Benton County News Now

The Weekly Authority: Google Parts With Pixelbook – Android Authority https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/the-weekly-authority-google-parts-with-pixelbook-android-authority/ Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Welcome to The Weekly Authority, the Android Authority newsletter that breaks down the top Android and tech news from the week. The 212th edition here, with Pixel 7 storage options, OnePlus 11 Pro renders, Sony’s State of Play and Nintendo Direct highlights, an “easier” way to make cup noodles, and more. This week I’m feeling quite smug to be writing this from the comfort of my new couch, in my new apartment. Ok, so I’m still not unpacked, but I made it! In other news, the temperature here in Scotland dropped to 6°C this morning, so I may need to unpack my sweaters first… Popular news this week Sony: At Tuesday’s Xperia event, Sony announced the Xperia Stream, a cooling accessory for the Xperia 1 IV with a variety of ports, but no word on pricing or availability yet. Movies/TV: HBO Max’s The White Lotus took home five gongs at the Emmys, beating Ted Lasso (four) and Succession (three). The new Google Chromecast HD might have a big advantage over its predecessor, but it may not be so cheap after all. Disney’s D23 event last weekend had lots of cool teasers and trailers, including an official trailer for Willow, several Star Wars trailers, a black and white trailer for Werewolf by Night, a trailer for Marvel’s Secret Invasion, starring Samuel L. Jackson, and much more. Mashable’s got some interesting reviews this week: “Tense social thriller” End of the Road (Netflix), “groundbreaking and glorious action epic” The Woman King (in theaters now), and classic rom-com Ticket to Paradise (coming to cinemas October 21). If you’re still stuck on what to watch this week, here’s our pick of the best new TV shows to stream, including season five of The Handmaid’s Tale, plus the best new streaming movies this week, from Ridley Scott’s epic The Last Duel to something lighter with black comedy Do Revenge. Paul Greengrass is adapting Stephen King’s Fairy Tale for the big screen: The book hit shelves earlier this month, and King believes the man behind several Bourne movies is “a wonderful choice.” Elsewhere, Glenn Powell and Regé-Jean Page will be Butch And Sundance for a new Amazon series set in an alternative history version of America. Also this week: We saw a new trailer for Park Chan-Wook’s Decision to Leave. described as “an intensely romantic cat-and-mouse thriller.” And Amazon greenlights Blade Runner 2049 sequel series. Finally: Netflix is holding its global fan event with first looks and company news on September 24. Gaming: Missed Ubisoft Forward on Sunday? Highlights included Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope gameplay, more Skull and Bones gameplay, stuff for the Division franchise, and a ton of Assassin’s Creed, including AC Red, set in Japan, AC Mirage, coming in 2023 and set in Baghdad, AC Codename HEXE, which looks sort of witchy, two undated mobile games (one announced for Netflix, the other set in China), and a multiplayer game codenamed Invictus. Tokyo Game Show 2022 started on Thursday running through Sunday: IGN has all the livestreams you need. At Disney’s D23 event, Disney Illusion Island was announced: the 2D co-op platformer starring Mickey Mouse and friends will come exclusively to Nintendo Switch in 2023. Eurogamer has a neat roundup of everything announced in Sony’s State of Play on Tuesday, but highlights included action-RPG Rise of the Ronin, a trailer for Tekken 8 (ooh!), some new PSVR2 games (like tabletop RPG Demeo), a new Hogwarts Legacy trailer, a glimpse of Yakuza spin-off Like a Dragon: Ishin, first-person driving survival game Pacific Drive, and much more. If you missed September’s Nintendo Direct on Tuesday, you can catch up here, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom headlined, coming May 12, 2023. We also saw an official announcement trailer for Pikmin 4, and Nintendo revealed Goldeneye 007 is coming to Nintendo Switch Online, with online play. Meta Quest Pro leaks online with unboxing video after claims prototype was left in a hotel room. On the topic of VR, Sony dashes hopes and confirms PSVR2 won’t be backwards compatible. Meanwhile, The Sims 4 is going free to play from October 18 across PC, Mac, and consoles, and current players will get a free content pack. And Discord finally comes to Xbox! Here’s how to use it. Which reminds us: Deathloop finally lands on Xbox on Tuesday, likely to only be on Xbox Series X/S consoles. Finally: Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 gets a release date and all-new third-person mode — November 16 is the date for your diaries. Reviews Ryan Haines / Android Authority Samsung Galaxy A23 5G review: Searching for the middle ground — “Its sizable crisp display and equally large and long-lasting battery are excellent among budget phones, though it has some rough edges in tender spots” (Android Authority). Honor MagicBook 14 (2022) review — “A solid productivity laptop, offering fast processing speeds, a great port selection, and good battery life. Its design isn’t so impressive, failing to stand out from rivals such as Apple and Huawei” (Trusted Reviews). MSI Summit E16 Flip Evo review — “A classy, fairly long-lasting semi-portable performance laptop with a large 360-degree 16-inch screen. The display of the version reviewed is not mind-blowing and you’d hope to see a glass touchpad at this level, but MSI has made few mistakes with this solid all-rounder” (Trusted Reviews). Features Weekly Wonder This week we’re wondering about the point of Thanko’s Cup Noodle Machine. Why does it exist? What’s its purpose? Exactly how much time is it supposed to save you? Who are these people that are too busy to boil water? Keep reading and you’ll find out exactly what we’re talking about. Rise of the ramen Cup noodles, instant noodles, ramen… whatever you call them, there’s no denying that this staple student food has become a quick go-to snack for many. Love them or hate them, cup noodles are here to stay — they’re cheap, cheerful, and delicious, even if they’re not the healthiest choice. Easier than boiling water Since preparing cup noodles involves nothing more than peeling open the lid of the cup, boiling some water, adding it to the cup, and waiting for the ingredients to rehydrate, why would anyone create a gadget designed to simplify that process? Japan’s Thanko obviously thought the task could be easier. The Makasetei looks a lot like a Keurig coffee machine. This one takes noodle cups, not pods, though. Just pop off the plastic seal, place your noodle cup on the device, lower the mechanism, add water, start the machine, and set a timer. The Makasetei will automatically boil the water, add it to the cup, and then let you know when your noodley-goodness is ready. It doesn’t exactly sound like one of the best smart kitchen tech products around. Though Thanko’s no stranger to quirky gadgets, from its folding fan umbrella to its car rice cooker (yes, really). We should add, the Makasetei will set you back $45, which seems like a lot to spend on a task that could easily be achieved with an electric kettle. Not to mention the kitchen counter real estate it’ll take up. True, it might come in handy if (like me) you’ve just moved house and have no idea which box you packed the kettle in. Or if you don’t own an electric kettle. And for those with a serious cup noodle habit, well, we guess it’s a bit of a novelty. Still… $45! Tech Calendar September 29: OnePlus 10T on sale October 6 @ 10 AM ET: Pixel 7 launch October 11 @ 1PM ET: Meta Connect Conference (new VR headset?) October 12 @ 10 AM PT: Samsung Developer Conference October 13: Pixel 7 on sale? (TBC) November 8: Skull and Bones release date on Xbox Series S/X, PS5, PC, Stadia, and Luna November 9: God of War: Ragnarok launches on PS4, PS5 November 15-17: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit November 18: The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me launches on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC Tech Tweet of the Week Have a great week! Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.

Thai SEC Proposes Banning Crypto Businesses From Staking And Lending Activities – Regulation Bitcoin News – Bitcoin News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/thai-sec-proposes-banning-crypto-businesses-from-staking-and-lending-activities-regulation-bitcoin-news-bitcoin-news/ The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed banning businesses from engaging in crypto staking and lending activities. The regulator is seeking public comments on the proposal, noting that the purpose of this prohibition is “to provide greater protection to investors and reduce associated risks.” Thailand Seeks Public Comments on 2 Crypto Regulatory Proposals The Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Thursday that it is seeking public comments on two proposals relating to the regulation of crypto assets. The comment period for both proposals ends on Oct. 17. The first is a proposal to prohibit businesses from crypto staking and lending activities. The securities watchdog said the purpose of this prohibition is “to provide greater protection to investors and reduce associated risks.” The regulator detailed that under this proposal, businesses cannot accept “deposits of digital assets from the customers and lend, invest, stake or employ such digital assets.” Crypto firms also cannot accept “deposit of digital assets from the customers and pay the customers regular interests or other types of benefits from their own source of fund.” Moreover, they are prohibited from “Providing support to third parties that undertake crypto saving and lending services, including marketing.” The second is a proposal to obligate digital asset firms to disclose risk information as proposed by the SEC to users before admitting them to their platforms. Crypto firms must also require a minimum purchase of 5,000 baht ($135) for digital assets. Crypto regulation in Thailand is undergoing changes. In August, the Thai finance minister revealed plans to amend the country’s law on digital assets to tighten the oversight of the crypto sector, particularly trading platforms. Earlier this month, the Thai SEC approved new requirements for crypto ads. What do you think about the two crypto regulatory proposals by the Thai SEC? 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.

U.S. Appeals Court Rejects Big Tech’s Right To Regulate Online Speech – Reuters https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/u-s-appeals-court-rejects-big-techs-right-to-regulate-online-speech-reuters/ Facebook, Google and Twitter logos are seen in this combination photo from Reuters files. REUTERS/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sept 16 (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a Texas law that bars large social media companies from banning or censoring users based on “viewpoint,” a setback for technology industry groups that say the measure would turn platforms into bastions of dangerous content. The 3-0 ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, sets up the potential for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the law, which conservatives and right-wing commentators have said is necessary to prevent “Big Tech” from suppressing their views. “Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say,” Judge Andrew Oldham, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, wrote in the ruling. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com The Texas law was passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature and signed by its Republican governor. The tech groups that challenged the law and were on the losing end of Friday’s ruling include NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which count Meta Platforms’ (META.O) Facebook, Twitter (TWTR.N) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) YouTube as members. They have sought to preserve rights to regulate user content when they believe it may lead to violence, citing concerns that unregulated platforms will enable extremists such as Nazi supporters, terrorists and hostile foreign governments. The association on Friday said it disagreed with forcing private companies to give equal treatment to all viewpoints. “‘God Bless America’ and ‘Death to America’ are both viewpoints, and it is unwise and unconstitutional for the state of Texas to compel a private business to treat those the same,” it said in a statement. Some conservatives have labeled the social media companies’ practices abusive, pointing to Twitter’s permanent suspension of Trump from the platform shortly after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Twitter had cited “the risk of further incitement of violence” as a reason. The Texas law forbids social media companies with at least 50 million monthly active users from acting to “censor” users based on “viewpoint,” and allows either users or the Texas attorney general to sue to enforce the law. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Twitter hailed the ruling as “massive victory for the constitution and free speech.” Because the 5th Circuit ruling conflicts with part of a ruling by the 11th Circuit, the aggrieved parties have a stronger case for petitioning the Supreme Court to hear the matter. In May, the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, found that most of a similar Florida law violates the companies’ free speech rights and cannot be enforced. [nL2N2XF2O2] Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

War Museum Advancing With Technology Room, Veteran Videos – Danville Commercial News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/war-museum-advancing-with-technology-room-veteran-videos-danville-commercial-news/ DANVILLE — The Vermilion County War Museum will soon have some technological and display upgrades thanks to the Vermilion County Board, and its allocation of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding from the federal government. District Seven Board Member Jerry Hawker said, “I wanted to help direct some of those funds to organizations and groups in my district that work hard to serve the community but operate on limited budgets. So, I talked with Rhea and Larry Weatherford and learned that the Vermilion County War Museum could use some help. The museum is the nearest neighbor to the county’s Administration Building, and I knew how hard they work to honor our veterans. Instead of telling them what I thought we’d like to donate for, I asked for a list of plans and areas that we could help with for the museum.” Hawker said that his interest in the museum had been piqued about four years ago when he and his granddaughter, Suzanne, attended an open house there. “Suzanne was literally drawn into the stories and the people behind the artifacts as Larry gave us a tour. I knew then how important this museum is to the community,” Hawker said. Hawker and County Board Chairman Larry Baughn visited the museum and talked with the Weatherfords who gave them a tour and pointed out what they felt could be done to help the museum move ahead. The two also talked with Museum Board President James Kouzmanoff, Treasurer Colletta Johnson, other board members and volunteers. The first item on the Weatherfords’ wish list impressed both Hawker and Baughn. That is a computer system that would contain a Vermilion County Veteran Database, listing everyone from the area who had served in the American Armed Forces, dating back to Revolutionary War Veterans who had moved to Vermilion County in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. That listing would continue all the way through those serving today. In addition to the names which would crawl across a giant LED screen on the wall, access to “scanned-in” pictures, stories and original documents will be available. “We plan to digitize many of the collections we have or have access to for individual service personnel and regiments. For example, we’ll have scans of several hundred pages of documents, pictures, speeches and stories about John Charles and William Black, both of whom were awarded the Medal of Honor for their Civil War service,” Larry Weatherford said. While the museum features tens of thousands of artifacts dating back to the 1700’s, Weatherford says, “The front room on the southwest side of the building will become our technology room, with computer workstations, big screens, and a touchscreen video kiosk installed for visitors.” Weatherford already has expansion plans in mind for the system. “I’d like to see us produce videos in a small studio in the same room. Those will focus on different eras of American history and on certain topics such as the Medal of Honor recipients from this area,” he said. Board member Tara Auter added, “We also plan to record videos of veterans and their descendants to keep their stories alive for generations to come. Several of our volunteers and board members have broadcast, video production and public speaking experience which can help make this happen.” Eventually, Weatherford envisions adding more video kiosks in other parts of the building and a mini-theater. Baughn said, “The museum and all the many volunteers work so hard to keep up to date with all the history for the entire county. I am glad we could help future generations learn more of the impact their ancestors had in our local history. The war museum tells such an important story to our youth today, we have to make sure the sacrifices made by our local service men and women are always here for future generations to learn from.” “We see the video system as our first step in helping the war museum,” Hawker said. “There are other areas that have been pointed out to us where I think the county can help make the museum even more of a showplace to honor our veterans.” Weatherford agreed, “The county’s interest in helping the museum is greatly appreciated and will allow us to make strides ahead technologically and aesthetically. It’s hard to express how grateful we are for this assistance and support.” Broadcast and electronic engineer Alan Woodrum of IAC Communications is designing, building and installing the video system for the war museum.

Third-Rated Class 9AA Hamlin Tops Leola-Frederick Area 48-6. – Watertown Public Opinion https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/third-rated-class-9aa-hamlin-tops-leola-frederick-area-48-6-watertown-public-opinion/ HAYTI — Zac VanMeeteren scored three touchdowns and Luke Fraser and Tyson Stevenson were each involved in two to lead third-rated Class 9AA Hamlin to a 48-6 non-conference football win over Leola-Frederick Area on Friday. Van Meeteren scored on runs of 2 and 41 yards and also hauled in a 32-yard TD pass from Stevenson for the Chargers (4-0). He had a combined 102 yards rushing and receiving. Fraser, who ran for 126 yards, scored on a 14-yard run and also hauled in an 18-yard TD pass from Stevenson (6-8 passing for 109 yards). Simon Vander Vorst made 4.5 stops and Troy Randall Jr. and Kasen Prouty four each for Hamlin’s defense. The visiting Titans (2-2) scored on a 10-yard pass from Noah Kippley to Milo Sumption. Kippley also rushed for 51 yards on two carries. Jericho King had five tackles and Stephen Achen four. Sioux Falls Washington 30, Watertown 0: Sioux Falls Washington took advantage of a late first-half scoring flurry and four touchdown passes from Thomas Hoffman to Tryg Auten to top the Arrows. The Warriors (2-2) led only 6-0 before scoring 17 points in the final two minutes of the first half. Auten had six catches for 140 yards in the first half alone and scored on passes from Hoffman that covered 61, 13 and 29 yards. He also caught a 20-yard YTD pass early in the fourth quarter for the only score of the second half. Justin ZetinoMartinez kicked a 21-yard field goal with 1:48 left in the second quarter to put Washington ahead 9-0. After stopping Watertown on downs and forcing a punt, a 60-yard pass completion led to Auten’s second TD reception with 16 seconds left. Watertown fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Washington recovered and closed out the half with Auten’s third TD reception. Complete statistics were not available, but Hoffman did complete 14 of 18 passes for 256 yards in the first half. Watertown (1-3) was limited to 11 yards rushing and 11 yards passing in the half. Mason Whiting and Ashton First In Trouble each intercepted passes and Spencer Wientjes recovered a fumble for the Arrows. Great Plains Lutheran 42, Sunshine Bible Academy 7: Micah Holien’s three touchdowns sparked the Panthers (2-2). He scored on runs of 4 and 6 yards and also returned an interception 59 yards for another score. Thomas Erickson, who ran for 95 yards, scored on a 9-yard run and also tossed a 29-yard TD pass to Jacob Bartels. Hayden Karli scored on a 35-yard TD pass from Brody Scharlemann, who passed for 103 yards. Joseph Dahlberg and RJ Perry each made five tackles and Alex Heil and Ryan Kjenstad each picked off passes. SBA (0-4) scored on a 4-yard pass from Nolan Triebwasser to Daniel Gebracht. Triebwasser had 13 tackles an an interception. Dakota Valley 33, Milbank 6: Ethan Anema passed for 179 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 1-yard run for the fifth-rated Class 11A Panthers (3-1). The Panthers also scored on runs of 66 and 23 yards and on a 56-yard pass. Jace Barber made seven tackles and Drew Lukken six. Barrett Schneck scored on a 7-yard run and also had eight tackles for Milbank (8-4). Garrett Mertens completed nine of 16 passes for 122 yards, teaming with Eli Johnson four times for 84. Aidan Foell rushed for 88 yards. Johnson contributed six tackles and Foell five. Estelline-Hendricks 47, Colman-Egan 14: Mattix Hausman rushed for 108 yards and three TDs (3, 20 and 70 yards) and also passed for 111 yards and a 19-yard score to Jon Nefzger for the 2-2 Redhawks. Wyat James added an 80-yard punt return and Joseph McAninch a 30-yard run for TDs. Caden Ching caught three passes for 42 yards and Braxton Jongeling recorded seven tackles and Nefzger five. Logan Voelker scored on a 68-yard run and a 71-yard kickoff return for Colman-Egan (1-3). He finished with 159 yards rushing. Hayden Person was involved in 10 tackles. Deubrook Area 16, Lake Preston 12: Jace Vomacka’s 5-yard TD pass to Jacob Jorenby early in the fourth quarter lifted the Dolphins (4-1) to the win. Vomacka passed for 94 yards, teaming with Jorenby four times for 53. Colin Bauman added a 3-yard TD run and made 9.5 tackles. Devon Landmark contributed eight stops. Haydon Shurson paced the 0-5 Sharks by rushing 28 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Larson had seven tackles. Castlewood 50, North Central 7: Lane Tvedt had two TD runs and tossed TD passes to Booker Schooley (21 yards) and Carson Kirwan (22 yards) for the 4-0 Warriors, who also scored on runs by Jeremiah Wiersma (1 yards) and Camron Eng (43 yards) and on a 85-yard punt return by Quincy Thue. Joe Decker had six tackles and Jarin Eidson 5.5. North Central (1-3) scored on a 10-yard run by Beau Schilling. Clark-Willow Lake 28, Parker 0: Trey Huber completed 10 of 15 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns to his brother Tyson (30 and 55 yards) for the 2-3 Cyclones. Mitchell Larson and Emmerson Larson added TD runs of 23 and 2 yards, respectively. Mitchell Larson caught five passes for 112 yards. Cole Heiman recorded 11 tackles and Elliot Bratland, Collin Gaikowski and Griffin Musser eight apiece for CWL. Cole Brenden intercepted a pass.  Andrew Even made 10 tackles for Parker (0-5). Webster Area 43, Dakota Hills 0: Brent Bearman scored on an 80-yard kickoff return and a 5-yard run to spark the Bearcats (1-4), who also got TD runs from Carson Mount (21 yards), Gavin Witt (8 yards) and Ian Lesnar (2 yards). Webster also scored on a safety and an 8-yard pass from Lesnar to Tommy Vegeldt. Deuel 27, Groton Area 0: The Cardinals (4-1, 4-1 Northeast Conference) scored on runs of 3 and 14 yards by Owen Quail, a 9-yard pass from Trey Maaland to Carver Nothem and a 69-yard run by Dominic Constant, who also recorded eight tackles. Nothem added six. Quail gained 107 yards rushing, Maaland 82 and Constant 69.  Lane Tietz threw for 113 yards and Tate Larson caught three passes for 56 yards for Groton Area (2-3, 1-3). Florence-Henry 50, Waverly-South Shore 30: A 28-point fourth-quarter propelled the Falcons (2-2, 2-0) to the Eastern Coteau Conference win. Tegan Sumner, who passed for 140 yards, scored on a 1-yard run and tossed TD passes to Clay Trupe (28 yards) and Mehki Keller (22 yards). Keller also scored on a 36-yard run and tossed a 21-yard TD pass to Adam Moe and Karter Kohlenberg scored on runs of 3 and 10 yards. Keller rushed for 68 yards, caught four passes for 59 and had an interception. Trupe recorded 13 tackles and Sumner 12. Kohlenberg had two picks and Sumner one. Troy Kneeland threw for 162 yards and three touchdowns, all 10-yard scores to Zach Ries, Cody Thompson and Gavin Meadors. Kneeland added a 1-yard TD plunge. Thompson had five catches for 98 yards and Ries five for 30. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan 36, Sioux Valley 32: Second-rated BBE (5-0) survived by getting a 114-yard rushing performance with three TDs (2, 57 and 46) from Macklen Weber. Riley Endres added an 80-yard kickoff return and Sutton Arend a 6-yard run for TDs. Drake Gustafson tallied 14 tackles and Kean Stevenson 10. The Cossacks (2-2)  got 152 yards rushing and three TDs from Donovan Rose. He found the end zone on runs of 38 and 65 yards and also returned a kickoff 89 yards for another score. Lane Liebsch and Jace Christensen each added 1-yard TD runs. Boden Schiller rushed for 75 yards and added 11 tackles. Brock Christopherson and Preston Top had 10 stops apiece. Dell Rapids St. Mary 44, Arlington 20: Tate Bunkers (7 and 12 yards) scored two TD runs and Nic Gasper caught a 3-yard TD pass from CJ Smith and added a 65-yard scoring run for St. Mary (2-3). Smith and Logan Bauer also had TD runs. Gasper rushed for 91 yards, Bunkers 87 and Smith 64. Gabriel Lindeman made nine tackles. Brecken Vossler produced 119 yards rushing and TD runs of 2 and 95 yards for the Cardinals (0-4), who also got an 85-yard kickoff return for a TD and seven tackles from Caden Murphy. Elkton-Lake Benton 38, Canistota 30: Ryan Krog capped a big game with a 55-yard TD pass to Riddick Westley early in the fourth quarter that lifted the Elks (5-0) past fourth-rated Class 9A Canistota (2-3). Krog completed nine of 12 passes for 318 yards, connecting for three other scores to Tanner Stein (90, 18 and 21 yards). Krog also rushed for 45 yards and 1-yard TD and added 11 tackles. Blake De Vries had 12 tackles. Noah Kleinsasser rushed for 190 yards and two scores and Tage Ortman added of TD runs for Canistota. Kleinsasser also notched 6.5 tackles. Wolsey-Wessington 28, De Smet 6: Wolsey-Wessington evened its record at 2-2 with a the win over the third-rated Class 9B Bulldogs (3-2). Tiospa Zina 52, St. Francis 0: The Wambdi (3-1) recorded their third-straight win by thrashing 0-4 St. Francis. Wagner 14, Sisseton 0: Wagner (2-3) pitched the shutout against the Redmen (1-4). Hankinson, N.D. 54, Tri-State 8: Hankinson improved to 4-1 with the win and dropped Tri-State to 0-5. Friday’s Other South Dakota Scores Aberdeen Central 27, Mitchell 13 Aberdeen Roncalli 56, Mobridge-Pollock 6 Alcester-Hudson 38, Chester 27 Belle Fourche 20, Chamberlain 6 Beresford 20, Flandreau 12 Bon Homme 43, Stanley County 7 Brandon Valley 38, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 7 Brookings 33, Spearfish 20 Dell Rapids 28, Canton 22 Faith 26, Lemmon/McIntosh 20 Faulkton 36, Northwestern 6 Flandreau Indian def. Omaha Nation, Neb., forfeit Gregory 46, Irene-Wakonda 11 Harding County/Bison Co-op 54, Newell 0 Harrisburg 41, Sioux Falls Lincoln 22 Herreid/Selby Area 44, Ipswich 26 Hitchcock-Tulare 52, Avon 0 Howard 51, Freeman/ Marion/ Freeman Academy Co-op 0 Huron 34, Sturgis Brown 32 Jim River 31, Baltic 6 New Underwood 49, Bennett County 0 Parkston 50, Oldham-Ramona/Rutland 0 Philip 60, Dupree 12 Pierre 55, Yankton 10 Platte-Geddes 35, Viborg-Hurley 18 Potter County 48, Langford 14 Sioux Falls Christian 34, Mad...

Avoid These Post-Pandemic Cruise Mistakes On Your Next Vacation – USA TODAY https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/avoid-these-post-pandemic-cruise-mistakes-on-your-next-vacation-usa-today/ Christopher Elliott  |  Special to USA TODAY As Americans take to the seas again, they’re making all kinds of cruise errors. Failing to check passports is among the common mistakes. As COVID continues to affect cruises in unexpected ways, expect a minefield of potential mistakes. When Katie Whittington canceled her 14-day transatlantic sailing from New York to London on the Norwegian Getaway, she made one of the most common post-pandemic cruise mistakes: She didn’t read the fine print on her ticket.  Instead, she took a Norwegian Cruise Line representative at his word. “A customer service representative told me they could cancel my cruise and that I’d receive a future cruise credit for the full amount I paid,” she says.  So Whittington expected a $4,725 future cruise credit. Instead, her cruise line applied a 75% cancellation fee and refunded the other 25%. As Americans take to the seas again, they’re making all kinds of cruise errors, from not remembering to check their testing requirements to ignoring their passport expirations to forgetting about COVID-19 restrictions. A lot has changed during the pandemic. ‘Hell of a Cruise’: Highlighting the panic, failures of the COVID early days Before you step onboard: 3 things first-time cruisers need to know before stepping foot on the ship Don’t lose your credit by making this cruise mistake Whittington, a program manager from Tampa, contacted Norwegian immediately when she saw her reduced cruise credit. Where was the rest of her money? “After a careful review of your case, our records indicate that your reservation was canceled 41 days prior to your sail date,” a Norwegian representative told her. According to the cruise line’s terms, any reservation canceled 60 to 31 days prior to the sail date was subject to 75% cancellation fees. But a representative had told her otherwise. And she had proof: a screenshot of the chats between her and Norwegian.  How cruises work for plus-size passengers: ‘The worst part … is getting on the flight’ Free cruise for ‘frontline heroes’: This ship will offer free sailings to the Grand Bahamas Initially, the cruise line would not honor the promise of a full cruise voucher. But after I contacted the company on Whittington’s behalf – which is not a recourse all travelers have – it provided her a cruise credit equal to the 75% cancelation fee, making her whole as promised. “People are not paying attention to final payment dates or are assuming there is more flexibility with penalties than there really is,” said Marni Becker, senior director for cruise partnerships for Global Travel Collection. Other post-pandemic cruise mistakes you should avoid Here are a few more common cruise errors, according to experts: ► Failing to check your passport. During the pandemic, no one bothered to check their passports because no one was traveling. “By far, one of the most common errors travelers may encounter is an expiring passport,” said John Mast, senior director of global cruise marketing at Expedia. As a general rule, U.S. passports should have at least six months of validity from the end of the trip for international travel. ► Ignoring international travel requirements. Entry requirements vary by country, and they’ve changed a lot since the pandemic. “Familiarize yourself early with the regulations so that you can prepare properly before departure,” advised Annie Scrivanich, senior vice president at Cruise Specialists. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, verify the requirements with each respective country’s website or click here to visit the site Sherpa. Scrivanich also recommends bringing a physical copy of your vaccine card with you. ► Not continually checking your cruise line’s requirements. They look simple and almost identical to the ones you remember from before the pandemic. For most major lines, COVID-19 vaccination is no longer required, but testing might be. “But it’s the finer details around those protocols that may trip some people up, causing potential delays or denial of boarding,” said Tanner Callais, founder of the site Cruzely.com. Does the cruise line require a booster shot? What is a valid proof of vaccination? Will a picture of your vaccine card work, or does it have to be the paper copy? ► Not taking COVID-19 seriously. Many cruise lines say wearing a mask is optional. “There’s been an attitude that you can go maskless and party like normal,” said James Hills, editor of CruiseWestCoast.com. “But that’s just not true.” You can still get sick on a cruise. And if you do, your cruise line may quarantine if you test positive or show preliminary signs such as elevated temperature during a routine check.” If you’re using a future cruise credit, here’s a big mistake to avoid: “Not paying attention to a voucher’s expiration date,” said Jeff Rolander, director of claims at travel insurance startup Faye. Most cruise vouchers are valid for two years from the date of issue. Call your cruise line or travel agent and ask for an extension if you’re getting close to that date. COVID testing: Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean to accept self-administered COVID-19 tests Vaccine requirement on major lines: MSC Cruises, Holland, Carnival and more to drop vaccination requirements for select sailings And what about COVID? Although we occasionally like to use the term “post-pandemic,” the truth is that COVID-19 is still with us. Cruise experts say it’s important to understand the cruise line’s COVID-19 rules and protocols. “What would happen if you were to come down with COVID or test positive while aboard?” asked Narendra Khatri, principal for the travel insurance company Insubuy. “Would you be forced to quarantine in a port city? Does your travel insurance cover quarantine and trip delay costs? And if so, how much?” Some cruise lines still require a COVID-19 test. Even if they drop their requirements, they could reinstate them at any point, given the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. Stephanie Charboneau, a travel adviser with Travel Creates Memories, recently dealt with a completely avoidable testing emergency. Her clients had arrived early for a cruise but had forgotten to get tested. Story continues below.  “Of course, I had told them multiple times about this test,” she said. Charboneau helped them find an inexpensive test at their hotel, and they were able to board the ship. COVID-19 continues to affect cruises in unexpected ways. Jeremy Clubb, founder of Rainforest Cruises, said his customers often assume that itineraries won’t change.  “But now more so than ever, itineraries are subject to change,” he said. For example, his Amazon cruises can’t visit indigenous villages because they don’t have access to COVID-19 vaccines.  “So be aware – and open-minded – to the fact that some itineraries may be different,” he said. That’s good advice for anyone taking a cruise in 2022. Expect a minefield of potential cruise mistakes. Mind your paperwork and set realistic expectations to avoid sinking your next cruise. Avoid these pre-departure cruise errors ► Waiting too long to buy insurance. Cruise passengers should buy travel insurance within 10 days of their first payment toward their trip, said Damian Tysdal, founder of the travel insurance site CoverTrip.com. “Some coverages are time-sensitive, meaning you can’t get them if you wait beyond that 10-day window,” he added. Also, consider a cruise-specific travel insurance policy like Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection’s WaveCare, which offers up to $750,000 in emergency medical evacuation benefits. ► Assuming the ship won’t be crowded. E.J. Kritz, a customer service consultant from Charleston, South Carolina, made that mistake on a recent Royal Caribbean cruise. “I assumed the ship wouldn’t be busy,” he said. But it was. “Cruisers expecting that dinner and show reservations will be no problem are in for a rude surprise,” he said. But aren’t some ships only sailing at partial capacity? Yes, but they’re also sailing with lower staffing levels, Kritz found. His advice: Get your reservations as early as possible. ► Not reconfirming your travel requirements before your cruise. Why double- or triple-check? Because requirements change. “People check requirements when they book the cruise, but they don’t reconfirm requirements when it is time to travel,” said travel adviser Kristin Jaffe of Winkaffe Global Travel. “Things are changing on a daily basis, so you need to make sure to update your understanding of the requirements the day before you go to make sure you’re covered.” %

VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS SEPTEMBER 17 – VietNamNet https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/vietnam-business-news-september-17-vietnamnet/ Vietnam’s coffee has been shipped to more than 80 countries and territories, making the country the second biggest exporter in the world, with a market share of 14.2%. Vietnam exported 112,531 tonnes of coffee worth 266 million USD in August, down 4% in volume but up 13% in value, reported the General Department of Vietnam Customs. On an eight-month calculation, Vietnam brought home 2.8 billion USD from exporting 1.2 million tonnes of coffee, up 40% in value and 11% in volume year-on-year, respectively. Coffee is one of the six key currency earners with an annual revenue of over 3 billion USD. Its major markets are Europe, the US, Russia, Japan and the UK. In Europe, Vietnam is the second biggest coffee supplier with a market share of 16.1%, behind Brazil with 22.2%. At present, Vietnam is home to 97 coffee bean processing plants with an annual capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, 160 coffee roasting, 8 instant coffee and 11 coffee blending facilities. VIETRADE, Chinese city ink MoU to foster economic partnership The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) and the Commerce Commission of China’s Chongqing city signed a memorandum of understanding on enhancing economic, trade and investment cooperation at a teleconference on September 16. Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai noted that with many advantages for economic, trade, and investment ties, China has continually been the largest and most important trading partner of Vietnam. Despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade still topped 100 billion USD in 2020 and 2021. It surpassed 117 billion USD in the first eight months of 2022, up 10.8% year on year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Realising the potential and important role of the market in China’s western region, including Chongqing – one of the four provincial-level municipalities in the country, with the Chinese Government’s support, the Ministry of Industry and Trade decided to choose this city to set up Vietnam’s first trade promotion office in China in 2014. Hai cited data from China Customs as showing that trade between Vietnam and Chongqing exceeded 4.5 billion USD in 2019, more than doubling the 2 billion USD in 2018. It continued growing to over 7.3 billion USD in 2020 and 7.93 billion USD in 2021. Vietnam is also an attractive destination for many Chongqing investors who have invested in over 20 projects in the Southeast Asian nation. Those outcomes have substantially contributed to economic, trade, and investment links between Vietnam and China, the Deputy Minister said. On this occasion, apart from the MoU between VIETTRADE and the Commerce Commission of Chongqing, two cooperation agreements were also signed between associations and businesses of Vietnam and the Chinese city. AEM-54: CLMV Action Plan in 2023-2024 approved The CLMV Action Plan for the 2023-2024 period was approved at the 14th Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam Economic Ministers’ Meeting (CLMV-EMM 14), which took place on September 16 in the framework of the 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM-54) in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province under the chair of Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien.  Delegates focused on discussing the economic, trade and investment situation in the four countries; the progress of implementing the CLMV Action Plan for the 2021-2022 period. Senior economic officials from the four countries (SEOM CLMV) were assigned to actively coordinate and collect proposals related cooperation projects from relevant ministries, sectors and agencies, and send them to the ASEAN Secretariat for inclusion in the action plan. In his remarks, Minister Dien, who is also head of the Vietnamese delegation to AEM-54, applauded the addition of digital economy as a cooperation field to the action plan, saying that this is a new development trend of the region and the world that attracts the interest of many countries. The digital economy will help businesses in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam – especially small and medium-sized enterprises, shift to new business models, reduce costs, improve business efficiency, and increase access to customers and markets, he said.  The Vietnamese delegation also announced that Vietnam will continue to support booths of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar at a number of major international fairs and exhibitions organized by Vietnam; and maintain its scholarship programmes for students from these countries. Vietnam hopes to foster computer, electronic, component exports to the UK Vietnam hopes to boost its exports of computers, electronic products and components to the UK in the near future after it has gained success in shipping this group of goods to many other overseas markets. In 2021, exports of computers, electronic products and components earned Vietnam 50.8  billion USD, making it the second biggest export group, according to the General Department of Customs. Export turnover of this group of goods last year grew 14.1% year-on-year, equivalent to an increase of 6.3 billion USD, accounting for over 15% of the nation’s total export turnover. The US market was the biggest for this group of goods from Vietnam, accounting for 25% of exports. Exports to mainland China reached nearly 11.1 billion USD, although only increased by less than 1% and accounted for 21.83% of the total export turnover of the whole industry. The third largest market was Hong Kong, which grew by 50%, bringing turnover to 6.3 billion USD. The EU came fourth with 5.9 billion USD, up 2.6%, and the Republic of Korea ranked fifth, reaching 3.5 billion USD, up nearly 22%. Four other markets with export turnover from 1 billion USD to 2 billion USD were the Netherlands with 1.8 billion USD, up 5.2%; Mexico (1.4 billion USD, up 17.4%); Poland (1.1 billion USD, up 14.9%) and Slovakia (1.0 billion USD, up 27.7%). In addition, there were a series of markets with import turnover of nearly 1 billion USD, including Japan (996 billion USD), Taiwan (938 million USD), Singapore (924 million USD), and India (828 million USD). Deputy PM attends opening of 19th CAEXPO, CABIS Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh delivered a pre-recorded speech at the opening of the 19th ASEAN-China Expo (CAEXPO) and the 19th China-ASEAN Business Investment Summit (CABIS) in Nanning, the capital city of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on September 16. Hailing the important achievements that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have gained over the years, especially the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, security, prosperity and sustainable development. ASEAN and China have continued to be each other’s largest trade partner with two-way trade reaching over 669 billion USD in 2021. China is the biggest investor in many ASEAN countries. Meanwhile, bilateral cooperation in disease control, poverty reduction, culture, people-to-people exchanges have also been strengthened, benefiting people of both sides, according to the Deputy PM. He stressed the need to make full use of opportunities from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), thus bolstering bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner. The Deputy PM suggested the Chinese Government create favourable conditions for the increased import of goods and high-quality farm produce from Vietnam as well as other ASEAN countries via Vietnam. CAEXPO is one of the 10 leading trade fairs of China, which has been held annually since 2004. This year, Vietnam continues to participate in the event at the largest scale with an display area of over 2,000sq.m, along with the online exhibition by 80 enterprises to introduce Vietnamese strong products such as agricultural and aquatic products, processed food, wooden furniture and handicrafts, consumer goods, as well as investment, tourism and trade services. Vietjet launches promotion campaign targeting Indian couples Budget carrier Vietjet Air on September 15 launched the “Love Connection” Campaign – the first ever for India that offers Indian couples with opportunities to experience their dreamful “honeymoon” in Da Nang and Phu Quoc, two famous beach cities in Vietnam. Lasting from September 15 to November 30, the “Love Connection” Campaign is a tailored talent contest reserved for Indian couples, in which couples are invited to send their own impressive moments recorded in the journey to find each other to Vietjet.   Programme details and participation rules are listed on the website: https://loveconnection.vietjetair.com. The winning couples will receive a romantic vacation in Da Nang, a coastal city that has become a magnet for tourists in central Vietnam or Phu Quoc – the so-called “Pearl” Island in the southern Vietnamese province of Kien Giang. The winners will participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience named the “Celebration of Love” Event on Mumbai beach and receive return tickets from India to Vietnam by Vietjet as well as a resort voucher for the two. With Vietjet’s far-reaching flying network, the winners can freely choose their preferred flight to Vietnam including Mumbai / New Delhi / Ahmedabad / Hyderabad – Phu Quoc / Da Nang / Ho Chi Minh City / Hanoi with departure time from November 15, 2022 to June 30, 2023.  Couples with stories receiving most votes from the contest’s official website https://loveconnection.vietjetair.com/ and related social platforms will receive an invitation to attend the Love Connection 2022 award party as well as Celebration of Love event in Mumbai. The winners will be shortlisted and announced by Vietjet on October 24, 2022. Listed companies honoured for best investor relations The Vietnam Association of Financial Executives, the Finance...

Cheshireherald.com – Join Trail Trekkers For Upcoming Walk – Cheshire Herald https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/cheshireherald-com-join-trail-trekkers-for-upcoming-walk-cheshire-herald/ “Walk for the Health of It” with the Cheshire CT Trail Trekkers. The new group will be providing unique opportunities for socializing, exploration, and exercise while participants learn about interesting relevant topics (i.e., nature, wildlife, healthy living and town history) with knowledgeable group leadership. Enjoyable events designed for all ages take place on the first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m. with leisurely walking, while a brisker paced walk will take place on the third Wednesday at 4 p.m. Check out our calendar at the Cheshire Park and Recreation website—https://www.cheshirect.org/government/departments_and_divisions/recreation—for walking dates, details, and for easy on-line registration. Join them on Sept. 21, at Cheshire Mixville Park with the Town Historian at 4 p.m., and then Oct. 1 at Old Bishop Farms for a special, fun apple tour at 9 a.m., and other events listed for October, November and December. Also, visit the group’s Facebook page at Cheshire CT Trail Trekkers and/or call Cheshire Park and Recreation at (203) 272-2743.

Mountaineers Seek First Win Today | News, Sports, Jobs – The Inter-Mountain https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/mountaineers-seek-first-win-today-news-sports-jobs-the-inter-mountain/ Photo courtesy of Moundsville Daily Echo/Robert Ovies WVU freshman running back CJ Donaldson was held to 48 yards rushing in last week’s OT loss to Kansas. Donaldson had 125 yards on the ground in the season opener at Pitt. MORGANTOWN — West Virginia seeks its first win of the season today as FCS opponent Towson visits Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Game time is set for 1 p.m. and the action will be televised live on ESPN+. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series, 1-0, winning 54-0 at home in 2014. WHAT’S AT STAKE? West Virginia is trying to avoid its first 0-3 start since 1979 and desperately needs a win against a Championship Subdivision opponent. The Mountaineers fell to Kansas at home in overtime last week and surrendered two late touchdowns in falling at No. 23 Pittsburgh in the opener. Towson, which beat Bucknell and Morgan State this season, does have a win over an FBS opponent, against Connecticut in 2013. KEY MATCHUP Towson QB Tyrrell Pigrome against West Virginia’s defense. Pigrome threw for 157 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 124 yards against Morgan State. The Mountaineers have surrendered a total of 11 touchdowns on defense. They gave up 200 rushing yards to Kansas. West Virginia’s 46.5 points allowed per game ranks 125th out of 131 FBS schools. PLAYERS TO WATCH Towson: RB Devin Matthews. Towson’s leading scorer from a year ago is averaging 83 rushing yards and 4.5 yards per carry. West Virginia: RB CJ Donaldson. The 240-pound freshman was held to 48 yards on 13 carries against Kansas after rushing for 125 yards in his college debut a week earlier. FACTS & FIGURES Pigrome, who started playing in the 2016 season, is at his fourth school. He previously played at Maryland and Western Kentucky, then transferred to Mississippi in 2021 but did not see action … West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels has thrown interceptions that were returned for touchdowns in each of the first two games. … West Virginia will induct three former players into its Hall of Fame on Saturday: quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. They were members of the 2011 team that beat Clemson 70-33 in the Orange Bowl and all three set multiple school offensive records in 2012. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Meta Finishes Off Queens Of The Metaverse Campaign With Drag Show – PR Week https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/meta-finishes-off-queens-of-the-metaverse-campaign-with-drag-show-pr-week/ Meta premiered a mixed-reality drag show, Queens of the Metaverse, last week, using virtual and augmented reality technology to bring new dimensions to drag queens’ looks. Drag act stars Blu Hydrangea, Tia Kofi and Adam All took part in the show and wore metaverse-inspired drag looks designed by aspiring LGBT+ designers: Nwora Emenike, Sal Mohammed and Christie Lau. The outfits were designed using a combination of virtual and augmented technologies, which included Meta’s VR workspace Horizon Workrooms. On the night, the drag acts took to the runway and AR technology produced a dynamic version of the acts’ outfits on the screens behind them, complete with filters to give the outfits a living look. Ineke Paulsen, Meta’s director of EMEA marketing, said: “Creative communities will help make the metaverse inclusive and inspiring – with the technologies underpinning it helping creatives overcome some of the barriers that might exist in the physical world, like access to studio space and raw materials.  “Meta’s Queens of the Metaverse is a celebration of how communities can push the boundaries of creativity and social connection physically and online.,” Paulsen said.  The night itself was the culmination of Meta’s Queens of the Metaverse campaign by We Are Social. “This is We Are Social’s most ambitious metaverse-based campaign, and we’re incredibly excited to bring such innovative content to life, culminating in a jaw-dropping, mixed-reality event,” said Jon Mobbs, business director at We Are Social. Events agency Seeper also assisted with the show, hosted by Glow Up presenter Dominic Skinner. “Even though the metaverse is in the early stages of development, the technologies behind it are already bringing exciting new ways for the drag community and LGBT+ creatives to express themselves and experiment,” said Blu Hydrangea. “I can only imagine how much further virtual reality would have taken my creativity when I was younger than hiding with bin-bags and sharpies in my bathroom.” This story first appeared on campaignlive.co.uk. Have you registered with us yet? Register now to enjoy more articles and free email bulletins Register Already registered? Sign in

Mike Sonko’s Daughter Sandra Shows Off Exquisite Bathroom With Gold Plated Toilet – Tuko.co.ke https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/mike-sonkos-daughter-sandra-shows-off-exquisite-bathroom-with-gold-plated-toilet-tuko-co-ke/ Sandra Mbuvi alias Thicky Sandra has always flaunted her family’s wealth on social media while making controversial remarks Mike Sonko’s daughter showed off her family’s exquisite bathroom, which also has a gold-plated toilet The TikToker also own a bevvy of posh range rovers she loves, and the young girl is a true picture of her dad when it comes to spending money Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko’s daughter Thicky Sandra has flaunted their posh exquisite bathroom. Thicky Sandra flaunts gold-plated walls and toilet. Photo: Thicky Sandra. Source: UGC Sandra is known for flaunting her family wealth, and who could possibly blame her when she has everything money can buy at her disposal? The lovely lass took to TikTok to share their family’s expensive mansion that was located in Machakos County. In the clip, she starts by showing off the landscape and architecture of their mansion while standing on the lawn garden before walking up to her destination to show off the big reveal. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU find “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Revealing their golden washroom, Sandra used the popular TikTok audio: “Everybody has that one thing in their house that everybody thinks is so cool. It could be a hidden cabinet, little movie room, a gadget but ours is this…” As her camera panned to the outdoor washroom, fans were left gobsmacked with a fully gold-coated toilet with a black Versace toilet cover. The walls were covered in gold-plated tiled walls, a huge marble white and golden sink, a medium-sized mirror and golden knobs. Source: TUKO.co.ke

Crypto Market Maker Of Former Citadel Execs Raised $50 Million | Bitcoinist.com – Bitcoinist https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/crypto-market-maker-of-former-citadel-execs-raised-50-million-bitcoinist-com-bitcoinist/ Two former executives of the leading investor in the world’s financial markets, Citadel Securities, Leonard Lancia and Alex Casimo have raised $50 million for their own crypto market maker. The company also plans to invest in crypto assets via web 3 projects.  Ex-leaders at Citadel Security initially launched their own market maker in April 2021 and named it Portofino Technology. The platform aims to enable high-frequency trading (HFT) and provide advanced features to the digital asset users of web 3 and other institutions. It provides liquidity services to crypto users of web 3 and relies on highly-efficient and fast algorithms to open and close a trade seamlessly.  Related Reading: Michael Saylor Censures On Misinformation On BTC Mining Moreover, it offers strategic partnerships to web 3 startups looking to list their tokens. The company already claims to have traded billions of funds on centralized and decentralized exchanges.  Venture capitalists who backed the funding round include Global Founders Capital, Valar Ventures, and Coatue.  Lancia, the co-founder and CEO at Portfolio Technology, added in the statement; Having worked at the forefront of the modernization of traditional markets, we believe that our liquidity provisioning infrastructure can deliver enormous benefits to digital asset participants globally and drive the next leg of adoption. This is only the start for Portofino. In web3, every action is a transaction, and we’re building the underlying technology that is going to enable entirely new services and industries in the future. After enabling investors to access liquidity at very competitive prices, the company intends to expand its reach in the entire crypto space, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), Decentralized Finance (DeFi), ecosystem tokens based on gaming, etc.  Bitcoin’s price currently trading below $20,000. | Source: BTCUSD price chart from TradingView.com Crypto Market Maker Plans To Expand Globally The Switzerland-based startup company Portfino Technology detailed in the press release that the platform employs 35 technology experts working in Portfonio’s offices across New York, London, and Singapore, and it plans to further increase its staff headcount by 50 in 2022. The company has not expressed its valuation yet. The funds for Portofino are accumulated amidst the long-lasted bloodbaths and inflation that wiped billions of dollars from the crypto market. It further drove more selling pressure, and the lawmakers added fuel to the fire with their aggressive approach to digital assets.  Similarly, this climate led the market toward lower trading volumes and fewer arbitrage opportunities. And it also increased the borrowing costs. But, Portofino Technology could compete with big market makers on leverage with the help of its automotive inventory management and unique algorithms. Oliver Samwer, an investor at Global Founders Capital and CEO at Rocket Internet, commented on the launch of Portofino Technology and added; Related Reading: Crypto Lender Voyager’s Bankruptcy Auction Begins We’re really excited about the potential of Portofino. It’s rare that you find a founding team with such fantastic expertise to solve the problems that digital asset market participants face today. We are convinced this is the right team to help facilitate the next leg of institutional and retail participation in this market. Featured image from Pixabay and chart from TradingView.com

US Coast Guard Seizes Half A Billion Dollars Of Illegal Narcotics In Massive Drug Bust – ABC News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/us-coast-guard-seizes-half-a-billion-dollars-of-illegal-narcotics-in-massive-drug-bust-abc-news/ The U.S. Coast Guard has recovered almost 30,000 pounds of cocaine and marijuana, valued at more than $475 million, after seizing the drugs in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. The crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Legare offloaded 24,700 pounds of cocaine and 3,892 pounds of marijuana at Base Miami Beach Thursday, according to a U.S. Coast Guard press release. The drugs recovered were found in international waters, and efforts were taken by the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard and the Royal Netherlands Navy to confiscate the drugs from suspected drug cartels. Coast Guard offloads more than $475 million in illegal narcotics in Miami. CPO Stephen Lehmann “I am proud of the crew’s continued devotion to duty that made this offload possible,” said Cdr. Jeremy M. Greenwood, commanding officer of Legare. “Through the coordinated efforts of the Legare, the LEDETs, HNLMS Groningen, CGC James, and the USS Billings crews, we significantly contributed to the counter-drug mission and the dismantling of transnational criminal organizations. The drugs seized through this coordinated effort will result in significantly fewer drug-related overdoses.” The Coast Guard said that fighting cartels and criminal organizations that traffic drugs takes a lot of unity at different phases of the process. “From detection and monitoring to interdiction and apprehension, and on to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation,” the Coast Guard said. “Detecting and interdicting illegal drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination.” Coast Guard offloads more than $475 million in illegal narcotics in Miami. CPO Stephen Lehmann Stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Legare has an extremely large patch and patrols the offshore waters from Maine to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. The 270-foot Famous-class medium endurance cutter’s missions include “law enforcement, search and rescue, protection of living marine resources, homeland security and defense operations, international training and humanitarian operations,” according to the statement released by the Coast Guard. “The U.S. Navy and allied foreign ships conduct law enforcement missions under the authority of embarked Coast Guard LEDETs from Tactical Law Enforcement Teams based in Miami and San Diego,” the Coast Guard confirmed. ABC News’ Victoria Arancio contributed to this report.

How To Block Web Fonts To Improve Privacy – Ghacks https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/how-to-block-web-fonts-to-improve-privacy-ghacks/ Websites that make use of text have two main options to display it. Use a font that is available on the majority of user devices or use custom web fonts, which are not installed on a user’s device. Custom web fonts, such as Google Fonts, give web designers more options when it comes to text display on websites, but they require that visitors download these fonts when they connect to the site. Caching is used, usually, to avoid that fonts are downloaded on every page visit. For Internet users, the use of web fonts has two main disadvantages: Performance Privacy Performance is the obvious one, as a request needs to be made to the server hosting the font to download it. While that is usually quick, it still adds to the loading time. Issues with the server may also lead to loading issues on the site. Users who are on a tight bandwidth budget or on very slow connections may benefit the most from the blocking. Privacy is the second. Since requests are made to servers, e.g., Google servers that host the company’s fonts, information such as the IP address is automatically submitted. Not all organizations that host web fonts use the information to track users, but there is always the chance that this is happening. Google, for example, highlights the following in the terms: The APIs are designed to help you enhance your websites and applications (“API Client(s)”). YOU AGREE THAT GOOGLE MAY MONITOR USE OF THE APIS TO ENSURE QUALITY, IMPROVE GOOGLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND VERIFY YOUR COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS. This monitoring may include Google accessing and using your API Client, for example to identify security issues that could affect Google or its users. Since many sites use web fonts, widely used fonts may provide organizations with additional information about a user’s activity on the Internet. Blocking web fonts may lead to display issues on some sites. Sites that rely solely on web fonts, without having fallbacks in place, may not display correctly. Find out if a site uses web fonts It is relatively easy to find out if a site uses web fonts. Open the Developer Tools of the browser with the shortcut Ctrl-Shift-I. You find it listed in the main menu as well, usually under More Tools. Switch to the Network tab. Activate the font filter. Load the site in question and monitor the listing. How to block web fonts Web fonts can be blocked in a number of ways, depending on the browser that is used. Firefox users may set the preferences gfx.downloadable_fonts.enabled and gfx.downloadable_fonts.woff2.enabled to false to block downloadable fonts in the browser. The browser has another setting that may be of use. Introduced in Firefox 41, it enables Firefox to set specific fonts for visited websites. Load about:preferences#general in the browser’s address bar to get started. Scroll down to the Fonts section and select the Advanced button. Uncheck “Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of your selection above”. You may need to scroll the window to see the option. Select OK. Users of the content blocker uBlock Origin may add a single custom line to it, to block web fonts. Open the Settings, switch to My Filters, and add the line *$font,third-party. Select Save, and you are all set. The content blocker includes an even stricter option, which blocks all remote fonts. To activate it, select “Block remote fonts” in the extension’s settings. Sites that do not display correctly may be excluded from the blocking. This blocks the use of web fonts on third-party sites only. First party sites are still allowed to load them. Another option is to use a pre-made anti-fonts list, which you find here. Just import it into your content blocker of choice to block the majority of web fonts out there on third-party sites Now You: how do you handle web fonts? Are you concerned about them? (via Collinmbarret) Summary Article Name How to block web fonts to improve privacy Description Find out how to block web fonts in your browser of choice to improve your privacy and speed up the loading of sites. Author Martin Brinkmann Publisher Ghacks Technology News Logo Advertisement

Ronald Pelton, NSA Analyst Who Sold Secrets To Soviets, Dies At 80 – The Washington Post https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/ronald-pelton-nsa-analyst-who-sold-secrets-to-soviets-dies-at-80-the-washington-post/ Ronald W. Pelton, a National Security Agency analyst who was convicted in 1986 of selling secrets to the Soviets in one of the most damaging intelligence breaches of the Cold War, died Sept. 6 at a nursing home in Frederick, Md. He was 80. The cause was cancer, his daughter Paula Strand said. Mr. Pelton was an Air Force veteran with training in the Russian language when he joined the NSA in 1965. With over 14 years at the intelligence agency, he developed an expertise in Soviet communications and was granted top-secret clearance. In 1979, under mounting financial strain in his personal life, Mr. Pelton declared bankruptcy. He resigned soon after fearing professional repercussions at the agency, where employees who are financially insecure might be seen as targets for recruitment by foreign intelligence services. Mr. Pelton had only a few hundred dollars in his bank account when, in January 1980, he approached officials at the Soviet embassy in Washington, offering them his knowledge of NSA operations in exchange for payments that would ultimately total $35,000. Under subsequent questioning by the FBI, Mr. Pelton described his overture to the Soviets as an impulse, one that he had contemplated for no more than a week or two. He grew a beard so that he could enter the embassy without attracting notice. Before exiting the complex, he shaved the beard and changed into clothes resembling those worn by embassy staff, then boarded an embassy shuttle bus before returning downtown to collect his car. Over the next five years, Mr. Pelton maintained clandestine contact with Soviet agents, using a public telephone at a Northern Virginia pizza joint for prearranged phone calls and traveling overseas to Vienna for debriefings. His “betrayal,” reporters Bob Woodward and Patrick E. Tyler wrote in The Washington Post during Mr. Pelton’s trial, “represented one of the gravest American intelligence losses to the Soviet Union.” “They got more out of me than I wanted to give up,” Mr. Pelton was said to have told FBI agents when he was discovered. Mr. Pelton’s most significant revelation involved an operation code-named Ivy Bells, in which the United States wiretapped underwater Soviet communication cables in the Sea of Okhotsk. In his book “Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987,” Woodward described the technology as among “the most advanced, sophisticated miniaturized waterproof eavesdropping devices in existence.” The underwater system produced “one of the greatest intelligence hauls of the Cold War,” historian Timothy Naftali wrote in the New York Times in 1998, until Mr. Pelton “sold the secret to the Russians in 1980.” Mr. Pelton’s communications with the Soviets were discovered with assistance of a Soviet defector, former KGB officer Vitaly Yurchenko. Mr. Pelton was arrested in November 1985 and charged with three counts of espionage, one count of conspiracy and one count of the unauthorized disclosure of classified communications information. At his trial the next year, he admitted that he revealed a clandestine U.S. effort to intercept Soviet communications, but he disputed the degree of harm he had caused. His lawyer argued that the FBI had improperly obtained incriminating statements from him. Mr. Pelton was convicted on all charges except one count of espionage and was sentenced to three life sentences, plus an additional 10 years. He remained in prison for nearly three decades and was released to a halfway house and then home confinement before his sentence expired in 2015, when he was 74. “Walking into the Soviet Embassy on Jan. 15, 1980, was the biggest mistake of his life,” he had told agents before his arrest. “When you’re broke and desperate and your family is barely surviving, you do crazy things.” Ronald William Pelton was born in Benton Harbor, Mich., on Nov. 18, 1941. He was raised by his father, a manager in a Whirlpool electronics department and a TV repairman, and his stepmother, who was a homemaker. Mr. Pelton’s daughter said he knew little about his biological mother. Mr. Pelton served in the Air Force in the early 1960s as a cryptologic technician, with postings including one in Pakistan. He also studied Russian at Indiana University before joining the NSA, which sent him for a period of years to England. Mr. Pelton attributed his financial problems in part to the theft of building materials for a home he was building in Howard County, Md. When he filed for bankruptcy, The Post reported, he “said he had only $6.80 in cash and $8 in a checking account” and “listed his other assets as four old cars, a motorcycle, a $10 watch, a bowling ball, five pairs of shoes and a razor.” After leaving NSA, Mr. Pelton worked in various jobs, selling cars and boats, offering computer consulting and attempting investment ventures that failed to relieve his financial strain. Even during that time, he found time to volunteer at a soup kitchen in Washington. Mr. Pelton and his wife, Judith, had separated before he was arrested for espionage. Their marriage ended in divorce. Survivors include three daughters, Paula Strand of Brunswick, Md., Pamela Wright of Warrior, Ala., and Linda Anastasi of Edgewater, Md.; several siblings and half-siblings; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mr. Pelton’s son, Ronald M. Pelton, died in 2021. In a tribute to her father after his death, Pamela Wright recalled that he had disappeared from her life when she was 19 and returned after serving his sentence when she was nearly 50. “He was quieter,” she wrote. “More mellow. With many regrets.” He had been raised Protestant but converted to Catholicism in prison and used his talents as a musician to play the piano during Mass. He had been drawn to the faith, his daughter Paula relayed in a eulogy, when a priest assured him that he could unburden him in the total privacy of confession. After he was released, he developed difficulties walking as he aged. “I went down to the local Walgreens and bought him the perfect cane, for the perfect height, for an imperfect father who was struggling to walk even before he fell,” Paula Strand recalled. “For a dad who was desperately holding on to his independence to live in his apartment as long as he could. For a dad who was ashamed to tell anyone who he really was. We kept that secret. I told him, ‘You use this when you walk. It will help you.’ ”

Migrants Arrive In Sacramento From Texas But Don’t Know Who Paid For Plane Tickets – KCRA Sacramento https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/migrants-arrive-in-sacramento-from-texas-but-dont-know-who-paid-for-plane-tickets-kcra-sacramento/ A Northern California advocacy group said it is helping eight migrants from Venezuela who arrived in Sacramento on two separate flights.Three men, aged 23 and one in his 40s, said they walked barefoot from the Sacramento International Airport to the Catholic Charities administrative offices downtown. They said it was an address on their paperwork, 1107 9th St., the administrative offices for Catholic Charities. From there, they ended up at the Sacramento Food Bank, and the food bank then called NorCal Resist. “I picked them up and got them to the grocery store. We got them a hotel. They walked from the Sacramento airport to the Sacramento Food Bank with no shoes,” said Goya Gutierrez, a volunteer with NorCal Resist. One man who asked not to be identified said they couldn’t choose where they were going. He said the documents said California.Gutierrez said the paperwork is from the Department of Homeland Security, which scheduled a hearing for later this month for the men to report to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.”ICE doesn’t do that; they don’t just put people on planes because they’re not going to sponsor them,” Gutierrez said. “I have no idea who actually sponsored them.” The man said they left Venezuela 45 days ago and ended up at the Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio, Texas.He said someone gave them free plane tickets on a commercial flight to Sacramento. The center is run by the city of San Antonio and doesn’t pay for migrants’ travel to other cities.”They were really confused. Two of them said they wanted to go to Utah and one wanted to go to Manhattan and somehow they ended up in Sacramento,” Gutierrez said.The men said they are in the United States to find work, not for a vacation. They said it is difficult to find job opportunities in Venezuela and need to support their families. “They were put on a plane to Sacramento where they don’t know anybody. They don’t have any family here,” Gutierrez said.The Migrant Resource Center is looking into the men’s claims. The office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said his state is busing migrants to Washington, D.C., Chicago and New York.The office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is looking into if they provided the plane tickets. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Northern California advocacy group said it is helping eight migrants from Venezuela who arrived in Sacramento on two separate flights. Three men, aged 23 and one in his 40s, said they walked barefoot from the Sacramento International Airport to the Catholic Charities administrative offices downtown. They said it was an address on their paperwork, 1107 9th St., the administrative offices for Catholic Charities. From there, they ended up at the Sacramento Food Bank, and the food bank then called NorCal Resist. “I picked them up and got them to the grocery store. We got them a hotel. They walked from the Sacramento airport to the Sacramento Food Bank with no shoes,” said Goya Gutierrez, a volunteer with NorCal Resist. One man who asked not to be identified said they couldn’t choose where they were going. He said the documents said California. Gutierrez said the paperwork is from the Department of Homeland Security, which scheduled a hearing for later this month for the men to report to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. “ICE doesn’t do that; they don’t just put people on planes because they’re not going to sponsor them,” Gutierrez said. “I have no idea who actually sponsored them.” The man said they left Venezuela 45 days ago and ended up at the Migrant Resource Center in San Antonio, Texas. He said someone gave them free plane tickets on a commercial flight to Sacramento. The center is run by the city of San Antonio and doesn’t pay for migrants’ travel to other cities. “They were really confused. Two of them said they wanted to go to Utah and one wanted to go to Manhattan and somehow they ended up in Sacramento,” Gutierrez said. The men said they are in the United States to find work, not for a vacation. They said it is difficult to find job opportunities in Venezuela and need to support their families. “They were put on a plane to Sacramento where they don’t know anybody. They don’t have any family here,” Gutierrez said. The Migrant Resource Center is looking into the men’s claims. The office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said his state is busing migrants to Washington, D.C., Chicago and New York. The office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is looking into if they provided the plane tickets. %

Jamestown Man Opens Wellness Business | News, Sports, Jobs – Jamestown Post Journal https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/jamestown-man-opens-wellness-business-news-sports-jobs-jamestown-post-journal/ Business Sep 17, 2022 The Post-Journal Staff editorial@post-journal.com Brian Pumford, owner of Pearl City Wellness, is pictured in his 484 Fairmount Ave. office. Submitted photo Brian Pumford has opened Pearl City Wellness, a new wellness clinic, at 484 Fairmount Ave., Jamestown. Pumford said Pearl City Wellness is now open and he is excited to start working with people who want to lose weight and improve their overall health. Pearl City Wellness was inspired by Pumford’s interest in overall body health and helping people improve their lives. “So many people struggle with being overweight and all of the co-occurring health issues,” Pumford said According to the 2017-18 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Intervention, 74% of Americans are overweight or obese. People who have obesity are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, many forms of cancer, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, and difficulty with physical functioning. Many people struggle on restrictive diets, lose weight, and then end up gaining back everything they lost plus more. “I want to work with people who are tired of living their lives on restrictive diets and being unhappy with their bodies,” Pumford said. “My goal is to help people tap into their desire to simply live a healthier life with all the benefits it can bring. It’s also very personal as I have had multiple family members who suffered with serious health issues related to unhealthy living habits.” Pearl City Wellness offers personalized sessions that incorporate mental health wellness strategies, nutrition education focused on a whole food plant based diet, and physical fitness. Pumford said studies have shown mental health, nutrition, and physical fitness all play important roles in maintaining health. “Most programs involve only one or two of those areas but I wanted to offer a program that includes all three in every session.,” he said. Pumford has worked in the mental health field for 15 years and has worked as a group and individual fitness instructor for 10 years. He is certified in plant-based nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, and is an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer. “I’m excited to bring all three disciplines together into one program. Every session will be personalized to fit each person’s need. We will also be working out during sessions and learning how to improve fitness at home.” For more information, visit www.pearlcitywellness.com or call 716-218-9296. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

The Kourtney Kardashian-Approved Health Hacks I Swear By – The Everygirl https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/the-kourtney-kardashian-approved-health-hacks-i-swear-by-the-everygirl/ The Everygirl’s product selections are curated by the editorial team. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love. We all have a favorite Kardashian, but whether you’re a diehard Kim fan or will fight to the death for Kris Jenner, it’s undeniable that Kourtney is the queen of wellness. From her early days of perfecting the matcha latte to experimenting with all sorts of health practices, diets, and recipes over the years, she has proven that she is willing to try anything to improve her health. And lucky for us, she shares it all on her healthy living website Poosh. While I can’t get on board with every wellness trend she tries (making your own aloe vera juice just wasn’t for me), I can vouch for a lot of the health hacks she uses regularly. After all, she’s the one who showed me the value of switching to natural deodorant (read on for why). So after testing out so many different health hacks over the years, I have narrowed down the list to the following seven that I swear are worth the investment and, as a bonus, Kourtney Kardashian-approved. 1. Use a natural deodorant I started using a natural deodorant a couple of years back after reading up on the benefits of natural deodorants. While there is a lot of debate around whether natural deodorants are worth it, like Kourtney, I’ve always believed that what you put on your body (skincare, makeup, sunscreen, and even deodorant) makes a difference in your health. It took a lot of testing because natural deodorants don’t have the chemicals to block the body odor as well as natural deodorants do, but I eventually found a brand I like: Native. One thing to note: When you switch over to a natural deodorant, it can take a couple of weeks for it to start working as your armpits are essentially detoxing during this time. 2. Try Pilates as a workout Over the past couple of years, Pilates has become all the rage, and there’s good reason: The low-impact workout targets the smallest muscles in your body and can leave you feeling the effects for many days afterward. Kourtney favors using a reformer machine for her Pilates workouts, and while I’ve never experienced this machine’s benefits, I have experienced the positive effects of doing an at-home Pilates workout. I swear by obé Fitness‘ 30-minute Pilates classes that can be done anywhere (they’re my go-to while traveling). I finish every class feeling stronger and with an endorphin boost. 3. Opt for matcha instead of coffee If you’ve ever watched an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, you’ve probably seen Kourtney lounging in her stunning home, drinking a matcha latte. While many people can’t get through the day without their first cup of coffee, Kourtney swears by her matcha recipe instead, and I couldn’t agree more. While I still love a coffee every once in a while, my regular routine involves a matcha latte or green tea first thing in the morning. Matcha still gives me an energy boost without the jitters that can come from coffee and– bonus–it packs major health benefits. 4. Sleep with a silk pillowcase I’ll admit that my reasoning for buying a silk pillowcase wasn’t exactly health-focused (the feel of silk is just too good to pass up, especially while sleeping). But little did I know that opting for a silk pillowcase is beneficial for your skin and hair health. After all, you (should!) spend at least 7-8 hours a day asleep. That’s a long time to rest your body on something. Kourtney shared a similar sentiment with Insider, noting the difference in her hair when she made the transition, and I have to admit, I feel the same: silk pillowcases are game-changers. 5. Use supplements can help support your immune system For an article in Poosh, Kourtney gave a peek inside her medicine cabinet to share all the different remedies she uses when she’s feeling under the weather, and there was one supplement in there that I also happen to love (especially during cold and flu season): the Wellness Formula supplement from Source Naturals. It has a combination of Vitamin C and over 25 different herbs, vitamins, and nutraceuticals. It’s that extra boost of vitamins your body craves when it’s working to fight off an illness. But every body is different and we all need different things. Regardless of what works for my or Kourtney’s body, talk to your doctor about how to best support your immune system.  6. Make sure you’re getting enough magnesium Magnesium is a vital mineral to the body, and many of us are not getting enough: one study found that 10 out of 11 apparently healthy women were magnesium-deficient. Kourtney shared in a blog post that she takes magnesium after every workout to help with muscle function, which is something I’m a fan of doing as well. I tend to fit my workouts in in the evenings, and after every session, I take a magnesium supplement to help with muscle recovery and ensure I get quality sleep. If there’s one supplement I make sure to never miss taking, it’s my magnesium.  7. Avoid dairy products for better skin When I first gave up dairy, it was because I had been told by my doctor I had a slight allergy to them (not just because Kourtney Kardashian doesn’t eat dairy!). All I could think about was how much I would miss cheese or ice cream, but little did I know the amazing benefits that would come from it. A couple months after giving up all dairy products, my skin became clearer and better than ever before. Kourtney shared a similar experience in an interview with POPSUGAR. “I keep hearing that it’s great for your skin to [give up dairy], and this new doctor who my kids and I have been seeing just said we all have allergies to it,” she said. While changing your diet is never easy, there are so many dairy alternatives today that can make the process a lot easier. If you are interested in limiting dairy, talk to your doctor to make sure you’re still getting essential nutrients like vitamin B12 and calcium in other ways. Also, if you enjoy dairy and it doesn’t make your body feel bad, enjoy it totally guilt-free! After all, the best Kourtney-approved wellness hack is to live authentically and forget the haters.

On The Record – Weathersfield | News, Sports, Jobs – Warren Tribune Chronicle https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/on-the-record-weathersfield-news-sports-jobs-warren-tribune-chronicle/ Weathersfield WHAT: Board of Education meeting Wednesday PRESENT: Mark Bodo, Sam Caputo, Cheryl Basista, Tim Gleason and Josh Garris The board: • Accepted the resignation of Seaborn Elementary teacher Andrea Ryan; • Approved the hiring of Sheila Dunlap as an assistant secretary and librarian at Seaborn Elementary; • Approved the Little Ram Cheerleaders to use the football stadium 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sept. 25; • Approved Leslie Core to oversee the Seaborn Ukulele Club, Jessica Russell as a mentor teacher and Taylor Natoli as assistant marching band director; • Approved the annual transfer of $50,000 from the general fund to the uniform supply, which is used to purchase various supplies; • Heard an announcement from Superintendent Damon Dohar that the dates for Christmas vacation have been extended from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3, which will be a professional development day and some teachers will be attending a professional conference Dec. 21. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Companies Need Data Privacy Plan Before Joining Metaverse – TechTarget https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/companies-need-data-privacy-plan-before-joining-metaverse-techtarget/ Experts speaking during ITIF’s AR/VR Policy Conference pointed out that businesses need to head into the metaverse with a strong data privacy plan. By Makenzie Holland, News Writer Published: 16 Sep 2022 Building a metaverse experience that’s safe for businesses and consumers means getting ahead of data privacy risks — which experts say companies can do by creating privacy protocols ahead of time. Metaverses are virtual worlds where consumers can work, shop and play, with many companies already buying into it. Nike, for example, opened a virtual shoe store in metaverse platform Roblox, while financial services firm J.P. Morgan opened a virtual lounge in popular metaverse Decentraland. The metaverse is built through a confluence of artificial intelligence and machine learning, virtual reality, Internet of Things and blockchain technologies, among others. It shows significant promise for businesses and consumers alike, according to Dylan Gilbert, privacy policy advisor at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). “There’s an incredible amount of good things in store when it comes to the metaverse,” Gilbert said during a panel session at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation’s AR/VR Policy Conference. “Accessibility for disability, a great opportunity to leverage this technology for public good.” But there are also risks associated with such technology, including discrimination and threats to bodily autonomy and safety, as well as data collection and consent. Gilbert said to get ahead of data privacy issues in the metaverse, companies need to consider those risks and develop appropriate data privacy plans. Getting ahead of data privacy risks When considering data privacy in the metaverse, it’s important for companies building and buying into the metaverse to put data privacy first instead of trying to work privacy policies in retroactively. Dylan Gilbert Privacy policy advisor, National Institute of Standards and Technology Gilbert said it will be key for companies to focus on disassociability policies that keep an individual’s real-world identity separate from their virtual world identity. This level of data privacy can entail anonymity and deidentification techniques, according to NIST. “We need to be building the policy and technical controls in now that can help for disassociating between identities,” Gilbert said. Indeed, “privacy by design,” is likely a buzzword that industries will lean on going forward, said Karim Mohammadali, senior analyst in government affairs and public policy at Google. Mohammadali spoke on the panel with Gilbert. Mohammadali said when image data is collected by a device, such as a pair of smart glasses, businesses will need to be answer several questions about the data collection process to ensure privacy. He said some of those questions include where is that image data going, where is it being processed and do consumers understand what’s happening to the data that’s being collected. Mohammadali said those questions have to be answered in the development process. “It will take teams of folks — not just privacy folks, but engineers, cross-functional advisors, to be a part of that process,” he said during the panel. Gilbert said it’s critical that organizations tackling data privacy issues in the metaverse take a risk-based approach and make it an interdisciplinary effort. That means data privacy teams need to work with all departments including cybersecurity, marketing, and IT, to make sure the right policies, processes and procedures are in place, he said. He said risks within the metaverse need to be proactively identified, prioritized and managed, which businesses can do with the NIST privacy framework. One such risk is whether AI models are being trained on inclusive data sets, and whether addressing AI bias is one risk management approach to take in that situation. “You need to implement appropriate controls that are going to help you get to your risk responses,” Gilbert said. Regulating data privacy in the metaverse Federal regulation will likely play a part in providing some rules of the road for data privacy in the metaverse, Gilbert said. However, societal norms will also play a role, said Maureen Ohlhausen, chair of the antitrust and competition law division at Baker Botts and former acting chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission. Ohlhausen also spoke on the panel with Gilbert and Mohammadali. When consumers first began using cell phones with cameras, Ohlhausen said societal norms developed dictating areas where it was and was not appropriate for photos to be taken — such as locker rooms — without federal intervention. Ohlhausen said similar societal norms will likely come up as users increasingly adopt mixed-reality hardware that enables access to the metaverse. “I think it will be a mix of norms, of perhaps some tweaks to regulations and the technological solutions as well,” she said. Makenzie Holland is a news writer covering big tech and federal regulation. Prior to joining TechTarget Editorial, she was a general reporter for the Wilmington StarNews and a crime and education reporter at the Wabash Plain Dealer. Dig Deeper on Risk management and governance Experts concerned with FTC exploring data privacy rules By: Makenzie Holland How to ensure a secure metaverse in your organization By: Ashwin Krishnan Marketing in the metaverse: What marketers need to know By: Amanda Hetler 10 metaverse dangers CIOs and IT leaders should address By: Mary Pratt

Our Deputy Commerce Editor’s Kitchen Pegboard Is Julia Child–Worthy, But There’s One Detail She Regrets – Domino https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/our-deputy-commerce-editors-kitchen-pegboard-is-julia-child-worthy-but-theres-one-detail-she-regrets-domino/ Before Domino’s deputy commerce editor, Samantha Weiss-Hills, and her husband, Alex, closed on their Bloomington, Indiana, home in 2017, they already had an email chain going with their architect, Andrew Heathfield. In exchange for $5,000, Heathfield helped the couple mock up plans for their long-awaited renovation (they had been living in the untouched rental for more than a year at that point), which included a near-complete overhaul of the kitchen. Then Sam called up her contractor father to take the lead on the transformation. He built a range hood out of 2-by-4s, installed their Bosch dishwasher, and even bloodied a finger while hanging the sliding door leading to the new dining area. “My dad has been doing this forever, so it was fun to watch him,” she says.  The kitchen, before. Storage was paramount for the couple. Not only do they love to entertain, but Sam was working for Food52 at the time, so she was constantly testing new recipes and gadgets. Not having to stress over labor costs freed up the budget for most of their must-have items. Ahead, she takes us behind the scenes of her clever kitchen renovation.  A Clean Slate At first, Sam questioned whether shiny white cupboards from IKEA were the correct fit aesthetically for her circa-1900s bungalow, but she was convinced it was the right move after she heard artist and designer Maya Schindler rave about how easy it is to wipe down hers. Plus the inner workings of the Swedish brand’s units are easily modified—the one closest to the breakfast bar serves as the pantry. “I’m a massive fan of drawers,” Sam says. “Then you’re not digging through everything constantly.” The cabinets in the dining room hold so much more than extra cookware: They’re a place to store records, rarely used china, and dog food. “It’s a catchall,” she notes. Refreshing the storage in both rooms came to a cool $10,000.  Appliance (and Sink) Tetris Dropping a proper island in the center of the kitchen offered an opportunity to condense things. First off, it provided a more sensible location for their new stainless steel dishwasher and $500 Ruvati sink (complete with cutting board, garbage disposal, drying rack, and strainer). With those bits and bobs out of the way, Sam and Alex could shift the refrigerator and the oven to the main wall, resulting in the ever-sought-after work triangle.  It’s Groovy to Glide The only demolition that took place involved widening the doorframe to what was previously the guest bedroom (now the dining room). “It was a really hard pinch point,” recalls Sam. Heathfield tasked custom fabricator Central Scenic with creating a sliding door made from polycarbonate and powder-coated steel that, when Sam and Alex desired, could separate the area from the kitchen. That way, when guests come to stay, the room can act as the ultimate flex space. “We opted for soft close, so it never slams,” adds Sam. Big Deal The engineered hardwood flooring came in at—wait for it!—$200. It was luck, really, that their local shop was having a sidewalk sale: They were able to scoop up hundreds of square feet of flooring for practically nothing. A save like this left room in the budget for the splurge-worthy Heath backsplash tile (20 square feet cost $525). “We wanted to bring a little bit of warmth in, given it’s a bungalow,” shares Sam. Test Kitchen The kitchen, under construction. Sam and Alex whipped together some experiments before ultimately landing on Caesarstone’s Frozen Tundra ($4,700) for their countertops. They ordered around four samples and splattered them with turmeric, coffee, and tomato paste, and then washed the surfaces to see which one could handle the intensely colored ingredients they like to cook with. Still in need of some bonus counter space, the couple topped a $300 wire cubby unit with a slab of butcher block. “It’s so heavy now that it doesn’t even move,” says Sam. “And it made it feel really cohesive.”  Tooth and Nail The pegboard, also fabricated by Central Scenic, is chicer than your typical hardware store find: It’s stained an almost golden hue and features a streamlined miter edge. The catch? The bespoke design didn’t account for traditional peg-hook dimensions. “They were too thick; they wouldn’t go all the way on,” Sam recalls. Her fix was to buy the screw-in kind, but she still had to hammer each individual one’s back so they would adhere properly. Power Move It’s the little details like outlet placement that make a kitchen reno go round. “That was really important to us,” shares Sam. Having one on each side of the stove proved to be a game changer for when they want to quickly plug in a stand mixer or blender. She also strategically placed one on the island and another at the coffee bar, because whether you need to get through the workday or construction, it’s nice to have caffeine handy.

Why Ethereum Could See Huge Inflows Of Fund From Institutional ESG Investors – Cryptonews https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/why-ethereum-could-see-huge-inflows-of-fund-from-institutional-esg-investors-cryptonews/ Source: Unsplash With Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake (PoS) now behind us, more people are pointing to the network’s environmental benefits, saying ESG-minded investors will flock to ETH as they learn more about it. Following Ethereum’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake – an event known as the Merge – the network will use 99.95% less energy compared to before, according to the Ethereum Foundation. Additionally, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also retweeted a claim on Thursday saying “the Merge will reduce worldwide electricity consumption by 0.2%.” Bitcoin, by comparison, continues to rely on the much more energy-intensive proof-of-work system as its consensus mechanism. Not surprisingly, the promise of significantly lower energy usage by Ethereum is attractive to ESG investors, who consider it important to reduce energy use and – in particular – carbon emissions. According to Conor Svensson, CEO and Founder of Web3 Labs, the switch to proof-of-stake for Ethereum could even make Bitcoin and other networks that remain on proof-of-work appear less attractive to these investors. “If you’re a corporate looking to invest in cryptocurrencies, given the ESG narrative I imagine a lot of them will be slightly hesitant about getting exposure to Bitcoin when there’s this other asset which doesn’t use huge amounts of power,” Svensson was cited in a recent Evening Standard article as saying, while also noting: “I do believe that Ethereum will long-term overtake Bitcoin.” ESG is short for environmental, social and governance, and so-called ESG investing has become extremely popular among both retail investors and financial institutions in recent years. According to a Bloomberg report on ESG investing, assets under management by ESG funds are set to reach $41trn by the end of 2022, with ESG-related assets now accounting for one in three dollars managed globally. Source: Bloomberg ETH is the world’s second-most valuable cryptoasset with a market capitalization at the time of writing of just over $173bn. And although some believe that ETH will one day overtake BTC as the most valuable cryptoasset, an event dubbed “the flippening,” ETH’s market cap still remains less than half that of BTC. ETH fell in price immediately following the Merge, and was as of Friday at 9:50 pm UTC down 4.2% for the past 24 hours to a price of $1,435.

U.S. FDA Approves Bluebird Bio’s Gene Therapy For A Rare Neurological Disorder – Reuters https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/u-s-fda-approves-bluebird-bios-gene-therapy-for-a-rare-neurological-disorder-reuters/ Signage is seen outside of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in White Oak, Maryland, U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Sept 16 – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bluebird bio’s (BLUE.O) gene therapy for the treatment of a rare neurological disorder, the company said late on Friday. “SKYSONA is the first FDA approved therapy shown to slow the progression of neurologic dysfunction in boys” with early, active Cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), the company said in a statement, saying CALD is a “devastating and fatal neurodegenerative disease.” Bluebird said it anticipates commercial product will be available by the end of 2022 through a limited number of qualified treatment centers in the United States. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com In August, the company’s beti-cel therapy secured FDA approval to treat a rare blood disorder that was priced at a record $2.8 million, the most expensive treatment to date. read more CALD is caused by mutations in a gene called ABCD1 that leads to the buildup of very long-chain fatty acids in the brain and spinal cord. It typically occurs in boys between the ages of 3 and 12. Eli-cel adds functional copies of the ABCD1 gene in a patient’s stem cells to help produce a protein required to break down the long-chain fatty acids. The approval was largely expected after the drug received unanimous endorsement from a panel of outside advisers to the FDA in June. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Jaiveer Shekhawat in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Devika Syamnath and William Mallard Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Is Silicon Valley’s Golden Era Coming To An End? – The Guardian https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/is-silicon-valleys-golden-era-coming-to-an-end-the-guardian/ Huge layoffs at Snapchat, dramatic valuation drops at Meta and Apple, and hiring freezes at other Big Tech firms have given new fuel to an increasingly common question: Is Silicon Valley’s golden era coming to an end? The answer is complicated, experts say. The tech industry has been on a run of impressive growth for some time, bolstered in recent years by a pandemic that forced most of the world online and sent demand for tech services booming. That explosion – and the high salaries and office perks that came with it – seems to be slowing. “This party couldn’t go on for ever,” said Margaret O’Mara, professor at the University of Washington and author of The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. “In many ways, we are just going back to normal after a huge run up during which everything became supersized.” Those trends are exacerbated by a larger global downturn – one the tech world is not immune to, she added. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates three times already in 2022, and more increases are expected. The previous low-interest-rate environment had bolstered the tech boom, helping to create a parade of “unicorns” – companies whose valuations exceed $1bn. Notable examples include Airbnb and Uber – valued at $47bn and $82bn at their respective public offerings. But as interest rates shift, O’Mara said, there is “less money sloshing around” and investors are going to be deploying cash “in a much more judicious fashion”. “Certain investors will still have cash, but during a bust like this the deal flow is going to be cooling,” she said. Fast growth has also been tempered by a series of high-profile cautionary tales, from the decline of WeWork to the collapse of Theranos, the blood testing firm that rose to popularity in an environment of glowing press, ultimately amassing a valuation of more than $1bn before it was found that its claims were untrue. Such stories, coupled with more scrutiny on the tech industry at large over the past decade – including whistleblower revelations against Facebook and public grillings of tech executives in Congress – are shaking Silicon Valley’s image. Even some of its most vocal champions, including former president Barack Obama, seem to have reconsidered. Obama used Facebook extensively in his 2008 campaign and praised the company in his 2011 State of the Union address, only to condemn its role in the spread of disinformation, particularly around elections, in a recent talk at Stanford University. “One of the biggest reasons for the weakening of democracy is the profound change that’s taken place in how we communicate and consume information,” Obama said. Lawmakers and US federal agencies have now jumped into the fray. With growing action from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and looming legislation from Congress, Big Tech could be facing its biggest roadblocks yet. The public perception of tech at large has also shifted, with 68% of Americans saying they believe tech firms have too much power and influence in the economy – up from 51% in 2018. “Americans don’t really like big things – people get worried about concentrated power,” O’Mara said. “Nobody gets to be the golden child and be a $2tn company. It is part of the lifecycle.” Silicon Valley expands out of California The geography of Silicon Valley is changing, too, experts say. A catch-all term for the area south of San Francisco, the Valley has for nearly a century cemented itself in the public ethos as a center for innovation. It began its ascent as a tech hub when US military operations established sites for research contracts starting around the 1930s, a trend that continued into the private sphere over the next few decades. But the tech industry has been expanding far beyond California’s Bay Area – a trend accelerated by the pandemic. In 2021, the electric car company Tesla moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, after similar moves from other tech firms like Oracle and Hewlett-Packard. This has been reflected in hiring as well, said Brent Williams, who works at the Michael Page recruitment agency, adding that the effect is what the industry calls a “venture capital winter”. “Covid has changed the whole game,” he said. “It has become extremely competitive for companies to acquire talent because they’re going not just for people in the Bay, but against everybody in the US.” This trend, coupled with the rise in work from home policies, would have been shocking in pre-pandemic times – as tech companies invested billions in their sprawling campuses, providing employees with perks like transportation to and from work and elaborate on-site meals. ‘The industry obituary has been written prematurely’ Despite the growing list of roadblocks, “Silicon Valley remains incredibly robust,” said Stanford economics professor Nicholas A Bloom. It has endured “multiple cycles”, including downturns in 2001 and 2008, and has recovered each time, he added. “While some firms may be migrating outwards because of working from home and globalization, Silicon Valley is still ground zero, with no other area even close to its prominence in the industry,” he said. Indeed, O’Mara said, we’re unlikely to see a big shift away from the Valley’s legacy or its physical place in the heart of the Bay. “The Bay Area and San Francisco has a resilient pull and distinctive qualities that are hard to replicate elsewhere,” she said. “There is a reason people come there to live – they want to be there.” This remains true, even as California faces a housing crisis, with employees flocking to cheaper states. “The industry obituary has been written prematurely a few times,” she added. “It may be the end of an era for Silicon Valley, but it is unlikely to be the end of Silicon Valley.”

High School Football Scoreboard: See How Your Missouri, Kansas High School Fared Friday – Kansas City Star https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/high-school-football-scoreboard-see-how-your-missouri-kansas-high-school-fared-friday-kansas-city-star/ Cole Clesi of Shawnee Mission East can’t get past Kenton Simmons (left) and Jaylen Didde of Lawrence on this play during Friday night’s game at the Shawnee Mission district stadium. Susan Pfannmuller Special to The Star Here are the Thursday and Friday night scores from high school football games around the Kansas City metro in Kansas and Missouri: Thursday’s results Lawrence Free State 27, Olathe East 21 Olathe North 35, Shawnee Mission North 14 Friday’s results Adrian 28, Wellington-Napoleon 6 Atchison 72, Harmon 0 Atchison County 48, Oskaloosa 0 Basehor-Linwood 51, Turner 6 Bentonville (Ark.) 30, Rockhurst 7 Bishop Miege 52, St. James Academy 14 Blue Springs 34, Fort Osage 32 Blue Springs South 52, Raymore-Peculiar 34 Blue Valley Northwest 48, Blue Valley 24 Blue Valley West 42, Blue Valley Southwest 7 Bonner Springs 31, Washington 12 Cameron 42, Chillicothe 0 Center 45, Christ Prep 6 Chanute 41, Tonganoxie 17 Cole Camp 47, Lone Jack 0 De Soto 63, Topeka West 20 Doniphan West 68, Maranatha Christian 48 East Buchanan 33, Lathrop 7 Eudora 37, Spring Hill 3 Frontenac 12, Bishop Ward 10 Gardner Edgerton 36, Olathe West 19 Grain Valley 24, Platte County 14 Grandview 54, Winnetonka 7 Harrisonville 28, Warrensburg 24 Holden 30, Butler 28 Jackson Heights 49, Pleasant Ridge 20 Kearney 44, Excelsior Springs 6 Knob Noster 48, Northeast 12 Lafayette County 74, Summit Christian 6 Lansing 34, Leavenworth 26 Lawrence 45, Shawnee Mission East 14 Lee’s Summit North 38, Lee’s Summit 16 Lexington 18, Southeast 6 Liberty 49, Park Hill 24 Liberty North 34, Park Hill South 14 Lincoln Prep 35, East 0 Louisburg 41, Baldwin 13 Mid-Buchanan 35, Lawson 0 Midway 26, Crest Ridge with Chilhowee 16 Mill Valley 51, Shawnee Mission Northwest 0 North Andrew def. Northland Christian, forf. North Kansas City 23, Belton 3 North Platte 25, Penney 24, 2OT Oak Park 48, Truman 6 Odessa 57, Oak Grove 43 Olathe South 35, Olathe Northwest 7 Orrick 96, Braymer 80 Paola 21, Ottawa 20 Pleasant Hill 45, Clinton 13 Prairie View 38, Osawatomie 0 Raytown 51, Raytown South 27 Richmond 18, Van Horn 7 Russellville 35, Carrollton 14 Shawnee Heights 14, Topeka Seaman 7 Shawnee Mission South 27, Shawnee Mission West 21 Smithville 54, Ruskin 6 St. Joseph Benton 63, Central 0 St. Joseph Central 40, William Chrisman 10 St. Michael the Archangel 35, Pembroke Hill 0 St. Pius X 34, Maryville 27 St. Thomas Aquinas 42, Blue Valley North 14 Staley 42, Lee’s Summit West 20 Topeka Highland Park 63, Sumner Academy 36 University Academy 50, El Dorado Springs 6 Washburn Rural 37, Piper 10 West Platte 48, Plattsburg 0 Wyandotte 25, Schlagle 10 Saturday’s game Marceline at Hogan Prep, noon For more in-depth high school football coverage, check out The Star’s content partner, PrepsKC, at prepskc.com. This story was originally published September 16, 2022 10:52 PM.

The Long, Long RV Trip, Week 15: Why To Avoid The Pennsylvania Turnpike; Back To Chicago – RVtravel.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/the-long-long-rv-trip-week-15-why-to-avoid-the-pennsylvania-turnpike-back-to-chicago-rvtravel-com/ Your access to this page has been blocked. Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots. If you are using a VPN, try disabling it. If your browser is out of date, try updating it. Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: A summary of what you were doing and why you need access to this site The request details below: URL: https://www.rvtravel.com/long-long-rv-trip-week-15-avoid-pennsylvania-turnpike-back-chicago-1070/ ASN: ASN-DIS IP: 170.39.76.27 Time: 2022-09-17 04:34:50 UTC Request: 5491d232c0b725266624eeb0d9dd9a18 UA: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_11_6) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/60.0.3112.113 Safari/537.36 %

Downtown Youngstown Draws Defense Business | News, Sports, Jobs – Youngstown Vindicator https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/downtown-youngstown-draws-defense-business-news-sports-jobs-youngstown-vindicator/ YOUNGSTOWN — United Protective Technologies, a specialty coating and engineering company, will open a location downtown to focus on its business with the federal defense industry. “We have a need to be in this region, somewhere between western (Pennsylvania) all the way over to Michigan because we have a customer base here that we now serve out of North Carolina and the distance is too far,” said Marty Efrid, UPT’s CEO. “That’s our production business. We also have a scientific part of our business. We’re developing new technologies for the military to reduce corrosion, improve component wear, life and performance,” he said. About 35 percent of the company’s business deals with the defense industry, Efrid said. UPT “looked at other cities,” he said, but chose Youngstown because of support it received from the Youngstown Business Incubator, Youngstown State University and Team NEO. “There’s a lot of support for companies that don’t have presence in the area to come in and have conversations and have a structure you can walk into,” Efrid said. UPT is finalizing a contract to buy a building on Federal Street and expects to open in December or January, Efrid said. The office of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who met Friday with Efrid and other business officials who do defense industry work, said UPT’s Youngstown building will be downtown on East Federal Street, across from the Penguin City Brewing Co. UPT plans to hire 30 workers in its first three years of operating in Youngstown and grow to 60 by its fifth year, Efrid said. The company has about 60 employees at its corporate headquarters in Locust, N.C. The corporate headquarters will remain there. OPPORTUNITY UPT does research and development for several government agencies, including NASA, the Navy, Army and Air Force. It also applies coatings on industrial, commercial and consumer goods including injection molds, firearms, knives, valves and gears with an advanced thin film coating that extends the life of the items. The Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber helped UPT with site selection and connected the company to workforce development partners and contractors. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the (Mahoning) Valley. It comprises actual production on top of some research and development,” said Shea MacMillan, the chamber’s vice president of economic development. “There will be some Ph.D. level employees operating out of this facility on top of skilled workers.” “It’s a testament to the collaboration across the organizations with Youngstown Business Incubator, ourselves, Tim Ryan’s office and the resources we have put together in partnership with the building trades to show we are a collaborative, cohesive community that can be a good long-term partner.” MacMillan said the connection to Youngstown was made through the Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Research Innovation Institute (AMARII) in Youngstown, which connected the company to the Youngstown Business Incubator. HIGH QUALITY “This is a really high quality advanced materials, advanced manufacturing company that is very active in doing applied research and finding ways to make manufacturing processes better,” said YBI CEO Barb Ewing, who also is a member of the AMARII advisory board. “They are very interested in developing a skilled workforce … these will be really quality jobs, and I think it speaks volumes about the quality of the ecosystem that we have built here.” AMARII is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining to advance manufacturing technologies and strengthen the manufacturing industry in northeast Ohio and elsewhere. America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, also in Youngstown is part of the center’s network. Ryan, D-Howland, said he’s been working for the past 20 years to “diversify our economy here beyond the cutting edge to create a future for our kids and help with national security.” He added: “This is about business, government and education coming together in public-private partnerships.” Ryan’s office staff said the congressman has helped UPT get $6 million in federal defense spending. news@vindy.com news@tribtoday.com Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Valley Non-Profits Impacted By Soaring Prices – KFSN-TV https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/valley-non-profits-impacted-by-soaring-prices-kfsn-tv/ FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Sticker shock caused by soaring prices of just about everything from goods to services are hitting Valley non-profits hard. That includes Fresno County’s pet food pantry, Halo Cafe. The nonprofit helps families that have fallen on hard times feed their pets. President and founder Jennifer Quinn-Yovino says the dollar just isn’t going as far as it once did. She added, “It’s really hard right now, for everyone in the rescue world. Whether that is shelters, rescues, pet retention programs like us, fundraising is down and the need is up. In addition to monetary and food donations, drop boxes for clean pet beds, blankets and other items can be found at various locations, including Central California’s largest no-kill shelter, Valley Animal Center. They are also in dire need of donations. Animal Care Adoption Supervisor, Ruben Cantu, says they’ve seen a dramatic drop in donations and adoptions but have seen a steep increase of animal surrenders. He says, “We have a lot of space but not a lot of ability to help like we’d like to. Some vaccines and different items that we need for PPE or to make sure we’re in a safe environment is now doubling in cost. Keeping the lights on, maintaining our water bill, things as simple as that. It’s been extremely hard for us.” Valley Animal Center services go beyond shelter and adoptions. On average, they rescue around 1,000 animals per year. They offer a dog park if your furry friend needs an outlet and a low-cost veterinary clinic. Cantu said, “We’re a resource for the commuity to make sure their pets are living long, healthy lives and maybe finding a new pet somewhere along those lines and knowing youll be fully supported.” Valley Animal Center is postponing its largest concert-fundraiser of the year because of low ticket sales. “Bark in the Park” was scheduled for September 24. They say if you are not financially able to donate, your time goes a long way. You can sign up to volunteer here. Copyright © 2022 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Donald W. Bloom 1934-2022 | News, Sports, Jobs – Warren Tribune Chronicle https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/donald-w-bloom-1934-2022-news-sports-jobs-warren-tribune-chronicle/ LIBERTY — On Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, Donald W. Bloom, 88, surrounded by his family, peacefully died at home, a place he built for his family. Don is remembered and loved for his strong work ethic and devotion to the betterment of his family. He had to start on his own at a very young age due to the death of his parents. He moved from his home in Maryland with his older brother to start a new life in Ohio. There he met his first and only love, Phyllis Tautkus Bloom; they were married for more than 70 years. Having only finished the eighth grade, he was a laborer all his life working as a truck driver for Lyons Transportation. He was able to retire in his mid-50s and enjoyed working part time for his sons. He was a regular “Mr. Fixit” and was called upon by all his kids and neighbors to fix or repair almost anything. Don worked very hard all his life and didn’t take fashion cues from anyone. He built his own house in 1952 and lived there the rest of his life. His neighbors became close friends as they all built lives and raised families. He outlived most of them, but held court at his friend Brian Ross’ garage where, they solved all the world’s problems and fixed a few vehicles. Don’s door was always open. The cast of characters coming through and the banter that followed would give any TV sitcom a run for their money. He was an outstanding father and grandfather. His children became better people because of him. “Dad’s love and support goes beyond any we have ever seen and more that we could have asked for. Who we have become and what we believe comes from all that you have instilled in us. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made for us throughout the years to make our dreams come true.” He leaves behind his wife, Phyllis Tautkus Bloom; one daughter, Marie Haberstroh; and two sons, Don (Pam) and John (Christine). He leaves four grandchildren, his four queens, Victoria, Isabella, Elizabeth and Sophia, all of Liberty; and three great-grandchildren, Jacob, Jackson and Julianna Haberstroh; along with a host of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by one brother, four sisters and his grandson, Bobby Haberstroh. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, at Lane Funeral Homes, Austintown Chapel. Calling hours will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, and 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, at the funeral home. Material tributes may take the form of donations to Angels for Animals, 4750 South Range Road Canfield, OH 44406. Everyone who remembers him is asked to celebrate Don’s life in their own way. Raising a glass of your favorite drink in his memory would be quite appropriate. To send condolences to the family please visit www.lanefuneralhomes.com. (special notice)

Dr. Luke Enters Metaverse, Debuts Virtual Artist ‘Amari’ On New Label – Billboard https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/dr-luke-enters-metaverse-debuts-virtual-artist-amari-on-new-label-billboard/ Meet Amari, the first virtual artist signed to Dr. Luke’s new metaverse label Player Zero. The imprint — a joint venture with Web3 collective Digital Arts & Sciences — will develop a roster of virtual artists and metaverse experiences. Amari’s debut single, “Deeper” is the type of chart-friendly, electro-pop track that you’d expect from the Dr. Luke hit-making machine. The Doja Cat producer put together a team of the industry’s leading pop songwriters to pen the first single, with credits spanning Demi Lovato, Zara Larsson, Tove Stryke, Fergie, One Republic, Lany and more. Dr. Luke is expected to produce future records for the label. The first artist, Amari, emerges from Player Zero’s futuristic virtual world, where characters and bands will release records, play virtual concerts and release NFT drops. Lawrence Vavra, founder of Digital Arts & Science and decade-long Blink-182 manager, says the label will gradually introduce more virtual characters and ramp up its metaverse experiences in 2023. With its roots in Web3, Player Zero’s Amari isn’t just an animation, she’s an NFT. Amari is a character from the CyberBrokers project ​​— a collection of 10,001 NFTs created by respected Web3 artist Josie Bellini. Similar to how Universal Music Group launched KINGSHIP with characters from the Bored Ape Yacht Club, Player Zero is using the commercial rights to its CyberBroker to create a pop singer. Granting commercial rights to holders so they can monetize their NFT opens up a world of creativity, says Bellini. “I’ll never stop being excited when I see a new project spinning out from our collection. We set out from the very beginning to be very permissive in our licensing … we recognize that it strengthens the Cyber Brokers IP, and it uplifts the entire community and universe we are building together.” Vavra says the record label chose a CyberBroker because of the strength of the community, storytelling and character development. The CyberBrokers universe is centered around a futuristic metaverse with a sci-fi storyline. Says Vavra, “It meshed well with bringing a virtual artist to life in the Player Zero universe.” Player Zero has also launched a Founder’s Pass NFT collection to the public. After completing an initial presale, the remaining 50 NFTs will be released through a daily auction, each complete with artwork from another renowned crypto artist, FVCKRENDER. The pass will grant holders access to all future drops and metaverse experiences, as well as access to a private Discord server where holders can have a say in the future of the label. If a Player Zero record goes platinum, holders may even be able to claim an IRL plaque. Virtual artists are not a new phenomenon (remember Gorillaz?) but there’s been a resurgence lately due to hype around the metaverse and NFTs. However, it’s not without controversy. Virtual rapper FN Meka was dropped by Capitol Records in August due to backlash over racial stereotypes. The executive involved stepped down. Labels need to tread carefully, but Amari’s creators are confident that virtual artists are the next big thing. Vavra says the artist is just one piece of the puzzle and the label is also keen to highlight the team and community contributions. “We believe the world is ready to support the people behind the artist as much as the actual artist itself.” Amari’s debut single “Deeper,” produced and chiefly written by Sean Myer, is available to stream now across various DSPs.