Anna Garraway

HeatPal Launches Best Portable Space Heater Of 2022 – Digital Journal https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/heatpal-launches-best-portable-space-heater-of-2022-digital-journal/ Extreme temperatures have grown as a result of global warming, making room heaters necessary in frigid areas. Another approach to remain warm and pleasant at home during the winter is to utilize room heaters. There are currently several types, models, and choices available, making it difficult to select the best room heater. Room heaters, on the other hand, may keep the entire space warm, not just the user.  Get HeatPal For The Most Discounted Price What is HeatPal? The Heatpal Heater is all about improved comfort, better health, and a well-managed winter season. When one is unable to tolerate the effects of cold, the necessity for a suitable dietary product develops. People who are unable to handle the winter season suffer from hypothermia, a condition in which the body gets extremely cold. It can potentially cause severe health concerns; therefore, one should avoid being too uncomfortable throughout the season. This tiny, portable, and lightweight heater with 500 watts heat up in about 2 minutes. The HeatPal can keep a big room at a pleasant temperature in just 2 minutes of operation. The HeatPal has ceramic heating components and an inbuilt air blower to circulate hot air around the space. Investigate the qualities that make this heater so dependable for a better understanding. If a person wants to utilize this heater in their home or workplace, they can get it from the Heatpal Portable Handy Heater official website. Specifications Quick Heating Remote control Dimensions: 5.6 in. (W) x 5.6 in. (D) x 3.5 in. (H) Auto ON/OFF Energy-efficient powerful 500 Watts ETL Safety Tested Advanced Ceramic Technology 360-degree Rotating Outlet Provides Other Socket Access three blade plug Quiet Operation 2-speed Fans and Timer Adjustable Digital LED Thermostat How Does It Work? Simply plug it in wherever users wish to use it at the time, whether it’s someone’s bedroom, the baby’s nursery, the garage, or the home office. It keeps one’s house warm in freezing weather, particularly during the winter months, allowing the entire family to enjoy the comfort of their home. It can heat up to 250 square feet in just 2 minutes because of its strong 500 Watts. Unlike traditional heating systems, which require an expert to operate, the Heatpal Portable Heater requires little to no skill to set up. It merely takes a few minutes to turn on the heater. It has a thermostat that may be adjusted. All users need to do to heat or cool the area between 60 and 90 degrees is change the thermostat. Features Simple to use The compact and slender design was helpful since it made it very easy to operate while producing very little noise, even while operating at full capacity. A secure heater Because of its size, this heater can give customers consistently, dependable heating throughout the day. It quickly heats up and includes a thermostat. It contains an antibacterial filter that prevents the growth of bacteria and germs, so one never has to worry about unwanted odors. Warm up Small Areas Quickly For example, traditional heating systems might take up to an hour to heat only one room. The HeatPal’s 500 Watts could heat that area in just two minutes, making it appropriate for rooms as small as 250 square feet. Built-in Timer and Adjustable Thermostat A clever temperature-adjustable thermostat is included with this device. This thermostat has a temperature range of 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, it can operate constantly for 12 hours or be set to shut off at a specific time. Design That Saves Space and Is Simple This heater is 3.5×5.6×5.6 inches, which is almost half the size of a portable unit. The gadget may be used without creating any noise by connecting it to a power socket. To use it, simply plug it in and turn it on. Silent operations and capacity rotation Unlike typical heaters that crackle and gurgle, it creates heat without creating any noise, resulting in a far more serene environment. As a result, users may heat their workstations or sleeping room without interruption. According to the makers, a 360-degree rotation may be completed without breaking a sweat. This is done so that other devices may use the same outlet. Energy-saving These fantastic modern electric heating units are ideal for any house and ideal for those of us looking for a new approach to reduce energy usage during the colder months. When it comes to comfort during the winter months, many of us resort to these groundbreaking ceramic heaters. Where to Buy Best Portable Heater? Following deals are available for purchase on the official website; 1 x HeatPal 18,257.35 Rs 2 x HeatPal 34,688.60 ₨ 3 x HeatPal 47,474.95 ₨ 4 xHeatPal 58,420.59 ₨ Summary The HeatPal is a compact and portable heater that is both safe and effective. The temperature may be controlled remotely using the remote control. It employs a ceramic heat source, similar to that used in high-end fan heaters, and can compete with smaller fan heaters. It can heat up to 10 square meters with its 350-watt output. Its revolutionary technology saves money by automatically adjusting the heating levels. Visit Official HeatPal Portable Heater Website Here Media Contact Company Name: HeatPal Contact Person: Media Relations Email: Send Email City: New York State: NY Country: United States Website: https://techbullion.com/heatpal-portable-heater-reviews-does-it-really-work/

State Street Going ‘super Gung-Ho’ On Tokenisation But Crypto ‘not On The Cards’ – Financial News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/state-street-going-super-gung-ho-on-tokenisation-but-crypto-not-on-the-cards-financial-news/ While interest may be lacking in the pure crypto space, the fund house sees opportunities in token technology State Street is pushing ‘full steam ahead’ on tokenisation, its digital assets chief tells FN Getty Images Tuesday October 4, 2022 12:01 am State Street’s digital assets arm has “no plans” to trade crypto any time soon, but is instead focusing the vast majority of its efforts on bringing existing trades onto the blockchain, according to the unit’s global chief Nadine Chakar. The world’s largest custodian bank is going “super gung-ho” on the process known as tokenisation, Chakar told Financial News a little over a year after setting the department up.  Chakar…

The U.S. Is Finally Taking A Side In The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict – TIME https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-u-s-is-finally-taking-a-side-in-the-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-time/ Few would be surprised to hear that the United States is involved in supporting a democratic nation that was recently invaded by its authoritarian neighbor. But many Americans are likely unaware that their country is doing so for two such post-Soviet nations: not just Ukraine, but also Armenia, which has been suffering from Azerbaijan’s invasion for almost three weeks now. The two situations are not unrelated. A key factor behind the ongoing U.S. engagement in Armenia is Russia’s visible absence in a region that the latter considers its backyard. But the U.S. isn’t simply trying to push Russia out from the post-Soviet South Caucasus. Rather, Washington seems to have realized just how serious the threat is—not just for Armenia, but for the world. In the early minutes of Sept. 13, as families across eastern Armenia slept, Azerbaijan launched the unprovoked shelling of three dozen Armenian towns with heavy artillery and unmanned combat drones. The two countries have been locked in off-and-on hostilities for decades over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh republic, but Azerbaijan’s regime now seems to take advantage of its rival’s military unpreparedness and global, especially Russian, distraction. Azerbaijan attempted to deny having attacked within Armenia’s borders, but the onslaught was so intense that NASA’s fire-management satellites detected massive thermal anomalies. In just two days, Azerbaijan’s forces killed over 200 Armenians, primarily soldiers, according to official government counts. Videos spread by the invaders appeared to show them giggling while mutilating fallen Armenian women, and executing Armenian soldiers who had surrendered. Read more: Inside Azerbaijan’s Grand Plan To Make the Disputed City of Shusha a Cultural Capital Further details of the incursion came via Armenia-based journalists and officials alike. On Sept. 14, foreign journalists reported having come under Azerbaijani shelling in the Armenian town of Sotk, which is nowhere near military installations. The following day, at the United Nations Security Council emergency hearing, Armenia disclosed that, despite the prior day’s ceasefire, Azerbaijan is amassing additional troops, including in Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan’s exclave bordering southwest Armenia. This would open a second invasion front. On Sept. 23, Western embassies in Yerevan issued still-active “travel warnings” for southern Armenia and beyond, insinuating that they expected further attacks. Still, many media outlets across the world lack on-the-ground regional journalists, so the news from Armenia largely stayed off the mainstream radar. It was not until U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Armenia the weekend of Sept. 17, in support of Armenian “security and democracy” against Azerbaijan’s “illegal and deadly attacks,” that it became fully clear that the U.S., in a dramatic transformation, is fully engaged, albeit probably only diplomatically, in preventing existential threats against Armenia. Armenia’s Head of the Parliament Alen Simonyan (R) and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (L) attend a joint press conference in the Parliament in Yerevan, Armenia, on Sept. 18, 2022. Karen Minasyan—AFP via Getty Images Jackie Speier, one of the two Armenian-American Congresswomen to accompany Speaker Pelosi, recalled at a large Armenian-American gathering in Los Angeles on Sept. 25 that in Armenia she told their dinner host, the Prime Minister, that she didn’t want another girl to feel the way she did growing up: reluctant to identify as Armenian because her homeland, then part of the USSR, did not appear on a world’s map. As the Congresswoman announced at the gathering, she is introducing a resolution in condemnation of and accountability for Azerbaijan’s war crimes and aggression, following a similar motion by prominent House Democrat Adam Schiff, and a bipartisan Senate resolution introduced by key Senators Bob Menendez and Marco Rubio. But this is not about internal electoral politics. More significantly—especially as Congress has been historically attentive to Armenian American constituency concerns—the White House has now transformed its traditionally “both-sidist” rhetoric on the conflict. It was the U.S., not the regional hegemon Russia, that played the key role in halting Azerbaijan’s Sept. 13-14 aggression. Since then, the Biden Administration has initiated numerous meetings for and with Armenian and Azerbaijani officials, both in person and on the phone, despite threats by Azerbaijan’s authoritarian president—who has made Armenophobia his power-consolidation formula since inheriting the presidency in 2003—that “no one and nothing can stop us.” U.S. engagement may also come as a surprise given that Armenia is formally part of CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization), Russia’s failed mini-version of NATO. Preoccupied with its failing invasion of Ukraine and forced mobilization of troops, Russia is both unable and unwilling to defend its treaty ally Armenia today. But in 2020 and 2021, during previous rounds of aggression by Azerbaijan, Russia likewise chose not to do more to defend its ally, despite having had the military might to do so. On paper, Russia is democratic Armenia’s security guarantor. In reality, Russia and Azerbaijan, two fossil fuel-rich authoritarian states, are much closer; the unwavering support for the latter by Turkey, which has become an ever-more important partner for Russia given western sanctions, complicates Russia’s support for Armenia even more. Today, the U.S. appears to realize that a preoccupied Russia’s temporary absence in the Caucasus means potential involvement from not just Turkey but also Iran, which has warned against border changes; it has a northern border with Armenia, a secure lifeline to Europe. A potential Turkey-Iran confrontation resulting from Azerbaijan’s invasion of Armenia could result in an unmanageable destabilization of the Middle East and beyond, something that neither Russia nor the U.S. want. The U.S.’s recent involvement in the Caucasus is unprecedented. For the very first time since the Cold War, it’s the actions of a country other than Russia that matter most right now in the region. Will Washington succeed in preventing a full-scale invasion of democratic Armenia? Is it willing to make sacrifices to meet that goal, such as selling defense weaponry to Armenia and sanctioning Azerbaijan, despite intense Turkish pressure and European energy needs? The only public American sacrifice over the last three weeks in defense of Armenian existence appears to have come from the outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Armenia. On Sept. 28, Lynne Tracy risked her safety to travel to Syunik, Armenia’s southmost region, despite her own embassy’s travel warning against visiting the entire region. Read more: Putin’s Isn’t the Only Regime Leveraging Fossil Fuels for Aggression Earlier, President Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Tracy to serve as U.S. ambassador to Russia, a testament to her courage and to the necessity of a deeper understanding of Moscow through those who are most dependent on it. Perhaps Washington realizes that if it fails to thwart Azerbaijan’s next aggression, it will leave Armenia with no choice but to further integrate with Russia. Similar circumstances a century ago, in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide, helped to revive the collapsed Russian empire into the USSR. With the possibility of further violence hanging over their talks, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Geneva on Oct. 2, as Azerbaijani special forces reportedly neared Armenia’s borders. Hostilities may resume any moment, given that Azerbaijan’s autocrat seems to have few reasons for restraint. At the Oct. 1 unveiling of a new gas pipeline to Europe, E.U. leader Ursula von der Leyen praised Azerbaijan as “reliable”; Europe, facing the energy impacts of its determination to punish Russia, appears willing to embolden another authoritarian aggressor. The U.S., at least in rhetoric, seems to be slightly more cautious. Whether the history—of unrealized western promises pushing a vulnerable Armenia closer to Russia—will repeat itself, this time as a cruel joke, largely depends on where American leadership goes next. Contact us at letters@time.com.

Will New Technology Stop Violence In Buffalo Schools? Experts Explain – WIVB.com – News 4 https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/will-new-technology-stop-violence-in-buffalo-schools-experts-explain-wivb-com-news-4/ BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Public Schools are trying to beef up security after recent acts of violence, but parents are still looking for progress. Sources close to the district say metal detectors are coming to every BPS building soon, but some parents wonder if this new technology is enough to curb violence. Several parents said they were optimistic at the beginning of the school year. Just one week into the 2022-2023 year, a student stabbed another with a steak knife in the girls bathroom. The teenage suspect was arraigned on assault charges without bail. “If you can prevent students from bringing a weapon into school, you make it a safer environment where students are less concerned about their safety and more interested in learning,” Jeff Rinaldo, partner at Vista Security Group, told News 4. Safety in school is still top of mind for some parents. Several addressed security problems at the September Board of Education meeting. They criticized that students were being wanded inconsistently, despite new policy that requires all high school students to be wanded. After the incident in September, the district required secruity staff to wand students head to toe including under the feet. All students’ backpacks will be checked as well. Some parents say this strategy is not enough. “I don’t see how its feasible to do it every day. What time do you expect the kids to go to their first class?” Edward Speidel, president of the District Parent Coordinating Council (DPCC), added. Rinaldo says wanding is not a long term solution because there could be human error. He says new screening systems that allow students to pass through sensors are a better option because they are more efficient and accurate. “The newer technology out there allows you to screen faster and much more efficiently and has a better rate of not producing false alarms,” Rinaldo said. The 2022-2025 BPS Strategic Plan says they are prioritizing safety, security and wellness. Part of their plan is to “purchase and have installed state-of-the-art metal detectors for all BPS schools.” “We’re being told that there’s a good chance that that’s what we are going to get. There’s no definite yet. It’s coming down, but I don’t see this for 90 days or so,” Speidel said. Buffalo Public Schools set aside more than$300,000 of American Rescue Plan and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief money for security upgrades last year. From 2021 to 2024, $360,000 will be spent on security. Parent leaders say the district has the money to put new technology in every building. “There was money put aside for those and we are holding them accountable for that. Hopefully it is coming through soon,” Speidel continued. Rinaldo says the district has taken steps to increase security, but he says new technology will make the schools even safer. “The new Superintendent is committed to making safety and security her top priority. She recognizes the fact that unless a student feels safe, learning cannot happen,” Rinaldo said. Buffalo Public Schools declined to comment for this story. At the previous Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Dr. Tonja Williams said school security keeps her up at night and it remains her top priority. Tara Lynch is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team as a reporter in 2022. She previously worked at WETM in Elmira, N.Y., a sister station of News 4. You can follow Tara on Facebook and Twitter and find more of her work here.

Secretlab Overwatch 2 Collection Revealed: Tracer, Genji Gaming Chairs – TweakTown https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/secretlab-overwatch-2-collection-revealed-tracer-genji-gaming-chairs-tweaktown/ The release of Overwatch 2 is literally right around the corner, with my favorite game — Overwatch — having its servers closed down (forever) a few hours ago… Overwatch 2 drops in the next 24 hours, and now Secretlab has your back (quite literally) with their new Overwatch 2 Collection gaming chairs. Secretlab has revealed the first two members of the Overwatch 2 Collection with the Tracer Edition and Genji Edition gaming chairs, which are both available in Small, Regular, and XL versions and upholstered in Secretlab’s comfy NEO Hybrid Leatherette. 5 VIEW GALLERY – 5 IMAGES As usual, the company puts in a wicked amount of detail into the new Tracer Edition and Genji Edition gaming chairs, with Secretlab tweeting out that “next-generation heroics demand next-generation ergonomics. Inspired by two of the most iconic characters in Overwatch history – between cyborg ninja Genji and Tracer the time-jumping adventurer, who’s your pick?” 5 Secretlab’s new Overwatch 2 Collection Tracer Edition gaming chair Secretlab’s new Overwatch 2 Collection Tracer Edition gaming chair is beautiful — just as I expected from Secretlab: Tracer’s iconic super-bright orange/blue/white theme. The company has gone all-out on the Tracer Edition gaming chair, with the orange on the chair absolutely perfect… someone has been playing Tracer too long, hey Secretlab? The blue here is absolutely chefkissemoji.jpg perfect. 5 The little touches are so good to see, with Secretlab pointing out they’ve used a (very beautiful, I might add) unique honeycomb pattern that was inspired by Tracer’s leggings in Overwatch for its Tracer Edition gaming chair. 5 Secretlab’s new Overwatch 2 Collection Genji Edition gaming chair But man, the artwork that Secretlab has performed on the back of the Genji Edition gaming chair is another level — similar to the work that the company put into the beautiful Witcher Edition gaming chair. There’s an intricately embroidered dragon motif that will look absolutely off-the-chain lit up at night in your gaming den. Secretlab continues those little touches on the Genji Edition gaming chair, using Genji’s signature and visor embellishments with awesome (once again, lit up by light it’ll look wicked) accents on the shoulder of the new gaming chair. Secretlab already has the Overwatch Edition and D.Va Edition gaming chairs from its original Overwatch Collection family, in the OMEGA 2020 and TITAN 2020 range. I’m hoping we see a Mercy chair from Secretlab… I mean, I’m a Mercy main with thousands of hours in Overwatch (RIP) and an Overwatch chair with wings that extend out from the chair would literally bring tears to my eyes.

New Information Released Surrounding Woman Who Allegedly Recruited Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard – KENS5.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/new-information-released-surrounding-woman-who-allegedly-recruited-migrants-to-marthas-vineyard-kens5-com/ The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office sent a statement following the new information released. BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — There’s new information about the woman accused of luring migrants in San Antonio before they were flown to Martha’s Vineyard, which is off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts. That woman is reportedly a 20-year Army Veteran who was just discharged in August. The New York Times reported it has uncovered who “Perla” is. She’s the woman who allegedly recruited migrants for the trip. The sheriff has previously said the migrants were given false promises of jobs to convince them to fly to the vineyard. One migrant told CNN that “Perla” offered him money, food and clothes to find others who would take the flight. The Times says “Perla” lives in Florida. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took credit for transport operation. He says he’s sending migrants to areas with so called “sanctuary policies.” He says his state will only offer refuge to asylum applicants who have legitimate claims, but that “most of these (claims) are not valid.” Some of the migrants are now suing in a class action lawsuit, arguing they were misled. KENS 5 reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for a statement regarding the situation. They said: After checking with the NYT, the information in the article was sourced from their sources and information gathered through their investigation of their reporting, not through specific details released by the BCSO. At this time, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the migrants who were flown from Bexar County remains ongoing. We have not identified any persons of interest at this time. However, when an update becomes available regarding this investigation, we will publicly release that information.” In September, when we asked if the San Antonio Police Department would be getting involved, Chief William McManus said, “I’m not going to comment on anything that the sheriff is doing or has done…If there’s a comment to be made on that, I would respectfully refer you to the sheriff.” According to San Antonio’s top cop, the premise of being lured is something he can’t prove. “I don’t know. I simply don’t know,” he said.

Travel And Tourism Industry Recovering To Pre-Pandemic Levels – TravelPulse https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/travel-and-tourism-industry-recovering-to-pre-pandemic-levels-travelpulse/ It seems that the global travel and tourism industry is finally seeing its long-awaited post-pandemic rebound as it emerges from a two-year slump, the likes of which the sector had never seen before. Although, lest we forget, its recovery remains susceptible to volatile factors like new COVID-19 variants, the global economy and Russia’s war still raging in Ukraine. According to Statista data released today by Augusta Free Press, worldwide travel and tourism revenues are forecast to reach $716.8 billion this year, reflecting an impressive 45-percent increase over the figures for 2021, which reached only $491.5 billion. The sector’s revenue increases are expected to continue in 2023, with earnings growing by another 20 percent year over year to a worldwide total of $852 billion. Trending Now Prior to the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, the global tourism sector had experienced decades of almost uninterrupted growth. The world’s population spent billions on hotels, cruises, vacation rentals, and package holidays every year, until the market reached a value of $776.4 billion in 2019, according to Statista data. Then came the pandemic in 2020, bringing travel all around the world to a screeching halt, which it only began to crawl back from in 2021. But, now, there are clear signs that the tourism industry is well on its way to bouncing back to pre-COVID levels. The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer revealed that, during the first seven months of 2022, international tourist arrivals nearly tripled over the same period in 2021, reaching 57 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Statista’s survey also showed that all travel and tourism sector segments are poised to witness substantial growth over the next year, and an anticipated full recovery to pre-COVID levels when it comes to the number of people using their products. However, there are certain market segments are faring relatively well, while the recovery of others is noticeably lagging behind. The finer points of the report revealed how well each of the travel and tourism sector’s segments is rebounding… By Revenue: — Hotels and resorts, which make up the largest portion of the travel and tourism industry, are projected to bring in $406.5 billion in revenue in 2023, up from $348 billion in 2022. — It’s predicted that package holidays will comprise 32 percent of the sector’s overall revenue for 2023 by raking in $279.7 billion next year, which is 22 percent more than this year’s projected total. — Vacation rentals are forecast to follow, pulling in $97 billion in revenue in 2023, representing a 17 percent year-over-year increase. — The cruise industry, which has been experiencing a speedy recovery since the CDC dropped its Conditional Sail Order, is anticipated to see revenues jump by 35 percent year over year, reaching $25.1 billion in 2023. Still, that figure still falls 2.4 billion below pre-pandemic levels, as global cruising generated $27.5 billion back in 2019. By Users: — It’s estimated that hotels will hit 1.1 billion users worldwide, up from 969 million in 2022. — The vacation rental industry, the second-largest segment as measured by the number of users, is set to expand by 19 percent over 2022 to nearly 840 million. — Vacation packages segment is expected to follow with 513 million users, 84.4 million more than this year. — While the cruise industry’s user count is projected to grow by 35 percent year over year to 24.5 million in 2023, that still falls 4.6 million short of 2019 numbers. For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.

Highway 99 Businesses Return In Talent – Medford News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News – Mail Tribune https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/highway-99-businesses-return-in-talent-medford-news-weather-sports-breaking-news-mail-tribune/ Peter Lunoak and Ian Bagshaw talk about upcoming cycling events throughout valley at Flywheel Bicycle Solutions, which is getting ready to reopen. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] Peter Lunoak works on cleanup in the showroom of Flywheel Bicycle Solutions in Talent. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] The exterior of Flywheel Bicycle Solutions is being painted as the business gets ready to reopen. [Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune] More commercial spots along Highway 99 in Talent are reopening or nearing completion of new buildings two years after the Almeda Fire gutted the business district. Flywheel Bicycle Solutions expects to open later this fall. Jahnke Heating & Air Conditioning has returned to a new building, with a grand opening set for Oct. 8. Valley Plastic Surgery already has reopened. Green Valley Pump’s office building is expected to be occupied near the end of the year. Star Body Works has construction underway, and Simple Machine winery opened its new facility in October last year, one of the first buildings reconstructed in the zone. Some buildings on the east side of the highway are outside city limits. Flywheel, at 550 S. Pacific Highway, will open with a new owner. Founder Ian Bagshaw has sold the business to his manager, Pete Lunoak, but will retain ownership of the building and property. Bagshaw will continue in the business but transition away from mechanical work. “We had been talking about it for a while. After the fire I was pretty devastated. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back,” said Bagshaw. “The thought of starting over was pretty daunting. If it wasn’t for Peter encouraging me, I probably would have sold the property.” In rebuilding, the pair took advantage of a blank slate to rearrange the structure’s interior better for bicycle repairs and sales. It had been a hamburger joint and then a beauty college. It’s on the same footprint as the old building. The business will continue to sell beer, wine and cider at an inside bar, a popular addition that attracted riders and food trucks. With the rebuild, the facility is better positioned to accommodate food trucks. “I’m working on the building of cabinets, the work bench, the bases. Mostly we are just finishing the interior,” said Lunoak, who was manager for two and a half years before the fire. “Having a blank slate really freed us to optimize the layout and make the work station really flow better. Also, we won’t have all the weird intersecting walls and the pillars,” said Lunoak. Supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic are receding, said Lunoak. The market for bicycles also has softened a bit after heavy demand in the first year of the pandemic. He’s already got some bikes to sell, and more are coming. Green Valley Pump’s new office building at 609 S. Pacific Highway is enclosed. Green Valley might have relocated after the fire, but the business owned the lots, said operations manager Leigh Johnson. Everything at the site was burned, including three buildings and three vehicles. “The office space depends on the city and the county. The hope is by the end of the year, we will be in there and running,” said Johnson. The company started operations in Talent during the 1970s. The site is outside city limits. A nearly $1 million cost estimate to rebuild the shop prevented reconstruction at this time. Green Valley operations were back on site three months after the fire. A trailer is used for an office, and large metal shipping containers have been configured for workshop and storage use. Jahnke returns to Talent at 112 S. Pacific Highway after operating out of White City since the fire. A grand opening is set for Saturday, Oct. 8, and Southern Oregon Humane Society will offer pet adoptions during the event. A large new metal building replaces the structure that burned. The firm has been based in Talent since 1987. A new structure attached to the front of an older metal building that survived the fire with damage in the back is under construction at the Star Body Works property at 1119 S. Pacific Highway in the south end of the business corridor. The property is outside city limits. “The back part will be reskinned. We had to replace some of the red iron,” said JR Lamensdorf, a co-owner of the business. The office there previously burned totally. The front addition will serve as an office. Star Body moved all employees who had been working in Talent to other locations in Medford for both body shop and towing operations. A paint booth is in the metal building, and the business aims to reopen the site by the end of the year. New blacktop and landscaping will be installed out front. Site fencing is partially completed and will be finished after work on the structures is done. Valley Plastic Surgery, 280 S. Pacific Highway, is reopened after rebuilding. A manager was not available to discuss details. Owners Clea Arthur and Brian Denner reopened Simple Machine winery and tasting room at 717 S. Pacific Highway in October last year after rebuilding. They used the 2,700-square-foot concrete pad from the original structure but reconfigured to better accommodate winemaking. Land that was occupied by the Goodnight Inn motel at 210 N. Pacific Highway before the fire now has approval for commercial and residential development, although no work has started. Also, Snap Fitness reopened in Talent Saturday, in a new building just off Highway 99, at 245 W. Valley View Road. A grand reopening of the new club was Friday, Sept. 30, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Talent lost 61 commercial structures to the fire. So far, 10 permits have been issued for reconstruction on those sites, Community Development Director Kristen Maze reported. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at tboomwriter@gmail.com.

Healthy Living Spotlight: 4-County Can Help In Energy Saving – WCBI https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/healthy-living-spotlight-4-county-can-help-in-energy-saving-wcbi/ COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – These days every penny counts. Especially when it comes to heating and cooling your home. Find out how 4-County can help you. Here’s a healthy living spotlight. “I’m Ronnie Vernon, marketing specialist for 4-County Electric. A big part of my job is advising members on ways to lower their power bills, especially senior members who may live on a fixed income. 4-County has several programs and tools that can help. We’ve got ways to track your power usage daily or weekly, and even get alerted when those large amounts of electricity are being used. We can come to your home and do an energy audit and show you ways to make improvements to make your house more energy efficient. We also have programs that can help you with those improvements, including on-bill financing. We also have payment options for seniors. Levelized billing is a good way for seniors. That way your bill will not increase more than $25 a month. Give us a call here 4-County.” For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter

MLB Power Rankings: Braves, Yankees Finish Season Strong — What Does It Mean For World Series Hopes? – CBS Sports https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/mlb-power-rankings-braves-yankees-finish-season-strong-what-does-it-mean-for-world-series-hopes-cbs-sports/ Does momentum really matter heading toward the playoffs? Oct 3, 2022 at 5:55 pm ET • 5 min read The 2022 Major League Baseball season has three days left. We’ve seen an incredible regular season and it’s entirely possible the best is yet to come (can it be way better, please, Baseball Gods?).  In looking ahead to the playoffs, one argument I’ve worked tirelessly to dispel over the years has been this notion that it matters how a team is playing late in the season. Historically speaking, there hasn’t really been a correlation between finishing hot and winning the World Series, nor is there one between being able to rest all your players and going deep into the postseason. Generally, the arguments come after the results. If a team loses in the first round, well, it was because of how they finished the regular season, whether it was hot, cold, playing to the final day or having clinched for weeks.  In an effort to get in front of it, let’s start working backward with the World Series champions and how they finished.  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. 2021 Braves (No. 3 seed NL, 12th-best record in MLB) — Here’s your latest Hot Hand Theory poster child. The Braves had the worst record among playoff teams, but they had won 12 of their last 14 to finish 36-18 after Aug. 1. They never even faced elimination in the playoffs.  2020 Dodgers (best record in MLB) — It’s tougher to get a read with the short regular-season, no fans in ballparks and the biggest playoff field ever. They did win 10 of their final 12 before winning five straight heading to the NLCS. They had to overcome 2-0 and 3-1 deficits in the NLCS, though.  2019 Nationals (No. 4 seed NL, tied for eighth-best record in MLB) — 19-31, right? I still remembered it without having to look it up. That was the Nationals’ record at one point. They were one of the best teams after that. They won 10 of their last 11 in the regular season, but then nearly lost in the Wild Card Game. It took a furious eighth-inning rally and a misplay.   2018 Red Sox (best record in MLB) — They were in first place basically the entire season en route to a 108-win season. They clinched the AL East with nine games left in the season. They lost five of their last eight games including three of four to the Yankees to end the season. Clinched early? Check. Rough finish? Check. They took three of four from those same Yankees in the ALDS before going 8-2 in the ALCS and World Series, never coming close to an elimination game.  2017 Astros (No. 2 seed AL, third-best record in MLB) — As I tried to point out, you can find examples of pretty much any scenario. We’ve seen the Hot Hand teams who had lesser regular-season resumes. The Red Sox were the powerhouse team that finished poorly and clinched early. These Astros are a powerhouse with an early clinch (Sept. 17) that still finished hot, winning 14 of their final 17. They were still given all they could handle in both the ALCS and World Series.  2016 Cubs (best record in MLB) – Another powerhouse with an early clinch (Sept. 16), the Cubs had a good finish at 9-5-1 (the tie was just wiped off the books instead of being resumed, which is why the Cubs only have 161 official game). They fell behind 2-1 in the NLCS and 3-1 in the World Series. They won it all. The best ball they played all year was to start the season, too.  2015 Royals (No. 1 seed AL, fourth-best record in MLB) — This one depends on how you want to look at what is “hot.” The Royals won their last five games. If you went back a bit, though, they were just 13-16 after Sept. 3. I suppose the people who wanted to argue that playing well at the end matters would say the Royals rescued themselves from certain demise, as they had lost 16 of 24 before the winning streak. Of course, they were then just a few outs from being eliminated in the ALDS, as they fell behind two games to one and trailed heading into the eighth inning of Game 4, so did the “hot” really carry over?  2014 Giants (No. 5 seed NL, tied for eighth-best record in MLB) — These Giants were only 13-12 in September. The won only six of their final 15 games. They were a wild card that won only 88 games in the regular season. The Giants didn’t finish strong and they weren’t a powerhouse. They were the World Series champions.  2013 Red Sox (No. 1 seed AL, tied for best record in MLB) — Another early clinch (Sept. 20) and this time the team finished relatively cold after it. They lost four of their last seven, including their final two games, and went 5-6 in their last 11. They didn’t face elimination in the playoffs, though things started to look at little dicey in the ALCS (the home run cop!) and World Series (remember the in-dugout speech?).  2012 Giants (No. 3 seed NL, tied for fourth-best record in MLB) — There were still 10 games left after they clinched the division and the Giants went 5-5 in those games. They had won 10 of 11 through the West-clinching win, if that feels relevant. They lost the first two games of the NLDS before winning three straight on the road (remember the Buster Posey grand slam in Cincy?) and came back from a 3-1 deficit in the NLCS before sweeping the heavily-favored Tigers in the World Series.  This should be enough. It’s the last 10 champions and we’ve got wild cards, start-to-finish powerhouses, teams finishing on fire and others sputtering. If I were writing a book, we could go back through every single World Series champion and we’d continue to see variety. I like stopping at the Giants, though, because working through that paragraph should be a perfect illustration of how you can’t predict what will happen moving forward based upon the very-recent body of work.  There isn’t a formula aside from being a good baseball team and playing well once the playoffs hit. Ignore any noise that you hear about “finishing strong” or “resting players” or “rhythm” or “routine” or anything at all when you look ahead to predict how the playoffs will unfold. It just really doesn’t matter.  Plus, generally speaking, the more playoff teams there are, the crazier things can get.  And there are more playoff teams than every season other than 2020 here in less than a week. We need to brace ourselves for a wild October that bleeds into November. Bring it on, Baseball Gods.  Biggest Movers Rk Teams   Chg Rcrd 1 Dodgers This franchise has been around 139 seasons, making 35 postseason appearances. It has won 25 pennants and seven World Series. It had never before been 60 games over .500. This group just keeps raising the bar. — 110-49 2 Astros The last time a qualifying pitcher 39 or older posted a sub-2.00 ERA was Roger Clemens (1.87 in 2005) and before that you have to go all the way back to Bill Byrd in 1948 (1.68). Justin Verlander’s at 1.80 right now. — 104-55 3 Yankees The struggles are safely in the rearview at this point. The Yankees have gone 18-7 since Sept. 3. Keep in mind how much tougher the entire AL East is than the NL East, hence the promotion here. 2 97-61 4 Braves This team is better than last year, possibly by a pretty decent margin, but they’re about to find out how hard it is to repeat. If they pull it off, they’ll be the first repeat champ since the 1998-2000 Yankees. — 100-59 5 Mets The success or failure of this season is determined in the playoffs, not the regular season. Right? RIGHT? 2 98-61 6 Blue Jays Since the beginning of September, Bo Bichette has played in 30 games. He’s had multiple hits 18 times. — 90-69 7 Cardinals The Cardinals have the most NL MVPs with 17. Will they be adding an 18th this year? — 92-67 8 Guardians Piggybacking on the intro topic above, the Hot Hand Theory didn’t work out too well with this club in 2017. They went 33-4 to close the season and then were bounced in the ALDS. Can they exorcise some demons this time around? They are hot again! — 90-69 9 Mariners That Cal Raleigh walk-off home run to clinch a drought-breaking playoff berth was easily one of the most satisfying plays of the season. 3 87-71 10 Padres Sure, 2020 counts, but this team is playoff bound for the first time in a “normal” season since 2006. It wasn’t the Mariners, but it still felt like a significant drought ended, you know? 1 87-72 11 Rays Here’s a weird one, given who they’ve been for so long: The Rays lead the majors with 33 blown saves. I know it isn’t the most telling stat or anything, but it was jarring to see. 1 86-73 12 Phillies They have tried their best to give this thing away, but it seems like Saturday night with the blowout win and Brewers’ blown save turned the tide. 1 86-73 13 Brewers The playoff spot was right there for the taking, but the Brewers lost five of seven, including three of four to the Marlins. That’s just not gonna get it done. — 84-75 14 Orioles The Orioles are the first team since the 1899 St. Louis Perfectos (not kidding!) to go .500 or better the season after losing at least 110 games. — 82-77 15 Giants No team has ever won at least 107 games in a season and then had a full-season losing record the next year. The closest anyone ever came? The 2019 Red Sox, who went 84-78 the year after winning 108. The Giants are desperately trying to avoid this dubious distinction...

Moët Hennessy USA Files NFT & Metaverse Trademark Applications – NFTevening.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/moet-hennessy-usa-files-nft-metaverse-trademark-applications-nftevening-com/ One of the top leading beverage companies — Moët Hennessy, submitted not one but five NFT and metaverse trademark applications for the names “Moet,” “Moet & Chandon,” and “Dom Perignon”. In a nutshell, we can tell that Moët Hennessy’s move into the NFT space is big.  Is Moët Hennessy USA moving to the NFT & Metaverse world? | Credit: Lux Expose Another recent top beverage brand that filed for NFT and metaverse application was Jack Daniel’s. Surprisingly Moët Hennessy filed for its trademark application only a few days after Jack Daniels. In other words, the competition to enter the NFT world is getting bigger. So, what do you think of the move of Moët Hennessy into the NFT world? More Details On Moet Hennessy NFT And Metaverse Trademark Applications At the moment, Moët Hennessy is yet to say anything to the public on the matter. However, thanks to Mike Kondoudis — an Intellectual Property Attorney — we could get hold of the report.  According to Mike, Moët Hennessy filed for five NFT and metaverse trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on September 23. Seeing that Mike also confirmed the news of Jack Daniel’s NFT trademark applications, it is safe to say that the competition is healthy. Also, in Mike’s post, he mentioned what the trademark application covers. It includes three major categories: NFT-backed digital collectables, Retail stores for virtual goods, and Virtual restaurants and bars. Furthermore, he stated there were many other collectables involved. Altogether, Moët Hennessy is taking their NFT and metaverse game to the next level by introducing offers where buyers can use NFT tickets to access online services, including events. What are the trademark applications of Moët Hennessy for NFT & metaverse about? Credit: PRNewswire The Rise Of NFT And Metaverse Trademark Applications In 2022 Clearly, 2022 is the year many famous brands — beverage and none beverage companies and top celebrities, embrace NFTs. From Christina Aguilera, who recently filed for NFT and metaverse trademarks, Kanye west, to Johnnie Walker. Interestingly they are trying different things out and taking advantage of their early adoption. Are you excited to see what comes next for a brand like Moët Hennessy, which is just entering the space? In due time you will find out. All investment/financial opinions expressed by NFTevening.com are not recommendations. This article is educational material. As always, make your own research prior to making any kind of investment.

Samsung’s Decidedly Awesome Galaxy Tab S8+ With Free S Pen Is On Discount – PhoneArena https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/samsungs-decidedly-awesome-galaxy-tab-s8-with-free-s-pen-is-on-discount-phonearena/ If there is one manufacturer other than Apple which has shown it’s serious about tablets, it’s Samsung, and one of the South Korean giant’s best Android tablets to date is selling at a discount right now. The Galaxy Tab S8+ offers everything you would want in a slate: a vibrant and big 12.4-inches display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz, a slim design, fast performance, support for the S Pen stylus for added productivity, and better multitasking than most Android tablets out there. The tablet has a reliable in-display fingerprint sensor and features Dolby Atmos-supported speakers that deliver better sound quality than average laptops. The $59 S Pen comes bundled with the tablet. Unlike most other gadgets available these days, the tablet has a microSD card slot for expanding storage. There is a USB-C port on the right side and pogo pins at the bottom for attaching the optional keyboard case. The slate is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and packs a 10,090mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging. There are two cameras (13MP main + 6MP ultrawide) on the back which are good enough for casual images and document scans and a 12MP front-facing camera which is better than the webcams on most laptops. The S8+ runs Google’s tablet-first Android 12L operating system, which makes large screened devices simpler and easier to use. The biggest addition is a taskbar at the bottom of the display which can temporarily be hidden and elevating the experience further are Samsung’s multitasking tools. The slate will get software support for five years. To sum everything up, the Galaxy Tab S8+ is great for anyone looking for a powerful high-end tablet with multi-day battery life and elegant design. The cherry on top is the Dex mode which turns the interface into a desktop-like layout. The 128GB WiFi model usually costs $899, but right now, Amazon is selling it for $125 less. You can save even more if you opt for the 256GB version, as it’s going for $813 instead of $979 after a discount of 17 percent. The deal is unlikely to last long so act fast and treat yourself to one before it ends.

Crypto Leaks Comments By Partner ‘Uniquely Stupid,’ Judge Says – Bloomberg Law https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/crypto-leaks-comments-by-partner-uniquely-stupid-judge-says-bloomberg-law/ A New York judge Monday called a Roche Freedman co-founding partner’s leaked comments boasting about his firm’s relationship with a crypto startup “uniquely stupid.” Katherine Polk Failla, a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York, also voiced concerns about the firm’s motivations for filing a class action accusing crypto exchange Bitfinex and affiliate Tether of market manipulation. She said she will decide within a week whether the firm should be booted from representing plaintiffs in the case. Monday’s hearing came more than a month after a website called Crypto Leaks released recordings of firm co-founder Kyle Roche discussing a tight relationship with Ava Labs, a blockchain developer. Roche has denied allegations that his firm has used litigation to target Ava Labs competitors. The recordings also showed Roche making disparaging remarks about class members in general and jurors. After the leak, defendants and Roche Freedman’s co-lead counsel—the law firms Selendy Gay Elsberg and Schneider Wallace—filed motions for the firm’s removal from the case. A different plaintiffs firm also urged Failla to reconsider its 2020 appointment of lead counsel in the matter. During the hearing, Roche Freedman name partner Devin Freedman acknowledged that Roche’s comments were “stupid,” but he argued there’s no evidence to support a charge that the firm brought a lawsuit to help Ava Labs. He claimed that the leaks were orchestrated by a defendant, which he did not name, in a separate action and that the firm should remain counsel because it has the most expertise on the underlying issues. Freedman said he and Roche began working on the lawsuit before Ava Labs was even in existence. To protect against the appearance of impropriety, Roche has been kicked off the firm’s class action practice and “walled off” from all existing class action cases, Freedman said. Lawyers for Bitfinex and Tether argued that the steps weren’t enough, claiming the videos raised serious concerns about whether the firm has abused the discovery process. Selendy Gay Elsberg and Schneider Wallace also requested the firm be removed from the matter, claiming it would eliminate a “distraction” created by the recordings. The firms, however, said they would have no issue working with Roche Freedman if the boutique remained on the case. Expats of the prominent litigation firm Boies Schiller started Roche Freedman in 2019 and it now has 25 lawyers in New York, Miami and Boston. The firm, among the most active in the crypto class action space, has filed more than a dozen lawsuits against crypto exchanges and token issuers on behalf of investors and has earned lead counsel status in many of them. The lawsuit against Bitfinex and Tether alleges they were part of a scheme to manipulate the cryptocurrency market and defraud investors. Some of the claims survived a motion to dismiss in 2021. Named plaintiffs in the Bitfinex/Tether action submitted declarations in September saying they wanted to continue to be represented by Roche Freedman.

U.S. In Oath Keepers Trial Outlines Alleged Plotting Before Capitol Attack – The Washington Post https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/u-s-in-oath-keepers-trial-outlines-alleged-plotting-before-capitol-attack-the-washington-post/ Stewart Rhodes, founder of the citizen militia group known as the Oath Keepers. (Susan Walsh/AP) Updated October 3, 2022 at 7:36 p.m. EDT|Published October 3, 2022 at 10:17 a.m. EDT Opening statements and trial testimony started Monday for Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and other members of the extremist group who face seditious conspiracy and other charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Rhodes and four co-defendants — Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell — have pleaded not guilty to felony charges alleging that they conspired for weeks after the 2020 presidential election to unleash political violence to oppose the lawful transfer of power to Joe Biden. The defendants came from Texas, Florida, Ohio and Virginia, and allegedly led a group that traveled to Washington and staged firearms nearby before forcing entry through the Capitol Rotunda doors in combat and tactical gear. Day 2 of testimony in the Oath Keepers trial will resume Tuesday Return to menu The Washington Post’s live coverage of opening statements and the first day of testimony in the seditious conspiracy trial of Stewart Rhodes and other Oath Keepers affiliates has ended for today. Read a recap of Monday’s coverage here. Stewart Rhodes messaged Roger Stone on Nov. 7, 2020: ‘We need to roll’ Return to menu On the day news networks declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 election, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sent a message to a group chat that included longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone. “What’s the plan?” he asked. “We need to roll.” He added, “I’m on my way to DC Right now, with my Oath Keepers tactical leaders for a possible DC op, to do a leaders recon and make plans. I’m available to meet face to face.” He also shared a video comparing the U.S. election in 2020 to the election of Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, with advice for those contesting the results. One of the points Rhodes highlighted was, “We swarmed the streets and started confronting the opponents.” Another: “We stormed the Parliament.” Rhodes discussed resisting election results within hours, messages show Return to menu The first witness in the Oath Keepers trial, FBI Special Agent Michael Palian, displayed a number of messages sent by the group’s leader, Stewart Rhodes, to other people beginning early on Nov. 4, 2020, urging them to resist the result of the presidential election. He said “the left, including the Democratic Party … seek our destruction. We must defeat them. … Even if one of them occupies the White House.” Palian said the FBI extracted numerous messages from Rhodes’s phone that he sent on Signal, an encrypted messaging app. The government is attempting to show that Rhodes began plotting for Jan. 6, 2021, within hours of the election ending on Nov. 3, 2020, even though no one had called the result of the election then. Some of the messages have not previously been made public. These 7 Oath Keepers have pleaded guilty to Jan. 6 conspiracy charges Return to menu Three Oath Keepers members have already pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy, and four others to conspiring to obstruct Congress’s confirmation of the presidential vote on Jan. 6, 2021. Joshua James, 34, of Arab, Ala., and Brian Ullrich, 44, of Guyton, Ga., were charged with seditious conspiracy with Stewart Rhodes. William Todd Wilson, 45, of Newton Grove, N.C., was charged separately. All are cooperating with U.S. prosecutors. In plea papers, James said that Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes “instructed [him] and others to be prepared and called upon to … use lethal force if necessary” to keep Trump in office. After Jan. 6, James said he spent several weeks with Rhodes in Texas, where he said they gathered weapons, burner phones and tactical gear, then returned to Alabama where he “awaited Rhodes’s instructions,” according to his plea. FBI agent investigating Oath Keepers guarded crying senators on Jan. 6 Return to menu On Jan. 6, 2021, FBI special agent Michael Palian was working from home on a health-care fraud squad, he testified as the first witness at the trial of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and four others. Palian was called to the Capitol at 3:30 p.m. that day and was eventually asked to go to the undisclosed location nearby where U.S. senators had relocated. “It was chaotic,” he said. The senators were in “shock,” he said, and some were crying. At 7:30 p.m., he and about 70 other FBI agents walked the senators back to the Capitol building and into the Senate chamber. Two defendants defer opening statements; testimony to start Return to menu After attorneys for Stewart Rhodes, Thomas Caldwell and Jessica Watkins made their opening statements Monday, attorneys for two defendants — Kelly Meggs and Kenneth Harrelson — chose to defer their case introductions to the jury. So prosecutors are now readying their first witness of the trial. Defense lawyers have the option of giving their opening statement immediately after the prosecution has given its statement, or at the outset of the defense case. Defense lawyers are of varying opinions on whether to lay out the defense before the prosecutors start or after they’ve finished. Some believe it is best to get the defense side in before evidence is presented. Some believe it’s better to respond to that evidence after the jury has heard it. Ohio bar owner was a ‘protest junkie’ just ‘there to help,’ lawyer says Return to menu The lawyer for Jessica Watkins, the Ohio bar owner who is accused of leading one of the assaults on the Capitol on Jan. 6, said she became involved with the Oath Keepers out of her compulsion to protect people and had no role in planning for any attack on the Capitol. Watkins had served in the Army but was discharged early, then served as a firefighter, her attorney Jonathan Crisp said. She started the Ohio State Regular Militia, Crisp said, because “she was a protest junkie. She wanted to go to protests and help law enforcement. She was a medic, she was there to help. She followed protest to protest to protest, that was her thing.” Who is Stewart Rhodes, what has he said about Jan. 6 and why does he wear an eye patch? Return to menu Would-be paramilitary commander or couch-surfing grifter? Stewart Rhodes has been described as both and more as he has risen to become one of the most visible leaders of the right-wing “Patriot/militia” movement. A former Army paratrooper and Yale Law School graduate, Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers in 2009 with the what he said was the mission of preventing a “full-blown totalitarian dictatorship,” and drawn recruits from the military and law enforcement. In practice, analysts say, it is a collection of local chapters with a similar, disinformation-fueled ideology about what they view as the inevitable collapse of the U.S. government into tyranny. Attorney for Virginia defendant points blame at FBI Return to menu The attorney for Thomas Caldwell, a 68-year-old Berryville, Va., defendant accused of organizing a “Quick Reaction Force” for the Oath Keepers on Jan. 6, used much of his opening statement to accuse the FBI of incompetence and overreach. “It’s an absolute outrage,” David Fischer said. “I’m begging you to clear his name.” Fischer said investigators “spared no expense” yet repeatedly fumbled. He said that they initially believed that Caldwell had gone into the building when he hadn’t, that they got his age and eye color wrong, and that they didn’t know he had actually briefly worked for the FBI. They thought he was a commander in the Oath Keepers because other associates called him that, but it was actually a reference to his military service, Fischer said. Oath Keepers often staged armed ‘quick reaction forces’ outside rallies, lawyer says Return to menu As the lawyer for defendant Thomas E. Caldwell began his opening statement Monday, he said that the Oath Keepers regularly used “quick reaction forces” with multiple weapons as a contingency for rallies they protected in recent years. The government has alleged that Caldwell, a Virginia resident, helped coordinate the gathering of guns and ammunition for a “quick reaction force” across the river from D.C., to be summoned as part of the effort to stop the congressional certification of the electoral college vote. Caldwell’s attorney, David Fischer, emphasized to the jury that, “the verb is to react, it’s not to act. Anybody who has served five seconds in the United States military knows that a quick reaction force or quick response team reacts to emergency situation. It’s a ‘break the glass in case of emergency’ group of people, typically EMTs or other medical personnel, to come in as a rescue unit. By definition a QRF would not be used to attack anything, including the United States Capitol.” Why does Rhodes invoke Insurrection Act as defense for Jan. 6 planning? Return to menu Stewart Rhodes has pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy, saying his co-defendants’ planning and actions related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol were defensive, taken in anticipation of what they believed would be a lawful order from then President Donald Trump deputizing militias under the Insurrection Act to stop Joe Biden from becoming president. But why is Rhodes using an obscure, rarely used statute designed to protect the country from insurrection allegedly to support an actual insurrection? Rhodes plans to testify, denies call to Trump: defense lawyer Return to menu The closest the Justice Department has come to tying Donald Trump directly to extremists involved in the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol is the allegation that on the evening of Jan. 6, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes cal...

News – Astellas Pharma https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/news-astellas-pharma/ TOKYO and Hennigsdorf, Germany, October 4, 2022 – Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE:4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., “Astellas”) and Pantherna Therapeutics GmbH (CEO:Klaus Giese, Ph.D., “Pantherna”) today announced that the companies have entered into a new technology evaluation agreement for research to generate mRNA-based regenerative medicine programs using direct reprogramming (transdifferentiation)*. This agreement expands the scope of the technology evaluation agreement for research, which Astellas and Pantherna entered into in 2021, to include new target organ. Pantherna owns a proprietary platform of state-of-the-art, unique mRNA molecules (PTXmRNAs) for enhancing the efficiency of mRNA actions in the body. Under the new agreement, Pantherna’s mRNA platform and Astellas’ world-class drug discovery capabilities will be combined to promote research on the generation of regenerative medicine programs for new target organ using a direct reprogramming approach. Astellas will be responsible for providing drug discovery ideas, preparing candidate compounds for technology evaluation, and performing research aimed at developing this therapeutic modality, while Pantherna will be responsible for providing technical information and development support. “We are excited about this expansion of our collaboration with Astellas,” said Pantherna’s Chief Executive Officer, Klaus Giese, Ph.D. “We feel honored that Astellas, as a leading pharmaceutical company, has underscored their interest in leveraging the unique aspects of our proprietary therapeutic mRNA technology.” “Through this agreement, which expands the scope of our collaboration with Pantherna, we will create innovative regenerative medicine programs for new target organ, and we expect that we will be able to thereby expand the treatment options for diseases with high unmet medical needs.” said Taiji Sawamoto, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Applied Research & Operations, at Astellas. “The collaboration with Pantherna is an initiative which synergistically integrates Astellas’ expertise with mRNA as a therapeutic modality and its capabilities cultivated in the research field of direct reprogramming, and will promote the development of next-generation treatments using a new modality/technology based on the Focus Area approach strategy.” Click below for a copy of the full press release

New Section Of San Pedro Creek Park An ‘engineering Marvel’ – San Antonio Express-News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/new-section-of-san-pedro-creek-park-an-engineering-marvel-san-antonio-express-news/ Oct. 3, 2022Updated: Oct. 3, 2022 4:55 p.m. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 1of9 A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 2of9 A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 3of9 A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 4of9Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, left, and San Antonio River Authority Board Chairman Jim Campbell, tour Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park, Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. Segments 1.2 and 1.3 will complete Phase 1 of the project when it opens to the public on Friday, Oct. 14 in the evening. With family-friendly festivities scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 15. The entire project is expected for completion by late 2023. The project is funded by Bexar County.Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 5of9 A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 6of9 A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 7of9 Work continues on the historic foundation of the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, part of Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 8of9 UTSA’s future School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center abuts Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less 9of9 A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-NewsShow MoreShow Less SAN ANTONIO — With an illuminated, 250-foot-wide “water wall,” pedestrian bridges with glow-in-the-dark stones and one of the oldest African American church sites in Texas, a new stretch of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park could become a new focal point in downtown San Antonio. The public will get its first glimpse of the latest section of the restored creek at a lighting ceremony scheduled for Oct. 14 at 6:45 p.m. On ExpressNews.com: New section of San Pedro Creek park almost done The ceremony will kick off a two-day celebration of the project’s latest phase, a nearly half-mile stretch of park. With the grand opening, the $300 million effort to beautify, deepen and widen 2.2 miles of the historic creek is nearly halfway done. The 15-foot-tall water wall just south of Houston Street is the centerpiece of the newest stretch, incorporating a high-tech art installation by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist Adam Frank. At night, people will be able to speak, clap or sing into a microphone, setting off a cascade of colored LED lights. A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News “We really expect this block, especially, to be very active,” said Christine Clayton, project manager for the San Antonio River Authority, which is overseeing the Bexar County-funded enhancement of the creek. On ExpressNews.com: New creek design preserves historic Black church site Clayton expects it to attract not just people. The water wall and other improvements will aerate the water and prevent contaminants from flowing downstream and into the San Antonio River. Clayton said the river authority already has seen a return of small tilapia, turtles, ducks and other wildlife. The new section of park from Houston Street to César Chávez Boulevard features two pedestrian bridges with stones that glow in the dark. “I came out and saw it when they first installed it, and it really does glow,” Clayton said during a media tour Monday. The project is intended to highlight the culture and history of downtown as well as remove 30 acres of property from a 100-year flood plain. A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News The improvements include a five-panel ceramic mural by San Antonio artists Kathy and Lionel Sosa, titled “La Gloriosa Historia de San Pedro Creek.” Located behind the Spanish Governor’s Palace between Commerce and Dolorosa, the mural tells the story of how the city evolved along the banks of the creek — a tale whose origin predates the 1718 founding of the first Spanish mission near the creek’s headwaters. Farther downstream, students at the expanded University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus and employees at the new federal courthouse will be able to sit along the creek and eat lunch or quietly reflect. “Students can come relax, read a book and study on the lawn, and the community can come and see some of the art that UTSA has placed as well,” Clayton said. The project’s progress was complicated by the pandemic, by supply chain issues and by the discovery in February 2020 of the ruins of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church and the Klemcke/Menger Soapworks within the project area. On ExpressNews.com: Pastor finds joy in discovery of ruins of 19th century Black church The soapworks was established in the mid-1800s. St. James, founded in 1867, moved into the former soap plant in the 1870s and provided a spiritual home for freed and formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War. The remnants of the church and soapworks were found in an area that was slated to become an amphitheater and entertainment plaza. The discovery prompted the river authority, working with the Army Corps of Engineers, to hold public hearings on a design change. Based on community feedback, project leaders preserved the remnants of the church and soap factory, although one wall of the church’s ruins had to be carefully disassembled and rebuilt. A view of the Phase 1 of the San Pedro Creek Culture Park between West Nueva and Dolorosa Streets. Jerry Lara, Staff / San Antonio Express-News On ExpressNews.com: New design preserves site of historic Black church in San Antonio People will be able to walk within the historic worship space, which will be covered with a shade structure and furnished with benches. “It was a big design challenge,” said Derek Boese, general manager of the river authority. “I think the end result, as you can see, really turned out well with consensus from the community.” On ExpressNews.com: New section of downtown ‘culture park’ almost completed County Judge Nelson Wolff said he expects the new section of the culture park to serve as a catalyst for development downtown and as a quality-of-life enhancement for residents. “You’ve got to remember, it was just nothing but a little narrow drainage ditch going through here,” Wolff said. “To be able to get enough width and to get the water flow — it’s really, to me, an engineering marvel. … I don’t know if there’s been any sort of civil work project that could have been any more complicated than this one.” Wolff said it’s important to acknowledge the role of the creek, which flows parallel to the river, in San Antonio’s origins. “We wanted a story told along the creek so that people understand this is where the city began,” Wolff added. “Not on the river; it began on the creek.” shuddleston@express-news.net

Travel Advisor Answers Your Vacation Questions In Wake Of Hurricane Ian – WSYR https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/travel-advisor-answers-your-vacation-questions-in-wake-of-hurricane-ian-wsyr/ by: Adrienne Smith Posted: Oct 3, 2022 / 05:18 PM EDT Updated: Oct 3, 2022 / 05:28 PM EDT by: Adrienne Smith Posted: Oct 3, 2022 / 05:18 PM EDT Updated: Oct 3, 2022 / 05:28 PM EDT DEWITT, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – The years of clean-up in Florida have some Central New Yorkers who spend their winter there or have planned trips to the Sunshine State unsure of what to do next, especially if the destination is one that was devastated by Hurricane Ian. To help clear up the confusion and answer your vacation questions, NewsChannel 9 sat down with a local travel advisor at AAA in DeWitt. Tina Davidson-Deitz is one of the company’s branch managers in Central New York. She said phones at her office have been ringing off the hook in the wake of Hurricane Ian and its aftermath. “We’ve been working diligently on getting everybody back home safely.” TINA DAVIDSON-DEITZ, BRANCH MANAGER, AAA CENTRAL NEW YORK AAA of Central New York has had more than 500 travelers that have been impacted by Hurricane Ian with more expected. Davidson-Deitz said those folks who were traveling when Hurricane Ian made landfall had a manager or travel advisor from AAA reach out to help with changing flights and contacting their insurance companies. It’s fun to book your own travel. It’s fun to go on there and book your airline ticket and see how far you can get, but it’s so important to book with a travel advisor and organization that knows the business. AAA has been in business for well over 100 years. I’ve been in the business for almost 30 years. We’ve been through every pandemic, every weather issue you can think of. Being with someone who can take care of you from the beginning of your trip to the end is so important. TINA DAVIDSON-DEITZ, BRANCH MANAGER, AAA CENTRAL NEW YORK AAA ADVICE IF YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING TRIP PLANNED: Stay informed Download airline apps on your mobile device Communicate with hotel about any potential changes to your stay Research city/town/village before your trip Work with a travel advisor/company Purchase travel insurance for coverage in unprecedented times “Just being informed in advance. Keeping in touch with your travel advisor. That’s going to be the absolute best thing to do is to stay informed. Do not make any unnecessary travel at this time.” TINA DAVIDSON-DEITZ, BRANCH MANAGER, AAA CENTRAL NEW YORK Your Stories link Live Doppler 9 Map Center CNY View Oswego Area Syracuse Area

Top US Regulators Say Crypto Poses Financial Stability Risks – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/top-us-regulators-say-crypto-poses-financial-stability-risks-69news-wfmz-tv/ WASHINGTON (AP) — Top regulators on Monday recommended a series of new safeguards to ensure that a growing and unregulated cryptocurrency market doesn’t imperil U.S. financial stability. Among seven major recommendations, regulators called on Congress to pass legislation that would address the systemic risks caused by the growth of stablecoins, which are a form of cryptocurrency pegged to the price of another financial asset, like the U.S. dollar or gold. Recent volatility in the cryptocurrency market, especially in stablecoins, has made regulators particularly wary about the need for regulation as usage of the digital asset continues to grow. Members of the Financial Stability Oversight Council met Monday to approve the recommendations of a 125-page report created in response to President Joe Biden’s March executive order on digital assets. The report also calls for giving agencies greater regulatory power over cryptocurrencies and digital assets. The oversight council is an interagency group headed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and includes Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the role of the council is to identify risks and emerging threats to U.S. financial stability. Powell, who has recently said stablecoins will need greater regulation as they become more widely used by consumers, said Monday that “acting now will allow us to support responsible financial innovation while preserving financial stability.” Yellen said, “As we’ve painfully learned from history, innovation without adequate regulation can result in significant disruptions and harm to the financial system.” At the start of the year, the council stated it would focus its efforts on researching and developing recommendations on digital asset issues, as more Americans invest in cryptocurrencies. Roughly 16% of adult Americans, or 40 million people, have invested in cryptocurrencies, according to a September 2021 Pew Research Center poll. And 43% of men age 18-29 have put money into cryptocurrency. Last month, the Treasury Department issued a report that recommended the U.S. work on developing a digital dollar. Yellen said Treasury recommends that the U.S. “advance policy and technical work on a potential central bank digital currency, or CBDC, so that the United States is prepared if CBDC is determined to be in the national interest.” More than 100 central banks around the world are considering a digital currency, but just a few have actually issued one. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Type 2 Diabetes: Research Shows Mindfulness May Help Lower Blood Sugar – Healthline https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/type-2-diabetes-research-shows-mindfulness-may-help-lower-blood-sugar-healthline/ New research shows that mind-body practices like yoga effectively lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Getty Images/Jessie Casson Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition with widespread prevalence, but symptoms are manageable through medication, a healthy diet, and lifestyle modifications, including physical activity. A new meta-analysis of the current research shows that mind-body practices effectively lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Results indicate that yoga had the most significant effect compared to other mindfulness practices that were studied. While rigorous physical activity can be helpful for managing T2D, gentler mind-body practices, including meditation, breathwork, and basic yoga postures, can also be effective. Around 37 million Americans have diabetes, 90–95% of cases of which are type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to the . Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition, but symptoms are manageable and, in some cases, potentially reversible through treatments like prescription drugs, a healthy diet, and regular physical activity. New research shows that mind-body practices like yoga can help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar (blood glucose) levels. Rooted in mindfulness, mind-body practices are intended to be used alongside current standard treatments. By keeping blood glucose levels within the recommended range, people can reduce their risk of complications associated with type 2 diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision problems. In the study, recently published online in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, the authors combined and analyzed results from 28 previous randomized controlled trials in what’s known as a meta-analysis. Earlier studies involved people with type 2 diabetes doing a mind-body practice alongside standard diabetes treatment. Researchers compared them to a second group of people who received only the standard treatment. In a meta-analysis published in 2017, Herpreet Thind, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the department of Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and her colleagues found that people with type 2 diabetes who did yoga saw improvements in their blood glucose levels. The new analysis, led by Fatimata Sanogo, a PhD student in the department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, expanded on the previous research and included studies looking at the benefits of other mind-body practices, such as: meditation qigong mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) However, the majority of studies included in the analysis were yoga interventions. The results from the new analysis show that mind-body practices led to an average reduction of 0.84% in participants’ . This is a measure of the average blood glucose levels over the past 3 months. Yoga had the biggest impact on blood glucose levels, leading to an HbA1c reduction of 1%. The other mind-body practices studied also had a positive impact on blood glucose. Study author Richard M. Watanabe, PhD, a professor of population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, told Healthline that many doctors who specialize in diabetes would not be surprised that mind-body practices can positively impact blood glucose levels. “What is surprising in this study, though, is the magnitude of the effect,” he said. “It’s almost the same effect size that you would see with pharmacologic intervention.” One , for instance, found that treatment with the drug metformin by itself lowered people’s HbA1c by 1.12%, compared to people taking an inactive placebo. Watanabe added that the impact of mind-body practices on blood glucose levels was “on top of the standard of care,” such as diet, physical activity, and medication treatments. Watanabe said one of the strengths of the new analysis is that the studies were done in several countries — although the majority occurred in India. As a result, “the consistency in the outcomes [of these studies] suggests that what we’re observing probably can be generalized to the entire human population,” he said. Thind, the lead author of the 2017 meta-analysis, agreed that the new study’s results are promising. “It is encouraging to see that the research on mind-body interventions is increasing and consistently showing beneficial outcomes [for type 2 diabetes],” she told Healthline. However, she pointed out that most of the studies did not have a long-term follow-up to see if the benefits of the mind-body interventions persisted. By comparison, another recent study, which looked at the health benefits of online yoga for knee osteoarthritis, found that once the study ended, people’s participation in the classes dwindled, as did the benefits. “Overall, we need more rigorous research to make any conclusive statements about the efficacy of yoga or other mind-body interventions as a complementary therapy for individuals with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes in the United States,” Thind said. Many mind-body practices include physical activity, which in itself can improve blood glucose levels. In addition, “mind-body interventions also lead to increased awareness, so they may help promote self-care activities including improved diet and physical activity,” Thind said. According to Dr. Rashmi S. Mullur, an endocrinologist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles, mind-body practices can also help people with type 2 diabetes cope with stress, including any stress related to their condition. This is the stress that comes from living with diabetes (i.e., carefully monitoring what you eat and how active you are and possibly taking medications.) “As a stress-reduction tool, yoga and other mind-body approaches have been shown to improve blood sugar numbers for patients with diabetes-related distress,” Mullur noted. In terms of future research, Watanabe said he’d like to see more research looking specifically at how mind-body practices impact the body’s stress response in people with type 2 diabetes alongside the changes in blood glucose levels. Some studies have already begun to explore the association between stress hormones and type 2 diabetes. “I think the next step is to see if stress hormones such as cortisol, glucagon, or epinephrine are elevated [in these people] and whether these mind-body interventions can lower them,” he said. Many people are familiar with yoga as a form of physical activity, but this traditional practice also includes breathing exercises, meditation, and other techniques to help focus the mind and improve overall health. “As an Indigenous practice to India, yoga includes the physical, mental, and spiritual practices that support an overall healthy lifestyle that is part of Ayurvedic living,” Muller said. Meditation can also be practiced by itself. As with yoga, there are a number of types of meditation, such as keeping your attention on the breath or another object, visualization, or reciting a phrase (mantra). A similar practice is mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), an 8-week structured program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, and based on the traditional Buddhist practices of mindfulness and meditation. It includes both sitting meditation and mindful movement. Qigong is a that involves gentle movements, deep breathing, and meditative techniques, all aimed at improving health and well-being. An intense physical practice — such as what’s often seen with certain types of yoga — can positively impact blood glucose levels through increased physical activity and weight loss. But gentle and seated yoga practices may also improve blood sugar levels, in part, by improving diabetes-related distress. “If we think about yoga in its gentlest form — sitting, breathing, and linking breath with movement — that has a huge impact for patients with diabetes,” Mullur noted. And many of the benefits of yoga come from its role not as a physical practice but as a mind-body awareness practice. “The support for [the blood glucose benefits of] yoga is really around the physical practice linked with pranayama — the breath — and with meditation,” Mullur said. A growing body of research suggests that mind-body practices, particularly yoga, can lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Despite the positive implications, however, more long-term research is still needed. Be that as it may, almost anyone can benefit from practicing mindfulness. Thind said that people with type 2 diabetes could try out the mind-body practices included in the recent research to see if they are beneficial. If you’re living with type 2 diabetes and are curious whether mind-body practices could help you manage your symptoms, you may wish to speak with your doctor first. And regardless of which type of mindfulness practice you choose, it’s always a good idea to learn from a qualified teacher. “Individuals with chronic conditions who are new to yoga or qigong should practice them under supervision of a trained instructor to ensure their safety,” Thind said.

Council Seeks To Rejuvenate Central Avenue Block | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/council-seeks-to-rejuvenate-central-avenue-block-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ The former P&G Foods and HSBC bank building are part of the project. Dunkirk’s Common Council is looking to bring some life to a nearly desolate 400 block of Central Avenue. A resolution, sponsored by members Nancy Nichols, Martin Bamonto, James Stoyle and Natalie Luczkowiak, is seeking $2 million in grant funding through the Empire State Development’s Restore New York Round Six program. Sites being considered include: 401-403 Central, which formerly housed the HSBC and First Niagara banks; 411 Central, which was home to P&G Foods; and 423-427 Central, which is currently home to The Studio while the rest of the building is vacant. Two of the locations are currently owned by ZTS Development, LLC, which is owned by Allen Steinberg. The other location, the former bank, is in tax foreclosure and would be sold by Chautauqua County to the Dunkirk Local Development Corp. “The proposed project is consistent with (the) city’s (Brownfield Opportunity Area) Plan and the Comprehensive Plan, and acts as a driver to promote economic development and reinvestment in a vacant building,” the resolution states in regard to what is being billed as the Central Avenue Transformation project. Council meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with a workshop at 5. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Analyst Expresses Scepticism Over Roblox’s Metaverse Vision – PCGamesN https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/analyst-expresses-scepticism-over-robloxs-metaverse-vision-pcgamesn/ Investment analyst Clay Griffin of MoffettNathanson, a boutique research firm, has expressed scepticism about Roblox’s metaverse vision in a new report. Griffin suggests Roblox’s vision for the future of the sandbox game platform and metaverse may be overblown, and its efforts to focus on the big picture are simply obscuring the current setbacks the company faces. An article published by MarketWatch and circulated via Dow Jones Newswire says the analyst’s report, titled Roblox: Growing Pains, Initiating at Underperform, $19 PT, describes Roblox experiences as “lightweight and derivative,” which may explain why the company is touting its central vision for the metaverse rather than addressing today’s challenges. “But in a market increasingly fraught about the here and now, Roblox seems to want to pivot the narrative to a distant and, in our view, rose-coloured, picture of the future,” Griffin wrote. “And, of course, its expanded role in it.” Roblox’s stock value has tumbled to about one-third of its value this year. In 2021, the company reached its peak capitalisation of $78 billion, while the cap was only $20.7 billion as of October 3 trading. However, Griffin isn’t entirely down on the Roblox. He wrote that he expects a “reasonably good margin profile” for the metaverse company. However, he’s not convinced that “Roblox’s reality will be as grand as its vision.” Noting that Roblox is and remains primarily a games platform, he suggested advertising could be “material” for the company. However, he suggested it’s too early to tell what impacts these ad strategies might have on the company overall. He also noted that Roblox is continuing to ride the wave of some of the expectations of what he deems “Metaverse mania,” specifically citing the NFT craze that swept through the investment world in late 2021 and 2022. The analyst suggested a price target of $19, compared with the company’s closing price on Friday of $35.84. Roblox has been taking strides to rebrand itself as a metaverse company for people of all ages and backgrounds, in contrast to the corporation’s longstanding image as a game company for kids. It recently changed its Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) age rating from ages ten and older (E10+) to teen (T) and introduced voice chat for users 13 and older. Some of these efforts to attract older audiences seem to be working: users 13 and older now account for more than one-half of players on the platform. Regardless of whether Griffin’s analysis is correct, there’s no doubt that the Roblox of the future will be much different from the Roblox of the past. You can check out the best Roblox games in 2022 to decide whether Griffin is right to be sceptical about the platform’s popularity. Be sure to also pick up free avatar gear with the codes on our Roblox promo codes list for October, and visit our Roblox music codes for October for songs to play on your boombox.

What Arizona Coach Jedd Fisch Said At His Press Conference To Open Oregon Week – Arizona Desert Swarm https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/what-arizona-coach-jedd-fisch-said-at-his-press-conference-to-open-oregon-week-arizona-desert-swarm/ Arizona has alternated wins and losses this season. And while the opponent each week has played a role in that, there’s something to be said about what, if anything, the Wildcats have learned from each performance and used it to prepare for the next game. That was the mindset Jedd Fisch and his staff had when reviewing film from the 43-20 victory over Colorado on Sunday and how it can help Arizona for this week’s matchup against No. 12 Oregon. “Saw a lot of things that we felt we could build upon,” Fisch said. “Saw a lot of things that we thought we did well but can do better. Complimentary football last week. We’re going to need complimentary football this week. This is going to be a great challenge for our team.” Here’s what else Fisch discussed at his Monday press conference: On Jayden de Laura: “I think that he’s going to be somebody that will continue to improve each week. It was pretty, pretty neat to see how he played, and the fact that we’ve only had him for five games. You look around the league and look at the quarterbacks and the head coaches, the relationships that they’ve had with their guys for a very long time. Even in this case, with Bo Nix, coming from Auburn where their offensive coordinator was at prior (to Oregon). I’m just looking forward to just Jayden getting better every single week.” On his relationship with de Laura: “Every week we continue to build trust. He was 20 for 29 against North Dakota State and no turnovers. Against Cal he threw for 401 yards and continued to move the ball, this week he did it again. I think every day we build more and more trust, and that’s what it comes down to. This is year one, game five for us. And he’s a sophomore coming out of a run-and-shoot system, so the more time he spends in our system, the better he’s going to be. And he has all the gifts physically. So it’s now a matter of just continuing to improve in the system.” On de Laura checking down more often: “As we are spending more time together in the film room there are some opportunities, especially on early downs, to be able to find completions. I think he was a 71 percent passer this past game. And when you’re when you’re at that number, it’s because you’re able to say no, yes, rather than No, I’ll wait … and then something bad happens. And what he’s been able to do and what he’s really emphasized is, the more you can see things quicker, the more he can get the ball out of his hands, faster, less hits, and more to the playmakers quicker.” On how Arizona’s receivers compare to others Fisch has worked with in college: “It’s a very good receiving corps. I’ve been very fortunate. We had a bunch of first-rounders at Miami the two years I was there. At Michigan Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson were both drafted in the third and fourth round. Eric Decker at Minnesota. At UCLA, Jordan Lasley and Darren Andrews were both NFL players, but this is certainly a good group and it’s fun to coach them.” On Keyan Burnett taking on a bigger role: “Keyan is gonna have to step up. It’s a next man up mentality. He’s gonna have to play more than he was probably expecting to play, let’s call it a couple of weeks ago. He’s extremely athletic. He is 238 pounds. He’s strong. He can run, he catch, but it’s college football now and you’re now blocking defensive ends that are big and strong and some older than you, and he’s going to have to not just be a pass catcher. I expect him to be able to run behind him, to have him cut off the backside ends if we’re running away from him. And really, in general, I think he is just going to grow up fast.” On if Tanner McLachlan’s role changes with Alex Lines’ departure: “Tanner is playing the same position as he played. In our zebra package, he’s the only tight end in the game. Alex and him were rotating, so Tanner will take more of those reps. Keyan will take some of those reps, Roberto (Miranda) or Tyler (Powell) might come in for a few of those. And then, when we get into our two tight-end sets, it’s a pretty balanced formation, so whichever side you’re on you’re on but. For the most part Tanner’s role is not really changing too much, but potentially expanding here or there.” On McLachlan’s blocking: “I think that Tanner, the more confident you feel as a blocker, the more you’re gonna continue to drive players down the field, the more you’ll use your feet rather than just trying to block with your hands. And what Tanner did was kept his feet moving, and he kept him engaged, so you kept seeing kind of the defender moving with him backwards. And when you have that, that’s just great effort. And it’s also the determination to block through the whistle rather than just assume the player’s blocked.” On Tetairoa McMillan: “When you watch T-Mac this past week, the blocking showed up. We used him on a critical 3rd and 3 where we ran a quarterback sweep play where he blocked the defensive end and did a really nice job with that. I think he saw some blocking downfield. Still needs to get better with his run blocking, his pass blocking. There was a screen that we threw to Cowing, that was a 3rd and 20, that we got tackled two yards short of the sticks. We could have completed that block better and gotten in the end zone. But T-Mac is improving every week. I expect a better game out of him this week than last week, but you know when it comes to being a true freshman and starting and playing 65 plays in the game you have to start building up that callus of being able to just get better, get stronger and get tougher. And he’s doing all of those three things, it’s pretty cool to watch.” On Jacob Cowing: “He’s fast, he’s twitchy. He has the ability to see space in front of him. Football is a big game of geometry, and when you can see space and you’re able to have an idea of angles, is what I think he does really well. I think he can understand what angle a defender is coming at him, and he does a nice job of avoiding.” On if he was concerned Cowing’s play at UTEP could translate to the Pac-12: “I wasn’t, because I think when you look at his skills, his true skills of catch, run and you could see him pulling away from defenders. And when you can see a guy pull away from defenders you kind of can translate that our level. To being able to do it in Pac-12 games. He’s gonna have to have a good game this week. We need Jacob to have his best game. And we know that, with these defenders, they’re going to be physical, they’re going to be very well coached, they’re tough, and for Jacob in this game it’s going to be a great challenge.” On how de Laura and Cowing have gelled so quickly: “I think it’s a credit to those two kids and their coaches. Jimmie and Kevin have done a great job, Coach Cummings and Coach Doherty, connecting those guys pre-practice post-practice, making sure that they’re always getting some extra work in. Those two guys are very close. But it’s not just those two, it’s now Dorian (Singer) getting involved in the picture, and T-Mac of course. The ability to just kind of use the summertime and use training camp post-practices to just get maybe another rep. The more comfortable you are communicating, like hey, if they do this I’m gonna break in, or if this corner stays high I’m going to do whatever. The more comfortable they are to talk with each other the more players could just be players out there. That’s what Mike Wiley is. Mike Wiley is just a ballplayer. There’s some things that Mike does sometimes I’m like, hey, what just happened there? And he’s like, well, I saw this or I saw that, and that’s what really good players can do.” On Wiley’s in-play adjustments: “The first touchdown he caught he was not necessarily designed to run that route, per se, he was more a checkdown on the left side of the tackle box, but he just saw this space occur right in front of them and he said, if I go right right here, I’m gonna be wide open right in front of Jayden’s vision, but if I hang right on the left, the Will linebacker can attach to me. And he just kind of was a player, and he just made a big time play and Jayden saw him right away. Gave it to him and walked into the end zone.” On how the defense played vs. Colorado: “Defensively I thought we had a good game. The more I watched it, the more plays I saw on film that were to be had. I thought our guys played with great passion and energy.” On tackling and gap integrity: “We need to continue to improve in all those areas as well. Ten missed tackles for 65 yards. Can’t have it. You’re gonna always have a missed tackle or two in all leagues, and you’re certainly going to have them in our league where you have a lot of skill players, but you want to try to minimize that, the missed tackles. You need to create a couple tackles for losses, and then make it hard to run. So we’re going to spend all week long talking about gap fits, talk about running fits, talk about being where we need to be, and we’ll drill tackling every single day this week as we did last week to see if we can be a little bit better at it.” On getting more young players in the game on the defensive front: “Number one, we don’t want to have the same four defensive linemen play every snap. It’s a it’s a physical game. You’re up front, your guys are trying to wear on you a little bit. Coach (Johnny) Nansen, when we hired him, one of the biggest things that he’s shown over the different teams he’s been with is the amount of defensive linemen that play and rotate. We weren’t getting enough of that, and we needed to make a decision that we’re going to play freshmen in the rotation. Our depth was coming from two freshmen. Jacob Kongaika, Ta’ita’i (Uiagalelei), Deuce Davis, Deuce Lane. So when you’re using your true freshmen in depth, you ...

Argentina’s State-Owned Energy Company Moves Into Crypto Mining – CoinDesk https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/argentinas-state-owned-energy-company-moves-into-crypto-mining-coindesk/ Andrés Engler is a CoinDesk editor based in Argentina, where he covers the Latin American crypto ecosystem. He holds BTC and ETH. YPF, Argentina’s state-owned energy company, is supplying power to an undisclosed international crypto mining company, the firm said on Sunday. The renewable energy arm of YPF – YPF Luz – three months ago commenced a 1 megawatt (MW) pilot operation that provides power generated from waste gas left over from oil production, YPF Luz CEO Martín Mandarano told the national news agency Télam. The project is located in southern Argentina, in an area known for its shale oil and gas resources called Vaca Muerta (Dead Cow). The company plans to open a second pilot – this one 8MW in size – before the end of the year, Mandarano said. “We started to develop this generation pilot for cryptocurrency mining with a vision of sustainability and business from flare natural gas, which cannot be harnessed during exploration and at the beginning of the production of an oil field,” Mandarano added. In June, Crusoe Energy, a privately held U.S. company that pioneered bitcoin (BTC) mining by using wasted natural gas as a power source, announced it was expanding to Oman and Abu Dhabi after receiving investments from the sovereign wealth funds of those two countries. Sign up for Market Wrap, our daily newsletter explaining what happened today in crypto markets – and why. 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 . Andrés Engler is a CoinDesk editor based in Argentina, where he covers the Latin American crypto ecosystem. He holds BTC and ETH. Andrés Engler is a CoinDesk editor based in Argentina, where he covers the Latin American crypto ecosystem. He holds BTC and ETH.

GM Outsells Toyota In U.S. As Industry Braces For Brakes On Demand – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/gm-outsells-toyota-in-u-s-as-industry-braces-for-brakes-on-demand-reuters/ The new GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., March 16, 2021. Picture taken March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Oct 3 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) outsold Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) in the United States in the third quarter, data on Monday showed, but analysts and investors are fretting that a darkening economic picture will lead to a drop in car sales. Thus far, a shortage of cars due to supply disruptions, combined with a preference for personal transport, has seen consumers willing to shell out more money, largely protecting profits at automakers and auto dealers who have pulled back on discounts. But analysts now warn demand may lose steam in the coming quarters as rising interest rates discourage consumers from paying more money for cars and trucks in the coming months. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com “We’re cautiously optimistic about moving forward. There’s a lot of negative consumer sentiment in the marketplace. So we’re obviously concerned about that,” Randy Parker, chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor North America, said in an interview after the automaker reported a 3% rise in vehicle sales. GM said it sold 555,580 vehicles in the quarter through September, 24% higher than last year when inventory shortages hit sales. Toyota’s sales fell 7.1% to 526,017 vehicles in the same period. Reuters Graphics GM outsold Toyota by about 80,000 vehicles through the first nine months of the year. Toyota in 2021 topped GM in sales by about 110,000 vehicles, the first time since 1931 that GM did not lead the U.S. auto industry in sales. Referring to the 2021 win, Toyota President Akio Toyoda last week told dealers he did a “‘happy dance’ in my office” when the figures were announced. U.S. new vehicle sales in September finished at 1.11 million units, with an annual sales rate of 13.49 million, according to Wards Intelligence data. GM, whose shares closed up 2.4%, added it would boost production of its Chevrolet Bolt electric models in response to higher demand. Shipping finished-vehicles to consumers proved to be another headache for some companies. Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) shares fell on Monday after it sold fewer-than-expected vehicles in the third quarter as deliveries lagged way behind production due to logistic hurdles. Supply issues dragged down sales of Fiat Chrysler (STLA.MI) 6%. However, macroeconomic concerns are on top of analyst minds after used-car retailer CarMax Inc’s (KMX.N) inflation warning last week. “Discounts may begin to materialize as economic conditions, rising interest rates and steady vehicle availability affect the imbalance of supply and demand over the coming quarters,” said TrueCar analyst Zack Krelle. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Maju Samuel Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Tech News: 5 Things To Know In Australia Today – Gizmodo Australia https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/tech-news-5-things-to-know-in-australia-today-gizmodo-australia-6/ Good morning, we hope those of you with a public holiday yesterday enjoyed the extra day off. A few things have happened in the tech world since we last spoke, so here they are. 1. Australia Post now delivering…internet Australia Post has launched its first home internet service, Australia Post Broadband. The service uses the NBN Co network and includes eight different month-to-month plan options, with no lock-in contracts. The cheapest plan will set you back $54 a month (11Mbps), and the most expensive, $154 a month (250Mbps). I’d rather their ‘innovation’ be opening shopfronts outside of business hours but here we are. Australia Post Broadband pricing. Image: Australia Post/Gizmodo Australia 2. Bruce Willis keeps his face Bruce Willis was back in headlines last week as news broke that the actor had seemingly sold the rights to his face to Deepcake, a Russian AI company specialising in deepfakes. Willis’ representatives, however, are contesting these reports. In a statement shared with the Hollywood Reporter, Willis’ representatives stated that the actor “has no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company.” Willis’ representatives did not immediately return Gizmodo’s request for further comment. 3. Brissy delivery drone crashed and left many without electricity An unmanned delivery vehicle, operated by Wing — a subsidiary of Alphabet (parent of Google), landed on power lines in Brisbane and fried itself with 11,000 volts of electricity. As a result, more than 2,000 homes and businesses briefly went dark on Thursday in the Browns Plains region. Power was restored for most customers in 45 minutes, with 300 without power for three hours. 4. Tesla’s $20,000 Optimus unveiled Elon Musk hates the spotlight, doesn’t he? Over the weekend, Musk revealed a prototype of a humanoid “Optimus” robot that shares some AI software and sensors with its cars’ Autopilot driver assistance features. At the start of Tesla’s 2022 AI Day presentation, Musk acknowledged that they had “a guy in a suit” last year but promised something much more impressive this time around. Musk predicted it could hit a price of “probably less than $20,000”. pic.twitter.com/EzxImHtqBP — Tesla (@Tesla) October 1, 2022 5. Aussie spacecraft came down to Earth as a fireball This weekend marked a milestone for Western Australia’s Binar Space Program as its first satellite Binar-1 lived up to its name. Binar is the word for “fireball” in the Noongar language and according to a report from The Conversation, Binar-1 became a real “Binar” as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over the weekend. Although the chance of it being seen over Australia was low, with the right amount of luck it would have appeared as a shooting star in the night sky. It was launched to the International Space Station on August 29 2021 aboard a SpaceX resupply mission and deployed from the station’s Kibō module. BONUS ITEM: This is what happens when celebs think crypto is a good idea. WATCH: Kim Kardashian has agreed to settle charges of unlawfully touting a crypto security and to pay $1.26 million in penalties and associated fees https://t.co/AMKaWCG2GP pic.twitter.com/PiwRDUVOSs — Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) October 3, 2022 Enjoy your Tuesday.

Trish DeBerry Accuses Thomas J. Henry, Advertising Agency Of Using Delaware LLC To Push Attack Ads – 550 KTSA https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/trish-deberry-accuses-thomas-j-henry-advertising-agency-of-using-delaware-llc-to-push-attack-ads-550-ktsa/ SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Who is “Friends of Bexar County, LLC”? If you have been watching the television over the past week or so — and especially during the Dallas Cowboys game Sunday — you likely noticed ads running about the Bexar County Judge race describing the Republican candidate, Trish DeBerry, generally as a flip-flopper among other allegations. DeBerry, who is recently was a Bexar County Commissioner, said Monday at a news conference that her own investigation found that “Friends of Bexar County, LLC” is a Delaware LLC backed by San Antonio personal injury attorney Thomas J. Henry and Bob Wills, media director at San Antonio advertising and marketing firm The PM Group. “Conversations with business leaders, members of the local media, and political operatives all confirm what we are revealing today,” DeBerry said in a statement. “The nearly half million dollars of dark money attack ads targeting my campaign are the result of possible collusion and coordination between attorney Thomas J. Henry, his partner Bob Wills of The PM Group, and Peter Sakai or his campaign staff.” Sakai, the Democratic candidate in the race, said in a social media post last Tuesday, “Let me be abundantly clear, I have not had anything to do with this negative campaign, nor has anyone on my campaign team. In fact, the article in Sunday’s Express News by Gilbert Garcia cites that the organization is led by a Republican consultant.” DeBerry seriously doubted Sakai’s statement. “For Peter Sakai to say he has no knowledge of this attack is ridiculous,” DeBerry said.  “He has knowledge of this attack.  In fact, I would allege that perhaps that his campaign conspired with this attack.” At her news event, DeBerry said Henry contributed $1.1 million to assist in the Nico LaHood campaign to defeat Susan Reed in 2014, stating it shows the personal injury attorney has a track record of being active in political campaign funding. When questioned about how DeBerry knew Henry and Wills were the ones behind the “Friends of Bexar County, LLC”, she stated that she has very strong information through well-connected sources, but declined to provide more specific details. “I have it upon very good record regarding specific conversations between journalistic enterprises and Mr. Wills who threatened basically to pull advertising if they did not agree to the fact that they were going to utilize the attack ads against me,” the Republican candidate stated. In addition to “pulling the curtain back” on who is behind the ads, she announced at the news conference that she was filing an ethics complaint to the Texas Attorney General’s office against the company.  A LLC incorporated in Delaware has more benefits for filers than most states, including additional privacy protections for the members of the LLC than LLCs incorporated in most other states. “You have to reveal who is behind something, otherwise, who are you?” DeBerry said at the news event.  “There are cowards at play here, folks.”

Sam Jordan: Tourism Served Two Ways – Luxury Travel Magazine https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/sam-jordan-tourism-served-two-ways-luxury-travel-magazine/ The luxury travel business has started to wake up after a long Covid-induced slumber.  Not everything is up to pre-pandemic speed, but, and this may surprise you, adventure and what we call “experience” travel have surged. It seems many people not only want to get out of the house, but want to have a vacation that’s luxurious and meaningful at the same time. Voluntourism, as it’s called, has become a thing. In the past volunteering and luxury vacations haven’t exactly gone hand in hand.  Volunteering meant living in basic accommodations without amenities, while luxury trips were just that, trips where everything was tailored to the demands of the most exacting traveler.  This is no longer the case. Just as trips to harsh environments, Patagonia for example, can be taken with the expectation of being pampered, trips to poorer places, which often contain fantastic destinations, can promise luxurious surroundings while also giving guests the opportunity to give back. A case in point is EnviTours, and its owner, Sam Jordan. Sam is one of those entrepreneurs who’s difficult to pin down. He spent several years in the hospitality business in Spain, returned to the States to work at the high end Los Angeles restaurant, Olivetta, is about to debut a cabernet sauvignon from Red Bear, a Jordan family vineyard that formerly sold grapes to other winemakers, and participates in a Newsweek roundtable where he and others comment on the relevant issues of the day. Finally, in keeping with his desire to “ align…my work…with my actual interests,” Sam is the founder and President of EnviTours, whose “core theory,” as he notes, “is that volunteering and giving back do not have to be seen as a chore but is in fact sexy, exciting, and rewarding. To this end, EnviTours offers “curated, luxury group tours to those seeking unique travel experiences,” combining gourmet food and five star accommodations with, among others, a children’s project in Bali, and beach clean-up in Curacao. While many of EnviTours customers are Angelenos, the company now has customers from as far away as Europe, where its reputation for providing high end, safe, and luxurious travel precedes it. Given its emphasis on ethical tourism, it might seem paradoxical that EnviTours also serves the fashion needs of its diverse clientele, itsEnviTours Store featuring clothing lines “focused on sustainable, high quality products that blend the lines between functionality and fashion.” We however think this is another example of Sam’s overriding philosophy, which is that the needs of one group shouldn’t trump or pre-empt those of another. Hence the EnviTours Store exists side by side with EnviCommunity, which partners, in the United States,” with non-profit organizations which provide aid to our most vulnerable communities.” (all quotes from interview and Envitours website). There’s room in Sam’s world for people who want to dress well and do good at the same time. While initially, EnviTours drew clients mainly from the L.A. area, recently its outreach has expanded to other American cities and states, and to Europe as well. Now that the pandemic has receded, there’s no geographical restriction on people who want to visit exotic destinations, enjoy the best of what these places have to offer, yet use their own talents and energy to improve the lives of those people who live there. EnviTours, through the stewardship of Sam Jordan, has shown that it’s capable of providing the vacation and the experiences these people desire. To learn more about Sam Jordan and EnviTours, visit https://www.envitours.com/. Article by Nevin Schreiner

Oil Prices, Stocks And Economy News: Latest Updates – The New York Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/oil-prices-stocks-and-economy-news-latest-updates-the-new-york-times/ Global oil prices jumped on Monday, as traders assessed reports that OPEC Plus, the group of oil-producing countries that includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, was considering a big cut in production at its meeting this week. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 4 percent to above $88 per barrel; and West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, gained nearly 5 percent to more than $83 per barrel. Both grades of crude have lost more than a quarter of their value since their peaks in June, lowering the price of gasoline and taking some pressure off stubbornly high inflation. Analysts said that the Saudis appeared determined to bring oil prices up to about $90 a barrel. The spike in oil prices triggered a rally in the stock market, as shares of energy companies surged. Marathon Oil rose about 10 percent, making it the best performer in the S&P 500, while Devon Energy rallied 8 percent and ConocoPhillips and Hess rose more than 7 percent. The broader S&P 500 gained about 2.8 percent in late-afternoon trading. The OPEC Plus cuts of perhaps up to one million barrels a day, or roughly 1 percent of the global supply, would reverse a series of increases that had put downward pressure on prices alongside slowing economic growth that has led to lower forecasts for oil demand. A report released Monday by the International Energy Agency also predicted that global demand for natural gas would be weaker than previously expected. The drop would continue to be most pronounced in Europe, where high prices since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led to drops in consumption and raised fears about energy security. Russia has throttled gas flows to Western Europe, and the apparent sabotage last week of the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia to Germany removed the possibility of turning them back on any time soon. The stock market’s rebound on Monday came after a brutal bout of selling that had left the index more than 16 percent below its August high. The S&P 500 ended the third quarter with another loss, the first time that Wall Street had posted three consecutive quarterly losses since the global financial crisis. Europe’s Stoxx 600 ended the day 0.8 percent higher, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1 percent, and the main South Korean and Chinese indexes lost some ground. Government bond yields fell sharply across Europe, particularly in Britain, after Prime Minister Liz Truss reversed course on debt-funded income tax cuts for the highest earners, which had roiled markets last week. The yield on 10-year U.K. government “gilts” dropped 0.13 percentage points to fall below 4 percent. U.S. Treasury yields also fell, as investors moderated their expectations for central bank rate increases in the coming months. Image The headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna.Credit…Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters OPEC Plus, the oil producers’ group, is considering announcing a major cut in production when it meets on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the thinking of Saudi Arabia, the group’s de facto leader. Such a move, which analysts say is widely expected, would be a blow to the Biden administration, after it lobbied the Saudis to increase output. A cut would also mark a major turnaround in policy for OPEC Plus, which includes Russia. Since the group slashed oil production in early 2020 when demand collapsed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the producers have announced a series of steady monthly increases, though they have generally not met those goals. Analysts say that the Saudis appear determined to bring oil prices up to about $90 a barrel. Oil prices, about $85 a barrel on Friday for Brent crude, the international benchmark, have fallen by roughly a quarter since their June high. Oil prices in Europe and the United States rose 4 percent on Monday. “We certainly see a significant chance that the producer group will opt for a substantial cut to try to signal that there is indeed an effective circuit breaker in the market,” Helima Croft, head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, an investment bank, said last week. Ms. Croft estimated that the group was considering announcing a cut of 500,000 to one million barrels a day, roughly 1 percent of the global supply. The person familiar with the thinking of Saudi Arabia also said a cut of that size seemed likely. In his view, he said, the oil market is oversupplied and demand is weakening because of a flagging world economy. The Saudis signaled a hawkish posture last month with a largely symbolic cut of 100,000 barrels a day. Now, analysts say, they may think it is time to make a stronger statement. A sizable cut by Saudi Arabia would appear to be an act of defiance of the Biden administration, which has pushed the Saudis and other OPEC members to supply enough oil to keep a lid on prices. President Biden visited the Kingdom in July despite his disapproval of the 2018 murder of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives. OPEC Plus appears to be trying to intervene in a market that is difficult to read. Much of the recent fall in prices may be the result of worries about factors like rising interest rates by central banks around the world rather than oil market fundamentals. In addition, how the world economy will perform in the coming months is far from clear. Still, a cut in oil supplies by OPEC Plus that raises oil prices could increase the likelihood of a global downturn. While prices may be under pressure, oil inventories — the volumes in tank farms — are at low levels, meaning that the market could turn around quickly. A major unknown is the future output of Russia, the co-chair of OPEC Plus. Russian oil production has held up better than many analysts expected under sanctions imposed by the West over the war in Ukraine. But Russian production may fall more when the European Union tightens sanctions on Russia later this year. Just what OPEC Plus means by a cut may also be far from clear. The group has already been missing its targets by a proverbial mile. In August, for instance, Russia came up short a million barrels of its daily quota of 11 million barrels, according to the International Energy Agency, a Paris-based group. To be taken seriously by the markets, a cut will probably need to detail a substantial reduction by Saudi Arabia, the largest producer in the group. Also uncertain is Russia’s status in the organization. The Saudis appear to want to keep Russia, one of the world’s largest oil and natural gas producers, as a key member of the group, even though sanctions will likely make it difficult for Moscow to meet anything close to current production targets. Moscow’s oil and gas industry also appears headed for almost certain medium-term decline because Western companies will no longer supply it with technology. The Saudis appear to be betting that despite these negatives, Russia will remain a key player in energy markets. The Saudis are also trying to make sure that OPEC Plus continues. The oil agreement on production management that binds OPEC Plus together expires at the end of the year. The Saudis want the market management arrangements to continue, but detailed discussion will probably be required on extending the deal. The need to hold such talks soon may be a key reason the group decided to convene in Vienna on Wednesday, its first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. Image Gas leaks were discovered on Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea last week.Credit…Danish Defense Command, via Agence France-Press — Getty Images Leaks from the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines have finally stopped after three separate ruptures were discovered in the natural gas lines last week, the Danish Energy Agency said on Sunday. Nord Stream AG, the company that manages the pipeline, told the agency that “a stable pressure now appears to have been achieved on the two Nord Stream 1 pipelines,” meaning that gas is no longer flowing out of them, the agency said in a statement on Twitter. Several news outlets reported that the company said that pressure from water entering the ruptured pipelines had stopped the gas from leaking, but the claim could not be independently verified. The two major lines — which were built to deliver natural gas from Russia to Germany — ruptured in three separate places last week after explosions under the Baltic Sea. Although the official cause has not been identified, political leaders in Europe and the United States have suggested that the incident was an act of sabotage, as much of the speculation about responsibility has focused on Russia, whose state-controlled energy company, Gazprom, is the main owner of the pipelines. A spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Dmitri S. Peskov, dismissed the notion of Russian sabotage as “stupid” and suggested that the United States was behind the attacks. Neither pipeline was actively transporting gas at the time, but they still contained methane, the main component of natural gas. The leaking gas produced a half-mile wide stream of bubbles near Denmark and Sweden, raising questions about the incident’s environmental impact. Though methane partly dissolves in water and is not toxic, it is a greenhouse gas. The pipelines have featured in the conflict over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for months. The German government shelved the Nord Stream 2 project in February, just as Russia began to invade Ukraine. And Nord Stream 1 appears to be part of a larger Russian strategy of leveraging energy against Europe as punishment for opposing the war. Nord Stream 1 has not moved gas into Europe for weeks, with Russia citing maintenance reasons for closing the line. Europe widely interprets the shut-off as a threat that Mr. Putin could cut Ukraine’...

Hannibal Regional To Host Ladies Night Out After-Hours Mammogram Event – Hannibal.net https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/hannibal-regional-to-host-ladies-night-out-after-hours-mammogram-event-hannibal-net/ STAFF REPORT Oct 3, 2022 39 min ago 0 Post a comment as anonymous Welcome to the discussion. Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don’t Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We’d love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

How Sporttrade’s Model, Tight Markets Help Users Profit From Sports Betting – Gaming Today https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/how-sporttrades-model-tight-markets-help-users-profit-from-sports-betting-gaming-today/ While traditional sportsbooks count on users to lose money over time, Sporttrade counts on customers to profit from sports betting. Part of the ability to profit comes from Sporttrade’s business model. Sporttrade takes a commission on winning bets, so it doesn’t have to be on the “right” side of the line. The first two-and-a-half weeks of its New Jersey launch have already shown how popular it can be.  “As of … 17 days of being live, we’ve matched over 6,500 contracts,” Sporttrade founder and CEO, Alex Kane, said. “We’ve had over 1,500 trades and 27% of them have been risk off. That’s where customers are selling out in-play.”  On Sporttrade, bettors buy their wagers between $0 and $100. If bettors win, they receive $100. If bettors lose, they win nothing. Because of this pricing, a bet’s price is its probability of winning.  Sporttrade has also recruited large trading companies to accept bets, ensuring that most bettors can buy and sell bets as confidence in a bet’s outcome changes. That’s how it can give customers so many chances to sell their bets in-game for a profit instead of having to ride a losing bet to the bitter end. (Although, that doesn’t stop every customer from embracing that sports betting strategy.)   Profit from Sports Betting and Tight Pricing Sporttrade’s business model isn’t the only reason its bettors can profit on the app. Its tight prices are the other reason. Tight pricing means the buy and sell prices are close together. So, the markets only have to move a little for bettors to profit from sports betting.  Kane offered the example of a line with -115 odds on both sides of the line. At a traditional sportsbook, that has about a 7% vig. That’d be like if buy and sell prices were $7 apart on Sporttrade’s platform, a 53.50/47.50 split. On Sporttrade, a line with -115 odds at a traditional book “would be more like 49/51 or even closer — 49.50/50.50.”  “If you were to buy at $50.50 at Sporttrade vs. $53.50 at DraftKings, then you need a much smaller movement in price to be able to make a profit,” Kane said. Price Gaps, Uncertainty, and Profit    Even when the gap between buy and sell prices widens, the gap is smaller relative to other prediction markets. The gap between buy and sell prices is a measure of uncertainty. If the prices are close, then all the buyers and sellers agree on the odds. But if the gap widens, then bettors are more unsure about the odds and how the next play or decision will affect the game.  “I think the general rule of thumb is somewhere in the $2-3 range,” Kane said. “Our big difference is … we have the institutional market-making component.”    With companies in the background making sure bettors can buy and sell, Sporttrade can keep the price gaps caused by market uncertainty low. Other prediction markets have larger price gaps in their uncertain markets.  For example, PredictIt’s election markets can have overrounds as high as 10 cents. (Its prices range from $0 to $1.) Instead of an $11 price movement, Sporttrade users usually only have to wait for the price to move $2-3. (Sporttrade users also have a shorter time to wait — sports games go by faster than elections.)  Trading Sports vs. Betting Sports  Sporttrade’s trading market doesn’t guarantee profitable sports wagers. Instead, it gives bettors a chance to profit in the long run. Bettors can sell their wagers mid-game to profit from bets that may ultimately end up losing. This is all possible because Sporttrade ensured its platform had tight pricing and smaller gaps between prices than other trading and prediction platforms. Many of Sporttrade’s earliest users are taking advantage of the strategies in-play trading opens up.  “On Sunday, roughly 60% of our volume was in-play only,” Kane said. “It’s a very high number to get to so short in a company’s life cycle.”  Sporttrade is only live in New Jersey. However, it has plans to slowly expand to new legal sports betting markets, creating the possibility for the slow spread of sports trading across the United States. Over the next five years, sports trading could become a popular competitive alternative to sports betting.