your Dog Listen & Learn When your dog learns how to sit and stay, ideally the moment won’t be filled with shouting. Keep things under control with one of these training clickers, which comes in a pack of two. “The clicker can be used to mark the moment when the dog has performed an action, or it can be used as a reward for good behavior,” explains Jen Jones, a professional dog trainer and behavior specialist. Thus, this gadget both teaches your puppy new behaviors and reinforces already practiced good behaviors. “I recommend using a clicker for teaching and then using a verbal marker to remind the dog of what he did,” Jones, the founder of Your Dog Advisor, adds. Through this type of operant conditioning, your dog will become so well-mannered, Cesar Millan would be impressed. 3 This Long Leash That Allows For Exploration When you’re in public places with your furry friend, you want to keep them relatively close for their own safety. But Andy Ramshaw, the owner of Venture Dog Training, suggests getting a longer leash for when it’s just the two of you. “I recommend one 30 feet long that you can put onto your dog in a safe environment, like the woods or a beach,” he says. “They give your dog the opportunity to sniff and explore while the owner still has control.” This woven leash is a great option, as it comes in multiple lengths, including 30 and 50 feet. It has a double-layered handle to help you maintain a strong grip, and it’s made of a rope-like material that doesn’t tangle no matter how far your dog strays. 4 A Toy That Provides Stimulation & Helps Your Dog Expend Energy If your pup doesn’t have a KONG yet, you’re both missing out. This rubber toy, which comes in six sizes, holds food and treats, providing both dinner and entertainment. “Feeding this way gives the dog an opportunity to chew (fulfilling a natural calming function) whilst also rewarding the dog for lying down, chewing, not barking, and being calm,” Ramshaw says. He explains that placing the toy in your dog’s crate is also a great way to help them get used to spending time alone. In essence, the KONG is useful for multiple things, including teething, alleviating separation anxiety, and avoiding boredom. 5 This Set Of Rubber Mats That Soothe Nerves & Make Eating More Enjoyable Feeding time will be exciting for your dog regardless of what you serve their food in. These textured mats, however, offer a challenge and generate more excitement than the standard doggy bowl. “Lickimats […] are dimpled rubber mats that can be used to spread soft foods onto for the dog to lick,” Ramshaw says. You can get two for just $15, and they’re reusable. “Licking is repetitive and is calming for dogs,” Ramshaw adds. If you have an anxious pup, this product will take their mind off of troubling thoughts and provide a distracting task during meal time. 6 These Treats That Take Longer To Consume Than Traditional Biscuits Letting your dog discover different types of treats is exciting. Do they prefer soft chews? Jerky? Freeze-dried meat? Ramshaw recommends keeping some bully sticks in your rotation, in addition to other “perishable chews that the dog can safely consume.” These sticks contain only one ingredient, so they’re free of preservatives and artificial flavors. Bully sticks will also keep your pooch occupied for a good while. “Supervision is always advised when dogs are chewing anything,” Ramshaw adds. 7 A Mat That Hides Kibble, Forcing Your Dog To Fish It Out Another way to keep your dog entertained is to hide their food or treats in one of these snuffle mats. Ribbon tendrils conceal the bits, so your pet has to actively sniff them out and look for them. “This replicates the natural behavior of sniffing and scavenging for dogs and can be an excellent way to exercise their brain,” Ramshaw says. “Mental exercise is twice as tiring as physical exercise for dogs.” The cool thing about this mat is that you can expand it to any size you want. Keep it smaller for puppies, or increase its circumference for larger dogs. In any case, your canine is going to have a waggin’ good time with this product. 8 This Harness That Will Help Your Hound Breathe Easier On Walks A common mistake is to attach your dog’s leash to their collar before going for a walk. Instead, you should get this padded harness for maximum comfort. “A harness is preferable to a collar because if the dog has a tendency to pull, the pressure caused will be distributed across the dog’s chest and back, which are strong,” Ramshaw clarifies. “Rather than its neck, (which) contains softer organs.” This harness is available in 14 cute colors and four sizes, plus it has two buckles that make it easy to slip on and off. Most importantly, though, it’ll prevent your dog from choking or becoming short of breath during strolls. 9 This Training Platform That Helps Discourage Unwanted Behaviors Certified dog trainer Erin Askeland swears by using a dog training platform such as this one to dissuade begging, jumping, and other problem behaviors. “Platforms make for a great training tool because it helps put a dog in the right position and makes it super obvious where they should be,” says Askeland, an animal health and behavior expert at Camp Bow Wow. “It creates a visual aid that is clear and precise to help a dog focus during a training session.” The Klimb platform has a secure base and rubbery surface to keep your pet safely situated on top. Although it can hold up to 500 pounds, the platform itself is lightweight and easily transportable. After all, there’s never a wrong place or time to instill some manners. 10 A Microfiber Mat That Does More Than Just Prevent Muddy Floors This absorbent mat would make a great addition to the front entryway so your pups can wipe their muddy paws before stepping onto the floors. Its microfiber surface and non-slip backing make for long-lasting durability. But Askeland says there’s more than one possible use with this product. “A mat is a portable version of a platform that you can use when going out to train in public or different locations,” she explains. “One with a good, nonskid back is helpful to stay in place while in use.” This product checks all the necessary boxes. 11 This Target Stick That Makes Training Sessions Less Tiring For You Tap into your headmaster persona with this expandable target stick. The device helps outline a dedicated training area for your dog, Askeland says. This particular one can fit in your pocket when not in use, making it easily portable. “A target stick can help train things like leash-walking or tricks that require a certain body position or movement,” Askeland shares. “While you can also use your hand, a target stick … is often easier to move around than having to manipulate your own hand and arm.” 12 This Toy That Makes Crate Training Less Of A Hassle It’s important for your pet to be able to stay in a crate when you’re not around to supervise. Unfortunately, teaching them to do so can create feelings of stress and anxiety. That’s where the Groov toy comes in. “This toy really helps a dog to like being in their crate by providing them with an activity to do while spending time in confinement,” says Alexandra Bassett, CPDT-KA, and lead trainer and behavior specialist at Dog Savvy Los Angeles. All you have to do is smear the toy with something creamy, such as peanut butter, attach it to the side of the crate, and let your dog go to town while learning to stay there without feeling nervous. 13 A Playpen That Helps Your Dogs Frolic Outside Safely Those without a fenced-in backyard will appreciate this metal playpen, whose bendable panels allow you to create multiple configurations. With this barrier, you can leave your dogs to play in the yard with minimal supervision. “It can both keep a dog out of trouble and prevent potty accidents in the wrong spot,” Bassett notes. The pen’s frame is covered in a rust-proof coating. That, coupled with its sturdy foundation, will allow you to use this product for years to come. It also comes in six different sizes, so no worries if your yard is on the smaller side. 14 These Reusable Pee Pads For Uncomplicated Potty Training You might’ve used pee pads inside the house before your puppy learned to relieve themselves outsi...

Crypto Billionaires Are Disappearing: Casualties Of The Bear Market – BeInCrypto https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/crypto-billionaires-are-disappearing-casualties-of-the-bear-market-beincrypto/ Crypto billionaires are becoming a rare breed. When Vitalik Buterin revealed he was no longer a billionaire in May, the Ethereum cofounder spoke for many of the ultra-rich in cryptocurrency. A number of the wealthiest founders have lost billions of dollars in net worth to the 2022 bear market, or “crypto winter”. According to Forbes, the number of crypto billionaires on The Forbes 400 list of the richest people in the U.S. dropped from seven in 2021 to four this year. Their combined wealth fell similarly, from $55.1 billion to $27.3 billion, it says. It comes as cryptocurrency holdings have been hit hard by a sharp decline in prices following the collapse of the Terra blockchain in May. Bitcoin (BTC) is down more than 70% from its record closing high of $69,000 in Nov. 2021. Every other cryptocurrency of significance fell alongside bitcoin. Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest digital asset, has slumped 75% from its all-time high. Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA) and Binance Coin (BNB) are all in the red. In total, the value of all crypto assets has dropped from over $3 trillion in November to $967 billion as of writing, per Coinmarketcap data. This year’s bear market is unprecedented in some ways. It represents a combination of difficult macroeconomic conditions, geopolitical tensions, and dubious projects/decisions by crypto founders. The Bitcoin Fear and Greed Index, a tool that tracks momentum levels in the industry, is currently reading “extreme fear.” Crypto billionaires and their declining fortunes In June, bitcoin dropped to under $18,000 – and with it the fortunes of a few crypto founders and backers. Sam Bankman-Fried, the cofounder and CEO of crypto exchange FTX, is down 23% since his fortune hit $22.5 billion over the past year, according to Forbes. With a net worth of $17.2 billion, Bankman-Fried remains the richest person in crypto. He is ranked at number 41 on The Forbes 400 list. Sam Bankman-Fried, the cofounder and CEO of crypto exchange FTX, is down 23%. The 30-year old made big moves this year. He gave away $16 million to super PACs in April, making him one of the top donors. He also plans to give between $100 million and $1 billion during the next U.S. presidential election to support Democrats. In crypto, Bankman-Fried has become some sort of messiah. In June, he loaned $400 million to BlockFi through FTX. There was an option to buy the troubled crypto lender outright for up to $240 million. He also provided a $500 million loan to bankrupt lender Voyager Digital through one of his companies Alameda Research. Bankman-Fried is planning more acquisitions, according to industry media, cheered on by a cashpile of around $2 billion at FTX. Ripple’s Chris Larsen Chris Larsen, cofounder and chairman of crypto payments firm Ripple Labs, saw his wealth fall from $6 billion to $2.8 billion over the last year. The 62-year-old’s net worth slumped after Ripple’s XRP native token crashed by 75% since last year. Ripple has also been impacted by its long-running legal battle against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It won the case a few days ago. Over the past two weeks, the price of XRP has soared more than 30% to $0.4595 at press time. Larsen stays on Forbes’ rich list at number 380. The business executive and angel investor has shied away from making public comments on the SEC lawsuit, although he continues to engage publicly about Bitcoin. Considered Bankman-Fried’s right-handman, Gary Wang cofounded both Alameda Research and FTX. The 29-year-old old software engineer is worth $4.6 billion. He makes the Forbes 400 rich list at number 227. Wang owns 16% of FTX, where he is chief technology officer. He worked at Google “where he formulated systems that were meant to aggregate prices for millions of flights.” While Wang maintains a private life, he is credited with spearheading FTX’s growth jas much as Bankman-Fried. The fall from grace Coinbase Global’s Brian Armstrong, 39, and cofounder Fred Ehrsam, 34, were once worth a combined $15 billion. They have seen their fortunes collapse to $2.7 billion and $1.1 billion as shares of the firm plunged 80% since its initial public offering in April last year. While Armstrong retains his place in the Forbes 400 rich list at number 388, the founder may have seen one of the biggest declines in fortunes. Last year this time he was worth $11.5 billion. Ehrsam, who left Coinbase in 2017, dropped from the rich list after his worth fell from $3.5 billion. The bear market has taken a toll on Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange. Quarterly trading volume almost halved to $277 billion during the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to the previous three months. The exchange makes money from charging fees on trades. Coinbase also laid off 18% of its workforce in June, citing the possibility of a recession that could lead to a prolonged bear market. “We grew too quickly,” Armstrong said at the time. “Our employee costs are too high to effectively manage this uncertain market. The actions we are taking today will allow us to more confidently manage through this period even if it is severely prolonged.” Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss saw their fortunes fall to $2.2 billion each, from as high as $4.3 billion apiece. With markets crashing, the 40-year-old twin founders of crypto exchange Gemini have taken on music. They’ve gone on tours with their rock band, Mars Junction. Both have dropped from the Forbes 400 rich list. Geminin announced in June that it would cut around 10% of its stuff due to unfavourable market conditions. Crypto billionaires: Will they recover their wealth? There are several crypto tycoons who remain billionaires not included on Forbes 400 list of wealthy people. Founders such as Changpeng Zhao of Binance, Mike Novogratz of hedge fund Fortress Investment Group and others, have lost billions from the market downturn. However, bear markets are not a rare occasion in the digital markets spectrum. Therefore, it’s not surprising that crypto fanatics maintain that the events are only temporary – just as much they remain hopeful things will turn for better in the near future. Buterin, the Ethereum confounder, has previously suggested he would welcome lower crypto prices. In February, he told Bloomberg News: “The people who are deep into crypto, and especially building things, a lot of them welcome a bear market.” Fred Ehrsam, the Coinbase cofounder and board member, tweeted: “One thing most people don’t fully grasp: it takes years, often decades, to go from a new infrastructure-level technology breakthrough (like crypto) to a vibrant ecosystem of mainstream applications.” One thing most people don’t fully grasp: it takes years, often decades, to go from a new infrastructure-level technology breakthrough (like crypto) to a vibrant ecosystem of mainstream applications. — Fred Ehrsam (@FEhrsam) June 20, 2022 The Winklevoss twins, say their investments are long term. “It’s all about perspective and HODLing for the long game,” Cameron Winklevoss wrote on Twitter in May. Got something to say about crypto billionaires or anything else? Join the discussion in our Telegram channel. You can also catch us on Tik Tok, Facebook, or Twitter. Disclaimer All the information contained on our website is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. Any action the reader takes upon the information found on our website is strictly at their own risk.

Iran’s Release Of Iranian-American Not Conditioned On Asset Unfreezing, U.S. Says. – The Washington Post https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/irans-release-of-iranian-american-not-conditioned-on-asset-unfreezing-u-s-says-the-washington-post/ An Iranian American jailed in Iran for nearly seven years on widely discredited espionage charges was temporarily released Saturday while Iran also lifted a travel ban on his ailing father, who had been imprisoned after traveling to the country to plead for his son’s release. Siamak Namazi, 51, and Baquer Namazi, 85, are among a growing list of U.S. and European nationals who have been held by Iran as political pawns, according to western officials. Tehran claimed Saturday that following the Namazis’ release Washington would unfreeze $7 billion in Iranian assets held in South Korea due to U.S. sanctions. “With the finalization of negotiations between Iran and the United States to release the prisoners of both countries, $7 billion of Iran’s blocked resources will be released,” State News Agency IRNA said Sunday. A U.S. State Department spokesperson denied that any assets would be transferred as part of a deal. The spokesperson, unnamed per State Department protocol, told The Washington Post that Washington was still working to secure the full release of Siamak Namazi, as well as several other U.S. nationals jailed in Iran. “We remain committed and determined to securing the freedom of all Americans unjustly detained in Iran and elsewhere,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement Saturday. Price also thanked “U.S. allies and partners who have worked tirelessly to help the Namazis, including the U.N. Secretary General, Switzerland, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and the United Kingdom.” Iranian media reported Saturday that an unnamed “regional country” helped to facilitate the deal. An informed source, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told The Post that Iraq had a key role in mediating between Iran and U.S. and British counterparts. Washington and Tehran cut off diplomatic relations shortly after the 1979 revolution that brought Iran’s ruling clerics to power. But the two countries have most recently been engaged in now stalled indirect talks to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal that Washington left in 2018. Iran has billions of assets frozen in banks around the world due to western sanctions. A return to the deal would include U.S. sanctions relief needed to revive Iran’s collapsed economy. Reports by state-affiliated media in Iran emphasized that the release of the Namazis has coincided with the lack of progress around the nuclear deal. The younger Namazi, a businessman, was arrested in 2015 while visiting Iran and has been held in the notorious Evin prison. An Iranian court convicted him in 2016 of espionage charges, which he denied. Namazi’s furlough is for one week, during which he will stay with his family, Jared Genser, the family lawyer, told Reuters. It remains unclear if the furlough will be extended. The elder Namazi, a former U.N. official, traveled to Iran in 2016 to plead for his son’s release. He was subsequently detained and convicted of “collaboration with a hostile government.” Authorities furloughed him from prison in 2018 due to health conditions and closed his case in 2020, though he remained under a travel ban. “The Secretary-General is grateful that, following his appeals to the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our former colleague Baquer Namazi has been permitted to leave Iran for medical treatment abroad,” a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said Saturday in a statement. “This is a critical first step but of course we will not rest until the entire family is able to return to the United States and their long nightmare is finally over,” Genser, the family lawyer, told Reuters. Former political prisoners have described being subject to abuse, torture and forced confessions of such offenses as spying , while in prison. Iran has falsely blamed “foreign enemies” for fomenting more than two weeks of nationwide anti-government protests sparked last month by the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, while in police custody. Authorities said Friday that they arrested nine European nationals for their role in the protests in a move likely to increase tensions with the west. U.S., European and U.N. officials have condemned Iran’s crackdown on demonstrators, which has included using live fire and cutting off internet access. At least 52 protesters have been killed, and hundreds more injured and arrested, according to London-based Amnesty International. The demonstrations, which have pulled people from a cross-section of ethnic, geographic and class groups, are the biggest surge of unrest since a wave of protests in 2019 triggered by economic grievances. In a separate case, Venezuela, another U.S. adversary, said Saturday that it had freed seven Americans held for nearly five years. The detainees, who included five oil company executives, were exchanged for two nephews of President Nicolás Maduro’s wife jailed in the United States for drug smuggling. John Hudson contributed reporting from Washington; Mustafa Salim contributed reporting from Baghdad.

We Are Validating Old Knowledge With New Technology To Enhance Mental Performance:Nimrod Mon Brokman, Behavi.. – ETHealthWorld https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/we-are-validating-old-knowledge-with-new-technology-to-enhance-mental-performancenimrod-mon-brokman-behavi-ethealthworld/ Shahid Akhter, editor, ETHealthworld, spoke to Nimrod Mon Brokman, Co-Founder, Behavioural Foresight, Partner at PHD (Potential Health Development) and Consultant for Indo-Israel Commerce, to find out about their approach to improving mental health by using innovative techniques. Your views on ‘Mental Health’ in India I arrived in India in 2016 and started familiarizing myself with the mental health sector in Bangalore. In India, every region, and every place, is different, and there is a taboo around mental health issues. When we approached clients, they would often feel awkward and uncomfortable. Their reactions ranged from, “What are you saying? Why are you speaking like that? Why are you classifying me like that?”. It took us around 2 years to build a relationship of trust with our clients regarding mental health, to make them understand that it’s not a disorder that we are talking about, but rather a performance issue. When I say performance, it can be athletic, it can be at an executive level or even in our day-to-day lives… how you live your life, how you conduct yourself from morning to evening – such things are by themselves contributing to your performance. In 2019-20, when Covid hit, and the focus was more on the physical aspect, people suddenly started speaking more comfortably about mental health. As the situation devolved to become more extreme and challenging for an increasing number of people globally, they realized that mental health issues are not always considered as severe disorders. The feeling of burnout, immense stress, overwhelming emotions, etc. were all contributing to them being cognitively less effective than usual. How Important is the collaboration between India and Israel? A significant part of my journey comes from Israel, the country of innovation, to India, the country of wellness and mental health, to try and bridge the gap between the two and bring about a change. To support more people with the right practices, but also with the right evidence. In Israel today, there are a lot of innovations unknown to the world – from military and hospitals to educational institutes, all aimed to improve the day-to-day quality of life. Indians today want to embrace their old ancestral practices, complemented by technological innovations. They are happy to adopt such practices as they enjoy doing them, see progress, and don’t feel like they are wasting their time, dealing with things that are irrelevant. Innovation is one of the main things that Israel can attribute and contribute to the Indian market. What are the risks with long term stress? Stress is a big factor in today’s world. You can look at the statistics, although it often reflects as heart issue, since it’s actually stress that affects the heart, causing many problems. In diabetes too, the main factor is stress or unregulated emotions. As part of the ecosystem of Connect Ventures, we decided to incorporate mental health with physical health and nutrition, to bring about a holistic solution. What is Behavioural Foresight bringing in to improve the quality of life? We founded Behavioural Foresight to give people an opportunity to enhance their mental capabilities, and become more economical in their behaviours, by using different practices. Although we are using a lot of ancient philosophy, from breathwork to meditation, we are also curating new protocols with new sciences -complementing old knowledge and validating it with technology to design and procure programs and protocols for different types of people. From training kids on how to play while learning all the life-skills required to be the best human being that they can be, to training athletes on how to support the Indian ecosystem of athleticism and improve their results, while also improving their quality of life, as the sports industry is a demanding one. We are working with different corporations on extremely innovative programs to support their employees and leaders, by bringing together Israeli technology with innovative protocols. These programs do not stop them from following their individual routines but enable them to continue with their lifestyle while improving on it. Our experience across different sectors over the years finally led to the development of EZUN – an experiential mind-simulated training, combining Israeli tech, gamification and science. Our mission is to power for excellence, by utilising minimum mental capacity for maximum mental performance through impactful gamification and fun protocols. We are also working with the Indian military to give them the x-factor to perform and operate in the most challenging environments, in the most efficient manner. Can gaming be beneficial and healthy for better mental capacity? After almost 4 years in India, we had gathered significant learnings from the Indian market and applied it to the way we functioned. We wanted to enable more people to enjoy our process through a lighter approach. That’s when we realised that it was important to gamify the whole process. The moment you play, you enjoy and have fun. Automatically there is less judgement, less restriction, less resistance, and thereby, way more neuroplasticity (mental adaptation). At the same time, we wanted to make it more scientific, and related to data so we had evidence that our methods were providing value to our clients. This is how we came up with our simulation room, Ezun. Ezun in Hebrew means fundamental balance, where we train one to be able to stay constantly in balance. Balance is not stagnancy. It keeps on changing and one should be able to re-balance themselves and maintain this balance constantly during the day. This is what we have developed with EZUN. Each experiential training protocol has been designed to fit perfectly to EZUN – state-of-the-art simulation training by our experts. We aim to enhance a sustainable learning experience of down and up regulation of somatic sensations and behaviours, to master the highest levels of economy over one’s personal mental currency. We have Israeli technology that allows one to assess how their physiology reacts to different stressors. Along with this stress profiling, we also use respiratory assessment to understand how the breathing functions. This is a very critical tool to change one’s state of mind, as well as to observe and evaluate someone. We are also using a test to measure cortisol levels. These 3 parameters give us a stress profile to understand how someone is functioning physiologically in the day to day, and how they react naturally. With this baseline, we curate different programs. With all the programs, the person just plays computer and action games, while the data gets accumulated constantly from their physiology. Connecting these two, we can see how one functions, with the goal being, how efficiently can one function. Again, what is the economics of their behaviour, can they be efficient and spend very little to gain a lot, or are they wasting and spending a lot to gain very little. Your vision to democratize Behavioural Foresight innovations? We are collaborating with our food division to understand how everyone can gain from the right gut and brain function. We are extending our services to educational institutes, as well as corporates and their workforce to enjoy EZUN training and our food at their facilities on the go. They can do this without changing their lifestyles, and without having to ignore their work to focus on their health. With just small changes and micro adjustments, we can create a huge impact on their day to day living. Follow and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube

Gaming Festival Gamescom Asia 2022 Details Programme For October – Geek Culture https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/gaming-festival-gamescom-asia-2022-details-programme-for-october-geek-culture/ After the success of last year’s hybrid event, Gamescom Asia 2022 is set to return in October — with an in-person Trade Zone exclusively for the industry at Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre on 20–22 October 2022, alongside online segments that will showcase game publishers, trailers, announcements, and extended game demonstrations, available for all audiences on 19 and 23 October 2022. Gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games, and Europe’s largest business platform for the games industry. “As we count down to gamescom asia, we are delighted by the strong support from publishers, developers and games-related companies in general. As the programme takes shape, we are confident that trade attendees will have the opportunities to learn from, speak to and connect with games companies worldwide, right here in Singapore,” said Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director of Koelnmesse Singapore, the organiser of Gamescom Asia. The Trade Zone for industry attendees includes an Expo area and Expo Stage, a Trade Conference, Networking, and a Developer-Publisher-Investor Speed Dating event. These also encompass country pavilions, exhibitor talks and talent drives. There, attendees will get to meet up and explore potential collaborations opportunities with exhibiting brands and companies — including AppTweak, Abysse Corp, Click Entertainment, OVHCloud, Kwalee, MegCD, Keywords Studios, Virtuos Holdings, Leoful, Tentuplay, VisualLight, and Yggdrazil Group. In addition, trade associations from Germany and Sweden are hosting their respective game plublishers, bringing together the likes of – Aerosoft GmbH, Black Screen Records and NerdStar UG from Germany, together with Friendbase and Lurkit from Sweden. Attendees can also look forward to over 60 speakers from global game developers and publishers, indie games studios and social media platforms to share their insights on trending topics in the gaming scene, such as “The Global Appeal of Asia-Made Indie Games” and “How Game Publishing is Evolving”. Speakers, who will be presenting live in Singapore, include industry leaders from Certain Affinity, Springloaded, Plug In Digital/Dear Villagers, Streamline Studios alongside an already star-studded cast representing Activision Blizzard, Wizards of the Coast, WolfEye Studios, MOONTON, Sloclap, Ubisoft, ESL Pro League, and more. The full agenda and speakers list can be found on the Gamescom Asia website. Meanwhile, the consumer-friendly online segments, dubbed Entertainment Zone, will kick off with PRIMETIME, a virtual show taking place on 19 October 2022. While it was disappointing that gamescom asia 2022 decided to drop the physical aspect of the show for consumers, PRIMETIME promises a packed showcase with world premieres and never-before-seen trailers from brands such as Sony PlayStation, Sega, Tencent, Scopely, Hooded Hose and more. The Entertainment Zone will conclude with STUDIO on 23 October 2022, where viewers can catch extended gameplay, development updates, influencer talks, and more. Registration to the Trade Zone & Conference is still open. Apply to be a trade conference delegate or trade visitor here. Edwin has been a geek for a really long time, having grown up on a steady diet of video games, comic books, movies, and more. He loves a good story and intricate world-building, is partial to cute monsters, and can hold his own in a game of Overwatch too. Drop a Facebook comment below!

Keldon Johnson Loses 21 Pounds, Could Be Spurs’ New Small Forward – San Antonio Express-News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/keldon-johnson-loses-21-pounds-could-be-spurs-new-small-forward-san-antonio-express-news/ HOUSTON — The man they call “Big Body” arrived for the start of training camp last week with his body not quite as big. Keldon Johnson said he dropped 21 pounds over the offseason, a weight-loss outcome that could portend a change in position. Having played mostly as an undersized power forward for his first three NBA seasons, Johnson is prepared to move to the small forward spot in 2022-23. “He is really a wing player,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s not really a ‘four’, so this is putting him more at his natural position.” The team’s leading returning scorer at 17 points per game, Johnson shot a career-best 39.8 percent from 3-point range last season. The 6-foot-5 Johnson will play this season listed at 210 pounds. “He is quicker, he moves better and he tells me he looks better, too,” Popovich said with a laugh. Johnson, 22, said he could feel the difference early in training camp. “I’m definitely slimmer, faster, stronger and just prepared for a big season,” he said. Spurs veteran Doug McDermott has been in the NBA for eight years, and has some advice for the three rookies on the San Antonio roster: “You just have to stay even-keeled.” Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Johnson will have to wait a bit to show off his new physique. Spurs vs. Magic When/where: 7 p.m. Thursday; AT&T Center. TV/radio: Spurs app; 1200 AM, 1350 AM (Spanish). Though Johnson has been going through non-contact work in camp while recovering from a dislocated shoulder, he was not active for Sunday’s preseason opener in Houston. Second-year guard Josh Primo was also sidelined while dealing with a knee sprain. Both projected starters are expected to be ready for the Oct. 19 regular-season opener at home against Charlotte. “I just want to be the best Keldon Johnson I can be,” Johnson said. “Be a leader, be there for the young guys and just learn as much as I can from the rest of the coaches.” Asked if his new slimmed down figure might mean a change in nickname is in order. Johnson maintained he is still “Big Body” at heart. On ExpressNews.com: Sochan, Spurs rookie class ready for grand unveiling “Of course,” he said. “100 percent.” Richardson all the rage in Paris for Fashion Week With COVID having put a damper on his summer travel plans in previous years, Spurs guard Josh Richardson decided he needed to go big when it came to his 2022 offseason vacation. So he went to Paris for Fashion Week, fulfilling a lifelong bucket list item. “I just like fashion, I like clothes, I like traveling,” the 29-year-old Richardson said. “I hadn’t got to travel in four or five years. I made up my mind to do it.” Somewhat of fashion maven himself, Richardson said the trip to Paris was the best part of his summer. “I had a good time out there, just watching the show,” Richardson said. McDermott delivers some sage advice to rookies Spurs guard Doug McDermott had sage advice for his younger teammates as their NBA careers unofficially kicked off Sunday in Houston. On ExpressNews.com: Doug McDermott likes Spurs’ fast pace The most important skill a rookie can learn is how to weather the down days, McDermott said. “I have learned there are so many ups and downs,” said the 30-year-old McDermott, who is entering his ninth NBA season. “In college, you only play 30 games. In the NBA, you play 82. So there are going to be a lot of high moments, a lot of down moments, and you just have to stay even-keeled.” It is a lesson McDermott says he will continue to impress on the Spurs’ large crop of rookies, including 2022 first-round picks Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley. He expects the Spurs’ youngsters will figure things out given increased playing time on a rebuilding roster. It is a different scenario than what McDermott faced as a rookie in Chicago, when he appeared in only 36 games. “I thought for me it took at least a year, a year and a half, because a lot of rookies don’t get a chance to play right away,” McDermott said. “With the situation here, they are going to get the opportunity because we have a lot of young guys they want to see play together and grow together.” jmcdonald@express-news.net Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Question Of The Week: Have You Experienced The Loss Of A Business Or Personal Check Through The U.S. Postal Service? – Galveston County Daily News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/question-of-the-week-have-you-experienced-the-loss-of-a-business-or-personal-check-through-the-u-s-postal-service-galveston-county-daily-news/ Over the past two years, scores of personal and business checks entrusted to the U.S. Post Office in Galveston have vanished. At least 140 of those were stolen, altered and cashed for amounts ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars and totaling more than $950,000, according to police records obtained by The Daily News and reported Friday. Those cases represent only a fraction of the checks gone missing in the U.S. Mail. Other cases were reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which has declined to comment about specifics and has not provided documents sought under the Federal Freedom of Information Act. Still other cases probably were never reported.

Child Tax Credit 2022 — Three $250 Direct Payments Going Out This Month – See How Many You’ll Get… – The US Sun https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/child-tax-credit-2022-three-250-direct-payments-going-out-this-month-see-how-many-youll-get-the-us-sun/ Live Blog MONEY MAKER Updated: 19:00 ET, Oct 2 2022 DIRECT payments of $250 are being sent out this month to residents in several states with similar tax rebate programs. And the checks are only able to be claimed for a maximum of three children. In Rhode Island, families will get $250 per child and a maximum of $750 total for up to three children with direct payments going out beginning in October. Families in Connecticut can also claim $250 per child. The payments, which are capped at three children for a total of $750, started rolling out in late August. Meanwhile, New Yorkers claiming the Empire State child credit, which is based on income, will be mailed their checks automatically and can expect to receive them by the end of October. Read our child tax credit live blog for the latest news and updates… Pennsylvania’s $25million Child Care Tax Credit Governor Tom Wolf visited Kiddie Space Heights stating that the state’s CTC will provide $180 to $630 families. Nearly 221,000 families are expected to benefit from the program. Pennsylvanians paying for child care services can claim the credit when filing state taxes starting in 2023. Families could be eligible for: $180 (one child) or $360 (two or more children) for households earning above $43,000 $315 (one child) or $630 (two or more children) for households earning less than $43,000 Child Health Day 2022 President Biden announced that Monday, October 3, 2022, will be known as Child Health Day. In the statement, Mr Biden said his administration is working towards providing children with quality health care, child care, and proper education. “To win the competition for the future, we must continue building a healthier and safer Nation for our children,” Mr Biden said in the statement. Scope of the proposed Family Security Act 2.0 The act includes cuts to the earned income tax credit and eliminated the ability to file as a head of household, CNBC reports. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about 7 million families earning less than $50,000 would lose money under the new plan. The act will also phase in more quickly and eliminates the current $1,500 refund cap. What recipients spent money on, part two According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 19 percent of those that go the Child Tax Credit, and make less than 35,000 per year spent the money on car payments, and 17 percent paid down debt. Sixteen percent spent funds on childcare, and 8 percent put the money toward investments. Only 4 percent of recipients spent the money recreationally. What CTC recipients spent money on According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 91 percent of families making less than $35,000 per year are using their monthly Child Tax Credit payments for food, clothing, shelter, and utilities — or education.  To break it down, 40 percent of families used their payments to pay for school books and supplies, tuition, after-school programs, and transportation to and from school Fifty-nine percent bought food and 52 percent spent funds on utilities, while 44 percent purchased clothes. USDA partnerships offer benefits for families The US Department of Agriculture partnered with 26 states and Puerto Rico to offer children temporary food benefits. Children will be eligible for the program if they receive free or reduced lunch at school, or if they’re under the age of 6 and live in a household that receives SNAP benefits. An estimated 13million children will benefit from the program. Benefits will be loaded onto a debit card that can be used to buy food. Idaho child tax credit will expire in the coming years Starting in 2018, Idaho residents were eligible for nonrefundable dependent credits worth up to $205. Eligible recipients must have children under the age of 17 to qualify for the payments. The payments are set to expire in January 2026. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Passed in 2021, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act was created to stop discrimination towards pregnant workers. The law states that employers cannot force pregnant workers off of the job. Plus, they cannot deny them reasonable accommodations that would allow them to continue working while maintaining healthy pregnancies. Alabama offers school choice tax credit Parents in Alabama can receive tax credits to help cover the costs of transferring their child from a “failing public school” to another public or private school. Eligibility is based on the state’s evaluation of a particular school based largely on standardized test scores. The average credit amount is $2,940 and the credit is fully refundable. Federal government aid programs Funding for schools comes from several states and local governments, but recently the federal government has started providing aid to schools. According to the New America Foundation, the federal government issues over $40billion to elementary and secondary schools for the following: To help create and sustain programs Provide meals for students Prepare children to attend school and other functions or activities Public schools in California get free lunch Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, all public school students will be eligible for school lunches. The funding comes from the state and is the first to implement the Universal Meals Program, according to the California Department of Education. It’s designed to build off of the federal National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). IRS could seize your child tax credit There are two groups that may have their credits seized by the IRS on their tax return or be obligated to pay back the agency. If you did not opt-out of the monthly payments when you were no longer eligible, you will most likely have to pay back the IRS. To qualify for the full payments, couples must have made less than $150,000, while single parents who file as heads of households needed to make under $112,500. Eligibility was determined by the Internal Revenue Service based on 2019 or 2020 tax returns. Claiming your Child Tac Credit, continued And if your child’s other parent claimed the credit in 2020 but you normally alternate years, you can get the full tax credit you’re entitled to on your tax return even if the other parent received advance payments. And luckily for nonfilers, a tool just reopened that will allow families to claim up to $3,600. Called GetCTC, it is being run in collaboration with the White House and nonprofit tech organization, Code for America.Meanwhile, the child tax credit is set to revert back to $2,000 as Congress has failed to extend the boost. Claiming your Child Tax Credit Claiming is made easier as the IRS has a handy tool to see if you qualify. Couples and individuals who claimed a dependent for 2020 and received advance payments will need to reconcile the amount they received with the full credit amount they’re eligible for. This will result in repaying some of that money or claiming the remaining credit balance.If you claimed a dependent in 2020 but the child’s other parent is claiming them for 2021 and you didn’t opt out of advance payments, you’ll need to repay the credit unless you qualify for repayment protection. Both parents claiming CTC, continued For those who claimed a dependent on their 2020 taxes automatically received advance payments, unless they opted out. That means in situations where parents alternate claiming their child as a dependent each year, both parents may receive the child tax credit this year. However, both parents may not be able to benefit from the credit. If you claimed your child as a dependent in 2020 and received advance payments in 2021, you may be required to return those advance payments if your co-parent plans to claim the full credit on their tax return. Both parents claiming CTC Typically, only one parent can claim a dependent on their taxes. Technically, married couples filing a joint return are both “claiming” the credit, as they share the benefits. If a married couple files separately, one parent can claim half of the child tax credits and split the benefit. Divorced, separated, or unwed couples must determine which parent will claim the child as a dependent each year. Faith leaders urge lawmakers to expand CTC Over 50 faith leaders joined Reverend Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign and pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in urging congress to move on three actions. During a briefing on Capitol Hill, the faith leaders advocated for passing voting rights legislation, a $15 minimum wage, and a permanent Child Tax Credit expansion.“Poverty is a policy choice,” Reverend Barber said. Biden calls for expanded CTC During the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, President Biden urged leaders to expand the Child Tax Credits that helped millions during the pandemic. “It helped cut child poverty by nearly 50 percent in the United States — 50 percent. And it cut food insecurity for families by 26 percent,” Mr Biden said per a White House transcript. “And that’s why my national strategy calls on Congress to expand the Child Credit permanently,” the president added. White House: Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, continued The White House announced its package of new actions that include business, civic, academic, and philanthropic leaders will take to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease. The following are five pillars laid out by the Biden Administration with the help of business and other industry leaders: Pillar 1 – Improve Food Access and Affordability Pillar 2 – Integrate Nutrition and Health Pillar 3 – Empower Consumer...

Packers Vs. Patriots Score: Live Updates, Game Stats, Highlights; Brian Hoyer Ruled Out With Head Injury – CBS Sports https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/packers-vs-patriots-score-live-updates-game-stats-highlights-brian-hoyer-ruled-out-with-head-injury-cbs-sports/ Season Leaders passing M. Jones786 YD, 2 TDS, 5 INTS M. Jones786 YD, 2 TDS, 5 INTS A. Rodgers684 YD, 4 TDS, 2 INTSA. Rodgers684 YD, 4 TDS, 2 INTS rushing D. Harris35 ATT, 160 YD, 2 TDSD. Harris35 ATT, 160 YD, 2 TDS A. Jones32 ATT, 217 YD, 1 TDA. Jones32 ATT, 217 YD, 1 TD receiving N. Agholor11 REC, 179 YD, 1 TDN. Agholor11 REC, 179 YD, 1 TD R. Doubs14 REC, 137 YD, 1 TDR. Doubs14 REC, 137 YD, 1 TD See New Posts Pinned Pinned Perfect ball by Rodgers but Doubs can’t survive the ground and the would-be touchdown is ruled incomplete.  Pinned That’s a rookie mistake there by Zappe. Nothing is there in coverage and that’s when you have to throw it away or dump it off to Harris.  Pinned Pinned Pinned Bailey Zappe has shown some great poise. Not easy for a third-stringer to be thrust into a game against Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau Field and he’s making some nice throws.  Pinned Pinned Little chess game between Aaron Rodgers and Bill Belichick before the field goal. Rodgers was trying to get New England to go offsides, saw that he could get them for too many men, and snapped the ball. Belichick realized that and called a timeout to avoid the penalty.  Pinned Pinned Pinned As the broadcast notes, Bailey Zappe is the first rookie quarterback to throw a touchdown pass this season.  Pinned The Patriots got a gift from the officials. New England should have been flagged for a delay of game penalty and it never came. Instead, Zappe hits Parker for the 25-yard touchdown to go up 17-14.  Pinned Marcus Cannon is in at right tackle to begin the second half. Isaiah Wynn out.  Pinned Nice ball by Rodgers on the touchdown to Tonyan. Packers retake the 14-10 lead on what was their best offensive drive of the afternoon.  Pinned Pinned Really impressive catch there by Lazard. Felt like it was a really tight window and was able to extend to make the grab. He’s looked good since missing the start of the season.  Pinned Aaron Rodgers: 2nd home pick-six of career in 104 home starts (also 2017 vs CIN) Pinned Pinned Patriots say that Jonnu Smith is questionable to return with an ankle injury.  Pinned Aaron Rodgers has dropped back just eight times and has completed three passes today.  Pinned Smith is now limping to the locker room.  Pinned Injuries keep plaguing the Patriots. Jonnu Smith limped off on that last drive and went into the medical tent. Hunter Henry is the only other TE on the roster.  Pinned Felt like Watson had a step on his defender. Rodgers looked his way, but the ball sort of sailed to the sideline. Once they get their timing, this duo will be good for at least one chunk play a game.  Pinned Watched Zappe a ton during camp. He has a pretty powerful arm, but he did struggle with some of his touch passes out in the flat and shorter routes. Something to watch as he takes over with Hoyer out.  Pinned Rookie Christian Watson with the 15-yard touchdown run for the Packers. Takes his first Lambeau Leap. Packers 7, Patriots 3 Pinned QB Brian Hoyer is downgraded to out with a head injury according to the Patriots. It’s Zappe’s show now. Pinned Zappe’s first pass as an NFL QB falls short. Patriots will be forced to punt from their own end zone.  Pinned Hoyer being evaluated for a concussion after being sacked on the last series.  Pinned Hoyer now headed to the locker room so we will get another rookie QB debut after Kenny Pickett made his for the Steelers today.  Pinned QB Brian Hoyer is in the medical tent and rookie Bailey Zappe is warming up. See More

Millions Visit Nikeland As Brands Fashion A Future In The Metaverse – The Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/millions-visit-nikeland-as-brands-fashion-a-future-in-the-metaverse-the-times/ Nike has attracted tens of millions of visitors to its virtual store in the metaverse as it moves to make “deep consumer connections” online. More than 21 million people explored Nikeland, the vast digital world built by the sportswear giant inside a popular gaming platform called Roblox. The platform’s young users have been flocking to the company’s buildings, fields and arenas to compete in a variety of games such as dodgeball, basketball and “The Floor is Lava”. Crucially to the brand’s digital strategy, they can also browse a showroom and buy virtual products including shoes, bags and hats. The items can be used to dress their digital avatars, which become walking adverts for the company’s latest products that can be bought in the real world.

Nokia’s PureBook S14 Has Got A Lot Of Cool Features To Brag About – The Tech Outlook https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/nokias-purebook-s14-has-got-a-lot-of-cool-features-to-brag-about-the-tech-outlook/ Nokia’s PureBook S14 is not like an ordinary laptop that gives you the required thing and that too costs you a lot. An updated window, smooth processing Processor with widescreen. That would be an awesome combination to have. Nokia has come up with the same combination where it is trying to introduce devices that are not only affordable but also awesome to use. It comes with Windows 11 that’s an update window of its own kind. Its screen is 14.0 inches wide and has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. To make it run faster it’s powered by a Core i5 processor and it comes with 8GB of RAM. The Nokia PureBook S14 packs 512GB of SSD storage. The gaming experience increases multifold when you get a good graphic card. Nokia kept it in mind and came up with the Intel Integrated Iris Xe. As of 2nd October 2022, the Nokia PureBook S14 price in India starts at Rs. 56,990.

9 Out Of The Top 12 Crypto Assets Are Down 70% To 90% Lower Than The All-Time Highs Recorded Last Year – Markets And Prices Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/9-out-of-the-top-12-crypto-assets-are-down-70-to-90-lower-than-the-all-time-highs-recorded-last-year-markets-and-prices-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ 274 days or roughly nine months ago, the crypto economy was worth $2.34 trillion and at $967 billion the aggregate value of all 13,192 crypto assets is $1.48 trillion less. Most of the top digital currencies tapped an all-time price high in November 2021 and today, a great majority of the top crypto assets are down between 70% to 90% in value against the U.S. dollar. 9 Out of 12 Crypto Assets Have Lost Significant Value Since Last Year’s Price Highs It’s almost a year later since the world’s top crypto assets tapped all-time highs in 2021, and a great number of digital currencies have lost considerable value. The following is a look at the top crypto assets by market capitalization, in order to see how much USD value each coin has lost. BTC/USD on October 2, 2022. The leading crypto asset by market valuation bitcoin (BTC) is currently trading for prices between $19,078 to $19,377 per unit during the last 24 hours. Bitcoin is down today, 72.1% lower in USD value than the all-time high ($69,044 per unit) printed on November 10, 2021. Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest crypto coin by market cap, is trading at prices between $1,289 to $1,317 per unit on Sunday. ETH has lost 73.2% in USD value since reaching an all-time high (ATH) of $4,878 per unit on the same day as BTC’s ATH. ETH/USD on October 2, 2022. The top ten crypto asset positions have two stablecoins in the third and fourth positions in terms of today’s crypto market caps, which include USDT and USDC. BNB is the fifth largest crypto asset and today’s 24-hour price range has been between $279 to $286 per BNB. The crypto asset BNB has lost 58.3% from the crypto’s ATH posted on May 10, 2021. At the time last year, BNB was exchanging hands for $686 per unit that day. The crypto asset xrp (XRP) did not reach a lifetime price high in 2021, as XRP’s ATH was recorded on January 7, 2018. XRP has been trading for prices between $0.45 to $0.47 per unit on Sunday, and the price is down 86.4% lower than the ATH recorded four years ago. SOL/USD on October 2, 2022. The seventh position in the top ten crypto market caps today is occupied by the stablecoin BUSD. The eighth largest crypto asset is cardano (ADA), which is exchanging hands today for $0.42 to $0.43 per unit. ADA has lost 86.1% in USD value since September 2, 2021, back when ADA reached an ATH of $3.09 per unit. Solana (SOL) is trading for $32.31 to $33 per SOL on October 2, 2022, and since the $259 per coin ATH on November 06, 2021, 11 months ago, SOL is down 87.4%. The tenth largest crypto asset is the meme coin dogecoin (DOGE), which has traded for $0.059 to $0.0609 per unit. DOGE has lost 91.8% since the ATH recorded on May 8, 2021, when dogecoin reached $0.731 per DOGE over a year ago. The eleventh largest crypto asset polkadot (DOT) is trading for $6.20 to $6.32 per DOT. Roughly 11 months ago on November 4, 2021, DOT was 88.5% higher in USD value at $54.98 per DOT. Lastly, the twelfth largest crypto asset by market valuation, shiba inu (SHIB) is swapping for $0.00001094 to $0.00001122 per unit. SHIB has lost around 87.1% in value against the U.S. dollar after it was trading for $0.00008616 on October 28, 2021. Tags in this story all-time highs, ATH, Bitcoin (BTC), bnb, BUSD, cardano (ADA), crypto assets, Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum (ETH), Last Year, Market Valuations, Markets, November 2021, polkadot (DOT), Price ATHs, Prices, shiba inu (SHIB), Solana (SOL), U.S. dollar prices, USDC, USDT, XRP What do you think about the top 12 crypto asset market caps and how much they have lost since their all-time price highs? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below. Jamie Redman Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Bubs Australia Seeks Permanent Market Access From U.S. FDA – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/bubs-australia-seeks-permanent-market-access-from-u-s-fda-reuters/ Oct 3 (Reuters) – Bubs Australia (BUB.AX) on Monday said that it had lodged a letter of intent with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permanent market access in the United States to October 2025 and beyond. The infant formula maker said the FDA intends to issue a letter of acknowledgement in response to the letter of intent. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Riya Sharma; Editing by Sandra Maler Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

FEATURE: A Conversation With Our Broadcast Team – Texas Tech Red Raiders – TexasTech.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/feature-a-conversation-with-our-broadcast-team-texas-tech-red-raiders-texastech-com/ You’re going to hear and see them all season again. Their voices coming through the radio during Texas Tech basketball games, relaying what’s happening, providing context and increasing excitement. Their interviews and twitter posts bringing you insight into the coaches and players that go beyond stats and results. They connect with the program because they’re part of the program. For the seventh season, Chris Level and Geoff Haxton will be calling Red Raider basketball games together. Level, who arrived in Lubbock as a Tech student in 1994 is entering his 13th season as the program’s analyst, called his first game in 2010; Haxton, who graduated from Oklahoma State in 2001 and called games for Oral Roberts before moving his family to Texas, came down for the 2016-17 season. Like our athletes. Like our coaches. Level and Haxton have their own unique stories of how they got to where they’re at. This isn’t their biography. That isn’t our point here. They developed a passion for sports in their youth long before they discovered their talents for broadcasting. Combine the two and it brings us here, a place where they’ve been connecting with Red Raider Nation audiences ever since. Haxton: My love of all things sports is directly connected to my father. Our relationship was built around running routes in the front yard. We had about half an acre of land just west of Duncan, Oklahoma out in the country. He would come home from being a CPA and we would run routes or hit off the tee. We would always play catch and he also bought us a soft-toss machine. No one else had that back then in the 80s where I was from. That was pretty cool to have a machine like that where you hit it into the net. My moments growing up with my dad built the love I for sports. Level: My grandfather’s love of the Dallas Cowboys is probably where I began loving sports. Tom Landry was the coach. I realized sports was like a religion and had a huge impact on people. I used to sit at home when I was young and even in high school and memorize the sports pages in the newspaper. I’d read it over and over. Why? I have no idea. I’d read the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Dallas Morning News every day like there was a test coming. Haxton: I grew up always wanting to be a Division I baseball player. Never thought about being a professional player. Being a Division I baseball player was my goal. It hit me like a freight train when I was 17 that I wasn’t going to be good enough. That was a crushing day. I knew I still wanted to be involved with sports and started thinking of ways to stay around the games. My dad was a coach but I didn’t want to do that. It seemed like a struggle. I found out about broadcasting and thought it was something interesting that I could do and it would keep me in the game. One dream ended. But another started. Level: I remember playing basketball in the YMCA league. They would give these little stickers that were of a missile. If you made a basket, you got a missile sticker. I remember wanting to get as many stickers as I could. That’s third or fourth grade. I loved basketball even before then, but that really motivated me for some reason. I wasn’t tall yet but I loved the game and being around my friends. Haxton: My family needed the radio badly back in the 80s to listen to games. We had three television stations where I grew up and games were rarely on. You could catch the occasional game but there wasn’t much. We’d point the antenna towards Wichita Falls, Lawton or Oklahoma City to try and catch games. It started getting better as the years went on. The radio is where I connected to sports growing up though. Level: There really wasn’t a time in my life where broadcasting was something I knew was going to be my career. I watched everything. Brad Sham and Eric Nadel were big for me because I grew up in the Metroplex. Broadcasting wasn’t why though. It was the game. Haxton: Bob Barry, Sr. was a really big influence on me. He was huge in Oklahoma. Inevitably, people get asked about their inspirations and most of the times broadcasters point to big national names. I didn’t know those guys existed. I listened to local radio and hoped our antenna would pick up some games for the tv. College athletics was everything to me. Bill Teegins was my mentor in college before he died in the OSU plane crash and Rex Holt. Those were my guys that I looked up to. Level: I’ve never really been star struck by much, but one year we played in Kansas and Bill Raftery was doing the national broadcast. I went up to him and shook his hand. That was a nerdy thing, but he is someone I had always looked up to. Same with Ernie Johnson when we met him at the Final Four. They do a tremendous job. Haxton: We had a class in college that really got me going in this. It was very rudimentary. It was called Broadcast Play-By-Play Practicum. We would record into a cassette player. My first game ever was an Oklahoma State basketball game. It was at Gallagher-Iba Arena and I climbed up into the gondola that overlooked the floor. You were hanging right over the court back then. It was Oklahoma State against Nebraska. We just called it like we were on a real radio station. That’s the first time I put on the headset. I took that cassette and played it in my car. I heard myself and the crowd noise. I knew it was what I wanted to do. Level: My first radio job was with Robert Giovannetti in 2005. I also used to go on Jack Dale’s show. He would interview me about football and basketball. In October of 2005, we got the call asking if we wanted to start a radio show. That was a one-hour show on a news talk station. We had a great time doing it and loved getting to talk about Texas Tech athletics. This is my first year not doing a radio show after 17 years every day. Haxton: The first game over the air I did was in 1999. Medford versus Timberlake. Class C 8-man football. It was the state championship in Enid, Oklahoma. It was rainy, sleeting and just a really cold day. The press box windows kept fogging up. I had never been on the radio before. They needed someone to fill in and I was available. It was a really cool experience. My dad had come with me to support me. I was nervous and he knew that. He told me after that he thought I could be pretty good at it. That meant a lot to me. We drove home and I remember thinking that it was a lot of fun and that I wanted to get better at it. Level: Andy Ellis had been doing my job before me. I had never done it before and never really thought about doing it. He just told me to say what I see. My brain didn’t work like that then. I felt like I wasn’t going to be prepared. Kind of just jumped into it. My first game was the Texas Tech season opener in 2010 (an 86-67 win over Louisiana-Monroe). I was extremely nervous and just tried to do the best I could. I didn’t know what I was doing but I did have fun. It was the first time I had ever called a game. Not sure if I’d want to go back and listen to that game again though. Haxton: Texas Tech rolled in the first game I called for the program (a 93-67 win over Houston Baptist on Nov. 11, 2016). Honestly, I felt like I had rolled too. I got some nice feedback right away that made me feel comfortable and welcomed. That’s important in this job. There was a really cool moment for me when I first got to the table where I was supposed to sit. It had my name on a sheet. That was a big deal to me from where I’ve come from. It was a great night. Level: That non-conference win against Nevada a few years ago is one of my favorites. Zach Smith went up and blocked a shot right in front of me. I think it won the game. Nevada was a top-10 at the time. It was a big even though maybe we all really didn’t understand at the time. It really sparked all the success we’ve been having. Haxton: The win at Iowa State in 2019 was really big for me. It was their senior night. If we won we knew we’d share the Big 12 championship. That was a huge game. The team got of to a sluggish start and then Davide hits a 3 before the halftime buzzer. Then you power through to win and get the hardware. All of us were standing in the back of the plane taking photos with the trophy. That was a true honor for me. Level: The win at Kansas was awesome too. I was starting to think there would never be a day where Texas Tech went into Kansas and won on their home court. We did it though. It wasn’t a fluke either. I’ve called games there were we lost by 40 or 50 points, so that was a day I was pinching myself when we got back in the bus. Haxton: Never in my wildest imagination did I think I would call one game in Madison Square Garden. I’m a country boy and it felt like I had made it. I graduated with 30 people in my high school and 11 years at Oral Roberts after six years of being a news director at KNID in Enid. We’ve been back multiple times now and I still can’t believe it. Level: I can’t forget about playing Duke at Madison Square Garden either. That was a big stage and a lot of fun. Jimmy Butler was sitting over there. Duke with all those dudes on their team that are now in the NBA. Haxton: The NCAA Tournament games we had in Tulsa were emotional for me. They were where I had worked for so long and to be on that stage back there was special for me. Being a part of a special program like this there are so many big ones that we are allowed to do. Keenan Evans hit a step back at the top of the key was one of the calls I’ll never forget. ‘Horns Down, Horns Down’. There was also ‘Winner, Winner, Cardinal Dinner’ after they beat No. 1 Louisville. ‘Best in the West’ to make the Final Four while our equipment was falling apart is memorable for me. I also said ‘Bang’ at ORU after a 3. When I got here I started thinking of...

India’s ED Freezes $1.6 Million In BTC Of Accused In Gaming App Fraud – CryptoPotato https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/indias-ed-freezes-1-6-million-in-btc-of-accused-in-gaming-app-fraud-cryptopotato/ In a two-year-old gaming app fraud case, the top Indian financial crime investigating agency has frozen 85.9 bitcoins, equivalent to $1.6 million, held in an account on Binance. Separately, it also froze WRX, the native coin of WazirX, and USDT together, worth nearly $550,000. Earlier this month, the agency raided several premises in Kolkata in this case and recovered Indian currency equivalent to $2.2 million. The accused in this estimated $8.5 million scam is 25-year-old Aamir Khan. E-Nuggets Scam E-Nuggets, which ran mainly during the Covid-19 lockdown, offered various games and an app wallet service for the participants to deposit their money and earn attractive incentives. “Aamir Khan … launched a mobile gaming application, namely E-Nuggets, which was designed for the purpose of defrauding the public. Further, after collecting a sizable amount of money from the public, all of a sudden, withdrawal from the said App was stopped on one pretext or the other, ED said in its statement. The investigating agency further added that the accused deleted all data and profile information from the App’s servers. Giving the details of the crypto option that the accused chose to hide away the money, the probe agency said Khan opened a dummy account on WazirX, purchased crypto assets, and transferred them to Binance. “The balance of said transferred cryptocurrencies i.e. 77.62710139 Bitcoins [equivalent to USD 1573466 (Rs 12.83 Crore approximately)] at Binance crypto exchange has been frozen,” the ED said. ED Investigation Initially, Federal Bank, a national-level commercial bank, lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at the Park Street police station in Kolkata on February 15, 2022. The bank complained about suspected money laundering activities linked to Aamir Khan’s gaming app. But the local police reportedly did not take an interest in the case. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) began its probe on the instruction of the Union Finance Ministry, which reportedly received alerts about the scam and its possible links to laundering. Aamir Khan could not be apprehended by the ED on September 10 when it conducted the searches but was finally arrested on September 25. The Kolkata Police also placed the investigating officer, who was accused of slack investigation, under suspension after the ED action. Amid tightening regulatory scrutiny, the ED has been hot on trail of fintech companies, crypto exchanges, and crypto scammers over the past few months. Last month, CryptoPotato reported that the agency was investigating 10 private companies for suspected laundering of over $125 million. ED has searched WazirX, Vauld, and CoinDCX in the last month or so. Featured Image Courtesy of Statesman SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored) Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and receive $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures first month (terms). PrimeXBT Special Offer: Use this link to register & enter POTATO50 code to receive up to $7,000 on your deposits.

New England Patriots Down Another QB As Brian Hoyer Leaves With Head Injury; Bailey Zappe Comes On Against Green Bay Packers – ESPN https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/new-england-patriots-down-another-qb-as-brian-hoyer-leaves-with-head-injury-bailey-zappe-comes-on-against-green-bay-packers-espn/ 5:15 PM ET Mike ReissESPN Staff Writer Close Covered Patriots since 1997 Joined ESPN in 2009 GREEN BAY, Wis. — New England Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer, who was starting in place of the injured Mac Jones, was knocked out of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers on the second series after taking a hard hit on a sack. Hoyer was evaluated for a head injury, and at the start of the second quarter, the team announced he wouldn’t return. Rookie Bailey Zappe, the fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, took over for Hoyer. The Patriots don’t have any other quarterbacks on their 53-man roster. One of their emergency options, receiver Jakobi Meyers, is inactive for Sunday’s game due to a knee injury. On the play Hoyer was injured, Packers linebacker Rashan Gary surged off the edge against right tackle Isaiah Wynn and barreled into the 36-year-old QB. Hoyer went into the pop-up blue medical tent on the sideline and, after about five minutes, emerged from the tent and walked to the locker room for further evaluation. Hoyer had directed a 10-play, 56-yard opening drive that culminated in a 37-yard field goal to give the Patriots an early 3-0 lead. He was playing in place of Jones, who suffered a high left ankle sprain at the end of a Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Patriots lead 10-7 at halftime, with their lone touchdown coming on rookie cornerback Jack Jones‘ 40-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the second quarter. Zappe is 6-of-10 for 31 yards at halftime. Gary also got by Wynn in the second quarter, sacking Zappe and recovering the fumble. Hoyer wasn’t the only Patriots player to leave the game with an injury, as tight end Jonnu Smith limped off late in the second quarter and went to the locker room for evaluation. He is questionable to return with an ankle injury. Also Sunday, Packers safety Adrian Amos was ruled out in the first half with a concussion. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.

35 Books In Conroe ISD. Lessons From A Book Controversy In… | By Franklin Strong | Oct, 2022 – Medium https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/35-books-in-conroe-isd-lessons-from-a-book-controversy-in-by-franklin-strong-oct-2022-medium-2/ Before Cassandra Crowe came to the podium at a Conroe ISD school board meeting this May, she had given the trustees in front of her a seventy-seven-page packet that contained excerpted passages from 35 books that she called obscene, “according to Texas law, not my opinion.” Now she had a demand for the board: “We respectfully request that the following books be removed from CISD circulation in libraries as well as classrooms effective immediately, and this list is not exhaustive, while these books are under a formal review.” Other speakers at the meeting referenced Crowe’s list of 35 books, and a small swarm of speakers came forward to argue that the board had failed to protect children from pornography and harmful materials. Kelli Cox, the publisher of local right-wing news site The Golden Hammer, read passages from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, inserting “bleep” in place of descriptions of body parts in a scene about a sexual assault. Misty Odenweller and Melissa Dungan, now running for spots on the board, scolded the current members. “We’re done taking it, we’re going to take a stand, and it starts tonight,” said Odenweller. Crowe’s list of 35 books would also come up during public comment periods of meetings throughout the summer. Then, at the start of August, the board voted unanimously to adopt a new policy in line with Crowe’s demands. On Facebook, Crowe wrote, “We know there is a long road ahead, but we celebrate our wins along the way. Thank you to all of the mamas, dads, grans, and concerned tax payers for your commitment to taking the necessary actions to truly affect change. And thank you to the CISD board members for this crucial policy update. One down …” I’ve been trying to decide how to write about this particular meeting in May, and the story behind it, for a while. Because there are almost too many stories here, and all of them are instructive. These are the questions I’ve been trying to disentangle: Is this a story about Mama Bears Rising, a new pro-censorship “moms” group, more explicitly Christian than Moms for Liberty, that has burst onto the scene in the suburbs of Houston and is following M4L’s roadmap for taking over local school districts? Is it a larger story about the nastiness of education-focused private Facebook groups, and how they’ve attacked teachers and librarians while simultaneously grabbing for power in Texas school districts? Or is it a more pointed story about the dishonesty of this group’s specific action, which involved pushing members to challenge books en masse even when they hadn’t read those books? All of these stories are important, and all of them overlap. I’m not a professional journalist, but I did want to handle these stories responsibly, so I reached out to the people involved, offering them the opportunity to give their perspective. Most of them didn’t answer my questions. Nonetheless, I’ve seen enough to know that the goings-on around book challenges in Conroe ISD can tell us a lot about the methods and motivations that characterize pro-censorship groups, and the collaboration between the members of these groups, local right-wing media, elected officials, and current candidates for school board positions. The item was placed on the agenda the month before by conservative trustee Dale Inman, who said he had been at a dinner with Attorney General Ken Paxton where there was discussion that books in school libraries might violate Texas obscenity laws. Inman is an active participant in the Facebook page for the group Mama Bears Rising, which was formed around that time by Crowe, a policy advisor to Texas State Representative Steve Toth, and Jessica Brassington, who describes herself as “a wife, mom, and citizen advocate.” According to their website, the group is for “mamas who are rising against a declining culture that is at war with our family values.” In a series of Facebook posts starting on May 11, Crowe announced that she had spoken to CISD superintendent Curtis Null and that the board would be taking up the matter of instructional materials in libraries and classrooms at the May 17 meeting. She explained that under current policy challenged books remain on the shelves pending the outcome of the challenge, but that with pressure the board might adopt a policy that would mean that “ALL books that [are] currently being challenged for obscenity can be removed immediately.” It’s a policy change based on recommendations made by the Texas Education Agency after Governor Greg Abbott expressed concern about “pornography” in school libraries last year. Though the recommendations were not mandatory and were opposed by the Texas Library Association and the Texas Association of School Librarians, similar policies are being enacted across Texas right now, especially in districts that have seen flurries of book challenges. The problem for Crowe was that the Conroe ISD community didn’t see library books as a major concern. When the policy change was first brought up at the board’s April meeting, Null said, “The policies that you currently have in place have served us very well. It’s not an area for us that we’ve had significant issues, we’re proud to say.” Even Inman said “I don’t believe” Conroe is experiencing a problem with pornography in its libraries. And at the May 17 meeting, an advisor told the board that the district had only had seven formal book challenges in the past 20 years. Crowe realized that unless she could present removing books in the library as an urgent issue, her concerns would “be written off and will fall completely on deaf ears.” So she urged Mama Bears Rising members to formally challenge as many books as possible to cement in board members’ minds the necessity of acting. “If we organize,” she wrote, “we can divide the efforts of completing these forms among our group members and actually effect REAL, necessary change in the immediate future.” In updates over the following days, she posted the list of 35 books that she eventually submitted to the board, books that in her words, “we MUST challenge for removal asap (before the school board meeting next week).” That list included award-winning literary fiction and memoirs (The Bluest Eye, The Handmaid’s Tale, The God of Small Things, The Glass Castle), popular YA titles (Looking for Alaska, The Perks of Being a Wallflower), and even literary classic Brave New World**. And, though Crowe would tell the board that the books all contained “graphic details of sex acts, are pervasively vulgar, obscene, not appropriate” and “violate Texas penal code,” her list also included Raina Telgemeier’s middle-grade graphic novel Drama, which contains none of that — its most salacious scene is a kiss between two characters onstage during a play. The materials Crowe submitted to the board described this book as “sexually explicit” and “not appropriate literary content for K-12 schools.” Drama does include gay characters, though, and has been challenged and removed from other districts. Books with LGBTQ themes or characters are overrepresented on Crowe’s list, which also includes commonly challenged titles Gender Queer and Lawn Boy. In fact, none of these books is obscene, and none violates the Texas Penal Code. While many of these books do contain depictions of sexual situations, those books are generally read by older students and are in line with books high school students have been reading for generations. And both federal and state obscenity laws require readers to consider the work “as a whole” and to weigh sexual content against the books’ “serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value.” Laws restricting “material harmful to minors” have similar language, requiring a consideration of the work “as a whole” and only pertaining to works “utterly without redeeming social value for minors.” In other words, you can’t judge obscenity by reading only the most outrageous scenes in a book; you have to consider context. This was recently tested in court in Virginia, where a Republican legislator tried to force Barnes & Noble to restrict the sale to minors of two of the books on Crowe’s list, Gender Queer and Sarah J. Maas’s The Court of Mist and Fury. Virginia Beach Circuit Court Judge Pamela Baskerville dismissed the case because the plaintiffs couldn’t prove the books were obscene. The literary and artistic merit of many of the books on the list is obvious — at least four of them have appeared on free-response questions on the AP Literature exam multiple times. Brave New World, for example, first appeared on the AP Exam in 1989, and The Bluest Eye in 1995. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a thoughtful conversation about what books are and are not appropriate for students, and at what ages; but the Mama Bears Rising approach — with its accusations of porn-peddling and child sexualization — makes that kind of conversation difficult, if not impossible. After Crowe put out the call, several members of Mama Bears Rising volunteered to challenge books. Dungan volunteered to challenge The Bluest Eye and Beyond Magenta; her fellow school board candidate Odenweller challenged books by Sarah J. Maas. Odenweller soon took the reins of the project, alphabetizing the list for Crowe and collecting “data” on books for others to challenge. Jennifer Kratky, a candidate for trustee in nearby Tomball ISD, offered advice to the group for completing mass challenges: “Don’t submit a huge number, that was tried (by a single person) in another district and did not go over well. Find friends and submit 5 or 10 each. Yes attach printouts and write (see attached). Leave the other suggestions blank. We pay them enough to find good books, for crying out loud!” Kratky...

These 10 Tours Are Worth Taking When Vacationing In Historic Poland – TheTravel https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/these-10-tours-are-worth-taking-when-vacationing-in-historic-poland-thetravel/ Throughout its existence, Poland has gone through a lot of times, from good to bad, but the country has always stood through all these times. This is what makes the country so historic and worth visiting. There are lots of things visitors to this country can see and do, but it may be difficult to go on the adventure alone due to many challenges like the language barrier and lack of knowledge of the place. This is why a tour is important to get the best out of Poland. To get an unforgettable vacation in this historic country, here are 10 tours that are worth every penny they take out of your pocket. 10 Wieliczka Salt Mines – Guided Tour With Transport From Kraków Wieliczka Salt Mines in Poland is famous for many reasons. Besides being one of the oldest salt mines in the world, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On a tour of these salt mines, one will be able to see the impressive underground passageways and the rock-salt-carved statues and learn the interesting history of the mine. Tour: Wieliczka Salt Mines – Guided Tour with Transport from Krakow Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes Cost: From $44.84 USD per adult Book This Tour 9 Kraków Grand City Tour By Golf Cart The impressive architecture and rich history have made Kraków one of the best places to visit in Poland. While one can simply take a walk through this city, seeing Kraków on a Golf Cart is an experience one does not get every day. This tour lasts for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes and promises travelers an exciting and detailed exploration of the city of Kraków. The Old Town, Wawel Castle, and other interesting landmarks around the city are part of the itinerary of this unique tour. Tour: Krakow Grand City Tour by golf cart Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Cost: From $38.86 USD per adult Book This Tour 8 Auschwitz Birkenau Guided Tour Auschwitz Birkenau is perhaps the best place to learn about the chilling history of Poland. It was a concentration camp that brings back memories of the period in world history that many have tried so hard to forget to no avail. On a tour of the area, travelers will learn about the inhumane things that occurred there during the Holocaust. The stories alone are terrifying, but the eerie nature of the place and the fact that one is right where it all happened is what makes this experience life-changing. Travelers on this tour should try not to lose their appetite because lunch’s included. Tour: Auschwitz Birkenau Guided Tour from Krakow Duration: 6 to 7 hours Cost: From $29.88 USD per adult Book This Tour 7 Zakopane & Thermal Springs There’s so much history to learn about in Poland, but one can take a break from all the history and enjoy some scenic adventures driving through the Polish countryside. This tour takes travelers to Chocholow Village to see the impressive wooden houses known to the village. The next stop is Zakopane which is often regarded as the winter capital of Poland. Here travelers will be allowed to relax and take a bath in the thermal pool. Tour: ZAKOPANE & Thermal Springs Duration: 10 to 11 hours Cost: From $78.71 USD per adult Book This Tour 6 Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum Guided Tour Poland holds some of the most detailed records of the World War II era, and the Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum is a great place to learn about some parts of that history. On a tour of this factory, travelers will be led and presented with stories, photos, and exhibits that shed more light on what life at the factory was like during World War II. Tour: Oskar Schindler’s Factory Museum Guided Tour in Krakow Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Cost: From $9.58 USD per adult Book This Tour 5 Half-Day Polish Food Walking Tour With Guide And Dinner Polish food is a pleasurable thing to experience when in the country, and this tour helps travelers to enjoy this experience to the fullest. Travelers on this tour can expect to taste lots of different food from a wide variety of restaurants around the capital of the country. Every food has a history, and the guide on this tour is always committed to revealing the preparation method of the different dishes that will feature on tour as well as their history. Tour: Half-Day Polish Food Walking Tour with Guide and Dinner Duration: 3 to 4 hours Cost: From $59.78 USD per adult Book This Tour 4 The Kraków Vodka Tour The actual place of origin of Vodka is disputed, but Poland is one of the countries where it is believed to have originated. It is the national beverage of Poland, which makes it worth trying out. On the Kraków Vodka Tour, travelers will be led on a walk through the streets of Kraków, where they will sample seven different Polish Vodkas and also learn the differences between them. Snacks and water are included in the tour. Tour: The Kraków Vodka Tour Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes Cost: From $46.56 USD per adult Book Thir Tour 3 Sightseeing Bike Tour Of Kraków Biking is a great way to see the impressive architecture and landmarks of Kraków, which is why the Sightseeing Bike Tour of Kraków is a must-do. The itinerary of this tour is exciting as it takes travelers past attractions such as – Jagiellonian University and the impressive Wawel Castle, which is regarded as the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world. The tour lasts for approximately 4 hours, giving bikers a lot of time to see through the city. Lunch is also included. Tour: Sightseeing Bike Tour of Krakow Duration: 4 hours Cost: From $21.92 USD per adult Book This Tour 2 Kraków Jewish Quarter Guided Walking Tour The Jewish people played a huge role in the history of Poland, and this tour is the perfect way to learn about that history. The tour guides travelers through the historic Old Jewish district of Kraków, where they will learn about the area’s artistic history as well as the events that took place in the area during World War II. Landmarks such as – the Old Synagogue, the New Cemetery, and the factory of Oskar Schindler are some places one will visit on this tour. Tour: Krakow Jewish Quarter Guided Walking Tour Duration: 3 hours Cost: From $17.59 USD per adult Book This Tour 1 Malbork Castle Tour There are many castles in different parts of the world, but none compares to Malbork Castle in terms of size. With the castle occupying an area of 21 hectares, it is the largest castle in the world. A tour of this castle is an opportunity to see the picturesque surroundings and the beautiful river that flows in front of the stunning fortress. They also guide travelers through the interesting parts of the castle, including the Grand Masters Palace and the Great Refectory. Tour: Malbork Castle Tour: 6-Hour Private Tour to The Largest Castle in The World Duration: 6 hours Cost: From $168.69 USD per adult Book This Tour

Third Leg Down For Bear? Tesla Deliveries Fall Short – Investor’s Business Daily https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/third-leg-down-for-bear-tesla-deliveries-fall-short-investors-business-daily/ Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website. This may happen as a result of the following: Javascript is disabled or blocked by an extension (ad blockers for example) Your browser does not support cookies Please make sure that Javascript and cookies are enabled on your browser and that you are not blocking them from loading. Reference ID: #49d85adb-4297-11ed-b412-6e6765586e76

Finding Your Passion – It’s Healthy | Opinion | Hendersonvillestandard.com – Hendersonville Standard https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/finding-your-passion-its-healthy-opinion-hendersonvillestandard-com-hendersonville-standard/ When I was in 8th grade, it was basketball. When I was in college, it was piano and cheerleading. Thank God the music stayed with me throughout my life. These days, it’s family, faith, fitness, and friends. And writing about them!! These are my PASSIONS! According to health experts and psychologists, having passion is good for your health. It provides structure and discipline; helps with goal setting and success; helps you find yourself and make friends with others who share the same passions as you. And not only does it enhance the quality of life, it may also impact longevity.

NFL Week 4 Scores, Schedule Live Updates: Bills Outlast Ravens In Matchup Of Top QBs – USA TODAY https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/nfl-week-4-scores-schedule-live-updates-bills-outlast-ravens-in-matchup-of-top-qbs-usa-today/ The Kansas City Chiefs return to Raymond James Stadium to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will be the first meeting between both teams since their Super Bowl 55 clash. The Chiefs will look to avenge their loss on Sunday Night Football. The Buccaneers will be a tough challenge. They will play with heavy hearts as the Tampa Bay community is recovering in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. This week, the Buccaneers ownership donated $1 million to relief efforts. Around the league, the NFL International Series began in London. The Minnesota Vikings escaped Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a 28-25 victory over the New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills highlight the early slate of Sunday’s action. The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers will conclude Week 4 by renewing their rivalry on Monday night.  ROUNDTABLE: What is most pleasant first-month surprise of season? WEEK 4 PICKS: Buccaneers and Chiefs meet in Super Bowl 55 rematch MORE: Seven biggest September disappointments around the NFL Here’s a rundown of all the Week 4 action around the NFL. Minnesota Vikings 28, New Orleans Saints 25 Briefly: Saints kicker Will Lutz missed a 61-yard, game-winning field goal attempt, and the Vikings escaped with a 28-25 victory in London. Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson exploded with 10 catches for 147 yards and one rushing touchdown.  One highlight to know: With two seconds left in regulation, Lutz drilled a field goal attempt from midfield. The ball bounced twice off the upright and crossbar and fell to the turf.  Next up: The Vikings face the Chicago Bears in Week 5, while the Saints host the Seattle Seahawks.  New York Giants 20, Chicago Bears 12 Briefly: The Giants rolled to 3-1 with a tough home victory against the Bears. Giants running back Saquon Barkley churned out 146 rushing yards on 31 carries. The Bears lost three fumbles, including a costly one at the end of regulation.  One highlight to know: Giants quarterback Daniel Jones rumbled for two rushing touchdowns. His 8-yard touchdown gave the New York an early lead in the second quarter.  Next up: The Bears will hit the road to play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. The Giants head across the pond to play against the Green Bay Packers in London, England.  Buffalo Bills 23, Baltimore Ravens 20 Briefly: Josh Allen propelled the Bills to a comeback road victory against the Ravens. Buffalo trailed by 10 points at halftime, but scored 13 unanswered to improve to 3-1 on the season. Allen outdueled Ravens star Lamar Jackson by completing 19 of 36 passes for 213 yards and two total touchdowns. One highlight to know: Josh Allen scores a 11-yard touchdown late in the third quarter against the Ravens.  Next up: The Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. The Ravens will play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football.  Atlanta Falcons 23, Cleveland Browns 20 Briefly: The Falcons improved to 2-2 overall behind their stellar rushing attack. Atlanta rushed for 202 yards as the backfield duo of Cordarrelle Patterson and Caleb Huntley scored two touchdowns. Browns star Nick Chubb, a Georgia native, accounted 127 total yards in his return home.  One highlight to know: Cordarrelle Patterson scored his third touchdown of the season with a 13-yard scamper into the end zone.  Next up: The Falcons will face NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5. The Browns will host the Los Angeles Chargers.  Los Angeles Chargers 34, Houston Texans 24 Briefly: The Chargers outlasted a Texans’ late comeback to win their second game of the season. Austin Ekeler paced the Chargers with 109 total yards and three touchdowns. Texans rookie Daemon Pierce continued his breakout campaign with 131 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.  One highlight to know: Pierce rushed for a 75-yard touchdown as he eluded defenders on his way to the end zone.  Next up: The Texans hit the road to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. The Chargers will play the Cleveland Browns.  New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET TV: CBS Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: Jets QB Zach Wilson is set to make his 2022 debut against a vulnerable Steelers defense allowing 394.7 yards per game. The Steelers have lost two in a row as fans clamor for rookie QB Kenny Pickett to start. Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET TV: FOX Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: The AFC South rivals will write the latest chapter in their story. The Colts rode a vintage Matt Ryan comeback to their first victory last week. However, the Titans present a difficult test as Derrick Henry rumbles into town. Philadelphia Eagles 29, Jacksonville Jaguars 21 Briefly: The Eagles remained the NFL’s lone undefeated team on Sunday. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts added to his MVP candidacy by completing 16-of-25 passes for 204 yards and a rushing touchdown. The Jaguars put up a valiant effort as receiver Jamal Agnew hauled in four catches for 50 yards and two touchdowns.  One highlight to know: Jaguars safety Andre Cisco intercepted Jalen Hurts and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. Next up: The Jaguars hos the Houston Texans in Week 5. The Eagles head out West Coast to play the Arizona Cardinals.  Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET TV: FOX Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: Both teams are 1-2 overall but have contrasting styles. The Lions rely on their high-scoring offense (31.7 ppg) behind NFL veteran quarterback Jared Goff. The Seahawks depend on their run game to move the chains. Time of possession will be a key factor in this game. Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET TV: FOX Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: Cooper Rush has kept the Cowboys afloat as they await Dak Prescott’s impending return from surgery on his broken thumb. The Commanders have just one takeaway through three games. Both teams need a win to build momentum in the NFC East. Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers Kickoff: 4:05 p.m. ET TV: FOX Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: The Panthers desperately need an offensive spark. The Cardinals need their run game to compliment star QB Kyler Murray. Something must change if either team wants to avoid a 1-3 start. New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. ET TV: CBS Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: The Patriots will turn to backup QB Brian Hoyer with Mac Jones dealing with an ankle injury. Aaron Rodgers continues to shine as rookie receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson continue to find their way. Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. ET TV: CBS Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: The Raiders are looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The Broncos hope for a vintage Russell Wilson performance to ease tension from the Denver faithful. Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. ET TV: NBC Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: It’s been a tough week for the Tampa Bay community in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Both teams look to put on a good performance in this Super Bowl 55 rematch. Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers Kickoff: Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET TV: ESPN, ESPN 2 (ManningCast) Betting info: Odds, moneyline and more What to know: Rams coach Sean McVay hopes to snap a road losing streak against the 49ers. The NFC West rivals always turn in a physical encounter. This one shouldn’t be different under the bright lights of Monday Night Football.

The Metaverse: What Is It And Why Should You Care? – TechRadar https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-metaverse-what-is-it-and-why-should-you-care-techradar/ Home Features Internet (Image credit: Shutterstock / is.a.bella) Have you ever momentarily zoned out in a meeting, only to quickly realize that you’ve missed something absolutely critical, and now the discussion is virtually incomprehensible? You could be forgiven for wondering if the entire world has done something similar when it comes to the so-called ‘metaverse.’ The term is currently Silicon Valley’s big buzzword, with a number of firms reportedly appointing a ‘Chief Metaverse Officer’ to their boards, and companies are trying to tie whatever they do to ‘the metaverse.’ You can read TechRadar’s corporate cousin PCGamer, which has documented (opens in new tab) this phenomenon for more. Pretty much anything that was even vaguely related to augmented reality or virtual reality was suddenly branded as part of the metaverse. So the obvious question to ask is… what actually is the metaverse? It’s an important question as serious companies – not just fly by night start-ups – are taking it seriously. Since Facebook announced its parent company was rebranding as Meta, executives from a wide range of companies, including Microsoft and Disney, have all now talked publicly about how they want in on it. Samsung has even unveiled (opens in new tab) its own metaverse product, a virtual home called ‘My House’. So let’s figure out what the metaverse actually is. In a nutshell, the metaverse doesn’t actually exist yet – but it is a much-hypothesized idea of what the future of the internet could look like. And annoyingly, there isn’t a single clear definition. The metaverse envisaged by Mark Zuckerberg is probably somewhat different to the metaverse envisaged by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and so on. But roughly speaking, the goal is something like the virtual worlds depicted in Ready Player One (opens in new tab) or The Matrix (opens in new tab), albeit with less overtly dystopian overtones (the name was actually coined by author Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel Snow Crash (opens in new tab)). The idea is that one day, VR and related technologies could be our primary interface to the internet, and we will, in effect, spend a lot of time living in a virtual world. “The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence – like you are right there with another person or in another place,” wrote Mark Zuckerberg in his ‘Founder’s Letter (opens in new tab)’, which announced his company’s name change. He envisages a future hinted at by Facebook’s Horizon Workrooms – virtual spaces in which we can interact with each other using avatars. But, importantly, the metaverse is not just about VR. The idea and scope are much broader – and encompass a much larger bucket of concepts and technologies, which are just as important as the strapping-a-computer-to-your-face element. The best articulation of this future perhaps comes from Matthew Ball, who is essentially the grand prophet of the metaverse. He’s a venture capitalist and investor who has written extensively on the topic, and it appears to be his ideas that have informed the thinking of Mark Zuckerberg – and the rest of Silicon Valley. In a series of punishingly long (opens in new tab) (but incredibly interesting) essays, he describes the metaverse as follows: “The Metaverse is a massively scaled and interoperable network of real-time rendered 3D virtual worlds which can be experienced synchronously and persistently by an effectively unlimited number of users with an individual sense of presence, and with continuity of data, such as identity, history, entitlements, objects, communications, and payments.” Samsung’s 837X service in Decentraland (Image credit: Future) In other words, his vision is a metaverse that is not a single system. It will not be owned by any individual company, or like logging into any one particular 3D world. But it will be structured like the internet is today, as a network that is not controlled by any one individual entity. Instead, a common set of standards and connections enable different companies to build their own virtual environments on top of it. To make this place a reality, it will require a constellation of other technological building blocks to all fall into place. The most obvious requirement is better VR hardware. Existing headsets are bulky, low-resolution, and annoying to wear. But this is something we can probably expect incremental improvements to solve. Now that Facebook is Meta, we can perhaps better understand why in 2014, Zuckerberg paid $2 billion for headset-maker Oculus. The hardware, however – and this includes the enormous computing power at the back end required to host entire virtual worlds – is just one tiny piece of the puzzle. For example, there will also need to be a broad system of tools and standards that will enable other companies to build for the metaverse, so that everyone can exist in the same virtual space together. Think something like the metaverse-equivalent of the HTTP protocol for transferring data, and HTML code for writing web pages. We’ll need a way to make sure that virtual objects are compatible outside of any one company’s ecosystem. And a fully functioning metaverse will need to have an economy. If we’re to ape the real world, we need to be able to buy and own virtual goods, without relying on the goodwill of any one specific provider. Believe it or not, this is one particular area where cryptocurrencies and NFTs could conceivably fill the gap, as they would enable us to have digital money and a permanent record of what we own. It means that when you buy your avatar a new hat, you should be able to wear it across virtual experiences – whether you’re in a work meeting or playing an action game, and when you’re done with it, you should be able to sell the hat for real, meaningful cash. Unsurprisingly then, though this is roughly the stated end goal, we’re some distance from a point when it will actually exist. But there are companies today, like Meta, that are putting the building blocks in place. (Image credit: Facebook / Meta) Who will build the metaverse? Now the really interesting question: If the metaverse is the future, which companies are best placed to win the battle to build it? Despite Mark Zuckerberg’s high-profile announcement, Matthew Ball’s prophecies are perhaps more bullish about another company: Epic Games. Epic is the company behind Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, which is the 3D world-building software that is already used for countless games and ever more virtual experiences – such as in the production of The Mandalorian. Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, is on the record as one of the metaverse’s strongest advocates. Perhaps this is unsurprising, given that his company is in a rather unique position. For example, if we go back to the building blocks that the metaverse will require, several of them are already provided by Epic: it has its own user account system with friends lists, and Unreal Engine is already a common 3D development platform, meaning that objects made for one experience can easily be dropped into another. And through Fortnite, we can catch a glimpse of what the Metaverse could be like: In the game, you play as a highly customizable avatar. And the game is no longer just about shooting people – the company has broadened it out to encompass everything from 3D concert experiences to communal film viewing. Given how we at TechRadar have used Fortnite over lockdown, as an ambient form of socializing with friends and family, where playing the game is basically secondary to the act of being in the same virtual space as distant friends, we’re almost starting to believe that Epic might be on to something, too. (Image credit: Epic Games) The real killer app However, there is another major candidate for the company that is best placed to win the metaverse: Microsoft. “The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it,” tweeted (opens in new tab) CEO Satya Nadella in 2021, having previously told investors on an earnings call that he plans to take Microsoft into the metaverse. The metaverse is here, and it’s not only transforming how we see the world but how we participate in it – from the factory floor to the meeting room. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/h5tsdYMXRDNovember 2, 2021 See more And like Epic with Unreal Engine, he wants Microsoft to not outright own the metaverse, but to build the tools that everyone will use to create the metaverse. A bit like selling shovels during a gold rush. There’s another reason to believe Microsoft might be the big winner too. It might already have the killer app for the metaverse. No, not turning the Xbox into something like Ready Player One but… Microsoft Office. The bull case for Microsoft’s metaverse is best articulated (opens in new tab) by tech analyst Ben Thompson, who argues that it is work where the metaverse will really shine. He paints a picture of a future where joining VR meetings is just as easy as joining a Zoom call because you’re already wearing your VR headset. He argues that a lot of work is now geography-agnostic, and in fact a lot of working from home is about finding a quiet, isolated place to work away from the distractions of the home. So it doesn’t take a massive leap to imagine how VR could bridge this gap. What if putting on a VR headset was akin to going to the office? He points to his experience trying Facebook Horizon Workrooms, and the fact that you can bring your computer into the VR simulation – seeing your screen and even your keyboard floating in front of you in virtual space. VR means that in an instant, you’re already sitting with your colleagues, and it creates the same sort of ambient connections we once found working in the same physical rooms. So why...

The New OPPO A17: Top Features And Specifications To Observe While Buying The Phone – The Tech Outlook https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-new-oppo-a17-top-features-and-specifications-to-observe-while-buying-the-phone-the-tech-outlook/ Analyzing a smartphone and its features is important. This time, we have brought to your screen a new phone namely OPPO A17. It is considered one of the most effective phones in the affordable smartphone category. Here presented are its features, specifications, and more. Features of OPPO A17 Recently released on September 26, 2022, the phone has been on the market for only a few days. It is now available in the Indian market for sale and is powered by GSM/HSPA/LTE network technology. It has a facility to store dual sim cards, both of which must be Nano sim cards. The display type is IPS LCD. Its weight is 189 g only. It is an Android 12 phone. It has an octa-core processor. The chipset is MediaTek MT6765 Helio G35. It has a camera quality of 50 MP and a video camera quality of 1080 p. It also has 4 GB RAM. Mainly, we must observe that it has a 5000 mAh battery. However, it is non-removable. OPPO A17 is considered to be faster and more effective than the previous OPPO A16. It is available in awesome colors such as Midnight Black as well as Lake Blue. So, you may go for it if you like the features and specifications mentioned. This Dassehra, brings home OPPO A17, an effective as well as budget-friendly phone. It is a smartphone that can elevate your mood and make your life a happier place to be. OPPO A17 is a good choice if you want to gift gadgets to your loved ones. The phone is expected to be launched in the Indian market by October 20th, 2022. Price OPPO A17 The price is around 130 to 140 Euros only. The expected price of this phone according to the Indian market will be approx. Rs. 12499.

These Crypto Executives Have Stepped Down Since The Market Crash In May – CryptoPotato https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/these-crypto-executives-have-stepped-down-since-the-market-crash-in-may-cryptopotato/ Change is in the air as the crypto space continues to see top executives step down from their roles amid the market crisis that stemmed from the Terra Luna fiasco and the Federal Reserve’s continuous interest rate hike, which negatively impacted the global financial market. The change in crypto-related executive leadership started with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey stepping down from the company’s board of directors in May. While Twitter is not a crypto-focused firm, Dorsey is a renowned Bitcoin proponent. He got the social media giant involved in such matters, such as integrating crypto hashtags and launching an NFT collection. Compass Mining Lost Two Key Executives As the crypto winter intensified in June, bitcoin mining hosting and brokerage services firm Compass Mining (CMP) lost two of its top executives. CEO Whit Gibbs and Chief Financial Officer Jodie Fisher resigned on the same day due to multiple setbacks and disappointments within the company. That same month, Binance Labs, the venture arm of the world’s leading crypto exchange Binance, lost its leader when Bill Qian submitted his resignation a few weeks after executive director Nicole Zhang left the firm. On July 1, Peng Zhong, the CEO of Ignite, the development firm behind the Cosmos blockchain, announced his departure. The resignation came a few months after the company rebranded from Tendermint to Ignite as part of its restructuring plan. According to reports, other top executives at Ignite left the firm after Zhong’s unexpected exit. Towards the end of July, G. Steven Kokinos, the CEO of blockchain company Algorand, stepped down after spending nearly four years at the firm. Despite his resignation, Kokinos will continue to advise Algorand until next year. A Surprising August August started with a big bang as Bitcoin proponent Michael Saylor announced that he resigned from his role as CEO of MicroStrategy after serving as executive officer for over three decades. Nonetheless, Saylor’s resignation as CEO allows him to focus on the firm’s Bitcoin strategy. During his time as CEO, Saylor led MicroStrategy in investing in Bitcoin. Today, the company holds 130,000 BTC bought for $3.98 billion, topping the list of publicly traded entities with Bitcoin investments. Still in August, Michael Moro exited his position as CEO of Genesis after the crypto brokerage firm slashed 20% of its workforce to cut costs amid the bear market. Shortly after, Alameda Research, the principal trading firm of Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto exchange FTX, lost its co-CEO after Sam Trabucco resigned from the company to focus on personal matters. Kraken and Celsius CEOs Join the Train On September 21, Kraken’s founder Jesse Powell joined the list of crypto executives stepping down from their position. He served the crypto exchange for over a decade and will continue to do so as board chairman. Shortly after, FTX US President Brett Harrison and Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky followed in Powell’s footsteps, leaving their positions at their respective firms. Sharing the news on Twitter, Harrison noted that he would be moving to an Advisory role to continue his service for the exchange. The outgoing president, who has worked for the firm for more than 18 months, said he helped transform FTX US from a three-person team to a workforce of more than 100 dedicated employees from tech, business development, legal, and customer service. Celsius’ Creditors Demanded CEO’s Exit On the other hand, Mashinsky’s departure came a couple of months after Celsius filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection at the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York due to a severe liquidity crunch during the Terra fiasco. Shortly after Mashinsky stepped down from his role at Celsius, reports emerged that his resignation might have stemmed from pressure from the company’s creditors. According to a recent court filing, the creditors represented by the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (UCC) had requested the Special Committee of Celsius Network to remove its CEO and take other necessary precautions to ensure the smooth restructuring of the firm. The UCC noted that after reviewing the information presented by Mashinsky in “furtherance of the Committee’s investigation,” it would be unacceptable to allow him to continue as CEO. Meanwhile, it is unclear which top crypto executives will step down next, but it would be interesting to see how long this trend will continue. SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored) Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and receive $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures first month (terms). PrimeXBT Special Offer: Use this link to register & enter POTATO50 code to receive up to $7,000 on your deposits.

A New Justice At The U.S. Supreme Court, And An Idaho Wetlands Case Up First – Maryland Matters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/a-new-justice-at-the-u-s-supreme-court-and-an-idaho-wetlands-case-up-first-maryland-matters/ When the U.S. Supreme Court opens its fall term on Monday, a few things will be different. A Black woman, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, will hear oral arguments for the first time ever. And the public will be allowed into the room for the first time since early 2020. The content of the term’s first case, though, will be familiar to many who have followed federal water policy for the past several years. The case is a challenge to the definition of “waters of the United States,” which delineates which wetlands the federal government can regulate under the Clean Water Act. The case, brought by an Idaho couple, could further restrict the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate environmental protections, just as one of the last decisions by the conservative majority in the most recent term curbed the agency’s power to regulate greenhouse gases. A history-making day Monday will be the first day Jackson joins the ritual of oral arguments in the ornate chamber as one of nine Supreme Court justices. Jackson, a Harvard Law School grad and former federal judge who grew up in Miami, took the oath of office in June following an often–contentious Senate confirmation process. On Friday, she took part in an investiture ceremony, which mirrors stylistic aspects of the swearing-in. The investiture, though, is purely symbolic. Jackson has been a member of the court since taking her oath of office. Although the event was only symbolic, President Biden and a handful of top White House staff members, along with several Democratic members of Congress attended the six-minute event. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who sits on the Judiciary Committee, was the only senator who voted against Jackson’s confirmation to attend Friday’s ceremony. His presence seemed intended to make a point about the need to respect institutions, even amid good-faith disagreement with individuals. In a statement, Sasse, who is white, said that he disagreed with Jackson’s judicial philosophy but that their disagreement was respectful and impersonal. He urged members of both parties not to attack the court itself. “Right now, there’s a lot of sound and fury about whether or not the Supreme Court has lost legitimacy,” Sasse said in the statement. “It’s a load of bunk. The Court’s legitimacy comes from its constitutional role, not the popularity of its opinions. I’m certain that I won’t agree with all of Justice Jackson’s opinions, but I’m not going to attack the credibility of the Court when we see things differently, and I wish more of my colleagues would take a similar approach.” During the March hearings at the Judiciary Committee, Sasse avoided the most salacious attacks on Jackson launched by other Republicans and bemoaned publicity-seeking “jackassery” in the chamber. Court’s legitimacy Jackson is not expected to affect the court’s ideological balance, as she replaced Stephen Breyer, who’d been among the court’s liberal minority before his retirement. With three justices appointed by former President Trump, the court’s last term was its most conservative in decades, culminating with a ruling overturning Roe. v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that guaranteed the right to an abortion nationally. The three liberal justices, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and the since-retired Breyer, wrote a scathing dissent that the decision “undermines the Court’s legitimacy.” The court’s departure from its own precedent in the Dobbs case “calls into question this Court’s commitment to legal principle,” they wrote. “It makes the Court appear not restrained but aggressive, not modest but grasping. In all those ways, today’s decision takes aim, we fear, at the rule of law.” Americans’ opinions of the court have declined over the past two years, along with its rightward shift. A nationwide Marquette Law School poll conducted in September found 60% of respondents disapproved of the court, while only 40% approved. The results represented a 53-point drop in net favorability from the same survey in 2020, when twice as many respondents held favorable views as those with unfavorable views. Other events have also threatened the court’s reputation. Justice Clarence Thomas did not recuse himself from a case about the House Jan. 6 committee’s access to presidential records and was the sole justice to vote in favor of restricting those records. The records later showed that his wife, Nebraska native Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, had exchanged several texts with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows spreading false claims that the election was stolen. Additionally, a draft of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked to news media months before it was published in what several experts said was an “unprecedented” breach of the court’s protocol that launched an internal investigation. New court rules, old issue Monday will mark the first time since March 2020 that the court will allow the public to attend oral arguments. Masks will be optional. The court will continue to live-stream audio from oral arguments, a practice the staid court only adopted while it limited attendance during the pandemic. The first oral arguments made under the new rules involve the EPA’s authority under the Clean Water Act to regulate “waters of the United States.” The 1972 law changed the criteria for what constituted a federally protected waterway away from one that is navigable to any “waters of the United States.” That definition has shifted since the law was passed, and particularly as the last three presidential administrations have enacted rules to define it. In 2015, President Obama’s administration issued a definition that some, especially Republicans, viewed as expanding federal jurisdiction. His successor, Trump, took steps to loosen the definition in 2020, but a federal court vacated that move in 2021. Last year, under Biden, the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers said they would interpret the phrase consistent with a pre-2015 definition while they worked on updating a more permanent version. A Supreme Court ruling will likely come before that rule is finalized. An Idaho couple, the Sacketts, own a parcel of land near Priest Lake in the state’s panhandle. Their land is within 30 feet of a tributary to the lake. The EPA has claimed that parcel is within its jurisdiction to regulate as a navigable waterway, and the Sacketts disagree. The Sacketts are among the many farmers and other private landowners seeking a reprieve from federal regulation of wetlands on their property. A federal appeals court ruled last year in favor of the federal agency, but the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case could mean it will overturn the lower court’s ruling.

No. 1 Volleyball Sweeps Texas Tech In Lubbock – TexasSports.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/no-1-volleyball-sweeps-texas-tech-in-lubbock-texassports-com/ LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 1 Texas Volleyball picked up its seventh sweep of the season, knocking off Texas Tech, 25-17, 25-19, 26-24, on Sunday in front of a Red Raider’s volleyball record crowd of 6,037. The Longhorns (11-0, 3-0), who hit .371 in the match, had to battle to extra points in the third set but were able to finish off the sweep of the Red Raiders.   Madisen Skinner had a huge match and tied her season-high with 19 kills, while hitting .529 on 34 total swings. She took over the third set, with 10 kills to close out the Longhorns win. Logan Eggleston finished with 17 and six digs, with a .368 hitting percentage. Molly Phillips added six kills and Asjia O’Neal had three kills and a team-high five blocks. Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres dished out 40 assists, had three blocks, three digs and two kills. Zoe Fleck continued her great season with a match-high 20 digs and two assists. Skinner led the Longhorns to a 25-17 win in the first set with a team-high seven kills. The Longhorns jumped out to a big 18-9 lead and cruised to take the 1-0 lead. The second set was much closer but the Longhorns closed it out emphatically, with a 5-1 run to end the set and go up 2-0. Texas Tech gave Texas all it could handle in the third set, taking a 16-12 lead before the Longhorns were able to tie it up at 17-all. The teams went back-and-forth all the way to the finish with the Longhorns edging it 26-24. Texas returns home to Gregory Gym to host TCU on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Man Sentenced For Murdering Stepfather Who Poured Beer On His Mother’s Head – WKRC TV Cincinnati https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/man-sentenced-for-murdering-stepfather-who-poured-beer-on-his-mothers-head-wkrc-tv-cincinnati/ Man sentenced for murdering stepfather who poured beer on his mother’s head  WKRC TV Cincinnati