Anna Garraway

Crypto.com Arena Unveils Completion Of Phase One Of Renovations Ahead Of NHL & NBA Seasons Kicking Off This Month – Business Wire https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/crypto-com-arena-unveils-completion-of-phase-one-of-renovations-ahead-of-nhl-nba-seasons-kicking-off-this-month-business-wire/ October 11, 2022 05:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the LA Kings prepare to take to their Crypto.com Arena home ice tonight to embark on their 23rd season at the downtown Los Angeles home they share with the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Sparks, their fans will finally get to experience the new amenities and renovated areas that were just unveiled as part of the iconic arena’s comprehensive three-year renovation project. Among the new and re-imagined arena locations now accessible to guests are: An expanded and reimagined Chairman’s Club that will provide select season ticket members and VIP guests new benefits and experiences at Crypto.com Arena’s most private and sought-after location before, during, and after events. Two new LED screens and ribbon boards visible to the upper and lower bowl seating areas, handled by Toshiba a Founding Partner of Crypto.com Arena. Among the installations are: Three levels of Ribbon Boards that are more than 3,000 linear feet of versatile video displays which can be programmed uniquely for each team and event. Two new giant LED wall video displays measuring approximately 21 feet high by 65 feet wide each and capable of variable content zoning allowing each to show one large image or to be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, statistics, graphics, animations and sponsorship messages. A redesigned and upgraded Impact Sports Bar & Grill on the Main Concourse that will offer guests new food and beverage menus. Improvements to the Main Concourse marked by an entirely new arrival experience, as well as upgrades to the Upper-Level Concourse including remodeled refreshment stands offering new food selections among other fan amenities on each level including: An innovative in-arena concession experience with the opening of two new grab and go locations powered by Amazon’s frictionless Just Walk Out technology. Visitors to Crypto.com Arena will now have the opportunity to take what they want without having to stop to check-out while shopping at the Bud Light Seltzer Market and the Michelob Ultra Market, located on the Main Concourse between Sections 105 and 108. To make their purchases more efficient while allowing them the ability to return to their seats quicker, guests entering the stores simply insert their method of payment at the entry gates and start shopping. As they select food and beverage items, Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology determines what they take from or return to the shelves. Upon exiting, the method of payment they inserted at the entry gate will be charged for the items taken. American Express is the official payment partner of Crypto.com Arena, providing select Card Member benefits at various events. The Just Walk Out technology-enabled locations will sell beer, wine, seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails, soft drinks, coffee, water and other select food and beverage items. Guests purchasing alcohol will be required to show their ID to a store attendant for age verification. Introduction of LA’s own Dirt Dog concession stands located on the Main Concourse at Section 102 & Section 112 A refresh of the arena’s Premium and Suite Level Entrances and Concourses. On Monday evening, Crypto.com Arena Premium Seating and AEG Global Partnerships hosted “Taste of Premium,” a VIP reception on the arena floor providing Premier Members a preview and tasting opportunity for the menu items available this season throughout all of Crypto.com Arena’s Premium Levels including the Luxury Suites, Premier Seats, and Premier Tables & Lounges at Yaamava’ Club by San Manuel. Michele Kajiwara, SVP Sales, Premium & Event Services, Crypto.com Arena commented, “At Crypto.com Arena, Premium memberships are ‘More Than A Seat.’ They go above and beyond the games and events that are the foundation of standard sports and entertainment memberships. We pride ourselves in offering our members money can’t buy experiences, and exclusive events like tonight’s “Taste of Premium.” Crypto.com Arena is excited to begin the upcoming 2022-23 seasons alongside its new naming rights partner, Crypto.com and to be welcoming fans back to experience the first phase of the complete top to bottom upgrades and renovations through the arena. For list of upcoming events and to be the first to know about new announcements, upgrades and to plan your visit please visit www.cryptoarena.com and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @cryptocomarena. For Handout B-roll Footage please visit: https://vimeo.com/758616147/a1866825a9 Executives available by request for media interviews and arena tours are: Lee Zeidman, President, Crypto.com Arena, Microsoft Theater & L.A. LIVE Danielle Snyder, Senior Vice President, Arena Services, Crypto.com Arena Ignacio Guerra, Senior Vice President, Operations, Crypto.com Arena (Spanish Speaker) Sam Porter, Vice President, Hospitality, Crypto.com Arena

This Stock Is A Better Bet Than Even U.S. Treasurys, Fund Manager Says – CNBC https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/this-stock-is-a-better-bet-than-even-u-s-treasurys-fund-manager-says-cnbc/ Nick Griffin, chief investment officer at Munro Partners, is so bullish on one stock, he says it’s a better bet than U.S. Treasurys. The company is Microsoft , which he said has a “really long runway” ahead. “Microsoft is obviously … very resilient and it’s probably the last thing any business is going to turn off,” said Griffin, whose firm has $4.8 billion in assets under management. “It has pricing power with things like Microsoft Teams, and they still haven’t actually charged you fully yet. And it has protection on the cost side because it doesn’t have input costs as a software company,” he told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” Monday. All of these factors, he said, will lead to double-digit earnings-per-share growth for Microsoft for “at least” the next five years. “It’s cheaper than a U.S. Treasury. It grows faster than the U.S. Treasury, and it’s probably got a better balance sheet than the U.S. Treasury. So from our point of view, it’s a fairly safe place to [put your] cash,” Griffin. Short-term U.S. Treasurys have surged in popularity among investors of late amid rising yields. Griffin’s Munro Global Growth Fund has outperformed the S & P 500 this year, although it was down around 15% as of Oct. 7. The S & P 500 saw a roughly 23% tumble over the same period. The fund, much like the S & P 500, is heavily weighted toward tech. Its top holdings include Microsoft, Alphabet , Amazon and other growth stocks. Tech stocks have taken a beating this year as investors fled the growth part of the market amid volatility. Microsoft hasn’t escaped, and is down over 30% year-to-date. Still, analysts have struck an optimistic tone on the stock recently . Some 90% of analysts covering the company give it a buy rating, and an average price target of $321.97 — or 40% upside — according to FactSet data. It comes as some on Wall Street turn bullish on certain corners of the tech sector , despite the Nasdaq closing at its lowest level in two years on Monday. ‘Fortress’ balance sheets Griffin’s current investing strategy includes the owning large-cap stocks with “fortress balance sheets.” “Longer term, we know that these companies are positioned to benefit from some of the most significant structural changes occurring in the world and hence remain confident that these companies can grow earnings through the current uncertainties,” he said. He named Alphabet as one example of a “fairly safe” investment with an “incredibly strong” balance sheet, adding that markets had underestimated its fast-growing cloud business. Munro Partners has, however, reduced overall exposure to equities in the third quarter, from an average of 60% to 40%. “Thanks to gains on short selling, hedging and currencies the Fund was up roughly 3% for the quarter and up 1.5% for September,” Griffin added.

18 Best Prime Day Tech Deals Ahead Of Black Friday: Speakers, TVs And More – NBC News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/18-best-prime-day-tech-deals-ahead-of-black-friday-speakers-tvs-and-more-nbc-news/ For the first time in Prime Day’s history, Amazon is hosting two Prime Day-like events in the same year. The second sale — dubbed the Prime Early Access Sale— runs through Oct. 12 and offers sitewide savings for Prime members on popular categories ranging from skin care and home goods to tech and fitness equipment. Since it’s so close to the holiday season, Amazon is also introducing a Top 100 list featuring deals on some of the most popular (and gift-worthy) products, the retailer says. SKIP AHEAD Prime Early Access tech sales on Amazon | Tech sales at other retailers Whether you’re shopping for cool products for your tech-loving friends or just looking for some great deals for yourself, you’ll find notable discounts on TVs, headphones, laptops, smartwatches, tech accessories and more during the Prime Early Access Sale. To help you make the most of the fleeting shopping holiday, we compiled some of the best Prime Day deals and sales live on Amazon, plus highlighted other notable deals from counter sales at other retailers. The best Prime Early Access Sale tech deals Below, we’re sharing the best deals from the Prime Early Access Sale on tech products based on our previous coverage and reporting. To ensure the quality of each deal, we’re running deals through price trackers like CamelCamelCamel and Honey— each product is at its lowest price in at least three months. Samsung 32-Inch Class Frame QLED LS03 Series Smart TV Lowest price ever 4.5-star average rating from 2,132 reviews on Amazon Samsung’s Frame series is a favorite among our tech experts — not just for its top-notch QLED panels, but also for its unique ability to act as a TV when it’s on and as art when it’s off. For $5 a month, you can access more than 1,400 pieces of art from world-renowned institutions to transform your QLED screen into a piece of artwork. Apple MacBook Air (2020) Lowest price ever 4.8-star average rating from 12,964 reviews on Amazon With up to 18 hours of battery life and faster graphics and processing speeds thanks to Apple’s M1 chip, according to the brand, this MacBook Air is a great option for those looking to upgrade their current laptop situation. This model has 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, which should be enough for most people. Echo Dot (3rd Gen.) 4.7-star average rating from 965,481 reviews on Amazon Amazon’s most compact smart speaker is a deal at less than $20. WIth improved sound over its Gen 2 model, according to the brand, this Echo Dot lets you voice control your music, stream songs, control smart home devices, set timers, ask for the news and more. Pair it with another to enjoy stereo sound. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Lowest price ever 4.7-star average rating from 17,182 reviews on Amazon This water-resistant e-reader has a 6.8-inch glare-free display with an adjustable warm light — it’s designed to feel as if you’re reading from paper, according to Amazon. The Kindle offers up to 10 weeks of battery life on a single charge, the brand says, and you can pair it with Bluetooth headphones if you prefer to listen to audiobooks. Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Control Lowest price ever 4.4-star average rating from 82,564 reviews on Amazon Chamberlain’s Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-enabled garage control hub comes with a sensor that allows you to control and monitor your garage door through a companion app. You can create schedules in the app to automatically open and close your garage and get real-time notifications when there’s any garage door activity. Motorola Razr 5G 4-star average rating from 83 reviews on Amazon The Motorola Razr 5G is a modernized version of the old flip phone. Made of glass and stainless steel, its unique feature is its flexible OLED display module and special hinge system that prevents any crease in the screen. The Razr 5G fits comfortably in your palm or pocket and has 5G speed, according to the brand. It can run for up to 24 hours on a single charge, says Razr. Sony SRS-XG500 X-Series Wireless Portable Bluetooth Boombox Party-Speaker 4.6-star average rating from 396 reviews on Amazon This water-resistant Bluetooth speaker is lightweight (about 12 pounds) and has a carrying handle so you can easily take it on the go. The speaker also includes LED lighting effects to create a cool ambience when playing music in the dark and has up to 30 hours of battery life, according to Sony. Furbo 360° Dog Camera Lowest price ever 4.5-star average rating from 1,173 reviews on Amazon Furbo’s dog camera — one of Select associate reporter Mili Godio’s favorite products for her dog Bella — is designed with a wide-angle camera that rotates 360 degrees. The camera automatically follows your pet as they move, and once you connect the device to the companion app, you can get real-time activity notifications on your phone, watch or tablet. There’s also a compartment built into the device to fill with treats, which you can toss to pets through the app. Fire HD 8 Tablet Gaming Bundle Lowest price ever 4.6-star average rating from 163,449 reviews on Amazon This gaming bundle includes a 10th-generation Fire HD 8 tablet and a Luna Controller, compatible with the Amazon Luna cloud gaming service. According to Amazon, the tablet has up to 12 hours of battery life; it has an 8-inch HD display, 32GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM. The $10-a-month Luna subscription service — which includes hundreds of games — is not included in the bundle, but there is a seven-day free trial. NETGEAR Orbi Whole Home Wi-Fi 6 System 4.4-star average rating from 918 reviews on Amazon One of our experts’ favorite Wi-Fi routers, this integrated cable modem and Wi-Fi 6 satellite system covers up to 5,000 square feet and 40-plus devices at one time so you can stream, game, and work without interruption. The built-in DOCSIS 3.1 modem supports internet plans up to 4Gbps and is compatible with most cable service providers, Netgear says. JBL Bar 5.1 – Soundbar 4.5-star average rating from 1,349 reviews on Amazon The JBL Bar 5.1 delivers panoramic sound minus all the wires. It connects using an HDMI cable to deliver 550 watts of power and has a 10-inch wireless subwoofer to offer ground-shaking bass, the brand says. The built-in Wi-Fi integrates with Chromecast and Airplay 2 so you can stream your favorite music and movies. Everything you need to get that cinematic experience — a soundbar, subwoofer, remote, wall bracket and HDMI cable — comes in the box. Fangor Wi-Fi Bluetooth Portable Home Projector 4.1-star average rating from 1,244 reviews on Amazon This mini, 3.5-pound projector has a built-in 8400mAh battery and Bluetooth speaker, which means you can enjoy music and movies both inside and outdoors, without having to be near an outlet. The projector is also compatible with a TV Adapter, ChromeBook, Tablet and Blu-ray DVD player, and its battery runs up to 2.5 hours after a single charge, says Fangor. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Smartphone 4.6-star average rating from 409 reviews on Amazon The Samsung Galaxy S22 comes with 128GB and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which the company says supports superior camera quality and faster processing speeds compared to its previous 5G platforms. It is the largest of all the phones in the S22 series with a 6.8-inch display and comes with a built-in S Pen. It has a 5,000mAh battery that, according to the brand, should last for more than a day on a single charge. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 Lowest price ever 4.5-star average rating from 28,503 reviews on Amazon The Bose 700 over ear headphones are some of the best if you’re looking for active noise cancellation — they offer 11 levels of ANC plus “good, balanced sound quality and a super comfortable fit,” as tech expert Whitson Gordon previously noted. The headphones can last for up to 20 hours on a single charge, according to the brand. Jabra Speak 510 MS Wireless Bluetooth Speaker Lowest price ever 4.7-star average rating from 16,680 reviews on Amazon This wireless portable speaker turns any room into a conference room — its circular design allows it to pick up sound from every angle, according to the brand, and all you have to do is connect it to Bluetooth or USB and dial in to calls. It’s compatible with all leading unified communication platforms, and it’s certified for Avaya, Cisco, Skype for business and more. Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbud Headphones with Alexa Built-in Lowest price ever 4.4-star average rating from 601 reviews on Amazon These earbuds are Sony’s best wireless headphones for making calls since they provide the right sound for your surroundings, the brand says. They feature touch-control settings so you can pause, play, skip tracks, control volume, activate your voice assistant and answer phone calls. iWALK 4500mAh Portable Charger USB-C Battery Pack Lowest price ever 4.3-star average rating from 7,220 reviews on Amazon This USB-C Battery Pack is lightweight at just 6.4 ounces and works with Samsung devices, Google devices and more, according to the brand. It attaches directly under the phone, so you can make calls while the phone is charging without any hassle, the brand says. Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 4.4-star average rating from 24,739 reviews on Amazon These water-resistant earbuds use Samsung’s Active Noise Cancellation technology to eliminate sounds around you, the brand says. They have an IPX7 water-resistance rating, which means they should be able to withstand intense workouts and walks in light rainstorms. Prime Early Access Sale: Best tech sales on Amazon Here are the best tech sales on Amazon right now during the Prime Early Access Sale that we think you’ll want to know about. Up to 60% off Amazon Echo devices, Fire tab...

Sirens Sound Across Ukraine As Russia Strikes Cities Again; G-7 Leaders Vow To Help For ‘as Long As It Takes’ – CNBC https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/sirens-sound-across-ukraine-as-russia-strikes-cities-again-g-7-leaders-vow-to-help-for-as-long-as-it-takes-cnbc/ Seven vessels depart Ukraine carrying more than 170,000 metric tons of agricultural products The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying Ukrainian grain, is seen in the Black Sea off Kilyos, near Istanbul, Turkey August 3, 2022. Mehmet Caliskan | Reuters The organization overseeing the export of grain from Ukraine said it has approved seven vessels to leave the besieged country. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal among Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey, said the vessels are carrying 174,862 metric tons of grain and other crops. Two ships are destined for Turkey and are carrying wheat and sunflower oil. One ship will depart from Ukraine’s Yuzhny-Pivdennyi port for Italy and is carrying 26,380 metric tons of corn. Another ship will leave from Chornomorsk to Italy and is carrying 6,000 metric tons of corn. The fifth vessel will sail to Indonesia from Chornomorsk and is carrying 51,742 metric tons of wheat. One ship will leave for Tunisia carrying 30,000 metric tons of corn and another will depart for Spain carrying 27, 390 metric tons of wheat. Read more about the Black Sea Grain Initiative here. — Amanda Macias U.S. Treasury Secretary vows to impose more sanctions, oil price caps on Russia U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen talks to reporters during a news conference in the Cash Room at the Treasury Department on April 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen pledged continued support for Ukraine in a meeting with Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko, saying the Biden administration was looking for more ways to cripple the Russian economy with sanctions, a cap on oil prices and support for Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts. “Importantly, the focus of our sanctions and export controls on Russia’s military-industrial complex have disrupted Russia’s operations, shuttered factories, depleted arsenals, and forced Putin to rely increasingly on arms suppliers of last resort, like North Korea and Iran,” Yellen said ahead of her meeting with Marchenko at the IMF and World Bank’s weeklong meetings in Washington, D.C. earlier Tuesday. “Together with the G7, the United States will build on that work with our price cap on Russian oil, which will cut into Putin’s key source of revenue even as we mitigate future price spikes caused by Putin’s war,” she added. Yellen said she wanted to discuss with Marchenko ways the global sanctions coalition can inflict more economic pain on the Kremlin, Russia’s allies, its public finances and military industries, according to her comments released by the Treasury Department. — Chelsey Cox Ukraine’s defense minister will join NATO meeting this week Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov attends the Ukraine Security Consultative Group meeting at Ramstein air base on April 26, 2022 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Thomas Lohnes | Getty Images Ukraine’s defense minister Oleksii Reznikov will attend a NATO defense minister meeting at the alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Last month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he submitted an “accelerated” application for his country to join the military alliance. The defense ministers of Finland and Sweden will also attend the meeting as their countries wait for their ascension into the NATO alliance. Reznikov will also join the U.S.-lead Ukraine Defense Contact Group on the sidelines of the NATO meeting. The Ukraine Defense Contact group, a coalition of nearly 50 countries supporting Ukraine’s military needs, has met six times since it was formed in April. The group of defense ministers and chiefs will discuss additional ways to provide security assistance for Ukraine as Russia’s war enters its eighth month. — Amanda Macias Ukraine’s general prosecutor says bodies of 78 civilians found in mass graves in Svyatohirsk and Lyman Two forensic technicians uncover a body in a forest on the outskirts of Izyum, eastern Ukraine on September 16, 2022. Juan Barreto | AFP | Getty Images Ukraine’s general prosecutor says investigators found the bodies of 78 civilians in mass graves in the recently occupied cities of Svyatohirsk and Lyman. In Svyatogorsk, investigators exhumed the bodies of 34 people, some of them with signs of violent death including, gunshot wounds, fractures of ribs and skulls and mine-blast injuries. Another 44 bodies were found, the youngest appearing to be only a year old, in a separate burial site. The bodies were sent to Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region in order to establish the causes of death. — Amanda Macias G-7 leaders promise to back Ukraine against Russian aggression for ‘as long as it takes’ President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the Kharkiv region for the first time since Russia started the attacks against his country on February 24, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine on May 29, 2022.(Photo by Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Ukrainian Presidency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Leaders of some of the world’s largest economies reiterated their commitment to Ukraine and condemned Russia’s escalating aggression, vowing to back Ukraine for “as long as it takes.” “We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military, diplomatic and legal support and will stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the G-7 group of nations said in a statement released after wrapping up an emergency meeting they conducted virtually. “We are committed to supporting Ukraine in meeting its winter preparedness needs.” “We condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms and recall that indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilian populations constitute a war crime,” the group said. “We will hold President [Vladimir] Putin and those responsible to account.” U.S. President Joe Biden affirmed the group’s stance in a tweet following the meeting. He said that he and the G-7 leaders will keep their “unwavering commitment to hold Russia accountable for its war and support Ukraine for as long as it takes.” — Emma Kinery ‘Putin is failing in Ukraine,’ NATO chief says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg holds a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on August 17 August 2022. Francois Walschaerts | AFP | Getty Images NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent missile strikes across Ukraine and said the attack shows Moscow’s desperation to regain its footing as Ukrainian forces continue a stunning counteroffensive. “President Putin is failing in Ukraine,” Stoltenberg told reporters at NATO headquarters. He added that Putin’s attempts to annex additional portions of Ukraine, reckless nuclear rhetoric and a partial mobilization of additional troops were also examples that “this war is not going as planned.” “NATO stands with Ukraine for as long as it takes, Stoltenberg said, adding that allies will discuss additional security assistance for Kyiv at this week’s defense ministerial. — Amanda Macias U.S. Defense Secretary Austin heads to NATO to meet with allies on Ukraine U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the U.S. military’s Ramstein air base on September 08, 2022 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Thomas Niedermueller | Getty Images News | Getty Images Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Brussels this week to participate in the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting at the alliance’s headquarters. The defense ministers of Finland and Sweden will join the NATO summit as invitees as they await their accession into the military alliance. Following NATO, Austin and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley will host a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The group, a coalition of nearly 50 countries supporting Ukraine’s military needs, has met six times since it was formed in April. The group of defense ministers and chiefs will discuss additional ways to provide security assistance for Ukraine as Russia’s war enters its eighth month. — Amanda Macias Putin has not made a decision to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, U.S. says Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an unscheduled session of the council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Collective (CSTO) via a video conference call at a residence outside Moscow, Russia, September 13, 2022. Gavriil Grigorov | Sputnik | via Reuters The Biden administration said that it has not seen any movements of Russia moving apparatus to carry out a nuclear weapon strike. “We’ve seen no indication that Putin has made a decision to use nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine,” John Kirby, White House National Security Coordinator, told reporters on a call. “Nobody wants to see this war escalate into the nuclear realm, there is no reason for it to escalate to that level,” Kirby said, adding that the U.S. has not observed any movements ahead of the potential use of a nuclear weapon. He added that the U.S. was watching the situation closely but had not found cause to change Washington’s strategic nuclear posture. “We do not seek a conflict with Russia, the president has been crystal clear about that,” Kirby reiterated. — Amanda Macias Treasury secretary Yellen slams Russia’s missile attacks in G20 meeting US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a naturalization ceremony at George Washingtons residence in Mount Vernon, Virginia on July 4, 2022. Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty Images Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen condemned Russia’s missile strikes during a G20 Joint Finance-Agriculture Ministerial calling the attack “barbaric.” “The innocent lives taken by President Vladimir Puti...

TikTok Going Big On US E-Commerce? Job Listings Offer Clues – MySA https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/tiktok-going-big-on-us-e-commerce-job-listings-offer-clues-mysa/ HALELUYA HADERO, AP Business Writer Oct. 11, 2022Updated: Oct. 11, 2022 4:05 p.m. FILE – The TikTok app logo is pictured in Tokyo, Sept. 28, 2020. TikTok is planning to operate its own warehouses in the U.S., a move that will deepen the social media company’s foray into e-commerce.Kiichiro Sato/AP NEW YORK (AP) — TikTok appears to be deepening its foray into e-commerce with plans to operate its own U.S. warehouses, the kind of packing and shipping facilities more associated with Amazon or Walmart than the social media platform best known for addictive short videos. In the past two weeks, TikTok has posted several job listings on LinkedIn looking for candidates to help it develop and grow its “Fulfillment by TikTok Shop” in the U.S. to accommodate sellers using the app. According to the listings, TikTok plans to provide warehousing, delivery and item return options to sellers. A company spokesperson declined to comment on TikTok’s e-commerce plans in the U.S. But the U.S. job listings offer a window into a possible U.S. e-commerce expansion. In some listings, TikTok says it is looking for a candidate who can manage a free return program, plan how to move inventory from one warehouse or business to another, and develop its fulfillment service in the U.S. In another listing for a position in Seattle, the company refers to a global e-commerce team and a team member who will be responsible for building a global warehousing network, signaling its plans could be much larger. “The e-commerce industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has become a hotly contested space amongst leading Internet companies, and its future growth cannot be underestimated,” the company wrote in the job listings. “With millions of loyal users globally, we believe TikTok is an ideal platform to deliver a brand new and better e-commerce experience to our users.” Axios first reported on the job postings. Shopping on social media sites, known as social commerce, is a $37 billion market in the U.S., led by Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, according to Insider Intelligence. ByteDance, the Beijing-based company that owns TikTok, already runs a thriving social media marketplace on Douyin, its twin video app for the Chinese market. The TikTok spokesperson said the company is focused on “providing merchants with a range of product features and delivery options” in places it currently has e-commerce programs, such as Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom. Insider Intelligence projects about 23.7 million U.S. shoppers are expected to make at least one purchase through TikTok this year by using affiliated links or conducting a transaction on the platform itself. Some of those sales are already having an effect. Communities such as #BookTok, a corner of TikTok devoted to literature and reading, has been credited with driving a spike in the sales of print romance books this year. To accommodate more purchases on its app, TikTok said last summer it would partner with the Canadian e-commerce company Shopify to allow users to buy items directly on the app. TikTok has been intensifying competition with Meta and other rivals, luring younger users — as well as popular influencers — from YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The site’s bite-sized, entertaining clips are served up by an algorithm that often seems to know what people want before they do. The results are difficult to ignore. In July, Meta posted its first revenue decline in history, due in part to competition from TikTok. YouTube, meanwhile, recently said it would make the creators of short-form videos eligible to join its revenue-sharing program. Previously, YouTube only allowed revenue sharing for longer videos. Compared to digital advertising, ecommerce is a tiny source of revenue for Meta, and will likely be for TikTok for the foreseeable future. At the same time, TikTok executives are likely looking to broaden the company’s revenue sources beyond ads — a market dominated in the U.S. by Meta and Alphabet, which owns YouTube and Google. Neil Saunders, managing director for GlobalData Retail, said TikTok’s reach and influence are helping it become a powerful force in advertising and sales and building out that capability with warehouses and other facilities would enable it to offer a complete service. “This would both be an additional revenue stream and would improve the quality of the shopping experience for consumers,” Saunders said. But a serious move into warehousing would be an expensive undertaking, and TikTok would face established competitors in the likes of Amazon and Walmart. “However, TikTok has a massive audience and a massive customer base, so it has more than enough demand for this to make sense,” Saunders said. “Provided TikTok maintains its popularity it could pose a threat to incumbents and prove to be a highly disruptive force.” Others are taking a different tone. “It’s idiotic,” said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter. “They have no chance of competing and it is a complete waste of money and time.” ______ Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco contributed to this report.

How A New Direct Flight Lands At Sea-Tac – Seattle Met https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/how-a-new-direct-flight-lands-at-sea-tac-seattle-met/ Air Tahiti Nui’s first Seattle flight landed at Sea-Tac Airport on October 5. On October 5, the arrivals screen at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport lit with a new name among all the usual Portlands and Chicago O’Hares: the city of Papeete. Air Tahiti Nui flight 52 landed mid-morning to great fanfare from the airline and airport, marking the first direct flight from Tahiti to Seattle. But why do we need air route to a far-off South Pacific island? Bringing a new flight to Sea-Tac Airport can be a complicated process, sometimes taking years. Sea-Tac isn’t New York City or London, says airport media relations manager Perry Cooper, so it’s not so congested that airlines have to wrestle over “slots” in Sea-Tac’s schedule. By federal law, he notes, the Port of Seattle can’t deny an airline the chance to fly in and out of our runways, so once an airline wants to come in, they start working on finding them office space and leasing them ticket counters. So it was really the small outfit—just four airplanes—of airline Air Tahiti Nui that made the call to link Seattle to the Southern Hemisphere. Mostly owned by the country of French Polynesia, it otherwise operates routes from Tahiti to Paris, Tokyo, and New Zealand. The airline’s vice president of the Americas, Caroline Borawski, noted that when they landed on Wednesday, few people in Seattle had ever seen their floral tail fin. The capital of French Polynesia, Papeete, sits on the island of Tahiti, surrounded by more than a hundred atolls and islands in the South Pacific—but English speakers generally call the whole nation “Tahiti.” It calls to mind Mutiny on the Bounty and palm trees, or maybe just the honeymoon destination of Bora Bora. Seattleites like a good tropical breeze as much as anyone else, but why make such a cross-global link to the Pacific Northwest? First of all, says Borawski, “It is not this far off destination.” Though south of the equator, the island nation shares a time zone with Hawai’i, making it a plausible alternative to that popular vacation spot. Eying the North American market, they saw  Seattle as hungry for international travel after the pandemic, plus a code share partner in hometown Alaska Airlines. Also, the flight goes both ways, says Borawski. They saw interest from Tahitians in skiing, and Seattle is the rare urban hub that has easy connections to ski spots. The airline will fly its signature Boeing Dreamliners in two round-trip flights per week. Though Borawski has seen new routes take up to six or seven years to finalize, Air Tahiti Nui jumped on the Seattle idea very quickly—she estimates it was about a three-month process. Sea-Tac has bounced back from pandemic route closures with more direct flights than ever, launching Helsinki and Istanbul as well this year. The brand-new international arrivals center, costing nearly a billion dollars, has spruced our front door. The new route launched with fares starting at $769 for the nine-and-a-half hour flight, a good three hours more than a hop to Honolulu. But as Seattle finally descends into winter, Tahiti’s year-round sun might make that direct trip not seem all that long at all.

Star Witness Testifies At California Sheriff’s Civil Trial – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/star-witness-testifies-at-california-sheriffs-civil-trial-69news-wfmz-tv/ SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A former manager for a Silicon Valley security business testified at a sheriff’s civil corruption trial that he and the company’s CEO agreed to provide political donations in exchange for concealed-weapons permits. Martin Nielsen, who implicated a Santa Clara County sheriff’s captain and others in the alleged bribery scheme, testified publicly for the first time Monday at Sheriff Laurie Smith’s trial. He detailed how he was tasked with finding a way to get concealed-carry permits for AS Solutions security agents who were assigned to high-profile clients, the Mercury News reported. The effort followed a 2018 shooting at the YouTube campus in San Bruno in which a woman wounded three people before killing herself. The now-defunct security company’s high-profile clients included Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Nielsen testified that he and AS Solution’s then-head Christian West agreed to financially support Smith’s 2018 reelection bid in exchange for the permits for security agents assigned to protect executives for the company then known as Facebook. The unusual case against Smith is a civil process to seek removal of an elected official. Smith has not been directly implicated in the two criminal indictments that ensnared her undersheriff and a captain. She announced in March she wasn’t running for reelection. Her term ends in January, but a guilty verdict would prompt her removal from office early. Nielsen, testifying under a grant of immunity from criminal prosecution, said he and West arranged to donate a large sum to an independent expenditure committee backing Smith’s reelection. “Did you come away with the understanding you would get 10 to 15 permits?” prosecutor Gabriel Markoff asked. “Yes,” Nielsen replied. Smith was her agency’s sole signatory for the gun licenses. Under questioning from Smith’s attorney, Allen Ruby, Nielsen affirmed that his only interaction with the sheriff was a 30-second meet-and-greet at a fundraiser during the period he was working with a sheriff’s captain to get the gun permits. Nielson did not state the precise donation amount in his testimony because San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Nancy Fineman had limited what details Nielsen could give in front of the jury. However, in past testimony, Nielsen said $90,000 was the agreed amount, though only $45,000 was ever donated. The other half was scuttled after the bribery and corruption probe got underway in 2019. Nielsen also testified that he was unilaterally exempted by a sheriff’s captain from having to qualify under a legally required firearms proficiency test, and was instructed to obscure their association with the security company to avoid negative optics. “They could not all be AS Solution,” he said. “Something about the fact it was a security company and it didn’t look good.” Nielsen, West and a third AS Solution manager avoided indictment after cooperating with investigators in exchange for guilty pleas to lesser misdemeanor conspiracy and fraud-related charges. All three have a sentencing hearing scheduled for Tuesday. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News.

Dr. Ashley Miller: Building Bone Strength Early Can Prevent Breaks Later In Life – Berkshire Eagle https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/dr-ashley-miller-building-bone-strength-early-can-prevent-breaks-later-in-life-berkshire-eagle/ It’s a reality that cuts right to the bone. As we get older, our bones naturally become thinner, weaker and more susceptible to breaks. Loss of bone mass happens to all of us over time. But more than half of all adults ages 50 and older in the U.S. — about 54 million people — are either living with or at increased risk of developing an advanced condition of declining bone mass called osteoporosis, which literally means “porous bone.” The good news is that there are ways you can prevent osteoporosis or lessen its impact on your life by building your bone strength in your younger and middle-aged years. Osteoporosis typically develops unnoticed, with no outward symptoms over many years. It’s often first discovered after a bone breaks. The most common fractures are in the hip, spine and wrist, usually the result of a fall. Hip fracture is the most serious consequence of osteoporosis. About half the people who break a hip will need to use walkers or canes for the rest of their lives. Although it occurs in both sexes, women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis. The hormonal changes that occur in women during menopause, particularly the decline in estrogen levels, can lead to a rapid decrease in bone density and therefore an increased susceptibility to breaks. After age 50, more than half of all women and about quarter of all men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point during their remaining lives. There are ways to test your bone density before problems arise. Your health care provider can order a bone mineral density test, also known as dual-energy X-ray (DEXA) scan. These determine how solid the bones are in your spine, hip and wrists. All women over the age of 65 should have a DEXA scan (earlier if you have a family history or other risk factors). Men over age 70, or younger men with risk factors, should also consider getting a DEXA scan. Treatments for established osteoporosis may include exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements. There are also several classes of medications used to treat osteoporosis. Your health care provider will work with you to find the best one for you. There are actions you can take yourself to keep your bones healthy and slow down bone loss: Eat a diet rich in calcium. We need calcium throughout our lives to keep our bones strong. Men and women ages 19 to 50 need at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day. After age 50, your body needs 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams. Great sources of calcium are dairy products like yogurt and cheese, calcium-fortified orange juice and cereals, tofu and soy products, sardines, and green leafy vegetables like broccoli and collard greens. Calcium supplements can also help. Talk to your doctor before taking any supplements. Get enough vitamin D. This is particularly challenging in places like New England with limited sun. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Men and women ages 19 to 70 need 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D each day. After age 70, your body needs 800 IUs of vitamin D. Follow a healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a mindfully healthy style of life can reduce the degree of bone loss. Begin a regular exercise program. Exercises that make your muscles work against gravity (such as walking, jogging, aerobics, and weightlifting) are best for strengthening bones. Do not drink too much alcohol. Do not have excessive amounts of caffeine. Don’t use tobacco at all. And finally, do everything you can to prevent falls inside and outside of your home. Ashley Miller, MD., is an orthopedic surgeon with Berkshire Orthopaedic Associates, an affiliate of Berkshire Health Systems.

Don’t Be Shocked If The Guardians Upset The Yankees, Plus Other Best Bets For Tuesday – CBS Sports https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/dont-be-shocked-if-the-guardians-upset-the-yankees-plus-other-best-bets-for-tuesday-cbs-sports/ Good afternoon gamblers, it’s Chris Bengel back with you on this Tuesday. It’s hard to argue with the beauty of this time of year. We’ve got Major League Baseball playoffs on a daily basis and Tuesday also marks the start of the 2022-23 NHL season. Oh yeah, and the NBA season begins next Tuesday. By submitting my email I agree to receive the “CBS Sports HQ Newsletter” and other marketing and promotional emails from CBS Sports, which may include information from our affiliates and/or partners’ offers, products and services. For more information about our data practices consult our Privacy Policy Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription. The MLB postseason was beyond entertaining in the Wild Card Round and I don’t expect that to change with the Division Series, which started today. Let’s not waste any more time and get right to today’s picks. All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook The Hot Ticket Guardians at Yankees, 7:37 p.m. | TV: TBS Latest Odds: Cleveland Guardians +175 Key Trend: The Guardians are 17-5 in their last 22 road games against a right-handed starter The Pick: Guardians (+175) The Guardians have defied expectations all season. They went 46-26 in the second half of the season to run away with AL Central title. With those factors in mind, I like the underdog Guardians to pull off a massive upset in the Bronx on Tuesday. Yankees starter Gerrit Cole has a 1.78 career ERA during the postseason while with the Yankees, but that’s not to say there haven’t been a few hiccups. In the Wild Card Game last year against the Red Sox, Cole surrendered three earned runs on four hits and lasted just two innings. Entering the 2022 postseason, Cole has yielded at least four earned runs in three of his last five starts. It also doesn’t hurt that the Guardians possessed the seventh-highest batting average (.254) in the majors throughout the regular season. Meanwhile, Guardians starter Cal Quantrill has been throwing the ball extremely well over the last month.He’s allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts while conceding just one run or less in six of those outings. The right-hander only recorded 128 strikeouts over the course of the regular season, but Quantrill did hold the Yankees to just three earned runs over six innings in a start back in April while only racking up a pair of strikeouts.  It wouldn’t be shocking if the Guardians are able to get to Cole early and that could wind up being the difference the way Quantrill has been pitching. Ride with the underdog in this spot with a very spicy pricetag. More picks Getty Images Lightning at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. | TV: ESPN Latest Odds: New York Rangers -125 The Pick: Rangers (-120): — Opening night, a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference Final at Madison Square Garden. It doesn’t get much better. As the season begins, I have no problem fading the Lightning and it could be a theme throughout the year. The Lightning lost some big names this offseason, chief among veterans Ondrej Palat and Ryan McDonagh .On the other hand, the Rangers are a much-improved team after losing to the Lightning in six games in the Eastern Conference Final last spring. New York added Vincent Trocheck in free agency and he should feel right at home as the team’s second line center.. There’s going to be a ton of buzz inside the World’s Most Famous Arena on Tuesday and for good reason. This Rangers team is a Cup contender and I like them to get off on the right foot to start off the season. Key Trend: The Rangers are 35-16 in their last 51 home games Padres at Dodgers, 9:37 p.m. | TV: FS1 The Pick: Julio Urias Over 4.5 Strikeouts (-115): — The National League Division Series has an NL West flavor to it after the Padres took down the Mets. These are two teams that are very familiar with one another and that could play into the favor of Dodgers starter Julio Urias in today’s strikeout prop. Urias has registered at least five strikeouts in four of his last five starts. In addition, the Dodgers left-hander has tallied at least five strikeouts in five of his seven starts against the Padres over the past two seasons. If the lethal Los Angeles offense backs up Urias, he should have plenty of opportunities to get to the five-strikeout mark that we need. Key Trend: Urias recorded at least five strikeouts in three of his four starts against the Padres in 2022

Protecting Kids From Metaverse Marketing Is No Game – PYMNTS.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/protecting-kids-from-metaverse-marketing-is-no-game-pymnts-com/ Regulators in the U.S., the U.K. and the EU have each recently called for a crackdown on digital ads targeting kids, blaming big tech for not doing enough to prevent young people from seeing ads and other marketing messages promoting things ranging from sugary, high-calorie foods to pop-ups that encourage them to make in-game purchases. But what about the metaverse, which will be a wide-open world in which players can take their avatars anywhere and see anything, ranging from virtual stores and entertainment venues to minigames and just flat-out digital billboards and videos? To say nothing of branded digital goods like clothing for avatars. See also: What’s a Metaverse, and Why is One Having a Fashion Show? Then there are nonfungible tokens (NFTs) that can hold images, video and music. They can and are being used as access keys to events like concerts, venues and game sites, as well as receipts or vouchers for both digital and real-life goods — for example, a free fast-food cheeseburger via a QR code (which can also be held on a regular cryptocurrency token). Even if marketers only hand them out to adults, these tokens would likely be available in secondary resale markets. See also: QR Codes’ Growing Popularity Extends to Crypto Payments It’s an issue that the Better Business Bureau took up aggressively in August, issuing a compliance warning through its Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), which focuses on children under age 13. The warning notice is intended to put “advertisers, brands, influencers and endorsers, developers, and others on notice that CARU’s Advertising Guidelines apply to advertising in the metaverse and that [it] will strictly enforce its guidelines against metaverse advertising,” said Mamie Kresses, vice president of CARU. Online areas of particular concern to CARU include: Blurring advertising and nonadvertising messages woven into content, Clearly disclosing influencer and endorser advertising, Prohibiting manipulative tactics to get children to view, interact or make purchases and Providing clear and conspicuous disclosures The group also warned about collecting personal information about children. More than Ever Advertising targeting children is not a low-profile issue. In his March 1 State of the Union speech this year, President Joe Biden said, “It’s time to strengthen privacy protections, ban targeted advertising to children, demand tech companies stop collecting personal data on our children.” In the U.K. rules prohibiting ads for foods high in salt, sugar and fat before 9 p.m. on TV are matched by prohibitions for social media sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and will go into effect next year. And the EU banned online ads targeting children in its Digital Services Act, the World Economic Forum noted. The legislation passed in July. But while it will be difficult enough to comply with and enforce in centralized metaverses like Roblox, Fortnite, Second Life and Meta’s Horizon Worlds which can require identifying information to use, the rules will be harder to enforce in blockchain-based metaverses such as Decentraland and Sandbox, and a growing number of competitors. Decentralized Difficulties While those are essentially centralized at this point, their goal is to become fully decentralized and DAO controlled, although regulators are fighting that goal with increasing effectiveness. Read more: CFTC Lawsuit Aims to Rein in DeFi Keeping children away from inappropriate content will be more difficult without collecting know-your-customer (KYC) data from anyone entering a decentralized metaverse. One technique would be focusing on wallets holding the native cryptocurrencies (like Decentraland’s MANA) most metaverses require be used for all in-world purchases, but that’s still difficult to enforce on pseudonymous blockchains. One technique already being tried in centralized metaverses is individual firms’ actively blocking participation — Roblox is rolling out features that will block children from interacting with certain content, AdNews reported in September. And even decentralized metaverses will likely permit content producers to block children using the same technology that allows them to charge entrance fees. But how well decentralized a metaverse can — and be willing to — provide gatekeeping remains to be seen. For all PYMNTS crypto coverage, subscribe to the daily Crypto Newsletter. New PYMNTS Study: How Consumers Use Digital Banks A PYMNTS survey of 2,124 US consumers shows that while two-thirds of consumers have used FinTechs for some aspect of banking services, just 9.3% call them their primary bank. Sign up for our daily newsletter. We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors. Learn More https://www.pymnts.com/cryptocurrency/2022/gamestop-crypto-exchange-ftx-team-on-ecommerce/partial/ See More In: advertising, children, Commerce, Connected Economy, cryptocurrency, Digital Payments, ecommerce, marketing, Meta, Metaverse, News, Retail, Social Media, virtual reality

After Cars And Space Tesla Has Arrived To Revolutionise The Phone Companies With Its Brand New Tesla Phone – The Tech Outlook https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/after-cars-and-space-tesla-has-arrived-to-revolutionise-the-phone-companies-with-its-brand-new-tesla-phone-the-tech-outlook/ Image Credit : The National Tesla doesn’t leave a single chance to baffle the users and again it has come with something super cool. Though there were so many speculations around the phone, it seems to have reached a level where people can think of this mentioned feature. In this article, we would be taking you through all about the features of the Tesla phone. If we talk about the phone it would have a 6.7-inch wide screen that would feature an OLED display. According to rumors the phone will have: It will have a pixel density of 458ppi and a refresh rate of 120 HZ. The brightness level would be around 1600 nits. One of the features that make it hassle-free is 8GB RAM and 512 GB. You won’t have to worry about the storage even with 512 GB of memory that gives you enough storage to store your photos and videos. The camera would be a unique one that would have a triple camera setup with all cameras of 50MP. The selfie camera is also second to none to none in which it would be featuring 40 MP. It would only weigh about 240g and arrive in the market in a premium black color.

Why Is The Crypto Market Down Today? – Cointelegraph https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/why-is-the-crypto-market-down-today-cointelegraph/ Why is the crypto market down today?  Cointelegraph

Biden To Re-Evaluate U.S. Relationship With Saudi Arabia, White House Says – The Washington Post https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/biden-to-re-evaluate-u-s-relationship-with-saudi-arabia-white-house-says-the-washington-post/ President Biden has kicked off a process of reevaluating, and potentially altering, the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia following the announcement by a Saudi-led coalition of oil-producing nations that it would slash oil production. That move by OPEC Plus last week to cut oil output by 2 million barrels a day could boost oil prices in the U.S. and worldwide, and its timing a month before the midterm elections was a particular political blow to Biden that some in the president’s circle took as a personal snub. “I think the president’s been very clear that this is a relationship that we need to continue to reevaluate, that we need to be willing to revisit,” White House spokesman John Kirby said on CNN, reiterating Biden’s disappointment in the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its partners. “Certainly in light of the OPEC decision, I think that’s where he is,” Kirby said. “And he’s willing to work with Congress to think through what that relationship ought to look like going forward.” Kirby, the strategic communications coordinator for the National Security Council at the White House, said he had no announcements to make about where that process would lead, but said U.S. officials, including Biden, will “think about what the right relationship with Saudi Arabia needs to be going forward.” Asked about a timetable, Kirby said, “I think the timeline is now, and I think he’s going to be willing to start to have those conversations right away.” Biden administration officials had launched an extraordinary effort to press Saudi Arabia to produce more oil to compensate for the global shortage caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the president personally visiting Saudi leaders in a trip to Jiddah in July. With last week’s announcement, Saudi Arabia rejected those entreaties, at least in part. Officials had hoped that Biden’s trip to the kingdom would improve the Saudi relationship across a range of issues, including the global supply of oil. The cut in oil production helps Russian President Vladimir Putin as he wages war on Ukraine and was seen as a possible trigger to increasing gas prices in the United States weeks before the midterm elections, when Democrats’ slim majorities in the House and Senate are in jeopardy. When asked about a report that the Biden administration canceled an upcoming meeting involving Saudi Arabia on Iran policy in response to the OPEC Plus move, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that “mid-level” meetings will be rescheduled “as we determine what’s in our national interest.” On Monday, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized Saudi Arabia and called for an immediate freeze “on all aspects of our cooperation with Saudi Arabia.” Menendez also promised to wield his power at committee chairman to block any future arms sales. Congressional anger and frustration with Saudi Arabia has escalated since the oil decision. On Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to stop U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia. “This simple yet urgent measure would halt U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia after their deeply offensive, destructive blunder: siding with Russia at this historic moment,” Blumenthal said. “Saudis must reverse their oil supply cuts, which aid and abet Russia’s savage criminal invasion, endanger the world economy, and threaten higher gas prices at U.S. pumps.” The legislation would immediately pause all U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, including military supplies, sales, and other weapons aid. It also would impose a one-year halt to all direct commercial sales and foreign military sales of weapons and munitions to Saudi Arabia.

Staircase Leverages Blockchain In New Servicing Transfer Technology – National Mortgage News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/staircase-leverages-blockchain-in-new-servicing-transfer-technology-national-mortgage-news/ Staircase, a fintech company that’s been compiling an expansive set of interconnected digital mortgage tools, introduced new blockchain-based technology for servicing transfers on Tuesday. The latest automation is aimed at ensuring compliance sensitive information gets transferred correctly in an active mortgage servicing rights market. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has some specific requirements around this process, with a particular focus on ensuring it doesn’t interrupt modifications or other loss mitigation in progress. “MSRs transfers are increasing in volume given the increased value of the servicing rights, so it’s just a natural market to spend a little more time in right now,” said Adam Kalamchi, co-founder and CEO of Staircase. A growing number of fintechs have been looking to update automation used by servicing operations, which have become more prominent as rates have risen. Recently, for example, Valon teamed up with a quality control provider called ACES to address needs in the space; and distressed mortgage-technology provider Clarifire linked its platform to one IndiSoft has to loop counselors into the servicing process. At the same time, blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency it was initially designed to record are increasingly being used within the mortgage and banking industries, though there’s been some regulatory caution around the latter. Startup Moon Mortgage, a lender that plans to use crypto to partially secure loans, recently raised $3.5 million in seed money, and Bank of New York Mellon on Tuesday officially launched digital-asset custody services. “We use an immutable ledger so that you can actually say that we know every change in income, every single change in the loan balance, which adds a lot of richness around analytics and risks and auditability of how the loan file was created, so that’s one benefit of using blockchain. The other one is really secure data sharing,” Kalamchi said. Staircase’s latest technology works with its Loanboarding platform, which uses machine learning to extract and classify data from loan documents and then applies quality control procedures to it. Other automation Staircase has offered include technology used by private mortgage insurers to automate non-delegated underwriting of MI policies in conjunction with home loans. It also offers a tool for selective pre-approvals, and one that connects lenders to credit reporting vendors. It generally charges a $50 fee per loan, or less if the Loanboarding automation is used in conjunction with the new MSR transfer technology. “We’ve already attacked loan boarding, which is a very complicated process to get right and at a low cost, the same for MI, and MSR transfer is just a natural extension of that,” Kalamchi said.

Joci Straus, Who Led Restoration Of S.A.’s Majestic And Empire Theaters, Dies – San Antonio Express-News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/joci-straus-who-led-restoration-of-s-a-s-majestic-and-empire-theaters-dies-san-antonio-express-news/ In a 2015 interview with the Express-News, she recalled that when she was invited to tour the theaters in 1986 to see if she might be willing to help save them, the Empire’s ceiling had caved in. She  raised millions of dollars to restore the theaters to their former glory, work that was formally recognized in 2013 when the spaces were dubbed the Joci Straus Performing Arts Center in her honor. That’s just part of the legacy of philanthropy, arts advocacy and civic involvement that she leaves behind. Straus died Saturday at her home, surrounded by her family. She was 91. In a statement, her son Joe Straus, who served as speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019, said the family is grateful for all the people who have reached out to share their memories. “We are heartened, but not surprised, to hear from so many people about ways that she helped and inspired them,” he said. “We will lovingly remember her as an extraordinary woman who funneled her passions into the betterment of her community — from her transformative impact on the cultural and educational fabric of San Antonio to her sincere belief in volunteerism and civic engagement. “Her highest priority, however, was always those of us who are blessed to call her part of our family and who had the opportunity every day to witness her strength, her grace and her devotion to those closest to her. Joci loved a celebration, and even as we mourn her passing, we celebrate the gift of her remarkable life.” Her work on the Majestic and Empire theaters was the most public part of her work to improve the city. On ExpressNews.com: Majestic Theatre basement holds a treasure trove of art It began when attorney Frank Ruttenberg invited her on that tour. Ruttenberg was part of a group that hoped to save the theaters. He showed her the Majestic first, worried that she would say no before they got to the Empire. That may have been a good tactical move. In the 2015 interview, asked if she would have gone ahead with the project if she’d seen the worse-off Empire first, she smiled and said, “I would have said no, probably.” Instead, she said yes. She founded the Las Casas Foundation to oversee the restoration. It ultimately cost $4.5 million to restore the Majestic and $5.5 million to restore the Empire. (The Empire was renamed the Charline McCombs Empire Theatre in recognition of a $1 million donation from Charline and Red McCombs.) Straus remained involved with Las Casas for the rest of her life. “She was such a force of nature,” said Doren Fein, who has been with Las Casas for nearly 10 years and recently stepped into the role of executive director. “I’ve never met anyone who is able to get things done with such grace and such a generous and strong presence.” In 2009, the foundation launched a scholarship program for high school students involved in the performing arts. It has given away more than $1 million. The awards are nicknamed the Jocis. Straus’ impact extended well beyond San Antonio. She was appointed to the National Endowment for the Arts by President Ronald Reagan and served on the National Council on the Arts, as well. In 2001, she created the Texas Medal of Arts, which are are given by the Texas Cultural Trust every other year. Related news: Texas Medal of Arts to honor Christopher Cross In the 2015 Express-News interview, she said she was inspired by the National Medal of Arts awarded by the president. She was friends with the Bush family, and had attended an awards ceremony during George H.W. Bush’s time in the White House. She remembered sitting next to legendary dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham. “I said, well, if they can do that in Washington, why can’t we do it in San Antonio?” she said. She also created the Women’s Leadership Council of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, later renamed Women United. And she was the first chair of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She was involved in Republican politics, too. Her first role was as head of the Nixon Girls, a group of women who handed out buttons and bumper stickers in support of Richard Nixon’s presidential campaign. From there, she worked for a variety of Republican candidates, including a few campaigns for U.S. Sen. John Tower and the presidential campaigns of Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. She was motivated by a desire to help move Texas from being a largely Democratic state to one evenly balanced between the Democrats and the Republicans. On ExpressNews.com: The Majestic Theatre and other San Antonio venues take visitors back in time That interest extended to the next generation of Strauses. Her last political work was on her son Joe Straus’ first campaign for the legislature. She remembered taking him with her to political events when he was little, “He was the only one that would go with me,” she said. “My husband wouldn’t go, my girls wouldn’t go. But he went with me.” In addition to her son, Straus is survived by her husband of 70 years, Joe R. Straus Jr.; daughters Lyn Selig and Susan Straus; and four grandchildren. A funeral service will be 2:30 p.m. Friday at Temple Beth-El followed by a private burial. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN

More Than 500 Owners Of Second Homes Weigh In On What Really Matters In A Vacation Property – Domino https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/more-than-500-owners-of-second-homes-weigh-in-on-what-really-matters-in-a-vacation-property-domino/ We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Owning a vacation home sounds like a dream, but finding the right getaway property isn’t necessarily as breezy as a day at the beach. In a recent survey conducted by Pacaso, a real-estate co-ownership platform, more than 500 second-home owners shared what they prioritized during the search process. Naturally, location, price, and size topped their list, but they revealed some other points worth considering before signing on the dotted line. “They have a peek under the hood of how often they use their place as opposed to dreamers,” says Pacaso CEO and cofounder Austin Allison. Whether you’re still in the thinking-about-it phase or already have your real-estate agent on the line, here’s what seasoned buyers had to say about what really matters.  Know Your Neighbors  The surprising thing second-timers value more than waterfront views or travel time? Who they’re living next to. A rowdy frat house or bustling bar can really put a damper on your plans to relax, so scope out the area (during the day and evening) to make sure you can properly zen out.  Prepare to Go the Distance While the idea of posting up on the Amalfi Coast for the summer sounds ideal, the majority of respondents (91 percent) prefer to put down roots domestically. In fact, most aren’t keen on the idea of hopping on a plane—87 percent of them favor a road trip. Prepare your music playlists: Forty-three percent of vacation home veterans commute more than four hours by car to get to their destination, which is quite a bit longer than what prospective buyers imagined they’d travel.  Pack Your Biggest Suitcase The survey revealed that those who are still in the fantasy phase believe they’d spend one week or less on vacation. “People are daydreaming of a perfect place to run to for a quick escape or occasional weekend getaways throughout the year,” says Allison. In truth, 61 percent of those who already have another abode are spending two or more weeks there because experienced vacationers know, if you’re making the investment, you might as well stay a while.

‘Field Of Monsters’ Speakers Share Hopes For Friday’s Free Symposium – Richland Source https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/field-of-monsters-speakers-share-hopes-for-fridays-free-symposium-richland-source/ Breaking News We send the biggest breaking news stories directly to you. Daily Headlines from Richland Source Read Richland Source’s latest headlines every morning. A Look at Local Events Highlights for the coming weekend, delivered 1x / week. Area History Explore the history of Richland County, Ohio. Recounted with articles, photographs, original art, and video. Email delivered on the 15th of each month.  Ashland Source Get all the latest headlines from Ashland County. Crawford Source Headlines from Crawford County, delivered 1x / week. Richland County Business Digest Delivered monthly with the latest Richland County property transfers, small business news and more.  Subscribe To All The weekly thrive newsletter Start your week off with local inspiration, recipes, wellness advice and more. Get the thrive newsletter in your inbox every Monday. Area Job Openings See all the latest local job openings, delivered 1x / week.

NorthShore Health Centers Expands Endocrinology Team, Offering Expert, Affordable Care For Diabetes And More – Valpo.Life https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/northshore-health-centers-expands-endocrinology-team-offering-expert-affordable-care-for-diabetes-and-more-valpo-life/ According to the CDC, more than 37 million Americans – or about one in 10, have diabetes. For the vast majority of those cases, its type 2, which children, teens, and adults of all ages can develop.  It’s often called a silent epidemic, and NorthShore Health Centers is committed to providing the care and resources around the community to address it. Treating diabetes, thyroid disease, and other hormonal issues is the responsibility of endocrinologists – a team of which NorthShore recently expanded. About a year ago, they brought on an endocrinologist, Dr. Wahid Kassar, part-time to begin their efforts. Around the same time, Patience Tieri, a nurse practitioner, completed her education at Duke University to specialize in endocrinology and earned certification in diabetes management. “The need was just so great, and our area has a limited number of endocrinologists,” Tieri said. “I wanted to address that need and NorthShore did all they could to support me as I studied. Now, for about a year, I’ve been working with patients dealing with diabetes, thyroid, pituitary, and other hormonal issues.” NorthShore runs clinics all across Northwest Indiana, from Hammond to La Porte, and Tieri and Dr. Kassar travel across these cities and more to serve various communities. “I move around to all of the clinics throughout the week, it makes things far more convenient for our patients,” Tieri said. “Instead of traveling to South Bend or Munster, they can just visit one of our clinics.” Tieri noted that as a mission-driven nonprofit with a commitment to serving anybody, regardless of their ability to pay, being able to provide quality diabetic care is especially important, as diabetes is found at a much higher rate in lower-income populations. “If people don’t have access to quality food, and they’re living on a very tight budget, what comes with that is carbohydrates,” she said. “Carbs make your blood sugar go up, it makes us gain weight. Eating healthy can be expensive, and there are a lot of risk factors with not eating healthy.” NorthShore also operates their own in-house pharmacy and are a part of the government’s 340B program, which allows their patients to receive prescription medications at a lower rate. “The 340B program is the most amazing thing, it allows us to keep our costs really low,” Tieri said. “Here at NorthShore’s pharmacies, I can get the best drugs on the market, and they’re either going to be covered 100%, or be at such a low rate that almost anyone can afford. Even patients with no insurance, with our sliding scale, can afford the best drugs on the market.” Endocrine issues frequently lead to other health problems, meaning that a complete care team is required to fully treat patients. NorthShore’s team includes optometrists, podiatrists, orthopedists, dentists, and more. “Patients need a team approach, and that’s what we do here,” Tieri said. “We have a care coordinator that can set them up to see a foot doctor or an eye doctor, both of which are so important for diabetes. We have a nutritionist who can support them, a dietician that can work with them. These are all resources that we can offer.” Tieri encouraged anyone with diabetes to consider a visit, stressing that just because they have type 2 doesn’t mean that they’ve done anything wrong. “This is controllable – possibly reversible for some patients,” she said. “You can get things under control, learn how to eat better as a lifestyle – not as a diet. The big misconception is when we say you need to exercise, is that we don’t mean you need to run on a treadmill for miles. You just need to walk more, get some steps in. There are small goals that you can meet so that you don’t feel defeated by this diagnosis.” To learn more about NorthShore Health Centers, visit northshorehealth.org

Braves Vs. Phillies Score: Live Updates From NLDS Game 1 – CBS Sports https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/braves-vs-phillies-score-live-updates-from-nlds-game-1-cbs-sports/ The Atlanta Braves host the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday for Game 1 of the best-of-five National League Division Series. The winner will advance to the National League Championship Series to face the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers-San Diego Padres NLDS. The Phillies got here by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in two games in the opening-round Wild Card Series. As for the Braves, they and the Dodgers were the top two division winners in the NL, which means they were rewarded with a first-round bye.  Date: Tuesday, Oct. 11 | Time: 1:07 p.m. ET Location: Truist Park (Cobb County, Georgia) TV channel: Fox | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free) Odds: PHI +170; ATL -205; O/U: 7 (via Caesars Sportsbook) Starting pitchers: LHP Max Fried (14-7, 2.48 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suárez (10-7, 3.65 ERA) As you would imagine, the Game 1 stakes are high, as the winner of the opener in a best-of-five MLB postseason series goes on to win that series 71.3 percent of the time.  CBS Sports will be providing live updates, highlights, analysis and more all game long. Follow along below. See New Posts Pinned Braves leave two more on base That’s seven left on base through four innings. Dansby Swanson has struck out three times. It’s 6-1 Phillies. Pinned Pinned Pinned The game has been broken open, as they say Castellanos with the two-out knock to plate two. It’s 6-1 Phillies. The final line for Max Fried:  3.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K It’s worth mention that the error (the reason two runs were unearned) was by Fried himself.  Pinned That was a nasty, nasty pitch to strike out Realmuto. Chavez backdoored a two-seamer to get a huge strikeout. Pinned Fried’s shortest outing this season Braves starter Max Fried was removed here with one out in the fourth, so 3 1/3 innings. His shortest outing during the regular season was five innings (five different times) Pinned Pinned Strikeout to end the inning The Braves have left four men on base through three innings and trail 4-1.  Pinned Bases loaded, again The Braves had them loaded in the first inning and failed to score. They are loaded here with two outs for d’Arnaud, who homered last time Pinned Big moment for Contreras William Contreras is up as the tying run. He’s up in the count 1-0. Could end up being a pivotal moment. Pinned Pinned Phillies with two outs It’s the third inning, and the Phillies in Game 1 are already 5 for 7 with two outs. Pinned Pinned and it’s 4-1 Segura with a line-drive single to center to score Castellanos. Braves ace Max Fried has allowed seven hits in less than three innings Pinned Error opens the door for Phillies  A throwing error lets JT Realmuto on, Bryce Harper sacrificed him to second (it was close to another error) and now Nick Castellanos doubles off the right-field wall. Realmuto didn’t get the best read and only gets to third, but then an Alec Bohm sac fly makes it 3-1 Pinned Pinned Pinned Braves on the board Travis d’Arnaud homers. The Braves will do that. They led the NL in homers by a comfortable margin Pinned Here’s that (potentially huge) double play Pinned HOOOOO BOY William Contreras hits a routine grounder to short and it becomes an easy double play to end the inning. Lots of fun so far for our first inning of at least 36 on the day. Pinned Bases loaded for Braves After the Acuña double, it has gone strikeout, walk, walk  Pinned Suárez … Much attention will be given to the Phillies’ aces, but Ranger Suárez is highly capable. He ended last season on a hot streak and this year had a 2.33 ERA in his last 13 starts before a clunker against the Astros. We can probably forgive that day, too, since it came the day after the clinch celebration. Pinned Braves ready to match?  Acuña with a leadoff double off Ranger Suárez to start for the Braves Pinned Pinned What to look for from Suárez Ranger Suárez is a lefty who has a deep arsenal. He mostly leans on three pitches: a low-90s sinker, a changeup, and a four-seamer. Expect lots of sinkers and changeups down and to his arm side, and some elevated four-seamers to change eye levels. (He’ll mix in cutters and curves, too.) Pinned Another hit Alec Bohm joins the party. It’s four singles in a row for Philly and a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Pinned Anyway, Phillies strike first This didn’t take long. After two outs, the Phillies have three straight singles and a 1-0 lead.  Pinned Braves organist question The Braves organist is great and pairs each song to the player, often times the player’s name or something about him. For example, during the World Series last year, he played “it’s a Small World” when Jose Altuve came to bat.  He just played the Wicked Witch (from Wizard of Oz) music for Bryce Harper.  Anyone?  Pinned Pinned See More

Facebook Employees Kind Of Hate The Metaverse | Arena | Rockdalenewtoncitizen.com – Rockdale Newton Citizen https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/facebook-employees-kind-of-hate-the-metaverse-arena-rockdalenewtoncitizen-com-rockdale-newton-citizen/ Business Newsletter Get the latest business news delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Coronavirus News Get the the most recent coronavirus news delivered to your inbox daily. Local Weather Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather affecting Rockdale and Newton Counties. Most popular posts on RockdaleNewtonCitizen.com Get the most popular posts on RockdaleNewtonCitizen.com from the previous week emailed to you every Monday morning. News Alerts Get news alerts and breaking news stories from the Rockdale Citizen and Newton Citizen delivered to your email.  Newton Local Newsletter Get headlines from the Newton Citizen delivered daily to your email inbox. Newton Sports Newsletter Daily sports headlines from Newton Citizen. Obituaries Newsletter Get the latest obituaries delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Rockdale and Newton Eats Sign up for Rockdale and Newton Eats, a weekly email newsletter with the latest on eateries in Rockdale and Newton Counties sprinkled with recipes. Rockdale Local Newsletter Get headlines from the Rockdale Citizen delivered daily to your email inbox. Rockdale Newton Citizen e-edition Get the Rockdale and Newton Citizen e-editions delivered directly to your email inbox every Wednesday and Sunday morning. Rockdale Sports Newsletter Get daily sports headlines from the Rockdale Citizen delivered to your email inbox. Upcoming high school sports events Get a list of upcoming high school sports events delivered to your email inbox every Thursday. Upcoming Local Events Keep up with local events in Rockdale and Newton Counties. Every Monday, find a list of upcoming events in your email inbox. On Fridays, upcoming weekend events are delivered to your email inbox, too.

Flagship Phones May Have Successfully Isolated African Consumers – Business Insider Africa https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/flagship-phones-may-have-successfully-isolated-african-consumers-business-insider-africa/ Phone companies today are beginning to lay heavy emphasis on luxury. It is no longer enough for a phone brand to innovate on the tech aspect, nowadays, these brands are pushing the boundary by dictating consumer experience. In 2017, phone giant, Apple did something unprecedented by putting a $1000 price tag on a non-specialist phone. At the time there was a backlash as the general public still shared the view that $1000 is too much to pay for an iPhone. However, true to form, Apple users overlooked the ridiculous price and purchased the product anyways. In that year, it sold 218 million units of iPhones. This created a trend that has become commonplace with almost all premier smartphones today as $1000 is no longer too much money to spend on a phone. In hindsight, these devices may be value for money, as you get the perks of numerous dedicated devices, crammed into one portable device. For example, flagship phones, like the Google Pixel 6, Samsung 22 Ultra, and the iPhone 13 pros can produce pictures and videos that rival even professional cameras. You get the best browsing and social media experience on high-end phones, a responsive A. I built into it, media consumption which can imitate a home theater system save in scope, and much more. And seeing as most people spend time with their phones, either for work or pleasure, it seems less ridiculous today to pay top dollar for a powerful handheld gadget. With this in mind, some phones now go for up to $2 million and are being sold. But, when does it all become too much? When does a phone become too luxurious for just a phone? When an entire market is isolated. In the past 5 years alone, the average African has been relegated to purchasing low-end phones. See the data here. Nowadays, only those willing to break the bank or those with a substantial amount of cash flow can buy a high-end flagship phone. The African tech market is dominated by budget phones, with low-end specs for the time being. The latest trend with these high-end phones is how you have to purchase a phone and its accessories separately. It used to be that you get a phone with a charger, earpiece, and other cool accessories, depending on the brand as some are more generous than others. However, today, you have to buy the phone and the charger separately, making phones that come with their accessory seem like a privilege to a population battling poverty. And with the push for MagSafe devices, no doubt these brands will become too much of a luxury good for Africans to have access to. There is a reason Apple has refused to open Apple stores in most parts of Africa, despite claiming that they make phones for everyone, which is simply its low market share in the continent. FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA Our newsletter gives you access to a curated selection of the most important stories daily. Thanks for signing up for our daily insight on the African economy. We bring you daily editor picks from the best Business Insider news content so you can stay updated on the latest topics and conversations on the African market, leaders, careers and lifestyle. Also join us across all of our other channels – we love to be connected! Unblock notifications in browser settings.

Currencies Replace Crypto At Forefront Of Market Trading Chaos – HT Tech https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/currencies-replace-crypto-at-forefront-of-market-trading-chaos-ht-tech/ The atmosphere at a conference was markedly different from the previous few years: there was a buzz. The atmosphere at a conference of currency market professionals was markedly different from the previous few years: there was a buzz. Senior executives from banks and brokers were feeling optimistic about the prospects of foreign-exchange trading at the recent gathering in Amsterdam. They’ve spent years eyeing the world of crypto with envy, as digital assets thrived in a highly volatile market, while traditional money remained dull. Currencies are now at the forefront of the action. Rapidly climbing interest-rate risks around the world and increased geopolitical tensions are fueling a 30% surge in trading and historic moves, reviving an industry that spent the past decade struggling with stagnant volumes. “FX as an asset class is really back this year,” said Russell LaScala, the global head of FX at Deutsche Bank AG, the world’s largest currency player by market share. “I think last year a lot of macro hedge funds were trading different assets, including crypto.” The notoriously wild swings in crypto markets have subsided this year, with the Bitcoin Volatility Index shedding more than 50% since a peak in May. By contrast, both Deutsche Bank’s and JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s gauges of currency volatility are at the highest in a decade apart from a spike when the pandemic struck. And the moves have been shocking: in Japan, authorities sold dollars to prop up the yen for the first time since 1998, while the euro sank below parity with the dollar to a 20-year low. In London, the world’s top currency trading hub, the pound slid to an all-time low. “Volatility is a bit like a London bus: there are either none to be found for love or money, or three arrive at the same time,” said Kit Juckes, global head of currency strategy at Societe Generale SA. FX Traders Relish Volatile Markets After Years in the Doldrums The action has drawn in speculative players such as macro hedge funds and grabbed the attention of real-money investors, whose portfolio valuations are now subject to sudden swings. The war in Ukraine and aggressive Fed rate hikes heightened the moves, drawing money to the dollar as a haven and influencing other markets from Bitcoin to stocks. “FX has become a much bigger focus, even for investors who are not typically focused on FX for two main reasons: the dollar has been the one remaining effective hedge across markets and the dollar’s appreciation has been very tradable for speculative investors,” said Ebrahim Rahbari, the global head of foreign-exchange analysis and content at Citigroup Inc. At TradeTechFX, the Amsterdam conference, executives packed sessions with titles such as “How can you ready your FX desk for heightened volatility,” before taking to the floor at afterparties fueled by expresso martinis. Crypto players, following debates on whether progress in building an institutional ecosystem has been “hindered by the ‘winter,’” looked grim, muttering in corners. Bitcoin has been stagnant at around $20,000 for months in a collapse from last year’s peak near $70,000. Crypto Lending Now Pays Less Than Safest US Government Debt “Crypto seemed to be having all the fun until the central banks started breaking things,” said Tanvir Sandhu, chief global derivatives strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence. “It took inflation to blast the secular decline in currency volatility as central banks unleashed years of suppression. Volatility creates opportunity and it’s a trader’s best friend.” In fact, cryptocurrencies command only a fraction of volumes of foreign exchange markets, for all the attention they generate. Trades of fiat currencies clock in at around $6.6 trillion each day, according to the Bank for International Settlements. That compares with just under $1 trillion for Bitcoin and other tokens, according to data website CoinMarketcap. It’s likely that markets are now migrating to a higher range for interest rates and bond yields and that will be accompanied by higher currency volatility on average, Societe Generale’s Juckes said. This is boon to the firms that dominate the space. Trading activity on major exchanges has soared compared with last year, while profits at the largest currency trading banks stand at multi-year highs. EBS Market, a platform owned by CME Group Inc., posted a 30% increase in spot trading in September compared with a year ago, with futures trading at a record high. Spot volumes hit $76 billion, the highest since the pandemic struck in March 2020. Other large platforms have also enjoyed a boost, with Euronext FX seeing a 20% increase in August, according to website LiquidityFinder. Good Business It’s not all been plain sailing. At times liquidity has still been challenging, said Citigroup’s Rahbari. “There have been occasions when large asset price movements were in fact observed with relatively little flow, similar to patterns in other markets this year,” he said. Overall though, the jump in volatility has benefited Deutsche Bank, UBS Group AG and JPMorgan, the top three banks by market share. They control 30% of the market, according to an annual survey of currency trading banks by Euromoney. JPMorgan clocked up a 15% increase in its fixed-income markets business in the second quarter. UBS highlighted foreign exchange as a driver of revenues that climbed 19% at its global markets division. Meanwhile, fixed income and currencies at Deutsche Bank grew 32%, the best second quarter in a decade. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and when you get markets that are volatile, but not disorderly, client activity increases and that’s usually good for the business,” LaScala said.

Forward Melina Rebimbas Scores Twice As U.S. U-17 Women’s Youth National Team Rolls Past Host India 8-0 To Open 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup – U.S. Soccer https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/forward-melina-rebimbas-scores-twice-as-u-s-u-17-womens-youth-national-team-rolls-past-host-india-8-0-to-open-2022-fifa-under-17-womens-world-cup-u-s-soccer/ Margin of Victory is Largest Ever for the USA in a Youth World Cup; Midfielder Riley Jackson Tallies Two Assists as Charlotte Kohler, Onyeka Gamero, Gisele Thompson, Ella Emri, Taylor Suarez and Mia Bhuta Add Goals; Bhuta Becomes First Player of Indian Descent to Represent the USA at a World Cup BHUBANESWAR, India (Oct. 11, 2022) – The U.S. Under-17 Youth Women’s National Team recorded its largest margin of victory in a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as it opened the tournament with an 8-0 victory against host India. Seven different players scored for the USA, led by a brace from forward Melina Rebimbas while forwards Onyeka Gamero and Taylor Suarez, midfielders Charlotte Kohler and Mia Bhuta and defenders Ella Emri and Gisele Thompson also scored.  The USA will now take on Brazil on Friday, Oct. 14 at 7 a.m. ET (FS2) in the team’s second match of the group stage. Brazil beat Morocco 1-0 in its opening game of the tournament, meaning the USA sits atop Group A in the early going. The U.S. got off to a flying start against an overmatched India side, pressing high against India’s defense while controlling the tempo immediately. It only took nine minutes for the young Americans to open the scoring as Rebimbas struck a great volley from about 10 yards out after a corner kick that was taken short. The 5-foot-3 Kohler doubled the lead just four minutes later, again off a corner, as she rose above her surrounding defenders and buried a header. Midfielder Riley Jackson assisted on both goals. Forward Onyeka Gamero added her name to the score sheet in the 23rd minute as India attempted to play out of the back on a goal kick. Gamero stripped a defender and finished her one-on-one challenge against the goalkeeper with a crisp left-footed strike into the lower right corner. In the 30th , Rebimbas added her second goal of the night with a brilliant left-footed strike from the top of the box. Thompson then capped off the first half with a 39th minute goal, her first at the international level, following a great individual effort to dribble out of pressure and finish with her left foot just inside the right post.  The USA continued its domination in the second half as yet another corner kick resulted in a goal, this time courtesy of Emri as she placed a header in the top right corner for her first international goal. Eight minutes later, the U.S. was awarded a penalty kick following a foul on Kohler in the box. Suarez stepped up and finished calmly for her first goal of the tournament. The game featured several special moments for U.S. midfielder Mia Bhuta, who entered the match at halftime in place of Jackson and wore the captain’s armband. Bhuta, whose father was born in Mumbai and grew up in Gujarat before emigrating to the USA at the age of 16, is the first player of Indian descent to represent the USA in a World Cup, which she did so at the age of 16. It got even better for Bhuta after entering the match. In the 62nd minute, the midfielder buried an incredible left-footed shot from distance in the top left corner. She also picked up the assist on Emri’s goal. GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN: USA – Melina Rebimbas (Riley Jackson), 9th minute – Following a USA corner which was played short, Jackson received the ball on the right wing, turned her defender and dribbled past another to get out of pressure, and then sent the a cross into the box. Rebimbas finished with a right-footed volley from 10 yards out to open the scoring. USA 1, IND 0 USA – Charlotte Kohler (Riley Jackson), 15th minute – On another corner from the right, Jackson played a ball into the center of the box where Kohler rose above several defenders to finish with a header from four yards out. USA 2, IND 0 USA – Onyeka Gamero, 23rd minute – As India tried to play out of the back on a goal kick, Gamero pounced to pick the defender’s pocket at the edge of the box and beat the goalkeeper with a low shot from 12 yards out. USA 3, IND 0 USA – Melina Rebimbas, 30th minute – Jackson played a cross into the box from the right side which an India defender attempted to clear, but she accidentally played it right to Rebimbas just inside the top of the penalty box. She settled the ball and fired a powerful left-footed strike that sailed into the left side of the goal from about 16 yards out. USA 4, IND 0 USA – Gisele Thompson, 39th minute – Thompson received the ball just inside the box on the right side and cut inside, dribbling out of pressure with a feint before finishing with a left-footed shot that snuck inside the near post from 12 yards out. USA 5, IND 0 USA – Ella Emri (Mia Bhuta), 51st minute – Bhuta played a great ball into the box off a corner which the 5-foot-9 Emri met with a powerful header into the top right corner. USA 6, IND 0 USA – Taylor Suarez, 59th minute – The U.S. was awarded a penalty kick following a foul in the box on Charlotte Kohler. Suarez stepped up to the spot and converted. USA 7, IND 0 USA – Mia Bhuta (Charlotte Kohler), 62nd minute – Kohler received the ball from Gamero on the right side and played a pass to Bhuta about 25 yards out from goal in the center of the field. She took a touch and fired a curling left-footed shot to beat the ‘keeper into the top left corner of the goal to cap the scoring. USA 8, IND 0 ADDITIONAL NOTES: With her brace, forward Melina Rebimbas tallied her team-leading ninth and 10th career international goals. Rebimbas’ brace was the sixth individual multi-goal game in the USA’s history at the U-17 WWC. With her two assists on the night – both of which came off set pieces – midfielder Riley Jackson has now tallied five assists in 2022. Forward Onyeka Gamero’s goal marked her sixth international goal. Midfielder Charlotte Kohler’s goal was her seventh international goal. Defenders Gisele Thompson and Ella Emri both scored their first international goals. Forward Taylor Suarez’s goal marked her third international tally. Mia Bhuta’s goal was her third at the U-17 level. The win marked the USA’s largest ever in a U-17 Women’s World Cup. The team’s previous biggest margin of victory came against Gambia, 6-0, at Azerbaijan 2012. The eight goals are the most ever scored by the U.S. in a youth Women’s World Cup match. After coming into the match as a halftime substitute, defender Jordyn Bugg earned her first U-17 WYNT cap. The match marked the first U-17 World Cup appearance for all 16 U.S. players who played. -U.S. UNDER-17 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT- Match: United States Women’s Under-17 Women’s Youth National Team vs. India Date: Oct. 11, 2022 Competition: 2022 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup Venue: Kalinga Stadium; Bhubaneswar, India Attendance: 4,100 Kickoff: 10:30 a.m. ET (8 p.m. local) Weather: 81 degrees, humid Scoring Summary:   1          2          F USA                             5          3          8 IND                              0          0          0 USA — Melina Rebimbas (Riley Jackson)                  9th minute USA — Charlotte Kohler (Riley Jackson)                   15 USA — Onyeka Gamero                                             23 USA — Melina Rebimbas                                            31 USA — Gisele Thompson                                           39 USA — Ella Emri (Mia Bhuta)                                     51 USA — Taylor Suarez (penalty)                                  59 USA — Mia Bhuta (Charlotte Kohler)                          62 Lineups: USA: 12-Victoria Safradin; 20-Gisele Thompson (2-Nicola Fraser, 46), 4-Cameron Roller (17-Jordyn Bugg, 46), 5-Ella Emri (13-Emeri Adames, 75), 3-Savannah King; 7-RIley Jackson (Capt.) (10-Mia Bhuta, 46), 8-Charlotte Kohler (15-Ella Sanchez, 82), 19-Lauren Martinho, 9-Onyeka Gamero, 14-Melina Rebimbas, 9-Taylor Suarez Substitutes not used: 1-Abigail Gundry, 6-Samantha Smith, 11-Nicollette Kiorpes, 16-Amalia Villarreal, 21-Valentina Amaral Head coach: Natalia Astrain IND: 21-Anjali Munda; 16-Shubhangi Singh, 20-Kajal, 2-Pumima Kumari (3-Naketa, 46), 5-Astam Oraon (Capt.), 4-Shiky Hemam (6-Babina Lisham, 46), 8-Kajol Dsouza, 17-Nitu Linda (14-Sudha Tirkey, 46), 11-Anita Kumari (19-Varshika, 70), 9-Lynda Serto (15-Shailja, 63), 7-Neha Substitutes not used: 1-Monalisha Moirangthem, 13-Melody Keisham, 10-Lavanya Upadhyay, 12-Shelia Loktongbam, 18-Rejiya Laishram Head coach: Thomas Dennerby Stats Summary: USA / IND Shots: 30 / 2 Shots on Goal: 14 / 0 Saves: 0 / 6 Corner Kicks: 11 / 1 Fouls: 4 / 2 Offside: 1 / 0 Misconduct Summary: None Officials: Referee: Susana Corella (ECU) Assistant Referee 1: Enedina Caudillo (MEX) Assistant Referee 2: Nataly Arteaga (COL) Fourth Official: Dorsaf Ganouati (TUN) FIFA Player of the Match: Onyeka Gamero

Q&A With MTU Diversity Award Winner Adrienne Minerick – Michigan Technological University https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/qa-with-mtu-diversity-award-winner-adrienne-minerick-michigan-technological-university/ Adrienne Minerick works at the forefront of culture change in engineering education. Her impact as a national leader, campus advocate and student mentor has been recognized with the 2022 Michigan Technological University Diversity Award. A professor of chemical engineering, Minerick is currently Immediate Past President of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). At Michigan Tech, she serves as director and principal investigator (PI) of the ADVANCE initiative. ADVANCE, or Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions, is a long-running, multifaceted program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop and support the diverse talent pool of engineers and scientists needed to address the world’s grand challenges. Within and across institutions, it forwards the career progress of women and historically underrepresented faculty members in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). “When you look at what Dr. Minerick has been able to contribute, not just to Michigan Tech but to the effort to bring diversity, equity, inclusion and a sense of belonging specifically to the STEM fields, she has truly paved the way for many,” said Wayne Gersie, Michigan Tech’s vice president for diversity and inclusion. “Her leadership with ADVANCE and mentorship of colleagues and students has been transformational. Much of our success in the inaugural Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion could not have been achieved without her collaboration and sponsorship. Dr. Minerick is a true Michigan Tech treasure.”Wayne Gersie, Michigan Tech Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Advocacy and Allyship in Action The ongoing academic and organizational shifts Minerick has played a role in bringing about are an important aspect of her work in the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) space. But her one-on-one work to help students achieve and thrive professionally and personally has also borne measurable results. She was the advisor and remains a mentor to Tayloria N.G. Adams ’10 ’14, who completed her M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech. Adams was the first Black woman to earn a chemical engineering doctorate at Tech, and went on to earn a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2021. About the Award In her letter of nomination, Adams, now an assistant professor at the University of California Irvine (UCI), detailed how Minerick offered essential mentorship from the moment they began working together. Her support ranged from introducing Adams to prominent researchers in the field and helping her to produce excellent conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications to inviting the single mother and her daughter to lunches and dinners with Minerick’s family.  “Dr. Minerick recognized my unique situation and that my family support system was 20 hours away in Virginia. She played an important role as my academic and MTU family support system while I was a graduate student,” Adams said. “She supported my applications to postdoctoral research positions as well as numerous applications for postdoctoral fellowships, which funded my postdoctoral research. Her recommendations extended to my search for a tenure-track faculty position. She provided guidance through the application and interview process and gave critical advice when it was time to negotiate.”  “Dr. Adrienne Minerick started as my Ph.D. advisor, quickly transitioned to my mentor and, I am happy to say, is now one of my biggest advocates.”Tayloria N.G. Adams ’10 ’14, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, University of California Irvine $2.5M+  104  56%  1st  Changing Engineering Culture for a Better Tomorrow Nominator Janet Callahan, dean of the Michigan Tech College of Engineering, said Minerick serves as an example of how to bring about change through offering consistent, literature-based evidence on the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and a sense of belonging, engaging faculty in programming that assists development, and providing safe places for learning.  “If I can convey in one sentence what Adrienne has done here at MTU, it has been to change the culture here to one that includes inclusiveness as part of what we are trying to do, as a unit goal at all levels.”Janet Callahan, dean of the Michigan Tech College of Engineering In her nomination, past ASEE President Stephanie Farrell said Minerick has directly supported the retention and success of underrepresented faculty and students and contributed significantly to culture change in engineering education. Minerick served as chair of the organization’s diversity committee during its Year of Action on Diversity in 2014-15, in which the group made major strides toward actively engaging and promoting diversity in engineering, bringing underrepresented people into the discipline. The ASEE recently continued the vigorous effort, declaring 2021-22 its Year of Impact on Racial Equity.  “Through sustained efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at the university and national levels, Dr. Minerick has made enormous contributions to the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion in engineering.”Stephanie Farrell, past president, ASEE; professor and founding chair of experimental engineering education, Rowan University In her own words, Minerick traces the origins of how she became involved in DEI work and reflects on the work that remains to be done.  Q: Why is DEI important?  AM: It takes a variety of ideas, creativity and experiences to achieve very unique and valuable problem-solving. Diversity means that end solutions are much more impactful and tied to society than they would be otherwise. The world needs more engineers. We’re not producing enough engineers to solve global problems. It’s extremely important that everyone in the realm of engineering feels appreciated and included — they’re going to be more productive and work to their highest potential. DEI is about keeping the knowledge we’ve gained and bringing in new perspectives for new demographics. We need to offer faculty, students and administrators tangible tools that help them approach the unfamiliar so that we can work together. Dealing with another set of experiences can be intimidating. But it’s an opportunity for learning and bringing in that unique problem-solving.  Q: When and why did you decide to devote so much time and effort to DEI?  AM: Early in my career as a professor, I gradually became aware of cards stacked against people like me — things like differential language, differential treatment, differential expectations, opportunities routed preferentially toward one group and obstacles when trying to innovate.  I was subject to differential rubrics used for performance and pay. For example, at my prior institution, when I was co-author on an article published in PNAS (impact factor of 11.2), it earned fewer annual review merit points than a colleague who published in AIChE Journal (impact factor of 4.0) because mine was “only a proceedings article.” When I received less of a pay raise than male colleagues, even after I earned a CAREER Award, it became apparent that true quality didn’t matter — only the antiquated perceptions of the person judging it. While these slights affected me personally — my zeal, productivity and confidence — I came to realize that they are also structural, existing within policies and practices that are derived from historic and present societal perceptions. It was a progression from feeling that I needed to prove myself to a building comprehension over time that, as a society, we are harming ourselves with these constructs of who is granted (perceived) credibility to do things. After I was recruited to Tech as an associate professor, I got involved in WISE (now the more inclusive Women in the Academy), which works to support women faculty across Tech to help them be successful in their careers. Many other DEI efforts at Tech have followed from that initial effort.  Q: Tell us more about ASEE and its work. How did 2021-22 become the Year of Impact on Racial Equity?  AM: I attended ASEE because a former Michigan Tech faculty member, Noel Schulz, took me under her wing my first year as a faculty member and said I should attend. It was a different conference from my other professional conferences. At most conferences, I’m the outsider constantly having to prove my competence, with my research presentations undergoing greater scrutiny than those of my colleagues. However, at ASEE, I found a phenomenally welcoming community interested in exploring ideas instead of scrutinizing and beating them up. ASEE provided the mentors and tools to complement my innovative research in dielectrophoresis that successfully earn an NSF Career Award (and most recently the AES Lifetime Achievement Award). Because ASEE provided a support network for my professional growth, I volunteered in many areas and eventually became a delegate to the newly formed ASEE diversity committee, a committee that came about due to the work of Sarah Rajala, a former ASEE president and a Michigan Tech electrical and computer engineering alumna. I progressed to vice chair and then chair of that committee, which is now the ASEE Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDEI). The year I transitioned to chair, we petitioned the board to approve and then hosted a Year of Action on Diversity, during which many ASEE initiatives ongoing today had their start.  After George Floyd and the efforts of Black, Indigenous, and faculty of color within ASEE to help educate the engineering community, the ASEE CDEI leadership felt it was time for a new yearlong initiative. This time, in my role as ASEE pres...

WIKO 10, WIKO Buds 10 Unveiled At Cool SM MOA Launch – BusinessMirror https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/wiko-10-wiko-buds-10-unveiled-at-cool-sm-moa-launch-businessmirror/ French phone brand WIKO recently wowed fans and customers alike at a fun-filled consumer launch for its newest products, the WIKO 10 and WIKO Buds 10, at SM Mall of Asia. Weekend shoppers flocked to the WIKO phone displays to check out the WIKO 10, as well as the WIKO T50 and WIKO T10. Buyers were treated with free accessories to go with their new phones. WIKO Philippines Senior Brand and PR Manager, Charisma Buan, and WIKO Retail Director, Kenny Lee, later gave product talks, providing an in-depth look into the brand and its latest products. The launch also featured games and raffles where lucky winners got a chance to bag free WIKO products. Before the day ended, shoppers and fans were treated to an electrifying performance by P-pop group and WIKO ambassadors G22. They performed their singles “BANG” and “Defy.” and also debuted a TikTok dance for “WIKO Beat.” Several fans grabbed the opportunity to show off their swag in the #WeCoolWithWIKO TikTok dance challenge, for a chance to win WIKO phones and other exciting prizes. Where to buy WIKO 10: Specs, price WIKO 10 is a new series with a 12nm MTK Helio G37 chip and IMG PowerVR G8320 GPU for smooth performance, and a 6.74-inch LCD with HD+ waterdrop display for comfortable viewing. The phone’s 50MP rear and 8MP selfie cameras deliver high-resolution photos and videos. With its large 5000mAh battery with 22.5W WIKO SuperCharge, users can enjoy cool content and experiences all day. The smartphone also features three colorways inspired by French aesthetics: Klein Blue, Silver, and Black. WIKO 10 comes in 4GB + 128GB RAM and 6GB + 128GB RAM models priced at P7,999 and P8,999, respectively. Customers who purchase WIKO 10 6GB from September 25 onwards get free WIKO Buds 10 and three (3) months extended warranty (on top of the 12 months warranty). Meanwhile, the WIKO 10 4GB will have a promo price of P5,999 on Shopee’s Super Brand Day on September 29. First 30 orders will get a free Anker Marvel charging bundle. Check out the WIKO 10, WIKO Buds 10, and other products at authorized WIKO Stores, Shopee, and Lazada. For more information and updates, follow the WIKO Philippines Facebook page and WIKOmmunity Group, and visit the official website.

Crypto Exchange Bittrex To Pay $30M To Settle OFAC Charges It Allowed Sanctioned Jurisdictions To Trade – CoinDesk https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/crypto-exchange-bittrex-to-pay-30m-to-settle-ofac-charges-it-allowed-sanctioned-jurisdictions-to-trade-coindesk/ Nikhilesh De is CoinDesk’s managing editor for global policy and regulation. He owns marginal amounts of bitcoin and ether. Crypto exchange Bittrex settled charges alleging it inadvertently violated federal sanctions with the U.S. Treasury Department, agreeing to pay just under $30 million in fines and keep a closer eye on its compliance program. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the federal government’s sanctions enforcer, and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Treasury’s money laundering watchdog, announced the settlements on Tuesday. Alongside the monetary penalties, Bittrex has already taken remedial action to correct these issues, OFAC said. Between 2014 and late 2017, Bittrex allowed around 1,800 people in sanctioned jurisdictions – including Iran, Cuba, Sudan, Syria and Crimea – to conduct more than 116,000 transactions worth roughly $260 million through its platform, according to the settlement. The Seattle, Washington-based exchange has since taken action to better comply with sanctions blacklists. OFAC has a number of comprehensive sanctions actions, prohibiting U.S. persons – defined as anyone on U.S. soil and U.S. citizens located abroad – from interacting with or providing services to people in these jurisdictions. Bittrex acknowledged years ago that it had allowed users from some sanctioned jurisdictions, such as Iran, to sign up for its platform. The exchange reached out to some of these customers in 2019 to offer to return their funds. In a company statement, Bittrex said that it maintained anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance processes, and tapped unnamed third parties and service providers to assist it with verifying accounts and screen for sanctions compliance. “As a growing company, during the period in question, we routinely assessed and improved these functions,” the statement said. OFAC said there were a number of mitigating factors, including the fact that Bittrex was “a small and new company” at the time and the company “provided substantial cooperation” with OFAC’s investigation. “In response to the Apparent Violations, Bittrex swiftly took a series of subsequent remedial measures that significantly curtailed the Apparent Violations,” OFAC said, including blocking the IP addresses tied to sanctioned jurisdictions, restricting sanctioned jurisdiction account holders and using new tools to improve compliance. The maximum possible penalty for the OFAC allegations could have exceeded $35 billion, OFAC said, but given the various factors, the final fine is just over $24 million. While OFAC focused on the alleged sanctions violations, the FinCEN settlement focused instead on suspicious activity reports (SAR) that the regulator alleges Bittrex failed to file during that same time period. Bittrex “failed to file” SARs tied to 200 transactions moving more than $140,000 worth of cryptocurrency, and 22 transactions touching over $1 million, FinCEN said. “Bittrex failed to implement effective transaction monitoring on its trading platform, relying on as few as two employees with minimal anti-money laundering training and experience to manually review all of the transactions for suspicious activity, which at times were over 20,000 per day,” FinCEN said. FinCEN fined Bittrex $29.8 million, but said it would credit the exchange’s $24 million OFAC fine, meaning the company will only pay an overall total of just under $30 million. In its statement, sent through a company attorney, Bittrex said it was “pleased” to have settled the charges. “The settlement provides full resolution of both OFAC’s inquiry into transactions in sanctioned jurisdictions that occurred predominantly through 2017, and FinCEN’s assertion that Bittrex did not fully implement all of its Anti-Money Laundering Program controls through 2018,” the statement said. “… Importantly, both FinCEN and OFAC acknowledge that Bittrex’s longstanding responsive remedial efforts have significantly curtailed the risk of continued violations.” Sign up for State of Crypto, our weekly newsletter examining the intersection of cryptocurrency and government By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk product updates, events and marketing and you agree to our terms of services and privacy policy. DISCLOSURE Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated . The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG . Nikhilesh De is CoinDesk’s managing editor for global policy and regulation. He owns marginal amounts of bitcoin and ether. Nikhilesh De is CoinDesk’s managing editor for global policy and regulation. He owns marginal amounts of bitcoin and ether.

San Antonio Chamber Music Society Celebrates 80 Years – Texas Public Radio https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/san-antonio-chamber-music-society-celebrates-80-years-texas-public-radio/ Published October 11, 2022 at 10:12 AM CDT Even 80 years ago, when the San Antonio Chamber Music Society (SACMS) first began presenting concerts, chamber music had long since moved from the homes of aristocratic families and into concert halls where anyone could enjoy the performances. But true to its roots, even when SACMS concerts were presented in the west wing of the Municipal Auditorium, the space was dressed with antique furniture, lamps, and rugs. “They tried to make it look really cozy, like you were in someone’s house,” explained violist Allyson Dawkins, president of the SACMS. The venues and spaces where you hear the music may have changed, but one thing that has remained constant since those early days of the organization is the quality of touring performers that SACMS brings to San Antonio. “As early as 1950, you can see the Paganini String Quartet and the Hungarian Quartet, and then we have our first mention of the Juilliard Quartet in 1956,” Dawkins said as she perused the historical roster. This year, the 80th season of the San Antonio Chamber Music Society opens Sunday with the world-class Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble, playing music by Johannes Brahms and George Enescu. Nancy Shivers, past president of SACMS and honorary board member, said one of the things that hooked her and her husband on the organization was that commitment to high quality programming. “We travel a lot,” she said, “and the groups that come here, we encounter in Europe, in New York City, on the West Coast, and, I might add, at a much higher ticket price than here.” Tickets for each SACMS concert remain $25, and students, members of the military, and musicians from the San Antonio Philharmonic may all attend for free. In recent years, SACMS expanded beyond the traditional idea of a string quartet or piano trio to explore diverse sounds in chamber music, including saxophone quartets, brass, vocals, and other groups that probably do work better in the concert hall than a living room. Shervin Lainez / Arts Management Group The Imani Winds perform in San Antonio on November 13, 2022. This year’s season includes the Imani Winds, an ensemble of predominantly Black performers whose repertoire includes contemporary works by persons of color. On Nov. 13, they plan to appear for the SACMS for the second time. Shivers also said she’s looking forward to a Feb. 12 concert featuring Sandbox Percussion. “I was blown away when I saw that they are coming this year,” she said. “It is definitely not your old chamber music style program!” The young Merz Trio performs on March 12, 2023, and bookending the anniversary season on April 23 is the St. Lawrence String Quartet, which will team up with San Antonio musicians Eric Gratz (Olmos Ensemble), Emily Freudigman (Camerata San Antonio), Sarah Silver Manzke (Agarita), and David Mollenauer (SOLI) to debut a new octet for strings by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov. “I know that our audience will be really thrilled to see their own [San Antonio] musicians playing with the St. Lawrence Quartet,” Dawkins said. Audiences for the SACMS don’t just include those at the concert. Allyson Dawkins / The Orion Quartet performs for the women’s unit at the Bexar County jail in April, 2018. “Every single group that comes to San Antonio and performs on our series on a Sunday afternoon stays over on a Monday morning and presents an educational outreach event somewhere in the community,” Dawkins shared. “Of course, schools are a big priority… but we have also visited the Bexar County Jail, the juvenile detention center. … We’ve been to substance abuse centers. I feel probably most proud of our gift to our community in this way.” Although there are many more opportunities for chamber music in South Texas than there were in 1942, the San Antonio Chamber Music Society will continue to persevere. “We are the lucky benefactors of a lot of very generous foundations and individuals in San Antonio,” Dawkins said. “I’d like to say there is one other thing that keeps the San Antonio Chamber Music Society going, and that is the blood, sweat and tears of our volunteer board members. We are all volunteer. No one gets paid for their jobs… It takes a lot of time. And if you don’t have fire in the belly for chamber music, you probably will not be giving enough to keep this organization going.” The San Antonio Chamber Music Society opens their 80th season at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, at Trinity Baptist Church. All other concerts during the season will be held at Temple Beth-El. A season subscription for $100 includes six tickets; one for each show, plus a bonus ticket that you can share with a friend.

Melanoma Increases: A UV Exposure Or Diagnostic Scrutiny Problem? – Medscape https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/melanoma-increases-a-uv-exposure-or-diagnostic-scrutiny-problem-medscape/ The growing incidence of melanoma appears to be more related to increased diagnostic scrutiny from clinicians than to increased UV radiation exposure, a new analysis suggests. More specifically, the researchers found that the correlations between UV-related variables and melanoma were inconsistent and weak while the correlations between diagnostic scrutiny variables and melanoma were consistently positive and stronger. Dr Adewole Adamson “As physicians, despite our best intentions, we may be the source of the epidemic of melanoma diagnosis,” first author Adewole S. Adamson, MD, an assistant professor with the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, told Medscape Medical News. “The current pattern of melanoma incidence in the US is less associated with UV radiation exposure, and more associated with medical practice.” Cutaneous melanoma, once a rare cancer, has become the third most diagnosed cancer in the US in recent years, with an incidence rate now six times higher than it was 40 years ago, the authors noted. Adamson and colleagues questioned whether this increase might be due to greater UV radiation exposure or overdiagnosis — the result of increased diagnostic scrutiny. Consistent with overdiagnosis patterns observed with other cancers, there has been no corresponding increase in mortality from melanoma. To investigate, Adamson and his team conducted a cross-sectional ecological study, published this month in JAMA Internal Medicine, exploring Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data from 727 US counties between January 2020 and July 2022. The entire dataset included 10 variables related to UV exposure and eight variables related to diagnostic scrutiny, but the team presented three for each category in the main analysis. The three proxies for UV radiation were UV daily dose, variability in cloudiness, and variability in temperature across the counties, and the three for diagnostic scrutiny were median household income as well as concentrations of dermatologists and primary care physicians. With a total of 235,333 melanomas diagnosed during the study period, the results showed no correlation between the average UV daily dose and the incidence of melanoma (P = .42). However, melanoma incidence did significantly correlate with the three proxies of diagnostic scrutiny. The incidence of melanoma did significantly correlate with median household income (P .001). In addition, counties with the highest concentrations of dermatologists and primary care physicians had the highest incidence rates of melanoma, despite having lower mean daily UV exposure, while counties with shortages of dermatologists and primary care physicians had the lowest incidence of melanoma. In fact, as Adamson explained in a tweet, “because of reviewer request we even took it a step further and added another analysis in the supplement to show that counties that gained dermatologists had HIGHER increases in melanoma incidence over time.” The observed trends can be seen in two communities. Orange County, California, and Puget Sound, Washington, had nearly identical melanoma incidence rates — 73 and 72 per 100,000, respectively; however, the two communities sit on opposing extremes of UV radiation exposure with Orange County at the top decile and Puget Sound at the bottom. The authors also pointed to southeastern New Mexico, which has among the highest UV daily doses in the country, but among the lowest melanoma incidence. Another factor pointing to overdiagnosis: The authors found only a small association between melanoma incidence and melanoma mortality. For context, the authors noted that the prevalence of smoking was highly correlated with lung cancer incidence and mortality in the same counties. While previous studies have shown conflicting results in terms of UV exposure and melanoma incidence, “this is the first study that examined proxies for UV exposure and proxies for diagnostic scrutiny side by side,” Adamson said. Among factors that could be viewed as confounders, Adamson and colleagues pointed to the possibility that those living in higher-income counties might have greater UV exposure from traveling to warmer weather destinations, particularly during the winter; however, that theory would not explain similar patterns across entire county populations, the authors noted. In addition, higher income counties also have higher incidence rates of breast, prostate, and thyroid cancer, suggesting that “unless one argues that these cancers are also caused by vacation travel, the more parsimonious explanation is that all four cancers are sensitive to diagnostic scrutiny,” the authors said. Given the evidence, some of the more exaggerated public messaging on sunlight exposure should be toned down. For instance, the idea that 95% of melanomas are caused by the sun is “particularly troubling,” they wrote. This suggestion would mean that the “sun is a carcinogen more tied to melanoma than smoking is to lung cancer,” Adamson noted. “That defies common sense.” “Advising people to be sun safe is important, particularly for children, adolescents, and young adults,” he added. “However, phobia of the sun should not get in the way of people engaging in the many beneficial aspects of leading an active, social lifestyle outside in the sun.” Douglas Grossman, MD, PhD, who was not involved in the study, noted that “the proxies used for UV exposure and diagnostic scrutiny are indirect, and weaker than more direct indicators not evaluated in the analysis — such as individual sun exposure data for UV exposure and screening visits and biopsies performed for diagnostic scrutiny.” Due to the indirect proxies, “we need to be careful in drawing conclusions of causality from the study,” said Grossman, a professor of dermatology and co-leader of the HCI Melanoma Center at the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City. However, even if causality is confirmed, trends behind overdiagnosis may be hard to change, Grossman added. “As long as there are financial incentives to perform biopsies, and continued risk of medical liability for missing a melanoma, it is likely that screening practices will continue,” he explained. Adamson is an associate and web editor at JAMA Dermatology and reported no other disclosures. Grossman reported no disclosures. JAMA Internal Medicine. Published Oct. 3, 2022. Abstract. For more news, follow Medscape on  Facebook,   Twitter,   Instagram, and  YouTube.

Priciest Home Sales In Center Moriches – Long Island Business News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/priciest-home-sales-in-center-moriches-long-island-business-news/ Get our free LIBN e-alerts & breaking news notifications! 20 Mallard Drive Center Moriches / OneKey MLS photo By: David Winzelberg October 11, 2022 Priciest home sales in Center Moriches (11934)  September 2022  The three highest-priced home sales in Center Moriches last month ranged from $817,500 to $999,000.  The priciest Center Moriches home sold in September was a 7-bedroom, 6-bath waterfront post-modern on .76 acres at 20 Mallard Drive that sold for $999,000 in cash. It was listed and sold by Sandra Morrissey and Theodore Gounelas of Coldwell Banker M&D Good Life.  A 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath waterfront post-modern on .40 acres at 45 Inwood Road fetched $940,000 in cash. It was listed by Angela Bitsimis of HomeSmart Premier Living Realty and sold by Deborah Pirro of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty.  At 56 Frowein Road, a 6-bedroom, 4-bath contemporary on 2 acres went for $817,500. It was listed by Rainer Jessen of Coldwell Banker American Homes and sold by Salvatore Dicristo of Signature Homes of New York.  Source: OneKeyMLS.com  × Enjoy This Free Article We Have 2 More For You All You Need To Do Is Register To Receive Your 2 Additional Free Articles

Doncaster And Bradford Get £10m For Research Into Poor Health Following The Pandemic – The Yorkshire Post https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/doncaster-and-bradford-get-10m-for-research-into-poor-health-following-the-pandemic-the-yorkshire-post/ Ministers yesterday announced that £50 million has been awarded to 13 local authorities across the UK to tackle inequalities through research centres which will find local challenges to people’s ill health. The work, overseen by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), will enable future interventions to help with childhood obesity, Covid recovery, mental wellbeing and drug use. Robert Jenrick, the health minister, said: “The pandemic shone a light on the stark health inequalities that exist across the country – we are committed to levelling up the health of the nation. LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick at Downing Street on September 14, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Pinney/Getty Images) “This funding will drive progress to address health challenges locally, particularly in the places and communities most affected by ill health such as high levels of obesity, drug use and poor mental health. “Everyone should be able to live long, healthy lives regardless of their background and where they live, and this new research will help us deliver on our ambition.” It comes following warning from the British Medical Association (BMA) that the UK is a “ticking timebomb” of ill health that wasn’t helped by the Government’s quest for growth. “A major barrier to improving population health is the perception that economic growth will automatically lead to better health,” it said. “Economic growth in itself is not sufficient to improve health and poor population health will ultimately have an inevitable adverse impact on the economy.” The report warned that the health of the population was declining and inequalities were widening. The Covid-19 pandemic led to a decline in life expectancy, a sharp reversal of previous trends, which helped exacerbate the gulfs between how long adults live healthy lives in richer and poorer areas across the country. Professor Lucy Chappell, the chief executive officer of the NIHR, said: “Millions of people living in Britain’s towns, cities and regions face a huge range of public health challenges, brought into focus during the Covid pandemic. “This NIHR research funding will provide a foundation to develop local authorities’ capacity and capability to conduct high-quality research. “It’s clear that people working in local government have the added advantage of knowing their local areas and communities. “This investment will equip them to embed a lasting legacy of research culture to help local populations take important steps forward in tackling health inequalities.”