Anna Garraway

Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse Reflects Our World Today – The New Statesman https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/mark-zuckerbergs-metaverse-reflects-our-world-today-the-new-statesman/ Photo by Facebook In October 2021, Meta Platforms, Inc, released a “trailer”, hosted by the company’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to give a visual tour of its recent expansion into the Metaverse – the immersive, virtual-reality world that is expected to be the next great iteration of our internet technologies. It was a curious piece of work. The trailer began with Zuckerberg standing in a living room with a fireplace, a stunning mountain view, and other conventional signifiers of wealth. The Zuckerberg who first greets us appears to be the real one; he quickly proceeds to summon up a nearly life-size digital avatar of himself, and then runs through a sequence of possible costumes to dress his Meta-self in ahead of a virtual meeting with his Meta colleagues (or, more accurately, is yea-saying underlings). He briefly considers some more outlandish outfits before deciding on one that exactly matches what he, the real Zuckerberg, is already wearing: an unassuming anti-fashion ensemble for which he has long been known for, consisting of a black shirt and black trousers. This comedic set-up reveals something about the mentality behind the dismal aesthetics of the Metaverse as we have seen it so far. After Zuckerberg dresses his avatar, he enters a virtual conference room where he finds his colleagues eager to start discussing business. It is a cute and diverse bunch, for whom the boundary between remunerative labour and freely given conviviality seems non-existent. Most appear in ordinary human form, though one of them has decided to come as a robot – and not just any robot, but a huge round-edged, red cartoonish one. Though mechanical, the robot is in some respects the most lifelike of the gang, reminiscent of any number of non-robotic sidekicks from Obelix to Chewbacca. Soon enough some other colleagues phone in from the streets of Soho, New York City to share the “3D street art” they’ve discovered. Next Zuckerberg’s wife Priscilla appears on a screen, and shows the gang what the family dog has been up to; Zuckerberg asks Priscilla to share this delightful clip with his dad. The world of the street-art hunters and of his wife and dog is – as far as we can tell – just the regular world: the real streets of Soho, a real backyard. The sight we catch of that world simultaneously ruptures all the virtual magic that was meant to enrapture us, and at the same time it reminds us just how far Meta still has to go before it mounts any serious alternative to the phenomenal reality mediated by our sense organs in contact with the ordinary world. [See also: Does the rise of the Metaverse mean the decline of cities?] Select and enter your email address Morning Call Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman’s politics team. The Crash A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. World Review The New Statesman’s global affairs newsletter, every Monday and Friday. The New Statesman Daily The best of the New Statesman, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Green Times The New Statesman’s weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises – in your inbox every Thursday. The Culture Edit Our weekly culture newsletter – from books and art to pop culture and memes – sent every Friday. Weekly Highlights A weekly round-up of some of the best articles featured in the most recent issue of the New Statesman, sent each Saturday. Ideas and Letters A newsletter showcasing the finest writing from the ideas section and the NS archive, covering political ideas, philosophy, criticism and intellectual history – sent every Wednesday. Events and Offers Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates. Your email address Job title Administration / Office Arts and Culture Board Member Business / Corporate Services Client / Customer Services Communications Construction, Works, Engineering Education, Curriculum and Teaching Environment, Conservation and NRM Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance Finance Management Health – Medical and Nursing Management HR, Training and Organisational Development Information and Communications Technology Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives Infrastructure Management – Transport, Utilities Legal Officers and Practitioners Librarians and Library Management Management Marketing OH&S, Risk Management Operations Management Planning, Policy, Strategy Printing, Design, Publishing, Web Projects, Programs and Advisors Property, Assets and Fleet Management Public Relations and Media Purchasing and Procurement Quality Management Science and Technical Research and Development Security and Law Enforcement Service Delivery Sport and Recreation Travel, Accommodation, Tourism Wellbeing, Community / Social Services I consent to New Statesman Media Group collecting my details provided via this form in accordance with the Privacy Policy All of this happened almost a year ago. At the time it still seemed reasonable to suppose that what we were being shown was only an early rough draft, and that the still-hidden goods around which all the buzz had begun swirling would be delivered soon enough. How puzzling it was then, when in August of this year Zuckerberg, celebrating the opening of Meta’s Metaverse features in France and Spain, released a selfie featuring his avatar standing in front of the Eiffel Tower and the Sagrada Familia church (the distance between the monuments having been eradicated). Reaction on social media was caustic, vicious and hilarious. Zuckerberg’s fauvist-drawn face was described as “unprecedented cringe” and similar to an image you would see in a picture book for babies. One person wrote that the graphics were well-suited to the face of Zuckerberg, which appears bizarrely to have only three or four discernible features. Countless people said the image looked like a game made for Nintendo Wii circa 2002. Content from our partners It was apparently a grave failure and seemed to be a significant step back even from the modest preview we had been offered the previous year. What could have been going on at Meta headquarters? Many people speculated that the company was simply giving up on its Metaverse project, just as Facebook has shed countless features over the years when they had failed to garner the expected interest. I rushed to a more extreme conclusion, and presumed that there was something more devious going on. Perhaps the company had conspired to make its product appear retrograde and ridiculous as part of a more elaborate and multi-phase advertising campaign, keeping the low-information masses away from investing in Metaverse real estate so to allow a privileged group of investors to buy it all up first. These theories, however, slowly gave way to a simpler and less pleasing one. The Metaverse is only as ugly as the average of all of our species’ current unrelenting output of material and digital-cultural artefacts. Whether you approve of it or not, Meta’s vision of the Metaverse is a pretty good representation of what our world looks like today. Some will protest that I am exaggerating; after all, it is precisely Meta’s failure to meet the standards of graphic detail and “realism” which now dominate in CGI-saturated entertainments, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe , that has provoked the most passionate mockery. And yet our new cinematic realism is anything but. I have heard so-called “photorealism” in painting being referred to as “the neoliberalism of portraiture”. By the same token we may say that CGI-realism is what reality looks like when the only incentive to represent it is profit. The graphics in the Avengers might be “good” – unlike those in Zuckerberg’s most recent bid for our attention – but the operative notion of goodness here is not one that bears any relationship to the usual criteria of evaluation throughout the history of art. This is a “goodness” that does not bring us any closer to discovering truths about the world and our place in it, but seeks to buffer and protect us – at least momentarily – from such discoveries. So at least in this respect, though superhero movies are graphically “good” and Meta’s Metaverse world is graphically “bad”, aesthetically they are both bad in the same way. The principal sources of aesthetically good representational art on the internet today are mostly anonymous meme-creators, and their work is, from a graphics point of view, aggressively and gleefully terrible. They delight in copy and pasting incongruous images into a single composition, with no attention given to proportions or perspective – for example putting a crying Wojak head on Joe Biden’s body, or attaching a muscular yet still somehow canine body to the head of a shiba inu dog. There is a difference between good graphics and good art, and exuberant teenaged meme-makers intuitively understand this, yet it is something that the profit-hungry content industry is, in its very nature, unable to ever grasp. [See also: “Tech must solve a real need”: the iPod inventor Tony Fadell on virtual reality consumerism] When we move down the scale from the extremely online avant-garde with their delirious memes, to the masses of normies, we find significant continuity in attitudes towards graphic precision and elegance. Similar to the vanguard, the masses care little about whether their memes look “good”; what matters most is raw feeling. This feeling is often conveyed through smiling or laughing emojis, or text-and-image jpegs featuring flowers, sunsets and prepackaged Hallmark sentiments. A 2018 Wall Street Journal article reported that “the internet is filling up because...

The North Face Urban Exploration FW22 Goes GORE-TEX Minimalist – Highsnobiety https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-north-face-urban-exploration-fw22-goes-gore-tex-minimalist-highsnobiety/ Who doesn’t love The North Face Japan? Operated by Goldwin separately from the VF Corp-owned American label, TNF JP is a masterclass in minimalist steeze, a perfect example of how to make truly technical clothing look effortlessly cool. We all love The North Face Purple Label and we’re collectively reminded every time it drops a beautiful seasonal lookbook (or a one-off drop). But mainline Japanese North Face stuff ain’t no slouch, plus there are all these cool sub-labels. For instance, look to TNF’s maternity collection, packed with killer wearables mom, dad, and baby alike. 1 / 2 The North Face Urban Exploration is similarly cool in a quiet, refined kinda way. Designed for exactly what the name intends — cool clothes you wear around the city — TNF Urban Exploration is as fascinated by functionality as the other TNF offerings, it’s just that this collection is more interested in metropolitan adventure. You can wear a lot of this out and about in nature, obviously, but the idea here is clothing for the people traveling from coffee shop to restaurant to bar and everywhere in between. However, Urban Exploration usually includes a wider selection than what’s on tap here. For Fall/Winter 2022, you have a men’s jacket, the Gadget Hanger Magne Triclimate Jacket (what a mouthful) and the Bison Chino Pant. The latter is simply a hardwearing work trouser but the former is a three-season layering piece packed with massive pockets and fitted with a removeable GORE-TEX Pro 3L liner that attaches to the shell with magnet closure. Next-level stuff. That’s it for apparel, the rest of Urban Exploration’s FW22 lineup encompasses weather-resistant and waterproof totes, weekenders, luggage, GORE-TEX sock shoes, and a Cordura moccasin shoe that’s the perfect blend of elderly and elevated. It’s all available on GOLDWIN’s Japanese site now. Hard to complain about a concise drop that gets the job done. In fact, perhaps more brands would be better served by tighter, punchier seasonal drops. If they were all this good, who’d complain?

Crypto’s Hold On Formula 1 Sponsoring Gets Tested In Singapore – Bloomberg https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/cryptos-hold-on-formula-1-sponsoring-gets-tested-in-singapore-bloomberg/ We’ve detected unusual activity from your computer network To continue, please click the box below to let us know you’re not a robot.

Dozens Are Dead From Ian, One Of The Strongest And Costliest U.S. Storms – NPR https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/dozens-are-dead-from-ian-one-of-the-strongest-and-costliest-u-s-storms-npr/ In this aerial photo made in a flight provided by mediccorps.org, damage from Hurricane Ian is seen on Estero Island in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. Gerald Herbert/AP hide caption toggle caption Gerald Herbert/AP In this aerial photo made in a flight provided by mediccorps.org, damage from Hurricane Ian is seen on Estero Island in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. Gerald Herbert/AP CHARLESTON, S.C. — Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes from Hurricane Ian while authorities in South Carolina waited for daylight to assess damage from the storm’s second strike as the remnants of one of the strongest and costliest disasters to ever hit the U.S. continued to push north. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, where it mustered enough strength for a final assault on South Carolina. It has since weakened to a still-dangerous post-tropical cyclone and was crossing North Carolina toward Virginia overnight, pushing heavy rains toward the Mid-Atlantic states. At least 30 people were confirmed dead, including 27 people in Florida mostly from drowning but others from the storm’s tragic aftereffects. An elderly couple died after their oxygen machines shut off when they lost power, authorities said. Meanwhile, distraught residents waded through knee-high water on Friday, salvaging what possessions they could from their flooded homes and loading them onto rafts and canoes. “I want to sit in the corner and cry. I don’t know what else to do,” Stevie Scuderi said after shuffling through her mostly destroyed Fort Myers apartment, the mud in her kitchen clinging to her purple sandals. In South Carolina, Ian’s center came ashore near Georgetown, a small community along the Winyah Bay about 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of historic Charleston. The storm washed away parts of four piers along the coast, including two connected to the popular tourist town of Myrtle Beach. The storm’s winds were much weaker on Friday than during Ian’s landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier in the week. There authorities and volunteers were still assessing the damage as shocked residents tried to make sense of what they just lived through. Anthony Rivera, 25, said he had to climb through the window of his first floor apartment during the storm to carry his grandmother and girlfriend to the second floor. As they hurried to escape the rising water, the storm surge had washed a boat right up next to his apartment. “That’s the scariest thing in the world because I can’t stop no boat,” he said. “I’m not Superman.” Even though Ian has long passed over Florida, new problems continued to arise. A 14-mile (22-kilometer) stretch of major Interstate 75 was closed late Friday in both directions in the Port Charlotte area because of the huge amount of water swelling the Myakka River. Authorities warn the death toll could rise as rescue attempts and damage assessment continue The official death toll climbed throughout the day on Friday, with authorities warning it would likely rise much higher once crews made a more comprehensive sweep of the damage. Searches on Friday were aimed at emergency rescues and initial assessments, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said. He described one submerged home as an example. “The water was up over the rooftop, right, but we had a Coast Guard rescue swimmer swim down into it and he could identify that it appeared to be human remains. We do not know exactly how many,” Guthrie said. The dead included a 68-year-old woman swept into the ocean by a wave and a 67-year-old man who who fell into rising water inside his home while awaiting rescue. Authorities also said a 22-year-old woman died after an ATV rollover from a road washout and a 71-year-old man suffered a fatal fall from a rooftop while putting up rain shutters. Another three people died in Cuba earlier in the week. Eduardo Tocuya carries a dog he recovered in hopes of reuniting it with its owners, two days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. Rebecca Blackwell/AP hide caption toggle caption Rebecca Blackwell/AP Eduardo Tocuya carries a dog he recovered in hopes of reuniting it with its owners, two days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. Rebecca Blackwell/AP Hurricane Ian has likely caused “well over $100 billion” in damage, including $63 billion in privately insured losses, according to the disaster modeling firm Karen Clark & Company, which regularly issues flash catastrophe estimates. If those numbers are borne out, that would make Ian at least the fourth costliest hurricane in U.S. history. In the Sarasota suburb of North Point, Florida, residents of the Country Club Ridge subdivision waded Friday through waterlogged streets. John Chihil solemnly towed a canoe and another small boat through the ankle-deep water. “There’s really not much to feel. It’s an act of God, you know?” he said. “I mean, that’s all you can do is pray and hope for a better day tomorrow.”

News Live: India Not A Mere Consumer Of Technology, Will Help In Its Development, Says PM – Deccan Herald https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/news-live-india-not-a-mere-consumer-of-technology-will-help-in-its-development-says-pm-deccan-herald/ 13:18 India condemns terror attack on education centre in Kabul India on Saturday strongly condemned the terror attack on an educational institution in Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul that left more than 20 people dead and dozens wounded. The suicide attack at Kaaj Educational Centre took place on Friday and most of the victims were female students, according to reports from Kabul. 13:17 Petrol and diesel will not be provided without PUC at petrol pumps in New Delhi from October 25,Delhi Environment Min Gopal Rai has said. 12:29 Our government has been focusing on how to increase ease of living in India The cost of data in India has remained very low due to the efforts of our government. It is a different matter that we did not make a fuss about it, did not give big advertisements. We focused on how to increase the convenience of the people of the country, increase the ease of living 12:29 Whether it is farmers or small shopkeepers, we have given them a way to meet their daily needs through the app; PM Modi 12:26 Digital India has given a platform, a market to everyone: PM Modi Today, whether we have small traders, small entrepreneurs, local artists and artisans, Digital India has given a platform, a market to everyone. Today you go to a local market or vegetable market and see, even a small street vendor will tell you that do not have cash and you should go ahead and do UPI payment 12:23 From 2 mobile manufacturing units in India in 2014, country now has over 200 mobile factories, says PM Modi 12:20 I have always had faith in the understanding of the common man of India: PM Modi There was a time when a handful of elite class people doubted the potential of poor people. He suspected that poor people would not even understand the meaning of digital. But I have always had faith in the understanding of the common man of the country. 12:19 Our government is now working on the goal of Internet for all: PM Modi Like the government started a campaign to deliver electricity from door to door, like worked on the mission of providing clean water to everyone through Har Ghar Jal Abhiyan, like, through the Ujjwala scheme, the gas cylinder was delivered to the poorest of the poor, our government is nowworking on the goal of Internet for all 12:14 From exporting zero mobile phones in 2014, today we have become a mobile phone exporting country: PM Modi We focused on 4 Pillars, in four directions at once. * First, the price of the device * Second, digital connectivity * Third, the cost of data Fourth * Fourth and most important, the idea of ‘digital first’ From exporting zero mobile phones in 2014, today we have become a mobile phone exporting country worth thousands of crores. Naturally, all these efforts have had an impact on the cost of the device. Now we have started getting more features at a lower cost. 12:13 The goal of this vison is to take that technology to the common people: PM Modi Talking about Digital India, some people think that this is just a government scheme. But Digital India is not just a name, it is a big vision for the development of the country. The goal of this vison is to take that technology to the common people, which works for the people, works with the people 12:11 With 5G, India has created a new history: PM Modi At the time of 2G, 3G, 4G, India was dependent on other countries for technology. But with 5G, India has created a new history. With 5G, India is setting a global standard in telecom technology for the first time 12:10 India will play an active role in development and implementation of technology: PM New India will not remain a mere consumer of technology, but India will play an active role in the development and implementation of that technology. India will play a big role in designing the future wireless technology, manufacturing related to it 12:06 5G is just start of a set of brand new opportunities that India is going to get in the upcoming days 5G is just start of a set of brand new opportunities that india is going to get in the upcoming days. I am very happy that 5G will benefit students of government schools, villages, labourers.Today, on behalf of the country, on behalf of the country’s telecom industry, 130 crore Indians are getting a wonderful gift in the form of 5G. 5G is the knock of a new era at the door of the country. 5G is the beginning of an infinite sky of opportunities. I congratulate every Indian for this very much 12:05 PM Modi addresses India Mobile Congress after launching 5G 11:57 Airtel demonstrates 5G’s uses to induce an immersive education experience In theAirteldemo, a girl from Uttar Pradesh witnesseda lively and immersive education experience to learn about the solar system with the help of virtual reality and augmented reality. The girl shared her experience of learning with the Prime Minister by appearing on the dias through a hologram. 11:49 Vodafone Idea demonstrates their test case to PM Modi TheVodafoneIdea test case demonstrates the safety of workers in an under-construction tunnel of Delhi Metro through the creation of a ‘digital twin’ of the tunnel on the dias. The digital twin will help give safety alerts to workers in real-time from a remote location. 11:45 PM Modi interacts with students digitally. He asks the children about how technology will help them in class even with the absence of teachers 11:40 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches 5G, declares India Mobile Congress 2022 open 11:32 5G will set the stage for the economy of India to become a 5 trillion dollar economy: Kumar Mangalam Birla 11:29 Today 5G will be made available in 5 cities via Airtel: Sunil Mittal 11:25 We are very lucky to have a leader like you: Sunil Bharti Mittal While every leader talks about technology and its importance, nobody understands technology like our PM Modi. When pandemic started, our work at the digital front did not stop for even a minute to make sure that the country is functional. With the introduction of 5G, there will be several more startups and entrepreneurs in the country. 11:20 5G is like a digital ‘Kamdhenu’ a digital cow that delivers everything that we desire 5G is like a digital ‘Kamdhenu’ a digital cow that delivers everything that we desire. With 5G India will take a long strive to ‘Sabka digital saath and sabka digital vikas.’ I want to reiterate Jio’s goal of delivering 5G to every area in the country by December of 2023. Before I conclude I would lik to express a deep seated emotion of pride. India and Indians can’t settle for anything us. 11:15 We are now ready to take leadership and now the Indian mobile congress should become Asian Mobile Congress and Global Mobile Congress: Mukesh Ambani 11:08 Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw extends gratitude to PM Modi for offering help and direction that helped overcome all hurdles to launch 5G Today’s day will mak an important event in the history that this country will make. PM Modi has directed us all and because of the 5G rollout, there will several new changes that the country will see in the forseeable future. It is a proud moment for India that with the help of PM Modi’s leadership, India is able to launch 5G. 11:05 Minister of State for Telecom Devusinh Chauhan welcomes PM Modi to 5G launch 11:03 PM Modi on the dais to launch 5G in India 10:35 PM Modi experiences 5G services 10:31 PM Modi heads to Ericsson’s smart manufacturing facility stall 10:28 PM Modi heads to healthcare stall which shows the use of 5G in upgrading village healthcare system PM Modi heads to the healthcare stall. The goal is for the villages will be provided with critical healthcare services using 5G. A demo van has been created to show the PM how a single van will have a hospital control room in the smallest of villages in the country. 10:24 Smart farming: Airtel presents solutions concerned with agriculture in India Airtel presents solutions concerned with agriculture in India. The agri solutions offer a huge relief to farmers by introducing ‘smart farming’. If the farmers are involved in plantation, they can conduct the practice through a central system which will enable maximum yeilds while only requiring basic involvement by the farmers. 10:21 More that 100 start-ups present at the event. PM Modi spends significant time at the CDoT stall to understand technological advancements 10:18 Various use cases demonstrated in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi The various use casesdemonstrated in front of the Prime Minister in the exhibition include precision drone-based farming; high-security routers and AI-based cyber threat detection platforms; automated guided vehicles; smart ambulances; augmented reality/virtual reality /mix reality in education and skill development; sewage monitoring system; smart-agri programme and health diagnostics, among others. 10:11 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects an exhibition at Pragati Maidan Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects an exhibition at Pragati Maidan. He will inaugurate the sixth edition of the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) and launch 5G services shortly. pic.twitter.com/5WKmlPIu5K — ANI (@ANI) October 1, 2022 10:07 First phase of 5G roll out will take place in 13 cities According to an official release, 5G will be launched by the Prime Minister in select cities and it will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years. The first phase of launch comprises 13 cities namely: Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Lucknow. 09:58 Three major telecom operators of the country will demonstrate one use case each in front of the Prime Minister...

‘The Excavation Of Hob’s Barrow’ Is Old-School Adventure Gaming At Its Finest! – Forbes https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-excavation-of-hobs-barrow-is-old-school-adventure-gaming-at-its-finest-forbes/ Wadjet Eye Games The Excavation of Hobb’s Barrow is an old-school point and click adventure game from Wadjet Eye Games that just released on PC and Mac for Steam and Good Old Games for $13.49. For those that don’t know, the phrase “old-school and point and click adventure” means that it’s likely heavily inspired by the legacy of adventure games of yore from the 1980s and early 1990s like Maniac Mansion, the Secret of Monkey Island, and more specifically, spooky games like the Gabriel Knight series. ‘Barrow’ is also part of a larger trend of independent games from very small teams that lean heavily on nostalgia gameplay and uses older looking extremely pixelated graphics. It might be low on graphics, but it’s extremely high on gameplay and atmosphere as the very beginning of the game throws you into a foreboding mood as you take control of a Victorian dressed woman holding an umbrella in a downpour late at night walking past castle walls while the sound of a man coughing can be heard. After a strange exchange with the man with the cough, the woman goes inside the castle and the title credits and the sound of lightning crashing rolls. In ‘Excavation’ you play Thomasina Bateman, a never married woman who receives a strange letter urging her to excavate Hob’s Barrow in the small village of Bewlay (Great Britain). She’s a barrow digger and takes a train into town while writing a letter to her mother explaining to her that she will never believe the events that happened to her that night. Wadjet Eye Games Then when the train arrives, the game truly begins and we relive whatever it is that happened to her. She was supposed to meet a man at the local inn the day she arrived, but he mysteriously never appeared and to make matters worse her assistant was supposed to arrive the next day and he never appeared either. The sense of dread is pervasive throughout the game starting with spooky music followed by rain pounding the town when she arrives, people disappearing and many many sickly scary cats appearing at night. The game can be plowed through as this full-walkthrough video on Youtube can attest, and each conversation can be skipped through with a click of the mouse or keyboard, but the true pleasures of the game and indeed the genre in general is fully exploring your surroundings to discover the humor of the games writers and the fully engrossing story. Wadjet Eye Games The items you collect along the way can be accessed at the top of the screen by moving your mouse upwards and left clicking on an item to use it, then dragging it to the next object or person you want to use it on. Yes, the game is charmingly retro and looks ripped straight out of 1989, however, the game’s dialogue is both printed on screen and fully voiced with brilliant, inventive characters that pulled me into the story. I was instantly hooked by the little town and the denizens of the Plough and Furrow Inn where everyone disappears. If you’re someone who has longed for old fashioned adventure gaming from the days of yore you must play The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow and relish every spooky moment. Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website.

Trustees At South San ISD Petition Two Members’ Removal For ‘incompetency,’ ‘official Misconduct’ | Texas A&M University-San Antonio | TAMUSA – The Mesquite https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/trustees-at-south-san-isd-petition-two-members-removal-for-incompetency-official-misconduct-texas-am-university-san-antonio-tamusa-the-mesquite/ The South San ISD Board of Trustees sought to remove two district trustees for allegations of “incompetency and official misconduct” during a Sept. 19 meeting. Photo by Amber Esparza The board of trustees at South San Antonio Independent School District petitioned to have two of its members removed for “incompetency and official misconduct” during the board’s monthly meeting Sept 19. South San ISD, home to one of the top five feeder high schools for Texas A&M University-San Antonio, is a member district of the ASPIRE program, a partnership between A&M-San Antonio and south Bexar County school districts. The two members the board petitioned to have removed are District 1 Trustee Gina Villagomez and District 4 Trustee Shirley Ibarra, who were both absent from the meeting. The board met in closed session for over an hour before returning to vote on a motion by board President Ernesto Arrellano Jr. to remove Villagomez and Ibarra.  “I move that the board authorize the board president in cooperation with legal to request a removal petition be filed with the Bexar County district attorney’s office against trustees Ibarra and Villagomez for incompetency and official misconduct,” Arrellano said. The motion follows procedures established in Texas Local Government Code Chapter 87. The board had four members present, the minimum to have a quorum, and they unanimously approved the motion. “I was disappointed … I just don’t understand why they did that,” Ibarra said in a phone interview on Sept. 29. “I’ve never had any misconduct, and as for the incompetency, I don’t know what they’re referring to.” Gina Villagomez, District 1 Trustee at South San Antonio Independent School District. Photo retrieved from South San ISD website In a separate Sept. 29 phone interview, Villagomez described the board’s allegations of incompetency and misconduct as “bogus” and suggested the board is primarily targeting Ibarra with the motion. “I’m already out,” Villagomez said of her own two-year term, which ends this year, “so you know who they’re going at, they’re going at Ms. Ibarra.” Arrellano referred The Mesquite’s interview request to the district’s communications office. The office did not respond before deadline. The trustee positions for Districts 1 and 4 were already set to be filled in the upcoming November election.  Villagomez is not running for reelection in District 1. Her position will be filled by either Greg Flores or Manuel R. Lopez pending the results of the November election.  Ibarra is running unopposed for reelection in District 4 and said she does not plan to drop out despite the board’s action.   Villagomez has been absent from the last three regular meetings and three additional special meetings. Ibarra attended the Aug. 22 regular meeting but has been absent from the others. “I feel that they just want to put out that I don’t show up, and don’t show the reasons I haven’t shown up … I’ve always communicated with the superintendent and board president why I’m not able to make it,” Ibarra said.  Ibarra said she has had multiple deaths in the family, and has been struggling with mental health as a result. “I’m still dealing with my depression, and that’s why I’ve been really pushing hard with mental health for our students and our teachers because I know what that feels like,” Ibarra said. According to Ibarra, trustees no longer have the option of attending virtually. The South San ISD and its board of trustees have a history of controversy and conflict, according to local news reports.  Shirley Ibarra, District 4 Trustee at South San Antonio Independent School District. Photo retrieved from South San ISD website The district has had eight superintendents since 2011. Its newest superintendent, Henry Yzaguirre, took the reins after Marc Puig resigned amid an investigation into a conversation between Puig and Arrellano where it appeared Puig suggested he hire Arrellano’s brother. In late July, there was controversy surrounding the appointment of replacements for trustees Connie Prado and Gilbert Rodriguez. Due to the tumultuous past of the South San ISD board, the Texas Education Agency appointed a monitor in September of 2021 to watch the board and file regular reports to the agency. In a second motion following closed session at the Sept. 19 meeting, Arrellano proposed the board, “direct legal counsel to file a vigorous rebuttal to the TEA special investigation preliminary report.” The motion passed unanimously.  South San ISD’s board meetings are typically held on the third Wednesday of the month, according to the district’s website, but the September meeting was moved to Monday, Sept. 19.  Mesquite reporters, who were not able to attend Monday night, watched a recording of the meeting on the website. Dr. Stephen Taraszewski, A&M-San Antonio’s director of institutional research and analytics, told The Mesquite that South San Antonio High School and Travis Early College High School are tied at fourth among the top 5 feeder schools for A&M-San Antonio.  The university welcomed 27 South San graduates as first time in college (FTIC) students in fall 2022.  Chemeckia Caddell contributed to this story. About the Author Graham Hotard Managing Editor Graham Hotard is a communication junior at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. He transferred after receiving an associate degree from San Antonio College and is a full-time student. He is an avid fan of all things science fiction and fantasy. In his free time he loves to listen to audio books, play video games, watch football and spend time with his dog Luna. He plans to pursue a career in writing after graduating.

15 Ways The Middle Class Affords A Trip To Disney World – Yahoo Finance https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/15-ways-the-middle-class-affords-a-trip-to-disney-world-yahoo-finance/ The family trip to Disney World is a rite of passage for many American kids, especially those in the middle class. That said, the pilgrimage to the happiest place on earth is not cheap. There are plane tickets, park passes, hotel accommodations, and more to consider. If you’re headed to Disney World, here are a few ways you can save money without missing out on any of the fun. Grow your travel fund with these 11 legit ways to make extra money. 1. Save up for your trip This may seem rather obvious, but saving money over a few years for your Disney trip is a super savvy way to prepare for the expenses. You can do this with a savings account, though you may get a better return on your investment by working with a financial advisor. 2. Use a credit card You can finance your Disney trip with a travel credit card, ideally one without a high APR or annual fee. Maximize this tactic by using an option that has travel rewards, such as discounted hotel rooms and deals on rental cars. Or, get a credit card with Disney rewards — yes, it’s a thing. 3. Plan your visit beforehand If you’re going to be at Disney World for three or more days, you’ll save on park passes by buying them ahead of time. The price drops even lower once you hit five days or more. Another reason not to wait until the last minute is that you never know when Disney will raise the price of admission. Again. 4. Avoid the add-ons You may be tempted to opt-in on the bells and whistles that can be added to your park passes, but don’t do it. For instance, why buy a photo package when you have a smartphone that takes amazing shots? And while it may seem wrong to skip the waterparks, that’s what your hotel pool is for. You get the idea. 5. Hunt for discounts It’s worth spending some time online to hunt for discounted Disney World vacation packages. For one, the park itself often offers specials, as do a variety of travel agents. Just be savvy and make sure your vendor isn’t scamming you. A travel rewards credit card or discounted gift card can help offset the costs of your trip, too. 6. Visit during the offseason Most families visit Disney World when their kids are off from school. However, this is usually during the summer when the weather in Orlando is sweltering. A better option is to visit during another time of year when the climate is better. Hotels tend to be cheaper off-season, making it worth pulling the kids out of school for a few days. 7. Plan for the weather It’s HOT in Florida. Okay, you probably knew that, but Disney is super hot and humid from about June through October. Even when dangerous storms aren’t hitting Florida, it can rain for short bursts every day in the summer. So, bring your own rain gear and sunblock so you don’t have to buy them at marked-up park prices. 8. Stay at a cheaper hotel While staying on-site at Disney World is fun, you can save a lot of money by instead making an off-site hotel your home base during your trip. You might also fare well looking for an option on Airbnb or Vrbo. These places often have kitchens so you can cook meals instead of eating out. Pro tip: You can also pile up bonuses and rewards by booking your trip with one of the best hotel credit cards. 9. Stay on the property Not to contradict ourselves, but there are some cases in which staying on-site at Disney could save you cash. You’ll have access to the complimentary shuttle, for one, which means no car rental or Uber costs. It’s also cheaper to visit the park during the park’s Magic Hours. Just be sure to pick budget-friendly accommodations. 10. Stay for a short time While park passes get cheaper the longer you stay, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a full week or more at Disney World. Booking only four or five nights could save you hundreds on hotel and food costs and still let you squeeze in all the rides and attractions you want. You might enjoy your trip more, too. 11. Focus on one or two parks If you’ve never been to Disney World, you might not realize how large it is, with lots of places to spend lots of money. To that end, if you only focus on two parks — like Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, for example — you’ll have fewer temptations to spend money. 12. Don’t forget the free stuff Of course, the main reason people go to Disney World is for all of the cool rides and attractions, as well as the food. But don’t sleep on the free options, like window shopping in Disney Springs, a stop at The Lego Store, and strolling around the Animal Kingdom Lodge. 13. Dine smart Speaking of the food at Disney World — which is plentiful and drool-worthy — you can save a lot by dining smart. Disney even lets you bring food into the parks, so plan for a picnic lunch here and there. The parks also offer lockers so you don’t have to lug your food along with you all day. Pro tip: When you do eat out, pay for your meal using a credit card with dining rewards and cash in on your rewards when you get back home. 14. Be smart about souvenirs If you buy every souvenir at Disney World, you’ll go broke in a matter of hours. Do yourself a favor and buy Mickey Mouse ears and other souvenirs ahead of time online. Not only will they be cheaper than inside the parks, but you can also make a game of leaving them for your kids to find during your trip. 15. Bring a water bottle Disney World lets you bring reusable water bottles into its parks and refill them at the many water stations you’ll find. Not only will you save a dollar here and a dollar there — which can add up fast — but you’ll also stay hydrated in the hot Florida sun. Bottom line Going to Disney World is a dream come true for kids and adults alike, though it can be quite the expenditure. That’s why it’s smart to do your research about cost-cutting measures ahead of time. You may also enjoy the experience more, and reduce your stress about spending while on vacation. Instead, you can just relax and enjoy the magic. More from FinanceBuzz: 6 genius hacks Costco shoppers should know Paying more for groceries? 6 ways to fight inflation Can you retire early? Take this quiz and find out. This article 15 Ways the Middle Class Affords a Trip to Disney World originally appeared on FinanceBuzz.

Russia Accused Of ‘kidnapping’ Head Of Ukraine Nuclear Plant – 69News WFMZ-TV https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/russia-accused-of-kidnapping-head-of-ukraine-nuclear-plant-69news-wfmz-tv/ If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here. PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS – All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue is on its way, with 88 K-Pot opening perhaps in December near the Wine & Spirits store in the Bethlehem Square shopping center.  – Air Products’ joint venture in Saudi Arabia has acquired an industrial-gas business for an undisclosed price. The Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment venture acquired Khafrah Industrial Gases from Paris-based Air Liquide S.A. – Anatolian Kitchen is still closed for renovations, according to a sign at the Taylor Court, Bethlehem, business.  – After 36 years, the owners of Cavaluzzo’s Pasta, Steaks & Subs in Emmaus are retiring, and the restaurant will close. – The high-tech conglomerate formerly known as II-VI (pronounced “two-six”) has taken on the name of a company it acquired, Coherent Corp.  – Palmer Township’s board of supervisors approved a conditional-use application for four industrial buildings know as “First Park 33” on Tatamy Road, between Newlins Mill and Corriere roads. – The Florida-based chain Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers plans to open three physical-therapy clinics within two years in the Lehigh Valley. – Radish Republic, a specialty grocery store on North Seventh Street in Allentown, is closing after three years. – The Palmer Township Zoning Hearing Board made the decision to keep a cease-and-desist order against The Reserve at Palmer Pointe apartments, which township officials say were built contrary to designs submitted six years ago. – The Allentown-Based payment-processing company Shift4Payments Inc. introduced SkyTab POS, a point-of-sale system for restaurants.  – The Bethlehem Planning Commission approved three separate “mixed-use” buildings for South Bethlehem, on East Fourth Street, South New Street and West Fourth Street. – Transform Rehabilitation’s physical-therapy clinics in Allentown, New Tripoli and Whitehall are now part of Upstream, which owns or manages more than 1,200 locations in the U.S. – The Lehigh Valley’s newest Wawa opened on the east side of Nazareth Pike/Route 191, just south of the Borough of Nazareth.  – DoubleTree Hotel has expanded its catering to private jets that take off from Reading Regional Airport. – The not-for-profit Kutztown Community Partnership has discussed buying the shuttered Strand Theatre to continue its tradition, but KCP would need grants and donations to keep it going. – A man police say was drunk drove into Budd Lake Bagel & Deli II in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on Sunday night, causing the shop to close indefinitely.

Obesity Can Be Controlled By Living A Healthy Lifestyle | Witness – The Citizen https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/obesity-can-be-controlled-by-living-a-healthy-lifestyle-witness-the-citizen/ A local dietician has warned South Africans of the deadly diseases that come with obesity and being overweight. This comes after the World Obesity Federation announced that half of all adults in South Africa are either overweight (23%) or obese (27%). The federation anticipates an additional 10% increase (37%) in obesity among adults by 2030. Speaking to Weekend Witness, Hilton-based consultant dietician, Julie Khan, explained that obesity is a condition in which a person has a harmful amount of body fat or an unhealthy distribution of body fat. She said it raises the risk for several serious health complications. Excess body fat puts strain on the bones and organs. It also causes complex changes in hormones and metabolism, and increases inflammation in the body. She explained that people with obesity have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. She said a raised BMI is a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases which is mainly heart disease and stroke; diabetes; musculoskeletal disorders (especially osteoarthritis — a highly disabling degenerative disease of the joints); and some cancers including endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon cancer. Khan warned that these noncommunicable diseases cause life-altering illnesses, disabilities, and premature death. She said it is also sometimes linked to certain emotional and social problems. Globally, the World Obesity Federation ranked South Africa number 13 on its list of most obese nations. Khan said to change the obesity stats in SA, people need to moderate their lifestyles. Instead of putting yourself under unnecessary pressure to always make the healthy choice, Khan urged people to try using the 80:20 principle. Eat nutritious foods 80% of the time and have a serving of your favourite treat with the other 20% — without feeling guilty about it Khan also emphasised that exercise, which could be going to the gym, jogging or taking walks, and encouraging children to participate in school sports, is also vital in staying healthy and maintaining a good BMI.

SPORTS BRIEFING – The Review https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/sports-briefing-the-review/ Lisbon falls to Clippers LISBON — The Lisbon volleyball team fell to Columbiana, 25-23, 25-20, 13-25, 25-20, Thursday. The Blue Devils are 4-11 overall and 2-9 in the EOAC. Leaders were Stefanee Stacey with 17 points, 22 assists and 12 digs , Eliza Baker 14 points and 32 digs, Izzy Lannon eight kills and 20 digs and Morgan Lively four kills and five blocks . Lisbon also dropped the junior varsity match, 26-24, 25-21. Brooklyn Cousins and Chloe Dowd each had seven points for the Blue Devils. Lisbon will play at Wellsville on Monday. Garrett says crash is a wake-up call BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Myles Garrett knows he’s lucky. His life could be very different or even over. Speaking to reporters for the first time since losing control and flipping his Porsche after practice on Monday, the Browns’ star defensive end promised to change his behavior after surviving a crash he caused by driving too fast. “Definitely grateful to be here,” Garrett said Friday after the Browns practiced without him. Garrett sustained a sprained shoulder, strained biceps and cuts along with a ruptured blood vessel in his left eye during the single-car wreck on a rural road near his home following practice. “This will be definitely a wake-up call for me, just try to be smart overall with driving,” said the 26-year-old, who has been ticketed numerous times for speeding in the past few years. “Don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful that I’m still able to be here and just take my time.” If not for wearing seatbelts, Garrett said, both he and a female passenger probably would not have walked away from the crash. “With what I saw, the pictures (of his car), I think it was a hell of an event and just grateful that not only am I alive, I was able to have so much of my family and the support system that was around me and just keep me locked in and keep me focused on taking it day by day,” he said. Despite his injuries, and not practicing for the past three days, Garrett is being listed by the Browns (2-1) as questionable for Sunday’s road game against the Atlanta Falcons (1-2). Coach Kevin Stefanski said the Browns’ medical staff will see how Garrett responds to rest and treatment over the next two days before deciding on whether he’ll play. The Browns leave for Georgia on Saturday. Garrett cleared concussion protocol following the accident. He’s still a little sore,but feeling better and said he’d like to face the Falcons. “That’s up to the training staff and the coaches,” he said. “If it were up to me, I would love to go. That’s just my competitive spirit and my nature. Physically we have to assess that going up to the game, today, tomorrow and on Sunday. “But that’s just a decision we’ll make closer to game time.” The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the 26-year-old Garrett was traveling at an “unsafe speed” when his 2021 Porsche Turbo S went off the road, veered into a ditch and hit a fire hydrant before rolling several times. The 23-year-old female with Garrett also suffered minor injuries and was treated at a hospital. “That was a big sigh of relief for me because I was the one who put us in danger,” Garrett said. “So it was very calming for me to know that they were OK.” Garrett told officers he thought was going 65 mph in a 45 mph zone before going off the hilly road near his home in Wadsworth, Ohio. Drugs and alcohol are not suspected, the highway patrol said in its post-crash report. The accident destroyed Garrett’s car and left him along with many of his teammates shaken. “I think emotionally I’m pretty grounded with everything, I’ve put it behind me,” Garrett said. “Physically I’m still dealing with some of the injuries that came along with it, but it’s really just a blur, it all happened pretty fast. “Sometimes, the last couple nights I’ve sat and thought about some of the different situations, scenarios, how it played out, but knowing that I can’t change the past, just got to keep moving forward and glad everyone’s all right.” Garrett said that in the moments after the crash, his focus was on everything but his playing career. “I thought about my family. I thought about them worrying,” he said. “I thought about my passenger and making sure that they were OK and that their life was going to remain the same. It was not on football because at that point, everything that had just happened was much bigger than football, and it really involved our lives just moving forward.” The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft has been ticketed numerous times for speeding. He was cited on successive days last year for going 120 mph and paying a fine for an amended 99 mph violation in a 70 mph zone. Garrett said the crash will change the way he drives. “I don’t think it takes something as drastic as this to tell me that I need to slow down,” he said. “It’s about listening to my love ones, hearing them out and understanding that it is serious every time you get into the car.” Garrett has a team-high three sacks in three games. He needs just one one to pass Clay Matthews (62) for the franchise career record. NOTES: Browns DE Jadeveon Clowney (ankle) is also questionable for Sunday. He missed last week’s game against Pittsburgh with the injury. … If Garrett and Clowney don’t play, rookie Alex Wright and Isaac Rochell will start. … DT Taven Bryan (hamstring) was ruled out and will be replaced in the starting lineuo by Tommy Togiai. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

The Opportunity For Banks In The Metaverse – Times Of India https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/the-opportunity-for-banks-in-the-metaverse-times-of-india/ Blockchain needs no introduction. The technology that was nothing more than a concept a little over a decade ago is now the backbone of the $1 Trillion crypto market with an estimated 300+ Million users or owners. It’s a remarkable feat given that it is built on the premise of decentralization and doesn’t warrant involvement of intermediaries. This itself, is perhaps a testament of its potential and is further evidenced by the transformative impact it has had across multiple industries, be it increased transparency in global supply chains or improved efficiency of governments.  Given its promise of disintermediation, inherent trust, and immutability it was easy to see why Blockchain might have appeared as a threat to the Banking and Financial Services industry. However, once the initial skepticism and apprehensions subsided, the BFS industry eventually warmed up to Blockchain. Several financial Institutions emerged as trailblazers and leveraged the technology in the areas of payments, trade settlements and custody services to name a few. And not long after that, governments and central banks got involved and those of many countries are now actively working on developing their respective Central Bank Digital Currencies aka CBDC.  But Metaverse, opens up a new chapter for Blockchain and before we go further, it might be worth talking about a bit about it. The Metaverse can broadly be defined as an ever evolving and expanding virtual world that offers collaborative, immersive, and interactive experiences for users. While the user experience is being revolutionized by a new breed of AR/VR devices, holographic and haptic technology, the underlying infrastructure for driving commerce and economy is being built by leveraging Blockchain technology. If some of the recent analyst predictions, supported by massive investments being poured into this space, is anything to go by, it looks like we would soon be spending a lot of our time in these virtual worlds, interacting with each other as our avatars, spending on virtual goods, and perhaps operating out of our virtual homes built on virtual parcels of land. While Media & Entertainment, Retail and Gaming industries are at the forefront of the adoption curve, Banks too have a tremendous opportunity here.  For starters, Banks can setup virtual branches in the Metaverse and provide engagement touchpoints for their customers, for eg. the ability to interact with a financial advisor’s avatar in a secure environment without having to visit the branch. As a matter of fact, many Banks have begun doing so, knowing well that their customers of tomorrow are already spending their time in the Metaverse. And as we continue to work remotely, the other obvious applications would be around employee training and onboarding, hosting of collaboration and engagement sessions, even town-halls and investor presentations, all within the Metaverse. At the same time, these virtual worlds are driving an immense amount of commerce on these platforms which would need a reliable and resilient infrastructure to support related transactions. Much of the value exchange on the decentralized Metaverses such as Decentraland and Sandbox leverages Blockchain. Users need to convert fiat currency to cryptocurrencies native to these platforms and use these for executing transactions. Their ownership of both digital and real-world assets can be represented as Non Fungible Tokens aka NFTs, which provide a means of authenticating ownership as recorded on the underlying Blockchain ledgers. The rise in adoption of these virtual worlds will lead to accelerated usage of crypto.  Some Banks and financial institutions are already leading the charge by offering crypto wallets and custodial services, access to crypto markets for trading and investment, and advisory services to Wealth Management clients. While NFTs are seen as speculative assets by many, Banks can work with regulators and position these as mainstream asset classes. Taking it one step further, Banks and financial institutions can perhaps also offer lending against collateral such as virtual land or digital art and even provide insurance against losses arising from cyber-attacks. As the user experiences for these virtual worlds are being built, the time is ripe for Banks to ensure that they are a part of that journey. For instance, Banks can use NFTs to not only validate their clients but also represent pre-authorization loans, the clients in turn can use these NFTs to conclude purchase of digital and real-world assets, eliminating a bunch of paperwork and making the whole process seamless.  Agreed that Metaverse might still be in its infancy, but Blockchain presents itself as a cornerstone for the development of this new realm by facilitating payments, recording asset ownership, and powering new forms of economies and commerce. Banks can partake in the development of this new realm while ensuring that they understand the evolving needs to their customers and adjust their models that might have worked in the past but would now need to undergo a paradigm shift. Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author’s own. END OF ARTICLE

Yes, You Should Put An Alexa Device In Every Room Of Your Home. Here’s Why – CNET https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/yes-you-should-put-an-alexa-device-in-every-room-of-your-home-heres-why-cnet/ This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out. Did that headline make you do a double-take? I mean, what kind of strange person has an Amazon device in every room? Well, call me strange — but don’t judge before you hear me out, because there are so many neat tricks you can do with that unused Echo Dot stuffed in a forgotten drawer or that Amazon Echo speaker that’s slowly getting dusty in the corner of your living room — or, soon, with one of Amazon’s new Echo Dot speakers, announced alongside a bunch of other Alexa devices on Sept. 28. I had two Echo Dots — both white third-gen models that I’d since replaced with the better-sounding fourth-gen “orbs.” But those old hockey pucks still rock, especially when paired with my black Echo Show 8, so I dug them out and found homes for both of them. One third-gen Dot went in my half-bath, the other in my upstairs hallway — bringing my menagerie of Alexa devices up to a whopping 11 smart speakers and smart displays. That means I now have one Alexa speaker or display every few feet throughout my home.  Is that overkill? Yeah, you could say that. Should you still put an Alexa device in your bedroom and bathroom and garage (you get the gist!) anyway? Well, absolutely. Once you do, you’ll wonder why you never did it before. That’s because there are some unique advantages to keeping a houseful of Alexa devices.  Here’s all of the neat tricks you can implement with those Amazon gadgets you already have lying around, plus some tips on how to keep everything in order. And if you’re itching to purchase some new Echo devices, Amazon is hosting an event next week to unveil new products and services. (You could always check out the best Alexa devices, the best cheap Alexa devices and the best smart displays already on the market, too).  Read more: The Real Cost of Setting Up an Amazon Smart Home Why so many Alexa devices? Because more is better Some Alexa features just work better the more Amazon Echo speakers and displays you have set up in your home. For example, if you’ve never experienced whole-house audio before, it’s a surprisingly dazzling experience — even if most of your speakers are Echo Dots (and even if you don’t have an Amazon Echo Subwoofer). On days when you’re moving a lot from room to room — cleaning the house, say, or hosting a get-together — it’s remarkable how neat it is to have music playing everywhere you go. Those old third-gen hockey puck Echo Dots make perfect speakers for your garage, hallway or other less frequently used spaces. Ry Crist/CNET But there are other nifty ways to use a houseful of Alexas, too. Besides multiroom music, here are some of my other faves: Announcements: Say, “Alexa, announce dinner is ready,” or, “announce that it’s bedtime,” and check out what happens (Alexa adds some audio “color” to the message). Drop In: You can have an intercomlike conversation with someone in a specific room — “Alexa, drop in on the kitchen” — or with the whole house at once — “drop in everywhere.” Multiroom audio (but in the same room): You may only be able to pair identical speakers together in stereo, but you can put any two or three or more speakers together in the same room, even though the feature is called “Multi-room.” But before you get started on any of this, the first thing you’ll want to rein in is all those Echo devices that could mistakenly respond to you (up next). The second-gen Amazon Echo is still a formidable smart speaker, so don’t shove yours in a drawer and forget about it. Tyler Lizenby/CNET Assign wake words other than ‘Alexa’ If you’re like me and have multiple Echo devices in the same area, then you already know how annoying it can be to yell, “Alexa!” and have every device compete for your attention. If you have two or more devices in the same vicinity, then it’s best to give each one its own wake word.  For example, I have an Echo Show in my kitchen and an Echo Dot in the living room just a few feet away. I use the Dot mostly to play music, not necessarily to listen for commands. I gave that speaker (and other speakers I just use for audio) a wake word other than “Alexa.” While Amazon’s traditional options for calling up your voice assistant are Alexa, Computer, Amazon and Echo, there are several newer wake word additions you can use like Ziggy and Hey, Disney. Unfortunately, you can’t give it a name other than these, so you’ll have to hold off calling your device “Buddy” or something else unique.  Here’s how to change the wake word on individual devices: 1. Open the Alexa app, navigate to Devices.  2. Tap Echo & Alexa from the top row of icons. 3. Tap the name of the device with the wake word you want to change. You’ll have to change each device’s wake word separately. 4. Select the Settings icon in the top right-hand corner then scroll down and tap Wake Word. 5. Pick a wake word other than Alexa (see above for your options). 6. Tap OK when a pop-up lets you know it might take a few minutes to change over, then either back out of that menu or close the app. You can also change the wake word with voice commands, too. Simply say, “Alexa, change your wake word.” Alexa will prompt you to pick from the list of offered wake words. Then select whichever word you want.  Now you’re all set! And you can always go back and change the wake word at any point.  Read more: All Amazon Echo Wake Words That Aren’t Alexa — and What They Do When setting up a stereo pair, the Echo with Clock, Echo Kids and Echo Dot are all interchangeable.  Julie Snyder/CNET Pair Alexas for stereo and multiroom audio groups If you’ve got two identical devices (or functionally identical — the same-generation Echo Dot, Echo Dot with Clock and Echo Kids are all interchangeable in this  sense) you can pair them so that audio is divided into left and right channels, like a bona fide stereo system. That pair will then appear as a single speaker in the Alexa app when directing audio in a routine or creating an even bigger set of speakers (more on that shortly). Before you set this up, make sure both speakers are in the same virtual “room” in your Alexa app and that both are on the same network. Then, do this: 1. Open the Alexa app, tap Devices on the bottom menu bar, then tap the plus sign (+) in the upper right corner. 2. Tap Combine speakers, then tap Stereo pair / subwoofer. Tap one of the speakers you want to use, then the app will highlight compatible speaker options — tap one, then tap Next. 3. The app will assign the right channel to one and the left channel to the other, but you can tap Swap Speakers to toggle the options, then tap Next. 4. Name your new stereo pair (I usually stick with the name of the room, such as “Master Bedroom”). Now playing: Watch this: Alexa gets new features to make it a better listener 7:02 Multiroom audio works similarly, but without the stereo separation. Also, you can combine unalike speakers, and previously paired stereo pairs, as many of them as you wish. And, again, the speakers don’t have to be in different rooms. Here’s how to do it: 1. Open the Alexa app, tap Devices on the bottom menu bar, then tap the plus sign (+) in the upper right corner. 2. Tap Combine speakers, then tap Multi-room music. Tap all of the speakers you want to include in the group, then tap Next. 3. The app will assign the right channel to one and the left channel to the other, but you can tap Swap Speakers to toggle the options, then tap Next. 4. Either choose a name from the list or type your own custom name at the bottom, then tap Save. Protect your Amazon Echo privacy  With all of these Echo devices scattered around your home, you’re probably wondering: Is Alexa always listening? It’s a good question considering no one wants Alexa to be privy to our confidential conversations.  Echo devices have raised plenty of privacy concerns. Even though they’re only recording and transmitting audio to Amazon’s cloud when the blue light activates, it’s widely known that Echo devices can be activated without you knowing it if one of them hears something similar to its wake word (for instance, if you say something like “election” or “I’d like some” instead of “Alexa”). It’s also worth understanding that Amazon employees can listen to your Alexa conversations if you don’t take certain precautions.  Luckily, there are settings and other hacks to keep Amazon out of your business.  For one, you can unplug the device or turn the mic off by pressing the microphone’s mute button to make sure Alexa isn’t always listening. You can also update the settings to delete your Amazon voice transcripts immediately so they can’t be reviewed by Amazon employees. You can read our full rundown of privacy tips here.  For more cool Alexa tricks, take a look at six useful Amazon Echo tips you’ll want to use every day, some funny things you can ask Alexa and a few more commands you can try tonight.  More tips for Alexa Alexa Settings You’ll Want to Change ASAP Can Alexa Devices Make Calls? Yep, and Here’s How It Works Customize Alexa So You Love Your Amazon Echo Device Even More Is Your Amazon Echo in 1 of These 4 Places? Move It Now Protect Your Amazon Echo Privacy While Working From Home: 7 Simple Tricks 5 Creative Uses for Your Amazon Echo That You Need to Try Roundup of Every Alexa Command You Can Give Your Echo Right Now

Binance Officially Launches Crypto Exchange In New Zealand Following Regulatory Approval – Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/binance-officially-launches-crypto-exchange-in-new-zealand-following-regulatory-approval-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ Binance has officially launched a cryptocurrency exchange in New Zealand after successfully registering with the country’s financial regulator. “We see significant value in having a serious New Zealand presence,” said Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ). Binance Launches Crypto Trading Platform in New Zealand Global crypto exchange Binance announced Friday that it has successfully registered as a financial service provider with the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The crypto exchange also announced the official launch of Binance New Zealand (Binance NZ). Noting that the registration was actually effective on Sept. 10, the company detailed: This registration allows Binance NZ to offer a range of financial services, including spot trading, staking, NFTs and more. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) commented: “A lot of major tech firms are slow to open a New Zealand office. I guess for some, it’s easy to overlook as it’s a smaller market but we see significant value in having a serious New Zealand presence.” The executive continued: The history of fintech innovation in New Zealand is very well known, with one of the earliest and most rapid uptakes of digital transactions in the world. “We see New Zealand as a bit of a pioneer, so from that perspective, I think there’s a lot to be learned here with our local team working with Kiwis to envisage the future of currency, transactions and the web,” Zhao further opined. Binance has been expanding globally, including in Dubai, Kazakhstan, Romania, Spain, Brazil, Italy, and France. The company is also reportedly trying to reenter the Japanese crypto market after exiting it four years ago. Meanwhile, the crypto exchange is seeing a record increase in the number of Indian users after the government started imposing a new crypto tax. The company has made regulatory compliance one of its top priorities. Last week, Binance created a global advisory board to tackle regulatory challenges. What do you think about Binance launching a crypto trading platform in New Zealand? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

Florida, Carolinas Count The Cost Of One Of The Worst U.S. Hurricanes – Reuters.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/florida-carolinas-count-the-cost-of-one-of-the-worst-u-s-hurricanes-reuters-com/ FORT MYERS, Fla./CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct 1 (Reuters) – Florida, North and South Carolina were on Saturday trying to recover from the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms to hit the U.S. mainland that left tens of billions in cost and an unknown death toll in its wake. Ian, now a post-tropical cyclone, was weakening but still forecast to bring treacherous conditions to parts of the Carolinas, Virginia and West Virginia into Saturday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. “The dangerous storm surge, flash flooding and high wind threat continues,” it said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The storm struck Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday, turning beach towns into disaster areas, before hitting wind speeds of 85 mph (140 kph) as it pummeled waterfront Georgetown, north of the historic city of Charleston in South Carolina on Friday. Roads were flooded and blocked by trees while a number of piers were damaged. Around 1.9 million homes and businesses were without power in the Carolinas and Florida at 21:30 ET (01:30 GMT), according to tracking website PowerOutage.us. Both the number of casualties and repair costs remain unclear, but as Florida entered its third day after Ian first hit, the extent of the damage was becoming apparent. There have been reports of at least 21 deaths, Kevin Guthrie, director of the state’s Division of Emergency Management, said at a morning briefing on Friday, stressing that some of those remained unconfirmed. Some 10,000 people were unaccounted for, he said, but many of them were likely in shelters or without power. “Those older homes that just aren’t as strong built, they got washed into the sea,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “If you are hunkering down in that, that is something that I think would be very difficult to be survivable.” Meanwhile, insurers are bracing for a hit of between $28 billion and $47 billion, in what could be the costliest Florida storm since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, according to U.S. property data and analytics company CoreLogic. U.S. President Joe Biden has already approved a disaster declaration, making federal resources available to counties impacted by the storm. “We’re just beginning to see the scale of that destruction. It’s likely to rank among the worst … in the nation’s history,” he said. “DEVASTATING” Fort Myers, a city close to where the eye of the storm first came ashore, absorbed a major blow, with numerous houses destroyed. Offshore, Sanibel Island, a popular destination for vacationers and retirees, was cut off when a causeway was rendered impassable. Hundreds of beleaguered Fort Myers residents lined up at a Home Depot on Friday on the east side of the city, hoping to purchase gas cans, generators, bottled water and other supplies. The line stretched as long as a football field. Rita Chambers, a 70-year-old retiree who was born in Jamaica and has lived in Fort Myers since 1998, said Ian was unlike any storm she had ever seen. “And I’ve been in hurricanes since I was a child!” said Chambers, who moved to New York as a teenager. At a mobile home park on San Carlos Island in Fort Myers Beach, trailers had been pushed together by the wind and water. A boat, the “Dreamin,'” lay on its side at a local marina, where another boat had come to rest in a tree. Deborah Grool, 70, lost her home and vehicles to the storm. “This is devastating, because it’s not just homes, it’s businesses,” said Grool, a real estate agent who has lived on the island for 45 years. Meanwhile hundreds of miles north in Georgetown, residents were also trying to put their lives back together. With a population of about 10,000, the town is a tourist destination known for its oak-lined streets and more than 50 sites on the National Registry of Historic Places. It was heavily damaged by 1989’s Hurricane Hugo. A city-commissioned report released in November 2020 found that about 90% of all residential properties were vulnerable to storm surge flooding. Len Cappe, 68, a retired property manager who moved to Charleston two years ago, said Ian was the first big storm he has encountered. “It’s the wind, it rattles you,” Cappe said. “It’s blowing furiously.” Read more: Maps-Hurricane Ian batters the Gulf Coast Drone video shows boats washed ashore in Hurricane Ian’s wake A Florida town rebuilt after one hurricane endures another Hurricane hunter says Ian’s eyewall flight was ‘worst I’ve ever been on’ How hurricanes cause dangerous, destructive storm surges Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Brad Brooks in Fort Myers and Jonathan Drake in Charleston; Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein and Kanishka Singh; Writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

PM Modi Experiences 5G Technology Firsthand, Courtesy Akash Ambani | Watch – Hindustan Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/pm-modi-experiences-5g-technology-firsthand-courtesy-akash-ambani-watch-hindustan-times/ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched India’s 5G services at the 6th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Before the launch, PM Modi was given a demo of the technology by Akash Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio. Also Read: PM Modi launches India’s 5G services at Mobile Congress News agency ANI shared a video of the prime minister being briefed by the young business executive. It is to be noted that Reliance Jio is among three telecom giants who will, on the first day of the event, showcase a test case each in front of the prime minister; the other two operators are Airtel and Vodafone Idea. Also, the Mumbai-headquartered business group recently announced it will launch ‘the world’s fastest 5G services,’ by Diwali. Meanwhile, PM Modi also ‘test drove’ a car in Europe from the venue of the exhibition. India Mobile Congress 2022 In the first phase, 5G services will be rolled out in thirteen cities: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune. In the next two years, it will be introduced across the whole country. Also Read: 5G services to be launched in these Indian cities first. Check yours in the list India Mobile Congress is organised jointly by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI). The exhibition will conclude on Tuesday.

Tencent Shifts Focus To Majority Deals, Overseas Gaming Assets For Growth-Sources – Reuters https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/tencent-shifts-focus-to-majority-deals-overseas-gaming-assets-for-growth-sources-reuters/ HONG KONG, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Tencent is resetting its M&A strategy to put more focus on buying majority stakes mainly in overseas gaming companies, as the tech giant eyes global expansion to offset slowing growth at home in China, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Tencent Holding Ltd (0700.HK) has for years invested in hundreds of up-and-coming businesses, mainly in the onshore market. It has typically acquired minority stakes and stayed invested as a passive financial investor. However, it is now aggressively seeking to own majority or even controlling stakes in overseas targets, notably in gaming assets in Europe, the four people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The shift comes as the world’s number one gaming firm by revenue is counting on global markets for its future growth, which requires a strong portfolio of chart-topping games, the sources aid. Tencent’s new strategy indicates how China’s tech titans are looking to emerge from the regulatory shadows after two years of crackdown and uncertainty that weighed on their sales at home and triggered a massive selloff in their stocks. Apart from the core gaming sector, Tencent is also looking to snap up global assets, in particular in Europe, related to the so-called metaverse, said one of the sources and another source with direct knowledge of the matter. The people declined to be identified as the information was private. Tencent told Reuters the company had been investing abroad for a long time – “long before any new regulations” in China. It looks for “innovative companies with talented management teams” and gives them room to grow independently, the company added, without elaborating. Tencent’s pursuit for bigger stakes in gaming firms comes as other tech giants such as Microsoft , Sony (6758.T) and Amazon are snapping up gaming assets and related intellectual properties, said three of the sources. Tencent’s chief strategy officer, James Mitchell, said on a post-earnings call in August the company would remain active in acquiring new game studios overseas. “In terms of the game business, our strategy is … to focus on developing our capabilities especially in the international market,” he said. “We will continue to be very active in terms of acquiring new game studios outside China.” PURSUIT OF BIGGER STAKES Tencent’s growing focus on overseas assets and markets is in sharp contrast to its much slower dealmaking pace at home since the regulatory clampdowns intensified, and the divestment of a clutch of domestic portfolio companies. From 2015 to 2020, the owner of China’s number one messaging app WeChat 150 investments at home totalling $75 billion, compared to 102 deals worth $33 billion in overseas markets, according to Refinitiv data. Tencent in August reported its first ever quarterly top-line fall, partially hurt by a lack of game approvals in China and regulations that limit playing time. Revenue from online games decreased both at home and abroad by 1%. Its Hong Kong-listed shares have sunk some 60% in the last two years. Against that backdrop, Tencent has barely made investments in China this year versus 27 deals worth $3 billion offshore, Refinitiv data show. It has been reducing its portfolio partly to placate regulators and also to book some hefty profits, sources have told Reuters. “We believe Tencent will continue to make reasonable investments to acquire quality gaming content and talents and deepen partnerships with top-tier studios worldwide in order to step up its investments and presence in overseas markets,” said Citi analysts in a report in early September. Tencent’s pursuit of bigger stakes in its existing gaming portfolio or new targets would give the company a bigger say in such firms’ businesses and also help it secure the intellectual property rights of popular games, said the four sources. Also, with Beijing strictly restricting game approvals at home and still suspending approvals for games of foreign IPs, Tencent is forced to move towards gaining control of foreign game companies and their IPs, said the four sources. Tencent in September raised its stake in Ubisoft (UBIP.PA) in a deal that made the Chinese firm the single biggest shareholder of the top French games developer, with a stake of 11% which can be further increased to as much as 17%. REGIONAL HUB The Ubisoft deal comes just after deep-pocketed Tencent in June acquired Copenhagen-based Sybo Games, the developer of hit mobile game Subway Surfer, and in August took a 16.25% stake in Japan’s “Elden Ring” developer FromSoftware. Last year, Tencent said it would take over British videogame developer Sumo in a $1.3 billion deal – one of its largest foreign transactions since the regulatory crackdown in late 2020. In Europe, except for its purchase of majority stake in “Clash of Clans” mobile game maker Supercell for $8.6 billion in 2016, Tencent has for years mostly cut minority deals including its purchase of 9% of British gaming firm Frontier Developments. Elsewhere, Tencent also seeks to increase its investment in and make deeper forays into Southeast Asia as it sees the region – home to 650 million people – as having potential to replicate the success of China’s internet boom, said two of the sources. China’s largest social network firm already has a regional hub for Southeast Asia in Singapore that houses its international game publishing business. Since last year, the company has repeatedly emphasized that it is aiming to have half of its gaming revenue coming from outside China, from about 25% now. In doing so, it in December launched a new publishing brand called Level Infinite in Singapore. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Julie Zhu and Josh Ye; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee and Kim Coghill Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Gubernatorial Candidates, Abbott And O’Rourke, Face Off In Debate – FOX 29 https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/gubernatorial-candidates-abbott-and-orourke-face-off-in-debate-fox-29/ Gubernatorial candidates, Abbott and O’Rourke, face off in debate  FOX 29

Conversations With Strangers On Trains – Sedalia Democrat https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/conversations-with-strangers-on-trains-sedalia-democrat/ By Jack Miller, Guest Columnist Posted 9/30/22 As anyone who has read my column through the years knows, I love trains. Not just the look of the heavy beasts but also the enjoyment of riding one.  It has been quite a few years since I … This item is available in full to subscribers. Attention subscribers We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you’ve not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing. Please log in to continue Need an account? Print subscribers If you’re a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one. Non-subscribers Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.

PM Modi To Launch 5G Services In India Shortly – Hindustan Times https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/pm-modi-to-launch-5g-services-in-india-shortly-hindustan-times/ Live Updated on Oct 01, 2022 10:29 AM IST Breaking news October 1, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Follow all the updates here: Oct 01, 2022 10:15 AM IST PM Modi inaugurates 6th India Mobile Congress at Pragati Maidan Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 6th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Oct 01, 2022 09:00 AM IST Fire breaks out at Global Foyer Mall in Gurgaon A fire broke out at Global Foyer Mall on Golf Course Road in Gurgaon. Several fire tenders have been rushed to the spot. Oct 01, 2022 08:19 AM IST PM Modi to launch 5G services at telecom event Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 5G services in India today in select cities. The service is expected to progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years. Oct 01, 2022 07:06 AM IST Russian consulate in New York vandalised with red paint The Russian Consulate in New York was vandalised with red spray paint on Saturday. The paint appeared hours before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was annexing four parts of Ukraine occupied by Moscow’s army, AFP reported. Oct 01, 2022 06:18 AM IST Russia vetoes UN resolution calling its referendums illegal Russia vetoed a UN resolution Friday that would have condemned its referendums in four Ukrainian regions as illegal, declared them invalid and urged all countries not to recognize any annexation of the territory claimed by Moscow. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 10-1 with China, India, Brazil and Gabon abstaining. The resolution would also have demanded an immediate halt to Russia’s “full-scale unlawful invasion of Ukraine” and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all its military forces from Ukraine. Subscribe to our best newsletters 14th Dalai Lama still undecided on his reincarnation Published on Oct 01, 2022 09:19 AM IST The Buddhists in Tibet, at large, still swear by the 14th Dalai Lama despite Xi Jinping regime’s attempt to impose Han culture on the territory occupied since 1950. The 14th Dalai Lama, who escaped to India from Chinese occupied Tibet in 1959. ‘Who is SP?’ BJP’s question on ‘leaked’ photo of Ashok Gehlot’s notes Published on Oct 01, 2022 07:09 AM IST The BJP targetted the Congress over the reportedly leaked photo of Ashok Gehlot’s secret notes and said Congress needs to be united first. PM Modi to launch 5G services in India shortly Updated on Oct 01, 2022 10:29 AM IST Breaking news October 1, 2022: Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. PM Modi ditches microphone, apologises at Rajasthan rally. Video goes viral Published on Oct 01, 2022 06:13 AM IST As PM Modi reached the rally after 10pm, he chose to follow the microphone rules and not address the rally. “My conscience says that I should follow the rules. I apologise before you,” he said. Kerala HC extends stay on appointment of Priya Varghese in Kannur varsity Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:22 AM IST Justice Devan Ramachandran extended the stay on the appointment of Priya Varghese, the wife of KK Ragesh who is the chief minister’s secretary, in the Malayalam department of the varsity till October 20. ByPress Trust of India, Kochi Satya Pal Malik: Have no plans to join active politics Updated on Oct 01, 2022 12:25 AM IST Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik , whose term as the governor of the northeastern state will end on Friday, however, said he would work for the welfare of farmers and support them KCR donates 1 kg gold to temple ahead of national party launch Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:21 AM IST Chief minister KCR offered 1 kg and 160 grams of gold to the deity towards gold plating of the “gopuram” over sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Kerala high court asks police to remove obstruction in front of Vizhinjam Port Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:19 AM IST Justice Anu Sivaraman asked the police to ensure there are no obstructions in front of the entrance for the vehicles to pass. ByPress Trust of India, Kochi Services will jointly deal with security challenges Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:18 AM IST General Anil Chauhan retired as the Eastern Army commander on May 31, 2021, and was the military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) before being appointed to the top job Isha foundation infra project: Madras high court adjourns case for 3 more weeks Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:18 AM IST Isha foundation had challenged a notice by the Tamil Nadu government alleging the said buildings were constructed without obtaining environmental clearance between 2006 and 2014 as mandated by the central government’s environment impact assessment (EIA) notification, 2006. Telangana requests Supreme Court to vacate stay on Kaleshwaram project Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:17 AM IST In its petition, the irrigation department said it was proposed to draw an additional one tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Godavari river, apart from the originally planned two tmc ft, only for optimising the utilisation of 240 tmc ft of water during the rainy season, which will be there for a short period. ED seeks Bengaluru court permit to quiz 5 accused in PSI scam Published on Oct 01, 2022 12:13 AM IST In August, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) after concluding from an examination of the FIRs and charge sheets that money laundering had taken place in the scam. Story Saved New Delhi 0C Saturday, October 01, 2022

Why Your Healthy Habits Don’t Stick (And How To Change It), According To A Behavioral Sustainability Scientist – Forbes https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/why-your-healthy-habits-dont-stick-and-how-to-change-it-according-to-a-behavioral-sustainability-scientist-forbes/ getty If you look closely at the lives of the most successful people in the world—you’ll notice that they all seem to have one thing in common—healthy habits. Whether it’s Richard Branson’s commitment to waking up early to work out first thing in the morning (something the Obamas also swear by), Arianna Huffington and Oprah Winfrey’s daily meditation practice or Bill Gates, Mark Cuban and Warren Buffet’s love for reading, to name a few. While starting a new habit might be easy, making it stick is a whole different enchilada. Although self-discipline and motivation play a key role in whether or not you are able to maintain a healthy habit, turns out, having a flexible approach is just as important. “The primary way society teaches you to adopt healthy habits sets most people up to start and stop, but not sustain,” says Michelle Segar, behavioral sustainability scientist, award-winning researcher at the University of Michigan and author of The Joy Choice. “Much of the narrative about behavior change promotes ‘doing it in a certain way’ and in a prescribed quantity. This narrative has cultivated a strong belief in an all-or-nothing approach and grandiose plans—both of which thwart sustainability for most,” Segar explains. Habiters vs Unhabiters While “habiters” might succeed with this conventional approach as it promotes the type of structure, discipline and precision that habiters thrive on, “unhabiters”—which is the majority of the population—aren’t able to do so, notes Segar. “Unhabiters have a lot of unexpected in their lives. They are often the parent who is in charge of the household logistics—when the dog pukes they clean it up, they organize social events, they pick and drop off the kids, etc. They might also be someone who manages many people in a workplace,” says Segar. The bottom line is that the lives of unhabiters tend to have a lot of unanticipated events and when it comes to sustaining healthy habits like mindful eating or regular exercise, the plans of unhabiters often get disrupted, adds the sustainable behavior expert. In her book, The Joy Choice, Segar notes that this point of conflict becomes your choice point—”the true place of power.” What you do here determines not only the fate of your specific behavior change plan but your success in supporting the greater goals they aim to achieve, she writes. The Joy Choice So what should you do when there are so many moving parts in your life—both expected and the unexpected—competing for your time, energy and attention? It’s all about learning how to navigate and negotiate when your behavior change plans become unworkable, says Segar. To pick the “perfect imperfect” option—what Segar has termed “the Joy Choice.” It’s the option that lets you do something instead of nothing, breaking away from the all-or-nothing mindset so you can maintain momentum and stay on the path of lasting change, she explains. Basically, “it’s about not letting perfection be the enemy of good enough,” she notes. It’s about having flexible beliefs and strategies that work for rather than against you and all the meaningful things that make up your life, she further elaborates on the point in her book. “Flexible thinking cultivates psychological resilience to negative life events, including better coping and emotion regulation within work, relationships and leisure,” says Segar. It also drives creativity in the face of challenges and unexpected sudden change, she notes in her book. “We’ve been told over and over again, across decades, to stick to the plan no matter what. This idea is so deeply embedded in our psyches that inevitably these inflexible plans get blown to smithereens, leaving us picking up the pieces, once again despondent and pessimistic about ever becoming successful,” Segar observes in The Joy Choice. But flexible thinking is your “true superpower when it comes to successfully navigating choice points and making consistent decisions,” she writes. “This is especially true for caregivers and others living with many competing responsibilities,” adds the health coach. How can unhabiters master sustainable change Starting small is important. “Small is smart because it’s a way to ease into your new change. Whether kids or adults or pets, learning is easier when you start with a smaller action or thing and build onto that as you master that level,” says Segar. Also, don’t try to make too many changes at once as it would make you less likely to stay committed, therefore, less likely to succeed. Pick one behavior change at a time. It’s also imperative to have a flexible and resilient mindset. “Starting with a plan might need some motivation but what unhabiters want to be very clear about, if lasting change is their ultimate goal, is that their lifestyle change plan (exercise, healthy eating meditation, etc.) will have to flex and ebb and flow as their daily lives do,” says Segar. For example, if your goal is to meditate for 20 minutes daily but you’re able to squeeze in only five minutes on certain days, do it for five minutes instead of skipping it altogether just because it was less than the desired amount of time. Or, let’s say you decide to go for a jog every morning, but something comes up and you aren’t able to do so. On those occasions, you can try to get in some cardio by climbing stairs instead of using an elevator or taking a brisk walk around the block between work. Cultivate motivation by believing that something is better than nothing, says Segar. “Try to see being flexible and doing ‘less’ instead of trying to ‘stick to the plan’ as the way to lasting success,” she suggests. In addition, don’t beat yourself up if you slip up or experience a setback, no matter what your plan or long-term goal is. You’re a work in progress. So on those days, give yourself the gift of grace instead of giving up on your plans.

Harbor Water Work Begins | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/harbor-water-work-begins-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dredging and weed removal has begun at Dunkirk Harbor. It started this week and is expected to last a couple weeks more, according to Dunkirk Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury. Dean Marine and Excavating from Mount Clemens, Mich., is doing the work, under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox WESTFIELD — Westfield Memorial Hospital, part of the Allegheny Health Network, has been designated a Diagnostic … A person was reportedly struck by a semi truck along the westbound lane of Interstate 90 on Thursday. One lane …

BlackRock Digs Further Into Crypto With Metaverse ETF – FinanceFeeds https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/blackrock-digs-further-into-crypto-with-metaverse-etf-financefeeds/ BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with almost $10 trillion in AUM, is set to launch a new metaverse ETF to help investors securely monetize on the booming immersive version of the internet. BlackRock’s iShares Future Metaverse Tech and Communications ETF will give investors exposure to metaverse-focused companies, as per the filing on Thursday. This may include companies with links to social media, virtual platforms, digital assets, gaming, augmented reality and much more. The metaverse, which combines technologies such as virtual reality and NFTs, has become a focal point for exchange-traded product issuers. Most recently, Switzerland-based crypto exchange-traded product issuer 21Shares and US rival ProShares have launched their own Metaverse ETFs. Despite a major slowdown in the Metaverse space, some industry surveys estimate that the total addressable market between $8-13 trillion by 2030. BlackRock has been increasing its exposure to the digital assets space throughout 2022. Just yesterday, the New York-based financial conglomerate announced the launch of its crypto ETF in Europe despite the regulatory concerns in the continent. The iShares Blockchain Technology UCITS ETF is listed on Euronext, made up of 35 global companies whose primary business is related to blockchain such as crypto miners and exchanges. Around 25% of the fund’s exposure goes to companies that support the technology such as semiconductor companies. The news comes barely a month after BlackRock had inked a partnership deal with the prime brokerage arm of US popular exchange, Coinbase. The collaboration is, however, limited to bitcoin and will allow BlackRock’s institutional clients to have access to crypto trading, custody, prime brokerage, and reporting via Coinbase Prime. The clients will also be able to manage their bitcoin and conduct risk analysis using BlackRock’s software suite Aladdin. Back in April, BlackRock had participated in $400 million funding round for Boston-based fintech startup Circle. In addition to its investment and role as a primary asset manager of USDC cash reserves, BlackRock has entered into a partnership with Circle to explore capital market applications for its stablecoin. BlackRock made headlines last year when it added bitcoin futures to derivatives products that two of its funds can invest in. The development came shortly after CEO of BlackRock, Larry Fink, provided a somewhat bullish take on the world’s first cryptocurrency. In a relatively rare endorsement, Fink said Bitcoin has ‘caught the attention’ and could largely replace gold but warned of its growing popularity that has a real impact on the US dollar. Back then, Fink, who has grown BlackRock into the world’s largest money-management corporation, dismissed bitcoin as nothing more than a vehicle for speculation and money laundering. The world’s largest asset manager launched a blockchain-focused ETF in April that provides investors with exposure to the crypto and blockchain industry. The company added the Blockchain and Tech ETF (IBLC) to its iShares product line.

30 Best Gifts For Singers Of All Ages For 2022 – Good Housekeeping https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/30-best-gifts-for-singers-of-all-ages-for-2022-good-housekeeping/ BONAOK/ Bose When it comes to shopping for gifts, it’s always nice finding an option that matches your giftee’s interests, talents and hobbies. While best-selling items on Amazon and popular Christmas picks make creative presents for your loved ones, don’t miss out on the chance to choose something more meaningful and unique to their personality. That includes your search for the best gifts for singers or any aspiring (or professional) musician in your life. We’ve rounded up an array of personalized, funny and cool gadgets your family and friends will love for the holidays (or for any occasion that calls for a unique present). Some items will help them hone their talent, including the portable USB microphone and noise canceling headphones. Others are options you can customize for their everyday wear and use (from the musical note name necklace to the leather notebook for their song lyrics and future hits). Not to mention a guitar-shaped cutting board to replicate their favorite instrument and a scented candle that plays songs straight from their Spotify playlist when scanned. So if you’re looking for memorable family gifts this season, shop this list for any parent, child, grandparent or coworker who can hold a tune. And for more specific gift ideas, check out these gifts for coffee lovers, Star Wars gifts and some of the best gifts for chefs (according to Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen pros). 1 Best Personalized Necklace VictoriaMinimalist Personalized Musical Note Name Necklace 2 A GIFT FOR SINGERS AND READERS DJCBoutique Music Piano Bookmark 4 FOR SINGERS OF ALL AGES BONAOK Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone 5 PrintYourHeartOutUK Personalized Song Plaque 6 Infinity Collection Music Bracelet 7 Best Tea for Singer’s Throat Tea Drops Loose Leaf Tea Gift Box 8 EcoFlip Scannable Scented Candle 9 A One-of-A-Kind Holiday Playlist Uncommon Goods Holiday Scratch Off Advent Calendar Playlist 10 IkersonLTD I Don’t Always Sing Shirt 11 Playing Cards With a Musical Twist Laurence King Publishing Genius Music Playing Cards 12 Bose Nose Cancelling Headphones 13 FOR THE GUITAR PLAYERS Uncommon Goods Birth Month Guitar Pick 14 Elecstars Star Projector with Bluetooth Speaker 15 R&M International Musical Cookie Cutters 16 Music-Loving Gag Gift Uncommon Goods Mistaken Lyrics Coasters 17 VIBES High-Fidelity Earplugs 18 InnoGear Microphone Arm 19 MODERN VINYL Record Holder 20 New bee Headphone Stand 21 THE ORIGINAL MASHTAPE Retro Cassette Tape USB Flash Drive 22 PromiDesign Personal Guitar Cutting Board 23 Spontuneous Spontuneous The Song Game 24 KUNGYO Vintage Guitar-Shaped Decorative Hooks 25 CLYOR Voice 37 All Natural Voice Remedy for Singers 26 Uncommon Goods Turntable Cheese Board 27 MiraGiftsWorld Personalized Leather Notebook 28 A1GraphicsLtd Personalized Song Keychain 29 AvitoProducts Personalized Music Tumbler 30 Pure Enrichment Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier Mariah Thomas Assistant Editor Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content.

US Lawmakers Introduce Bill Allowing Crypto Investments In 401(K) Retirement Plans – Regulation Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/us-lawmakers-introduce-bill-allowing-crypto-investments-in-401k-retirement-plans-regulation-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ Several U.S. lawmakers have introduced the Retirement Savings Modernization Act to provide 401(k) retirement savers access to a wide range of investments, including crypto assets. “With inflation at record highs, a stock market downturn, and a potential recession on the horizon, many Americans are rightfully concerned about their financial future,” said U.S. Senator Pat Toomey. Retirement Savings Modernization Act Introduced The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs announced Thursday that Senators Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) and Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI) have introduced a bill called the Retirement Savings Modernization Act. The bill aims “to bolster Americans’ retirement savings by allowing workers to diversify assets included in defined contribution plans, such as 401(k) plans,” the announcement details. “This legislation will amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to clarify that private sector retirement plan sponsors may offer plans, including both pensions and 401(k)s, that are prudently diversified across the full range of asset classes.” Senator Toomey opined, “With inflation at record highs, a stock market downturn, and a potential recession on the horizon, many Americans are rightfully concerned about their financial future,” elaborating: By providing 401(k) savers with access to the same asset classes as pension plans, my legislation will open the door to a more secure retirement for millions of Americans. While pension plans and 401(k) plans are covered by the same law, the former have incorporated asset classes outside of the public markets since 1982. Meanwhile, the latter “almost never incorporate exposure to alternative assets due to fiduciaries’ anticipated litigation risk,” the announcement explains. The bill lists “digital assets” as a “covered investment.” Senator Scott described: “Inflation has eroded and devalued the savings many Americans spent their lives accumulating. This bill would modernize retirement plans to ensure they can provide diverse investments with higher returns. American workers and their families deserve to go about their lives with peace of mind, knowing their hard-earned money will be secure when they choose to retire.” Until the 1970s, most Americans working in the private sector relied on pension plans for retirement. Today, the vast majority of private sector workers rely on 401(k) plans. “However, pension plans have consistently outperformed 401(k) plans because they diversify across the full range of asset classes, putting one of every five dollars in alternative asset classes like private equity,” the lawmakers noted. Representative Meijer stressed: Americans deserve flexibility with their retirement options, especially in times of fiscal uncertainty. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a notice in March warning about crypto investments in 401(k) plans. “The department has serious concerns about the prudence of a fiduciary’s decision to expose a 401(k) plan’s participants to direct investments in cryptocurrencies, or other products whose value is tied to cryptocurrencies,” the DOL wrote. “These investments present significant risks and challenges to participants’ retirement accounts, including significant risks of fraud, theft, and loss.” Despite the warning by the Labor Department, Fidelity, a major 401(k) plan administrator, announced in April that it will allow bitcoin as an investment option in its new 401(k) products. The financial giant’s decision caused concerns for the Labor Department. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is also worried, demanding answers from Fidelity regarding its decision to allow bitcoin in 401(k) plans. In May, a U.S. senator introduced a bill prohibiting the Labor Department from interfering with investments in retirement accounts. In June, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that crypto is “very risky,” emphasizing that it is unsuitable for most retirement savers. Do you think all retirement savers should be able to invest in anything including cryptocurrencies? Let us know in the comments section below. Kevin Helms A student of Austrian Economics, Kevin found Bitcoin in 2011 and has been an evangelist ever since. His interests lie in Bitcoin security, open-source systems, network effects and the intersection between economics and cryptography. Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

S.Korea, U.S. Agree To Implement Liquidity Measures If Needed – Reuters.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/s-korea-u-s-agree-to-implement-liquidity-measures-if-needed-reuters-com/ U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Korean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho meet at Lotte Hotel, in Seoul, South Korea July 19, 2022. Chung Sung-Jun/Pool via REUTERS SEOUL, Oct 1 (Reuters) – The United States and South Korea agreed on Saturday to implement liquidity facilities to stabilise financial markets if needed, Korea’s finance ministry said after a teleconference between finance chiefs of the two countries. The won is near its lowest level since March 2009, and has weakened 17% against the surging U.S. dollar so far in 2022, amid a broad sell-off in emerging market currencies as the Federal Reserve aggressively raises interest rates. “The two countries are ready to work closely together to implement liquidity facilities when necessary, such as when financial instability is aggravated by the spread of (a) liquidity crunch in major economies, including Korea,” the ministry said in a statement after the call between the U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Korea finance minister Choo Kyung-ho. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The agreement reached on Saturday repeats the U.S. statement made when Yellen last visited Seoul in July, amid growing calls for the Bank of Korea to arrange a currency swap with the Federal Reserve to stabilise the dollar-won market. However, the statement released on Saturday did not elaborate on whether the facilities that may be deployed referred to a currency swap and South Korea’s finance ministry did not give further details. A $60-billion currency swap pact set up in March 2020 between the central banks of the two countries as an emergency step to stabilise markets expired at the end of last year. Such a swap would allow South Korea to borrow a certain amount of U.S. dollars for a pre-set period and rate, in exchange for won, so as to resolve difficulties in dollar liquidity. To help protect one of the world’s worst performing currencies, South Korean authorities has recently arranged a $10 billion currency swap program with the country’s state-run pension fund, a tool that allows the fund to finance its overseas investment with the central bank’s FX reserves, instead of buying dollars in the spot market. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Kim Coghill Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NASA Eyes November For Launch Attempt Of Moon Rocket – Dunya News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/nasa-eyes-november-for-launch-attempt-of-moon-rocket-dunya-news/ Technology NASA eyes November for launch attempt of Moon rocket NASA said Friday it would try to launch its Moon mega-rocket in November. 01 October,2022 07:01 am WASHINGTON (AFP) – NASA said Friday it would try to launch its Moon mega-rocket in November, without committing to a precise date for the much-delayed Artemis 1 mission. The US space agency, which was forced to postpone its latest liftoff attempt due to massive Hurricane Ian which hammered Florida this week, announced it was preparing its next launch window for between November 12 and November 27. “Over the coming days,” NASA said in a blog post, the team will assess conditions and necessary work and “identify a specific date for the next launch attempt.” Officials had so far refused to completely shut the door on an earlier attempt in October. The SLS rocket, the most powerful ever designed by NASA, had to be returned to its storage hangar at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday in order to shelter it from the approach of Hurricane Ian. The storm devastated parts of Florida but the rocket itself suffered no damage, NASA said. Planning efforts for the November launch window will allow “time for employees at Kennedy to address the needs of their families and homes after the storm” and in the run up to the next mission attempt. Raising the 98-meter-high (320 foot) rocket and transporting it to its launch pad, before configuring it for takeoff, will also take days. NASA has already made two attempts to launch the uncrewed Artemis 1 mission, in late August and early September, but both had to be scrapped at the last minute due to technical problems. In development for more than a decade, SLS has never flown before. Fifty years after the last mission of the Apollo program, Artemis is NASA s new flagship program. Artemis 1 will be used to ensure that the Orion capsule, at the top of the rocket, is safe to transport a crew to the Moon in the future.   ‘ ; var i = Math.floor(r_text.length * Math.random()); document.write(r_text[i]);

Seneca Gaming Corporation Holds Annual Every Child Matters Walk – WGRZ.com https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/seneca-gaming-corporation-holds-annual-every-child-matters-walk-wgrz-com/ The Every Child Matters walk allowed people of the Indigenous community come together for remembrance and to help heal one another. Author: wgrz.com Published: 11:21 PM EDT September 30, 2022 Updated: 11:21 PM EDT September 30, 2022

New Study Finds Bexar County Jail Meets Standards Despite Staff Complaints – San Antonio Report https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/new-study-finds-bexar-county-jail-meets-standards-despite-staff-complaints-san-antonio-report/ Results from a long-awaited study of the Bexar County Adult Detention Center indicate that it met all statutory and regulatory requirements, despite frequent complaints from staff about dangerous work conditions due to lack of personnel. The consultant, Detain Inc., agreed that a reliance on forced overtime is negatively impacting the jail’s workforce, and proposed solutions like scheduling staff for 48-hour work weeks, either through longer shifts or six-day work weeks. Sheriff Javier Salazar said in an interview he’s eager to start piloting the 12-hour shifts, which he said would allow new employees to have more consecutive days off, including some weekends. Employees would still receive overtime pay for working more than 40 hours, but would have more reliable schedules. “When I when I joined law enforcement about 30 years, they told you flat out on your first day of the academy, you can kiss your weekends and holidays goodbye,” said Salazar. “The mindset is different nowadays,” he added. “If I can tell some of my deputies that are contemplating going to another agency or even another profession, ‘Hey, hold off here, you’re fixing to get every other weekend off,’ … that might entice some people to stick around.” Keeping employees from heading for the exits is a critical mission for officials. The jail is currently short about 230 positions, something the consultant blamed on “attrition and an extremely challenging recruiting environment,” as well as the “elevated inmate population.” The report noted as of May, the Bexar County jail was housing 4,365 people, roughly 85% of its total capacity. That number includes pre- and post-trial detention of inmates, as well as parole and probation violators. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office hired Detain Inc. in October 2021 to perform the study over a six-month period. Consultants interviewed jail command staff and analyzed administrative data provided by the sheriff’s office to assess issues with staffing shortages, compensation and inmate supervision. Findings released Friday said Bexar County’s starting salary of $18.24 per hour lagged roughly 16% behind the average starting wage in five other major Texas counties. The report called for pay increases of 15% to 20% for entry-level positions to increase competitiveness — something Bexar County already plans to do. But Salazar said the county will still likely be playing from behind when it comes to pay as others scramble to fill their own vacancies. During the pandemic, a Texas Supreme Court order suspended jury trials and other court activities, causing a spike in pre-trial incarceration across the state. That dynamic led Harris County to use some of its pandemic relief funds to send inmates to other facilities. “I suspect that just as we’re coming up with ways to increase pay, probably every other law enforcement agency in the area is, as well,” said Salazar. “It’s just gonna be a matter of finding other things that that might appeal to applicants,” such as more reliable scheduling. In an interview with the San Antonio Report in July, Salazar said problems with staffing the jail are circular. While poor working conditions were due in large part to staff shortages, it’s become harder to hire because dangerous working conditions are so well-publicized. The Bexar County Deputy Sheriff’s Association said in a statement that it has long sought to alert the public to “the severe amount of vacancies at the jail, which, as the study says, is the ‘primary cause’ of the BCSO’s chronic forced overtime and forced no relief practices.” “No relief” shifts occur when an employee calls out and there are no backups available. The employee currently in the position is held over until relief is found, often for the entire next shift. Speaking at a recent Commissioners Court meeting, Ronald Tooke, union president, said his members were exhausted from mandatory overtime and haven’t been allowed to use vacation days due to severe staffing shortages. The county’s fiscal year ends Friday, meaning any unused paid time off will be forfeited. Salazar conceded that the county will likely continue to rely heavily on overtime for the foreseeable future. The study noted that “most factors affecting the arrest, detention and length of stay of accused and convicted offenders are mostly beyond the control of Bexar County officials.” While state officials have pointed blame at prosecutors for not working hard enough to clear case backlogs from the pandemic, Salazar took aim instead at the state, which he said uses jails to lock up the mentally ill. He said Friday that roughly 200 of the inmates in the county jail belong in state prisons, but no one has come to transfer them. “The DA is a stakeholder I can work, with the judges to some extent, are stakeholders I can work with,” Salazar said. “The State of Texas is not going to work with me on these things,” he added. “They’ve shown time and time again that their number one priority is not building mental health beds or coming to pick up their inmates in a timely fashion.” The county is also funding a study of the jail, though its results have not yet been released. It did so at the request of former commissioner Trish DeBerry, who sparred regularly with Salazar about the use of overtime to staff the jail. “I didn’t want somebody who, quite frankly out of malice, was gonna hire somebody to come in and and write what she wanted them to write in this consultants’ report,” Salazar said of DeBerry, who is now the Republican candidate for county judge. “I said, ‘No. … This is my jail and I will hire a consultant. So we paid for one out of our asset forfeiture funds.’” Salazar said previews he’s seen of the county’s report show the findings roughly align with the study conducted by Detain Inc. He added that neither study calls for building a new jail, an idea DeBerry has made central to her campaign for county judge. More from San Antonio Report More from San Antonio Report

California Coronavirus Updates: California Extends State’s COVID-19 Supplemental Sick Leave – Capital Public Radio News https://bexarcountynewsonline.com/california-coronavirus-updates-california-extends-states-covid-19-supplemental-sick-leave-capital-public-radio-news/ Find an updated count of COVID-19 cases in California and by county on our tracker here. Latest Updates California extends state’s COVID-19 supplemental sick leave States are spending billions of federal pandemic relief funds on infrastructure projects World Cup spectators will need to test negative for COVID-19 upon entering host country, Qatar Some hospitals pocket high profits while many patients collect debt California teachers more pessimistic since the start of the pandemic, survey finds COVID-19 By The Numbers Friday, September 30 12:41 p.m.: California extends state’s COVID-19 supplemental sick leave California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill Friday that will extend the state’s COVID-19 sick leave policy which was set to expire. Lawmakers recently approved an extension to the state’s COVID-19 supplemental sick leave to the end of the year. Initially, the paid leave was expected to expire on Sept. 30. Workers can use the sick leave if they are infected with COVID-19 to care for a sick family member or to receive a vaccination. The bill will also allocate an additional $70 million — on top of the $250 million approved earlier this year — to aid small businesses in paying for the sick leave. Newsom has a deadline of Friday at midnight to sign or veto bills passed during the most recent legislative session. Thursday, September 29 12:01 p.m.: States are spending billions of federal pandemic relief funds on infrastructure projects States are spending billions of dollars of federal pandemic relief funds on infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and public buildings, as reported by the Associated Press. Last year, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan law that provided $350 billion to states and local governments to respond to the coronavirus and shore up their economies. An Associated Press review of reports submitted by states shows they are spending more on infrastructure projects than on public health purposes. States are taking advantage of U.S. Treasury Department rules that grant broad flexibility to spend money on almost any government services as an offset to reduced revenue growth. 11:50 a.m.: World Cup spectators will need to test negative for COVID-19 upon entering host country, Qatar Fans going to the World Cup in Qatar must show a negative COVID-19 test when they arrive as part of the host nation’s rules to combat COVID-19, organizers said Thursday. According to the Associated Press, all visitors aged 18 and over must also download a government-run phone application tracking people’s movements and health status, called Ehteraz. Visitors must be able to show a negative result from a PCR test taken in the 48 hours before arriving or from an official rapid test taken within 24 hours. The COVID-19 testing policy for visitors aged 6 and over is “regardless of the individual’s vaccination status,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said in a statement. The decisions extend throughout the World Cup the public health policies that have been in place since Sept. 4 for all travelers arriving in Qatar. Vaccination is not mandatory for the 1.2 million expected visitors for the Nov. 20 – Dec. 18 tournament. In June 2021, Qatar’s government had suggested there would be a vaccine mandate for fans at the World Cup. Wednesday, September 28 11:57 a.m.: Some hospitals pocket high profits while many patients collect debt Nationwide, many hospitals have grown wealthy, with a roughly 5% operating margin, on average. But that doesn’t show the whole picture — hospitals have been spending lavishly on advertising, team sponsorships, and even spas, while patients are squeezed by skyrocketing medical prices and rising deductibles. A KHN review of hospital finances in the country’s 306 hospital markets found that several of the most profitable markets also have some of the highest levels of patient debt. Overall, about a third of the 100 million adults in the U.S. with health care debt owe money for a hospitalization. Close to half of those owe at least $5,000. About a quarter owe $10,000 or more. Many are pursued by collectors when they can’t pay their bills or hospitals sell the debt. “The fact is, if you walk into a hospital today, chances are you are going to walk out with debt, even if you have insurance,” said Allison Sesso, chief executive of RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit that buys debt from hospitals and debt collectors so patients won’t have to pay it. Tuesday, September 27 2:48 p.m.: California teachers more pessimistic since the start of the pandemic, survey finds  Many teachers in California have considered leaving the profession and more have a negative outlook on the job following the onset of the pandemic, according to a new survey. The study, published by the California Teachers Association and UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, found that around 40% of current TK-12 teachers have thought about leaving their job either to continue schooling or leave teaching entirely. The outlook of teachers has also become more negative since the start of the pandemic. Around 77% of teachers say that things are changing for the worse now, up from 45% pre-pandemic. Still, many teachers remain committed to the profession with 57% saying they are unlikely to leave teaching in the next three years, and 39% saying they are highly satisfied with their job. 12:48 p.m.: Over 4 million Americans have received new omicron-targeted booster More than 4 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the new omicron-specific booster shots. According to the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the count on Thursday. The new shots target the most common omicron strains of the coronavirus. The U.S. has ordered 171 million doses of the new boosters for the fall. The first hint of public demand for the new boosters comes as health experts lamented President Joe Biden’s recent remark on 60 Minutes that “the pandemic is over.” The president later clarified his comment after facing heat from health experts, who worry the message might slow prevention efforts. Monday, September 26 11:58 a.m.: Pfizer plans to roll out updated COVID-19 booster shots for children ages 5 to 11 Pfizer is asking the Food and Drug Administration to expand the use of its updated COVID-19 booster shot to children ages 5 to 11. As reported by the Associated Press, some 4.4 million Americans have already received one of the updated boosters since they rolled out earlier this month for anyone 12 and older. Just like with Pfizer’s original vaccine, elementary school-aged children would get a third of the dose of the updated booster. The FDA is expected to decide soon. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech also announced that they have begun a study of the updated booster in children younger than 5. 11:02 a.m.: Canada to soon drop vaccine mandate at US-Canada border An official familiar with the matter says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has signed off on Canada dropping the vaccine requirement for people who enter Canada at the end of September. Canada, like the United States, requires foreign nationals to be vaccinated when entering the country. According to the Associated Press, no change in the mandate is expected in the U.S. in the near term. Unvaccinated foreign travelers who are allowed to enter Canada are currently subjected to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine. The officials say Trudeau has agreed to let a cabinet order enforcing mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements at the border expire Sept. 30. Saturday, September 24 12:30 p.m.: Flu season could be headed to the U.S. early After virtually disappearing for two years as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, influenza seems to be poised to stage a comeback this year in the U.S., NPR reports. And while COVID-19 is notoriously unpredictable and many restrictions have been lifted, there’s a good chance COVID cases will rise again this winter. During this year’s Southern Hemisphere winter, the flu returned to some countries like Australia, where it started ramping up months earlier than usual and caused one of the worst flu seasons in recent years. The combination of flu and coronavirus cases could seriously strain the health system, according to Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease professor at Vanderbilt University. The flu causes between an estimated 140,00 and 710,000 hospitalizations annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC is reporting that the flu is already starting to spread in parts of the south like Texas, and experts caution that very young kids who have not been exposed to flu for two years may be especially vulnerable. But experts doubt COVID and flu will hit the country at the same time because of something known as “viral interference,” a phenomenon that occurs when infection with one virus reduces the risk of catching another. “These two viruses may still both occur during the same season, but my gut feeling is they’re going to happen sequentially rather than both at the same time,” said Dr. Richard Webby, an infectious disease specialist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “So I’m less concerned about the twindemic.” But Webby and others are still urging people to make sure everyone in their family gets a flu shot as soon as possible, especially if flu season arrives early. Friday, September 23 11:12 a.m.: California is easing mask-wearing recommendations California’s Department of Public Health released updated guidance for the use of face masks, dropping the recommendation for universal mask wearing in indoor public spaces. M...