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Crypto News Today: Big Eyes Coin Continues Presale Dominance As Ethereum And BNB Battle It Out For The Best – Bitcoinist https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/crypto-news-today-big-eyes-coin-continues-presale-dominance-as-ethereum-and-bnb-battle-it-out-for-the-best-bitcoinist/ NFTs have gained immense popularity since the introduction of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collection by Yuga Labs. Since then, NFT adoption has grown, with different blockchains offering an NFT marketplace from which you can purchase your beloved NFTs. Ethereum (ETH) and BNB (BNB) host recognised NFT marketplaces that have served their users well over the years. However, only one can be the best NFT blockchain! Additionally, Big Eyes Coin (BIG) has continued its dominance through its presale, raising $7 million at the time of writing. Big Eyes Is On The Rise Big Eyes Coin has attracted a lot of attention since its inception. The new platform provides its users with an array of services from which they can earn and save tokens. Big Eyes Coin has adopted a unique zero-tax policy on shopping so you can save more of your BIG tokens! The Big Eyes Coin platform is built on the Ethereum blockchain, utilising its newly updated Proof-of-Stake consensus to increase its transaction speed while reducing its environmental impact. Big Eyes Coin will donate 5% of its tokens to ocean conservation efforts to protect a crucial part of our ecosystem and showcase its commitment to sustainability. NFTs will become a big part of the Big Eyes Coin ecosystem when they launch at stage three of the roadmap. Big Eyes Coin is moving away from having NFTs as something to look at. Instead, Big Eyes Coin is bringing utility to NFTs and using them as keys to access exclusive events and clubs! Ethereum Merge Helps NFT Transactions Now Ethereum is a Proof-of-Stake platform, users can take advantage of its fast transaction speeds that can reach up to 100,000 per second at its peak performance. Those worried about the environmental impact of Ethereum can put their mind at ease. With the new update, Ethereum has reduced its carbon footprint by 99%. Ethereum hosts the most popular NFT marketplace in the blockchain industry, OpenSea. Since the merge has increased transaction speeds, OpenSea users will enjoy increased speeds with potentially lower fees. Ethereum is praised for its security. OpenSea has industry-standard security features that allow users to remain relaxed, knowing their assets are safe. BNB was recently hacked for $570 million, showcasing Ethereum’s dominance regarding security. Can BNB Recover After The Hack? As mentioned above, BNB was recently hacked for $570 million in BNB tokens. This hack is seen as one of the biggest hacks in crypto history, showcasing vulnerabilities in blockchain technology. However, the BNB blockchain is now up and running again, showing its ability to recover quickly after a hack. One advantage the BNB NFT marketplace has over other marketplaces is its low transaction fees. BNB charges a set 1% fee on each transaction, which is significantly lower than several major NFT marketplaces. BNB knows that there is a growing population of people trying to get into cryptocurrency. To make it easier for them, BNB has made the NFT marketplace easy to access and use. BNB also hosts educational resources that teach users about the blockchain industry. To Summarise Ethereum and BNB both host amazing NFT marketplaces that are easily accessible. Now NFTs are becoming increasingly popular, each blockchain is trying to add a unique twist so their NFT marketplace stands out. Currently, Ethereum hosts the best NFT blockchain, but BNB could change that in the future. Additionally, Big Eyes Coin has continued its successful run through its presale. The new platform could compete with Ethereum and BNB in the future as it looks to shift wealth into the DeFi ecosystem. Big Eyes Coin is currently in presale and is offering a bonus to those who purchase BIG tokens using the ‘BIGSAVE22’ code. For more information on Big Eyes Coin (BIG), please visit the following links: Presale: https://buy.bigeyes.space/ Website: https://bigeyes.space/ Telegram: https://t.me/BIGEYESOFFICIAL Disclaimer: This is a paid release. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily represent those of Bitcoinist. Bitcoinist does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of information available in such content. Do your research and invest at your own risk.

Religious Polarization In India Seeping Into US Diaspora – Journal Review https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/religious-polarization-in-india-seeping-into-us-diaspora-journal-review/ By DEEPA BHARATH and MARIAM FAM In Edison, New Jersey, a bulldozer, which has become a symbol of oppression of India’s Muslim minority, rolled down the street during a parade marking that country’s Independence Day. At an event in Anaheim, California, a shouting match erupted between people celebrating the holiday and those who showed up to protest violence against Muslims in India. Indian Americans from diverse faith backgrounds have peacefully co-existed stateside for several decades. But these recent events in the U.S. — and violent confrontations between some Hindus and Muslims last month in Leicester, England — have heightened concerns that stark political and religious polarization in India is seeping into diaspora communities. In India, Hindu nationalism has surged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party, which rose to power in 2014 and won a landslide election in 2019. The ruling party has faced fierce criticism over rising attacks against Muslims in recent years, from the Muslim community and other religious minorities as well as some Hindus who say Modi’s silence emboldens right-wing groups and threatens national unity. Hindu nationalism has split the Indian expatriate community just as Donald Trump’s presidency polarized the U.S., said Varun Soni, dean of religious life at the University of Southern California. It has about 2,000 students from India, among the highest in the country. Soni has not seen these tensions surface yet on campus. But he said USC received blowback for being one of more than 50 U.S. universities that co-sponsored an online conference called “Dismantling Global Hindutva.” The 2021 event aimed to spread awareness of Hindutva, Sanskrit for the essence of being Hindu, a political ideology that claims India as a predominantly Hindu nation plus some minority faiths with roots in the country such as Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Critics say that excludes other minority religious groups such as Muslims and Christians. Hindutva is different from Hinduism, an ancient religion practiced by about 1 billion people worldwide that emphasizes the oneness and divine nature of all creation. Soni said it’s important that universities remain places where “we are able to talk about issues that are grounded in facts in a civil manner,” But, as USC’s head chaplain, Soni worries how polarization over Hindu nationalism will affect students’ spiritual health. “If someone is being attacked for their identity, ridiculed or scapegoated because they are Hindu or Muslim, I’m most concerned about their well-being — not about who is right or wrong,” he said. Anantanand Rambachan, a retired college religion professor and a practicing Hindu who was born in Trinidad and Tobago to a family of Indian origin, said his opposition to Hindu nationalism and association with groups against the ideology sparked complaints from some at a Minnesota temple where he has taught religion classes. He said opposing Hindu nationalism sometimes results in charges of being “anti-Hindu,” or “anti-India,” labels that he rejects. On the other hand, many Hindu Americans feel vilified and targeted for their views, said Samir Kalra, managing director of the Hindu American Foundation in Washington, D.C. “The space to freely express themselves is shrinking for Hindus,” he said, adding that even agreeing with the Indian government’s policies unrelated to religion can result in being branded a Hindu nationalist. Pushpita Prasad, a spokesperson for the Coalition of Hindus of North America, said her group has been counseling young Hindu Americans who have lost friends because they refuse “to take sides on these battles emanating from India.” “If they don’t take sides or don’t have an opinion, it’s automatically assumed that they are Hindu nationalist,” she said. “Their country of origin and their religion is held against them.” Both organizations opposed the Dismantling Global Hindutva conference criticizing it as “Hinduphobic” and failing to present diverse perspectives. Conference supporters say they reject equating calling out Hindutva with being anti-Hindu. Some Hindu Americans like 25-year-old Sravya Tadepalli, believe it’s their duty to speak up. Tadepalli, a Massachusetts resident who is a board member of Hindus for Human Rights, said her activism against Hindu nationalism is informed by her faith. “If that is the fundamental principle of Hinduism, that God is in everyone, that everyone is divine, then I think we have a moral obligation as Hindus to speak out for the equality of all human beings,” she said. “If any human is being treated less than or as having their rights infringed upon, then it is our duty to work to correct that.” Tadepalli said her organization also works to correct misinformation on social media that travels across continents fueling hate and polarization. Tensions in India hit a high in June after police in the city of Udaipur arrested two Muslim men accused of slitting a Hindu tailor’s throat and posting a video of it on social media. The slain man, 48-year-old Kanhaiya Lal, had reportedly shared an online post supporting a governing party official who was suspended for making offensive remarks against the Prophet Muhammad. Hindu nationalist groups have attacked minority groups, particularly Muslims, over issues related to everything from food or wearing head scarves to interfaith marriage. Muslims’ homes have also been demolished using heavy machinery in some states, in what critics call a growing pattern of “bulldozer justice.” Such reports have Muslim Americans afraid for the safety of family members in India. Shakeel Syed, executive director of the South Asian Network, a social justice organization based in Artesia, California, said he regularly hears from his sisters and senses a “pervasive fear, not knowing what tomorrow is going to be like.” Syed grew up in the Indian city of Hyderabad in the 1960s and 1970s in “a more pluralistic, inclusive culture.” “My Hindu friends would come to our Eid celebrations and we would go to their Diwali celebrations,” he said. “When my family went on summer vacation, we would leave our house keys with our Hindu neighbor, and they would do the same when they had to leave town.” Syed believes violence against Muslims has now been mainstreamed in India. He has heard from girls in his family who are considering taking off their hijabs or headscarves out of fear. In the U.S., he sees his Hindu friends reluctant to engage publicly in a dialogue because they fear retaliation. “A conversation is still happening, but it’s happening in pockets behind closed doors with people who are like-minded,” he said. “It’s certainly not happening between people who have opposing views.” Rajiv Varma, a Houston-based Hindu activist, holds a diametrically opposite view. Tensions between Hindus and Muslims in the West, he said, are not a reflection of events in India but rather stem from a deliberate attempt by “religious and ideological groups that are waging a war against Hindus.” Varma believes India is “a Hindu country” and the term “Hindu nationalism” merely refers to love for one’s country and religion. He views India as a country ravaged by conquerors and colonists, and Hindus as a religious group that does not seek to convert or colonize. “We have a right to recover our civilization,” he said. Rasheed Ahmed, co-founder and executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Indian American Muslim Council, said he is saddened “to see even educated Hindu Americans not taking Hindu nationalism seriously.” He believes Hindu Americans must make “a fundamental decision about how India and Hinduism should be seen in the U.S. and the world over.” “The decision about whether to take Hinduism back from whoever hijacked it, is theirs.” Zafar Siddiqui, a Minnesota resident, is hoping to “reverse some of this mistrust, polarization” and build understanding through education, personal connections and interfaith assemblies. Siddiqui, a Muslim, has helped bring together a group of Minnesotans of Indian origin — including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and atheists — who meet for monthly potlucks. “When people sit down, say, over lunch or dinner or over coffee, and have a direct dialogue, instead of listening to all these leaders and spreading all this hate, it changes a lot of things,” Siddiqui said. But during one recent gathering, some argued over a draft proposal to at some point seek dialogue with people who hold different views. Those who disagreed explained that they didn’t support reaching out to Hindu nationalists and feared harassment. Siddiqui said that for now, future plans include focusing on education and interfaith events spotlighting India’s different traditions and religions. “Just to keep silent is not an option,” Siddiqui said. “We needed a platform to bring people together who believe in peaceful co-existence of all communities.” ___ Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

How To Customize The Touchpad On Windows 11 – Ghacks https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/how-to-customize-the-touchpad-on-windows-11-ghacks/ Most laptops come with a touchpad that many computer users see as a simple mouse replacement. Most touchpads support more than just left-clicking, right-clicking and scrolling. While it depends to a degree on the touchpad and its driver, many allow users to use two, three or four-finger actions, and other actions besides the basics. Take the touchpad of my ASUS Zenbook on Windows 11 as an example. It comes with a toggle to turn it into a numpad, supports zooming, multi-taps, and three- and four-finger gestures among other things. You may configure these options in the Windows 11 Settings, and disable those that you don’t require. Configuring your laptop’s touchpad on Windows 11 Select Start and then Settings to get started. You may also use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open the Settings app quicker. Switch to Bluetooth & Devices, and select Touchpad on the page that opens. The Touchpad page in the Settings lists all available options, including one to turn the touchpad off completely. The touchpad may not be needed if a mouse is connected to the device, and turning it off may prevent accidental activity of the touchpad. You find an option to change the cursor speed at the top. If it is too slow or fast for your liking, you may use the slider to speed it up or slow it down, The remaining four options define actions, and they need to be expanded for configuration. Taps is the first and all of its options are enabled by default. The four main actions are: Tap with a single finger to single-click. Press the bottom right corner of the touchpad to right-click. Tap with two fingers to right-click. Tap twice and drag to multi-select. Left and right-click functionality are essential, but there are two options to perform a right-click. Uncheck any of the actions to disable them and avoid accidental activation. There is also an option to change the sensitivity of the touchpad from medium to low, high or most. The first reduces the sensitivity, the two others increase it. Scroll & Zoom is the second group of settings. All options are enabled as well by default. The two main options configure pinch to zoom and two-finger dragging to scroll functionality. These may be disabled if they are not needed. Considering that zooming is quite difficult without mouse otherwise, most users may want to keep the zoom option enabled. The third and final option under Scroll & Zoom defines the scrolling direction. By default, a downwards motion scrolls up, but this can be changed to scrolling down instead. Three- and four-finger gestures define five actions each that are executed when moving three- or four-fingers on the touchpad, or when tapping with the right number of fingers. Both options are enabled by default and very similar. Upward and downward swipes with three or four fingers open the multitasking view or show the desktop. Left or right swipes with three fingers let users switch apps, while the four finger gesture lets them switch desktops instead. A three-finger tap opens the search, a four-finger tap the notification center. Windows 11 includes options to customize the functionality to a degree. Besides turning off the actions entirely, it is possible to switch one set of actions to controlling the volume on the device. This allows users to increase or decrease the volume, or play the previous or next track. The tap actions include options to map a middle mouse button or play/pause functionality to them. Options to change the gestures are also available. Just select the Advanced Gestures link in Settings to change tap and swipe actions for three- and four-finger gestures. For tap, for example, options to emulate mouse back and forward actions, or to set a custom keyboard shortcut are provided. Some new actions are available for gestures as well. Main actions The main actions for touchpads on Windows 11 go beyond replicating basic mouse functionality. Left-clicking and right-clicking are essential, but other actions, including two-finger dragging to scroll, pinching to zoom, or mapping a three-finger tap to a middle-mouse button action are all useful. Closing Words The configuration options give users some control over the touchpad’s functionality. Actions that are not required may be disabled to avoid accidental activation. Now You: touchpad or mouse, which do you prefer? Summary Article Name How to customize the touchpad on Windows 11 Description A detailed guide on the available touchpad configuration options and actions on devices that run Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system. Author Martin Brinkmann Publisher Ghacks Technology News Logo Advertisement

Northwest Arkansas Divorces – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/northwest-arkansas-divorces-northwest-arkansas-democrat-gazette-4/ The following divorces granted were recorded Oct. 5-11 in the Benton and Washington county clerks’ offices. BENTON COUNTY 21-1076. Nilda Encarnacion v. Javier Colon 21-2077. Jessica Dutton v. Windsor Dutton 22-160. Tiffinie Wright v. Thomas Wright 22-348. Carey White v. Joshua White 22-756. Kenra Jones v. Tyson Jones 22-838. Karen Everhart v. Jerry Everhart 22-854. Matthew Kepchar v. Sabrina Kepchar 22-926. Juanita Martinez v. Serafin Martinez 22-927. Brianna Baugus v. Matthew Baugus 22-999. Nicole Stockdale Mitzner v. Jacob Mitzner 22-1186. Adriana Ochoa v. Alejandro Rios 22-1225. Katie Raphael v. Jesse Raphael 22-1273. Stephanie Donahue v. Jeremiah Hurley 22-1367. Steve Rubisch v. Brenda Rubisch 22-1376. Megan Martin v. Bradley Martin 22-1380.. Cesar Torres Contreras v. Maria Hernandez 22-1389. Nida Jaber v. Salaheldine Alkhatib 22-1400. Seth Culbertson v. Jennifer Culbertson 22-1416. Cuma Kyzer v. Christopher Kyzer 22-1440. Sienna Nealon v. Oscar Carballo 22-1529. Mathew Goodwin v. Teri Goodwin WASHINGTON COUNTY 22-185. Jon Hill v. Melissa Hill 22-261. Alexis Deshazo v. Kolin Deshazo 22-332. Steppen Clark v. Elijah Gibson 22-510. Rebecca Burkhart v. Christopher Burkhart 22-649. Maria Sifuentes v. Antonio Sifuentes 22-812. Chibuzor Dilibe v. Brandy Dilibe 22-813. Laura Keasey v. Adam Keasey 22-1039. Siana Sherrill v. Kyle Sherrill 22-1135. Marlene Tackett v. Shannon Tackett 22-1140. Kristen Beasley v. Valeria Gonzalez 22-1141. Roxane Gomez v. Luis Gomez 22-1197. Rina Orellano v. Ronald Orellana-Mejia 22-1227. Laruel Reynolds v. Rex Reynolds 22-1229. Macie Stone v. William Stone 22-1251. Marvin Ruiz Ruano v. Nicole Falt 22-1279. Isaura Tapia Cruz v. Juan Araujo Garcia 22-1293. Randolph Covey v. Allyson Covey 22-1239. Tracy Saxton v. Kevin Saxton 22-1353. Kristy Lamb v. Brian Lamb 22-1386. Joselin Estrada v. Jimmy Suazo Doblado

Airline Tickets Increase By 42.9% As Delta Experiences Record Fall Demand – Traveling Lifestyle https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/airline-tickets-increase-by-42-9-as-delta-experiences-record-fall-demand-traveling-lifestyle/ According to Labor Department data issued on Thursday, airfares increased by about 43% compared to the same time last year, a record-breaking rise that topped the department’s monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) report. The fastest-growing category was airfare, which was followed by utility bills for gas (33.1%) and eggs (30.5%). Fuel climbed 18.2% to place fourth. The rise in airfares is the result of an unusual trend in which demand has remained high into the fall “shoulder season”, which falls between the busy summer and vacation travel seasons. While business travel is slowly picking up as more people return to their offices, pent-up demand for leisure travel remains strong after nearly two years of closed borders. Glenn Hauenstein, president of Delta Air Lines, mentioned the abnormally high travel demand, particularly to Europe, during a conference call with investors on Thursday. “Demand for trans-Atlantic travel is extending well into the fall,” Hauenstein said. “Starting in October, we anticipate flying more trans-Atlantic capacity than 2019.” According to Hauenstein, this robust demand is expected to continue through the holidays. The airlines’ responses to the numerous operational setbacks during the spring and summer, when carriers reduced capacity to create more headroom in their networks, have hampered travel price increases. While this had the advantage of giving airlines more freedom in dealing with delays and cancelations due to events such as severe weather, it also meant that airlines inadvertently depleted the supply of the system. Prices will naturally rise as long as supply is limited and demand is high. At least through the vacation season, airfares are expected to remain high. According to travel booking company Hopper, prices for Christmas flights are up 55% over last year and 19% over this year, while prices for Thanksgiving flights are 25% higher than last year. However, there are indications that Americans’ holiday plans are starting to be impacted by inflation. According to a recent Bankrate study, 79% of the 43% of American adults who want to travel over the holidays are altering some aspects of their travel arrangements as a result of inflation. %

Business News | Paytm Payments Bank Set To Change Leadership – LatestLY https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/business-news-paytm-payments-bank-set-to-change-leadership-latestly/ Get latest articles and stories on Business at LatestLY. As the country moves towards digitalisation of the whole banking sector and paperless transactions, Paytm Payments Bank is strengthening its leadership with seasoned executives from the banking and financial services industry. Agency News ANI| Oct 16, 2022 03:20 PM IST New Delhi [India], October 16 (ANI): As the country moves towards digitalisation of the whole banking sector and paperless transactions, Paytm Payments Bank is strengthening its leadership with seasoned executives from the banking and financial services industry. The bank has appointed Deependra Singh Rathore as the interim chief executive officer (CEO), in addition to his role as chief product & technology officer, according to sources. It will announce the name of the new full-time CEO after receiving regulatory approvals. Satish Gupta, who was the bank’s CEO, is set to retire in October. Paytm Payments Bank spokesperson said, “We are focused on bringing the best of technology-driven banking to drive financial inclusion. As we continue our journey, we are excited to strengthen our leadership team and have seasoned experts from banking and financial services join us. Paytm Payments Bank remains committed to creating large-scale impact with compliance and operational excellence.” Also Read | Real Madrid vs Barcelona, La Liga 2022-23 Free Live Streaming Online & Match Time in India: How To Watch El Clasico Live Telecast on TV & Football Score Updates in IST?. With technology-driven solutions, the bank is solving at scale to take on the opportunities in the digital banking sector in India. Strengthening its operations for scale, it has appointed Sunil Chander Sharma, a former IRS officer as chief operating officer (COO). As the COO, he would oversee the functions of customer support, retail operations, legal and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) and Human Resources and Administration. This is happening at the right time because on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had just launched 75 digital banking units across states and this means the more banking units the country has, the more transactions will take place. (ANI) Also Read | Telangana Shocker: Man Rapes, Impregnates Teen With Marriage Lure in Hyderabad, Arrested. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)

Opinion: America Has Opportunity To Lead Progress To Just, Free World – Citizen Times https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/opinion-america-has-opportunity-to-lead-progress-to-just-free-world-citizen-times/ Robert Montgomery  |  Opinion columnist Unfortunately, many Americans today view globalization as a bad thing, as if America should isolate itself from the rest of the world. Isolationism did not work out well by keeping us out of the League of Nations after World War I, which contributed to the coming of World War II. Today, more than ever, the world is inter-connected, and America has the opportunity to lead progress toward a just and free world. When I was a boy in Japanese occupied China, Japan was our enemy. After coming back to America on an exchange ship, I would closely follow all the terrible battles fought in the Pacific, as well as the battles in Europe. I remember the great desire for the success of the invasion of Europe and in the Battle of the Bulge. Now, Japan and Germany are allies while former allies, Russia and China, have become competitors and threats. Much more could be said about how international relationships can change. One of the most dramatic recent changes is that after a terrible war with Vietnam, we now have friendly relations with Vietnam. In the end, the people of all nations, including ours, are not that different from each other and can be helpful to each other. What so often goes wrong? A major cause for disruption and conflict between nations is the rise of leaders who want power for themselves and have a vision of gaining power by dominating and conquering other nations. Right now, it is clear that Putin has such a vision. Before World War II, the leaders of Germany and Japan had such a vision. After around 1500 and up to World War II, leaders of colonizing nations had a similar vision. Thankfully, the colonial period was brought to an end with the two World Wars. These wars virtually bankrupted the Western colonial powers and Japan. Unfortunately, one result of colonialism was that communism was able to gain power in a number of nations by aligning itself with anti-colonialism. The yearning for healthy international relations was demonstrated in important events. The League of Nations was founded after World War I, but because of American isolationism it failed. Then, the United Nations was founded after World War II, with American, especially Eleanor Roosevelt’s leadership. Although not a strong organization yet, it represents a real attempt to establish healthy, mutually benefiting, relationships between nations and particularly undertaking cooperative efforts to meet emergency needs of many nations. In addition, to the United Nations, multi-lateral security agreements like NATO have greatly increased national security for many nations. Also, multi-lateral trade agreements have increased living standards for nations.   The United States is in the best position to model how diverse peoples can work together or at least point to such an ideal. This is because America has the most diverse population of any nation in the world.  Respect and appreciation for the many national heritages enriches the cultural life of America. At the same time, Americans can enrich their knowledge of the peoples of the world by visiting the lands of their personal heritage, remembering or even learning the language of their childhood or their forebears. These persons can aid America in its international relations. A major obstacle to working toward this better world is lack of leaders with a vision of a peaceful world with nations working together. Instead, so many national or aspiring national leaders promote a narrow nationalism that supports their personal power. I remember being very proud of my country during World War II and since then by the ethnic-racial diversity of our people in the armed services. We continue a high ethnic-racial diversity in scientific, academic, and government fields. I was especially proud at the election of our African-American President. America is stronger when the people of the world can identify themselves with the American people and the democracy which we have maintained through many struggles. At the same time, we can learn from the successes of our international friends. Health care, adequate food and housing for all, prison reform, are among the areas we can learn from other nations. We already benefit in science and education from our citizens from around the world. Demonstration of being a country of “the rule of law” is a major contribution of our country to the world. Let us turn away from the narrow nationalism that impoverishes and weakens our nation that we love.  Rev. Dr. Robert L. Montgomery is a Presbyterian minister with a degree from Emory University in the Social Scientific Study of Religion.

Sunday Seminoles Summary: Florida State Softball, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, And Other Sports News – Tomahawk Nation https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/sunday-seminoles-summary-florida-state-softball-soccer-volleyball-basketball-and-other-sports-news-tomahawk-nation/ In case you missed the last ‘TN’s Triple-S’ coverage of Florida State Seminoles athletics, here is the recap: Sunday Seminoles Summary: FSU Soccer, Volleyball, Softball, Golf, and other Noles sports news As we get further into the fall sports, we will continue to keep you up to date on any Florida State sports information and media press releases we are sent from the FSU SID or that we source ourselves. Feel free to include any other FSU related news of any kind that we may have missed in the comment section. Most of the summaries below are courtesy of FSU SID, Tomahawk Nation, and the Twitters. ——— Softball FSU Softball Rewind: 2022 vs. Clemson, 2018 vs. LSU-This weeks rewind continues with FSU softball’s win against LSU in the 2018 super regionals Florida State football welcomes the Clemson Tigers to Tallahassee this weekend, meaning our rewind should reflect our ACC opponent from Death Valley. With FSU softball playing the Tigers for just the first time last season, this week’s rewind will be sort of a “choose your own adventure.” Below are the game recaps from all four wins against the Tigers in 2022, followed by a recap of the 2018 super regional against the LSU Tigers….{continued *FOR FREE} — — FSU Softball Roster Preview: Meet the Redshirt Sophomores Part 2–We continue our class preview with part two of the redshirt sophomore class We continue our dive into the 2023 Florida State softball program, this week its part two of the redshirt players. After suffering an injury in 2021, Jahni Kerr looked to return last season. Back in the lineup in 2022, Kerr posted a .261 batting average. Her success late in the season saw her move her way up through the lineup.While at the plate she recorded 47 hits, 25 runs scored, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 35 RBI, and was walked 10 times…{continued *FOR FREE} — FSU Softball: Class of 2024 Recruiting Thread-As High School Juniors start to commit to their colleges, we will detail who the ‘Noles are picking up for the class of 2024 Now that the September 1st window has come and gone for college softball, the class of 2024 can start announcing verbal commits to their schools. For Florida State, they have started to receive verbals. This thread will be dedicated to the players who have posted about committing to the Garnet and Gold starting in 2024..{continued *FOR FREE} — Gwyn’s FSU softball’s top five moments from 2022 – Take a look back at the top moments of FSU Softball from 2022 Even though it ended early, it was still a special season for Florida State Seminoles softball. An incredible run through the season was punctuated by an ACC Tournament championship title — Team 39 put up a 49-5 record for the highest winning percentage in a regular season in school history (.907). The season showed the fight that personifies head coach Lonni Alameda’s teams and provided many moments for fans to remember. Now that the dust has settled, we at Tomahawk Nation decided to take a look at the top 5 moments that made the season spectacular…{continued *FOR FREE} ——— Soccer No. 4 FSU soccer pounds No. 12 Duke-A second half surge powers the Noles to a win No. 4 Florida State (10-1-2, 6-1 ACC) defeated no. 12 Duke (10-4, 5-2 ACC) by a 5-1 score tonight at the Seminole Soccer Complex. Game Recap Duke generated the first dangerous chance of the game. In the 11th minute Michelle Cooper won the ball from Lauren Flynn on the left side of the box. Cooper immediately crossed the ball into the six where Mackenzie Pluck tried to redirect it on goal. However, her shot was deflected out by Ran Iwai….{continued *FOR FREE} — Florida State Sports Notebook: Midseason Edition-Just a few thoughts on Seminole sports. As always read at your own risk The Florida State soccer team has now passed the mid-point of the season. Therefore, it is a good time to assess how the season has gone so far and where the team may be headed as we move on toward the post season. These are real questions posed by real people in the sense that they are actual questions (they end in a question mark) and I am a real person. I have written all of the questions….{continued *FOR FREE} — Cristina Roque Named ACC CO-Defensive Player of the Week Florida State junior goalkeeper Cristina Roque was named the ACC’s CO-Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday after recording a 1-0 shutout victory over No. 2 Virginia on Thursday, October 6. Roque recorded a career-high 10 saves in her 23rd career shutout victor and fourth of the season. With the win, Roque improved to 32-0-8 and is still unbeaten through the first 40 starts of her career. On the season she has a 0.429 Goals Against Average (eighth in the country) and a 0.885 save percentage (eighth in the country.) Roque also has a career 0.51 Goals Against Average, making her the NCAA’s active leader. ——— Volleyball Volleyball Falls to Virginia in Five Sets The Florida State volleyball team (12-6, 4-3) fell to the Virginia Cavaliers (9-9, 1-6) in five sets (25-21, 28-30, 25-11, 22-25, 12-15) Friday night at Memorial Gym in Charlottesville, Va. The Cavaliers got off to a great start in set one, but the Seminoles rallied back from a 17-8 deficit while using a 17-4 run to take the first set 25-21. Audrey Koenig sealed the set with back-to-back service aces. A back and forth set two came down to the wire, but the Seminoles were unable to take advantage of three set points, and Virginia took the set 30-28. The Seminoles responded in a huge way in set three. The Noles jumped out to a 6-1 lead and never looked back cruising to a 25-11 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. The Cavaliers wouldn’t go away and came out firing in the fourth set to take an 18-10 lead. The Noles rallied back with an 8-2 run to cut the lead to two, but Virginia closed out the set to force a fifth set. The two teams were even through the first 12 points of the match, but Virginia used a 4-1 run to create enough separation to go on and win the match-deciding fifth set. The Noles will be back in action Sunday against No. 8 Pitt. First serve is set for 1 p.m., and the match will be streamed on ACCNX. — FSU WOMEN’S SPORTS NEWS: Soccer, Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, & Others Check out our dedicated Fanpost for FSU Women’s sports for any Women’s sports news you come across and can share to help keep your community up to date on what is happening in FSU women’s athletics during the week…{continued *FOR FREE} ——— Men’s Basketball Seminoles’ Matthew Cleveland Growing Into Leadership Role When he was a junior in high school, Matthew Cleveland’s father gave him the book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. He read it cover to cover and still uses many of the lessons he learned from that book as he approaches his sophomore season as a member of the Florida State Basketball Team. “The most important thing I learned from studying the book was that being a leader isn’t only about the people you’re leading; it’s about you and your own ability to be a leader. A leader is truly about your potential and how effective you are in how you are leading those you are leading,” said Matthew. Cleveland’s leadership was just one of the many topics covered at the ACC’s Annual Basketball Tipoff at the Westin Hotel on Wednesday. The reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year was joined by redshirt junior Caleb Mills and Head Coach Leonard Hamilton as Florida State’s representatives at the day-long event. Each of the 15 conference teams took their turn answering questions from local and national media with their sights set on the start of the 2022-23 season, which is less than one month away. Cleveland is Florida State’s second-leading returning scorer, as he averaged 11.5 points while playing in 29 of the Seminoles’ 31 games last year. He was the fourth consecutive Seminole to earn Sixth Man of the Year honors in the nation’s top conference, following in the footsteps of Mfiondu Kabengele (2019), Patrick Williams (2020), and Scottie Barnes (2021). “Being a leader is important to me because it’s a role that encompasses all aspects of your life,” said Matthew. “Learning to be a leader is something I can apply to many of the things I do, including working hard and doing well in school, my life outside of basketball and my life after basketball.” Cleveland illustrated his desire to be one of the Seminoles’ leaders early during his freshman season. He scored in double figures against Florida in just his second career game, made the game-winning basket in overtime to lead the Seminoles over Boston University in just the fifth game of his career, and surpassed the 20-point mark for the first time in his career in the middle of January. Cleveland then made one of the most dramatic shots of the 2022 college basketball season as he sank a near half-court, turnaround no-look jumper to propel the Seminoles past Virginia, 64-63, on the road in ACC play. Hamilton, a veteran leader himself, marvels at Cleveland’s leadership abilities despite his relative inexperience. “You go back and watch the season last year,” said Hamilton. “There were so many times as a freshman when we needed a play and Matthew came through. He has the “factor” that you can’t really describe. He makes the big plays at the end. He’s not afraid of the moment. We expect him to keep getting better and better.” It didn’t take Hamilton long to realize Cleveland’s competitiveness, as he praised him early, and often, during his freshman season. Matthew is farther along than most guys we’ve had who were first-year players,” Hamilton said prior to the Seminoles’ game against Georgia Tech in January of 2022. “He’s extremely competitive, he’s very confident, he knows h...

Byepix: A Multi-Dimensional Bridge Between All Metaverses & Super Metaverse Platform – Coinpedia Fintech News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/byepix-a-multi-dimensional-bridge-between-all-metaverses-super-metaverse-platform-coinpedia-fintech-news/ Byepix is a Web3-based All-In-One Super Metaverse Platform that aims to give its users the “MOST EXCLUSIVE and First Ever UNIFIED Metaverse EXPERIENCE.” Byepix is in the ICO Phase with a short-term of 30X to 50X and a long-term of 100X Guaranteed Profit Opportunity. Byepix aims to provide its users with the opportunity to create their ideal life in an ideal world with infinite possibilities and absolute freedom while communicating with their friends in other Metaverses. At Byepix Metaverse, users will find a totally new financial system and laws defined by its people. In this world, in a far-away star system, Users can imagine infinitely, create, play, socialise across all the Metaverses, make money while having fun, and monitor their assets in another Metaverse in the Unified Single Ecosystem of Byepix Super Metaverse. Byepix users can switch from one to another Metaverse in a matter of seconds through the Byepix Super Metaverse Protocol (BSMP) which is a multi-layered bridge that allows users to surf between all Metaverses, in other words Byepix connects all Metaverses. And the super metaverse App gives users the ability to track and manage all their assets, NFTs and across all Metaverse environments, measure prices, monitor market capitalization, view clothing or items in different Metaverses, and sell, exchange, or transfer them all on one platform. However, to make this vision a reality, many types of protocols must first be edited and modified to fully support and manage such an application. Byepix does exactly that. In the Byepix tech lab, brilliant web3 engineers have devised a 3-pronged plan to solve problems like scaling, communication, boundary, and incompatibility and to eliminate interoperability challenges preventing Metaverses from being connected. ● Byepix Metaverse Blockchain-Layer 2 Solution It takes part in the Layer 2 Protocol field and serves as the processing brain of the metaverse environments. The metaverse blockchain removes barriers and access restrictions in Metaverse Environments for users. Byepix removes borders and brings all the Metaverse users in the world together. ● Byepix Super Metaverse Protocol (BSMP) Byepix Super Metaverse Protocol spreads to allMetaverse-related internet environments for Metaverse users, collects, processes, performs data and functions that connect users, and establishes inter-network connections. The Super Metaverse Protocol is a Layer 2 cross-chain aggregator that connects all metadata servers and networks into a single Byepix-based ecosystem. When Byepix Metaverse Blockchain is completed, it will merge with Byepix SMP. ● Byepix Super Metaverse Application (BSMA) The Byepix Super Metaverse Application is an application with a user interface design that works using the Byepix Super Metaverse Protocol. Byepix’s Super Metaverse multi-layer integration allows users in all Metaverse environments to manage NFTs and assets, measure prices, track market capitalization, and sell and transfer on a single platform. With the super metaverse Application, you can keep track of and manage all your assets in all the connected Metaverses. Byepix provides users with seamless transitions to experience reality. For example, while using the Ethereum network, you can connect with a friend on the Avalanche network. Byepix’s Team Byepix fields one of the most brilliant teams in the world. A group of exceptionally experienced people came together to improve our world by creating an ideal example, a model for people to experience and actualize in reality. Every detail of this project is rich and ready to expand and thrive even more. It can indeed expand because the basis of this project is very strong. Byepix is consolidating its development path by creating definitive solutions such as Layer 2 Metaverse blockchain, The Byepix Super-Metaverse Protocol (BSMAP) and its application (BSMA). These solutions will be accessible to all projects, including every metaverse and its users. In what phase is this Unique Project now? Byepix is in its ICO Phase, which is going exceptionally well, as it is listed on CMC as one of 3 ICO Projects. Every day, another article about Byepix is published on major business websites such as Bloomberg and BTCnews. Byepix’s members, which Byepix calls the Angel Army of 100.000 supporters on the Byepix Telegram Global, are ready to support and eager to help Byepix overcome any obstacle. Moreover, updates to its platforms and protocols continue to mesmerize blockchain and the metaverse era. How About the INVESTORS, Are they taken care of? Exceptional web3 engineers thought of the supporting investors also. As a result, they have designed the first two revolutionary systems worldwide to ensure that ICO investors have huge profits. How? The groundbreaking BYEPIX Maximum Profit Program (MPP) makes it possible to send $EPIX tokens locked to the users’ wallets through a mutual agreement that the buyer approves by purchasing. This agreement makes the tokens not owner-bound nor buyer-bound but time-bound. Once $EPIX tokens (Governing token of Byepix) are purchased by the buyers, the blockchain allows the sending of the purchased $EPIX tokens to the buyers’ wallets in a secure safe, which opens automatically only when it’s the unlocking date. MPP also has a unique release system that ensures these tokens won’t be released simultaneously into the circulating supply. You may learn more about Byepix MPP by watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_lcWUcBBgc&t=50s $EPIX Tokens will be released with time-bound or limited amount conditions: Circulating supply will be under control, which will eliminate pump-and-dump and enable prices to increase organically so that investors may benefit hugely from their early investments. “The circulating supply remains limited, which means the EPIX price will skyrocket.” Such a smart concept. “ For example, after the first week of Byepix’s listing, there will be only 100k to 120k $EPIX tokens in circulation instead of 5 million. It means within the next 20 days after the listing. The price will definitely be up to $20 and increase upwards. Another way BYEPIX protects investors is ICO STAKING— The first in DeFi history! Byepix’s revolutionary ICO Staking draws a line over the primitive modern-day ICO Systems, which freeze the investors’ funds carelessly with vesting periods and ICO runtimes. And it replaces them with the Byepix ICO staking. “Byepix ICO Staking allows investors to earn returns immediately the moment the $EPIX purchase is completed”— CEO of Byepix. With Byepix MPP, your money does not sleep; it works!” Even though tokens are locked through the MPP, investors can use the Byepix ICO Staking and stake /unstake their tokens freely at a 90% APY rate and make even more profit by increasing the $EPIX tokens they own. We hope this article inspires emerging projects to apply this method to their systems and will become a contribution to compensation for the past losses of many ICO Investors and allow them to trust ICOs again. Says the Byepix team. We will now take $EPIX under the Magnifying glass and review why Epix Price will rise. What Byepix will do to make sure that it does: A. Marketing (40% of ICO investments): We will use 40% of the ICO investments for marketing and introducing Byepix to the rest of the world. B. Social Media Hype with the Mission Platform: We have created a Platform called Byepix Mission, where we design special missions for users to complete and earn money or in-platform and in-game assets as rewards. In these missions, there are tasks to create hype also. C. Buyback: Our tokens are very valuable, so we will buy them back instead of putting more tokens into circulation. D. Burning: This function will help to keep the circulating supply balanced. When the price remains stable, the chance of a price increase is greater. E. Keep Updating and Adapting itself to modern tech: Byepix will add or remove utilities that are needed. What the Byepix Users Will Do Naturally: A. Virtual Lands: Users can purchase lands to invest in that era, but they will first require $EPIX. B. Virtual Life Assets: Users on the Byepix Metaverse will want to decorate their virtual homes and gardens, and they will need $EPIX. C. Game Characters and Assets: Characters and assets in the games will be sold on the Byepix marketplace for $EPIX. D. Marketplace-NFTs: The marketplace will be full of valuable art pieces. Users will need $EPIX to purchase NFTs. E. Staking: Byepix will offer staking opportunities with high APY rates. They will require $EPIX to participate in staking. F. Farming: Again, Byepix will provide farming possibilities at high rates of APR. To participate in farming, they will need to purchase $EPIX. G. Participation in the IDO Launchpad: To participate in some of the listed project presales, users will need to hold/stake $EPIX. H. Prediction and Lottery: Users have to buy $EPIX before using these fun features. I. Portfolio Growth: They will continue to purchase more as prices continuously rise and add more $EPIX to their portfolio. About Byepix A Unique, Trustable, and Advanced All-In-One project as a Protocol and Metaverse Provider. + Provides the “Most Exclusive and First Ever UNIFIED Metaverse EXPERIENCE. Byepix will improve blockchain with Byepix Layer 2 Metaverse Blockchain. + Solve communication, boundary, and incompatibility problems between Metaverses. Byepix, The Single Digital Portal to Explore Every Existing Metaverse. + Byepix users can jump from one to another Metaverse in a matter of seconds. Byepix’s Revolutionary Protection Mechanism Locks $EPIXs In the Wallets. + It Keeps the Circu...

Flipkart Big Diwali Sale 2022: New Haier 182 Liter Refrigerator At A Discount Of Whopping 36%, Unmissable Opportunity – DNP INDIA https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/flipkart-big-diwali-sale-2022-new-haier-182-liter-refrigerator-at-a-discount-of-whopping-36-unmissable-opportunity-dnp-india/ Flipkart Big Diwali Sale 2022: The sale started on October 11 and it’s the last chance for you to grab your fav deals at the best price as it is going to end on October 16 at midnight. As Flipkart is giving a great discount on their products and can get up to 70% off on some products as it applies to almost all electric appliances mobile phones kitchen accessories and gadgets and a lot of products have already gone out of stock. Deal and discounts As the sale is live you can grab your Haier 182L Direct Cool single-door refrigerator at 36% off whose original price is 19000/- but you can get it for just 11990 saving you around 7000 which is a pretty good deal. and comes with 1year product warranty and a 10-year compressor warranty Get instant 10% off up to 1750 on Kotak bank credit card and SBI Credit card. Also read: Russia: Terror Attack at Military Training Ground Leaves 11 Dead and 15 Injured 10% off on SBI Credit Card EMI transactions up to Rs 2000. 5% Cashback on Axis Bank Cards.. Sign up to Flipkart pay later to get a Flipkart gift card worth Rs 1000. Description The Haier 182L direct cool single door 2star refrigerator increase cooling and make sure it’s power efficient the inside of it is designed diamond-shaped to slow down the works with a safe voltage range of 130 to 290 Volt hence there is no need for an external stabilizer to run it. Also read: India’s Robust Green Energy Initiatives – Worldwide Acclamation On The Booming Renewable Sector and you will get a lot of vegetable space with the vegetable box inside the fridge the selves are made up of strong glass which can withstand weight up to 120 kg making them more durable It comes with an antibacterial gasket with prevents the growth of unwanted bacteria and disease-causing fungi making it more hygienic. It includes a bottle stand and covered back decreasing the chances of any kind of accident and also comes with a child lock so you can just lock the refrigerator to keep things out of reach of your children. Disclaimer: (This information is provided solely for informational purposes. It is important to note that investing in the market or a business idea involves market risks. Before investing money as an investor/ owner/ partner, always consult an expert. DNP News Network Private Limited never advises to invest money on stocks or any specific business idea. We will not be liable for any financial losses.) Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER Enter Your Email To get daily Newsletter in your inbox

Good News For Crypto: Big Eyes Grows As BabyDogeCoin, And Kiba Inu Set To Thrive – NewsWatch https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/good-news-for-crypto-big-eyes-grows-as-babydogecoin-and-kiba-inu-set-to-thrive-newswatch/ Experts and traders are excited by recent developments and shows of the strength of cryptos BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE), Big Eyes Coin (BIG), and Kiba Inu (KIB). This year’s rollercoaster of the crypto market has seen it lose two-thirds of its collective value, currently resting at under 1 trillion, mainly due to large sweeping trends affecting the whole economic market. Let’s take a look at how Big Eyes Coin (BIG), Kiba Inu (KIB), and BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE) are currently thriving despite the bear market. BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE) – maintains its position with community spirit BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE) is a crypto asset created by an online dogecoin community and seeks to impress its ruling king and father, Dogecoin (DOGE). Unlike other coins which seek to “kill” Dogecoin, BabyDogeCoin is out to honour its father with its speed and community. This meme coin launched last June and saw a huge price spike within just two weeks, a 1,000% increase with an impressive 160,000 holders. This was mainly down to Elon Musk Tweeting about the coin. Now, a year on and BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE) has naturally shrunk after its initial spike, its community has not, however and the appeal of the meme coin is still intact as it represents not only a love of dogs but also a community based on a technology that is both exciting, engaging, and has a bright future. The last 24 hours have seen a rise with an upward trend for BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE) from a low of $0.000000001114 to $0.00000000122. Its current market cap at the time of writing is $137,849,516 USD. This rise isn’t unusual, as BabyDogeCoin has maintained its price in this region since May. This will likely change as the bulls return in the new year. Its community is maintaining its presence and strength. Big Eyes Coin (BIG) – goes from strength to strength in its presale Big Eyes Coin (Big) is a recent addition to the crypto world and is making news headlines as it goes from strength to strength in its presale. This meme coin was created by a team intent to see a cute cat on top of the rankings and diversify the heavily dog-dominated meme coin sector. It is also a very sustainably conscious coin that has committed 5% of its total supply to charities intimately involved in saving the seas and oceans. The great news for the crypto world is Big Eyes Coin (Big) coin’s early rise in the all-important presale, which is racing past with an impressive $7.5 Million raised at the time of writing and already CEX secured. Everyones talking about the future, and rumours of this coin are flying around that it is likely to finish its presale early in the same fashion as Tamadoge, which recently finished early with 19million raised. Big Eyes Coin (Big) has also got its sights on the future; like BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE), this coin is also likely to be influential in spreading the real benefits of sustainable crypto projects throughout the next generations. It’s likely to thrive and survive the test of the crypto markets once it has launched because it has incorporated NFT collections, sustainable drives, and community spirit into its feline features. Big Eyes are currently offering a bonus when buying BIG tokens. Use this code to get more BIG: BEYES725 Hacker working on his computer, Hacker stealing password and data from moblie phone , identity theft and computer crime concept. Kiba Inu (KIB) – KibaSwap set to raise value Kiba Inu (KIB) is a community token inspired and named after Kiba Inuzuka, a character from the well-known Naruto manga series. The current price of KIB at the time of writing is $0.000003914, with a trading volume of $107,141. In response to this widespread criticism, Kiba Inu (KIB) has transformed its future in the market by creating uses within its wider Kiba Inu (KIB) Ecosystem. Namely, KibaSwap and Bridge, which supports both Ethereum (ETH) and Binance Smart blockchains and allows holders to transfer coins across from both blockchains. With these features and the predicted return of the bulls next year, experts expect that Kiba Inu (KIB) will rise to $0.0009 by next Christmas. Final Thoughts Despite the overall downward trend, experts are adamant that the outlook of the crypto market will shift as it is likely widescale adoption will come to pass in the next three years. As a result, the value of meme coins within the market will increase due to their ability to facilitate the simplest route to crypto awareness for future generations. The current stability and strength among Big Eyes Coin (BIG), Kiba Inu (KIB), and BabyDogeCoin (BABYDOGE) are a testament to their ability to maintain community engagement and growth for future generations to come. If you want to learn more about Big Eyes Coin (BIG), check out these links below! More information on Big Eyes (BIG): Website: https://www.bigeyes.space/ Telegram: https://t.me/BIGEYESOFFICIAL Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigEyesCoin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BigEyesCoin/

Muslims Suing Over Watch-List Status Say U.S. Tactics Block Scrutiny – The Washington Post https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/muslims-suing-over-watch-list-status-say-u-s-tactics-block-scrutiny-the-washington-post/ Saadiq Long was only allowed to visit his mother after FBI agents questioned her. He was strip-searched at an airport in Amsterdam and arrested when visiting Turkey. He was banned from two Gulf states and fired from a trucking company. Nine years of such troubles, he came to believe, all arose from his placement on a list of suspected terrorists banned from air travel in the United States. Long, a veteran and Muslim convert, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Alexandria, Va. But as his lawsuit started moving forward in 2019, the government told him he had been removed from the list. Advocates say the reversal is part of a pattern from the government to evade scrutiny of the Terrorist Screening Database, a secret, FBI-maintained list of known or suspected terrorists subject to heightened security screening at borders, and of the smaller No Fly List of those barred from U.S. airspace. Hundreds of thousands of people have been placed on the lists since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. For years, civil liberties groups have challenged the process of determining who is on the two lists as unconstitutional but say they’re often hampered by the government’s tactics. “The Government removes people from their secret lists only when they fear that a court might impose restraint on their lawlessness,” said Gadeir Abbas, an attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) litigating Long’s case. “If the FBI has its way, delisting a person will become a kind of cheat code the federal government can use to deny people their day in court.” The group has eight such examples, he said. The latest involves Abdulkadir Nur, a Somali-born U.S. citizen who lives in Virginia and says in court filings he had been subjected to extensive, intrusive searches at U.S. airports since 2008. That year, Nur was part of a United Nations relief convoy in Somalia that local insurgents raided; he was questioned in the subsequent investigation but never accused of wrongdoing. Nur got no confirmation that he was ever on the terrorism watch list or taken off it. His attorneys say they can infer both from the scrutiny he consistently received at airports until this month, when he did not get searched or interrogated for the first time in 12 years. “The Government … merely has stopped violating the law against Nur, and only to wrangle out of a lawsuit it cannot win,” his attorneys wrote. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment. CAIR is arguing that Nur’s lawsuit should continue despite the apparent concession. But earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that Long’s challenge to the No Fly List was moot because the government had taken him off. He can keep fighting his placement on the broader watch list. Because of a 2015 ruling in another federal court, Long was able to learn that he was on the No Fly List. (Placement on the broader watch list remains a mystery.) He was told by the Department of Homeland Security that he was on the list because he had “participated in training that may make you a threat to U.S. national security,” and that an arrest in Turkey in 2015 was also “of concern to the U.S. Government,” according to court records. Long says his only military training came from the U.S. government and that his arrest on a vacation in Turkey was a direct result of his placement on the No Fly List. Long served in the Air Force from 1987 to 1998. While stationed in Turkey, he converted to Islam and decided he could not be responsible for civilian deaths. Denied conscientious objector status, he ended up leaving the military with an “other than honorable discharge.” He stayed in the Middle East and became an English teacher. The DHS letter said the government “withheld certain information” about Long’s placement because of “national security concerns.” But in late 2020, when the case was before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, he was informed he had been removed from the No Fly List and would not be put back on, absent new information; the Department of Justice made a similar guarantee in court. Long’s attorneys argued that his removal from the list shows “the Government is willing to place and maintain people on these lists even when they pose no national security threat.” A panel of Fourth Circuit judges said they could not agree. “While the government doesn’t concede constitutional error, we assume it removed Long from the list because, as he contends, he doesn’t belong on it,” the court ruled in June. “To say otherwise would be to suggest the government risked national security simply to moot a lawsuit. This we decline to do.” The Ninth Circuit ruled differently a month earlier, keeping alive a lawsuit from a man named Yonas Fikre, who alleges he spent years on the list for refusing to become an informant, even after he was removed. “The government has not explained why it added him to the No Fly List in the first place and why, years later, it spontaneously took him off of it,” that court wrote in 2018. “Nothing prevents the government from putting him back on the list.” The government subsequently issued a declaration similar to the one given to Long, saying Fikre would not go back on the list based on “currently available information.” But the Ninth Circuit said that was not enough, because the government “has not ‘repudiated the decision’ to place Fikre on the list, nor has it identified any criteria for inclusion on the list that may have changed.” Without such disavowal, the court said in a unanimous decision this May, “Fikre remained stigmatized ‘as a known or suspected terrorist.’” That was a “very powerful opinion,” said Jeffrey Kahn, a former Justice Department attorney who has studied the terrorism watch list as a law professor at Southern Methodist University. The goal of the government attorneys in these cases is “to end the case” before trial, he said, and just taking someone off the list “is an easy way to kill the lawsuit.” The government can track people in other ways and potentially put them back on the lists. The same U.S. judge in the Eastern District of Virginia presiding over Nur’s case, Anthony J. Trenga, ruled in 2019 that the watch list system violates due process rights. “The risk of erroneous deprivation of … travel-related and reputational liberty interests is high,’” the George W. Bush appointee wrote in response to a suit filed by 23 Muslim Americans. He noted that for an agency to nominate a name for the list requires only “reasonable suspicion” that someone is a “suspected terrorist,” which does not require any evidence of involvement or interest in criminal activity. Ninety-nine percent of nominations are accepted by the Terrorist Screening Center. According to court filings, as of 2019 there are roughly 1.1 million people on the broader watch list, of which 81,000 are barred from flying. “If there were that many terrorists in the world, we would be getting attacked all day long,” said Javed Ali, former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council. “That’s not the way to use a tool like this — if people are in there in error, they should not be there in perpetuity.” He suggested a court similar to the one that oversees secret surveillance orders could evaluate Americans’ placement on these lists. The Fourth Circuit overturned Trenga’s decision last year, saying “the delays and burdens experienced by plaintiffs at the border and in airports, although regrettable, do not mandate a complete overhaul.”

Tech Tip: How To Quickly Find And Search Photos You’ve Sent – Fox News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/tech-tip-how-to-quickly-find-and-search-photos-youve-sent-fox-news/ A friend sent you the name of a great hotel in Palm Springs, but you can’t find the message. Try searching your texts. Tap or click here for tips to find any message you’re looking for in seconds. You can do the same with your photo album. Instead of scrolling forever, try searching for “sunset,” “Hawaii,” “dog,” or anything else you want to see. Tap or click here for pro tricks to hunt down any image in a snap. Then there are the photos and videos you send out on your smartphone. Here’s how to find and search your shared media. See a record of what you’ve sent and received For better or worse, what we do online leaves behind digital clues. You can easily browse the photos and videos you’ve shared with a contract or group — and the ones they’ve shared with you. Here’s how:  Open Messages. Tap on a conversation, then tap on the contact/group name or profile photo. Scroll down to the Photos section and tap See All to see your shared photos and videos. You can also search for photos and videos you sent or received. Handy, right? Here’s how it works on an iPhone: Open Messages. Type in a word or search term in the Search bar. Scroll down to Photos and tap See All. Like messages, photos are searchable on your smartphone. (iStock) 7 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER THROW AWAY (OR YOU COULD BE IN LEGAL TROUBLE) More phone smarts: Having a hard time sending videos from your Android to an iPhone? Use this app Use an Android phone? Follow these steps to see all your shared media. Open the Messages app. Tap the search bar at the top. Select images or videos. From here, you can scroll through all the photos or videos shared with you or that you have shared in text messages. Did you lose an important text? Here’s how to get it back on your iPhone. Before that happens, make a backup of your messages. Tap or click for the easy options to get the job done. Finding media in third-party messaging apps Now that you know how to find shared media on your phone’s built-in messaging apps, here’s how to do the same with Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp. The icons of Facebook and WhatsApp are seen on an iPhone. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File) Browse the photos and videos you shared via Facebook Messenger: Open Facebook Messenger. Tap on a conversation, then tap on the contact/group name or profile photo. Tap View media, files & links under the More actions section to see shared photos and videos. While Facebook Messenger has a search function, it doesn’t work for the media you’ve shared in chats. As long as you’re poking around Facebook, you might as well protect yourself. Hackers are after Google and Facebook accounts. Give yours this quick check now. TECH TIP: WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU UNSEND A TEXT ON YOUR IPHONE Browse shared photos and videos in WhatsApp: Open WhatsApp. Tap on a conversation, then the contact/group name. Finally, tap the three-dot menu icon. For an individual chat, select Media, Links, and Docs to see your shared photos and videos. For a group chat, tap Group media. You can also search your chats to find what you’re looking for. Here’s how: Open WhatsApp. Type in a word or search term in the Search bar. Tap Photos. The Galaxy Z Flip3 on display in a store. ( Tang Ke / Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Keep your tech-know going  My popular podcast is called “Kim Komando Today.” It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode. PODCAST PICK: Elon Musk’s Twitter plan, TikTok car thieves, solar power vs. storms Chinese super apps inspire Elon Musk’s Twitter plans, a solar-powered town kept power during Hurricane Ian, new phishing attacks, TikTok teaches car thieves, the world’s oldest webcam and how to use our phone to hang pictures the easy way. Plus, how to make money renting your car and stop websites from tracking you with URLs. Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando.” What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call Kim’s national radio show and tap or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to or watch The Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet, television, or computer. Or tap or click here for Kim’s free podcasts. Copyright 2022, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved. By clicking the shopping links, you’re supporting my research. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I believe in. Learn about all the latest technology on The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters, and more, visit her website at Komando.com.

Police Reports – Mount Airy News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/police-reports-mount-airy-news/ • A Lexington man has been jailed in Mount Airy for allegedly stealing a $480 generator from a local business, according to city police reports. The crime occurred last Tuesday at the Tractor Supply store on Rockford Street, where Thomas Edward Keene, 61, was found in possession of the generator, arrest records state. Keene was charged with larceny and held in the Surry County Jail under a $300 secured bond. He is scheduled to appear in District Court next Friday. The stolen property was returned to the store intact. • Nicholas Cody Hull, 32, of 102 Lakeview Drive, was charged with second-degree trespassing Wednesday at the Whistler’s Cove apartment complex off West Pine Street, from which he had been banned. Hilda Johnson, who resides there, is listed as the complainant in the case for which Hull was incarcerated under a $300 secured bond and is slated to be in Surry District Court next Friday. • Two women were arrested and jailed under large secured bonds on charges of assaulting and resisting officers after police responded to a fight call involving multiple individuals on Sept. 27 at the Andy Griffith Parkway Inn. During the disturbance, Kyhia Malaysia Green, 18, allegedly behaved aggressively toward police and was charged with two felony counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, inflicting serious injury. Green further is accused of two counts each of misdemeanor assault on a government official and resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer, along with one count of injury to personal property. Both Kyhia Green and Faith Alexandria Green, 21, of Winston-Salem, bit, punched and kicked officers, arrest records state. Faith Green was charged with two counts of assaulting a government official and one of resisting, delaying or obstructing a public officer for allegedly refusing to be taken into custody and pulling away from police. Two uniform shirts valued at $200 were listed as damaged. In addition to officers J.R. Hatmaker II, B.B. Evans and R.B. Westmoreland, Rodney Shelton of Antioch Avenue and Stephen Danley of Venice, Florida, are listed as victims of the incident. Kyhia Green was jailed under a $50,000 secured bond and Faith Green, $5,000 secured, with both slated for a Nov. 28 District Court appearance. • Property with a total value of $2,120 was discovered stolen on Sept. 25 from an unsecured 2015 Chevrolet Silverado at Brannock and Hiatt Furniture Co. on North Main Street downtown. Both the business and Brian Stanley Holt of Cain Road, an employee there, are listed as victims of the crime in which Milwaukee-brand products were stolen including two 18-volt floodlights and a pair of batteries, a fluke meter, an 18-volt drill and battery, two tool boxes with miscellaneous tools, a tool bag, nut driver bits and a box of masonry bits. Also taken was a box containing various bits.

Celebrate Diwali In Goa; Get Yourself Rejuvenated With Relaxing Vacation This Long Weekend – Asianet Newsable https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/celebrate-diwali-in-goa-get-yourself-rejuvenated-with-relaxing-vacation-this-long-weekend-asianet-newsable/ First Published Oct 16, 2022, 1:52 PM IST To celebrate and enjoy the grand occasion of Diwali to the fullest, Goa is the best place you can visit and is at the top of everyone’s travel destinations. Here is a list of places you should visit to make your Goa trip the best. Image: Getty Images Diwali long weekend is the best time you can plan a vacation with your friends or family. To celebrate and enjoy the occasion to the fullest, Goa is the best place you can visit and is on everyone’s search lists. It is India’s number one tourism destination because of its sun-kissed beaches, countless sea colours, significant vegetation, fantastic food and drinks, and various places to chill. Here are some sites, activities, and experiences you should not miss on your visit to Goa.  ALSO READ: World Food Day 2022: Food items you can include in your daily diet for a healthy lifestyle Image: Getty Images Beach fun:  When you think about Goa, you will think about beautiful beaches. Exploring Goa’s magnificent and gorgeous beaches and indulging yourself in sunbathing, water sports, sundown parties, and so many more activities are one of the best things to do in Goa. By adding Baga Beach, Anjuna Beach, Calangute Beach, Palolem Beach and Agonda Beach to your list, you can make your visit a rejuvenating one. Image: Getty Images Water sports: Goa’s beaches are a sanctuary for thrill and adventure seekers. You may let your inner explorer go by participating in various water activities in numerous locations in Goa. Water Skiing, Scuba Diving and Windsurfing are among the most popular water sports here. Trying them out will surely be a memorable visit to goa.  Image: Getty Images Dine like a local: It is claimed that the best way to learn about a place is through its cuisine. When you visit Goa, you may treat your taste buds to a variety of seafood, Goan delicacies, and other delights. This will help you experience the local way of living in Goa. The food in Goa is truly a delight and will bring a blast of flavour to your mouth. Image: Getty Images Casino: Do not miss Goa’s casinos if you visit here this Diwali. Most of them are floating casinos located in the state capital Panaji, where you may immerse yourself in a world of games, entertainment, and enjoyment. This can be a fantastic way to celebrate Diwali in Goa and will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Some of the casinos you can visit here are Casino pride, Majestic pride and many more.   Image: Getty Images Clubbing: Tough FOMO kicks in when you are in Goa, and you have not made the most out of its nightclubs. Nightclubs or pubs are super fun, where you may chill with your favourite drink and loved ones. Baga in Goa is the place you can go for clubbing. The biggest music festival Sunburn is celebrated here, which will be a fabulous experience for you.   Image: Getty Images Goa’s majestic forts: Goa has many magnificent forts representing the spectacular architectural brilliance of its glorious history. But, above all, the forts in Goa also provide breathtaking views of the landscape around it. You must visit the famous Fort Aguada and Chapora Fort if you’re visiting Goa. Your visit to goa will not only be relaxing, but it can also be an educational one.  ALSO READ:World Anaesthesia Day 2022: Why is it celebrated? Importance, significance and more %

VIETNAM BUSINESS NEWS OCTOBER 16 – VietNamNet https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/vietnam-business-news-october-16-vietnamnet/ Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Xuan Sang has signed a decision approving a project to build a merchant fleet capable of handling a fifth of the country’s imports and exports by 2030. The main goal of the project is to build a fleet of container ships for the Asia-Pacific region to gain operational experience and set a foundation for long-distance routes. In addition, Vietnamese maritime authorities will improve their management capacity, create a clear and transparent legal framework, promote science and technology application, and reform administrative procedures to support enterprises. The project also aims to double the volume of import and export cargo transported through domestic seaports by Vietnamese ships to 10% by 2026 and 20% by 2030. A report by the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VinaMarine) shows that along with an average annual growth of 12% import-export from 2016-2021, the cargo throughput of the country’s seaports saw a stable increase in the period. In the first seven months of this year, the throughput growth slowed but still showed a year-on-year rise of 2%, reaching about 63 million tonnes. The country’s ports in recent years have been developed and are now able to accommodate the world’s largest ships. The country’s merchant fleet ranks third among ASEAN nations and 28th in the world. Vietnam strives to boost green agriculture development The country is in the process of further promoting green agriculture development amid the growing demand for safe products for health and the environment. According to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Vietnamese agriculture sector has seen strong and comprehensive development, and tremendous achievements in recent years, with the food output increasing rapidly in both quantity and quality, ensuring the needs of domestic consumption and export. To effectively deal with challenges related to the shrinking of cultivation land, the increasing demand for food, the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides in agricultural production, and post-harvest losses, numerous solutions have been devised. Agriculture needs to have harmony in each production link, towards ensuring sustainable growth goals, protecting the environment, and adapting to climate change, Hoan went on to say. Bui Ba Bong, former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the agricultural sector sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions – one of the important criteria for environmental protection. In line with this, greater attention must be paid to ensuring green agricultural materials for production, he stated. He also highlighted the significance of building mechanisms and policies on green agriculture, towards further spurring the development of agricultural production models meeting organic standards, and ecological agriculture models in order to produce quality and safe products. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has adopted an action plan to implement the National Strategy on Green Growth from 2021-2030. Under the plan, the ministry will step up greater efforts to develop the agricultural sector in an ecological, organic, circular and low-carbon direction to improve growth quality, added value, competitiveness and sustainable development, while reducing pollution in agricultural production and in rural areas, and promoting energy efficiency towards carbon neutralisation by 2050. It is set to increase the use of organic fertilisers to 30% of all those consumed, along with 30% of pesticides and at least 30% of farm areas using water-saving systems. The agricultural sector will also take a score of measures to encourage green consumption. It will mobilise social resources, especially those from businesses, while calling for financial support and technology transfer through international cooperation activities in a bid to ensure resources for green growth moving forward. Japanese retailer AEON to expand operations in Vietnam Leading Japanese retail group AEON has unveiled plans to triple the number of its shopping malls nationwide to 16 between now and 2025 in an attempt to gain an advantage in the food sector, reported Japanese news service Nikkei Asia. The news outlet noted that with almost 40 years of experience in Southeast Asia, the retailer will seek to use the knowledge it acquired in Malaysia, where it first entered the region, and other markets to intensify its store opening campaign. The giant retail group is greatly attracted to the growing Vietnamese middle class as consumers, especially amid the lifting of restrictions placed on foreign operators. AEON has so far opened some 200 stores in Vietnam, including six shopping malls and several supermarkets. The stores are primarily located in Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s largest city, and Hanoi, the capital, although a mall is set to open in the central city of Hue in 2024. The Japanese firm has devised plans to increase its number of stores in Hanoi to 100 by 2025, approximately 10 times the current number. In addition, the number of malls will also be nearly tripled to 16 throughout the country. HCMC attracts US$400m in venture capital in Jan-Sept HCMC had lured 22 venture capital deals amounting to US$400 million in the year to September, according to data released at the launch ceremony of the HCMC Innovation, Startup and Entrepreneurship Week (WHISE) yesterday, October 13.   The city accounted for 50% of the country’s total number of venture capital deals in the first nine months. Nguyen Viet Dung, director of the HCMC Department of Science and Technology, said that innovation startups in the city are highly evaluated by international investors. Some startups have business models with high growth potential and have applied new technology. According to a report recently issued by the global startup ecosystem map and research center StartupBlink, HCMC continued to rise to 179th place in startup innovation. The leading role of HCMC helped the Vietnam startup ecosystem inch up five notches year-on-year to 54th globally this year. The country also ranks fifth for startups in Southeast Asia. HCMC manufacturing sector rebounds HCMC saw its industrial production index (IPI) in January-September increasing by 19.6% compared to the same period last year. The HCMC Department of Industry and Trade said the city’s post-pandemic industrial output has recovered despite a global consumption fall and a material supply shortage. In September, the city’s IPI rose by 1% versus August, but up 89.6% year-on-year. The vibrant growth of key industries, namely mechanical and automation, electronic and information technology, chemical products and food processing, is expected to fuel overall industrial production in the rest of the year. The city’s export revenue in September reached US$64.6 billion, rising by 22.8% compared to the same period last year. The city’s January-September exports brought roughly US$40 billion, up 13.8% year-on-year, while its import bill hit US$48.8 billion, up 10.3%. Some 223 wet markets, three wholesale markets, 236 supermarkets and 45 shopping centers have reopened since the lifting of Covid social distancing in October last year. However, global supply disruptions, runaway inflation and falling world consumption still pose challenges to Vietnamese businesses for the rest of the year. Hanoi considers new airport-urban area metro line Hanoi People’s Committee has just asked the city’s Urban Railway Management Board to study the sixth urban metro project connecting Noi Bai Airport with a new urban area in the western district of Thanh Tri’s Ngoc Hoi Commune. Under the committee’s plan, the new Noi Bai-Ngoc Hoi metro line would include 43 kilometres of track with 29 stations, running through the districts of Soc Son, Me Linh, Thanh Tri, Dong Anh, Hoai Duc, Bac Tu Liem, Nam Tu Liem, and Ha Dong. The project will use non-refundable ODA from the Australian government through the World Bank. Relevant units have been asked to propose investment modes to the Hanoi Urban Railway Management Board, which would work with the World Bank to resolve funding for the project. Hanoi’s metro plans until 2030 include eight metro lines running for 318 kilometres. The city hopes to have between 35-45 percent of the population using public transportation while the number of people using private vehicles falling to 30 percent. So far, only the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line has been completed and has been put into operation early this year after 10 years of construction. The other lines are still in different phases of development. The Nhon-Hanoi Station line is set to have its elevated section operating at the end of 2022, but the entire line will only enter operation in 2027. Vietnam steel industry to grapple with falling demand Domestic steel demand have plunged, leading producers to sit on huge inventories. Output of finished steel products totaled over 2.4 million tons in September, down 23.41% against August and up 1.7% year-on-year, the Vietnam Steel Association (VSA) reported. Of the total, steel sales were around two million tons, down 7.19% over the previous month and 9.9% versus the same period last year. Meanwhile, construction steel output rose to 1.1 million tons, up nearly 12% over August and 47.2% year-on-year. However, sales took a nosedive, at around 920,000 tons, down 21.91% versus August, while exports plunged 47.9% against the year-earlier period. According to VSA, the industry outlook improved in late August. Still, steel manufacturers were at risk of huge losses due to the a decline in domestic demand for steel and a plunge in exports. At the end of the second quarter, inventories of 15 leading steelmakers accounted for 95% of the stocks of the whole industry, with 10 ...

Reduce Heart Attack Risk By Avoiding 15 Seemingly Healthy Foods – Chicken To Ketchup – The Mirror https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/reduce-heart-attack-risk-by-avoiding-15-seemingly-healthy-foods-chicken-to-ketchup-the-mirror/ Heart disease and heart attacks are among some of the biggest killers globally. The foods you eat will directly impact your heart health, but some easy swaps could make all the difference The seemingly healthy foods impacting your heart health ( Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Eating for a healthier heart means being aware of the hidden dangers lurking in some of your favourite foods. Many of the foods deemed healthy are, in fact, the complete opposite. With a staggering 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK – four million of which are men and 3.6 million women – it’s clear to see why it’s so important. Foods need to contain nutrients such as omega-3s, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phytonutrients, antioxidants and fibre, but many significantly lack these. So what should you avoid? Best food for heart health Around four million men and 3.6 million women are living with heart or circulatory disease risk ( Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) When eating foods healthy for the heart, nutrients within them help to improve the cardiovascular system, reducing both cholesterol levels and the risk for heart disease. Equally, eating foods which impact heart health negatively will increase your cholesterol levels, which in turn will cause you to be at a greater risk for a heart attack among many other potentially life-threatening health conditions. According to a 2016 study by the American College of Cardiology, a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, beans and some dairy and healthy fats reduces a person’s risk for cardiovascular diseases by a third. Many foods, however, do not fit into these categories. What to avoid for a healthy heart 15 foods to avoid for a healthier heart include: Processed deli meats Rotisserie chicken Ketchup Barbecue sauce Reduced-fat salad dressing Sugary cereal Flavoured-milk alternatives Fruits smoothies Canned soup Canned vegetables Capers Fruit-flavoured yogurt Granola Coffee creamer Margarine. Healthy food swaps Health experts advise limiting your salt and saturated fat intake. Alongside this, sugary drinks and processed foods should be kept to a minimum. Not all fats are unhealthy, however, and with more complex, healthy fats such as avocados, olive oil and fatty fish in your diet, you can keep heart disease at bay. Eating more vegetable-dense recipes will also help. For protein, reduce the amount of red meat and dairy, instead opting for leaner meats such as chicken and turkey. For dairy product lovers, low-fat options are your best bet with an added protein boost found in heart-healthy nuts such as almonds and Brazil nuts. Experts further advise choosing unsweetened beverages. Foods high in salt and saturated fats increase cardiovascular disease risk ( Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Ensuring you may the appropriate lifestyle changes is the most effective way to lower your heart disease and heart attack risk. The NHS further advises taking three main steps “to help prevent a heart attack as well as a stroke”, which are: Eat a healthy, balanced diet Do not smoke Try to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level. READ MORE Baby girl receives impant from dead organ donor in life-saving world first England declares first-ever amber alert for blood supplies as they drop to just THREE DAYS David Jason collapsed and left crawling on floor after ‘seriously bad’ case of Covid Trees to mark 200,000 lives lost to Covid at moving Westminster Abbey service NHS hospital trust declares critical incident due to ‘demand far outstripping capacity’

Here Is The Latest Big 12 Conference Sports News From The Associated Press – Fort Bend Herald https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/here-is-the-latest-big-12-conference-sports-news-from-the-associated-press-fort-bend-herald/ NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dillon Gabriel passed for 403 yards and Oklahoma defeated No. 19 Kansas 52-42 to end its losing skid at three games. Eric Gray ran for 176 yards, Marvin Mims had a career-high nine catches for 106 yards and Brayden Willis had five catches for a career-best 102 yards for the Sooners.  It was Oklahoma’s 18th straight win over Kansas. The Sooners haven’t lost to the Jayhawks since 1997. Jason Bean passed for 265 yards and four touchdowns for Kansas. Lawrence Arnold had 113 yards and two touchdowns receiving and Mason Fairchild had 106 yards and two touchdowns receiving for the Jayhawks. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Quinn Ewers threw for three touchdowns including the go-ahead score with less than five minutes remaining as No. 22 Texas rallied to defeat Iowa State 24-21 on Saturday. The Longhorns trailed 21-17 when Ewers connected with Xavier Worthy to put Texas up for good. The Cyclones drove to the Texas 28 before linebacker Jaylan Ford recovered a fumble by quarterback Hunter Dekkers with 2:28 to play. Moments earlier, it looked like Iowa State might go back in front but receiver Xavier Hutchinson dropped a pass inside the Texas 10. MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Casey Legg kicked a 22-yard field goal with 33 seconds left to lift West Virginia to a 43-40 victory over Baylor. West Virginia’s Tony Mathis scored on a 34-yard run with 7:05 left and set up the winning field goal with a 37-yard run to the Baylor 8. Mathis finished with a career-high 163 rushing yards Thursday night. Baylor had one last chance starting from its 23-yard line. But backup quarterback Kyron Drones threw two incompletions and he was tackled near midfield on a scramble as time ran out. Drones came on in relief of Blake Shapen, who was injured on a helmet-to-helmet hit in the third quarter and did not return. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Kendre Miller scored on a 2-yard run in the second overtime and 13th-ranked TCU beat No. 8 Oklahoma State 43-40 in a matchup of the Big 12′s last remaining undefeated teams. Fans stormed the field after Miller got into the end zone for the 6-0 Horned Frogs, who had gone into the fourth quarter trailing by two touchdowns. The teams traded touchdowns in the first overtime. Oklahoma State got the ball to start the second overtime, but after a holding penalty and three incomplete passes in a row, the Cowboys had to settle for Tanner Brown’s fourth field goal, a 52-yarder. NEW YORK (AP) — The Big 12 Conference has come back from the brink. Last summer, it was sent reeling when Oklahoma and Texas said they will be leaving for the Southeastern Conference. New Commissioner Brett Yormark is trying to rebuild the Big 12’s brand. He wants to set a new narrative for a league known for years of instability. For now, things are going well: Half of the Big 12’s football teams are ranked the AP Top 25. It has also had a team in the men’s Final Four every year since 2018 — and won the national title two years in a row. NEW YORK (AP) — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark says he has had “meaningful” conversations with ESPN and Fox as the conference explores striking a media rights deal almost two years before the current contract expires. The Big 12 announced in late August it planned to engage ESPN and Fox, even though the exclusive negotiating window between the conference and the networks does not open until February 2024. The Big 12′s deals with the networks expire in June of that year. Yormark says there is no timetable for the discussions to produce a deal. He says ESPN and Fox would be the two best partners to boost the Big 12 brand. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Max Duggan has gone from losing his job as TCU’s starting quarterback to being one of the nation’s best passers. He is exceling in coach Sonny Dykes’ system after the new coaching staff initially went with a different starter than the guy who started most of the past three seasons. Duggan has thrown for 1,305 yards and a Big 12-best 14 touchdowns with one interception. Redshirt freshman Chandler Morris started the opener before getting hurt. Dykes says he has been impressed with how Duggan has handled the entire situation. Duggan says he was initially disappointed but never felt sorry for himself. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Cryptonomist And The Nemesis Launch A New Project And Create The First Talk Show In The Metaverse – The Cryptonomist https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/the-cryptonomist-and-the-nemesis-launch-a-new-project-and-create-the-first-talk-show-in-the-metaverse-the-cryptonomist/ The Cryptonomist and The Nemesis strengthen their established partnership by signing an agreement for the creation of a talk show held in The Nemesis metaverse: the online newspaper, leader in the crypto world, and the entertainment platform specialized in innovative virtual reality experiences will be the first to launch this new format. The new talk show in The Nemesis metaverse in collaboration with The Cryptonomist Amelia Tomasicchio, The Cryptonomist, says: “I’m very happy I had the chance to collaborate with The Nemesis from the very beginning, even before the metaverse became a real trend. This new idea deepens the relationship between our companies and we are really excited about it”. The Nemesis, which already partnered with The Cryptonomist in many events and interviews held in virtual mode, will host this groundbreaking project in its metaverse. The talk show will deal with different topics, such as crypto, digital art and NFTs, and every week there will be guests invited on the virtual stage to discuss the latest news in this sector. Alessandro De Grandi, Founder and CEO of The Nemesis, stated: “It’s the beginning of a new era of content access…it is not just a streaming within a digital setting but the main purpose is to get the audience to interact both with the artists and the environment by creating interactive training and gamification paths. It’s just the first step in a long line of new live contents that will be available on our metaverse from mobile and web”. With this innovative project The Cryptonomist and The Nemesis lay the foundations of what may be the future of communication and edutainment, acting once again as forerunners of this sector.

Best Diwali Gifting Options For Gadget Lovers – India TV News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/best-diwali-gifting-options-for-gadget-lovers-india-tv-news/ Image Source : INDIA TV Diwali Gifting  It’s just a week when the festival of light will bring all the festivities at home, and the time to make your near and dear ones feel a little more special.  more excited to welcome it with open arms. For most of us, when it comes to gifting, the choices are endless. While we think of all gifting options, gadgets are always among the top choices, making it a great idea for you to know what is special to your friends and family when it comes to gadgets. While some gadgets are expensive, many are not just budget-friendly but also great for long-term utility. These are our top picks for the best gifts for gadget lovers that can be purchased for gifting your loved ones this festive season. realme Watch 3 Pro at Rs 4,999 The recently launched realme Watch 3 Pro is a premium-looking, high-performance watch with a segment-leading trifecta of features like AMOLED display, BT Calling and rapid GPS positioning and highly accurate GPS track maps. With up to 4.52 cm (1.78) huge curved AMOLED display, has a screen-to-body ratio of up to 68.7%, a screen brightness of up to 500 nits, and a refresh rate of up to 56 frames per second for optimal performance. Moreover, this smartwatch is an ideal choice if you’re looking for communication clarity. Boasting a high-quality microphone, dual Bluetooth chip, inbuilt smart PA, and AI noise reduction algorithm, it ensures crystal-clear calling. The realme Watch 3 Pro is available at INR 4,999/- on the realme official website, Flipkart and offline stores near you. Mi Smart Band 6 at Rs 2,499 The Mi Smart Band 6 will make it easy to track exercise while, in return, being an attractive accessory piece at the gym. Stay fit and healthy by having a check of your health with the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6. It sticks to a classic shape with an innovative large screen and rounded edges, making it comfortable to wear and look at. It comes with a 1.56″ AMOLED display of 152 x 486 pixels resolution. Set the background to a picture of what is close to you or choose from our 80+ watch faces to make your day brighter. So, go ahead and purchase the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6  online, right now on the Xiaomi official website, Flipkart and offline stores near you. realme Techlife Buds T100 at Rs 1,499  The realme TechLife Buds T100 as they come with a 10mm dynamic bass driver and further features AI ENC technology to eliminate background noise, which helps in listening to music without being distracted by the surroundings. Whether watching favourite shows, blazing through a playlist or enjoying the outdoors, realme TechLife Buds T100 stay connected and comfortable all day long. The realme TechLife Buds T100 provides ‘Studio-Level’ sound. Experience Real HD sound on the realme Link App. The realme Techlife Buds T100  is available at INR 1,499/- on the realme official website, Flipkart and offline stores near you. Mi Portable Bluetooth Speaker at Rs 2,499 Gift a memorable experience this festive season with this portable speaker that allows users to play their favourite music, videos and more. Have your loved ones witness the amazing sound quality by getting the Xiaomi Mi 16 Watts Portable Bluetooth Speaker online. The 16 watts speaker setup delivers sound of the highest quality in all directions and promises to never disappoint. It is equipped with Dual EQ modes namely Normal and Deep Bass modes. The 2600 mAh Lithium-ion battery offers 13 hours of endless entertainment. So, keep the beat going for hours. It also sports a Type-C port to make charging more convenient. The Xiaomi Mi Portable Bluetooth Speaker is available at INR 2,499/- on the Xiaomi official website, Flipkart and offline stores near you. realme Cooling Back Clip at Rs 999 (gaming accessory) This gaming accessory is a great gift for your young loved ones this festive season. The new realme Cooling Back Clip features dual cooling with a Semiconductor Ice chip and a 7-blade fan that pushes cold air across the entire device that lowers temperature evenly. It can reduce the temperature from 53°C down to 25°C. The back clip works with both Apple and Android devices and can be adjusted between 65 to 85mm. It weighs 51 grams and it is equipped with RGB lights at the back with kaleidoscopic effects. The realme Cooling Back Clip is available at INR 999 on the realme official website, Flipkart and offline stores near you. Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag at Rs 1,699 Are you looking for the perfect gift this holiday season for friends or family that keep losing their stuff and need to keep tabs on something? Gift a Galaxy SmartTag to those precious people in your life. The Bluetooth-powered Galaxy SmartTag is a tracking device which can be easily attached to various objects that are easily lost with a small strap (sold separately) or by other means, such as a keychain. Objects include keys, luggage, purses or even family pets among others. The device can then be located with an app using Bluetooth LE. Retracing steps is easy. If the lost item is nearby but can’t quite find it, tap the ring button on the mobile and follow the familiar sound of your ringtone calling for you at the volume you set. So, go ahead and purchase the Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag right now to gift on the Samsung official website, Amazon and offline stores near you. Noise i1 Smart Glasses at Rs 6,999 Noise has recently gained popularity and has been a leading smartwatch brand in the country. The company has launched its first smart eyewear called the Noise i1 Smart Glasses. Give the gift of life-changing experiences to your loved ones this festive season with the i1 that comes with a speaker right on the temple and a microphone. It works with both Android phones and iPhones. And, it comes with IPX4 resistance. If you are someone, looking for good-looking glasses with some add-on, the Noise i1 deserves your money. It is also a cool gadget to gift that your friends will like. The Noisei1 Smart Glasses are available at INR 6,999/- on the official website. Google Chromecast 3 at Rs 1,899 You can never have too many Chromecasts and now is the time to give one to someone you love this festive season. The new Chromecast supports 1080p and is Google Assistant enabled. Chromecast plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and works with iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, Mac and Windows laptops and Chromebook. It allows streaming entertainment directly from the phone and other devices to the TV directly. Use any smartphone or device to stream TV shows, movies, games and more from 800+ plus compatible apps, including Youtube, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Gaana etc. During streaming, the connected device is free to be used for calls, and messages without interrupting the TV screen. It also allows controlling the playback from any part of the Wifi-enabled house. No additional remote(s) required. The Google Chromecast 3  is available at INR 1,899/- on the official website, Flipkart, Amazon and offline stores near you. BoAt Airdopes 501 ANC at Rs 3,299 The wireless earbuds are equipped with boAt’s Bionic Engine And Sonic Technology (BEAST). The Hybrid ANC can suppress noise at a broader range of frequencies, and adapt to and correct errors with an anti-noise signal that cancels out the actual background noise by the time it reaches your ear. Along with these, the list of features includes in-ear detection, ambient mode, and Insta Wake N’ Pair technology. With 5 hours for playback and up to 28 hours including the charging case, the earbuds also support fast charging, a 5-minute charge can provide up to 60 minutes of playback time. There is also a one-touch voice assistant mode where you can summon Google Assistant or Siri to your service and check the weather, news, or latest cricket scores with a single tap. The boAt Airdopes 501 ANC has an IPX4 rating for water and sweat resistance. The product is available in all apple stores and online stores like Amazon, Vijay Sales and Chroma. JBL Xtreme 3 at Rs 25,999 JBL Xtreme 3 comes with a focus on field-filling sound tied with a strap for lugging from the park to the pool to the beach and back again – and the strap has a bottle opener built in! It has 100W of power on offer but the sound is surprisingly subtle and has two 7cm woofers for low frequencies and two 20mm tweeters for the highs, In addition, it can help you speak to your smartphone’s voice assistant too and has Bluetooth 5.1. With a 10,000mAh battery that’s good for 15 hours, It can also juice up your mobile device using the built-in USB Type-A and Type-C ports, and act as a go-between from your sound source and headphones thanks to the built-in 3.5mm jack. The product is available in all apple stores and online stores like Amazon, Vijay Sales and Chroma. Apple Watch Series 7 at Rs 49,799 Apple Watch Series 7 features a re-engineered Always-On Retina display with significantly more screen area and thinner borders, making it the largest and most advanced display ever. It has a user interface optimized for the larger display, offering greater readability, plus two unique watch faces — Contour and Modular Duo — designed specifically for the new device. It comes with an 18-hour battery life, is built with crack-resistant front crystal and IP6X certification for resistance to dust maintaining a WR50 water resistance rating. It continues to offer indispensable tools for health and wellness, including an electrical heart sensor and ECG, Blood Oxygen sensor and app.4 watchOS 8 helps users stay healthy, active, and connected through new workout types. The product is available in all apple stores and online stores like Amazon, Vijay Sales and Chroma. Latest Technology News

Record Year For Crypto Thefts – The Portugal News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/record-year-for-crypto-thefts-the-portugal-news/ 125 attacks have already been recorded in 2022, with the equivalent of three billion dollars in cryptocurrencies being stolen, making this year on track to be a record for thefts. By TPN, in Business, Crypto · 16 Oct 2022, 09:03 · 0 Comments Record year for crypto thefts This month alone, around 718 million dollars in cryptocurrencies have already been stolen, which brings the total for 2022 to three billion dollars. Last year, just over three billion dollars were stolen, according to Bloomberg, citing data from Chainalysis, a company specialising in blockchain. The targets are mostly decentralised networks and there are already records of 125 attacks in 2022. With the value stolen this month reaching US$718 million in 11 computer attacks, October is already the month with the highest activity of computer piracy on record, according to Chainalysis. The company estimates that groups with connections to North Korea alone have already stolen approximately $1 billion worth of cryptocurrencies. More recently, two major attacks rocked the cryptocurrency industry, namely the theft of around $100 million from the Mango service, and two million Binance coins worth nearly $570 million. In a statement, Binance said that of the stolen amount, about $100 million was not recovered, while the rest was frozen. Support The Portugal News We are proud to provide our readers from around the world with independent, honest and unbiased news for free – both online and in print. Our dedicated team supports the local community, foreign residents and visitors of all nationalities through our newspaper, website, social media and our newsletter. We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to, we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small. Be the first to comment on this article More in Business The IPBN Agro Business Conference is Shaping Up In Business, News – 22 Sep 2022, 15:01 Popular Other Business Articles Alternative tax-efficient residency options In Business – 16 Sep 2022, 10:01 Fight inflation…with your investment portfolio (Part II) In Business – 16 Sep 2022, 08:01 How AI is Changing the eCommerce Industry In Business – 13 Sep 2022, 17:01 Flex offices: a growing market in Portugal In Business – 10 Sep 2022, 16:02 Subscribe to our newsletter Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal, written in English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Romanian, Turkish and Chinese. Contacts +351 282 341 100 info@theportugalnews.com Rua Municipio de S Domingos Urb. Lagoa Sol, Lote 3 r/c 8400-357 Lagoa – Portugal © 2022 The Portugal News – Established 1977 All content and design is copyright Anglopress Lda and The News Group of Newspapers © 2022 The Portugal News – Established 1977 All content and design is copyright Anglopress Lda and The News Group of Newspapers

US Midterm Elections May Put Democracy On The Line Worldwide – DW (English) https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/us-midterm-elections-may-put-democracy-on-the-line-worldwide-dw-english/ Donald Trump’s MAGA Republicans are trying to get election deniers into office in time for the 2024 presidential elections. If they succeed, who declares the results could soon matter more than who Americans vote for. There are few things US President Joe Biden and Donald Trump have in common. Currently, both agree that US democracy is under attack. And each says that he is the one to save it. Only one can be telling the truth as Americans go to the polls on November 8 to elect a third of their Senate and all House of Representative seats in Congress. While former President Trump warned in a recent speech in the swing state of Pennsylvania that “The danger to democracy comes from the radical left” and “not the right,” President Biden promised Americans he “will not stand by and watch” while attempts are made to take “the freedom to vote and have your vote counted.” Both see the upcoming midterm elections as a referendum on what path democracy will take in the US. Depending on the outcome, this vote could mark the beginning of election results being seen as a basis for negotiation, rather than an outcome that must be respected. With Trump eager to make a “deal” at the ballot box, the strategy of placing election deniers on tickets for offices relating to elections in 27 states now sees him taking this to the next level. Election denial strategy  The January 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021 marked a violent escalation of Donald Trump’s “election denial” narrative. Now, almost two years after he lost the presidential election to Joe Biden, in a recent post on his TruthSocial network, Trump continues to call for a “new election, immediately” as the “minimal solution.”  That’s despite an investigation by Republican election attorneys who concluded that the election was “lost, not stolen.” Their report also warned that Americans “will lose our democracy” if they “lose trust that our elections are free and fair.” What was intended as a warning to fellow Republicans is now at the core of a new strategy by the Trump camp of Republicans who don’t seem to fear that loss of trust. Even the person seen as most likely to beat Trump for the 2024 Presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, recently described the 2020 elections as “corrupt as hell.” Regardless of what happens with Trump, the strategy of sowing doubt in voters’ minds about US democracy seems here to stay, as his “big steal” narrative has gone mainstream within the conservative camp. In fact, Trump has made it mandatory for candidates seeking his support. Electing election deniers   In this midterm race, Donald Trump only endorsed candidates who deny that Joe Biden is the rightfully elected president. One of them is Kari Lake, a charismatic former TV host who, buoyed by Trump’s support, won in the Republican primaries for governor of Arizona. Lake has said that Joe Biden “should not be in the White House.” Even in the primary race, Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said if she lost, it would have been due to fraud On stage at the annual CPAC gathering of right-wing Republicans in Texas, she went so far as to say that “God” had chosen her as governor and that she doesn’t “believe for one second that God makes mistakes.” It’s only the latest of several hints that she is likely to follow Trump’s playbook in not accepting an election defeat, period. While Lake may be the most glamorous election denier running for office in a position important for election processes in Arizona, she is certainly not the only one.  The Republican nominee for the Arizona secretary of state was spotted on video footage of the January 6 attack. Mark Finchem is a self-professed member of the far-right Oath Keepers; several of the group’s members are currently on trial over the Capitol attack. A third election denier is running as the Republican candidate for Arizona attorney general — the very man or woman who would launch and oversee proceedings around whether fraud is present when the 2024 presidential election results are announced. If all three are elected, Arizona could end up with election deniers overseeing vote casting and counting, along with certifying and potentially challenging election results in a key swing state. Donald Trump and his followers are repeating this pattern across the country. Having failed to convince secretaries of state in Arizona, Georgia and elsewhere to change the outcomes and certify a Trump win in 2020, Trump is now focusing on changing the secretaries of state — typically a key officer in charge of organizing elections and crucially, certifying election results. Intimidating election officials — and poll workers Former Vice President Mike Pence was only able to certify Joe Biden’s victory after the riots on January 6 because these officials had stood their ground. Famously, Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger stood up to Trump when the then-president personally called him and told him to “find” some 11,000 votes to swing the state in his favor. This followed protests outside vote-counting centers across the country. One such protest took place at Philadelphia’s Convention Hall in Pennsylvania. This is where postal ballots were counted that turned the trend against Trump, sparking the anger of his supporters.  Lisa Deeley, chairwoman of the Philadelphia Board of Elections, stayed on despite receiving threats after refusing to “stop the count” on election night in 2020. Lisa Deeley, who chairs Philadelphia’s Election Board, says she received threats on election night 2020 “My circle is a lot smaller,” Deeley says of the impact that night has had on her life. She warns that what is happening now “really cuts right into the heart of the foundation of this country.” Philadelphia, along with other cities, has stepped up security for its voting facilities ahead of this year’s midterms. The poll workers that have stayed on now worry what these elections will bring. Stress test for global democracy Against this backdrop of intimidated poll workers and election deniers on many regional tickets, experts believe that whether US voters retain trust in the integrity of their elections will also have an impact on democracies around the world. “The weight of the United States is enormous,” says Staffan Lindberg, a professor and the director of the V-Dem Institute at the University of Gotheburg, which analyses global democracy levels. Its latest Democracy Report comes to the sobering conclusion that democracy worldwide has receded to 1989 levels. While democracy is in decline, the proportion of people living in autocracies has jumped from 49% to 70% in the past decade alone. Lindberg is convinced that whether US democracy stays strong during these midterm elections and beyond will act as a “signal” to autocrats around the world.  “It’s not only Trump,” Lindberg says, pointing to autocratic leaders in Hungary, Turkey, India and the Philippines. Any slip in democratic standards in the US, he warns, could be seen as free license to other leaders eager to shake off democratic constraints proscribed by their own constitutions (and often enforced via US foreign policy). Brazil’s presidential election runoff between President Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva could become the next test. Bolsonaro has already publicly stated that he will not accept defeat. If the US midterms see election denial turn into more anti-democratic action, this will matter for the future in the “land of the free” — and beyond. Edited by: Sonya Diehn

Meta’s Horizon Worlds App Losing Users And Falling Short Of Goals, Report Says – The Indian Express https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/metas-horizon-worlds-app-losing-users-and-falling-short-of-goals-report-says-the-indian-express/ Meta’s flagship Metaverse app Horizon Worlds has been struggling to gain new users,  The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. The publication, which reviewed internal documents, reveal Meta had initially targeted 500,000 monthly active users by year’s end, later it revised the goal to 280,000. The current figure is less than 200,000 now, according to the report. Horizon Worlds is a free virtual reality app created by Meta. Horizon World’s user base has steadily declined since spring. In fact, most users don’t return after the first month. Meta wanted users to build their own worlds but that number is less than 1 per cent.  Only 9 per cent of worlds are visited by at least 50 people, and most are never visited at all, claims the WSJ report.“ An empty world is a sad world,” noted one internal document. What is also making Meta worry is that retention rates for the Quest VR headset have dropped in each of the past three years. Shockingly, over half of the headsets aren’t in use after six months. The company has reportedly put Horizons on a “quality lockdown”, meaning the app won’t receive any new features. Meta will only focus on bugs and complaints, for now. The report comes at a time when Meta’s stock has taken a nosedive. Meta shares are down over 60 per cent over the past year.  The Silicon Valley major has lost $700 billion in market value since September 2021. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced a year ago that he was betting on the metaverse. In fact, the company changed its name to Meta to show what direction the social media giant is taking in the future. So far it seems that the company’s investment in creating the metaverse, which is essentially a virtual world where users will play and work together, is a bad idea. Meta is popularly known for creating the social media we know today. The tech behemoth is behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp serve, the most popular mobile apps serving billions of users on a monthly basis. But over the past few years, Meta is not only facing intense competition from TikTok but also facing scrutiny from regulators. Last week, Meta announced a $1500 Quest Pro headset for business. It’s the most advanced mixed-reality headset Meta has made.

IHSA FOOTBALL WEEK 8 RESULTS | The Voice Of LaSalle County Since 1952! – 1430wcmy.com https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/ihsa-football-week-8-results-the-voice-of-lasalle-county-since-1952-1430wcmy-com/ Friday’s Scores ALAH 50, Sangamon Valley/Tri-City Co-op 7 Aledo (Mercer County) 28, Stark County 0 Algonquin (Jacobs) 28, Hampshire 17 Amboy-LaMoille 42, Freeport (Aquin) 14 Andrew 34, Lincoln Way West 10 Annawan/Wethersfield (FB Coop) 32, ROWVA/Williamsfield co-op (BKB) 24 Arcola 45, Cerro Gordo-Bement Coop 6 Argo 32, Shepard 29 Athens 49, Riverton 0 Auburn 48, Stanford Olympia 26 Aurora (East) 52, West Chicago 24 Aurora Christian 33, St. Edward 6 Barrington 14, Conant 6, OT Batavia 41, St. Charles East 14 Beardstown 36, Calhoun/Brussels Co-op 11 Benton 31, Murphysboro 19 Benton 31, Murphysboro/Elverado 13 Bismarck-Henning 52, Westville 7 Bloomington 37, Champaign Central 7 Bolingbrook 44, Lincoln Way Central 7 Bradley-Bourbonnais 34, Stagg 0 Bremen 29, Oak Forest 7 Brother Rice 42, Marian Catholic (Chicago Heights) 7 Buffalo Grove 48, Rolling Meadows 14 Burlington Central 43, Cary-Grove 36 Byron 49, Dixon 14 Cahokia 56, Belleville (Althoff Catholic) 6 Carlinville 33, Greenville 0 Carterville 49, Pinckneyville 14 Charleston 30, Mt. Zion 27 Chatham Glenwood 48, Springfield 14 Chester 12, Red Bud 7 Chicago (Noble Charter/C. Bulls) def. Chicago Little Village, forfeit Chicago (Urban Prep Charter/Bronzeville) 46, Dunbar 0 Chicago Mt. Carmel 60, St. Viator 0 Clinton 14, Macon Meridian 6 Colfax Ridgeview 41, Heyworth 6 Collinsville 15, Champaign Centennial 14, OT Columbia 28, Breese Central 27 Dakota 66, West Carroll 0 Danville 58, Richwoods 7 DeKalb 14, Naperville Neuqua Valley 0 Decatur Lutheran (LSA) 66, Metro-East Lutheran 19 Decatur MacArthur 14, Normal University 9 Decatur St. Teresa 41, Shelbyville 14 Deer Creek-Mackinaw 64, Fieldcrest 14 Deerfield 43, Maine East 6 Downers North 20, OPRF 6 Downers South 37, Berwyn-Cicero Morton 14 Dunlap 35, Morton 34, OT Dupo 36, Sparta 12 Durand/Pecatonica 35, Galena 6 East St. Louis 26, Edwardsville 7 Effingham 17, Breese Mater Dei 0 Eisenhower 26, Springfield Southeast 22 El Paso-Gridley 34, Tremont 8 Eldorado 48, Christopher-Ziegler-Royalton 28 Elmwood-Brimfield 40, Lewistown 0 Evergreen Park 33, Blue Island Eisenhower 14 Fairbury Prairie Central 48, Monticello 13 Fairfield 48, Edwards County 0 Farmington 46, Astoria/VIT Co-op 8 Fithian Oakwood 48, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 13 Galesburg 42, United Township High School 31 Geneseo 36, Rock Island 22 Genoa (Genoa-Kingston) 44, Rockford Christian 6 Gilman Iroquois West 49, Dwight 8 Glenbard East 7, Glenbard South 6 Glenbrook South 42, Glenbrook North 6 Greenfield-Northwestern 54, Mt. Sterling (Brown County) 6 Hamilton County 74, Vienna-Goreville 30 Harrisburg 42, Herrin 14 Hersey 42, Elk Grove 0 Highland 56, Mascoutah 0 Hillsboro 28, Piasa Southwestern 14 Hinsdale Central 46, Proviso West 6 Hinsdale South 49, Proviso East 8 Hoffman Estates 42, Fremd 25 Homewood-Flossmoor 44, Sandburg 7 Hononegah 40, Belvidere 8 Hope Academy 40, De La Salle 29 Huntley 31, Dundee-Crown 19 IC Catholic 47, Kankakee (McNamara) 0 Illini West (Carthage) 30, West Hancock 0 Illinois Valley Central 14, Pontiac 0 Jerseyville Jersey 42, Bethalto Civic Memorial 0 Johnsburg 30, Woodstock 6 Johnston City 37, Carmi White County 28 Joliet Catholic 41, Lisle (Benet Academy) 0 Kaneland 45, Woodstock North 6 Kankakee 42, Harvey Thornton 0 Knoxville 41, Abingdon 7 Lake Zurich 42, Mundelein 7 Larkin 18, Elgin 0 Lemont 42, Hillcrest 8 Lena-Winslow 52, Stockton 6 Libertyville 42, Zion Benton 13 Lincoln 52, Taylorville 19 Lincoln-Way East 37, Lockport 10 Lisle 40, Manteno 6 Machesney Park Harlem 21, Belvidere North 17 Macomb 36, Havana-Midwest Central Coop 8 Madison 18, Anna-Jonesboro 13 Mahomet-Seymour 47, Mattoon 14 Maine South 28, Evanston Township 7 Maine West 42, Niles North 0 Marion 40, Carbondale 7 Marist 44, Carmel 30 Marmion 27, Leo 0 Maroa-Forsyth 51, New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly Co-op 13 McHenry 27, Crystal Lake Central 21 Metamora def. East Peoria, forfeit Milledgeville 66, River Ridge 14 Moline 33, Sterling 21 Momence 27, Watseka (coop) 0 Monmouth-Roseville 28, Erie/Prophetstown 6 Morris 59, Ottawa 7 Mount Vernon 35, Centralia 7 Moweaqua Central A&M 43, Sullivan-Okaw Valley Co-op 6 Naperville Central 28, Metea Valley 0 Naperville North 41, Waubonsie Valley 0 Nashville 28, Du Quoin 21 Nazareth 42, Montini 7 New Trier 34, Niles West 14 Niles Notre Dame 28, St. Laurence 10 Nokomis 27, OPH 20 Normal West 30, Peoria (H.S.) 6 O’Fallon 52, Alton 0 Oak Lawn Richards 41, Oak Lawn Community 20 Olney (Richland County) 28, Newton 21 Oregon 46, Rock Falls 0 Orion 53, Sherrard 7 Oswego East 35, Oswego 21 Palatine 41, Schaumburg 6 Pana 42, North-Mac 21 Pekin 49, Bartonville (Limestone) 6 Peoria Heights (Quest) 52, Ashton-Franklin Center 8 Peotone 54, Herscher 19 Plainfield Central 41, Romeoville 6 Plainfield North 40, Aurora (West Aurora) 7 Plainfield South 39, Plainfield East 6 Polo 64, Flanagan-Cornell-Woodland (FCW) 0 Prairie Ridge 48, Crystal Lake South 41 Princeton 48, Bureau Valley 0 Prospect 44, Wheeling 12 Quincy Notre Dame 48, Granite City 0 Reavis 49, Thornton Fractional North 8 Red Hill 36, Lawrenceville 12 Reed-Custer 58, Coal City 14 Rich Township 64, Thornridge 6 Richmond-Burton 49, Harvard 0 Ridgewood 37, Aurora Central Catholic 12 Robinson 40, Paris 21 Rochelle 42, Plano 22 Rochester 42, Jacksonville 14 Rockford Boylan 27, Rockford Guilford 7 Rockridge 42, Kewanee 14 Roxana 35, East Alton-Wood River 27 Rushville-Industry 50, Monmouth United 16 Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield) 66, Springfield Lanphier 6 Salem 21, Freeburg 14 Seneca 28, Clifton Central 0 Sesser-Valier-Waltonville 28, Flora 12 South Beloit 58, Orangeville 22 South Elgin 53, Bartlett 7 St. Charles North 14, Glenbard North 7 St. Francis 35, Riverside-Brookfield 14 St. Ignatius 35, DePaul College Prep 7 St. Joseph-Ogden 57, Rantoul 14 St. Rita 26, Providence 16 Staunton 27, Gillespie 12 Sterling Newman 30, Mendota 27 Stevenson 28, Waukegan 0 Stillman Valley 23, Rockford Lutheran 14 Sycamore 28, LaSalle-Peru 0 Taft 20, Whitney Young 0 Thornton Fractional South 35, Tinley Park 0 Tolono Unity 26, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 12 Trenton Wesclin 20, Carlyle 19 Tri-Valley 6, Eureka 0 Triad 28, Waterloo 13 Triopia/Meredosia-Chambersburg/Virginia Co-op 34, Pleasant Hill (P.H.-Western Coop) 30 Tuscola 52, Warrensburg-Latham 0 Unity-Payson 46, Carrollton 0 Unity/Seymour Co-op 46, Carrollton 0 Vandalia 57, Litchfield 18 Vernon Hills 50, Highland Park 34 Warren Township 28, Lake Forest 0 Washington 41, Canton 0 West Frankfort 42, Massac County/Joppa-Maple Grove Co-op 21 Wheaton North 20, Geneva 13 Wheaton Warrenville South 32, Lake Park 17 Williamsville 42, Pleasant Plains 6 Wilmington 57, Streator 6 Winnebago 41, North Boone 12 York 50, Willowbrook 0 Yorkville 7, Minooka 0 Saturday’s Scores Amundsen 62, Von Steuben 8 Belleville East 41, Belleville West 0 Bowen 22, Gage Park 0 Camp Point Central 68, North Greene 6 Casey-Westfield 52, Marshall 12 Catlin (Salt Fork) 33, Hoopeston/Armstrong/Schlarman Co-op 8 Champaign St. Thomas More 30, Martinsville 20 Chicago (Lane) 28, Westinghouse 24 Chicago (Noble Street Charter/Johnson) 48, Chicago (Noble Street/Noble Academy) 0 Chicago Christian 48, Phalen, Ind. 0 Chicago Sullivan 8, Senn 6 Crete-Monee 61, Chicago Heights (Bloom Twp.) 6 Cumberland 48, Argenta-Oreana 0 DeSmet, Mo. 48, Thornwood 0 Foreman 16, Kelly 0 Forreston 40, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 12 Fulton 35, Lanark (Eastland)-Pearl City 14 Glenbard West 28, Lyons 20 Hall 42, St. Bede 27 Hyde Park 14, Chicago King 6 Joliet West 50, Joliet Central 6 Lawrenceville 48, Peddie, N.J. 15 Loyola 53, St. Patrick 7 Marengo 48, Peoria Manual 14 Milford/Cissna Park Co-op 81, Danville Schlarman 26 Morrison 56, LeRoy 7 Mt. Carmel 62, Woodstock Marian 38 Normal Community 19, Peoria Notre Dame 13 Payton 26, Raby 6 Phillips 21, Chicago (Clark) 0 Pittsfield 24, PORTA-Ashland-Chandlerville Central 12 Princeville 50, Walther Christian Academy 7 Richards def. Bogan, forfeit Simeon 42, Morgan Park 22 Villa Grove/Heritage 41, Tri-County 6 West Prairie-Bushnell-Prairie Coop 39, Alden-Hebron 18 ___ Some high school football scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

Experts Discuss Pandemic Effects On US Travel Industry – Las Vegas Review-Journal https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/experts-discuss-pandemic-effects-on-us-travel-industry-las-vegas-review-journal/ ATLANTA — Practically every industry in America was impacted by the pandemic, but tourism was among the hardest hit as travel all but evaporated. The industry has since roared back to life, including in Las Vegas, though it still hasn’t recouped all of the business it lost. A panel of industry professionals gave their take on hotel sales and development, travel and other issues last week at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in Atlanta. The Review-Journal moderated the discussion with Charlotte Kang, national practice lead for hotels and hospitality at real estate brokerage Jones Lang LaSalle; Michael Ritz, senior vice president of investments at Peachtree Hotel Group; Ben Brunt, chief investment officer at Noble Investment Group; and T.Jack Bagby, principal at architecture and design firm Cooper Carry. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Review-Journal: The first thing I want to talk about is the pandemic’s impact on travel, tourism, conventions and the hotel real estate market. Take us back to those scary days in spring 2020 when basically the economy shut off and travel stopped. Brunt: We had a portfolio of roughly 50 assets when the pandemic started; we went to 2 (percent) to 5 percent occupancy across our portfolio in April of ’20. It’s kind of a blur to look back on that period of time. We were all looking for the traveling nurses, government-related demand, anything that would generate revenue for our hotels. Most of our assets had 35 to 50 employees, each hotel went down to a skeleton crew of about three to six people. It was a very difficult working environment for all of those folks. The person that was checking you in was likely cleaning your room as well as doing the laundry and doing whatever food prep was out there. (At the corporate level,) we certainly had a lot to manage. You had to modify every single loan; we chose to participate in some PPP loans. So there was a lot of paperwork, loan work, investor calls, you name it. Charlotte, can you talk about the pipeline of sales and what happened to all the deals that were in the works around the country when the pandemic hit? Kang: It was a very scary time. Sales that were in negotiation did get delayed, but we did see some sales that were far along enough that took place. But at the time, everybody was trying to understand what’s going on and how does the industry — as owners, lenders and operators — prepare for what might be coming. It was not until later, where there’s vaccine coming to roll out, we saw pockets of areas, especially areas that opened up for travel, where transactions started to take place. Did you and your team even attempt to do valuations at that time when hotels were closed and nobody was going on vacation? Kang: We certainly attempted to; our clients were asking us to do that. I was on the phone every day — almost felt like every hour, every half-hour — and our job was trying to get as much consensus as possible from market participants and try to get the information: If you were to buy the property today, what are you willing to pay? Ritz: Ninety percent of our company became an asset management practice, where we were trying to communicate to all of our lenders, our investors, keep everybody in the know and also be on the receiving side of that. One thing that was a little bit different was the other 10 percent of our team became capital markets, and we raised money. Fears were growing, people were liquidating their positions in the equity markets, trying to harbor cash. No one knew what the future of their investments looked like. Our principals founded the company in 2008 on buying distressed debt and saw an opportunity to potentially buy distressed debt and get into assets at lower valuations. We ended up spending about a billion and a half dollars through 2020 and mid-2021 buying hotels, doing bridge loans, construction loans. Basically while the market was turned off, we were trying to place capital in a dislocated environment. T.Jack, can you talk about your industry? Did bids disappear for work in hotels, or were you seeing hotel owners looking to change the interior to accommodate what was going on with COVID, like add new HVAC systems? Bagby: Around April of 2020, I would say that about 60, 65 percent of all of our jobs that were on boards went on hold. There were individuals and family investment groups who were trying to time the market, and some came to us looking to try to start design work. But for the most part, the industry really did dry up. Last year, record-low mortgage rates fueled a homebuying frenzy across the country. With tourism climbing back in 2021 and cheap money widely available, was there a similar surge in hotel purchases last year? Brunt: Yes, there was a significant amount of transaction activity starting at the beginning of 2021 through at least the first quarter of ’22. The transaction environment was really fueled by the ability to forecast, and certainly interest rates were at an all-time low, and lenders were eager to get back in the game, so that did spark a lot of transactions. Can you talk about how the sharp jump in interest rates this year has impacted hotel construction financing or hotel sales? Kang: For assets that are very good quality, in very good locations, we are still seeing very strong interest from buyers. If you have an asset that is well located with strong fundamentals in a strong economic environment, those are very resilient so far. Can you also talk about the pipeline of hotel construction that we’re seeing around the country, especially how it compares to the years leading up to the pandemic? Brunt: What I’ve recently read, and this is through Lodging Econometrics, a New Hampshire-based group that follows new construction, what they’re reporting is construction starts are down 40 percent versus the same period in ’19. Whether it is some combination of interest rates but also a significant piece is inflation and the overall cost to build. When you combine that in a supply chain-challenged environment, it does make it more difficult to build. Bagby: The supply chain is a portion of it when it comes to construction costs, but it’s also the labor. You’re seeing a significant shortage in skilled tradesmen, such that the ability to schedule subcontractors on jobs is becoming more and more difficult, and so the price of course is going up. Though we may figure out the supply chain issues, I’m not sure that we’re going to figure out the labor issue very quickly. Kang: Debt financing is also harder to get. Ritz: And will only get harder. Why is that? Ritz: Elevated rates. The Federal Reserve is committed to bringing down inflation, getting the economy to cool down. If they continue to, and they’re successful, then we should see elevated rates. Those rates, as they continue to go up, the cost of capital for debt providers and debt users needs to go up in tandem. We’re getting to a point where the cost of debt is approaching the cost of equity, and then deals don’t pencil. So that’s kind of when you get a spigot that just turns off. How has the pandemic affected interior hotel layouts or the guts of a hotel? Bagby: Some of the only lingering effects we’ve seen from COVID are this emphasis on wellness. It started pre-pandemic, but it really hit a boost with the pandemic. This idea of working into the hotel more connection to the outdoors, whether it’s bringing the outdoors in through greenery or more windows, or having physical outdoor space. We’ve seen more outdoor lounge areas, outdoor meeting spaces, trying to also maximize the use of spaces around the hotel, realizing they can monetize those areas. How is domestic travel doing in the U.S., and how does leisure travel compare to conventions, which at least in Las Vegas took longer to re-emerge from the pandemic. Ritz: I think a lot of our eyes are on the business traveler. It was such a big piece of our revenue streams prior to COVID. Return-to-office is a huge conversation, but to what extent does business travel really come back? It’s come back a little bit quicker than anybody anticipated, but it’s not necessarily the huge consulting firms that everybody thinks are back on the roads. It’s the smaller, hungry, new startup businesses — it’s two people on the road, not eight, but there might be six groups of them going to compete for that business and get in front of one of their potential new clients and have a face-to-face interaction. Contact Eli Segall at esegall@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0342. Follow @eli_segall on Twitter. %

Block Leakages In Procurement Contracts – Economist – Ghana Business News https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/block-leakages-in-procurement-contracts-economist-ghana-business-news/ Reverend Dr Samuel Worlanyo Mensah Government should look at blocking leakages in procurement contracts and the management of state resources to accumulate revenue to get the country out of the current economic challenges, Reverend Dr Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, the Executive Director, Centre for Greater Impact Africa, has said. “If the government wants to get more revenue, then we should be able to stop the leakages within the system,” Reverend Dr Mensah said. Dr Mensah, speaking at the Ghana News Agency Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform, emphasised, “If the government is asking the citizens to tighten up their seatbelts to help rescue the country, there should be a corresponding initiative from the state to check all the loopholes in the procurement system to encourage the citizens to voluntarily tighten the belt. He said, “the nation can accumulate more money from identifying and blocking the loopholes within the procurement contracts, than relying on the electronic levy to develop the country.” “The procurement process has been corrupted and resources for contracts are sometimes issued through the doubtful procedure,” Dr Mensah stated while speaking on the topic: “Probing the procurement of contracts: Blocking the leakages”. He said: “The Center for Greater Impact Africa is entreating the government to strengthen the legal regime of the country to deal vigorously with people who misapply and mismanage state funds”. Dr Mensah while commending the government’s pledge to support the pharmaceutical industry expressed concern that since the announcement nothing concrete has been done. “I think it’s a nice strategic agenda for the state and I believe that if we can take all these processes and policies as stated in the budget then it is going to be a nice platform to begin to have a good economy. “But if at the end of the day, we leave it or it is only draft work that we have done and implementation becomes a challenge then it is going to be more of a curse than a blessing,” he said. Dr Mensah urged the government to be proactive in the handling of economic issues, stressing the government must develop pro-poor models as well as ones that would bridge the gap between academia and industries. Source: GNA

After Black Infant Mortality Surged In Kansas, Birth Workers Jumped Into Action – Lawrence Journal-World https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/after-black-infant-mortality-surged-in-kansas-birth-workers-jumped-into-action-lawrence-journal-world/ Wichita — Peggy Jones-Foxx knows what it takes to raise a baby. “It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done,” she said. “And I have a master’s degree.” At the Dellrose United Methodist Church in Wichita, she teaches pregnant women, particularly Black women, about that work — with the understanding that, statistically, their babies are less likely to live to see their first birthday than white children. So she coaches them on how to stay healthy during pregnancy: Are they taking their prenatal vitamins? Do they have strategies for managing stress? Do they know what resources exist if they need help buying healthy food? Jones-Foxx, who is president of the Wichita Black Nurses Association, lingers on a slide about the importance of communicating with their doctors. She tells the women to write down any questions they might have ahead of a checkup, and insist that they get answers. After all, she said, it can make a big difference when it comes to keeping Black mothers and their children alive. “Sometimes that can be pretty intimidating because we’re all a little shy when it comes to professionals,” she told her class. “They ask if you have any questions as they’re already walking out the door — but that’s your time to ask those questions that may be weighing on you.” These “Baby Talk” prenatal education classes represent a new partnership between the nurses association and the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita’s Center for Research for Infant and Birth Survival (CRIBS). The impetus? New data revealing that Black infant mortality in Kansas surged 58% in 2020. Now, 17 Black babies out of every thousand die before their first birthday — over three and a half times the rate of white babies. Of the 2,369 Black babies born in the state in 2020, 40 died in their first year. “I hope to be able to, one by one, shift those numbers for young mothers in the state of Kansas,” Jones-Foxx said. The classes are part of a multi-pronged effort by the Center for Research for Infant Birth and Survival, or CRIBS, in response to the increase. The center also runs an in-home visitation program for young families. Director Cari Schmidt said it’s trying to secure funding for research that would help the center better understand the causes of sudden unexpected infant death. “As long as there is a disparity” between white and Black infant mortality, she said, “we clearly haven’t done everything we can do.” Public health experts are still trying to understand why Kansas saw so many babies die during the first year of the pandemic when infant mortality dropped slightly in the U.S. overall. Most suspect the virus has something to do with it — whether from direct impacts to fetal development or stress from job loss and isolation. Sharla Smith, a University of Kansas professor who directs the Kansas Birth Equity Network, said both of those experiences were more common in Black communities: Black people were more likely to catch COVID-19 and they tended to feel the pandemic’s vast economic fallout more acutely. “All of this has just contributed to the stress on the Black body,” she said. Focusing on the health of Black mothers will be crucial to addressing Black infant mortality going forward, she said. In part, that’s because of racial differences in why babies die in Kansas. While white and Hispanic infant mortality is most commonly caused by birth defects, Black infant deaths more frequently stem from complications related to being born too early and underweight. Premature birth can be caused by a host of factors, including a pregnant woman’s preexisting health issues and challenges accessing prenatal care. Smith said both can stem from bias and systemic racism within the medical field. Research shows doctors are less likely to diagnose Black women with endometriosis or refer them for cardiac treatment and are more likely to ignore their pain. “This is not just about getting an appointment,” she said. “Black women are just not heard.” Researchers say poverty can play a role in infant mortality too, but it’s far from the only reason. A 1992 study found that a stark infant mortality gap existed between babies born to Black and white parents even when both were college-educated. Among that group, Black babies were nearly twice as likely to die as white babies. “If you’re only saying it’s poverty, then you’re missing a huge piece of this,” said Michelle Redmond, a KU professor and Smith’s collaborator at the Kansas Birth Equity Network. “You really have to look at what we define as social determinants of health — it’s social, environmental, economic, educational.” A few miles away in North Wichita, Sapphire Garcia-Lies is trying to tackle those factors through the Kansas Birth Justice Society, a nonprofit that serves Black, Latino and Native American families. Its approach is holistic, focused on improving both maternal and infant health. “We can’t separate the two,” said Garcia-Lies, who founded the center during the pandemic. “They’re two sides of the exact same coin.” That means providing supplies that low-income families might struggle to buy. The building houses a room stacked floor-to-ceiling with free diapers and baby clothes, a community fridge, and a lending library full of books about the birthing experiences of women and queer people of color. There’s also a meditation room and a meeting area for parent support circles. And the organization is recruiting and training lactation consultants of color — a first for Wichita. “This is the first space in the Wichita area that has lactation consultants of color on staff,” said Garcia-Lies. “Because people need culturally affirming care. They need to feel like they belong.” The goal is to help Black, Native American and Latino families, who breastfeed at lower rates than white and Asian families, continue breastfeeding past the newborn stage — which research indicates is correlated with a lower risk of infant death. “It provides protection from infectious diseases and sudden infant death syndrome,” said Lisette Jacobson, a KU professor who studies the relationship between breastfeeding and infant health. “To optimize those benefits, you want to be exclusively breastfeeding for at least six months.” For families of color, meeting that target often involves navigating more roadblocks than white families do. “Lots of times, the biggest obstacle is that they have to go back to work really early,” Garcia-Lies said. “For some of them, it’s two weeks or less after they give birth.” This year, the Kansas Birth Justice Society will pair around 75 families with doulas who’ll support them throughout pregnancy, birth and infancy. That can involve advocating for patients during doctor’s visits and ensuring they aren’t pressured into medical interventions in the delivery room, like labor induction or C-sections. It’s an issue close to Garcia-Lies’ heart. She lost her second daughter to miscarriage in 2013 after, she said, a doctor brushed aside red flags she’d brought up about the pregnancy. “By the time I went for a second opinion, she had passed away,” she said. “I was full-term. We were days from her due date.” “And it didn’t just happen to me — it’s continuing to happen all the time.” Now, she works so that fewer families have to go through that heartbreak. Reducing racial disparities around infant mortality, she said, requires community-driven support for Black and brown families in a world that’s hostile to them. “We know that as soon as they walk outside these four walls, they’re going to face all the same things that they walked in with,” she said. “But when they’re here, we love on them and we nurture them. And we try to make sure that everyone who walks through those doors understands that they matter.” — Rose Conlon reports for Kansas News Service.

RIDE OF HONOR: Funds Go To Veterans | News, Sports, Jobs – Evening Observer https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/ride-of-honor-funds-go-to-veterans-news-sports-jobs-evening-observer/ The Silver Creek VFW presented the Disabled American Charles Tinley Memorial Post 142 in Dunkirk a check for $1,351 which represented activities from their recent Bike Run. The check was presented to the DAV Chapter by Ray Hauck, bike run organizer, and Rodney Brinkman from the VFW at the September meeting of the chapter. They wish to thank all who donated including 1st Ward Falcon Club, AMVETS 6472, Applebees, Aunt Millie’s, Cabana Sams, Conservation Club, DeJohn’s Spaghetti House, Exempt Firemen’s Association, Gowanda Harley Davidson, Home Depot, Kathy’s Country Gifts, Moniuszko Social Club, Inc, Ralph Smith, Samuel Cimino VFW Post Number 6472, Signals, Silver Creek Overseas Veterans, Silver Creek Volunteer Fire Association, and Valvo’s Candies. Their support made the fundraiser possible. They also wish to thank all the bikers who signed up for the event and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department for keeping them safe during the run. Today’s breaking news and more in your inbox

Celebverse Goes Live On Metaverse – Trade Arabia https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/celebverse-goes-live-on-metaverse-trade-arabia/ Celebverse, the world’s first and only virtual world dedicated to ‘Adam & EU’, an original human couple and parents of the human race and a leading virtual real estate offering exposure to the burgeoning industry via Metaverse, is now live. With its help, one can acquire virtual property / NFTs and take advantage of various virtual accurate estate-centric services.  Celebverse is the revolutionary step towards Metaverse, providing users with the privilege to purchase parcels around celeb’s Metaverse Land. With the freedom, individuals around the globe can now enjoy their choice neighbourhood and own their space in the Celebverse. As the name suggests, Celebverse is a first-of-its-kind celeb-centric virtual world where users can have an exclusive experience of celeb cities, concerts, studios, events, gigs, fashion shows, merchandise, stores, and much more. And at the same time, embracing a world built with celebrities across all walks of life, top brands, top entrepreneurs, anyone and everyone from sports, performing arts, entertainment, literature, influencers, etc., are all celebrities here. Yogesh Dixit, Head of Operations, Asia Pacific, Celebverse said, “We aim to create an ecosystem where people can test their imaginations’ limits, enjoy the rights from minting a city to owning citizenship in their favourite celeb or brand city. Characters of Celebverse will be up to 85 percent of human reality. Driven by Web 3.0 solutions, users not just buy/trade or sell virtual assets but explore the unending possibilities supported by powerful, unshakable and trusted Smart Audit Contracts of the Ethereum Blockchain.” Celebverse is a peer-to-peer network highly facilitated in the Metaverse. The platform offers detailed FAQs and a roadmap to acquisition. Citizens can own their NFTs, design, mint, buy, sell, and auction the land parcels. Newer celebs shall also benefit from having enthralling neighbours in the new world. – TradeArabia News Service

3 Newly-Launched Earphones On Fit, Comfort, Style And Sound, Including The New Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen – NYLON SINGAPORE – NYLON SINGAPORE https://bentoncountynewsnow.com/3-newly-launched-earphones-on-fit-comfort-style-and-sound-including-the-new-apple-airpods-pro-2nd-gen-nylon-singapore-nylon-singapore/ It’s worth upgrading your earphones now if you’ve had them for a while. The second generation of the AirPods Pro came out a few weeks ago, and just before that, Huawei launched their competing version, the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2. We tested each of them out for fit, comfort and sound. Read on. Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation Above: Apple AIRPODS PRO (2nd generation) It’s been almost three years since the launch of the original AirPods Pro. This second generation version improves on everything such as having a H2 chip (more efficient!), better Active Noise Cancellation (it’s said to be double the noise cancelled compared to the original AirPods Pro), Touch Control (more intuitive), and Personalised Spatial Audio — an extension of Apple’s Spatial Audio, and a feature that’s supposed to precisely tune the surround sound experience to the user’s ears. The Personalised Spatial Audio feature is interesting; it uses the TrueDepth camera on the iPhone to capture the shape of the user’s ear, and then tuning and optimising the audio to suit that ear. The sound is supposed to be more full and immersive. This customisation works differently from the NURATRUE earbuds that use sound waves to map the ear. Above: it’s the same sized case as the 1st generation airpods pro, so you can reuse your favourite existing case cover. Sound: Full, rich, with a strong and clear bass. Music sounds delightful to listen to. Noise Cancelling: Noise cancelling is powerful. It silences the outside so the focus really is on the music. There’s a useful transparency mode, which blends in surrounding sound so you’re not totally unaware when crossing the road. Design: It’s sleek — after all, it’s an Apple design. The case is small and handy and has the same dimensions as the first generation AirPods Pro, so you can reuse your existing case covers. Comfort & Fit: There are four silicone ear tips with M fitted on as standard out of the box. The earbuds sit in the ear nicely and feel secure. There’s no need to fiddle with the angle of it in the ear since it’s obvious which way faces down. Controls: It’s a swipe up swipe down touch control on each of the earbuds. It’s intuitive to use and you’ll likely get it right on your first try. Wireless Charging: Yes. Just place the case on any MagSafe charger, Apple Watch charger, or Qi-certified charger. Battery Life: Up to 6 hours listening time on a single charge, and up to 30 hours with the MagSafe Charging Case. Price: $359, available at apple.com. Above: the earbuds are ergonomically shaped. NYLON’s Recommendation: It’s quite a step up from the standard AirPods and even the first generation AirPods Pro. It’s worth getting if you’re an audiophile and really enjoy listening to your music while on the go; plus if you own an iPhone. Because pairing and connecting to Apple devices is instant; just open the case and you’ll be prompted to pair your gadgets together. You can switch easily between Apple devices as well — it’s the Apple ecosystem at work. Overall, the audio experience really is excellent; I’d save up and spring for these as a travel essential. Above: (left to right) Apple AIRPODS PRO (2nd generation) and AIRPODS (3rd generation). Above: the Apple AIRPODS PRO (2nd generation) earbuds vs. the AIRPODS (3rd generation) earbuds. Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 Above: Huawei FREEBUDS PRO 2 in ceramic white. So out of the box, these look really similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro, with the small design differences being a rounder case, and flatter earphone arms. I could pair this easily with the iPhone by pressing the “sync” button on the side of the charging case (you have to really look for it, I promise you, it’s there), and  once it’s paired by Bluetooth, the connection is pretty seamless. Above: Huawei freebuds pro 2 earbuds. Sound: Volume levels are louder than the AirPods Pro; these would work great for those who love to blast their music, and the audio doesn’t crack at all at these high levels. Quality of the audio is decent. It’s not as clear as what the AirPods Pro produces, but you do get more bass — and it can go louder. Noise Cancelling: Good noise cancelling, but not as powerful as the feature on the AirPods Pro. But do you really need to create a sound vacuum in your ear? Do you? That’s up to you and your wallet. Design: Can’t go wrong with this all-white design. The larger black accents on the sides of the earbuds work too and make this one stylish little gadget. This also comes in Silver Frost and Silver Blue colour options. Comfort & Fit: These feel like they sit in the ear more securely than the AirPods Pro — like they won’t fall out as easily. But that also means that you can “feel” these more in the ear. With the AirPods Pro, it’s like they aren’t even there. Good and bad. Controls: Controls are meant to straightforward with a swipe up and down to change volume and a squeeze and press to pause and play. On my first try, I couldn’t tell where the sensors were and got frustrated trying to get my music to play. It’s not terribly intuitive and could definitely be better. Wireless Charging: Yes, with any Qi-certified charger. Strangely, it wouldn’t charge with my MagSafe charger. Battery Life: Up to 4 hours listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled, and up to 18 hours with the charging case. With ANC off, you get up to 6.5 hours on a single charge, and up to 30 hours with the case. Price: $298, available on Shopee. NYLON’s Recommendation: This is a good $61 less than the AirPods Pro, plus Shopee always has some promotion going on (the earphones are $273 at the time of writing). It’s not an “AirPods Pro killer” as some other reviews have called it, but both products are appealing in their own way. Get the Apple one if you’re an iPhone user, and get this Huawei version if you want to save a bit of money and don’t need a fancy case cover for it (most earbuds case covers are made for the AirPods line). It’s not a bad choice at all, considering you can choose the cool Silver Frost (dark grey) or Silver Blue (pale blue) colour options this is available in. Jabra Elite 5 Above: Jabra ELITE 5 in Gold Beige. I’ve always liked Jabra earphones. They are comfortable, feel secure, look good, and sound pretty good too for its price. The Elite 5 came out not too long ago last month and is positioned as an all-rounder that’s good for listening to media or taking calls. Above: Jabra elite 5 earbuds. Sound: Just when I thought that the Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 was bassy, along come these Jabras that take it up another notch. The sound is full and feels like it’s pumping — which makes this great for workouts! Music and audio isn’t as clear and nuanced as the AirPods Pro, so if you’re getting earphones just for the listening pleasure of music, consider forking out more for the ones from Apple. Noise Cancelling: There’s ANC and it works well, but it’s not as powerful as noise cancelling with the new AirPods Pro. Design: I really love the earbud design; it’s compact and looks beautiful when worn (especially this Gold Beige version). I do like the matte finish as well, which sets it apart from many earbuds in the market now. This comes in a full black version too, which is very sleek. Comfort & Fit: These fit so snugly in the ear, I have no fear of them dropping out. Undoubtedly, they’d be the pair I’d take when I go jogging. They are extremely comfortable too! It feels very satisfying popping these in. Controls: Just to be sure how the controls work, I read the instructions, and once I knew, I knew. It’s not hard at all to operate these; the earbuds are controlled with the large button on the flat end that faces out, which is very convenient. Wireless Charging: Yes, with any Qi-certified charger. It charges standing up rather than lying flat on its side. Tried it with a MagSafe charger and yes it charges with it. Battery Life: Up to 7 hours with ANC on, and up to 28 hours with the case. Price: $228, available on Shopee. NYLON’s Recommendation: I’d be less “precious” with these earbuds than the glossier versions from Apple and Huawei. I’d take these running and on the airplane, and I’d appreciate the longer battery life that it offers. It took me a while to figure out how to pair it with the iPhone (press and hold both top buttons on the earbuds to trigger the sync mode), but once I got them connected, there have been no hiccups. If you don’t need to wear a “branded” pair of earphones (eg. Apple), or just don’t like those “drop-down” arm designs, these earbuds are for you. Sound is good, connection is stable, it fits nicely, so all is well.